With Rick Santorum’s surprising sweep of victories on Tuesday, the GOP is all a-flutter. The Republican base has once again proven itself more fickle than a butterfly in the spring, as it flits from one potential nominee to another, never resting for more than a moment. Every time we think we know what is going on, the wind blows and rearranges the landscape. This week’s narrative is that Santorum is the new savior of the party, and Romney is weak and flailing. Just don’t get too comfortable, for the restless hordes of GOP voters are likely to soon shift again.

I often think that presidential campaigns bear a great resemblance to a courtship, with the candidates wooing the electorate and hoping to gain acceptance for a four or eight year “marriage”. This means that the candidate who is most beloved, as indicated by the strongest Venus progressions and transits, will usually win the day. Indeed, it is the most Cupid-blessed candidate that will draw the most adoring crowds and the highest level of enthusiasm. The problem with this year’s crop of GOP wannabes, however, the reason none of them has really ignited the electorate, is that none of them have enough of a Venus glamour for the seduction to succeed for more than a few days at a time.

Mitt Romney, the limping frontrunner and the one still expected to get the coveted nomination, has a converse progressed Venus opposition to his Ascendant through March, which is certainly helpful and adds to his appeal. But the Saturn station of January and February 2012 (29Libra30) has been in a long sesquiquadrate with Romney’s Mercury (13Pisces55) where it remains through March 4.  This has brought a considerable drag to his campaign in the form of numerous unscripted gaffes and mistakes.

Moreover, transiting Neptune is currently square to Romney’s Ascendant (00Gemini43) which brings with it the very destructive narrative that Romney is inauthentic and has no real core of values other than wanting to be president. This tendency to mirror back one’s surroundings rather than having a strong center of integrity, and thereby seeming untrustworthy, deceptive, and changeable, is the hallmark of Neptune. The transit will remain very strong with Romney through late February, returning in full force in late August through mid-December 2012.

The best news for Romney is Jupiter’s path through Taurus and early Gemini: square to his Midheaven (6Aquarius28) from February 21 through February 28; square to his Venus (8Aquarius33) from March 3 through March 9, which suggests a likely big win on Super Tuesday; conjunct his Ascendant (00Gemini43) and North Node (5Gemini29) in June and early July; and square to Mercury (13Pisces55) in late August and again in mid-November 2012. In addition, transiting Venus will be square to his Sun (21Pisces11) and sesquisquare to his Venus during most of May. These aspects point to some noteworthy short-term successes when they are active.

The worst news for Romney is the solar eclipse on his Ascendant on May 20, which suggests some major loss or failure during the following year, especially when strongly triggered. As noted, Neptune will be square Romney’s Ascendant during most of the last four months of 2012, potentially setting off the difficulties inherent in the eclipse. This can indicate an electoral loss, with the above-noted Neptunian characteristics a major factor, or it could conceivably mean a loss of the nomination or a very weakened candidacy due to the confusion and chaos (Neptune) within the party. Unfortunately for Romney, there are no strong Venus progressions that could help to counteract these struggles with a potent dose of charisma and popularity. Instead, it will be the Neptunian narrative that will stick: the candidate as cypher, the hollow man who says whatever he thinks people want to hear and who therefore cannot be trusted. In short, it will become painfully clear that there is no there there.

Rick Santorum, on the other hand, is a reliable social conservative. With his recent wins, he is poised to take over the anti-Romney vote from the beleaguered Newt “Moon Mayor” Gingrich.  As with Romney, however, there is no indication of any sustained progressed Venus energy that would be strong enough to really pull Santorum across the finish line. His big win last Tuesday came with the quick-moving transit of Venus quincunx his natal Node/Neptune conjunction (1-2 Scorpio) and transiting Mars sesquiquadrate his Venus (5Aries45) from February 7 through February 11. The Arizona and Michigan primaries on February 28 may also bring some wind to Santorum’s sails, with Venus crossing his Mercury (24Aries), Jupiter square his Uranus (7Leo49), and the Sun conjunct his Mars (10Pisces00).

Santorum may gain some strong momentum and excitement from March 28 through April 15 when Uranus crosses his Venus (5Aries44), but that thrill seems likely to be crushed between mid-April and mid-May with a long series of Saturn transits that will repeat in July through mid-August in case they don’t get the job done the first time. Saturn will sesquiquadrate his Mars (10 Pisces00), oppose his Mercury (24Aries06) and conjunct his Jupiter (23Libra50) during these times. Perhaps Romney…or his PAC… will be bringing  out the scorched-earth tactics in full force around then.

