In 1918, during the US participation in World War One, the Spanish Flu killed millions of Americans, as well as countless millions of victims worldwide. In the US chart, these events were marked by the Saturn/Uranus opposition which fell on the US Moon (27Aqurius12) for much of that period. Uranus was conjunct the US Moon from late March 1918 through February 1919, bringing sudden upsets, high alert, and transformational events, while Saturn was opposite the US Moon from October 1918 through July 1919, indicating the impact in loss and suffering that the extended illness and the costly war had on the nation. In addition, Pluto was conjunct US Venus at the beginning of the US entry into the war and the outset of the epidemic, indicating the deep transformational elements and profound emotional toll these events were inflicting. The Moon in a nation’s chart is a very sensitive point and represents the people. So much stress on the Moon in 1918 and 1919, from two powerful planets simultaneously and for an extended period, signaled the suffering and great hardship endured by the American population at that time.
Likewise, the period surrounding September 11, 2001, saw two powerful planets hovering around the horizon line of the US chart: Pluto was on the Ascendant, and Saturn was in opposition, on the Descendant. The Ascendant represents the actual physical “body” of the nation, as well as its identity and sense of itself. The Pluto/Ascendant conjunction brought feelings of fear, paranoia, and obsessiveness, as well as the perception of a profound power struggle for survival. Saturn brought sorrow, grief, and loss. The nation’s entire sense of identity was immutably transformed during the fateful time in late 2001 and 2002 that this powerful opposition (Pluto/Saturn) was active in the US chart.
In late 2008, another potent planetary opposition will directly impact the US natal chart. Transiting Saturn and Uranus will be in an opposition, with both planets in a square aspect to the US 7th house Mars (21Gemini23). The 7th house is where a nation comes into direct contact with foreign powers, either in strong partnership or in hostile conflict. Mars in a nation’s chart represents the military, as well as the nation’s aggressive actions focused on the object of a desire. In the 7th house, Mars suggests a pattern of very assertive action with foreign nations, including numerous wars, especially when Mars is strongly activated by powerful transits or progressions. It is not coincidental that the Bush presidency has seen an almost constant stimulation of US Mars beginning in late 2001: transiting Uranus trine US Mars, transiting Saturn briefly conjunct US Mars, progressed US Mars quincunx progressed US MC, transiting Pluto opposite US Mars, and, coming in 2008 and early 2009, transiting Uranus and transiting Saturn square US Mars. The heightened militarization and nearly constant war during the Reign of Bush is clearly indicated by this ongoing, intensified planetary activity surrounding the war planet.
From April 2008 through February 2009, Uranus will be square to US Mars, bringing a further heightening of the constant state of aggression and military action we have seen in the past few years. Uranus indicates sudden, upsetting events that are transformative, as well as an increased willingness to go it alone despite opposition to the contrary. Although the Jupiter station opposite the US Sun in August and September 2008 suggests some kind of significant victory that may shed some drops of long-sought success on the beleaguered Bush Brigade, by late November 2008 through January 2009, Saturn will make a station exactly square to US Mars, overlapping the influence of the Uranus square. This suggests a time of significant crisis for the US military and for the aggressive exploits of the US in general. It implies loss, grief, obstruction, and decline. While the sudden and upsetting events implied by the Uranus transit diminish after February 2009, the contracting and grieving influence of Saturn on US Mars continues through August 2009. Moreover, the latter part of the frustrating and difficult Saturn transit in 2009 comes during the Pluto transit square US Midheaven and opposite US Venus, suggesting a powerful transition of the US role in the world (Pluto/MC) and a highly stressed, emotional time for the nation (Pluto/Venus). It seems quite likely that the military escapades of the Little Emperor, especially those of 2008, will come to a painful and unsatisfying climax during the late 2008 and early 2009 period when both Saturn and Uranus aspect US Mars, with grievous ramifications for the nation and its men and women in uniform. With these very stressful circumstances, the Bush era will finally, at long last, come to an end.
