The Winds of Change

Like Midas’ Golden Touch, the Incompetent Touch of the Bush administration knows no limits. Whatever they endeavor seems destined to collapse on its own foundation of ineptitude. They couldn’t even secure the heavily-guarded speech of Chinese Premier Hu Jintao at the White House from a very vocal, activist member of one of China’s most oppressed religious groups. Nor could they correctly state the name of the People’s Republic of China when announcing its national anthem, confusing it with the name of the rebellious and free Taiwan. And so it goes. Inefficiency and bungling permeate the prosecution of the war, the hurricane relief effort, the prescription drug program, and literally everything other than their notorious Machiavellian propaganda machine, which spins to perfection in its own manipulative frenzy.

In the astrology chart, the point where the inner world of the native meets the environment is known as the Ascendant. Strong aspects to it will color both how the person sees and deals with the world and how the person is perceived by others. In the

When Neptune colors all interactions with the environment, as it does for the Bush administration, reality is misperceived, over-dramatized, and confusing. Self-deception and the perpetration of illusion are the norm. Likewise, deeds that require clarity, logic and discipline get muddled by misperceptions and lack of organization. I have spoken previously about the Neptune/Ascendant square as signifying the pervasive dishonesty and deceptive practices of this administration. But this aspect also speaks to the profound incompetence we are finding at every level of the Bush White House that is becoming its most glaring attribute.

Another tight planetary aspect to an important angle in the Inaugural chart is Saturn (23Cancer20) conjunct the IC or nadir (25Cancer24). This aspect is most potent from February 2006 through February 2007, when the solar arc progression of Saturn will make the aspect exact. This is an aspect of deepening depression and a sense of failure. It will be particularly strong during the transits of Pluto quincunx the Inaugural IC/solar arc Saturn from May 5 to June 16, 2006 and October 11 through November 17, 2006, during election season.

The big question, of course, is what will be the result of the 2006 election. Will the Democrats manage to take over at least one House of Congress? When the charts of numerous administration officials and several Senators are taken into account, it does indeed look quite possible that the Democrats will take over the Senate.

We have seen how the Inaugural chart indicates incompetence and failure for much of 2006 for the administration, with the latter spreading through the election period. The charts of Bush and Cheney give much the same message. Beginning in late September 2006, the

Meanwhile, Sith Lord Cheney will be having his own troubles at the end of the year when Saturn stations opposite his Mercury (ruler of his Ascendant) from late October 2006 through early January 2007, suggesting severe strain, numerous frustrations, and possible health complications. In addition, the charts of Josh Bolton, Denny Hasturt, John Boehner, and Karl Rove, all show at least some strong Saturn aspects during the crucial November 2006 through January 2007 period. Bolton (8/16/54) and Boehner (11/17/49) are especially hard hit, suggesting enormous setbacks and a need to consolidate and reign in expectations.

What is perhaps most interesting and most hopeful is that, while the difficulties and tension of Saturn seem to hit many GOP charts either by transit or progression in late 2006 and 2007, many of the leading Senate Democrats will be enjoying the expansiveness and optimism of Jupiter, as well as the freedom to act with the daring determination of Uranus in 2007. John Kerry will have Uranus square his Moon, and Jupiter three times conjunct his Sun and opposite his Moon and Mars for much of the year. Joseph Biden will have Jupiter on his Sun and Venus immediately after the election. Russ Feingold will have Jupiter square his Sun three times in 2007 and the last pass of Uranus square his Sun in early January. Harry Reid will have Jupiter square his Mars and Sun in early January, a Jupiter station on his Sun in July and August, Pluto square his Jupiter, and converse Sun square Venus throughout the year. The notable exception is Hilary Clinton who is under a great deal of Saturn from September 2006 through February 2007. I cannot begin to speculate what this will mean, but she will be having a difficult time for some reason. Nonetheless, the general pattern for the Senate Democrats that I have looked at (by no means all of them) is that they will feel somewhat successful and newly liberated to speak out and act as they see appropriate beginning in January 2007.

But 2007 brings other forces to bear as well. The newly empowered Democratic Senators will be met by an increasingly aggressive and angry Bush administration. Transiting Uranus will be moving into a square with Inaugural Mars (18Sagittarius01), a square with Cheney’s Mars (17Sagittarius48), and a quincunx with Bush’s progressed Mars conjunct natal Jupiter (18Libra08). This combination suggests an irritable and ornery attack mode by the Bushistas. I have written previously about the likely increase in hostilities between Iran and the US in 2007, potentially moving to open conflict, due to these aspects as well as similar ones in the charts of Iran, Ahmadinejad, and Israel. It may also be that the administration will be in fighting mode in response to its more effective critics and a siege of Senate investigations. And it is unfortunately not out of the realm of possibility with this bunch that some form of open conflict with Iran would be used as a Wag-the-Dog distraction from the worsening domestic turmoil in the executive branch.

It should be remembered that predicting elections is always fraught with peril. There are too many variables and too many charts without a correct birth time to guarantee success. Nonetheless, I have attempted to discern a pattern using several charts, and I dearly hope that this time I get it right. Many leading Democrats look to me like the constraints of the last few years will have been lifted by 2007 and that they will be ready to fight the good fight. May the winds of change blow long and hard.