As is being noted by the punditocrisy, much of the enthusiasm and energy of the campaign is now building up on the Democratic side, with President Obama’s popularity growing and his approval ratings moving into positive territory, while that of the GOP contenders plummets. At the moment, Obama is enjoying the building progression of his Sun square to natal Venus (1Cancer47), exact in late June, and then granted an extension in July and August with transiting Neptune trine to natal Venus. This progression, along with the transits of Uranus (1Aries) and Jupiter (1Taurus) in the past few months, has helped Obama consolidate and re-energize his base, as well as luring back a significant number of independents.

As for the rabid Republican base, two further things are worth mentioning. Using the Sagittarius rising US chart, the progressed Moon will be conjunct progressed Mars in August 2012, exact on September 1, at 18Libra28. If this chart is accurate (and no one really knows the birth time of the US), it suggests a great deal of anger and upset at the end of August among some sector of the US population (US Moon). One possible manifestation of this would be an eruption of dissent and turbulence at the GOP convention, which takes place from August 26 through August 30.

The final point I want to make concerns the increasingly inflammatory rhetoric of the Republican candidates and their surrogates as they describe the president. He is being characterized as some kind of existential threat to America, and his potential second term is being represented, in the most dire terms possible, as signifying the ultimate doom of this country and all we love about it. The GOP base is already wild with rage and feelings of paranoia and victimhood. This kind of rhetoric could easily create a tidal wave of rebellion should President Obama win the election in November. I am mentioning this because of the hugely volatile aspects that will hit the US chart in late November and December 2012. The progressed US Sun square to natal Uranus (8Gemini55) will begin to take effect in September 2012, but it will be intensely triggered by Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter from late November until Christmas. There will be some kind of upheaval and rebellion during that time. It remains to be seen if this will be a response to some of the election results or something else entirely. But when I listen to the wild, histrionic, outrageous, and dishonest accusations about President Obama at the CPAC conference this week, I can’t help but wonder.

On the whole, things have been going well for President Obama during the past few months.  He stood up to the Republicans in December and got an extension of the payroll tax cut. He has taken his argument against income inequality to the American people and garnered a significant uptick in his approval ratings as a result. The recovery, though weak, is back on track, and people are generally more hopeful about the future than they have been for a couple of years. And finally, he has been blessed by the dissonant rhetoric and extremism of his opponents in the GOP mud-slinging, freak-show primary, which has served mostly to bolster the president’s standing as the only reasonable adult in the room and the only one with an actual interest in helping the American people rather than the super-rich.

For Obama, this heightened charisma, success, and popularity is indicated astrologically from October 2011 through January 2012, by the strong activation of his progressed Sun square to natal Venus (1Cancer47) by both transiting Uranus (1Aries) and transiting Jupiter (1Taurus). This very positive year-long progression, which will peak in late June 2012, will also receive a boost from transiting Neptune (1 Pisces) trine to Obama’s Venus from February 25 through March 24. In addition, late March will bring a transit of Jupiter square to Obama’s Sun (12Leo35), from March 23 through April 2. Thus, whatever the Fates throw at our president through March, he will land on his feet, glow with charisma, and be well appreciated for his actions.

But the world these days is littered with hidden landmines and simmering volcanoes, any one of which could explode into a full blown crisis at a moment’s notice. Two of the most significant are the European debt issue, which continues to threaten the anemic recovery in the US, as well as potentially devastate the European economy, and the building tensions with Iran over its development of nuclear weapons. The latest news on that front is that Iran is considering attacks on US soil.

As of March, we can expect the stress lines to crack open in a number of areas. One of the first will be Greece, which is very likely to erupt into rioting and upheaval between March 5 and March 23, due to transiting Uranus square to natal Uranus (4Capricorn24), which is currently being squared by progressed Mars (4Libra). This angry volatility will be further exacerbated and potentially quite violent from March 11 through March 14 when transiting Mars makes a slow crossing over natal Mars (9Virgo39). The population of Greece will likely remain quite agitated through most of April, as a slow-moving, transiting Mars stations quite near the trine to natal Uranus, activating the square with progressed Mars.

Many of Europe’s leaders and national charts will be adversely impacted as Saturn crosses and recrosses several sensitive degrees from March through August 2012. Some indications of the very difficult economic times expected in Europe due to this Saturn transit from late March through August are: the Saturn square to Angela Merkel’s Sun (24Cancer33) from April 24 through May 8, and remaining active through mid-August; the Saturn station square Greece’s Sun (22Capricorn45) from late May through June; and the Saturn station square Italy’s natal Saturn (23Cancer21) from May 10 through most of July.

