NewsScope for July 11, 2006
by Wolfstar

Mexico's Chaotic Election

On July 2 Mexicans by the millions cast their votes for their next President, having five candidates to choose from. A week later, following an extremely close vote between the two frontrunners, officials declared Felipe Calderon the winner. The populist candidate Lopez Obrador demanded a recount, alleging voter fraud, and that he would lead mass protests if he was denied his victory.

Mexico's horoscope is set for the signing ceremony for the new constitution on January 31, 1917 (4:42 pm CST; Querataro, Mexico), an event that deposed the oppressive power of the monarchy and Catholic Church. The Sun in Aquarius  reflects the human rights ideals of Mexico, with a Mars-Uranus conjunction  also in Aquarius describing the truly revolutionary shift toward democracy.

However, until recently, only one party has controlled Mexico's government. Vicente Fox was elected in July 2000 as Mexico was experiencing its first Uranus  Return, re-kindling its revolutionary idealism. Now, transiting Neptune — the planet of fraud and uncertainty – is conjunct Mexico's Uranus, putting a fog over the entire process. At the same time, transiting Saturn is opposing Mexico's Sun, perhaps indicating the judgmental role of the Federal Electoral Tribunal* in deciding the outcome.

Saturn goes on to oppose Mexico's Mars-Uranus conjunction in August and early September as the Federal Election Tribunal weighs its final decision. Under this kind of planetary stress, we can expect plenty of unrest. Mars-Uranus combinations carry the potential for violent protest. Progressing Mexico's horoscope shows that the progressed Sun squares the natal Sun, and progressed Mars is conjunct Jupiter – all supportive of tremendous upheaval over the coming year.

Kim Jong-Il, International Pariah

Defying the expressed concerns of its neighbors and the international community, North Korea launched a handful of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The July 4 incident took place just as Jupiter (expansionism) was turning direct on the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant while transiting Chiron (representing military affairs) squared the Ascendant, and was foreshadowed in this column as "military adventurism" the week before it happened.

North Korea's cult-like leader Kim Jong Il (February 16, 1942*; Khabarovsk, Russia; time unknown) was born with his Aquarius Sun in an exact square to eccentric Uranus. This aspect fosters extreme independence, self-sufficiency, and originality at its best, but is also prone to sudden and radical breaks from expected norms. New York's billionaire mayor, Mike Bloomberg (February 14, 1942), shares many of Kim Jong Il's basic astrological traits.

At 2:32 pm (EDT), North Korea launched the first missile while transiting Mars was exactly squaring Kim's natal Mars (to-the-minute if we use a 12 noon birth time). The Mars-Mars aspect is renowned for strident conflict, and as astrologers, we can track the short-term confrontations as transiting Mars completes its opposition to Kim's Sun on July 17. Then, as transiting Saturn first enters this same degree zone in August, we can expect that Kim will remain a pariah over the coming months, and continuing into next year.

The Pentagon doesn't know what Kim will do next, but astrologers will see his most troublesome antics coming. Recently, transiting Saturn turned direct on his natal Pluto, initiating the intention of advancing his nuclear ambitions. In three years, his progressed Sun will square that Pluto, marking a dramatic escalation of this program, and possibly, an assassination attempt or coup d'etat.

Johnny Depp's Captain Jack

Expectations were running high that the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel could lead the movie industry to its first mega-hit of the year. Johnny Depp holds the all-star cast together in a spectacular escapist film with plenty of action, humor, and a huge built-in audience. Deadman's Chest will likely equal or surpass the $656 million worldwide gross for the first of this swishbuckler trilogy.

Johnny Depp was born a multi-talented Gemini (June 9, 1963; 8:44 am; Owensboro, KY) with his Moon in ambitious Capricorn. His chameleon-like ability to assume the persona of each of his various film characters can be seen in Neptune's square to his Leo Ascendant. This combination demands creative control, which he used to fashion the fabulous Captain Jack Sparrow.

With his natal Mars sandwiched between the epochal Uranus-Pluto conjunction, Depp has been drawn to highly unusual film roles throughout his career. These planets reside in his second house of money, and are favorably aspecting his Taurus  Midheaven and his sixth house Moon, giving him the astrological support for financial success. He earned $20 million for his current film.

The prominence of Depp's Neptune is best applied to music and film, but has also led him into bouts of alcohol and drug abuse. However, Jupiter trines the Leo Ascendant, a protective influence that makes him a great entertainer, and never lets him lose his self-esteem. Jupiter is located in the ninth house of foreign countries, and he has found a safe and secluded home – away from Hollywood's craziness – in southern France.

* For more info, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Mexican_general_election

** Some experts believe that Kim Jong Il was born on February 16, 1941, but the most important events in his life have a strong correlation to his 1942 birth date.

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