NewsScope for January 1, 2001

Donald Rumsfeld’s Mars

Donald Rumsfeld, the lead proponent of the National Missile Defense program over the past few years, was named Secretary of Defense last week by President-elect Bush. His selection promises to move the $60+ billion Star Wars program onto the front burner, making it Bush’s number one political hot potato on the international scene.

Rumsfeld was born a security-conscious Cancer (on July 9, 1932, 5:40 pm CDT in Chicago) with his war planet Mars located in an ominous degree zone of Gemini.

In 2001 and 2002, the most challenging outer planet dynamic will be Saturn opposite Pluto, a troublesome influence that colors the geopolitical landscape through three phases, one for each time these two planets are in exact opposition. The first opposition occurs in early August 2001 and in the exact same degree as Rumsfeld’s Mars. Transiting Saturn and Pluto aspecting Rumsfeld’s Mars gives the urge to accomplish monumental restructuring of the military climate, a job he outlined two years ago in a study known as the Rumsfeld Report. The National Missile Defense (NMD) program aims to create an electronic shield against any terrorist’s or rogue nation’s nuclear missiles.

Russia, China, most European nations and a substantial number of American notables have denounced the NMD as being too expensive, destabilizing and unworkable. While the NMD may some day block incoming missiles, those suspicious of American power see the system as offering a tempting first strike capacity. Rumsfeld, with his Sun-Pluto conjunction, has the willpower to push this one to conclusion.

Gale Norton: Environment vs. Oil

The appointee likely to attract the greatest heat on the domestic front is Gale Norton, Colorado’s former Attorney General, who is now moving into the Bush cabinet as Secretary of the Interior. This appointment follows through on his campaign promise to open up Alaska’s National Wildlife refuge to oil and gas exploration as a long-term solution to resolving the energy crisis.

Ms. Norton was born an emotional, dualistic Pisces (on March 11, 1954 in Wichita, Kansas, time unknown) with her Sun squaring Mars in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Gemini. Her Mars-Jupiter axis is within range of the transiting Saturn-Pluto opposition that is taking place in the signs of Gemini and Sagittarius during 2001 and 2002. We can bet that the natural enthusiasm and gung-ho attitude inherent in Mars-Jupiter combinations will be applied to major reconstruction of federal lands policy under her watch.

While the Sierra Club woefully called her “James Watt in a skirt,” champagne was popping at the Independent Petroleum Producers Association. Norton’s Saturn in Scorpio happens to be exactly conjunct the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant. Transiting Neptune, the natural ruler of gas and oil, will be squaring the nation’s Scorpio Ascendant and Norton’s Saturn throughout 2001, indicating that the oil question will be a major point of contention.

Watch around May 10 when Neptune turns retrograde while virtually exactly squaring her Saturn. This planetary turning point should equate to a political turning point for her and the nation, especially in terms of the difficult equation: protecting the environment versus drilling for oil.

Alex Rodriguez, World’s Richest Athlete

Shortstop Alex Rodriguez is breaking records both on and off the field. After six weeks of deliberation and tough negotiating, he recently signed a record-shattering $252 million, ten-year contract with the Texas Rangers. The shortstop continues to break records as a hitter, base runner and fielder, and is widely touted as the complete or perfect player.

Alex Rodriguez was born a limelight-loving Leo (on July 27, 1975 in New York City, time unknown) with his Sun dramatically and mythologically enhanced by aspects to all three of the outer planets. For an athlete, the relative potency of Mars is always an important factor, and curiously his Mars receives only minor aspects to other planets. While Rodriguez’ horoscope doesn’t reveal an exceptional Mars, it does show an extraordinary mental acuity.

This can be seen in the placement of his Mercury, which forms an exact square to Uranus. Mercury square Uranus brings lightning fast reflexes in response to unpredictable or spontaneous stimuli, such as the 97 miles-per-hour fastball, the eccentric bounce of a sharply hit grounder or seeing the precise moment to steal second. Mercury is strengthened by close aspects to several other planets, including a conjunction to stabilizing, disciplined Saturn.

Transiting Neptune has been opposite Rodriguez’ Sun for some time now, corresponding to his confusion about where to play and for how much. Team owner Tom Hicks made the deal on December 10, a few days after Venus had entered Aquarius and was conjoining Neptune. The transiting Venus-Neptune conjunction opposite his Sun describes the fairy-tale dream come true.