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War
between the United States and Iraq at this point, while not certain, seems almost
inevitable. The U.S. is building up its military force in the Persian Gulf, despite
reports from United Nations inspectors that they can find no evidence of "weapons
of mass destruction" being created by Saddam Hussein. The Bush
Administration seems determined to link Iraq with the terrorists who attacked
New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, yet so far has revealed no evidence
to prove the connection.
Iraq
meanwhile shoots down U.S. drone planes in the no-fly zone, and accuses the inspectors
of spying. Astrologers around the world are busy trying to calculate when the
war is likely to begin. Most believe the period between the end of March and early
April is the most likely target date. But
perhaps a more profitable endeavor for astrologers would be to assess why, if
indeed it is inevitable, this war will happen. And if it is not inevitable, what
might prevent it? What forces are driving the leaders of the U.S. and Iraq into
this deadly situation that could have enormous worldwide consequences in terms
of destabilizing the whole Mideast and plunging the planet into an even more catastrophic
period of international terrorism. The
fates of nations lie in the hands of their leaders. Currently the leaders of
America and Iraq are locked in a karmic battle of wills that seems to have blinded
them to the possibility of any negotiated compromise. A study of the horoscopes
of George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein indicates the nature of the struggle going
on between these two men and shows that in the long term neither one of them will
come out a winner, if they choose to go to war.
Saddam
Hussein  Saddam
Hussein was born April 28, 1937, in Tikrit, Iraq. The exact time of his birth
is not known for certain, although there are several speculative charts in existence.
Examining his chart, one immediately notices a scarcity of planets in water signs
and quite a few planets in earth and fire. The emotional function represented
by the water signs is very weak. Emotions take a back seat to reason, practicality
and taking action. The only water planet in the chart is Pluto in Cancer. His
early childhood and family life were very difficult. He ran away from home at
age 11.
His
Taurus Sun is conjunct Uranus indicating extreme individualism that adds to the
coolness of emotion and reliance more on practical thought (as indicated by the
earth planets) than sentiment. He is an individual capable of surprising, if not
shocking, behavior, based on the need to do things his own way. Often, individuals
with the Sun in conjunction with Uranus believes the rules
of society do not apply to them.
Pluto-Jupiter-Venus
T-Square
Saddam's chart
contains a planetary formation known as a T-square, consisting of Jupiter opposing
Pluto, both squared by Venus. The Pluto-Jupiter opposition is indicative of an
individual who is "a law unto himself." A person with this aspect may
have problems accepting any point of view other than his own. He believes he has
the moral high ground in every and all situations, and can justify any action
on the basis of some form of ideology. This person will come into conflict with
others in matters or law at some point and be forced to realize their own hubris. The
Pluto-Jupiter opposition is squared by Venus in Aries. Venus is the outlet for
the powerful energy of the opposition. Saddam's Venus is retrograde, complicating
matters of social orientation. In terms of human relations, this Venus may be
somewhat harsh and aggressive, a further indication of a pragmatic and unsentimental
approach to life. The aspects to Venus from Pluto and Jupiter suggest possible
self-worth problems. On the one hand, Pluto feelings of being unlovable could
alternate with Jupiterian feelings of grandiosity.
Saddam's
Grand Trine Hussein
also has a planetary formation known as a Grand Trine consisting of Pluto in Cancer,
Mars and possibly the Moon in Sagittarius, and Saturn in Aries. The fire grand
trine indicates a person who does what he wants. He would not need consultation
with anyone regarding the course of action he wants to take in any given situation.
This self sufficiency may tend to isolate him from relationships, and repeats
the indication of a tendency toward doing things "his way or the highway"
presented by Sun conjunct Uranus.
George
W. Bush George
W. Bush, born with the Sun in Cancer, is more aware of the emotional, feeling
dimension of life. But Saturn in Cancer near his Sun in the Twelfth House indicates
that due to parental upbringing, he believes emotion must be controlled and disciplined,
kept in check. He is fond of the term "compassionate conservatism,"
but Saturn in Cancer would be more correctly expressed by the term "conservative
compassion." Like
Saddam Hussein, Bush is also strong in fire. His Ascendant is Leo, the sign that
also contains a powerful Mercury-Pluto conjunction as well as Venus. The Mercury-Pluto-Ascendant
conjunction is the key to Bush's personality and symbolizes his rise to power.
Mercury is thinking and communication, while Pluto is the will to power and subconscious
behavior based on psychological wounds. The Ascendant is the mask one wears in
the world. This
indicates that Bush identifies with the strong Leo facade, but may also still
be aware of his true inner self, the far more sensitive and emotional Cancer,
which is hidden away in the Twelfth House. All
through his life Bush has benefited greatly from good luck, starting with the
accident of birth into a powerful family and including his election due, in part,
to mistakes at the polls. The source of his good fortune comes from the fact that
all ten of his planets are contained within a trine aspect between Uranus and
Jupiter. Jupiter is the good luck planet and Uranus rules unexpected and surprising
developments. The
Sun-Pluto Connection A
comparison of the charts of Saddam Hussein and George W. Bush, indicates the nature
of the conflict between these two leaders. Bush's Ascendant, Mercury, Pluto conjunction
in Leo is in a close square aspect to Hussein's Sun-Uranus conjunction in Taurus.