A corresponding economic strain can be seen impacting the US from mid-April through mid-May and again in August 2012. The recovery seems to gain much more momentum as of September and beyond. Again, it is the sensitive points in several charts that will be transited in some way by Saturn that point in this direction: Saturn will conjunct the Mars/Neptune conjunction (27Libra) in Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s chart in April and square his Node (24Capricorn26) in early May; Saturn will square Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner’s Saturn (24Capricorn28) in late April and early May; Saturn will square the US Mercury from late April through mid-May (24Cancer12); and square President Obama’s Saturn (25Capricorn20) during the second half of May.

Perhaps the most ominous indicator for mid-April through mid-May comes with the progressed US Moon conjunction to natal Saturn (14Libra48) which suggests a period of increased anxiety and upset among the American population. This can relate to something general like the economy or a particular situation that impacts some segment of the population but becomes a national story. It is my opinion that it may be both.

Prior to this difficult Moon/Saturn aspect, which begins around April 11, there are some extremely disruptive and potentially violent planetary configurations that will come during the second half of March. These suggest President Obama and the US may suddenly become involved in some kind of high-stakes altercation. It is possible that these events may set the stage for the significant strains of the following two months. There will be a week-long transit of Mars square to the transiting Node from March 15 through March 22. During most of this period, Mars will be conjunct the president’s Pluto (6Virgo59), as well as square to the US Uranus (8Gemini55) and progressed Uranus (7Gemin03).  This will be followed by transiting Mars quincunx transiting Uranus (4Aries55) from March 26 to March 31. It is very clear that the President will already be engaged in a major power struggle during March, due to his progressed Moon quincunx to natal Pluto all month. This tension will be go into high gear when Mars crosses his Pluto during this very volatile period. Moreover, the Jupiter square to Obama’s Sun in late March indicates some kind of bold action that seems initially successful.

The most critical period will be from mid-April through mid-May, and it seems to have national security or military implications. As of April 10 through the end of the month, transiting Uranus will be square to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s Sun (6Cancer26), suggesting some sudden, jarring events related to the military that will be simultaneous to the loss, sorrow, or anxiety indicated by the progressed US Moon conjunction to Saturn. The second half of April also brings Saturn into a square with Obama’s Saturn (25Capricorn20), suggestive of heavier than usual burdens and frustrations.

Another potentially brutal and confrontational period, which is likely to bring sudden attacks, aggression, or disruptions involving the US and its interests will come from May 2 through May 15, during which transiting Mars will again be quincunx transiting Uranus (6Aries52), with transiting Mars conjunct Obama’s Pluto (5/2 to 5/9), as well as transiting Mars square to US Uranus and progressed Uranus (5/4 to 5/15). This is a very volatile mix that suggests unexpected upsets and possible violence (Uranus/Mars).

The first half of May will also bring transiting Saturn into the first phase of its station square to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano’s Venus (23Capricorn52), an aspect that points to some very difficult and disturbing issues that impact Homeland Security. Moreover, National Security Advisor Tom Donilan will be under a Saturn transit opposite his Venus (24Aries05) through the first half of May as well, underlining the extreme stress that is likely to involve the military, intelligence, and security systems in late April and the first half of May.

In summary, it seems that some significant confrontation or agitation will be unleashed during the second half of March. This will be followed by a very stressful, anxious, and volatile situation impacting the country from mid-April through mid-May. A further period of intensified aggression and conflict is very possible during the first half of May. I think the economy will be under some strain during April and May but the primary focus will be circumstances with national security, military, intelligence, and diplomatic implications. It seems likely the country will calm down increasingly as we move into late May, although the diplomatic, security, and intelligence teams may be working overtime for a few more months to get things fully back on track.

News junkies everywhere are feasting on the reality-show slugfest known as the Republican Primary. TV pundits and web bloggers alike are in a perpetual state of hyperbole, gleefully refereeing who most efficiently and brutally attacked who in every debate skirmish and media ad, with each event universally described as if it were an Ultimate Fighting match-up.  Meanwhile, despite Newt Gingrich’s huge win in South Carolina and his strong polls nationwide among the foaming-at-the-mouth Republican base, the panicking GOP elders are doing everything in their power to crash his candidacy before his momentum cannot be stopped. Their fear of a Gingrich nomination is palpable. His gargantuan grandiosity, his incendiary attacks, and his bizarre ideas may be red meat for the unhinged fringe, but they are largely repulsive to the rest of us who will vote in the November election.

