As I have written on my blog, this dramatic battle in Congress sparked by Murtha’s courageous speech was one fierce skirmish within the larger battle between Democrats, along with some moderate Republicans, and the administration over the manipulation of pre-war intelligence and the course of the war, represented by the potent Mars/Saturn square that is with us throughout November and December 2005. It is worth noting that this aspect will also be enshrined in the Winter Solstice chart of December 21, 2005, that describes the quality of events for the entire winter season until the Spring Equinox chart takes over in late March 2006. As we have seen, the fierce battles represented by this aspect are not limited to the halls of Congress but also play out in the deadly violence that has been escalating daily in Iraq. As the Mars/Saturn square waxed to exact on November 18 and 19, the lethal attacks in Iraq grew in both ferocity and impact.
At the moment, the Mars/Saturn square is waning in impact for a few weeks, as we can see by the fact that Congress is newly quieted by a two-week recess, and George Bush actually made a conciliatory statement, rather than his usual petulant lashing out, that acknowledged John Murtha’s right to criticize policy. However, there are numerous other planetary influences that will keep the general mood of tension and struggle at a high pitch throughout December 2005, culminating in a brutal week at the end of the month.
The Mars/Saturn square never really leaves, but remains on the back burner until December 22, when it moves back into a potent one-degree orb until December 30. Nonetheless, this aspect will be easily ignited by the other planetary energies swirling around during this agitated month. Perhaps the most dangerous of these is the prolonged Mars/Pluto sesquiquadrate from November 26 through December 25, and most intense from November 28 through December 1 and from the time of Mars’ direct motion on December 10 through December 25. Mars and Pluto combined suggest a vicious and aggressive quality that portends an increase in the ongoing violence in Iraq, especially the suicide bombings. Although a sesquiquadrate is considered a minor hard aspect (135 degrees), the unusual duration of this one and its relationship to the tense Mars/Saturn square, makes it particularly problematic. Transiting Saturn will also be sesquiquadrate Pluto from December 22 to December 30, with each of the three planets – Mars (10 Taurus), Saturn (10 Leo), and Pluto (25 Sagittarius) - in exact hard aspect to the others, on December 23 through December 26.
As if this were not enough, Jupiter will be on hand to stir things up from December 1 through December 7 when it will be semisquare to Pluto and, for part of that time, square to Mars as well (12/1 to 12/4). And, at the time of the very important Iraqi election on December 15, the Sun will be conjunct Pluto in a very brutal Full Moon configuration, with the Moon opposing the Sun/Pluto conjunction and at the midpoint of the Saturn/Mars square, sure to unleash some very destructive events. Tension will be high from December 14 through December 16, but the afternoon of December 15 in Iraq until about 5 PM will be the time most likely to see explosive violence.
In short, from November 28 through all of December 2005, there is an unusual amount of tense, stressful energy that is likely to be translated into violence in Iraq and political tension at home. The Sun/Pluto conjunction/Full Moon from December 14 through 16 and the Mars/Saturn square from December 23 through 30 are both especially dangerous times that could bring increased violence, accidents, or natural disasters both at home and abroad.
With all of these tense configurations going on in December, there are some other aspects that may help further define the nature of events. In George Bush’s chart, Saturn continues to bear down on Pluto and then shifts onto Mercury from December 15, 2005, to January 2, 2006. This suggests that he will be frustrated, burdened, and strongly criticized for his role in the events of December.
In the US chart, we will be in the final weeks of the progressed Venus waxing square to natal Saturn, exact in early January 2006. So the difficult events of this end-of-the-year period, which will likely include tremendous violence in Iraq, will be the culmination of a very dark period in our history, a time of decreased prestige and power (Venus rules the US chart MC), as well as a time of sorrow and shrinking confidence. This negative energy is likely to slowly dissipate over the following months although our role in the world is likely to remain somewhat transformed. Also in the US chart, we find that the progressed Moon will be opposed to natal Pluto from mid-December 2005 to mid-January 2006. This suggests a potentially very intense and emotionally stressful time for Americans, waning after mid-January.
And finally, from December 7 through January 10, Iraq will experience the final transit of Uranus across its natal place in its 1921 birth chart. This Uranus return will be the last of several Uranus transits that have been causing tremendous unrest, dislocation, and powerful transformation in Iraq since the beginning of the Iraq War in March 2003. During December 2005 and early January 2006, we will see a final burst of major disruption along with a potent demand by Iraqis for freedom and control of their own destiny (Uranus). There is a real potential for a lessening of the ongoing turmoil and a decrease in American influence once this transit is past by later January 2006.
Thus, it is possible that events in Iraq will become so problematic for the US in the next month, that a true tipping point may be reached that moves us more rapidly than expected into an exit strategy. It may be a combination of the increased violence and the Iraqis themselves demanding our departure that leads to this shift. Although predicting specific events should always be done with caution, it is certainly clear that December will be a very stressful and potentially violent time leading to a time of transition for both Americans and the administration in Washington by January. Iraq, meanwhile, will be moving ineluctably toward its own separate destiny and toward roads unknown.
