September 8, 2003

Bush's Iraq Policy Makes 180 Degree Turn

With a rapidly deteriorating security problem in Iraq and relentless domestic criticism, President Bush decided to go back to the United Nations and ask for military and economic assistance. Foreign policy is now being directed by Colin Powell, who has long pushed for a multi-national peacekeeping force. Meanwhile, Washington insiders say Donald Rumsfeld may resign to take the blame for the failed unilateralism policy.

Astrologically, the disharmonic convergence of planetary alignments in late August coincided with the breath-taking, "mid-course correction". Mars is the activating agent as it slows down in early Pisces while making sharp connections with the outer planets Jupiter and Uranus. In July when Rumsfeld and Cheney were in charge of the Iraqi policy, Powell was thinking of resigning.

Now the tables are reversed; the pendulum is swinging the other way. The institutional battle between internationalism and American unilateralism is neatly personified by Powell and Rumsfeld, with each having access to one of Bush's ears. Rumsfeld's Mars opposes Powell's Mars, and both square Bush's Mars*. Transiting Mars in Pisces is tensely related to all three, fostering ego-challenging friction.

Mars has been retrograde for the last five weeks, during which time the unilateral approach has been severely tested and found wanting. We can expect that by the time Mars turns direct at the end of this month President Bush will have fully embraced internationalism in order to secure the extra troops and loans to rebuild Iraq. It probably means that the sweetheart deals granted to his constituents at Bechtel and Halliburton will have to be shared with European contractors.

The Dalai Lama Goes to Washington

Last week the Tibetan exiled religious leader, the Dalai Lama, began a 16-day teaching tour in the U.S. and will visit Washington on the second anniversary of 9-11 when he is expected to meet with Colin Powell and George Bush. China issued a protest over the visit, though last month indicated it may allow the Buddhist holy man an historic return to his homeland.

The Dalai Lama was born with his Sun in Cancer (July 6, 1935; 4:38 am; Tengstar, Tibet), and at virtually the same degree of Cancer as George W. Bush's Sun. The meeting between these two world leaders will likely be momentous since both are experiencing transiting Saturn's passage over their Suns. For the Dalai Lama, Bush's support of his return to Tibet will be instrumental, while for Bush the infusion of compassion may temper his headstrong Martial impulses.

President Bush's progressed Sun is now aligning with his natal Mars, pushing him into a military mindset wherever he goes. However, with transiting Saturn coming to his Sun, he needs to compromise with the surrounding international community to get his way. Saturn comes to him on September 11 in the form of the Dalai Lama, who has his natal Saturn opposite Bush's Mars. The Dalai Lama's Saturn is in faith-oriented Pisces, a placement associated with sensitivity and compassion.

Perhaps one of the most compassion-inducing planetary combinations is between Neptune and Ceres, the care-giving asteroid. Ceres-Neptune combinations are often found in the charts of nurses, caregivers, and alternative healers. Bush's initial "compassionate conservatism" ideology can be attributed to his Ceres, found in his seventh house of partners and promoted by his wife. On the day the Dalai Lama visits, transiting Neptune will be exactly conjunct Bush's Ceres.

Cameron Diaz, Watch Out!

In the brief two months since NewsScope last peeked into the private life of Cameron Diaz (see June 30, 2003), the actress has made the entertainment page headlines several times. In August she successfully sued a photographer, and by earning $40 million took away Julia Roberts' title as Hollywood's highest paid actress. Then on her birthday she broke her nose while surfing in Waikiki.

Cameron Diaz was born with adventurous Sagittarius Rising (August 30, 1972; 2:53 pm; San Diego), giving her a natural exuberance, cheerfulness, and outgoing personality. These easy-going, friendly tendencies are dramatically enhanced by Jupiter's placement right on the Ascendant. However, not all is fun and games with Cameron since her Sun is in duty-conscious Virgo, and propelled into her work by a conjunction with Mars.

Astrologers often look at the Solar Return horoscope to see what the coming year might bring. For Cameron, the Sun returned to its exact birth place on August 30, 2003 at 11:53 pm near Waikiki. This chart features a Mars-Uranus conjunction near her Midheaven and opposed to a Sun-Jupiter conjunction, a highly dynamic combination that could lead to sudden upsets.

She broke her nose on her birthday only hours before her Solar Return, and this can be taken as a warning to slow down. However, there's little chance she will slow down with her progressed Mars conjunct Pluto throughout 2004. Cameron is on track to earn some $64 million next year, but she'll definitely have to be on guard against accidents.


* see NewsScope May 12, 2003 for a preview of these dynamics