NewsScope for October 23, 2001

U.S. Commandos Enter Afghanistan

Elite U.S. military units began a secretive ground assault on the Taliban military last week, opening a new phase of the war on terrorism after two weeks of punishing air strikes. Pentagon officials wouldn't comment on their operations other than saying that the Special Forces are encircling the Taliban and al-Qaida leadership.

While the Sun square Mars provides the celestial impulse for heightened military activity, the political astrologer will gain additional insights by looking into the Pentagon's horoscope (set for the National Security Act on July 26, 1947; 12:15 pm; Washington DC). The current prominence and exalted status of Pentagon actions can be seen in Jupiter's station near the Midheaven. Jupiter's closest aspect is to the political strategy asteroid Pallas Athena, reflecting the Pentagon's concern and success over diplomatic efforts.

Projecting the Pentagon's horoscope onto the world map puts a Mars line slicing right through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kashmir. Natally, Mars forms extremely tight links to Jupiter, Mercury and Juno, with all four now under extreme stress from the nearby influence of transiting Saturn and Pluto*. The Pentagon Mars receives escalating pressure to act forcefully over the next two weeks, and the most immediate threat seems to be not in Afghanistan, but in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Ascendant (see NewsScope September 18, 2001) is exactly opposite the Pentagon's Jupiter. A popular uprising, coup d'etat or massive refugee problem in Pakistan would destabilize the entire Asian sub-continent. The first few days of November bring critical astrological developments. Ideally, these signify some kind of military victory, but long term hits of transiting Saturn and then Pluto to the Pentagon Mars indicates this region will be an explosive hotspot for the next two years.

Israeli Tanks Roll into Bethlehem

Last Wednesday the "ultra-nationalist" Tourist Minister Rehavam Zeevi was assassinated by a radical Palestinian faction. Israeli troops quickly followed up by pushing into Palestinian territory, seeking to ferret out potential suicide bombers and other terrorist threats. The latest developments brought an immediate end to the cease-fire brokered by U.S. diplomats, as the violence threatened to spin out of control.

The second phase of the Saturn-Pluto opposition is heating up, with these two planets reaching maximum polarity on November 2. Under the influence of this cyclical social upheaval, desperate situations require drastic solutions. Fledgling cooperation is overwhelmed by ultimatums; slow progress and friendly gestures stomped on by authoritarian leaders and urgent demands for deep structural changes.

The antagonism between Israel's Ariel Sharon and the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is reaching the point of no return. The pending opposition between Saturn and Pluto is the short-term fuse on their volatile interface, but the next few months should bring events to critical mass, with January being especially troublesome (see NewsScope August 7, 2001 for details).

While this Saturn-Pluto cycle has brought intensely traumatic and unsettling events, benefits are also shaping up. The international focus on a common enemy (terrorism) has brought China and Russia onboard, leading to an unparalleled global unity. How the international community handles the Palestinian issue over the next few months will be inspirational to sympathetic Islamic nations now verging on civil war between their own fundamentalist and anti-terrorist factions.

Drew Barrymore Grows Up

Recently, Drew Barrymore reconciled with her mother due in large part to her role in Riding in Cars with Boys, which was released last weekend in theatres around the nation. In this movie she plays a rebellious teen whose life is changed forever when she gets pregnant, a role that helped her re-examine her past from her mother's perspective.

Drew Barrymore was born a misty-eyed Pisces (February 22, 1975; 11:51 am; Culver City, CA) with her Moon in the family-oriented sign of Cancer. The Moon's network of aspects includes a beneficial trine to Jupiter, enhancing her feeling of being a special child, but also conjunct Saturn and square Chiron, leading to plenty of family problems and deep emotional wounding.

Mercury, the ruler of her horoscope, squares Uranus, and this combination pushes her to assert her own rebelliousness and independence. However, now that Jupiter has entered Cancer, and aligns with her own Moon and Saturn, she is finding the opportunity to reconsider family relationships. The added factor of transiting Saturn nearing her Ascendant puts her in control of her own destiny, one that includes being responsible for the relationships that she creates and sustains.

Drew Barrymore's progressed chart shows resounding success as a powerful movie producer over the coming year (progressed Sun and Jupiter are conjunct). Then her progressed Sun moves on to form a conjunction with Ceres (exact in July 2003), a fertile indicator** for someone expecting to experience the joys of motherhood herself.

*Advanced astrologers will note the confluence of natal and progressed planets at 17 degrees. The progressed Moon triggers the underlying exact hit of progressed Saturn to natal Jupiter on November 2, the same day as the Saturn-Pluto opposition becomes exact. On October 31 the transiting Sun hits the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, and transiting Mars hits the Pentagon's Sun-Chiron square. (Editor's Note: WolfStar uses a Scorpio rising U.S. chart.)

**Her progressed Ceres is just now separating from a square to Saturn, putting her in touch with the challenges of being a caretaker; this aspect may also include fertility problems.