Nancy’s Starlight News Blog

One of the most notable patterns of the Obama administration is the push for progressive transformation that is continually restricted, frustrated and compromised by conservative obstructionism and limited resources. This is seen in the 2009 Inaugural chart by the very tight Uranus/Venus conjunction in opposition to Saturn.

Uranus, the planet of innovation, revolution, and unanticipated revelation, profoundly colors the sense of identity of the Obama administration. Due to Uranus’ conjunction with the Inaugural chart ruler, Venus, the Obama administration sees itself as breaking with tradition and moving the country toward a more equitable, enlightened, and just world. Standing in opposition to this resolve, however, is Saturn, often in the form of conservative politicians, which attempts to contain, restrict, and often thwart this forward momentum. At its best, Saturn brings caution, responsible governance, and incremental change; at its worst, it frustrates progress with a stultifying fear, rigidity, and obstructionism.

We have seen this dynamic play out since the 2009 Inauguration - in the battle over the stimulus, the battle over health care reform, and the battle over financial reform - with the most fervent episodes in each of these struggles taking place during the waxing to exact transits of Saturn opposite Uranus. In each case, initially strong, progressive legislation was successfully whittled down by conservatives and blue-dog Democrats in order to get through the Senate. Although the last of the Saturn/Uranus oppositions occurred in July (financial reform), the tension between these two planets will continue to have an impact during the remainder of this four-year presidential term due the predominant position of this aspect in the 2009 Inaugural chart.

As of September 2010, we are about to enter into a 10-week period during which the inherent strife between these two planetary energies will again be quite apparent. Phase one will occur from early September through mid-October and will be essentially Uranian. In other words, the administration will assertively remind the country about its already-enacted and effective progressive policies, and it is likely to unexpectedly implement further innovative and progressive plans as well. This is evident in the Inaugural progressed Moon square to natal Uranus (19Pisces56) from September 1 through early October and the transiting Jupiter/Uranus conjunction from September 7 through September 18, after which these two planets will move to quincunx Obama’s North Node (27Leo19): Jupiter quincunx Obama’s Node from September 22 through September 29 and Uranus quincunx his Node from September 29 to October 27. The apparent success of this strategy is indicated by the Jupiter quincunx to Obama’s North Node, as well as the Venus station square to Obama’s natal Sun (12Leo33) from September 28 through October 13. Presidential approval ratings are likely to go up during this time.

Phase two will be felt from October 20 through December 3 and will be largely Saturnine in nature. The progressed Inaugural Moon will move into a square with natal Saturn (21Virgo24) suggesting a difficult, frustrating, and very challenging period for the administration and a strengthening of the forces of obstruction that wish to restrain it. In addition, transiting Saturn will move into a waxing square with natal US Sun (13Cancer19) from November 8 through November 18, and the US will undergo the first crossing of its Saturn return (14Libra48) from November 23 through early December 2010. These aspects indicate strains for the nation as a whole in November and early December, problems that seem likely to constrict the nation’s financial potency (8^th house US Sun) and diminish its reputation (10^th house US Saturn) as a superpower.

It seems probable that some of the difficulty described in this grouping of aspects relates to the expected losses Democrats will sustain in the midterm elections. But the beginning of the transiting Saturn impact on the US Sun and US Saturn that will continue through August 2011 points to a period of contracting US power that will call for tight discipline at home and circumscribed, realistic goals abroad.

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After seven long years of a war against which millions world-wide protested and which, it seemed, would never end, combat operations in Iraq are finally, officially over. Many problems remain in this beleaguered, war-torn nation, with the Iraqi politicians struggling amongst themselves for months over who is in charge and brutal suicide bombings by violent extremists still very much in evidence. But, for the most part, these are now Iraq’s problems to solve, and we in the US are relieved to be out (except for the 50,000 military advisors and trainers who remain). The secretly-planned middle-of-the-night exodus came off without mishap.

For President Obama, Saturn has now passed the square to his Venus (2Cancer47) for the final time and will begin to wane in its sesquiquadrate to his Ascendant (18Aquarius03) after Sunday, August 22. With the successful departure of American combat troops from Iraq and the resolution of the nightmare oil spill, some of the pressure on him is easing. As he and his family depart for vacation to Martha’s Vineyard, benevolent Jupiter is moving to square his Venus for a few days, offering some enjoyable moments away from the stress and the glare.

What remains, however, is the vicious, nasty imbroglio over a planned Muslim community center in downtown Manhattan, the result of yet another manipulative and malevolent Republican strategy expertly designed to stir up rage and fear and distract the befuddled masses from the real issues of consequence in their lives. With the regularity of Lucy pulling away the football when Charlie Brown goes to kick it, the GOP, with predictable frequency, manages to incite overwhelming outrage over some manufactured victimhood, enabling conservative partisans to then pose as avenging angels to swoop in and save the day.

This is the Victim/Persecutor/Rescuer Triangle played out on the national stage in an endlessly recurring and highly dysfunctional psychodrama. The goal is to further the crass political agenda of Republicans, while cloaking it in a seemingly righteous crusade. Remember Terry Schaivo or the plan to “pull the plug on Grandma” or the Clinton impeachment or the Obama “socialist plot” to destroy America or the concocted push for war against Iraq or the countless other instances of faux outrage? The list is endless, being added to weekly with smaller or larger stories, whatever is available to spin into a similar narrative. But there is always a victim (often us) about whom we are pressed to feel righteous indignation and fury, and always the underlying and barely concealed thrust to empower Republicans and their plans while weakening Democrats in the process.

