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June 26, 2006
America as
Uber-Power
Last week, Americans
began wrangling both domestically and internationally with
their projected image, their role as super-power, and their
geopolitical agenda. In international relations, President
Bush defiantly fielded harsh questions at the Vienna Summit,
and stood firm against massive protests and historically low
support from traditional allies. Simultaneously, North Korea
was threatening to test a ballistic missile capable of reaching
the U.S. coastline.
From an astrological perspective, the Ascendant is the interface between internal
and external realities. Last week's historic developments took place as several
major transits simultaneously hit the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant. At the height of
the Vienna Summit, transiting Saturn was exactly squaring the Scorpio Ascendant,
while in the U.S. ninth house of foreign affairs. At the same, time transiting
Jupiter was conjunct the Scorpio Ascendant.
As the national Ascendant was under great tension from these outer planet transits,
the U.S. also went through internal turmoil about its agenda. The Senate debated,
for the first time, a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq, while military strategists
questioned whether to turn on the Star Wars system to shoot down North Korea's
missile, or to pre-emptively strike it while still on the launching pad.
As is so often the case when the Jupiter-Saturn cycle reigns, the fundamental,
shape-shifting events turned on moral questions. Depending on your preferred
spin, America's Iraq policy means "cutting and running" or "an
open-ended commitment". The vast majority of Europeans believe that the
world's greatest threat to peace is not North Korea or Iran, but the United States.
The word employed by the Germans is uber-power, meaning too much power. Jupiter
and Saturn present the problem: how can Americans prudently (Saturn) and ethically
(Jupiter) express their eagle-like power?
Top Five Astro-Events
for July
1. Mercury turns
retrograde - (July 4) at 1º Leo and then backs into Cancer.
Mercury then turns direct on July 28 at 21º Cancer. Besides
the usual warnings to expect travel delays, misplaced keys
and misinformation, Mercury here is conjunct the Pentagon's
Sun, and could indicate a significant change in tactics, or
reversal in policy.
2. President Bush's Solar Return - (July 5, 2006; 7:06 pm; Washington DC) features
Pluto conjunct the Sagittarius Ascendant. This Pluto placement is an ominous
signal for catastrophic events over the coming year, although the Moon-Jupiter
conjunction protects the U.S. itself. Factor in the Leo planets, and we have
the continuation of an imperial presidency.
3. Jupiter turns direct - (July 5-6) while conjunct the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant
(orb 0º23'), promising an eventful few days, national benefits, and a brighter
outlook. A complicating factor is that Chiron is associated with the U.S. military*,
and is simultaneously squaring the Scorpio Ascendant, perhaps combining to create
events concerning military justice, or even military adventurism.
4. Full Moon - (July 10, 11:00 PM EDT) takes place at 18º41' Capricorn/Cancer.
The Sun here makes precise hits to the U.S. Sun/Mercury and Mars/Midheaven midpoints
(both at 18º43' Cancer), indicating important announcements about war plans
and strategies. With both hot Mars and dry Saturn in Leo, watch for raging fires
and drought conditions throughout the Southwest.
5. Mars in Leo opposes Ceres and trines Pluto from July 12-15. Since these transiting
planets align with the U.S. Moon, American voters and consumers are likely to
be angry over concurrent political, corporate or military developments. Look
for civil rights and gender issues, freedom of speech, illegal aliens, and other
domestic concerns that threaten Americans' well-being.
Nicole Kidman
and Keith Urban Wed in Sydney
As forecast
in NewsScope's January 10, 2006 column, Nicole Kidman and Keith
Urban exchanged wedding vows before 230 of their closest friends
and family in a highly publicized secret marriage. Kidman - whose
net worth is around $150 million - signed a prenuptial
agreement with Grammy-winner Urban that rewards him (if they
divorce) with $600,000 for every year they remain married.
Nicole Kidman (June 20, 1967; 3:15 pm; Honolulu, HI) has Mars in the 12th house
where it's much oppressed by a square to Mercury and an opposition to Saturn.
With Scorpio Rising, this Mars is the co-ruler of her chart, and gives a need
for great privacy and secrecy. This situation has strong parallels to Britney
Spears' chart, reviewed last week.
In a woman's horoscope, Mars can also represent the man in her life, and Mars
here can feel trapped or weak, unable to fully express himself. Keith Urban (October
27, 1967) is a great star in his own right, and has a tremendous sense of self-confidence,
as shown by his Sun's sextiles to Mars and Jupiter. However, as he steps into
Kidman's shadow, he may begin to feel underappreciated.
At the moment, transiting Saturn is crossing Kidman's Midheaven and Venus, signaling
a momentous change of status for her. Transiting Jupiter is turning direct near
her Ascendant and Urban's Sun, a quite favorable development. However, both Kidman
and Urban were born during the epochal Uranus-Pluto conjunction. We will watch
how they weather the disruptive transit of Uranus opposite this conjunction beginning
next March.
* In the Scorpio Rising chart Chiron is in militant Aries and in the sixth house
of service, making Chiron a symbol for military service when considering American
politics. In the Pentagon's horoscope, Chiron is Rising while closely squaring
the Sun.
