The most charitable view of recent events is that George Bush is a man obsessed with a vision. In this inner kingdom, his sole purpose in life is to oppose evil; he is the White Knight opposing the Serpent of Evil-doers that run rampant on the planet. All else pales in comparison and is, consequently, ignored. A more cynical view suggests that this exploitation of fear and insistence on more and more weaponry serves to keep the public clinging to the Republican administration in terrified desperation, afraid even for a moment to look at other pressing issues. The cynical view also points out the current enrichment of the defense industry as we linger in a permanent state of war, and the salivating of the oil industry as it eyes Afghanistan and dreams of pipelines.
Whatever the intention, however, the central theme of George Bush’s current reality is war, to the exclusion of all else. In the months following September 11th, this theme rang true for the American public. We had been viciously attacked, and the enemy was in sight. To go after him and destroy his power to do further harm seemed the only sane response.
Now, however, the enemy is no longer in sight. He is portrayed as omnipresent and yet vague, omnipotent and yet without substance. The president attempts to keep us mobilized by instilling fear in our hearts, but lately, he has become more disturbing than inspiring. Allies who gave us wholehearted support in the aftermath of September 11th, now express intense concern, alarm, and even outrage at Bush’s war-mongering threats toward an “axis of evil”. Pundits from all persuasions of the political spectrum have labeled the speech “dangerously infantile” (Robert Fisk), “blundering… in the hubris of victory” (Pat Buchanan), and a ”vote-winning tactic” (Britain’s Jack Straw).
As we move into the post-Afghanistan phase of the War on Terrorism, Bush no longer remains unchallenged. The Axis of Evil speech elicited a huge outcry worldwide that has caused some backpedaling and rephrasing from the administration. The new budget, which slashes everything except defense, and robs from Social Security and Medicare to do so, will surely foment a huge Congressional battle over scarce resources and, perhaps, over tax policy as well. The administration continues to dig in its heels over secretive energy meetings, as the GAO prepares to sue, and the stench of Enron increasingly pervades the atmosphere in Washington.
As mentioned in previous articles, the strong Jupiterian good-luck charm of September through early December no longer blesses Bush with the golden touch. Frustration and setbacks have been prominent since Saturn’s more restrictive and difficult energies have taken the lead, beginning in mid-December. The inability to capture Osama bin Laden and Mohammed Omar is an outright failure that the administration has been energetically spinning into a victory, essentially by reframing the goals of the war. The mushrooming and malignant Enron scandal is, at best, a huge embarrassment to an administration that was best friends with the beleaguered Ken Lay, and, at worst, spreads the fetid aroma of very troublesome policy choices bought by huge self-serving campaign contributions. Bush is now bunkered-in, pumping out bellicose war rhetoric, and manipulating our insecurities to distract us.
The general mood of the administration from late January through late March 2002 is best described by the tertiary progressed Mars opposite Saturn in the Inaugural chart. Mars represents angry challenges, both domestic and foreign, to the administration’s hard-line approach. We see the GAO about to sue Bush, Inc. for its refusal to offer records of its energy meetings. Foreign allies are grumbling, some louder than others, about the strong military implications in Bush’s recent rhetoric. Numerous journalists have sharply criticized the fanciful accounting and bloated military expenses in the recently submitted budget. Congress is sure to follow. And none of these battles is likely to be easily resolved or offer any successes to Bush in the immediate future due to the very strong Saturn influence that continues to haunt his Mars and Midheaven through mid-March.
Beginning around mid-February and continuing through about the first ten days in May, a totally different planetary combination comes into play, overlapping the above-mentioned Mars-Saturn opposition in the Inaugural chart. In the US Sagittarius-rising chart, the progressed Moon moves to a conjunction of progressed Uranus (2/15 to 3/10/02), transiting Uranus moves into conjunction of the natal Moon (3/10 to 3/28/02, first pass), and progressed Moon moves into conjunction of natal Uranus (4/1 to 5/1/02). This suggests that the people (the Moon) are somewhat stirred up and agitated, with events unfolding fairly rapidly. It further suggests sudden and unexpected events (Uranus) that cause significant and possibly upsetting changes.
The Aquarian Moon in the US chart is in the Third House, and Uranus, as ruler of Aquarius, is the House ruler. The Third House covers the areas of communication, transportation, the media, and education. Furthermore, the Moon rules the Eighth House in this chart, which signifies the areas of taxation, investments, and financial and budgetary policy. The coming Moon/Uranus contacts could thus indicate sudden and significant events, with a wide impact in at least some of these areas. It is possible that there will be wild fluctuations in the Stock Market and/or other upsets in people’s investments. The economy may look particularly bleak during the second half of April when Saturn again crosses the US Descendant. There is also the possibility of labor unrest during April, since Uranus is in the Sixth House of workers.
If we look at President Bush’s chart for this period, we can see the potential for significant crisis from mid- March through mid-April, when his tertiary progressed Ascendant is conjunct his natal Uranus. Since this corresponds to the transit of Uranus to the US Moon from 3/10 to 3/28, we might expect some kind of significant, sudden, and upsetting events during the last 10 days of March when these two overlap.
In April the tertiary progressed Inaugural Sun moves into square with natal Mars, bringing a forceful aggression to the dealings of the administration. This aspect suggests a strong war-like atmosphere, or, minimally, severe criticism and anger from foreign nations, partners, or adversaries. Both are possible if Bush chooses this period to enlarge his War on Terrorism, a distinct possibility with tertiary Sun square Mars. Things are not likely to go well until after April, when Saturn begins to separate from the US Descendant.
In summary, the events from mid-March through early May are likely to be somewhat dramatic, sudden, and unpredictable (Uranus). This energy may impact the Market and various investments with a period of significant instability. Or it may in some way disrupt media, transportation, or communication activities. Bush is likely to be quite aggressive, possibly furthering his war aims in April, incurring the wrath of many in the process. Things will ease up and calm down considerably by the second week in May. In the meantime, fasten your seatbelts.
