NewsScope for December 23, 2008

Bernard Madoff and Charles Ponzi
 
On December 12 Bernard Madoff, the former chairman of Nasdaq, was accused of running a Ponzi scheme where investors were paid steady profits from the cash infusions of new investors. Madoff was arrested and charged with bilking his wealthy clients of some $50 billion. Astrologically, Madoff and Charles Ponzi ("the greatest swindler in American history") have very similar horoscopes.
 
Bernard Madoff (April 29, 1938; New York, NY; time unknown) was born with four planets in the financially savvy sign of Taurus. His Mercury is retrograde in the promotional sign of Aries, and forms a close square to Pluto, which is the underlying dynamic that allowed him to develop such a complex scheme. Pluto at 27º Cancer is exactly in line with the U.S. Pluto, the nation's ruling planet.
 
Charles Ponzi (March 3, 1882; Lugo, Italy; time unknown) was also born with Mercury retrograde and square Pluto. Ponzi's Mercury at 25º Aquarius is exactly conjunct the U.S. Moon, giving him keen insights into how to cheat the American public. Ponzi also has four planets in Taurus, including his Saturn at 8º Taurus, which is the same location as Madoff's Sun, and opposite the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant.
 
Ponzi's Wall Street investment scam began to unravel in July 1920 at a time when he was taking in $250,000 a day. He was arrested on August 13, 1920 as transiting Saturn and Uranus opposed each other while aligning with his deceptive Pisces Sun. Madoff was also arrested under the planetary influence of Saturn opposite Uranus, which aligned with his Neptune, the planet that rules fraud.
 
Caroline Kennedy Emerges from the Shadows
 
Caroline Kennedy, the closest thing America has to royalty, is stepping into the political spotlight by expressing her desire to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate. Her relatively low-key lifestyle came to an end this year when she endorsed Barack Obama. Although many Democrats decried her lack of experience, she now has a wide spectrum of support for the Senate job.
 
Caroline Kennedy (November 27, 1957; 8:08 am*; New York, NY) was born with her Sagittarius Sun in the reclusive Twelfth House. This placement makes her feel pressured to work behind the scenes—even more so due to the square from Pluto. Not until she identifies her special calling can she enlist the inherent power of Pluto, a calling that she now seems to have found in the current political climate.
 
Mars has an exceptionally dynamic place in her horoscope, where it's exalted in Scorpio. Mars is under tremendous tension by the squares to Uranus and her Moon-Chiron conjunction. This T-square corresponds to the sudden and unexpected loss of male family members that periodically shakes up her life. However, since Mars is also conjunct her karmic North Node, it represents her inherent need to assert her reform-minded morality in the political process.
 
Since 1983, her progressed Mars has been passing through her Twelfth House, which shows how she's devoted her energies to charitable causes and more quiet enterprises. Now, her progressed Mars is arriving on her Ascendant, giving her an energized sense of ambition. In addition, both her progressed Midheaven (career) and transiting Pluto are activating her natal Pluto now, indicating she's very likely to get what she wants.
 
Rick Warren to Deliver Inaugural Invocation
 
Last week Team Obama announced that Rick Warren, pastor of the powerful Saddleback Church, would give the invocation at the January 20 inauguration. The choice stunned liberals, since Warren is a champion of the religious right. Obama's left wing supporters remind themselves that this choice comes under the president-elect's objective of creating a big tent government.
 
Does Rick Warren (January 28, 1954; San Jose, CA; time unknown) have the horoscope of a conservative? His Sun-Venus conjunction in Aquarius squares Saturn in Scorpio, giving him the voice of authority, especially when it comes to sexuality. Mercury in airy Aquarius forms a supportive trine to Jupiter in talkative Gemini, and this combination reflects a more open, inquisitive mind, always ready to discuss.
 
Beginning political astrologers tend to point to this or that planet and say this is what makes the individual conservative or liberal. The only verifiable signature I've found along this line is presented by Richard Tarnas in his book Cosmos and Psyche, where he identifies the Saturn-Pluto cycle with nationalism or conservatism, and the Jupiter-Uranus cycle with social and political awakenings. One might reasonably assume that individuals with either of these combinations might personify a liberal or conservative agenda.
 
However, Rick Warren has neither combination. Nor does Oprah Winfrey, who was born one day after the pastor of the megachurch. Oprah is one of Obama's most ardent liberal supporters, and she too will be at the inauguration. Both Oprah and Rick Warren have Mars strongly placed in Scorpio and squaring Pluto: whatever their political persuasion, they both express it with an intensity and passion that can change the world.
 

*The time given here is adjusted slightly from AstroDatabank, which gives CK's birth time as 8:15 am.  
 

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