It is not uncommon to hear someone tell of how a crisis – perhaps an illness, the loss of a job, or even a loved one’s death – impacted his or her life in an unforeseen way, blending tragedy with an unexpected and beneficial shift on life’s pathway. Often in these cases, the person is forced to draw upon little-used strengths or overcome personal weaknesses in such a way that new and promising avenues open up, problematic relationships are resolved, or the person’s life is reshaped in some significant way. Of course, these unexpected opportunities are not always recognized, and one can just as easily drown in sorrow, loss, bitterness, and blame. These “interventions” of the Universe can indeed be quite painful, even when they manage to lead to a growth spurt of the soul.
The most extreme example of crisis leading to potential healing is in the case of the substance abuser, most commonly the alcoholic. Usually, the addiction is accompanied by all sorts of problematic behaviors and attitudes that in turn lead to an ongoing series of crises including the loss of jobs, the loss of friends and loved ones, and possibly legal entanglements. When the alcoholic “bottoms out,” he has finally come to the realization that he must face his addiction and transform the lifestyle and the attitudes that support it. Although often filled with anguish, the crisis-strewn life of the addict may be understood as the proverbial handwriting on the wall. Eventually, the message becomes obvious: You cannot keep doing what you have been doing without more and more dire consequences. There is no escaping the need for a radical change in direction. Pain becomes the awakener, the message not to continue on the same path. Sometimes people call this process karma.
In the ill-fated presidency of George W. Bush, we have now experienced three catastrophes: 9/11; the ongoing Iraq War; and Hurricane Katrina. In each case, it is easy to find specific omissions or mistakes that were causative and worthy of blame. But the cumulative feel, as we remain cowed by the first, continue mired in the second, and emerge fresh from the wounds of the third, is that the country is going in the wrong direction. It is perhaps the most crucial task of our leadership to give form and clarity to this feeling of wrongness and then point us in a new and healthy direction for the future. And, as with the alcoholic who must understand that his abusive behavior, his irresponsibility, his dysfunctional relationships, etc., all stem from his refusal to give up his addiction and face himself, so too must the citizens of this country understand the irrefutable connection between our dependence on foreign energy sources, our increasingly aggressive military presence in the oil and gas rich regions of the world, the burgeoning number of anti-American terrorists, and our lack of resources at home for the needs of our citizens. They must connect the dots between our refusal to move vigorously to renewable fuels and conservation, the overwhelming political and financial power of the oil and defense industries, and the administration’s refusal to accept the growing menace of global warming. All of these issues are linked and form a self-sustaining system. And again, as with the alcoholic, the first step is to move away from our decades-long addiction, in this case to fossil fuels, and go through the pain of withdrawal and the creation of new attitudes and a more responsible and functional relationship with the world and its resources. When this choice is made, buttressed by the will to back it up, many of the other issues in this self-sustaining system will begin to lose their potency. The longer this choice is deferred, the more severe the crises will be that rain down upon us, until we finally wake up and read the handwriting on the wall.
It must be made very clear to Americans how these things are connected and what we need to do to change direction. Each crisis brings us closer to the truth of our ruinous oil addiction and its supportive dysfunctional behavior - global bullying and endless war to secure resources, increased terrorism due to such an aggressive global posture, an increasingly voracious appetite for oil leading to a spiral of higher prices, the draining of much-needed financial resources from domestic concerns, and the augmenting of a dangerous pollution that exacerbates climate change and increases hurricanes. Our leadership must educate the public as to the importance of changing course and offer the courage and vision needed to do so.
The chart for the second inauguration of George Bush, with its strikingly prominent Chiron position (conjunct the MC and the Sun), suggests that much “wounding” will unfold during these four years that contains within itself the seeds to a more appropriate and healthy path for the nation. Certainly, the “wound” of Katrina carries within it the potential for much healing. Already, there is the dawning of a new awareness of the importance of wetlands preservation to protect from storm surges, of the role of government to protect the people, of the need for clear and concise disaster planning at the local level, and of the glaring disparity between rich and poor. It remains to be seen whether the Bush administration will rise to the occasion or simply use this disaster in an opportunistic and manipulative fashion. So far, the results are not promising. We had a much-heralded, brief moment of Bush claiming responsibility that was rapidly drowned in the same old muck of crony capitalism and incompetence that we have witnessed for the past four and half years. Haliburton once again has the no-bid contracts; the wages of the locals have been cut by executive order; environmental regulations may be suspended; the politicians are hoping to blame the environmentalists for the disaster; and the colossal cost, as usual, will be deferred to our grandchildren.
Bush, however, is under a great deal of Saturn’s weight over the next two years, and Saturn demands accountability, responsibility, and adherence to the facts. A reckless spending spree to rehabilitate Bush’s political image and an attempt to continue in the reverse Robin Hood role of robbing from the poor to pad the pockets of the rich will not unfold smoothly and effortlessly. Such irresponsible and incoherent policies are more likely to cause Bush increasing trouble and opposition as time and Saturn move forward.
