Weekly Political and Entertainment NewsScope

by WolfStar

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April 18, 2005

The United Nations' Second Saturn Return

Over the past few weeks, John Bolton's controversial appointment as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations has sparked intense debate about the viability of the world forum. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton was appointed to head the tsunami reconstruction efforts in southeast Asia, inspiring some pundits to speculate that he may succeed Kofi Annan as the U.N. Secretary General in two years.

Astrologically, the U.N. is experiencing its important second Saturn Return. The United Nations came into being when Mars and Saturn were conjunct in the territorial sign of Cancer (October 24, 1945; 4:50 pm; Washington D.C.), a combination that tends to lead to paralysis or being pushed and pulled in divergent directions. This Mars-Saturn conjunction squares the Aries Ascendant, and therefore dominates the entire U.N. horoscope.

During its first thirty years, U.N. global activities were largely curtailed by intense Cold War geopolitics, as the Mars-Saturn conflict manifested as intransigent East-West rivalry. On August 1, 1975, the exact day of the U.N.'s first Saturn Return, the U.N.-sponsored Helsinki Agreement was passed, which forged the way for peaceful resolutions between the East and West.

Now, as transiting Saturn heads toward the second Saturn Return (on June 2), the United Nations is similarly torn between powerful forces. The Bolton principles, shared by many religious and political conservatives, oppose a powerful United Nations which could rob the U.S. of its sovereignty. The alternative view, which Clinton and most European nations espouse, is more interested in a multilateral decision-making process.

U.S. Economy Skating on Thin Ice

Last week former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker wrote a much-discussed op-ed piece for the Washington Post in which he warned that the U.S. economy is skating on thin ice. While he blamed the government's overspending and record trade deficits, several other worrisome trends -- higher oil prices, lower job creation, and a plummeting stock market -- seem to confirm Volcker's assessment.

The astrological background* likewise indicates a tenuous economy, with the most problematic indicator being Pluto's transit through the U.S. second house of money. Historically, this is Pluto's first passage through the U.S. second house, but Pluto's closest kin, Saturn, visits this house every 30 years. Saturn's record here is not pleasant, and corresponds to the famous crashes of 1929 and 1987.

Oil futures peaked at $57/barrel on April 1, the exact day that transiting Uranus was conjunct the U.S. Ceres in Pisces. Uranus will hit the U.S. Ceres two more times before moving on, and this will occur during the first week of September and late January 2006. We can expect that oil prices will continue to shock consumers and businesses, especially around those dates.

A third astrological indicator is the U.S. progressed Venus, which will oppose Saturn in February 2006. Financial astrologers might be well-advised to listen to Volcker, since the last time the U.S. progressed Venus made a hard aspect to Saturn was in 1979 during his tenure. At the time, high inflation, soaring interest rates, and recession combined to create a painful economic cycle called "stagflation." Venus (monetary policy) aligned with Saturn (institutions) makes a challenging combination for economic well-being.

Britney Spears' Dark Moon

Since she married Kevin Federline on September 18, 2004, pop tart Britney Spears has been talking about taking a break from her music career to start a family. Last Tuesday, she posted a statement on her web site to confirm what the tabloids have been reporting: "The time has finally come to share our wonderful news that we are expecting our first child together."

Britney Spears was born with the maternal sign of Cancer at her Midheaven (December 2, 1981; 1:30 am; Mahon, GA), reflecting the power of motherhood in her career and personal life. Her mother has been a guiding influence, steering her toward early success, but now an entirely new cycle is coming into play. For the past two years or so Britney has been in her Dark Moon phase.

The Dark Moon is that time just before the New Moon when one cycle is coming to an end, and another is about to begin. We all experience the New Moon every month, and the few days before the Sun and Moon are conjunct is a good time for retreat, renewal, and letting go of the past in preparation for the future.

When progressing a horoscope, the 29 days between one New Moon and the next become 29 years, and the few days before become a few years. Britney's progressed New Moon arrives in January 2006 by which time she will be embarking on an entirely new lifestyle. Her celestial path is completely parallel to Julia Roberts', who likewise felt the call of Motherhood during her own recent Dark Moon phase.

* See NewsScope November 22, 2004; January 19, 2004 for further details.

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