That the Democrats have been unable to come up with a clearly stated and united support for the mosque project is not surprising in the face of the wild hurricane of outrage and distortion. It takes tremendous strength, clarity, and moral courage to stand against this kind of demagoguery. Nonetheless, the fact that there is no resolute wall of defiant resistance to such blatantly racist, hyperbolic ranting on the Right is truly a national shame, and, if it is not successfully quelled very soon, it is likely to have negative national security consequences as well.

Astrologically speaking, this dark, vituperative undercurrent of racism, fear, and rage in American politics has been inflamed since January 2009 with Pluto in opposition to US Venus (3Cancer06). It is being stoked with particular vehemence from August 11 through August 21 by the exact Saturn/Pluto square. Therefore, we can hope that much of the nastiness of the present debate will dissipate rapidly as Saturn separates from this aspect during the last nine days of August. With Pluto remaining in opposition to US Venus through the third week of October 2010, however, the anxiety, the sense of victimhood, and the struggle to survive, which are the hallmarks of this faraway planet, will continue through most of the election cycle. But the current, truly dark and shameful chapter of the Ground Zero Mosque controversy, about a planned Muslim community center two blocks from Ground Zero that was once universally applauded , seems likely to be eclipsed by the next media-fueled sensation far sooner.

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World news in the past several months has often resembled the jarring scenes from an eerie dystopian film more than the more commonly prosaic journalistic tales of yesteryear. The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, the record-breaking and paralyzing Snowpocalypse in the Eastern US, the near-total grounding of European planes from Icelandic volcanic ash, the oil-soaked Gulf Coast environmental disaster, the devastating Pakistani floods, and the widespread and ravaging Russian forest fires have all brought massive dislocation and difficulty, although some on this list have clearly been far more lethal and horrifying than others.

What these events all share is their occurrence during the nine months of the Saturn/Pluto square, one of the more treacherous planetary aspects described by astrology. While the contracting quality of Saturn is known to demand greater focus and discipline, often in response to very challenging and sometimes painful events, Pluto tends to intensify and deepen the experience of whatever it touches, often eliciting some kind of power struggle. Thus, with the added square from Pluto, difficulties engendered by Saturn can become major catastrophes eliciting a real fight for survival.

This process has become painfully clear during August in both Russia and Pakistan. Devastating events were triggered during the Mars/Saturn/Uranus/Jupiter/Pluto mass of hard aspects from July 28 through August 4. The subsequent suffering and the slow slog to regain control of chaotic situations are now indicated by the waxing Saturn/Pluto square through late August. In addition, for the many individuals throughout the world who have been struggling to stay afloat amidst a global recession, a more personal battle of survival during very hard times - the essence of the Saturn/Pluto square – has become very familiar.

In the US, the optimistic assumption that we have been moving out of the recession has been slowly dissipating amidst increasingly gloomy economic news. With the building Saturn/Pluto square, in hard aspect to US Venus (3Cancer06), the financial indicators through August 22 are likely to be quite dismal. Not only has the protective Jupiter square to US Venus, active for all of July, now passed, but the Neptune transit to US Moon (27Aquarius12) is also moving toward exact on August 24, an aspect that implies that unrealistic expectations are sure to be disappointed, especially when Saturn is quite active around the same time.

As Saturn begins to separate from its square to US Venus after August 22, the narrative may again shift into a more positive vein. However, Pluto will remain in a fairly tight opposition to US Venus through about the third week of October, indicating the struggle for survival against a difficult economic climate will still be very much with us, albeit with a bit less of Saturn’s pessimism.

It seems likely that mid-November 2010 will bring yet another set of challenges due to the coming Saturn square to US Sun (13Cancer19) and conjunct US Saturn (14Libra48) in effect through August 2011. This transit may further contract US power but offers the opportunity to bring more discipline, pragmatism, and reality-based thinking to our economy and our military engagements.

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Recently, the news has been full of the Left’s criticism of and disappointment in President Obama, the flame war between the “Professional Left” and Robert Gibbs, and the endless pundit natterings about poll numbers. I would like to remind people that long ago I predicted that the President’s polls would go down significantly during the Saturn transit square to his Venus (1Cancer49), specifically between November 2009 and mid-August 2010. This aspect was exact on August 11, just as Gibbs’ comments were eliciting the strongest negative reaction.

From August 12 through August 22, the Saturn/Pluto square will be in minor hard aspect to Obama’s Ascendant (18Aquarius03) suggestive of his struggles with the increasingly moribund economy and perhaps some other very stressful issues. With the passage of the Saturn square to Obama’s Venus, however, we may also see the beginning of a significant decrease in the vitriol aimed at him, at least from the Left. The Jupiter/Uranus quincunx to Obama’s North Node in September and the Venus station square his Sun in October also suggest some rising poll numbers and some effective campaigning. Although many of the old problems and some new ones will continue to challenge the administration, we may see a newly invigorated President come September.

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All across the country on Wednesday evening, gatherings were held in honor of President Obama’s birthday and to energize the Democratic base in anticipation of the coming election. After months and months of struggling through the toxic swamp of today’s political reality, the president’s supporters were met with a whiff of fresh, bracing air to galvanize them. Local politicians gave speeches to remind Democrats of just how much had been accomplished, despite the noxious deluge of Republican obstructionism and misrepresentation, and to reignite some of the “fired up” spirit of 2008. Indeed, at many of those gatherings, it truly seemed that change was in the air once again.

For each of us, a birthday brings a new “solar return” chart, when the Sun returns to its place in the natal chart and begins its next yearly cycle. In addition to the many transits and progressions of the coming 12 months, the solar return chart gives some indications of the general pattern for the following year. Very close aspects to the Sun, between the planets, and to the angles are of the greatest significance in these charts.

