Alas for Bill Clinton, he is once more caught in the midst of scandal and confusing circumstance. The Marc Rich pardon has reignited the fiery and self-righteous fury of his rabid enemies and confounded and angered many of his friends. Although the current frenzy will calm considerably by mid-March, misinterpretation, confusion, and scandal will continue to swirl around our former president from time to time until the beginning of next January (2002). By late spring of 2002, the Comeback Kid will find his stride once more and his life will begin to truly flower again.

The backdrop for many of President Clinton's difficulties over the last few years may be found in the increasingly tight noose of progressed Saturn as it moves into exact conjunction of his natal Mercury. Though there is already a conjunction between these two planets in the natal chart, the progression intensifies the inherent difficulties in this aspect and brings them to a head. In this case there is an absolute demand for care, precision, and conscientiousness that, if not met, leads to painful lessons. There is no margin for error. This progression will be exact by the end of next March. During the Lewinsky scandal it was powerfully activated by transits from Uranus and Pluto, and this year it is receiving a transit from Neptune.

Neptune, the planet of scandal, dishonesty, obfuscation, and all things unclear, is very strong in Clinton's chart natally. Neptune merges the boundaries between self and other, giving tremendous compassion and attunement to the feelings of others, but also inviting misinterpretation and vague communications to hang in the air. Neptune has a dissolving quality that makes it difficult to get a grip on things and also causes a feeling of loss when things of which you were certain seem to dissolve around you.

President Clinton is currently under the first of three transits of Neptune to his Mercury/Progressed Saturn. He is no doubt feeling the loss of the presidency as well as concerns about the dissolution of many of his achievements under the new administration. It is also likely that what once seemed clear in terms of the Rich pardon has now, under Neptune, become murky and confused. The considerable negativity and scandal of the past few weeks is exacerbated by the transit of Saturn squaring President Clinton's Sun. This will be gone by mid-March, as will the first pass of Neptune. But Neptune lingers until next January, and progressed Saturn continues through next spring. So difficulties will continue intermittently for awhile, and the whole mess will not be fully gone until next year.