August 9, 2004

The Mercury File

Mercury's periodic retrograde phase kicks in this week and remains in effect though September 2. What makes this particular cycle unusually quirky is that Mercury's S-shaped path opposes the slow-moving Uranus, a connection that occurs three times. The first opposition took place on August 1 while Mercury was slowing down. The second will happen on August 18 and the third time on September 13.

Mercury-Uranus combinations lead to dramatic, unexpected reversals. Last week during the first opposition this became evident when the Bush Administration issued a terror alert based on very specific information targeting New York City and Washington D.C. financial institutions. This alert was issued the day before the Mercury-Uranus opposition but the next day officials admitted that the information was three to four years old.

The Mercury-Uranus connections can be seen as a geopolitical climate extending from August 1 through September 13. Also last week in concert with the Mercury-Uranus vibe, the monthly jobs report came in at only 32,000 – far less than the 200,000 anticipated, which sent the stock markets to new lows for the year. The government's rosy economic scenario seen last month was suddenly reversed.

Militant Mars is participating in this Mercury-Uranus opposition, making a dynamic three-planet configuration which is at its most dangerous phase from August 15-18. This alignment strikes at the Iraq horoscope in a most volatile manner, and also coincides with the Olympics in Greece. The three-planet dynamic hits the U.S. Jupiter which is located in the eighth house of corporate assets. This infers that the major financial institutions are indeed being targeted by terrorists.

Teresa Heinz Kerry, Global Citizen

Last week Teresa Heinz Kerry was out campaigning for her husband but as usual she was not with her husband. Unlike traditional political wives who know their place at their husband's side, THK was following her own schedule, and using her own private plane. Rich, multilingual, outspoken, and the former classmate of Kofi Annan, she often speaks of the demise of America's reputation abroad.

THK was born with her Sun in the partnership sign of Libra (October 5, 1938; 6:18 pm; Maputo, Mozambique*) but with the feisty, independent sign of Aries Rising. Saturn near her Ascendant is a natural authority, but in the rough and ready sign of Aries makes her a bit of a loose cannon. Mars, her ruling planet, is energized by an exact trine to spontaneous Uranus.

Uranus is fatefully placed on the Moon's South Node in the second house of money. On April 4, 1991 her first husband Senator John Heinz died in a plane crash, leaving her with a vast fortune. At the time, transiting Pluto had recently entered her eighth house of death and inheritance, and was opposing her Uranus.

She met Kerry a year later and they married on May 26, 1995 as transiting Jupiter was conjunct her Juno, the marriage asteroid. Also at the time her progressed Sun was nearing Juno and forming an exact sextile to Mercury, representing a younger man. With a Moon-Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius we can be assured that her political agenda reflects her standing as a humanitarian and global citizen.

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