Weekly Political and Entertainment NewsScope

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March 07, 2005

Martha Stewart's Comeback

Domestic Diva Martha Stewart spent much of her time behind bars cultivating a softer, more approachable personality. The media frenzy surrounding her release last Friday included many vignettes of how sensitive and charitable she's become. Now that she's back in charge of her homemaking empire, one has to wonder if she'll retain her newfound humanity, or she'll reassert her command and control style.

Martha Stewart was born with her Leo Sun conjunct Pluto (August 3, 1941; 1:33 pm; Jersey City, NJ), with both squaring her Scorpio Ascendant. This combination naturally tends toward the tyrannical, one who radiates self-confidence and hungers for power and control. Stewart has achieved the heights of corporate stardom, but also left many bruised egos in her wake.

Stewart's fall from power came as transiting Neptune (associated with fraud) opposed her Sun. In the more metaphysical sense, Neptune is about releasing the ego needs in order to identify with the collective. Stewart seems to have responded to this transition well, and we may expect her to continue this more sensitive side as philanthropic Jupiter enters her twelfth house of charity.

Meanwhile, transiting Pluto is now conjunct Stewart's Ceres, located in the second house of personal assets. While she was at "Camp Cupcake", her OmniMedia stock tripled in price, putting her back in the billionaire column. Most of her time in prison took place with Saturn (career, ambition) retrograde. Now Saturn is turning direct and approaching her Midheaven, where she will likely reach the pinnacle of her career.

Iran, The Turning Point

Last week U.S. diplomats to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) dismissed claims by the Iranian government that its uranium enrichment program is intended to develop electricity for civilian use. The Americans said Iran is building a system of underground tunnels to conceal its nuclear weapons program. Iran retaliated by threatening to withdraw from U.N. inspection programs.

Iran's current government was born on April 1, 1979 (3:00 pm; Tehran*). Many Iranians believe that the U.S. is preparing to launch an invasion into their country, and Bush has not taken that option off the table. This current state of military tension can be seen in the celestial pressure around Iran's Mars, which is located in late Pisces. At the moment transiting Pluto is only one degree away from an exact square to this Mars.

On March 26 Pluto turns retrograde while still a degree away from Iran's Mars. However, this Mars forms a conjunction with Mercury and the asteroid Vesta, so that several degrees of late Pisces represent a critical, volatile zone of the zodiac. Pluto's retrograde station happens to be right on the Vesta/Mars midpoint, indicating that tensions should continue to rise between now and March 26.

Additional troublesome transits are simultaneously coming into play, notably, transiting Uranus's opposition with Iran's Saturn on March 24. Uranus to Saturn represents a revolutionary challenge (Uranus) to Iran's entrenched institutional framework (Saturn). While Pluto's retrograde station indicates a diplomatic retreat from military force, internal events could lead to some surprising developments. The Solar Eclipse on April 8 aligns with Iran's Sun-Pluto opposition, further defining an historic turning point.

Hillary Swank, Best Actress

One of the most respected actresses in Hollywood, Hilary Swank proved once again that she has star quality when she took her second Best Actress Oscar last week for her performance in Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby". Her first Best Actress Oscar was for her transgender role in the 1999 independent film "Boys Don't Cry", for which she was paid a paltry $75/day.

Hilary Swank was born with her Sun in the artistically creative sign of Leo (July 30, 1974; Lincoln, NE). The Sun is favorably sextile to Pluto, bringing psychological depth to her performances. The Sun also trines Neptune, which bestows an intuitive understanding, an ability to sense the essence of a character and then dramatize it.

Though her actual birth time is unknown, it's a good bet that the warrior planet Mars is near her Ascendant or Midheaven. As a teenager, she swam in the Junior Olympics and ranked fifth in her state in gymnastics. Her Oscar roles as a "boy" and a "boxer" correspond to a prominent Mars. Mars is otherwise not strongly placed, with its only major aspect being a square to Neptune.

Swank's Venus, with its network of aspects, is another story. Venus is closely conjunct judgmental Saturn in feeling-oriented Cancer. Venus-Saturn makes issues around love and beauty a bit difficult or complex. Her Venus is bolstered by trines to Jupiter and Ceres in Pisces, reflecting the strong supportive role her mother plays in her life. Venus also squares Pluto, and while Swank is not known for her classic beauty, she is known for the raw emotion that she expresses through this intense aspect.

* This data can be found in Campion's "Book of World Horoscopes" as one of several horoscopes for modern Iran. This chart works very well in practice and supercedes the more popular February 1, 1979 horoscope. For a deeper explanation, see NewsScope January 19-20, 2004.

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