March 17, 2003
Uranus Challenges Tony Blair's Political Survival
After insisting on a U.N. Security Council vote on Iraqi disarmament, the Bush administration backtracked when it couldn't gather enough votes. Over the weekend Bush met with his two staunchest allies, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, to consider dropping the U.N. resolution, but both European leaders face stiff challenges at home if the U.S. invades Iraq without U.N. backing.
Tony Blair was born a persevering Taurus (May 6, 1953; 6:10 am; Edinburgh) with his Sun exactly conjunct the political asteroid Pallas Athena and favorably sextile to Uranus. This combination excels at diplomacy and shrewdly weighing the strategic benefits of various geopolitical scenarios. It bestows a keen political mind, especially since Uranus is in the third house of information and communication.
Blair's Moon is in the coalition-building, networking sign of Aquarius. Over the past month transiting Neptune has been conjunct Blair's Moon, putting his traditional alliances under a cloud of confusion and doubt. The Moon here symbolizes his popular approval, but that is now under siege, as some 90 percent of Britons are against any war with Iraq unless the U.N. approves.
Blair has a Mars-Jupiter conjunction on his Ascendant, an adventurous planetary set-up that brings self-confidence, boldness, and a willingness to fight for his beliefs. Transiting Uranus has been in a challenging square to Blair's Mars and Jupiter, bringing overt threats to break with him from his traditional allies. Blair's own Labour Party is poised to disown him if he continues on his current path with President Bush.
Economic Transformations: Pluto Heading for Mars
Pluto turns retrograde over the coming week as it nears a hotspot in the U.S. horoscope. No matter which U.S. chart one uses (assuming a July 4, 1776 horoscope), Pluto by transit will be opposing Mars over the next two years, an extremely dynamic phase bound to bring historical military confrontations. As discussed last week, the Iraqi war may end quickly, but the underlying hostility generated by a Pluto transit to Mars will be just beginning.
If one uses the Scorpio Rising U.S. horoscope (2:21 pm), Mars is found in the eighth house of corporations, taxes, and retirement funds. Mars here governs an economic sector, and since Mars is associated with metal and is in the transportation sign of Gemini, the U.S. Mars relates specifically to the airline and automobile industries. Uranus is also in Gemini in the U.S. eighth house, but refers more to electronics, computers and telecommunications.
Now, as transiting Pluto approaches its nearest point to the U.S. Mars before turning retrograde, a number of problems in the automobile and airline industries are cropping up. Ford's stock has just reached a fifteen year low due to severe reductions in its workers' pension fund. United and American Airlines are losing $billions, and may soon go bankrupt, especially if the Iraq war generates more terrorists targeting U.S. commercial airplanes.
Mars also governs tariffs and we can expect major developments in the World Trade Organization regarding the lowering of tariffs to increase free trade. A major beneficiary of the WTO rules will be China, which continues to lead the world in economic growth. The Pluto to Mars opposition will make it apparent that in the 21st century China will be challenging U.S. economic dominance.
Elizabeth Smart Returns from the Underworld
Ever since she was kidnapped from her parents' million-dollar home in Salt Lake City, Elizabeth Smart has lived with a self-styled prophet of the homeless and his wife. The nine months of shabby, vagabond living all came to an end last Wednesday when police stopped the trio, and returned Elizabeth to her parents. Her disappearance led to a nation-wide search, and now her return is being hailed as a joyous miracle.
Elizabeth Smart was born with a Sun-Pluto conjunction in Scorpio (November 3, 1987; 1:03 pm; Salt Lake City, UT*), a powerful pairing of planets guaranteed to bring her extraordinary experiences. For a youngster, the Sun-Pluto conjunction usually refers to a powerful father, but may also infer that the budding ego must deal with forceful, even frightening personalities in dangerous situations.
Her Sun-Pluto is found in the ninth house of religion. Over the next two months as transiting Jupiter squares her Sun-Pluto we will surely hear some fascinating stories about her adventure, and especially about how Mormonism figures in this case. Her Sun-Pluto happens to be exactly aligned with the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, indicating why this incident, of all the kidnapping cases that occur in the country, should become particularly compelling.
Elizabeth has a Moon-Jupiter conjunction in the second house of money, a placement bringing financial benefits and protection (Jupiter) from the family (Moon). Curiously, Patty Hearst (February 20, 1954; 6:01 pm; San Francisco), the publishing heiress who was kidnapped and eventually returned in 1974-75, also has her Moon in the second house, and similarly blessed by a trine to Jupiter in the tenth house.
* birth time is according to astrologer Noel Tyl who obtained it from Elizabeth's aunt.
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