In traditional mundane (political) astrology, the Sun in the nation’s birth chart represents the country’s leader, insofar as the king or president or prime minister represents the heart and the collective goals (the Sun) of his or her nation. In addition, transits and progressions that impact the individual birth chart of a nation’s leader may be read not only as significant for him or her personally, but also as of consequence for the collective population. In this regard, the solar return chart of the national leader can be seen as another indication, not only of his or her coming year, but also of a shift in the country’s mood and challenges over the following 12 months.

In President Obama’s solar return for August 2009 (8/4/09, 3:34 PM, DC), we find indications of the very difficult year that just passed. Saturn, the planet of burden, responsibility, and adversity, sits exactly conjunct the Midheaven (19 Virgo), square to Mars (16 Gemini), and, with a wider orb, opposite Uranus (26Pisces). This suggests a year that has been fraught with heavy responsibility (Saturn/MC), during which appropriate action was often constrained, compromised, or delayed (Saturn/Mars square).

In the 2010 Obama solar return (8/4/10, 8:24 PM, Chicago), we find a far more energized chart, with an exact Mars/Jupiter/Pluto t-Square at 3 degrees of the Cardinal signs. In addition, we find that the Midheaven (8 Sagittarius) is at the midpoint of Sun/Mars, Sun/Jupiter, and Sun/Pluto, indicating that Obama’s projection into the world for this coming year will be quite dynamic. As Saturn crosses in exact aspect to the T-square configuration from August 14 through August 28, however, the president is likely to face significant challenges. Readers of this site will recognize that this time-frame closely parallels the difficulties expected during the very stressful Saturn/Pluto square (exact at 2Libra/Capricorn56) in hard aspect to US Venus (3Cancer06) from August 12 to August 22 and in minor hard aspect to Obama’s Ascendant (18Aquarius03) during the same period. With Saturn separating from this aspect by late August, the very vigorous and assertive Jupiter/Mars/Pluto energy will take hold with far fewer encumbrances in the coming months, although Saturn, at a 2-degree orb in the solar chart (1Libra), will continue to keep it grounded and focused for the duration.

As for the clashing and explosive energies of the cardinal T-square experienced from July 28 to August 4, probably the biggest casualty has been Pakistan, with natal Mars at 00Cancer10 impacted by transiting Mars, Uranus, and Saturn during this very volatile period. Pakistan has experienced its most catastrophic flooding ever, its worst air crash in history, and the assassination of a top security official leading to deadly series of revenge attacks and rioting in Karachi. With bridges and development projects wiped away by the floods and millions of people dislocated, concern mounts that the Taliban is exploiting the extreme disorder that is currently overwhelming the ineffectual government.

Another cause for disquiet at present is the Karzai government’s probe of US- backed anti-corruption units, based on a claim that they are acting outside of Afghanistan’s constitution. This has led members of Congress to withhold funding for aid projects to Afghanistan until things are settled appropriately.

Thus, in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, there are reasons to fear the unraveling of the carefully constructed, if fragile, plans of the Obama administration in that part of the world. As these issues come to a head this week, we find they are reflected in President Obama’s chart with the final crossing of Saturn square to his Venus from August 1 through August 10. This time period parallels the peak of Uranus crossing in square to Pakistan’s Mars (exact August 7), an aspect to which much of the violence, disruption, and agitation may be attributed. For Obama, the burden of helping Pakistan through this critical period weighs heavily (Saturn/Venus). Although many see this as an opportunity to lift America’s beleaguered image in Pakistan, the needs of that country are so overwhelming that the potential for unrealistic and unmet expectations is also a cause for concern.

The Saturn transit square Obama’s Venus (August 1 though August 10) is followed closely by Saturn’s sesquiquadrate to Obama’s Ascendant (18Aquarius03) and its square to US Venus (3Cancer03), with both aspects strong from August 11 through August 22, as well as the Saturn/Pluto square also from August 12 to August 22. This is likely to be an extraordinarily difficult 10 days for the country and the president. Whether the difficulties described above in Afghanistan and Pakistan will continue to fester as a part of this stressful time or whether some other issue will surface remains to be seen. As we all prepare for the coming gale winds, we can look forward to calmer seas by the end of August and moving into September.

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Although the feel of tension has been building for a week, we are now fully in the stress zone that will continue through August 23. Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and Pluto are all entangled in a knot of hard aspects in the coming days and likely to set off a series of significant and, at times, deadly events. It is important to remember, in the midst of the turbulence, that when Uranus is active, the underlying theme is to awaken and enlighten us, albeit sometimes suddenly and painfully, so that we may move forward and shed what is no longer useful. When Pluto is active, the underlying theme is to intensify things to such an extent that they implode, allowing a paradigm shift to occur. Thus, it will be useful to consider the coming days not so much for the specific content of whatever drama is being histrionically reported in the news, but for how the unfolding stories change the narrative on significant issues.

Already in the past week, the massive leak of secret Afghan reports from WikiLeaks has stirred up growing concern about the futility of our Afghan war policy and the unreliability of our allies there. In addition, a judge has now declared a moratorium on many of the most onerous parts of the Arizona immigration law, eliciting agitated demonstrations on both sides of the issue.

Mars is now within a degree of its opposition to Uranus (00Aries20), exact in the morning of July 30, and within a degree of its conjunction to Saturn (00Libra49), exact in the early hours of July 31. The transiting Moon conjunct Uranus will trigger both of these volatile aspects all afternoon on July 30, likely igniting explosive events in many parts of the world. With the Mars, Uranus, Saturn combination intensifying, we have already seen a plane crash in Pakistan (Mars at 00Cancer10), a building battle between the government and rebel forces in Yemen (Yemeni President’s Sun is 00Aries), and a military plane crash in Alaska.