Bush, the man whose thinking is dominated by the will to power is in conflict
with Hussein, the man who believes society's rules do not apply to him. A square
aspect between the Sun in one person's chart and Pluto in another's is, alone,
enough to create an adversarial relationship. When you add Uranus into the mix
the conflict becomes uncompromising and inflexible. In
astrology, timing is everything. And it's no coincidence that the Bush-Hussein
struggle is coming to a head this year. Both leaders are being impacted by a significant
major planetary cycle. In 2002 and 2003 the planets Jupiter and Neptune are opposing
each other and are making close contacts to the Sun-Pluto interconnection between
Bush and Hussein. The
Jupiter-Neptune Opposition The
Jupiter-Neptune
opposition, in itself, indicates that the world is in a period of extreme
confusion, a time when thought systems, social, political and religious institutions
disintegrate (as with the Catholic Church). The spread of fanatic ideals breeds
hate and intolerance. There is a feeling of disillusionment. But even more than
that, the contact between these two planets creates what might be called "the
grand illusion"-the belief that there is some simple magical cure for the
problems we face. Depending on where this opposition occurs in our charts, we
all face a period in which false solutions may tempt us to act in ways that ultimately
lead us astray. In
the case of President Bush, the opposition is activating his Mercury-Pluto conjunction,
convincing him that the use of military power is the answer. Transiting Jupiter
is conjuncting his Mercury and Pluto, creating his need to expand power. Jupiter
combined with Pluto can produce a feeling of invincibility and sometimes caution
is thrown to the wind in the belief that you are acting on a moral imperative.
Jupiter squares Hussein's Sun, showing his need to enhance and expand the self
(Sun) through success. However, opportunities for success are lacking due to the
nature of the square aspect. Neptune
opposes Bush's Mercury-Pluto combination, indicating potential confusion in thought
processes (Mercury) and the possibility of making some serious mistakes that can
result in an erosion of power (Pluto). Neptune is in Bush's Seventh House (the
president's public), which means if he acts unwisely, after an all time high in
the polls, he will slip in popularity. Just as his father dropped in the polls
after Desert Storm, George W. could suffer a similar fate. Similarly,
Neptune squares Hussein's Sun, indicating loss of ego and prestige. There is no
doubt that if war occurs, the US will win. Saddam Hussein will be removed from
power. But for the remainder of 2003, Bush will be haunted by the continuing opposition
from Neptune.
Exit
Jupiter The
US president will have the support of Jupiter over his Leo planets until August.
His popularity will probably soar immediately after the war. But after that, Jupiter
leaves Leo to enter Virgo, and Bush's Pluto will have to face the continuing erosion
coming from Neptune for the remainder of the year without Jupiter's help. There
are larger threats looming from North Korea, and the US may be compelled to maintain
peace and stability in Iraq for years to come. Further an increasingly bad domestic
economy and growing unemployment will be problems that could bog the Bush Administration
down if they are not dealt with effectively. The Democrats are sure to capitalize
on these problems by calling the public's attention to them, unless Bush comes
up with effective solutions. Dates
to Watch Jupiter
and Neptune first opposed each other, eerily enough, on Sept. 11, 2002, the first
anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. They will
oppose each other again on Feb. 16 and for the third and final time on June 3.
Watch for key developments around those dates. Jupiter in retrograde motion will
conjoin Bush's Pluto on Feb. 22, a time when he may feel the urge to exert power.
Jupiter going forward again will conjoin Pluto on May 15 for the last time. At
the same time, Mars joins Neptune in Aquarius, which could produce some of the
most intense fighting. Then Jupiter will conjunct the President's Venus in Leo
on July 19, at which time he may be at the peak of popularity. But
then Jupiter moves on. In September and October, Neptune is stationary, in opposition
to his Pluto, while at the same time transiting Saturn conjuncts his Sun. Saturn's
meeting with the Sun is usually a time when we receive our report card from the
universe. If we've acted wisely and well, we gain honors. If we have made mistakes,
we will be told about them. In October, the president will know if he followed
the right course. The
bottom line is that to be a true leader requires avoiding the snares of illusion
and seeing reality as it is. The current battle between Jupiter and Neptune—The
Grand Illusion—need not be played out here on Earth if leaders are wise enough
to avoid the easy solutions of black and white, good and evil thinking and stubborn
fanaticism. Peaceful solutions are always an option. Jupiter and Neptune will
continue to circle the Earth untouched by the events that occur below on this
planet. And if sound thinking and wisdom prevail, so can we.
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