Since the early days of the 2000 campaign, when George W. Bush first ascended onto the national stage, murmurings about his less than stellar intellectual capacities became fodder for media gossips and late night comedians. Nonetheless, due to the many benevolent planetary aspects enjoyed by Bush at the time, as well as the GOP's complete control of the corporate media, he blithely waltzed into the White House after a contentious and bitter campaign, with his personal charm trumpeted as his most significant attribute. Essentially asleep at the wheel, Americans had overlooked Bush's startlingly shallow grasp of the world and ushered into the White House the backslapping Governor of Texas, whose most creative moments manifested when he invented nicknames for his entourage.
As the right-wing propaganda machine took increasing control of Bush's public image over the ensuing months and years, we were purposefully indoctrinated with specific words chosen for their impact on our vulnerable minds: strong leader, man of integrity, persevering, compassionate conservative, deeply religious, humble, etc. And as is the goal of propaganda, we began to doubt the perceptions of our own senses. Bush's continual mangling of the language, his refusal to have impromptu or unscripted press conferences, his totally vapid appearance when reading from the teleprompter, like a bad actor reading lines he doesn't fully understand, all were spun into positive attributes or endearing qualities in our Fearless Leader. The completely opaque quality of his administration, where every decision and process is buried under an impenetrable veil of secrecy, was successfully transformed into the image of a "highly disciplined" Commander-in-Chief who runs a "tight ship" and demands loyalty from his team.
It now seems that a well-aimed arrow of truth has pierced the tightly scripted White House illusion. Paul O'Neill, former Secretary of the Treasury, and noted straight shooter who calls it like he sees it, has told the story of his White House years in a recently released book,
The Price of Loyalty, written by eminent journalist Ron Suskind. The book contends that the Bush administration was planning an aggressive, militant regime change in Iraq from early 2001. This bombshell essentially confirms the allegation that Bush and his cronies got us into Iraq on totally false pretenses, the real goals having nothing whatsoever to do with the War on Terror and everything to do with the PNAC-inspired vision of world domination and control of oil.Perhaps even more disturbing is the former Treasury Secretary's unadorned picture of George Bush. O'Neill portrays Bush as largely disengaged, bored, and unable to grasp the meaning and consequences of policy. Suddenly a window had been opened, and through it we were given a horrifying revelation, devoid of the usual hypnotic mind-controlling message. Sitting in the Oval Office, the purported Leader of the Free World, is a shallow, self-absorbed man. He is an empty vessel filled by the machinations and power hunger of his minders and manipulated by appeals to his own grandiosity, messianic religious delusions, and raw aggression. For one resounding moment, before the relentless propaganda machine jumped to plug the leak, we saw that our worst fears about the Commander-in-Chief were true.
In sharp contrast, O'Neill describes Vice President Cheney as the power behind the throne, the man who firmly keeps Bush on the ideological Yellow Brick Road that has landed this country in the Land of Oz. It was, moreover, Cheney who eventually fired O'Neill, the first time in history that a Vice President has fired a Secretary of the Treasury.
A study of Dick Cheney's birth chart for the final year of the Bush Regime is quite telling. Much of the murky, confused, and scandal-plagued tone of the previous year is behind him now that Neptune has moved off of his Sun where it sat for much of 2003. The Supreme Court essentially let Cheney off the hook - just as Saturn moved off the quincunx to his waning Sun/transiting Neptune conjunction in mid-December - by agreeing to take up the appeal over his handling of the administration's energy task force. This will afford Cheney several months without the spotlight and the pressure on him, as well as protect the administration from any related embarrassment during an election year
The most notable progression in Cheney's chart for 2004 is progressed MC conjunct progressed Pluto which reaches its peak and then dissipates in mid-January 2005, just as the Bush Regime puts the finishing touches on its four years of national pillage and plunder. Cheney's progressed Pluto is also opposite progressed Mars, which has just passed the exact conjunction to progressed IC. This Pluto/Mars/MC combination suggests a very assertive and dominating year for the Vice President. The Pluto/MC energy is relentless and can be very influential on the masses. Significant and vigorous power struggles are also implied here. The Mars/Pluto combination suggests raw and aggressive power that can be focused with devastating results. Cheney will be on the move, newly invigorated, and ready for a fight. Some of this energy is likely to manifest as a very vigorous and potentially nasty campaign for reelection, but some will also, no doubt, show up in pushing a very aggressive and possibly militant policy agenda.
