March 24, 2003

Pluto Brings Shock and Awe

After a rolling start with a few well-aimed missiles into Baghdad, the long-anticipated "shock and awe" bombardment began in earnest over the weekend as transiting Pluto turned retrograde. According to the Pentagon and reporters embedded in the front line, the war is proceeding according to plan. The Iraqi government is in disarray, and despite several disruptive protests in major U.S. cities, Americans generally favor the war effort by a 3-1 majority.

President Bush's horoscope reflects his confidence, since transiting Jupiter is turning direct right on his Leo Ascendant. At the same time transiting Neptune is in his 7th house of "others", bringing some confusion and doubt among traditional allies. Bush gave the "Let's go" signal on March 19 when transiting Mars was exactly trine his natal Mars. He abandoned the U.N. in favor of a "coalition of the willing" under two favorable Venus progressions*.

Jupiter squares the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant as well, an optimistic influence reflected in the rapid rise in the domestic stock markets. Watch for a favorable progress report coming out of Bush's Global Communications Center when Jupiter turns direct on April 4. One can't count on complete victory by then, since the U.S. progressed Moon isn't conjunct Mars until May 16.

As religious Jupiter hovers around Bush's Ascendant, many reporters have commented on his good-versus-evil foreign policy. Bush's progressed Sun is approaching his natal Mars, pushing him aggressively forward in this evangelical approach. However, this aspect won't be exact until June 2004. He has successfully completed Phase One of his plan - the invasion of Afghanistan, and embarked on Phase Two in Iraq. Phase Three is still down the road, perhaps the evil regime in North Korea.

Operation Liberty Shield

While Bush's military and political victory is assured, the FBI and integrated government security agencies initiated anti-terrorism efforts across the country by raising the terror alert status from "elevated" to "high". The counter-terrorism plan is called Operation Liberty Shield, and calls for tightened national security in face of increased anti-Americanism across the global village.

Astrologically, the transit of Pluto opposite the U.S. Mars over the next two years will likely intensely polarize factions into "Us" and "Them", and foster an atmosphere of chronic fear and paranoia punctuated by random acts of violence and terror. This combination of planets has a zealous edginess, and with Pluto being in Sagittarius, much of the rage can be attributed to religious and/or ideological fanaticism.

Pluto hits the U.S. Mars in the communications and transportation sign of Gemini. Much of Operation Liberty Shield is directed at protecting the nation's transportation system, including random searches of cars, restricting airspace over metropolitan areas, patrolling bridges, and checking truckers who haul hazardous wastes. The Coast Guard is busy escorting ferries and cruise ships. Meanwhile, intelligence teams are monitoring all communications networks for possible Al Qaeda or other suspicious chatter.

As Americans watch the Iraqi war with all the enthusiasm of a spectator sport event, a new feeling of panic is creeping into the national mood. Transit Pluto opposite Mars is bringing a huge Homeland Security bureaucracy, color warning codes, periodic official alarms, and reduced civil liberties. As political analyst Zbigniew Brzezinski put it, "We can't protect everything anyway, but we can induce so much fear into our society that something very precious is going to be lost."

Saturn Tests Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt

Rumors abound that Hollywood's hottest couple, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, are heading for divorce. She forgot to thank him during her acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards; he was a no-show at the People's Choice Awards. He's been spending weekends by himself at their Santa Barbara getaway, and when they are together they don't seem very affectionate. What's going on?

Brad Pitt was born with his Sun in trendy Sagittarius (December 18, 1963; Shawnee, OK; time unknown). His sex appeal derives from his well-placed Mars in Capricorn, which is strengthened by trines to Uranus and Pluto, and given a bold streak by a square to Jupiter. One possible contention is that Brad's Ceres, the asteroid governing his parenting instincts, is being awakened by transiting Uranus.

Jennifer Aniston was born in the friends' sign of Aquarius (February 11, 1969; Sherman Oaks, CA; time unknown). Her Ceres is in cautious Capricorn, and is further repressed by a square to Saturn, a combination which has the effect of delaying or even blocking pregnancy. Brad's Mars, on the other hand, is conjunct her Ceres, so he pushes for children and a traditional nuclear family.

Transiting Saturn has been in a long term opposition to Brad's Sun, fueling the rumors of their mutual disenchantment. Saturn just turned direct and will be opposite his Sun in late April and early May. Then, when Saturn enters Cancer in June it will hit a major complex in Jennifer's chart (Juno-Chiron-Uranus T-square) that will also severely test their relationship. Patience is the key to surviving this transit, but it only works if they truly love each other.


* Secondary progressed Venus (P2 Venus) is exactly, to-the-minute conjunct his IC, while P2 Uranus is exactly, to-the-minute sextile his natal Venus. Several readers pointed out that a horoscope drawn for the first missile launched at 9:33 pm, March 19 in Washington DC had 8 Scorpio Rising, and verifies the 8 Scorpio Rising US chart used in this column.

Online classes and personal readings are available. Visit http://neptunecafe.homestead.com/classes.html or http://neptunecafe.homestead.com/reading.html for more information.

Reader feedback is welcome. Email: [email protected].