NewsScope for April 29, 2008

Top Five Astro-Events for May

1. The New Moon on May 5 takes place in Washington D.C. with Uranus squaring the Gemini Ascendant and the U.S. Mars. Watch for plenty of sword rattling, spontaneous international crises, and sudden changes in direction in American military and diplomatic strategies. This highly volatile, dangerous vibe may be preceded by an attack against U.S. vested interests.

2. Mars enters Leo with a kick on May 10, as it's joined by the Moon and the two form a quincunx to Pluto. This ends Mars's long passage through security-oriented Cancer that began last September. This is a good time to jump-start new projects, since Mars here gives renewed self-confidence, dramatic generosity, and a sense of mission.

3. Jupiter sextiles Uranus on May 21, as both form hard aspects to Ceres, the asteroid known as the Goddess of the Grains. Expect global hunger to reach newsworthy levels of anguish, as the prices of rice, corn, and wheat reach unprecedented heights. Calls for international action may generate plans to address the problem.

4. Uranus opposes the U.S. Neptune on June 2, but this heavy-duty astro-event is a major influence throughout May. Uranus brings trouble to America's Neptunian affairs, which likely will include escalating oil prices, a shaky stock market, and headlining political scandals. Iran is spotlighted, since the U.S. Neptune is angular when relocated to Tehran.

5. Mercury turns retrograde on May 26 while squaring the U.S. Neptune, as Neptune turns retrograde while quincunx the U.S. Mercury. This double Mercury-Neptune theme indicates a variety of bad information making the rounds during the last week of May, especially concerning military affairs. Don't believe half of what you hear, and suspect the other half.

Syria's Pluto

Last Thursday, the Bush administration released intelligence material claiming that Syria had secretly built a nuclear reactor with North Korea's help. Reportedly, the facility was nearing operational capacity when Israeli warplanes destroyed it last September 6, but the intelligence was delayed until now because it might have prompted Syria to counterattack. That becomes unlikely now, since Syria and Israel are discussing peace.

The current Syrian regime came to power in a coup d'etat at sunrise on November 13, 1970. The horoscope set for this moment (6:08 am; Damascus) provides a working star-map to track Syria's current events. The Sun in Scorpio on the Scorpio Ascendant describes the absolute political control held by the Baathist national party under its leader, Bashir Assad.

Pluto is this horoscope's ruling planet, and—as found in the charts of Israel, Iran and Lebanon—Syria's Pluto forms an exact aspect to its lunar node axis. Pluto here symbolizes the constant undercurrent of fear and paranoia that characterizes the general state of Middle East relationships. Syria's alleged nuclear project was assembled and destroyed as transiting Pluto squared Syria's natal Pluto. Pluto was standing direct on September 6, 2007.

Over the next four months, Pluto returns to square natal Pluto. Pluto does have a constructive side. A confluence of Plutonian astro-events* occurring as Syria's progressed Venus applies to Jupiter indicates that by mid-August, we may be witnessing a genuine diplomatic breakthrough in Middle East relations involving Syria, Hamas and Israel. Pluto's station on September 9 will make or break the deal.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Carried Away

Two years ago, Sarah Jessica Parker insisted that there was no way she would film a Sex and the City movie, or even another episode of the hit HBO series. But then in July 2007, co-star Kim Cattrall sent her some flowers, and apparently this ended their feud, and removed the major stumbling block to filming the movie, which debuts in London on May 10.

Sarah Jessica Parker was born with her bold Aries Sun conjunct sexy Venus (March 25, 1965; Nelsonville, OH; time unknown), a great combination for starring as Carrie Bradshaw, Manhattan's popular sex columnist in Sex and the City. An astrologer might easily imagine that she has Sagittarius Rising (born around 11:30 pm), with her horsey jaw line, her irrepressible enthusiasm, and her playful, trendy lifestyle.

As the central character, Sarah's horoscope reflects the show's inter-personal dynamics. Her Sun-Venus conjunction sextile Juno in Aquarius readily translates into a series about relationships, sex, and friendships (Aquarius). Because her natal Mars is pushed and pulled by hard aspects to Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn, viewers have been entertained by her on-again, off-again romance with Mr. Big, as well as the rest of the cast's unsettled romances.

In real life, Sarah has become an icon in the fashion world (Sun-Venus). We should be hearing much more about her as she plans for a huge debut in New York: she's currently experiencing a progressed Mars-Uranus conjunction, which brings plenty of flash and excitement. And with transiting Saturn edging toward her Midheaven (and progressed Venus conjunct Jupiter), she's at the top of her game.

*T Pluto square Pluto (July 24, 2008), P2 Moon conjunct Pluto (August 11, 2008), T Pluto conjunct P2 Sun (August 17, 2008).

Reader feedback is welcome. Email wolfstar3@aol.com.