Meanwhile, the Jupiter/Pluto square has been within a couple of minutes of exact since July 24, culminating on August 3 at 3Aries/Capricorn11, and expanding the fanatical and ideologically obsessive traits that are already in play (Pluto in a nearly two-year square to US Venus). Transiting Mars will move to oppose Jupiter and square Pluto from the morning of August 2 through very early on August 4, possibly unleashing some violent and/or dramatic circumstances that cause difficulty for President Obama and the US through August 23, as Saturn crosses the US Midheaven (1Libra53) and squares Obama’s Venus (1Cancer47) from July 31 through August 11, followed by the building Saturn/Pluto square in hard aspect to US Venus (3Cancer06) and minor hard aspect to Obama’s Ascendant (18Aquarius03) from August 14 through August 23.

While the coming weeks are likely to be grim, it is useful to consider the changing national narrative that events will engender that may ultimately prove to be crucial to moving forward. It is also helpful to remember that these planetary aspects will be waning by late August, with the exception of Pluto square US Venus, which continues through most of October. Thus, things should ease somewhat by September, at least for a while.

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Predicting congressional elections is always fraught with difficulty. For one thing, we rarely have a reliable birth time for candidates. For another, the loss of a congressional or senate seat often does not spell the end of a life-long ambition and the thwarting of years of preparation that a presidential defeat frequently does. Congressional wins and losses, therefore, usually do not show up in the chart with the same clarity as presidential outcomes.

There are, however, always some for whom congressional elections are of tremendous importance and concern, and often they will be found in various leadership positions in their respective senate and congressional caucuses. It is these charts, unfortunately none of which has a birth time, that I have consulted in my attempt to understand the upcoming election.

At the moment, Republicans are unabashedly salivating at the prospect of possibly winning the House and greatly narrowing their minority status in the Senate. The media is filled with doom and gloom scenarios for Democrats, including the likelihood of endless subpoenas for the Obama administration should Republicans chair the House committees once again. The expectation that accompanies the thought of a Republican win is for obstructionism on steroids with endless legal entanglements spun out of whole cloth to further cripple a beleaguered administration.

If this were indeed to be the outcome in November, we should expect to see jubilation in Republican charts continuing at least through early January 2010 when Republicans would ostensibly regain the reins of power. Instead, we find some limited good feeling around the election, which would seem to imply some definite gains, but a more prominent and extended sense of restriction and disappointment which suggests no transfer to majority status in either house.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (11/17/49), in particular, seems quite distressed with the election results due to Saturn square his Venus (12Capricorn), conjunct his South Node (16Libra10), and conjunct his Neptune (16Libra18), covering the period from late October 2010 through February 2011 when taken together. It is also possible Saturn will be on his Moon (18Libra at noon) during election season, but without a birth time we have no way of knowing. Boehner clearly covets the Speaker position and will be very disappointed not to have it. But he will certainly be enjoying some higher numbers and greater clout in his caucus, as evidenced by Jupiter trine his Sun in early December 2010 and Jupiter sextile his progressed Sun/Jupiter conjunction in early January 2011.

Congressman Pete Sessions (3/22/55) is the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman. He is intimately involved in crafting election campaign strategy for Republicans in the House. Although his chart shows some sense of accomplishment in November due to Jupiter trine his Uranus (23Cancer38) for much of the month, he seems very weighed down and distressed from mid-December 2010 through mid-February 2011 due to the station of Saturn quincunx his Mars (16Taurus53) and the transit of Pluto semisquare both his Venus (20 Aquarius52) and his Saturn (20 Scorpio47). There is also the long-term progression of his Saturn sesquiquadrate his natal Sun (1Aries) and opposite his Mars (16Taurus53) that will continue for years and make the transit of Saturn this winter quincunx his Mars particularly onerous. This is a man who feels held back and restricted.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (2/20/42) shows little elation during the election period other than what seems like some minor gratification for a day just after the election, when Venus trines his Sun. Otherwise, he will be generally grumpy and aggressive with progressed Mercury conjunct Mars (through January) and transiting Pluto sesquiquadrate Mars (21Taurus29) in January and early February 2011. Like Sessions, he is likely to feel restricted and unhappy: progressed Mercury conjunct natal Saturn for the first half of 2011 and transiting Saturn stationary sesquiquadrate his Sun from mid-December 2010 to late February 2011.

Senator John Cornyn (2/2/52) is the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman. With progressed Saturn opposite progressed Sun (11Libra36) until exact in November 2010 and triggered by transiting Saturn right up to the election, he will be working very hard under difficult circumstances on behalf of his colleagues. Transiting Neptune sesquiquadrate this position will trigger it for all of November and December 2010, suggesting a great deal of work with disappointing results and some confusion. By late November, Cornyn will move into his Saturn return (14Libra54) through August 2011, often accompanied by transiting Neptune sesquiquadrate Saturn, which stretches from March 2011 through January 2012, describing a period of dashed hopes and disappointed expectations as his ideology and self-deceptions crash against the shores of reality.

Representative Eric Cantor (6/6/63), the second highest ranking Republican in the House as Republican whip, shows some short-term good feeling just after the election suggesting some definite gains for Republicans in the House (transiting Venus will sextile his Mars/Uranus conjunction at 1 Virgo and sesquiquadrate his Sun at 15 Gemini). But these do not seem to translate into more far-reaching power as what looks like the continuing minority status sinks in. Saturn will oppose his Jupiter from November 9 to November 20, and then the Saturn station will semisquare his Mars/Uranus conjunction from mid-December through late February 2011. Again, we see the sense of aggression held back and frustrated as the new congressional term begins.

