December 1, 2003

Pluto Advances Medicare and Energy Bills

Over the last two weeks during the dramatic celestial combination of a Mars-Jupiter-Pluto configuration, Congress made major progress in advancing two important bills. As transiting Mars first opposed Jupiter and then went on to square Pluto, the highly polarized Congress vociferously debated the Medicare and national Energy bills, barely passing the former, while delaying the latter until next year.

Landmark legislation generally comes about during landmark astrological cycles, with transiting Pluto's opposition to the U.S. Mars representing the current underlying sense of urgency to get something done. The faster moving transits of Mars and Jupiter pinpointed the days and weeks when the most was accomplished. Still, the simmering rancor associated with Pluto to Mars promises to keep the two major parties intensely antagonistic throughout 2004.

The U.S. Scorpio Rising horoscope helps flesh out the circumstances and explain the significance of these twin bills. In the national chart Mars squares Neptune, which is the natural ruler of drugs and oil. Mars is in Gemini, the sign of the twins, and is naturally associated with energy. With Aries on the sixth house of health, Mars is also the nation's ruler of health programs. Transiting Pluto to Mars thereby brought about the twin bills of health and energy.

Mars is found in the eighth house of shared finances. By definition, corporations are made from the pooled assets of its stockholders, so the eighth house in the larger sense is about capitalism. Transiting Pluto to the U.S. eighth house Mars reflected the power of America's oil and pharmaceutical corporations in promoting their own agenda via national legislation.

Presidential Race 2004, Update

With the economy now growing at a healthy clip, Bush remains on target to win the 2004 Presidential election. The astrological basis for this forecast comes from President Bush's progressed Venus and Jupiter forming extremely favorable trines to the U.S. Moon* during 2004. This alignment of astrology's luckiest planets to the U.S. Moon gives Bush popular approval plus a $200 million campaign chest.

A national candidate needs personal planetary connections to the U.S. Moon in order to find approval from the general public, which is symbolized by the Moon. Howard Dean's Scorpio Sun closely squares the U.S. Moon, and among the Democrats this fortunate link has made him the man to beat (see July 28 and August 11). Because the aspect is a challenging square, Dean symbolizes the drive to change leadership and national policies.

NewsScope reader Betsy Stang reports that Wesley Clark told her during a fund raiser that he remembers his birth time as 5:43 am. Unfortunately for Clark, this puts his progressed Mercury too far away from the U.S. Moon during the height of the primary seasons so that his political message doesn't quite get heard (see NewsScope, September 16). His progressed Mercury is conjunct the U.S. Moon in June by which time Clark may join Dean's ticket as Vice President.

Liberal vote-splitter Ralph Nader (February 27, 1934; 4:52 am; Winstead, CT) said he will decide by the end of December if he's running again. At the moment transiting Pluto is squaring his Mercury, indicating he's doing some intense thinking and strategizing about his future. Transiting Uranus enters Pisces on December 30, giving Pisces native Nader another opportunity to be identified as the one who creates upsets and chronically bucks the system.

Tiger is from Mars, and Elin is from Venus

Last Tuesday golfing phenom Tiger Woods proposed to his girlfriend, Swedish model Elin Nordegren, during a sunset stroll while they were camping out in South Africa's Shamwari Game Reserve. The two have been dating for the last two years. In 2001 Tiger Woods became the first golfing pro to hold all four major championships at one time, and he remains the career money list leader.

Tiger Woods was born with athletic Mars near his Midheaven (December 30, 1975; 10:50 pm; Long Beach, CA**). Mars in this position dominates the rest of the horoscope by virtue of its angularity and the many aspects it makes to other planets. Mars is in a so-called Gauquelin sector, named after French researcher Michel Gauquelin who statistically demonstrated the power of angular planets in shaping lives.

When Mars is angular (near the Midheaven, Ascendant, or opposite these points), the individual is more likely than chance would allow to be a professional athlete. Although we don't have a birth time for Elin Nordegren (b. January 1, 1980), it's a good bet that she has Venus angular since she is an internationally renowned model. Beauties Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie were both born with Venus precisely placed on one of these angles.

Tiger and Elin both have their Suns in Capricorn, and in approximately the same degree. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, and as transiting Saturn is now opposing their Suns, they are moved to make their relationship binding. Another motivating planet is Jupiter which is nearing Tiger's Juno, the marriage asteroid. Jupiter turns retrograde on January 3 while exactly conjunct his Juno.


* The theoretical framework for the importance of the U.S. Moon in presidential politics was established in a series of NewsScope articles which began on June 30, 2003.

** For more on Tiger and Elin, see NewsScope August 12, 2002 and February 14, 2000.