At the moment, Mitt Romney has retaken the lead in Florida, where the next big primary battle will take place on January 31.  As predicted in previous posts, Romney began to get his mojo back when Mars turned retrograde and once again began to move toward its opposition to his Sun (21Pisces11). This began with the first debate of the past week and had strengthened considerably by the second, during which Romney clearly had the stronger performance.  This aspect, which signifies a much more aggressive and focused candidate, as well as more and more attacks against him, will strengthen through February 10.

Romney has enough fast-moving, positive aspects just after the Florida primary to suggest he will win it. On the morning of February 1, the Moon will oppose Romney’s Moon/Jupiter (27 Scorpio), and Mercury will conjunct his Venus for the day. By evening, Venus will move into a semisquare with natal Venus (8Aquarius33).  His very upbeat mood for over 24 hours after the voting indicates success.

It should be noted that on February 3 and February 4, Gingrich will have transiting Venus square to his Sun and Moon, and is therefore likely to have some beneficial circumstances for a few days. But with Jupiter semisquare Romney’s Sun and square his Midheaven for the second half of February, followed by Jupiter square his Venus from March 3 through March 9, it seems likely he will be well on the road to the nomination very soon. It may be that by mid-February, with the waning of the Mars opposition to Romney’s Sun, most of the Gingrich-inspired attacks will diminish, although I anticipate Gingrich’s last gasp of aggression to be quite brutal through February 12. Transiting Mars will be semisquare to his Pluto (5Leo41) while it simultaneously opposes Romney’s Sun.

I am not ready yet to predict who I think will win the November election, although I strongly lean toward President Obama at this time. I am waiting to see who Romney’s VP nominee will be and what his 2012 solar return looks like. For now, Romney is under the solar arc progression of Venus opposite his Ascendant, peaking in March 2012, which adds some degree of attractiveness to his generally stiff personality.  The threefold Venus transit in May square to his Sun will also lend him a flush of brief charisma.

As of April 2012, however, solar arc Moon/Jupiter will move into an opposition with natal Saturn (2Leo24) through April 2013, suggesting that the issue of an unappealing and standoffish personality will become increasingly significant. In addition, there will be a solar eclipse on Romney’s Ascendant (00Gemini43) in May 2012, which will have an impact of up to a year or more. Exact eclipses to the angles or the Sun or Moon are usually seen as malefic omens unless very positively aspected. This one will be square to Neptune, with transiting Neptune coming back to exactly square the eclipse point and Romney’s Ascendant from late August through mid-December 2012. This configuration suggests that Romney’s penchant in the campaign for distorting the facts, hyperbolic pronouncements, and opportunistic repositioning depending on his audience (Neptune) may prove the fatal flaw that derails his election. Thus, the eclipse on Romney’s Ascendant may indicate a dramatic failure in 2012 for someone whose life has otherwise been cloaked in unending success.

Tensions are building between Iran and the West. Essentially, much of the world, and especially the US and Israel, is deeply uneasy with Iran’s relentless progress toward nuclear capability. Due to Iran’s ongoing support of terrorist organizations and its fundamentalist and rabidly anti-Western government, global concern over this escalating threat seems legitimate.

Thus far, there have been both covert and direct attempts to thwart Iran’s nuclear development. The Stuxnet worm that burrowed into Iran’s computers and the multiple assassinations of its nuclear scientists, both unofficially attributed to Israel, have slowed but not stopped the advancement of the program. Meanwhile, official Western policy, largely spearheaded by the US, has been focused on economic sanctions, which recently have tightened considerably. Iran, in turn, has threatened to disrupt oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and sentenced to death an Iranian-American tourist charged with spying while visiting his grandmothers. Concern is building that a tiny spark in this tense atmosphere could easily ignite an uncontrolled conflagration.

At the moment, we are in that 6-month period that comes every two years when Mars, the planet of aggression, slows down and goes retrograde, thereby intensifying its impact throughout the world. Individuals and countries whose astrological charts are directly impacted by this transit are most susceptible to a dramatic increase in energy in the pursuit of their goals, sometimes leading to violence or confrontation. The Mars station on January 24 will be at 23Virgo05 conjunct President Obama’s Mars (22Virgo35) and square to the US Mars (21Gemini23). This transit alone suggests an increase in agitation and increased assertiveness for the president and country during January and early February.

There is, however, a much more dangerous grouping of configurations during the second half of March with a potential for escalating hostilities. From March 15 through March 22, the transiting Node will be square to the transiting Mars, culminating when Mars is at 7Virgo08. This square will be in a tight aspect to President Obama’s Pluto (6Virgo59) during a month when his progressed Moon will be quincunx to natal Pluto. What this suggests is that in a month when the feeling of a power struggle and distrust is growing for the president (Moon/Pluto), there will be a week (3/15 – 3/22) of extremely angry posturing and aggressive assertiveness, if not violence (Mars/Node), into which he will be drawn.

