November 5, 2002
Clean Money Campaign System
This election cycle is a record-breaker for the amount of money taken in and spent, and is the last one before the Campaign Reform Act of 2002 goes into effect, which aims at reducing corporate influence in politics. Many critics have observed that loopholes are already evident, and so in Arizona and three other states* a new system is being tried, one that provides public funds for candidates to run for office.
Arizona has its Sun in fair-minded Aquarius (February 14, 1912; 8:00 am; Phoenix), nearly exactly conjunct the U.S. Moon. Currently transiting Uranus is turning direct on the U.S. Moon and Arizona's Sun, indicating how this state is showcasing an innovative political experiment in democracy. Arizona's Sun is trine to intense Pluto, empowering state politics with a passion for revolutionary reforms, but also the potential for corruption.
Arizona's chart is vulnerable to the temptations of easy money. Venus, the planet associated with money, is found in the government sign of Capricorn, and is opposed to deceptive Neptune (the ruler of the chart). Also, with Arizona's Saturn in Taurus, big money carries a lot of authority here. Saturn squares Mercury in the secretive 12th house, so that policies (Mercury) were discretely shaped by corporate interests (Saturn).
Over the last fourteen years Arizona was inundated with bribery and corruption scandals. Finally, when transiting Pluto opposed Arizona's Mars four years ago, voters took action and approved the Citizens Clean Elections Act. Now Pluto is at Arizona's Midheaven, where it's reforms have restructured local politics, and brought the system to national recognition.
Sharon Moves to the Right
As Uranus turns direct, Israel's internal political scene is experiencing a major earthquake. Prime Minister Sharon lost his alliance with the moderate Labor Party over a budget dispute. To politically survive, he is relying on religious and political right wing parties, and making cabinet appointments that oppose any peace overtures toward the Palestinians.
Ariel Sharon's horoscope (February 27, 1928; 7:30 am; Yehud, Israel) indicates that personally he will be strengthened by these changes. Transiting Pluto is nearing a conjunction with his Saturn, found in the ninth house of religion. Pluto here intensifies and fortifies his religious views, now no longer softened by doves like Shimon Peres. Transiting Jupiter is simultaneously forming a supportive, long term trine to his Saturn, confirming his personal authority.
In Israel's horoscope (May 14, 1948; 4:37 pm; Tel Aviv) transiting Jupiter and Pluto are aligning with the tenth house Saturn, which also strengthens the government in power. Still, transiting Uranus is bound to create some havoc over the next few months as it moves into opposition with Israel's Mars. In Sharon's chart Uranus enters his 12th house of secret enemies, and will square his Taurus Moon in December. Inevitably, Sharon's personal security will be challenged by domestic and foreign enemies.
Benjamin Netanyahu (October 21, 1949; 9:30 am; Jerusalem) is being appointed Foreign Minister. Netanyahu has made it clear that he does not favor the U.S. "roadmap to peace," the three year program to settle with the Palestinians. Note that transiting Jupiter and Pluto are aligning with his ninth house Pluto, once again empowering an extreme religious and political worldview.
Steven Spielberg in Cuba
Famed director Steven Spielberg will be visiting Cuba this week to launch an international film festival featuring eight of his films. Spielberg's spokesman said that the director has always seen movies as a universal creative medium that can reach out to people across national boundaries and cultures.
Steven Spielberg was born with his Sun in the international sign of Sagittarius (December 18, 1946; 6:16 pm; Cincinnati, OH). The Sun's conjunction with Mars in ambitious Capricorn fuels him with a powerful drive and an adventurous spirit, qualities which usually find expression in his films' heroes. The closest aspect his Sun has is to the asteroid Vesta. Vesta's prominence is associated with the devoted, hard-worker, and is found in the cinematic sign of Pisces in his tenth house of career.
Spielberg's Sun is further modified by its conjunction with the Galactic Center. Astrologer Philip Sedgwick** describes the Galactic Center as stimulating an awareness or providing a knowledge that the individual may seem to have no way of knowing, especially in the fields of new technology and the arts. "Individuals with connections to the Galactic Center hold the potential to make massive changes in the directions of human affairs."
As Spielberg heads for Cuba, transiting Saturn is forming a square to his Vesta and an opposition to his Sun. Under Saturn's heavy influence he feels compelled to assist in Cuba's social and political transition. The trip promises to promote Spielberg not only as a director from Hollywood, but a director from the Center of the Galaxy.
* The other three are Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont. For more info, see http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/cleanelections.html
Arizona's birth time is from Marc Penfield's Horoscopes of the Western Hemisphere and is based on a Los Angeles Times story.
** See "The Astrology of Deep Space" by Philip Sedgwick.
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