February 4, 2002
George Bush Enters the Twilight Zone
President Bush's State of the Union speech last week received bipartisan
kudos domestically, but a few diplomatic alarms went off internationally over
his "Axis of Evil" statement concerning Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. George
Bush's horoscope (July 6, 1946; 7:26 am; New Haven, CT) reflects his current
headstrong, militaristic attitude since Mars, the natural indicator for war
and the military, is now powerfully activated*.
An astrological cross current helps shape the nature of Bush's agenda, and
that is the transit of nebulous Neptune which has just entered his seventh
house of open enemies, and partners and allies. From this house Neptune will
be opposing his first house Mercury-Pluto conjunction.
Bush's Mercury-Pluto combination is especially intrigued by espionage and
intelligence. While many political astrologers have commented on this
conjunction, few (if any) have mentioned that Mercury and Pluto oppose the
asteroid Ceres in his seventh house of partners. Ceres is associated with the
parent-child relationship, and is known for its caring, nurturing principle.
Vice President Cheney is clearly represented in Bush's horoscope by the
asteroid Ceres.
Bush's Ceres happens to be exactly, to-the-minute conjunct Cheney's Aquarius
Sun. Aside from being his political partner, Cheney can be seen then as
George W's caretaker, his political manager, and a representative of his
father's worldview, recalling that George Bush the elder once headed the CIA.
Over the coming year transiting Neptune simultaneously hits Bush's Ceres and
Cheney's Sun, and this development fosters their mutual interest in the
twilight world of the intelligence community.
Homeland Insecurity
Last week the Bush Administration described a terrorist underworld hiding in
the centers of large cities, and is proposing a $48 billion increase in
Pentagon spending to combat the threat. Dramatically raising military
spending at the expense of all other federal programs fits the new era the
U.S. is now beginning, as reflected in the national horoscope's progressed
Midheaven entering combative Aries (see NewsScope January 21, 2002).
Many critics wonder if Bush's priorities serve a more nefarious agenda.
Perhaps casting the world in simplistic moral standards of Good and Evil is a
Machiavellian plot to grab power and make military pork. Probably the most
difficult hurdle political astrologers must overcome is personal feelings for
one party, a particular politician, or a cause. Political bias filters all
interpretations and forecasts, and distorts any technical mastery to see
events objectively.
Bush may indeed be using the terrorist crisis to his political advantage, but
before astrologers cite planetary evidence that Bush is removing the nation's
Bill of Rights, have a look at transiting Uranus, now in late Aquarius. In
the U.S. Scorpio Rising horoscope, the Moon is found in late Aquarius and in
the fourth house of domestic security.
As transiting Uranus advances to conjoin the U.S. Moon, the likelihood of a
sudden terrorist attack within the U.S. borders escalates. The Moon,
symbolizing the people and their security needs, becomes anxious and
high-strung under this Uranian influence. Over the next month we are likely
to see some startling incidents that increase national insecurity, especially
around February 24 when this aspect becomes exact.
Free Winona
"Free Winona" T-shirts are selling as fast as Los Angeles gift shop owner
Billy Tsangares can print them. The tongue-in-cheek political campaign began
December 12, the day actress Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting from a
posh Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue store. Although Ryder was released on
$20,000 bail, the Free Winona T-shirts have become an international craze.
Winona Ryder was born with her Sun in intense Scorpio and her Moon in
sensitive Pisces (October 29, 1971; 11:00 am; Rochester, MN), the same
combination shared by Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton. Unlike the First
Ladies, Ryder was raised in a commune and had LSD guru Timothy Leary as her
godfather, a radical parental background reflected by Uranus in her tenth
house.
Ryder's Moon in the emotionally divided sign of Pisces is further split by
competing squares. The Moon squares the spiritual, seeking, sometimes
mind-expanding Jupiter-Neptune conjunction on the one hand, and controlled,
mentally rigid Saturn in Gemini on the other hand. These divergent tendencies
are reflected in her movie roles which range from depressed, angst-ridden
Goths to the proper, composed Edith Wharton debutantes.
The T-shirt promoter said the popularity of the Free Winona craze is an
escape from the heavy terrorism messages. "This gives people an expression
that is radical and at the same time meaningless," he explained. Ryder's
progressed Midheaven is now exactly conjunct her Sun, reflecting her
notoriety. Watch on March 1 when transiting Jupiter turns direct and forms a
favorable trine to her Sun, perhaps freeing her by giving her a sense of
meaningful existence, but most certainly, attracting widespread attention.
Reader feedback is welcome. Email: [email protected].
* According to the technique of secondary progressions. Bush's progressed
Mars is squaring his Sun, and becomes exact on March 15, 2002. See NewsScope
November 26, 2001 for more details.