The week-long Mars/Node square will also be in a minor hard aspect to the progressed Mercury/progressed Mars conjunction in Iran’s chart (21-22 Aries), a progression describing a period of increased belligerence and anger from that nation, building in strength from December 2011 through mid-April 2013. The transiting Node will continue to trigger this progressed conjunction through April 6. Furthermore, there will be a prolonged quincunx of transiting Mars to transiting Uranus, from March 26 through March 31, further extending this period of heightened violence and disruption throughout the world.

The biggest concern about Iran is its existential threat to Israel, a threat which will increase exponentially if Iran develops a nuclear weapon. As the danger to Israel is seen to grow and Israel’s covert actions to diminish that threat increase, tension between these two nations is rising. Thus, it is of great significance that the second half of March also will bring transiting Uranus into a square with Israel’s Venus (4Cancer49) and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Uranus (4Cancer58), while at the same time transiting Saturn will be conjunct Netanyahu’s Sun (27Libra32). We can infer from these configurations that the last two and a half weeks of March will be a time of surprise upsets and transformative and swiftly-moving circumstances in Israel that are very stressful. With transiting Uranus moving to square the Moon in the Iran/Israel composite chart (5Cancer45) from March 29 through April 16, some significant escalation of the agitation between these two nations seems quite likely.

Although a full-blown war seems unlikely at this time, the rhetoric and the skirmishes may bring us closer to the edge of the cliff. A far more treacherous path lies ahead from 2013 through 2015 when the Uranus/Pluto square and several progressions have the potential to exacerbate tensions to the breaking point, especially in early 2015.  What happens to Iran in 2013 and 2014, however, will be especially significant, with Uranus crossing Iran’s natal Sun (11Aries06) and Pluto squaring its Sun. The Iranian government is likely to undergo a great deal of confrontation and face a strong rebellion. Any future trajectory will depend on the outcome of these battles.

With his administration inheriting the vast swath of destruction left in the wake of eight years of George W. Bush’s profligacy and irresponsibility, President Barack Obama has faced the sobering challenge of rectifying a huge, multi-layered mess. Obama has been working tenaciously to get the nation’s finances in order, rebuild America’s reputation in the world, and disengage us from two costly and mostly counter-productive wars. His efforts have been obstructed at every turn by an obsessively partisan and short-sighted Congress and a powerful right-wing media machine led by FOX News and Rush Limbaugh. In the past few months, however, the president seems to have sharpened his game enough to win some significant battles with his relentless foes.

Beginning in early September 2011, Obama aggressively began to retake control of the narrative, focusing on the need for jobs and other help and protection for the middle class, while the Republicans in Congress have become more and more transparent in their support of policies that only advantage the very rich. This seems likely to be the theme that will run right through the November election. We can attribute this more assertive mood to the president’s progressed Moon leaving the watery and emotional sign of Pisces and entering the fiery and daring sign of Aries, where it will remain for over two years. In addition, his increasing poll numbers and successful initiatives of late are described by his progressed Sun square to natal Venus, triggered by both transiting Jupiter (through 1/23) and transiting Uranus (through 2/1/12).

The Uranus activity, however, also adds an element of unexpected and upsetting events that have the power to alter the political, emotional, or diplomatic landscape. The transit of Uranus square to the president’s Venus (1Cancer47) runs through the entire month of January. Thus far, it has brought several jarring and unanticipated events: the resignation of White House Chief of Staff William Daley; the publication of a book critical about Michelle Obama (president’s Venus); stepped up Iranian rhetoric threatening the Strait of Hormuz and the world’s oil supply; the Iranian death sentence of a supposed US spy, a former marine visiting his Iranian grandmother; and the virally-spreading photo of US marines urinating on dead Taliban soldiers. No doubt this list will grow in the coming weeks.

Another element often found during a Uranus transit is a willingness to break boundaries and act outside the more conventional norms. The president’s recent recess appointments, despite the manipulative Republican pro-forma session, are an example of this.  Moreover, the current Mars station is conjunct Obama’s natal Mars (22Virgo33) from January 8 through February 3, signaling a very aggressive stance and the potential for significant confrontation on a number of issues. The increasingly hostile relationship with Iran, with its attendant threats and military posturing, is one such issue which is likely to escalate further in the next three weeks.