Generally speaking, the kind of sorrow and loss that has been brought about by Hurricane Katrina shows up in the US chart in the form of some strong action by Saturn. At the time of 9/11 and thereafter for a couple of months, we had transiting Saturn exactly opposite the US Ascendant and opposing transiting Pluto, which was conjunct the US Ascendant. Since the initial Mission Accomplished of the Iraq War, transiting Saturn has crossed the US Venus, Jupiter, Sun, and Mercury and opposed Pluto (6/2003 – 6/2005). In addition, tertiary progressed US Saturn was opposed to the US Sun for much of 2003 and square the US Saturn for much of 2004. At present, we are under a Saturn aspect that is particularly associated with grief and suffering: progressed US Venus square to natal Saturn, which began in March 2005 and will continue to intensify until it is exact on January 4, 2006, slowly dissipating thereafter.
The impact of almost nonstop Saturn action in the US chart since June 2003 is quite striking. Prior to this series of aspects, the US was puffed up with its sole superpower status, while government neoconservatives were planning America’s growing hegemony and its expanded military presence throughout the Middle East and South Asia, certain that no one or nothing could thwart their momentum. Although our economic strength and world standing had already been somewhat damaged after the first two years of George W. Bush in the Oval Office, it has taken our increasing impotence to stop the violent insurgency in Iraq and our inability to successfully rebuild that country to knock us completely off of our global pedestal. In addition, other aspects of the geopolitical landscape have significantly shifted in the past few years, and the United States is no longer the undisputed leader it once was, neither diplomatically, nor in terms of human rights or social policy, nor in terms of undisputed economic strength. The key phrase associated with the 10th house Saturn position in the natal US chart is: a rise to the top followed by a fall. It is a position where overextension and arrogance can lead to a humbling fall from grace. Perhaps these years will be remembered as a time when the United States became more sober, more humble, more of a team player, and less likely to bully the world in attempting to fulfill its goals. That would be the hoped for lesson here.
The current progression of Venus square to US Saturn (14Libra48) is being triggered during all of September and October 2005 by the station of transiting Neptune at 14Aquarius49, clearly an indication of the national grief and upset over the disaster of Katrina, as well as the ongoing and increasingly fetid wound of Iraq. This progression suggests a time of trauma and sorrow for the nation, and will be quite potent through at least mid-January 2006. It is a planetary combination that has often been active during the painful times of war (progressed US Venus conjunct progressed US Saturn from 12/1863 to 12/1864; tertiary progressed US Saturn opposite natal US Venus from 5/1971 to 6/1972), as well as during the early years of the Great Depression (progressed US Venus square natal Saturn from 6/1930 to 4/1931).
If we look for corroborating evidence of further trouble between now and the peak of this Venus/Saturn progression in mid-January 2006, two planetary configurations stand out. One aspect of great concern is the progressed US Moon opposing US Pluto from mid-December 2005 through mid-January 2006. While the Venus/Saturn combination suggests a time of sorrow, the Moon/Pluto combination suggests a time of intense emotional turmoil and fear. Combined, as they are in the latter weeks of December and the first weeks of January, they strongly suggest some painful and disturbing emotional experience for at least some part of the country.
The other indication of possibly significant upset may be found in the 2005 Winter Solstice chart, 12/21/05 at 1:36 PM EST, drawn for Washington, DC, as well as for some mid-Atlantic cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Trenton, and Wilmington. Here we find a very tight Mars/Saturn/Jupiter T-square, with Mars opposite Jupiter sitting across the horizon line in the mid-Atlantic states. Significant triggering of the tension found in this chart is indicated from 12/21/05 through 1/12/06, with particular reference to 12/26/05, the heavily-traveled day after Christmas. During the first week (12/21 – 12/29), Mars will move to the exact square with Saturn (10Leo31) and to the Ascendant in the mid-Atlantic states (10 Taurus). Continuing until January 12, Saturn will retrograde to the exact square with Mars and the Ascendant. The Moon has the potential to trigger the configuration on December 26 when it reaches from 7 to 10 Scorpio, opposing natal Mars/Ascendant and squaring Saturn. It is never wise to predict specific events as opposed to the likely “qualities” that will be encountered. But it certainly seems that there is a possibility for strong upset, violence, volatility, and painful events somewhere between 12/21/05 and 1/2/06 (especially 12/26) followed by an ongoing feeling of distress through mid-January 2006. Late December, especially, should be a time for great caution.
When a nation is not operating from a healthy perspective and a sense of balance, its dysfunction can cause increasingly difficult events to transpire. A healthy understanding of and respect for the interaction of the environment with our coastal cities would have led to wetlands protection and more appropriate development that could have minimized the storm surge. A conscientious understanding of the needs of the poor would have led to comprehensive evacuation plans for those who could not escape on their own. An unbiased glance at the growing cost of oil and the imminence of its shortage would lead a sane nation to move aggressively toward conservation and alternative energy. Increasing alarm over global warming would do the same. But we have not chosen these paths, either from the lack of political will and laziness of the many or the greed of the few. Instead we have infuriated the world with our attempts to control an uncontrollable resource in an unstable area. We have allowed global warming to pass the tipping point with little attempt to even slow it. And we have ignored the plight of the poor and the protection of the cities to such an extent that it will now cost us a pile of dollars that reaches the stars. It is time to read the handwriting on the wall or we can expect to continue to suffer the consequences.