The big wild card coming up for Cheney is the crossing of his Descendant by Uranus. Uranus is the planet of the unexpected, tending to cause significant upsets and reversals in its wake. The Descendant is the point of partnerships in the chart, and an aspect to this point impacts such relationships. Because the Descendant is by definition opposite the Ascendant, an aspect to the Descendant will also directly impact the person him/her self. Uranus crossing Cheney's Descendant suggests significant upsets or changes in his relationship with George Bush. Uranian events are often unexpected and swift in their action.
The first crossing of Uranus to Cheney's Descendant will impact him through most of February 2004. It is likely that sudden and powerful events will cause significant turmoil to which both Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush must respond. Cheney may act on his own in some way that does not seem to be in alignment with the administration. People under Uranus can push hard against the status quo. The potential for a sudden health issue also exists regarding the Vice President, but it seems more likely he will move into a very controlling, aggressive and dominating stance within the administration, possibly due to deteriorating circumstances in Iraq. The same Uranus transit that impacts Cheney will be crossing the MC of the Iraqi chart, suggesting some dramatic, potentially rebellious events in that nation.
The second and third pass of Uranus opposite Cheney's Ascendant are combined into a long stationary period from late September through late November 2004. This suggests a long period of high energy, heightened activity, and sudden, stressful situations throughout the election campaign. It also suggests an unexpected reversal of personal stature by the end of the transit.
An aspect in the Bush/Cheney composite chart that spans the most critical part of the campaign and election, from October 6 through November 15, 2004, corroborates this indication of a reversal of fortune at election time. The Saturn station of October and November 2004 will sit exactly square the Bush/Cheney composite Sun (27Aries17), suggesting grave difficulties and struggles for their partnership during that period.
The following Saturn station, from late January through late April 2005, is also significant for Cheney. It will sit in opposition to his Venus, the ruler of his Midheaven. This is a sure sign that Cheney will be in a serious slump during that period, unhappy and feeling his career and reputation (Midheaven) are mired in difficulty and failure.
A few words about the other infamous puppetmaster of the Bush administration, Karl Rove, seem appropriate here. O'Neill quotes Rove as saying, "Stick to principle," when George Bush hesitantly voices a rebellious thought about tax policy. Purportedly, the Resident wondered why the rich needed yet another big cut. Rove immediately steered him back on track: Stick to principle. Rove, of course, has long been seen as the brains behind Bush's Machiavellian political machine. Nothing emanates from the Bush White House that is not thoroughly vetted by Rove for its political implications, often to the detriment of intelligent policy.
Unfortunately, we do not have Karl Rove's birth time. This is always a great handicap in making predictions because a great deal of significant information is missing. Nonetheless, there are some useful indications we can glean from using the generic noon chart. For one thing, a very interesting progression emerges that was in effect for most of 2002 and 2003. This was progressed Venus conjunct progressed Mars conjunct progressed Node (19 Pisces), all quincunx to natal Pluto (19 Leo). This very potent, once-in-a-lifetime combination suggests an enormous amount of power and impact in the world in a very aggressive yet creative way. What is perhaps most significant for us is that this amazing attunement (Pluto) to the world (Node) is now over. In its place, we find the converse progressed Saturn conjunct converse progressed Node, slowly building now through 2010 and suggesting that the contact point to the world (Node) is now fraught with an increasing lack of good timing (Saturn) and general difficulties. The Boy Genius may be losing his touch. Certainly the announcement of plans for a colony on the Moon and a man on Mars went over like a lead balloon. It was a failed attempt to make Bush into a man of vision and a uniter, and it only served to remind people how out of touch with reality their President really is.
Paralleling almost exactly an extremely difficult period predicted in Bush's chart, Karl Rove's chart indicates that he will also be under tremendous stress and pressure from early June through most of July 2004. There is no question that big events will be transpiring around then that will be very detrimental to the administration. Transiting Saturn will be opposite Rove's Venus, opposite his Mercury, and square his Neptune, successively, during that time frame.
Without a birth time, we cannot calculate the exact position of the Moon in a chart. Nonetheless, I would like to make an educated guess that Rove's birth time is somewhere after 4 PM, putting the Moon into an aspect with transiting Saturn during the latter part of 2004 and the beginning of 2005. This would confirm the difficulties that are seen in the charts of many other members of the administration during the election period.
Thus, it seems that Cheney's power will be less hampered by events during the first half of 2004 than it has been in the past few years, and he will tend to amplify Bush's already aggressive tendencies. On the other hand, Rove's infamous magical touch may become less and less effective and more jarring as time goes on. In other words, the dysfunctional White House agenda will be harder to spin. And, finally, the Hollow Man will continue to follow the script of his neocon entourage who seem incapable of correcting course even when an iceberg can be seen dead ahead.