From February 7 through March 5, the planet Uranus will once again come strongly into play, again bringing unexpected events and transformative, upsetting situations. From February 7 through February 29, Uranus (3 Aries) will be square to the US Venus (3Cancer06) for the final of three crossings; and from February 14 through March 5, Uranus will oppose the Ascendant of the US solar return chart (3Libra26) and square the Ascendant of Obama’s solar return chart (3Cancer23). The last time Uranus transited this degree was during the entire month of August 2011. Early in the month, transiting Mars (3Cancer) triggered these charts while squaring transiting Uranus and opposing Pluto (5Capricorn), unleashing the debt ceiling debacle and the downgrade of US credit. Later in the same month, the Mercury station (18Leo45) was in a prolonged sesquiquadrate to transiting Uranus during which the nation experienced the massive flooding and chaos of Hurricane Irene.

The coming Uranus transit of February and early March 2012 will have no major triggers like the one in August, suggesting that the situation will not be quite as extreme or dramatic. Nonetheless, Uranus does cause upsets and tends to shake up the status quo when it strikes, and the inclusion of the Ascendant in the US solar return in this configuration points to something that will directly impact some part of the US population, possibly again with a weather event of some significance.

Some brief, last minute predictions:

Ron Paul is strongest and most popular though mid-January 2012, and to a lesser extent, through February 1. After February 7, he will lose steam. Nonetheless, it seems he keeps fighting at least until August and possibly right up to the election with a potential Third Party run.

Rick Santorum’s best days run from December 25 through January 15, with a special boost just after the Iowa caucuses. There is another bump for him, but not as strong, from January 26 through February 3. March to mid-April brings lots of shifts and changes and bumps and bruises, and from mid-April onward it is all downhill. Any hope of being second on the ticket will be crushed in July and August.

Newt Gingrich may do better in Iowa than expected which will keep him pumped up until his fantasies die in New Hampshire. There may also be a brief boost in Florida (January31) with some renewed vigor and bloviation through February 22. In March and April his candidacy completely disintegrates.

Mitt Romney does well in Iowa but may share the winnings with Paul and Santorum. He has a very strong win in New Hampshire.  South Carolina and Florida are disappointing, but he remains very aggressive throughout January and February and regains his strong momentum from mid-February onward, winning Super Tuesday (March 6) decisively. May is likely to be his official crowning as nominee.

As the world looks on, Syrians are continuing to defy their ruthless president and demand his ouster. The anti-government uprising began in early 2011, along with other manifestations of the Arab Spring, but the clash with government forces has dramatically escalated in the past month, including vicious attacks on protesters with casualties mounting into the thousands. A growing outcry has been building from nations across the globe, including the Arab League, who is sending in observers with hopes of quelling some of the violence. Fears of a Syrian civil war abound.

With humanity once again moving into a Mars retrograde period, we have cause for concern. These several-month periods that come every two years, during which Mars moves very slowly back and forth across a section of the zodiac, often bring with them an increase in conflict and military engagement in numerous countries. The current Mars transit will station at 23Virgo05 in late January 2012 before turning retrograde and stationing again in April 2012 at 3Virgo40. The chart of Syrian President Bashir Assad is greatly agitated by this strengthening Mars activity due to his numerous planets in Virgo and Pisces and the progressions that are activating them.

Born during the Uranus/Pluto conjunction of 1965, with it playing very prominently in his natal chart conjunct the Sun and opposite both the Moon and Saturn, Assad carries within him the profound intensity, obsessive desire for power, rebellious spirit, and strong will of that historical aspect.  Currently, his progressed Uranus (18Virgo05) and progressed Pluto (17Virgo41) have moved into a several-year, one-degree-orb conjunction with the natal Sun (18Virgo24), while progressed Mars (17Sagittarius) is presently square progressed Pluto from September 2011 through February 2013, and soon to be in square with progressed Uranus from April 2012 through August 2013, and, finally, in square with the natal Sun, from September 2012 through March 2014. This suggests significant brutality, aggression, and a fierce hold on power from late 2011 through at least early 2014.

In addition, the three crossings of Mars in late 2011 and the first half of 2012 over these configurations are guaranteed to bring into full flower Assad’s latent ruthlessness and willingness to use all force available to squash any opposition. We have just witnessed the first crossing, roughly from December 12^th to December 25^th, during which the recent savagery probably reached its zenith with Syrian government forces using heavy weapons and tanks against unarmed protesters. The next crossing of Mars over these fateful degrees will come during the second half of February 2012, although the Mars station at 23 Virgo is close enough to keep the pot simmering through January and early February. The final crossing will come from May 31 through June 9, 2012.