Representative Mike Pence (6/7/59) is the Chair of the House Republican Conference. Like Cantor, he shows some short-term happiness just after the election, signifying some clear wins (Venus square Venus at 00Leo and Venus sesquiquadrate the Sun at 16 Gemini). Nonetheless, his mood remains generally dour and his sense of power limited for the coming year with transiting Pluto conjunct his Saturn (5Capricorn05), setting off progressed Node square natal Saturn, from late November through December 2010, and returning from July through October 2011, as well as transiting Saturn semisquare his Pluto from mid-December 2010 through mid-February 2011. By May, transiting Saturn will move into a station with his Node (10Libra46) through early July 2011, returning in October 2011.

On the Democratic side, one would expect a measured or mildly upbeat response if Democrats were to experience only minimal losses. On the other hand, if they were to lose one of their majority positions, we would likely see some considerable upset in the charts, particularly a very strong Saturn presence.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (9/28/39) is himself up for reelection in a closely watched race. Recently, he has pulled ahead in the polls in his contest against tea-party conservative Sharon Angle. Once Saturn finishes its final square to Reid’s natal Venus (2Capricorn02) in late August 2010, he will be under only very positive planetary indicators through February 2011. His poll numbers are likely to rise significantly in September due to the combined transit of Uranus and Jupiter on his natal Jupiter (28Pisces59) and quincunx his Node (28Libra29) during that month. These transits repeat in January and February 2011. In addition, converse Sun is now opposite his natal Jupiter through November 2010. Venus will station on his North Node in November, and the Node will make a long transit to his Venus from late November 2010 through early February 2011. This amazing combination suggests not only reelection in his Senate seat, but Reid happily reclaiming his title of Majority Leader with at least a few votes to spare.

Senator Dick Durbin (11/21/44), the Democratic Senate Whip, also looks quite happy with the election results and joins Reid in very upbeat feelings from November 2010 through early January 2011 at the start of the new session. The Jupiter station of late October through November 2010 will be opposed to his natal Jupiter (23Virgo36). Early January will bring Jupiter trine his Mars/Sun conjunction (27 and 29 Scorpio) and Venus conjunct his Mars/Sun conjunction.

In the House, the indication in Democratic charts is mildly upbeat but with some difficulties likely due to a smaller majority. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s chart (3/26/40) suggests significant power struggles developing with Pluto coming to square her Sun (5Aries) as of late December 2010 and continuing through most of 2011. Although the Jupiter station opposite her Neptune (23Virgo49) in late October and November 2010 indicates some high expectations (later disappointed), Republican obstructionism and renewed vigor would seem to be on display with the Saturn station quincunx her Mercury (17 Pisces) from late December 2010 through early February 2011. But the Pluto transit to her Sun also indicates a tremendous wielding of power, and the converse progressed Venus square Mars (26Taurus) in late 2010 and 2011 and progressed Venus conjunct progressed Mars in 2011 combine to point to a continuing leadership role and support.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (6/14/39) has numerous small but relatively upbeat transits from November 2010 through January 2011 that also point to a “good enough” outcome for Democrats in the House. Transiting Venus will be trine his Mercury, square his Pluto, and quincunx his Venus just after the election. In December 2010 and early January 2011, Pluto will square his Jupiter, and later in January, Jupiter will trine his Pluto and square his Mercury. Although none of these is remarkable, there is also nothing to suggest the deep concerns that losing the House would be likely to bring.

There are two caveats to the above predictions. The first is, as mentioned above, I have no birth times for any of these charts. This is a huge handicap. Secondly, the Inaugural progressed Moon will be square to Inaugural Saturn (21Virgo24) from October 20 through late November, exact November 18. This suggests some kind of very difficult challenge facing the administration during that time. Moreover, transiting Saturn will be square to US Sun from November 9 through November 18 further pointing to a stressful period for the country during the same period. It is quite possible that these indications suggest some kind of foreign policy or other crisis unrelated to the election, but an upsetting election result cannot be ruled out as a possibility. Nonetheless, the President will enjoy transiting Venus trine his Venus and square his Jupiter just after the election, potentially a very good sign.

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As we approach mid-July, despite anxiety over a sputtering economy and recalcitrant unemployment numbers, some more promising developments are now in process. Any day, a new interim senator from West Virginia is likely to be appointed, which will help the Democrats reach the unjustifiably high threshold of 60 votes on a number of issues. Moreover, Senator Scott Brown (R- MA) has now promised to vote for the financial reform bill, making its passage imminent. Meanwhile, the latest maneuverings in the Gulf of Mexico seem to be bringing BP’s nightmare oil gusher under control for the first time since the explosion on April 20. And finally, the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to confirm Elena Kagan and move the nomination to the full Senate.

As previously predicted, due to this month’s Jupiter station sextile Obama’s Moon (3Gemini21) and square the US Venus (3Cancer06), as well as semisquare Obama’s Ascendant (18Aquarius03), July is bringing some successes and optimism to our beleaguered president. Nonetheless, the undercurrent of relentless criticism, general dissatisfaction, negativity, and the pressing array of challenges continue due to the waxing final crossing of Saturn square Obama’s Venus (1Cancer47), peaking on August 10; the nearly exact progression of Obama’s Mercury square to his natal Saturn (25Capricorn20), exact on August 5; and the upcoming Saturn/Pluto square in hard aspect to US Venus (3Cancer06), already building but felt most acutely from August 12 through August 23. As Jupiter begins to separate and Saturn tightens its grip during the first three weeks of August, it seems probable that the stress level will again significantly escalate on a number of fronts.

