August 18, 2003

Pluto Turns out the Lights

At 4:11 pm last Thursday the largest power blackout in U.S. history hit the northeast, plunging millions of Americans into darkness and stranding travelers across seven states and Ontario, Canada. President Bush quickly ruled out terrorism, but the cause has yet to be determined, although officials have long warned that the transmission system was old and could fail under high demand.

Thomas Edison powered up the first electric utility grid on September 4, 1882 at 3:00 pm* to light up the city of Manhattan. This horoscope provides the astrological foundation to track blackouts and other energy crises, and features the Sun conjunct Uranus, the natural ruler of electricity. The Sun and Uranus are found in the eighth house of corporate finances. Edison lit up Manhattan to impress Wall Street, and went on to create the largest, most successful corporation in America, General Electric.

At the time of Thursday's blackout, transiting Pluto was forming a square to Uranus in the Edison horoscope. Pluto's transit often signifies events which impact large groups of people, or the masses. The first major blackout in New York occurred on November 9, 1965 when transiting Uranus and Pluto were conjunct each other, and also exactly conjunct this chart's Uranus.

Other major transits and progressions** to the Edison chart underscore the current vulnerability of the system. These outer planet influences were activated suddenly by a faster moving transit, which was Mercury, and the underlying cause of the calamity. Transiting Mercury was conjunct Uranus several hours before the blackout, and represents the minor glitch that toppled the system, a malfunctioning alarm light.

Blackout Source: The Arctic

Energy Department officials have traced the power failure back to the Lake Erie Loop centered in facilities near Cleveland. The cascading outages revealed how interconnected the various city and regional energy grids are, and gave renewed urgency to Congress to pass a comprehensive energy bill that has been stalled for the last two years.

While the Edison horoscope reflects the specific electrical energy crisis, the U.S. national horoscope shows the structural problems. The U.S. chart features the Sun square Saturn, an aspect often used to describe the character and evolution of the nation's leadership, which is symbolized by the Sun. However, Saturn is specifically associated with the nation's infrastructure.

Any major transit to the U.S. Sun also activates Saturn, and can be seen as a time for leaders to assert, develop, or change the infrastructure. In the holistic view, infrastructure means not only the energy grids, but also the interlocking political and business sectors that shape the American landscape. Last week transiting Chiron was exactly opposite the U.S. Sun as the blackout hit. Soon transiting Saturn will be conjunct the U.S. Sun. This double influence describes a phase when the politicians must figure out how to pass a major energy bill.

It won't be easy. The underlying reason that the bill has languished so long is the issue of drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Both parties are in agreement over most of the energy bill, but environmentalists are incensed that President Bush and his oil and gas people may despoil one of the nation's most pristine wildernesses. Watch as Saturn heads for the U.S. Sun in October for this issue to reach center stage.

Rob Lowe, Political Strategist

Arnold Schwarznegger's latest coup has been to appoint billionaire investor Warren Buffet and former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz to advise him on economic matters. Last week he also hired actor Rob Lowe, who played a political operative on the TV show "The West Wing". Lowe is expected to translate the skills he learned on the West Wing set into real life.

Rob Lowe was born with his Sun and Mars in intuitive Pisces (March 17, 1964, Charlottesville, VA; time unknown), a combination that in its higher sense might be called the spiritual warrior. The Pisces influence allows the individual to take action for higher, greater goals than for the furthering of personal ambition. As a West Wing character, Lowe was a quick-witted, liberal speechwriter.

Lowe's Sun is conjunct Mercury, the natural ruler of speechwriters. This Mercury is found in bold, assertive Aries, and is given strategic insights and great skill in the use of words by being trine the political asteroid Pallas Athena in broad-minded Sagittarius. We might expect that Lowe will reprise this role of political strategist for Schwarzenegger, though with a bit more of a conservative slant.

Lowe is already starring in a new TV drama, but he may have to sacrifice showtime for political time. Transiting Uranus turns direct on his Saturn shortly after the recall vote on October 7, indicating his structured routine is undergoing dynamic change. Also transiting Pluto squares his Mars (and opposes Arnie's) by the end of the year, pointing to the kinds of intense challenges that a political fight would bring.


* read NewsScope January 21, 2002 to see how this chart worked during the California energy crisis. From http://www.jhalpin.com/metuchen/tae/ehlai17.htm:."On Monday, September 4, 1882, at 3 o'clock, P.M., Edison realized the consummation of his broad and original scheme. The Pearl Street station was officially started by admitting steam to the engine of one of the "Jumbos," current was generated, turned into the network of underground conductors, and was transformed into light by the incandescent lamps that had thus far been installed. This date and event may properly be regarded as historical, for they mark the practical beginning of a new art, which in the intervening years has grown prodigiously, and is still increasing by leaps and bounds."

** Note that transiting Uranus currently squares Pluto (making a double UR-PL influence), transiting Saturn just entered the seventh house, and progressed Mars is right on the Ascendant.