Unfortunately, we do not have a birth time for Assad which would help to pinpoint the exact timing of another very significant set of aspects. Assad’s progressed Moon will be conjunct progressed Mars and square progressed Pluto, progressed Uranus, and natal Sun, successively, over a four-month period. This is likely to occur from March through June 2012, plus or minus up to six months. It is certainly possible that we are now in the midst of this four-month period, which will be another huge activation of the very volatile, aggressive, and unrelenting progressed Uranus/progressed Pluto/natal Sun square to progressed Mars.

Due to the fact that there is more than one suggested chart for Syrian independence, using any of them with any certainty is impossible. But we do have the always-accurate Spring Equinox chart of 2011, drawn for Damascus, which offers significant indication of the current power struggle between Assad and his rebellious and oppressed citizens. This chart became active on March 21, 2011, and continues to be potent until the next Spring Equinox in 2012. In it, Pluto (7Capricorn24) sits within 22 minutes of the Ascendant (7Capricorn46), hovering very close to that sensitive point from late March through mid-May 2011 and moving to cross it in December 2011 through mid-January 2012. The Pluto/Ascendant conjunction in this chart describes a fierce power struggle throughout the year, with it being most intense during the times when Pluto is closest to the Ascendant by transit, exactly what we have seen in Syria. We are now in the final ferocious period through mid-January 2012.

Thus, Assad’s chart shows the likelihood of a ferocious aggressiveness through early 2014, not excluding military action (Mars) in some form, to continue his oppression of the Syrian population or possibly as a way of uniting the people behind him against an external foe. This trend is particularly potent between September 2011 and June 2012 due to the Mars retrograde period and Assad’s progressed Moon. Despite some minimal containment of him by the international community due to transiting Saturn sesquiquadrate his Saturn from December 20, 2011, through March 14, 2012, and conjunct his Venus in early December 2011, late March through April 3, 2012, and again in early September 2012, the long-term indications are that he will maintain a tight and brutal hold on his people for at least the next few years.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, according to the song. Alas, neither death, nor political gamesmanship, nor thuggish dictators, nor wild weather are willing to pause in deference to the calendar. This year, in particular, December has brought any number of unexpected jolts to the unfolding of events, each demanding attention.

To begin with, after negotiating a bipartisan compromise agreeing to extend the payroll tax holiday and unemployment insurance for two months, the House Republicans suddenly pulled the plug on the deal just as the Senate was about to adjourn. Although many in the House Republican caucus opposed extending this tax cut only a month ago, now they are demanding that it be extended not for two months but for a full year. Moreover, the House leadership has refused to bring the legislation to a vote, knowing it would pass, and has instead used various procedural machinations to thwart it. Unless this is resolved by the New Year, 160 million Americans will get a tax hike at a time they and the American economy can ill afford it.

Speaker John Always-Seems-Slightly-Drunk Boehner is being pilloried from all sides for his maladroit Yuletide switch engineered to placate the rabid partisans on the Right.  His chart (11/17/49, Columbus, Ohio) is under some stressful aspects this entire week through December 23, with transiting Mars moving slowly across his Saturn (17Virgo50) and transiting Saturn squaring his Jupiter (27Capricorn40). This difficult confluence begins to lift as of late in the evening on December 23. Some face-saving resolution is possible thereafter.

Meanwhile, Christmas Day brings Jupiter back into direct movement, and with it a return back across its square to President Obama’s Jupiter (00Aquarius52) and then sextile his Venus (1Cancer47), thereby giving him an upbeat, optimistic period from December 25 through January 23. This would seem to be another indication that the payroll tax imbroglio will be settled right around Christmas. It also suggests other issues will go well for the president, including strong poll numbers, during this period.

But surprises and sudden transformational events are also on the president’s plate during December and January, indicated by the transit of Uranus square to his Venus, and as already evidenced by circumstances both domestic and foreign. The stunning shift of House Republicans on the payroll tax is one such example. The unexpected death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Ill and the resultant concern over destabilization in that country is another.  And the growing violence in Syria is a third, as a slow-moving Mars, from December through February, activates the very volatile and aggressive configuration of progressed Mars (16 Sagittarius), natal Sun, natal Uranus, natal Pluto, and progressed Uranus (15 to 18 Virgo) in President Bashir Assad’s chart and stirs up his most aggressive and angry tendencies. This will be especially evident from December 19 through December 25 and again from February 16 through February 23.

Thus, we can expect the holiday for President Obama to be hopeful and enjoyable but with some significant bumps along the way, and we can relax in knowing the Republican Grinches who are trying to steal Christmas will be thwarted.

Happy Holidays!