Events between July 28 and August 4 in many parts of the world are likely to be volatile, upsetting, and potentially violent. Mars will oppose Uranus (00Aries20) and conjunct Saturn (00Libra48) from July 28 through July 31. It will then oppose Jupiter (3Aries10) and square Pluto (3Capricorn11) from August 2 to August 4. Dramatic events resulting from these aspects are likely to be followed by severe strain for a few weeks due to the Saturn/Pluto square (2Libra55, 2Capricorn55), August 12 to August 23. Those with the very early degrees of the cardinal signs are likely to feel these very disruptive and powerful transits quite strongly, including countries with these degrees prominent in their charts. Although it would be impossible to attempt a complete list of all those affected by these transits, a few notable examples are worth mentioning.

Just as the progressed Mercury square Saturn peaks in the early days of August in President Obama’s chart, transiting Saturn will make its last pass square his Venus through August 10. Pluto will be sesquiquadrate his Ascendant through August 10, while Saturn will sesquisquare his Ascendant (18Aquairus03) from August 12 through August 22. Taken together, these configurations suggest Obama will be dealing with considerable pressures and difficulties through the first three weeks of August.

In the US chart, the Mars/Pluto square of the first days of August will be in a very close hard aspect to US Venus, just as transiting Saturn moves to conjunct the US MC (1Libra53) for the final crossing from August 1 through August 11. This suggests some kind of dramatic event in very late July or early August that impacts US interests in the world and about which our capacity and resources to fully respond are somewhat constrained. In addition, the building Saturn/Pluto square will be in an almost exact hard aspect to US Venus from August 12 through August 23. Pluto has been opposite US Venus since Obama’s inauguration and Saturn has been in a square with US Venus since November 2009. Combined, they have brought a period of profound anxiety and pessimism in the past eight months (terrorism, oil spill, wars, economy) that is likely to intensify during the first three weeks of August before subsiding somewhat thereafter. When Pluto moves away from the opposition to Venus in late October, another layer of the anxiety will recede.

In Pakistan, transiting Uranus has been stationary on or near natal Mars (00Cancer10) since early May 2010. As of July 5, with Uranus now retrograde and moving back toward the exact square, the tensions, violence, and rebellious anger are building once again through August 7. The first deadly attack of this transit happened on July 9 when the activating aspect was transiting Mercury trine Uranus. The Mars transit of July 28 to July 30 is likely to be a very strong trigger to this explosive and disruptive transit of Uranus square to Pakistan’s Mars and may signify another round of very deadly violence.

Another nation that may be agitated by the volatile Mars/Uranus opposition of 7/28 to 7/30 is Israel. Using a 4:32 PM birth time, the Ascendant is 00Scorpio17, quincunx the transiting Uranus station from early May through early August. The May 31 attack on the aid flotilla came just as transiting Jupiter moved to a one-degree orb conjunct transiting Uranus, thereby strengthening that planet’s proclivity for sudden, unexpected events or actions that transform conditions in a moment. The Mars transit of July 28 to July 30 will also trigger the Uranus transit during its final, most potent days (through August 3) quincunx Israel’s Ascendant, suggesting some unexpected, dramatic, and possibly violent events with a transformative impact. The Mars/Pluto square which follows from August 2 through August 4 will trigger the Pluto transit quincunx Israel’s Midheaven (3Leo10) and suggests the possibility of an aggressive, diplomatic power struggle that follows the initial incident.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of those nations which are vulnerable to the stressful impact of so many planets coming together in tight, hard aspects between July 28 and August 4. Care should be taken by everyone during a time when accidents are more likely and angry outbursts can do lasting harm. It is certainly a time when the pot will be stirred and conditions will shift quickly. An agile and calm response from world leaders would be beneficial.

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Note to New York Starlighters:

I will be in New York City on July 23 and 24 and would like to get together for lunch on July 24 (Saturday). Please contact me if you have not done so already at:

nancy@starlightnews.com

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After barely averting a total economic disaster stemming from the unregulated, high-flying economy of yesteryear, the Obama administration has worked non-stop to steer the ship of state back on track. In recent months, we have heard more and more often that the worst is behind us and growth has returned, although always with the caveat that much more remains to be done. While the intractable number of unemployed has remained the most glaring symptom of a continuing malaise, other once-hopeful economic indicators have lately begun to sputter as well.

As the economy begins to stumble back towards recession-level growth, the government has far less room to maneuver than it did at the outset of the downturn. Interest rates are already very low, and the deficit - as a result of earlier dramatic interventions, Bush’s profligate ways, and a weakening tax base - is stratospheric. Whereas once the required response was clear, if painful, now it is muddied up by incompatible requirements: deficit reduction and more stimulus spending.

There are two astrological themes of particular significance that help us understand the dynamics of the present economic situation. One is indicated by strong activity from the planet Saturn which brings a mood of anxiety and concern, usually accompanying the painful confrontation between harsh reality and the results of inattentiveness to the facts on the ground. This often calls for the need for greater discipline and conscientiousness moving forward. Saturn’s dour and exigent demands for care and caution, as well as its tendency to force contraction and tight discipline, have been exacerbated by the square of transiting Pluto to transiting Saturn that runs from November 2009 through most of August 2010.

Both of these planets are also in the midst of long transits in hard aspect to US Venus (3Cancer06), ruler of the 6^th house of employment and ruler of the US Midheaven, the indicator of world position and reputation. Saturn has also been crossing the US Midheaven (1Libra53) during much the same period. As a result of this combined transit of Saturn and Pluto, unemployment has remained somewhat impervious to even bold intervention, people’s sense of security has been threatened, and US power in the world seems somewhat diminished. During July and August 2010, this combination will be in full force, with Pluto continuing its opposition to US Venus through much of October.

