The first factor that speaks to his health problems is his Sun in the Sixth House, 90 degrees (square) from Saturn. The Sixth House is a house of health and illness as well as a house of work and service. Cheney’s Sun is also in the sign of its detriment.

Remember that every planet rules a sign and is especially well off when placed in that sign. However, the reverse is true when a planet is placed in the sign opposite to the one it rules. That is the sign of its detriment. A planet has trouble expressing its true nature when it is in that sign. The Sun “rules” Leo, therefore, it is in its detriment in the opposite sign Aquarius, Cheney’s Sun sign.

Does this mean everyone with the Sun in Aquarius has a “bad” Sun? No! But it does mean that the Sun may have trouble expressing its own nature strongly and completely. The Sun signifies physical energy in general and the heart and circulatory system in particular. With the Sun in the house of illness 90 degrees away from Saturn, the planet of restriction and blockage, and I think you can begin to see the picture. Cheney’s recent heart problems have come from blockages that keep recurring in the coronary artery.

Cheney has Virgo rising, which is ruled by Mercury. The Ascending sign and its ruler have to do with the physical body. And Mercury, the ruler, is in the Sixth House, close to 90 degrees from Uranus. Uranus has to do with sudden upsets and shocks, in this case to the body. So we have another indicator here of the possible frailty of his body with regard to sudden physiological events. This combination also suggests that Cheney may have a tendency to scatter his energies or use too much nervous energy. This comes from the fact that both Mercury and Uranus have to do with the nerves, and both have a tendency to scatter energy.

Times to Be Careful

We judge times of major changes and events by means of transits. This consists of looking to see where the planets are in the zodiac at any given time and comparing them to where they are in the birth chart. When a planet makes an important angle to a position occupied by a planet in the birth chart, this is called a transit. There are transits that most people experience as positive and easy, and there are transits that most people experience as being difficult. But no transit ever absolutely guarantees a particular result, good or bad, especially if the native lives in such a way as to transmute the energies of difficult transits into something creative and useful. If the native does not, the more troublesome manifestations of difficult transits are likely to occur.

In Cheney’s case, during the most intense period of the election and the time of uncertainty that followed right up to the present time, transiting Saturn has been on Cheney’s Midheaven, the point that has the most to do with the career and its demands. For most people this is a time when the career becomes demanding and has especially great rewards. Cheney seems to know this, and has worked incredibly hard, even despite the two heart “incidents.”

These were on November 22, 2000 and March 5, 2001. During this period, Neptune has been moving into a 90-degree angle to his Jupiter, and more importantly, Saturn. From there, Neptune will move to transit the Sun by conjunction. In addition, Uranus has recently made a 90-degree angle with Cheney’s natal Uranus. The Neptune-Saturn and the Uranus-Uranus transits were both very close to exact during the second heart incident in March. Neptune tends to weaken the physical body and to make it more vulnerable, while Uranus indicates sudden crises.

From late March through early August, Mars will be crossing its own position in Cheney’s birth chart three times. This can indicate an illness, especially something connected with the blood such as the circulatory system, veins and arteries. Therefore, this entire period is one in which Cheney should be careful.

But the transits get most intense from February of next year through July, when Pluto will be crossing his natal Mars, and Neptune will be crossing his natal Sun. Mars rules Aries, which is the sign on Cheney’s Eighth House cusp. This is a house of major transformations, and these can include life-threatening events. Neptune tends to weaken the Sun, which, as we have said, has to do with the cardiovascular system in general. These transits are, therefore, both threats to his health, and they continue on through the end of 2003.

From an astrological point of view, it is clear that Cheney does need to slow down. Nothing is inevitable, but one must cooperate with astrological indications and learn to flow with them. Simply ignoring them is not the best way to make things turn out well. We hope that from whatever source his guidance may come, Cheney does indeed slow down so that his body may heal properly.

Next week a new topic.

Other StarIQ articles by Rob Hand: