June 9, 2003
Supreme Court Seat Up for Grabs
As the land's highest court ends its term in June, many political analysts expect that at least one justice will announce his retirement. Liberals and Conservatives are preparing for an intense fight over Bush's likely nominee. The prospect of a substantially refashioned court tilting toward Bush's conservative agenda means that any prospective candidate will have to answer one simple question, "Do you support the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion?"
In a national horoscope the ninth house represents the court system. In the U.S. Scorpio Rising horoscope the Sun is found in the ninth house, reflecting the nation's pride in its legal system, and that most of its politicians are lawyers. Transiting Saturn is now in Cancer and heading for a conjunction with the U.S. Sun, and will arrive at the same time that transiting Chiron is opposing the Sun. This simultaneous activation of the Sun indicates some deep challenges within the legal system.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist (October 1, 1924) is the most likely to retire. His Sun in Libra squares Pluto, giving him a diplomatic, friendly personality, with an underlying drive to create fundamental social changes. Rehnquist's Pluto happens to be exactly conjunct the U.S. Sun, so the pending transits to the U.S. chart also align with his Pluto.
When he was sworn in as Chief Justice on September 26, 1986, transiting Jupiter was conjunct his Uranus (sudden fame, see Demi below) as transiting Uranus was simultaneously squaring his Uranus. Now transiting Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, is visiting the same degree area, suggesting that what begin back then is now ending.
Hamas Challenges Roadmap
Divisions between Palestinian political factions intensified last week following Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's summit conference with President Bush and Israel's Ariel Sharon. HAMAS, the largest group opposed to the roadmap to peace, broke off cease fire discussions with Abbas, saying that the end to violence won't stop until Israel allows a return of the millions of Palestinian refugees and takes up the issue of Jerusalem.
The Hamas charter was issued on August 18, 1988 (set for noon, Gaza*), and called for a religious war against Israel. This moment can be used for the birth of this militant organization, and features a powerful Pluto rising in Scorpio and amplified by an inconjunction (150 degree aspect) to Mars in hotheaded Aries. The Sun in proud Leo is bolstered by trines to Saturn and Uranus, giving the Hamas leadership plenty of popular support.
Jupiter as the planet of religion plays an unusually important role in this chart. Jupiter is often activated during suicide bombings, since the perpetrators are convinced they will go directly to heaven. For example, in February 1996 when transiting Pluto was opposing the Hamas Jupiter, the peace process was moving forward. Hamas began a wave of suicide bombings, which led directly to the election of the Likud candidate Benjamin Netanyahu.
Currently, transiting Uranus in Pisces is very close to squaring the Hamas Jupiter. Last week when transiting Mars opposed the Hamas Sun, the negotiations with Abbas were severed. Mars enters Pisces on June 17 and joins with Uranus to square the Hamas Jupiter toward the end of the month. This represents an extremely dangerous time frame when suicide bombings will likely become Hamas's strongest statement.
Demi Moore Goes Full Throttle
Hollywood is all a-buzz about Demi Moore's hot new romance with actor Ashton Kutcher who is some 15 years younger than her. The paparazzi are prowling for the hottest photos, with The National Enquirer reportedly paying $112,000 for shots of them just laughing together. A spokesperson for the tabloid defended the deal, saying the "photos are charged with emotion, passion, and lust."
Demi Moore was born with a triple Sun-Venus-Neptune conjunction in Scorpio (November 11, 1962; Roswell, NM; time unknown), a highly amorous combination that loves to fall in love. Venus-Neptune people are incurable romantics. When reality eventually does set in, they suffer enormous disillusionment. After her breakup with Bruce Willis in 1998 she retired to her home in Idaho to focus on raising her three children.
Ashton Kutcher was born with a Sun-Venus-Moon triple conjunction in Aquarius (February 7, 1978; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; time unknown), a combination also fascinated with love and beauty. Kutcher's Sun squares Uranus in Scorpio, which happens to align with Moore's love planets. The Venus-Uranus connection between charts is a sign of love at first sight. His Mars in Cancer trines her Venus too, which is ideal for sexual compatibility.
At the moment transiting Uranus is turning retrograde, and has stopped right on her Jupiter. This Uranus-to-Jupiter link often brings sudden fame. She's come out of the mommy business to participate in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle", which opens on June 27. As the movie's director said, "Whenever you have energy in your personal life and you can translate that onto the screen, that's a good thing."
* for more info, see http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0999/9909108.html
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