NewsScope for October 24, 2006

Chaos Spreads through Iraq

Over the weekend, as transiting Sun and Mars were conjunct, George Bush (Sun) met with the generals (Mars) to discuss the deteriorating situation in Iraq . In August, the American forces initiated a clean-up operation in Baghdad , but that tactic failed miserably. At one point, Bush admitted that the current situation in Baghdad was similar to the Tet offensive in Vietnam , a turning point in American support for that war.

Coincidentally, the looming cloud of chaos corresponds closely to the associations given to the recently-discovered planet Eris. By transit, Eris is at 20 degrees Aries, and in the U.S. Scorpio Rising horoscope, Eris is conjoining Chiron in the Sixth House of military service. Eris has been in this degree area since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and will remain there until early 2009.

Relocating the U.S. horoscope to Baghdad* provides another perspective. This chart features 19º08' Sagittarius at the MC and 12º09' Pisces Rising. The sensitivity of these degrees is evident when considering that Bush invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003 when transiting Pluto was right on the relocated Midheaven. And most phenomenally, the progressed Moon was at 19º12' Gemini, precisely conjunct the IC, the point of new beginnings.

Recently, transiting Uranus passed over the relocated Ascendant, corresponding to the widespread recognition of Iraq as an unmanageable crisis. As the generals look for new direction, a bipartisan Iraq Study Group, co-chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, will release its advice shortly after the November election. This happens when transiting Uranus turns direct, which indicates a significant reversal in policy, perhaps a phased withdrawal, since the U.S. progressed Mars is now retrograde.

Mercury Connects the Dots

Mercury's path between now and election day delineates an extraordinary celestial dynamic shaping our current socio-political climate. Many astrologers have commented on how Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune are forming a T-Square in the fixed signs Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius. Now, speedy Mercury is in Scorpio and forming ephemeral aspects to each of these outer planets, in effect, linking their messages.

Condoleezza Rice's five-day trip through Asia was one clear manifestation of Mercury's path. As Mercury neared a conjunction with optimistic Jupiter, a widespread report indicated that North Korea would conduct no further nuclear tests, and that Kim Jong Il had actually apologized. Then, as transiting Mercury's square to Saturn kicked in, Rice reported what she heard directly from China 's messenger, who denied the diplomatic breakthrough.

Mercury turns retrograde on October 28, and then repeats these hits to Jupiter and Saturn on October 30 and November 1, respectively. Mercury, the messenger, will bring forth additional facets of this Jupiter-Saturn square, which in essence is about how the legal, ethical, and religious components (Jupiter in Scorpio) square with the autonomous actions of elected and self-appointed authorities (Saturn in Leo).

As Mercury retreats into Scorpio, it eventually squares Neptune in Aquarius, becoming exact on November 8, the day after the election. Also on November 8, Mercury eclipses the Sun, making for a fascinating three-planet configuration involving leadership (Sun), reports and information (Mercury), and deception and intrigue ( Neptune ). The astrologically-savvy will believe less than half of what appears in the media heading into this political turning point.

Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette

Actress Kirsten Dunst, who plays the ill-fated Marie Antoinette in Sofia Coppola's biopic, says that she relates to the 18th century monarch because they both had to deal with the pressures of fame at an early age. The real-life Marie Antoinette became queen when she was only a teenager, and similarly, Kirsten Dunst has been in the spotlight ever since she was 11, when she starred in Interview with the Vampire.

Not surprisingly, Kirsten Dunst (April 30, 1982; Point Pleasant, NJ; time unknown) and Marie Antoinette (November 2, 1755; 7:30 pm; Vienna, Austria) have a lot in common astrologically. Their Suns are exactly opposite each other, giving the actress a keen "awareness" of Marie. Both have their Suns enhanced by a close aspect to Venus (Sun conjunct Venus, and Sun octile Venus).

The two beauties are each given an aura of erotic romanticism, since in each case Venus squares Neptune . Venus-Neptune easily becomes intoxicated by the possibility of love or the ideal relationship, but is generally disappointed. Venus-Neptune aspects attract fantasy affairs in over-the-top artistic and cultural settings. It's the stuff movies thrive on, and court life at Versailles revolved around.

They both have their Suns square a planet in royal Leo, and numerous exact alignments. A major difference is that Marie's Tenth House holds Uranus and is squared by Pluto, a dynamic indicating the revolutionary times she lived in, and her prominent role in dramatic social changes. Marie was executed on October 16, 1793 as transiting Uranus and Pluto opposed each other, and judgmental Saturn opposed her Sun.

*U.S. relocation charts are calculated by using July 4, 1776; 2:21 pm, and the longitude and latitude of the city under study. In 1776 the time zone was LMT, which in Philadelphia was very close to EST, but when entering the time zone for the relocation chart, the time zone should be +5:00:40 instead of EST. This technique is fully described in my book Political Astrology, which you can read about at www.neptunecafe.com.