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As we've
seen over the past few weeks, President-elect
Bush has chosen several members of his father's team to serve
in his own cabinet. Dick
Cheney, Condoleeza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld are among those
we'll be seeing in the news again once Bush takes office, and all of them
have extensive experience in the administrative branch of government.
Of the names
we've heard Bush announce as he scrambles to assemble his own team on
short notice, however, there's one that's rung especially familiar with
Americans, one man who somehow seems to have earned respect, admiration
and confidence across party lines: General Colin Powell.
Called "a
genuine American hero" by Bush at the news conference announcing
his appointment as Secretary of State (Newsweek, December
25, 2000), Powell certainly is just that. He has a reputation that's well
deserved, and not just for his role in the Gulf War. He's been involved
in government for decades—in fact, his name was frequently mentioned as
a possible Republican presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000. But it's
not just his military or political abilities that have made him famous.
Powell has also been turned into something of a folk hero or living legend
by those who admire him, due to his work with the underprivileged, most
recently with the group America's Promise: The Alliance for Youth.
A
Natural Warrior
 So
what's the astrology behind this man of war who's somehow also come to
be known as a kind-hearted, sensitive champion of the underdog? Well,
it's no surprise that Powell is an Aries, the sign that's owned by Mars,
the ancient god of war. Aries is a veritable bullet of red-hot energy,
as aggressive, combative and bold as a sign could possibly be. Aries doesn’t
like to lose, as Aries Al
Gore proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. In short, it's the
perfect astrological Sun sign for a fighter, a career military man in
particular.
Powell's
Aries Sun comes complete with a commanding voice to match. He has communicative
Mercury in Aries, the planet we use to express our Sun's mission. With
both planets in this confrontative sign, it's small wonder that Powell
can "silence a strategy session just by clearing his throat"
(also according to Newsweek), even if he didn't have Pluto,
the planet of power and control, attached to that Mercury. Aries alone
is a force to be reckoned with. Add Pluto, and you've just upgraded that
force from a handgun to an army.
It's obvious
that Powell has chosen the right career path, the real "job"
of the Sun in all our charts. Since Mars is associated with his Sun sign
Aries, it's also a good idea to take a look at the condition of the red
planet in his chart. It, too, is in a fire sign like Aries—expansive,
long-distance Sagittarius, yet another perfect "tool" for someone
who'll be dealing with foreign powers and far-off military situations.
Cautious
and Organized
But in addition
to all that showy fire, there's a lot more to Powell that doesn’t meet
the eye immediately. Take, for example, something that's called the "Powell
Doctrine," the general's famous reluctance to send troops into a
situation that's anything less than a sure bet for the U.S. The ability
to wait and see belongs to Saturn—and if Aries is a fast-acting warrior,
Saturn is a careful, methodical general, an expert at organizing strategy
of all kinds. Saturn, in fact, is the only planet strong enough to hold
back Aries planets that are always eager to pull the trigger, sometimes
before they've even aimed.
Powell's
own Saturn, in the sign of Pisces, is well equipped for waiting, fortunately,
as it is in an easy trine to potent Pluto in Cancer, the most secretive
planet of all. In short, this trine combines wisdom with the ability to
take charge behind the scenes, and it certainly shows where Powell's quiet
power comes from. Add in contacts from Jupiter to Pluto and Saturn and
you’ve got someone who will take time to make a decision, but once it’s
made, will carry it out big time. Jupiter doesn’t know any other way to
act. Powell's Jupiter is also somewhat restrained, since it's in practical
Capricorn, the sign that Saturn owns. So although he'll open the gates
of hell once he's convinced it's the right thing to do, this is one general
who won't recommend force unless it's justifiable, and again, unless victory
is a guarantee, in his own mind, at least.
In
all, regardless of which political party you call your own, here may be
the real "uniter" in Bush's cabinet, the man whose ability to
capture admiration and respect across party lines could help to pull our
divided nation together. Powell's Saturn-Pluto trine points to the potential
to act on principles rather than political motivations, and his reputation
thus far certainly bears that fact out. With sturdy, respectable Saturn
set to touch base through cooperative sextiles with that same Pluto-Saturn
trine over the next few months, he's certainly going to be off to a great
start.
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