February 9, 2004

Pluto Investigates Intelligence Failure

Late last week President Bush reversed his opposition to investigating the intelligence failure in Iraq by appointing a bi-partisan panel. The executive order creating a seven-member commission is scheduled to report well after the November election, and does not have a mandate to find out if the Bush administration over-hyped the intelligence to justify a pre-emptive attack.

The astrological factors coinciding with Bush's announcement reflect the historical importance of the event. Pressure to form an independent inquiry began two weeks ago as reform-minded Pluto was exactly opposite the U.S. Mars, found in the "intelligence" sign of Gemini. Bush's decision arrived during the Full Moon in Leo, activating the underlying Pluto-Mars theme. This Full Moon was extraordinary for national affairs since it aligned with the U.S. Leo Midheaven.

Many NewsScope readers have suggested that Bush's re-election campaign will be stymied by transiting Saturn's conjunction with his Sun. They ask, doesn't this counteract any benefit he might get from the trines his progressed Venus and Jupiter make to the U.S. Moon? Astrologers note that the last time Saturn was in this degree area was when an inquiry was looking into Nixon's Watergate indiscretions.

Weighing these diverse astro-factors is an art-form, but my bet is that Bush will survive transiting Saturn due to the extra oomph he gets from these progressions. However, his credibility is definitely at stake, and this investigative panel is the definitive Saturn challenge. Bush's progressed Venus goes on to square his own Saturn in July 2005, an emotionally difficult phase coming into play just as the panel is scheduled to report. He can delay the critical hype question until then, but under Saturn's influence this year, voters will make up their own minds.

Massachusetts' Rising Star

From Senator John Kerry to the New England Patriots to a high court upholding of same sex marriage, the state of Massachusetts has been making headlines news across the country last week. How could a single state attract so much national attention in such diverse areas of interest? Massachusetts actually has a natal horoscope, and it reveals the Bay State's current celestial power.

Massachusetts entered the union on February 6, 1788 (2:06 pm; Boston*) when the Sun was with four other planets in Aquarius, the sign of equality, liberty, and social justice. A Sun-Pluto conjunction reflects how Massachusetts plays a much more powerful role than its small size might indicate. The Superbowl took place during a Sun-Neptune conjunction, which happened to land right on Massachusetts' Moon, the ruler of this horoscope.

Mars in the family sign of Cancer is found in the twelfth house, perhaps showing how the old families dominate much of Massachusetts' social fabric from behind the scenes. Transiting Saturn has been passing back and forth across this Mars as the state ‘s supreme court has taken up the gay marriage issue. The next step moves the same-sex marriage issue onto the national agenda, as was forecast here back on August 4, 2003.

With Pisces at its Midheaven, Neptune is associated with the state's national reputation, and is well-placed natally by its trine to the Sun and Jupiter. Currently, an historically rare astro-event (progressed Midheaven conjunct Neptune) emphasizes the state's high profile. However, watch when Neptune transits over natal Mercury around February 20-22 for some dirty little secrets to leak out.

Janet Jackson, Superbowl Star

Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during Superbowl Sunday's half-time show was topic A for discussion among entertainment executives last week, as well as a record-breaking search event for internet users. Jackson's indiscretion landed right on the fault line between parents' urge to rein in the increasing level of sexually explicit content, and entertainers' need to draw attention to their product.

Janet Jackson was born with a bold, energetic Sun-Mars conjunction in Taurus (May 16, 1966; Gary, IN; time unknown**), giving her self-confidence and determination to reach her career goals. This very personal Sun-Mars combination is modified by aspects to all three of the outer planets, coloring her ego-defined drives with transpersonal influences, and bestowing a kind of mythic or super-charged presence.

Jackson's Mercury is also found in Taurus, usually indicating a personality blessed with common sense. In this case, Jackson's Mercury opposes Neptune, infusing her vocalizations and thinking processes with imagination and fantasy. On Superbowl Sunday the transiting Sun-Neptune conjunction was squaring her Mercury, spotlighting a tendency toward faulty judgment, or if you will, toward creative publicity stunts.

The fallout from the overexposure led to her being dismissed from Sunday's Grammy Awards, but astrologically she is poised for great fame and prosperity. This coming week transiting Uranus forms a very favorable trine to her Jupiter, giving her a windfall of public support and heightened celebrity status. Over the coming year she has a unique success indicator (progressed Sun conjunct Jupiter), further raising her national profile, and promising much success with her new CD.



* The time given is rectified by Marc Penfield from sources (Massachusetts Historical Society) that say the vote to enter the union passed in "midafternoon after a heated debate." Mars just above the horizon fits this description perfectly, and putting 13 degrees Cancer on the Ascendant also makes sense since this is the Sun's position in the U.S. horoscope.

** See NewsScope July 23, 2001 for more on Janet Jackson.