The other astrological theme of significance when talking about the economy stems from the planet Neptune, which often brings a sense of confusion, self-deception, and disappointment due to unrealized expectations. When Jupiter accompanies Neptune, as it did during a conjunction of these two planets, from May through December 2009, expectations soar. When Saturn impacts the chart while Neptune is also strongly in effect, the result can be tremendous disappointment after a time of unrealistic or self-deceptive hope. Neptune has been conjunct the US Moon (27Aquarius12) since March 2010 and will continue this transit through mid-January 2011. This transit is particularly potent from June through August 2010, just as the final Saturn/Pluto square in aspect to US Venus builds in strength through August 23. It seems likely that July and much of August will bring many indications of a treacherously dangerous economic climate, dashing prior hopes of a significant, though weak, recovery.

The parallel themes of Saturn and Neptune during this critical time may also be seen in the charts of those most associated with economic policy. Just as Saturn makes its final crossing square to President Obama’s Venus (1Cancer47), felt most strongly from July 23 through August 10, it will also make its final conjunction to Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner’s Mars (1Libra02), its final semisquare to Lawrence Summers Venus/Saturn conjunction (15Scorpio), and its final square Elizabeth Warren’s Sun/Uranus conjunction (00Cancer). Indeed, July and early August look quite stressful for the economic team.

The Neptune transit to US Moon (27Aquarius12), which is building in strength from July through late August, is reflected in the Neptune transit conjunct Obama’s South Node (27Aquarius19), conjunct Tim Geithner’s South Node (27Aquarius11), conjunct Larry Summers Mars (27Aquarius26), and opposing Paul Volker’s Neptune (27Leo18). With these Neptune transits coincident with the Saturn transits described above, including the square to US Venus through August 23, we can expect a painful reality pouring ice water on prior expectations that the worst of the Great Recession was over.

By September, however, some of the strain and anxiety will recede, while the economic indicators once again edge upward. In mid-November 2010, transiting Saturn will begin its nine-month crossing of US Saturn (14Libra48) and square US Sun (13Cancer19). This suggests that growth will remain sluggish through the following summer of 2011, with the government cautious and incremental in its response due to restricted resources. The country will only thrive under careful planning and necessary discipline. This transit also suggests a time of reining in US goals abroad, situations that point to a further diminution of the US superpower role, and a likely further contraction of the US Dollar. All in all, it will be a somber time when belt tightening continues but self-discipline can be productive. There will be less anxiety and more resolve, with the US offered the possibility of becoming more muscular and less flabby.

As for Secretary of the Treasury Geithner (8/18/61), it seems quite possible that his reign will end shortly after the 2010 election. Saturn will make a station square his Venus (17Cancer12) from late December 2010 through early February 2011. Moreover, Uranus will oppose Mars (26Virgo48) in the Geithner/Obama composite chart, suggesting irritability and tension between them from October through December 2010. In addition, Saturn will conjunct the Sun (16Libra43) in the Geithner/Summers composite chart, suggesting extreme tension between these two men as well. It will be a very rough period for Tim Geithner at the end of 2010 and may well end in his forced resignation

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Note to New York Starlighters:

I will be in New York City on July 23 and 24 and would like to get together, perhaps for lunch or coffee on July 24 (Saturday). Please contact me if you are available.

nancy@starlightnews.com

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We are at the beginning of a hot, hazy summer, perhaps one of the hottest on record. This seems an apt metaphor for the heaviness all around, from the sluggish economy barely out of its recent coma to the encroaching, noxious oil soup in the Gulf of Mexico to the seemingly endless quagmire we have stumbled into in Afghanistan. President Obama has held up remarkably well under this ongoing cascade of stress, managing to keep a steady eye on his long-term vision for the nation despite a myriad of short-term distraction.

As reported recently, our president has been under numerous Saturn aspects that indicate the weightiness and difficulties of his burden from November 2009 through late August 2010. Although there will be a palpable sense of relief after August 23 when much of the crisis mode of the previous months will begin to resolve, there may be some easing of stress and some modest successes during July. With Jupiter, the planet of success and good timing, making its station almost exactly sextile to Obama’s Moon (3Gemini21) while at the same time semisquare his Ascendant (18Aquarius03) and square US Venus (3Cancer06) through July, we are likely to see the confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan, as well as the passing of his signature financial reform bill. Other victories are also likely.

This is not to say that partisan wrangling will come to a halt during July. With the final Saturn/Uranus opposition from July 14 to July 26, there is likely to be some issue that once again polarizes the nation. The battle will be between maintaining the status quo and protecting vested interests (Saturn), on the one hand, and enabling a significant breakthrough that moves us into the future (Uranus), on the other. It seems likely to be resolved in Obama’s favor around July 26 or shortly thereafter.

As discussed previously, events beginning around July 28 and continuing through August 4 are likely to bring Obama either several concurrent crises or one escalating and urgent situation. This volatile period is likely to impact not only the US but also many other nations. Astrologically, it is indicated by Mars, Uranus, and Saturn converging at 00 degrees of the cardinal signs followed within a day or so by Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto at 3 degrees of the cardinal signs. There will be an enormous amount of energy coalescing at one time, and it will be especially strong in nations and for national leaders who have planets in very early cardinal degrees, the US (MC 1Libra53 and Venus 3Cancer06) and President Obama (Venus 1Cancer47) among them.

With the Saturn/Pluto square in exact hard aspect to US Venus from August 12 to August 22 and following the volatile and combustible combination of Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto from July 28 through August 4, we can assume that the fallout from the events at the beginning of the month will be extremely stressful for at least some segment of the US population, and the situation will become a significant national story until late August. September promises cooler weather and a notable easing of the strain.

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Everyone has heard of Atlantis, that mythical kingdom of long ago. It was, purportedly, a highly advanced civilization that lost its way and cataclysmically drowned in the sea due to self-inflicted wounds. Whether one believes that this myth has some basis in forgotten history or not, its essential warnings reverberate loudly in today’s world. We live in a highly developed technological society at a critical crossroads, and the choices we make today will echo through the ages that follow us, for good or ill.

