NewsScope for April 16, 2002

The Birth of the World Court

The United Nations announced that the world's first permanent international war crimes tribunal formally comes into existence on July 1 this year. The 1998 treaty creating the World Court needed 60 countries to ratify it by their national governments before coming into effect. That number was surpassed last Thursday despite strong opposition by the United States.

The evolution of the World Court closely follows the Saturn-Neptune cycle. Saturn and Neptune were conjunct in 1989 to begin this cycle, a time which brought the collapse of virtually every communist regime. Not until the fall of the Iron Curtain could a global court be established. The conjunction ended a major geopolitical obstacle, and allowed for the beginning of something new.

The challenge of creating an institutional form (Saturn) for the vision of global justice (Neptune) came with the Treaty of Rome signed on July 18, 1998. At that time Saturn had moved ahead of the slower Neptune to make an opening square. Last week when ten countries stepped up simultaneously to put the treaty into effect, Saturn was harmoniously trine Neptune.

From this process we can see that when Saturn and Neptune are opposed to each other in 2006, the World Court will face a huge challenge, perhaps its first significant case. In the meantime, the World Court horoscope (July 1, 2002; 12 am; The Hague, Netherlands) features the Sun in Cancer opposed to Chiron, an odd reflection of George Bush's Sun-Chiron square. The Sun-Chiron aspect instills a determination to achieve great accomplishments in order to overcome inherent feelings of weakness or woundedness.

(A NewsScope reader sent the following information after the publication of this article: What you refer to as the World Court is actually the International Criminal Court.The purpose of the International Criminal Court is primarily to try war criminals. The World Court is the International Court of Justice, "the principal judicial organ of the United Nations". It was established by the Charter of the United Nations, signed on 26th June 1945 at San Francisco. Its purpose is to settle disputes between Member-States of the U.N.)

The Whole World Watches Colin Powell

As the Middle East crisis threatens to spin out of control, President Bush has given Secretary of State Colin Powell carte blanche to try and arrange a ceasefire. At the moment cross border shelling of Israeli positions by Syrian-supported Hezbollah may expand the conflict into Lebanon and Syria. The leaders of the United Nations, European Union and the Arab League have all advised the warring parties to listen to Colin Powell.

Colin Powell (April 5, 1937) is now undertaking the most important mission of his life. With his Sun in pioneering Aries and Mars in adventurous Sagittarius, Powell is aptly suited to be a soldier and general. He also has a compassionate side, which can be seen in the close aspects between Neptune and Ceres to the Sun, giving him an aura of the caring father.

Powell's horoscope is geared toward understanding religious or ideological extremism since he has Jupiter opposite Pluto, with his Mercury squaring both. Getting the warring parties to cease their hostilities and to the negotiating table requires intellectual objectivity, something that his Moon in Aquarius provides.

It also requires great courage and persuasiveness, but transiting Pluto in Sagittarius is granting these qualities. Pluto is currently right on his fateful lunar node, and forming an empowering trine to his Sun. This coming week transiting Mars will be approaching an opposition to his own Mars, becoming exact on April 20. As this transit gets closer, he faces his greatest challenge. This Mars opposite Mars relationship should bring a significant turning point.

Elizabeth Hurley, Single Mom

British actress Elizabeth Hurley gave birth to a boy last week, capping several months of tabloid melodrama and lawsuits from Steve Bing, the alleged father. Bing has questioned whether he is the father, and is now out of the picture. Meanwhile Hurley is resting comfortably at friend Elton John's 37-acre estate and is once again seeing ex-boyfriend Hugh Grant.

Elizabeth Hurley was born a multi-talented Gemini (June 10, 1965, Hampshire, England, time unknown) with her Moon placed in scintillating Scorpio. The Moon adds depth and passion to the Gemini charm, while her ambition to become one of the world's top models and actresses is fueled by a powerful planetary configuration known as a T-Square.

Hurley's Sun forms a square to Mars in Virgo, giving her plenty of physical energy and drive. This Mars is opposed to Saturn which in turn squares the Sun, a blend that instills a need to fight for dominance and career survival. These three planets, Sun-Mars-Saturn, are further energized by several more planets (Jupiter, Chiron, Uranus, Pluto), and all together this combination is extremely dynamic.

The current Saturn-Pluto opposition is falling right into Hurley's T-Square. Over the past year she's had boyfriend trouble, lost her contract with Estee Lauder, given birth, been stalked, and is now recovering. Her baby Damian was born with the Sun and Moon square each other (April 4, 2002; 12:22 pm; London), reflecting the difficulty between the mother (Moon) and father (Sun). However, Damian's Sun trine Pluto trine Juno provides plenty of personal protection, enthusiasm and creativity.