We are currently in a peak period of Mr. Bush’s unilateralism, signified by the strong activation of Uranus in both the Inaugural chart and Bush’s natal chart. Uranus’ position in a chart designates where ideas run counter to the prevailing mood of the times, where there is a sense of fixedly adhering to a “truth” that others are unlikely to grasp or agree with, and where “marching to the beat of a different drummer” is the norm.
In the Inaugural chart, Uranus conjuncts Mercury, squaring Mars on one side and Saturn on the other. Thus, unilateral policies (Uranus/Mercury) are daring and sometimes reckless (Mars), but also run into fierce anger (Mars) and opposition (Saturn). This pattern has been acted out repeatedly since the beginning of the Bush administration. During Bush’s first month in office, Mercury crossed Inaugural Uranus three times by transit, due to a period of retrogradation. During March 2001, Mercury crossed Uranus by tertiary progression (a day for a month calculation). The corresponding events were described in Dubya’s Troubled Time:
We have seen how the three transits of Mercury to natal Uranus in the Inaugural Chart caused a great stir during the early weeks of the Bush Residency. The first brought the reinstitution of the gag rule, the second brought the bombing of Iraq, and the third brought the angioplasty of Vice President Cheney with its accompanying denials of seriousness. In each case, the event was sudden and unexpected (Uranus) and was followed by tremendous public concern and criticism (Mercury/Uranus receives a square from Mars).The tertiary progressed Mercury that reached its exact conjunction to Uranus during the last three weeks of March exemplified much the same pattern. It brought in its wake numerous policies (Mercury) from the Bush administration that were sudden, unexpected, and contrary to the general mood of the public (Uranus) and that were followed by public anger and enormous criticism (Mars). Among these were the abandonment of carbon dioxide regulations, the repeal of arsenic in drinking water regulations, the withdrawal of support from the Korean negotiations, the repeal of ergonomic regulations, and other such pro-industry and anti-humanitarian policies too numerous to list. The most egregious action taken under this progression and the one that produced the greatest outcry from all across the globe was the withdrawal of the United Sates from the Kyoto Protocol, an international process of many years duration working to halt the destructive process of global warming. This came on March 28 when tertiary progressed Mercury was almost exact in its conjunction to natal Uranus (19Aquarius41) and was activated by transits from Mars (19 Sagittarius) and the Moon (19 Taurus).
Since the summer of 2002, Inaugural secondary progressed Mercury has been conjunct natal Uranus (19Aquarius41). Utilizing the day for a year technique (secondary) instead of the day for a month (tertiary), this progression began around mid-July 2002 and peaks around February 6, 2003, when it will be exact. We can see from these dates that it coincides with the recent push of the Bush administration towards war with Iraq. During January and through February 20, 2003, transiting Pluto is sextile Inaugural Uranus, intensifying the potency of the Mercury/Uranus progression and the aggressive push of the Bush administration to imprint its policies on the planet. This configuration is likely to wane in impact after February 20, having brought a period of increasing unilateralism and a war policy resisted by most of the world.
In Mr. Bush’s natal chart we find another very significant activation of Uranus. The progressed Midheaven is conjunct natal Uranus (19Gemini08), spanning the year from October 2002 through October 2003, when it will be exact. It will continue for a few months thereafter, but its power will wane rapidly. This progression is profoundly intensified by the current transit of Pluto, essentially stationary at 19 Sagittarius from January through May 2003. As we have already seen, this powerful combination of Midheaven, Pluto, and Uranus is bringing Mr. Bush a period of ongoing crisis, tension, and surprise upsets in a generally unstable flow of events. North Korea has blatantly and belligerently chosen this period to rev up its nuclear arsenal. Germany and France have defiantly withdrawn support for Bush’s war. Fierce and growing criticism for Bush is erupting from everywhere, with protests and prominent citizens speaking out daily. And, most recently, the space shuttle Columbia suddenly disintegrated on its return flight, casting a portentous shadow over the country. In addition to generating a mood of perpetual crisis during these months, the speeded up action and energy of Uranus has become somewhat fanatical under the relentless focus of Pluto, creating in Mr. Bush an obsessive and rigid fixation on declaring war with Iraq despite the shifting situation.
A further indicator of aggression and a war mentality may be found in the US chart. This is the tertiary progression of Mars square the US Sun, from late December 2002 through mid-February 2003. It is during this period that the war rhetoric and military build-up have reached a fevered pitch. This progression is further intensified by a Uranus transit sesquiquadrate the US Sun from January 25 through February 9. This two-week period is likely to bring some of the harshest and most militaristic posturing to date. Colin Powell’s presentation of evidence to the UN on February 5 is likely to reflect this energy.
The period from February 14 through 21, 2003, is likely to be especially significant. It follows the very strong unilateral and militant rhetorical thrust of January 25 through February 9, and includes several very significant transits. Jupiter will be conjunct Bush’s natal Pluto, signaling a feeling of increased power and domination by him. There is a Sun/Uranus conjunction (28 Aquarius), on February 16 –17, that will trigger the transit of Uranus sesquiquadrate to Bush’s Sun, suggesting sudden precipitous action or sudden upsetting and transformative events. And there is a Mars/Pluto conjunction (19 Sagittarius), on February 17 –18, violent in its own right, and triggering the two significant progressions mentioned above: the progressed Inaugural Mercury sextile Uranus (19 Aquarius) and the current ongoing configuration of Bush’s progressed MC conjunct natal Uranus (19 Gemini). The Mars/Pluto in this position suggests violent, sudden, precipitous events either initiated by the administration or impacting it or both.
It should be noted that all during February 2003, there is a Saturn station that sits in semisquare to Mr. Bush’s Ascendant. Delays, frustration and difficulties are likely to continue. Nothing is likely to go smoothly or easily, and he will continue to feel resisted on several fronts, both domestic and foreign. Moreover, this is an emotional and very disturbing time for Commander Bush. His progressed Moon is square to natal Pluto all month, making him somewhat,b> volatile and resentful. By late February, transiting Chiron will square his Moon until March 11. This suggests a very upsetting and emotional experience, with some significant inner turmoil. Thus by early March, as some of the unilateral push recedes and the powerful energies of February 14 through 21 wane, Mr. Bush will be left with some powerful and distressing emotional baggage (Chiron /Moon).
By the second week of March 2003, Mr. Bush is likely to be thrust into the maelstrom again, which will continue unabated through May 19. Converse progressed Moon will be square to his natal Uranus (3/9 –4/9/03), while Pluto turns retrograde on March 23, heading once again towards the exact opposition to Bush’s Uranus/progressed Midheaven. Both of these will stimulate the unilateral push, the fanatical ambition, and the swirling of crisis around Mr. Bush, bringing unexpected and profound events for him to face. Watch for significant events to unfold from April 20 through May 1, when Mercury makes its station at 19 - 20 Taurus.