NewsScope for July 24, 2000

Jupiter and Pluto Sponsor Religious Summit

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators remained huddled at Camp David all last week, attempting to resolve one of the world's thorniest problems, the fate of Jerusalem. The deadline for a peaceful accord is September 13, by which time Yasir Arafat will declare statehood with or without Israel's blessing.

The religious planet Jupiter will soon be moving into a highly favorable trine with hopeful Neptune, and this combination sets up a grand trine with Bill Clinton's Libra Ascendant. Libra, the sign of mediation and diplomacy, can reach a successful conclusion when this grand trine is completed during the last week of July. Bill Clinton's Mercury, the planet associated with documents and agreements, gets spotlighted astrologically during the July 31 solar eclipse.

Meanwhile, Jupiter and Pluto create a summer-long environment of religious debate and confrontation as they move toward opposition. Because of the dogmatic holiness of this Jupiter-Pluto vibration, any agreement will likely bring tremendous regional anxiety and conflict. Terrorists, especially those motivated by religious self-righteousness, become fully operational under Jupiter-Pluto aspects.

Jupiter-Pluto aspects certainly have a favorable component, especially in the religious or spiritual realm. One idea gaining popularity is to put Jerusalem's care in the hands of a truly neutral international body. This would be a group of spiritual leaders including the Pope and the Dalai Lama, as well as Jewish and Islamic representatives.

In addition, the United Nations is organizing the Millennium World Peace Summit, scheduled for August 28-31, when Jupiter and Pluto are nearly exactly opposite each other. This spiritual summit will bring together a thousand of the world's pre-eminent religious leaders. Here again, controversy reigns, since the Dalai Lama was not invited due to political pressure from China.

The Music of the Spheres: Astrology and String Theory, Part II

String theory, the revolutionary mathematical model describing the universe's physical structure, has several surprising components that may validate astrology, most notably hidden dimensions that could channel planetary influence into human affairs. String theory gives us a universe characterized by eleven dimensions, including seven microscopic dimensions with unknown properties.

In Brian Greene's readable explanation of string theory, The Elegant Universe, these extra dimensions are too small to visually recognize, and are likened to curled up, circular loops of threads making up the pile of a carpet. Electromagnetism is carried by ripples through these new, curled up dimensions, while gravity is associated with ripples through the more familiar space-time fabric of the universe. In this way, string theory triggers a paradigm shift by unifying the incompatible theories of gravity and quantum mechanics.

Scientists are frenetically searching for physical proof that vibrating, looped strings make up all the forces and matter occupying these eleven dimensions. Among the possibilities is the search for "particular patterns of string vibration that can effectively contribute new, tiny, long-range force fields. Should the effects of any such new forces be discovered, they might well reflect some of the new physics of string theory."

Having hypothesized that electromagnetism is transmitted as ripples through invisible dimensions, why not hypothesize that planetary vibrations are also transmitted through these same dimensions? A planet's physical distance from the Sun sets up a unique vibratory pattern, something composers refer to as the music of the spheres. This tonal quality is then correlated with specific mythological and contemporary symbolism, and sent rippling through the Earth via the invisible dimensions described by string theory.

Gisele Bundchen, Supermodel

Last week, star-watchers noted that Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen dumped Leo DiCaprio in favor of billionaire Joao-Paulo Diniz. Gisele may be the world's hottest model now, with four 1999 covers for Vogue magazine (which also named her the model of the year), and working for a fashionable fee of $10,000 per day.

Gisele was born with her Sun in voluptuous Cancer (July 20, 1980, Tres de Maio, Brazil, 5:00 pm AST) and her Moon in sexy Scorpio. This combination of water signs can bring a scintillating magnetism and extremes in emotional experiences. The drive for career success is empowered by Pluto conjunct  the Midheaven, and given rare beauty by Pluto's exact trine to Venus.

Venus, the planet naturally associated with modeling, is the most prominent planet in this horoscope. Venus rules the Midheaven, and thereby makes her attractiveness a professional asset. This meaning is reinforced by the square to ambitious Saturn, and given a feminine mystique by the opposition to Neptune. Venus describes her path to personal fulfillment by the fortunate aspect to the fateful Lunar Node axis.

Gisele's love life is a matter of public interest since her Venus resides in the Fifth House of romance. Last week, capricious Uranus by transit was creating a grand trine with her Venus and Pluto, giving her plenty of opportunities to play the field. Since the Fifth House also governs the entertainment business, Venus here promises a lucrative acting career when she is ready.