The world-wide and growing use of fossil fuel for energy is not only befouling the air and water, but is raising the earth’s temperature. As the oceans warm, more moisture is evaporating, and storms are becoming bigger and more devastating. In addition, the polar ice caps are melting, and the sea-level has begun to rise. If global warming remains unchecked, large swaths of densely populated areas will become unlivable, devoured by the surging ocean or parched by the spreading deserts, another consequence of the shifting rainfall patterns. It also seems likely that more armed conflicts will arise over increasingly scarce resources: potable water, habitable land, and energy sources. Once global temperature has increased by several degrees, there will be no going back, no “mulligan”. We will be in an unprecedented crisis, with limited and troublesome choices available, and possibly our civilization at risk.

It seems clear that an urgent choice faces humankind at this critical juncture. Either we move toward a sustained, bold, and creative push toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels, or we blithely continue as we have, merely tweaking existing reality around the edges, and ultimately facing the catastrophic consequences when they are upon us. The question is whether we have the will to make the radical changes that are necessary and whether we can sacrifice short-term comfort and gain for long-term, collective goals to ensure our future.

We hear repeatedly that the US is “addicted” to oil. But what does this actually mean? In an individual, addiction leads inexorably to severe health problems and relationship havoc, as well as frequent work and financial difficulties. Commonly, the addict will deny or minimize the existence of his or her addiction, blame others for the situation, and avoid confronting it whenever possible. Unfortunately, it often takes one or several severe crises to jolt the addict out of his soporific cloud of avoidance and denial. This is known as “hitting bottom”.

The full extent of the vicious destruction of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the physical health of our nation is yet to be determined. It is the latest, rather resounding, wake-up call. But our ongoing addiction is also having harmful effects financially due to the perennial need to import vast amounts of oil to sate our daily needs. Even our foreign policy has been profoundly and adversely impacted by our gluttonous consumption of oil. It is hard to imagine that our huge military footprint in the Middle East, now including two exorbitantly expensive wars, would exist if the region were not the oil spigot of the world. And, lest we forget, it is this massive footprint that was the original spark for the terrorism that caused 9/11 and continues to seek to do us harm.

One would think that the handwriting would be on the wall and that a radical change in our energy policy would be demanded by all. But one would be wrong. The grip of an addiction is fierce, and the homeostasis of the current reality, even with all of its dysfunction, has a strong pull. We may vaguely wish to import less oil and go solar, but we think we really need that big SUV, we surely don’t want to pay more for gas to fill it, and we don’t really like riding that subway to work. And, of course, our politicians love all that money from the oil companies that helps get them elected. If the BP oil spill is not enough for us to “hit bottom”, what will it take?

In astrology, Saturn is the planet that demands discipline, restraint, and facing the limitations of the reality-based world. Uranus is the planet of sudden awakenings and rebellions, often triggered by unexpected crises, that transform existing conditions in a moment. And Pluto is the planet that describes situations in which the pressure builds up to an extreme before imploding into the next paradigm. It is these three that have a powerful role to play in the very stressful but potentially transformative period of time that extends from 2009 through 2015.

At the moment, the Saturn/Pluto square is in a hard aspect to US Venus, from November 2009 through August 2010, with Pluto’s impact on US Venus (3Cancer06) extending out before and after this period, from January 2009 through October 2010. This is a time of deep and building anxiety in America about our financial security and our collective future. We have seen the Great Recession take its toll in the rising unemployment numbers and the multitude of failing businesses and mortgage defaults. In addition, the ravages of the worst environmental disaster in American history are being broadcast daily into our living rooms, and home-grown terrorist wannabees seem to be proliferating.

Although it is the accepted narrative that a lack of regulation and enfeebled enforcement caused the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the financial meltdown, the underlying problem is the lack of conscientiousness, irresponsibility, and inattentiveness to potential consequences that pervade the culture. These crises, as well as the recent West Virginia mine explosion, were caused by cutting corners for a fast buck and conveniently ignoring the warnings signs. Under a Saturn transit, the perpetrator of any carelessness or inattentiveness or recklessness gets called to account. We learn, often through painful experience, to become very cautious, conscientious, and disciplined moving forward. With Pluto also in the picture, the difficulties experienced under Saturn become part of a larger story of building tensions that eventually force transformation. This is apparent in the financial reform now moving toward completion and the current push toward energy reform. The status quo, which has caused so much harm, is no longer tenable.

In other words, if we don’t do what we should have been doing all along, it will become painfully obvious under Saturn, when we will pay the price for our government, corporate, media, and collective irresponsibility. The Saturn and Pluto transits to US Venus, from January 2009 through October 2010, and the upcoming Saturn transits square the US Sun and conjunct US Saturn, from November 2010 through August 2011, offer the country the opportunity to grow up a notch. The latter Saturn transits to US Saturn (14Libra48) and US Sun (13Cancer19) are likely to shed a harsh light on any poorly considered or over-optimistic aspects of US power in the world – both economic and military – forcing some kind of contraction or consolidation on both fronts. It seems probable that with Uranus moving to square US Venus from April 2011 through February 2012, there will be some sudden and dramatic events that make this theme clear.

Being a responsible adult demands consideration of the long-term consequences of one’s actions and not succumbing to instant gratification or being seduced by short-term gain. That is the lesson that is being pressed upon the nation at present under the particularly onerous three-year combined  impact of Saturn and Pluto. It is this principle that must imbue our attitude toward energy use and energy strategy going forward. Otherwise, when we belatedly hit bottom, we will remember the days of the Deepwater Horizon disaster as if it were a summer squall that merely preceded the horrors of a monstrous mega-tsunami.

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