There is a refreshing clarity and consistency about Ron Paul. His unique contributions in the debates and on the campaign stump remain uncontaminated by religious in-your-face fervor or hypocritical pandering, qualities otherwise pervasive these days in the Republican nominating process.  Paul is a slightly cranky, non-compromising libertarian who wants to downsize the entire government, believing passionately that every one of its programs is an intrusion on personal liberty. He wants to bring home all our troops and drastically shrink the military, abolish foreign aid, end the Patriot Act, abolish the Federal Reserve while putting us back on the gold standard, and end income tax, Medicare, Social Security, and public education.

His total embrace of personal responsibility and freedom and his utter disdain for what he likes to call the “nanny state” appeals to the original pioneer spirit that still lives in the American psyche. Those who came to this country from foreign shores often came to get away from controlling, oppressive governments, and that narrative still permeates the life-blood of many Americans.  But the modern world, inundated with technology and transformed by globalization, is far more complicated than it was in the days when you could simply find some unsettled land and make a life for yourself. There is a reason people decided to put their money together and elect representatives who would decide how best to spend it for the greater good.  There is a reason why publicly-funded education, available to all children, and publicly-funded infrastructure help the entire society to prosper. There is a reason that a publicly-organized health insurance program and a retirement fund for the elderly were created. And so on. Although the freedom and return to simplicity that Paul calls for are alluring, a more penetrating study of what his ideals would actually create in the real world should give us pause. Unfortunately, understanding the ramifications of the policies espoused by today’s political leaders is becoming a lost art among the citizenry.

At the moment, Ron Paul is tied for first place with Newt Gingrich in Iowa. For the most part, however, the Republican race for the nomination is being seen as a battle between former Speaker Gingrich and former Governor Mitt Romney. But a close look at Ron Paul’s birth chart suggests that he is likely to be in the race one way or another throughout 2012. This portends three possibilities: he will unexpectedly win the nomination; he will be selected as a vice presidential candidate; or, what seems the most likely, he will run on a third party ticket.

We do not have a birth time for Ron Paul, and so the dates for the progressions I will discuss could be off by as much as 6 months. Nonetheless, the concurrence of several aspects suggests more than life-as-usual for a representative in the US Congress. Perhaps most striking is that Paul’s progressed Sun has just moved into a conjunction with natal Mars (12Scorpio41) through the end of 2012, while almost simultaneously, converse progressed Sun will be quincunx natal Mars. This indicates that he will be very aggressive in pursuing his goals and attacking other candidates. We have already begun to see this in his recent campaign ads.

In addition, converse progressed Venus has just moved into a conjunction with natal Pluto (26Cancer28) through October 2012, while progressed Venus moved into a sextile with natal Pluto this past summer, also continuing through October 2012. These latter aspects promise the kind of charisma and attraction that is usually found in high-profile candidates.

Interestingly, Paul’s converse progressed Sun is currently square natal Neptune (13Virgo39), exact in January 2012 and intensifying his expectations and idealism. This is likely to be quashed by the Saturn semi-square during the first week of January, hence disappointing his hopes for a win in Iowa. Moreover, Saturn will return to the semisquare of natal Neptune from February 7 through March 10, suggesting that Paul is not likely to become the GOP nominee. However, the potent Venus and Mars progressions will continue to grow in strength, especially after Saturn’s square to natal Pluto/progressed Venus from March 29 through April 12. This points to the possibility that Ron Paul may decide to run on a Third Party ticket somewhere around May 2012 when he gives up on the GOP nomination and finds its nominee less than stellar.

One needs a rather robust sense of humor to not be drawn into utter despair while witnessing the Republican presidential nominating process. The blustery and fantasy-laced babble of the candidates has become a pitiful competition in fact-free hyperbole targeted to appeal to and inflame the most ignorant and racist elements of the GOP. The candidates’ sneering, delusional diatribes are completely devoid of the seriousness demanded of the presidency at this dangerous time in our history.

For myself, it is with great sorrow that I watch the collective psychosis known as the Republican base determine who will run for president. It increasingly seems that their support for platitude rather than policy, fear rather than justice, selfishness rather than community, and delusion rather than fact is systematically corroding the integrity and moral fiber of this great nation.

Nonetheless, the primary season is almost upon us, and GOP voters will soon determine who will represent them against their detested, manufactured nemesis, that anti-colonial, Kenyan radical, otherwise known to the reality-based world as President Barack Obama. For now, Newt Gingrich has rocketed to the top of the heap, running in first place in several polls. Gingrich’s best performance and biggest win is likely to be at the January 3 Iowa caucus, at which time transiting Venus will cross his Ascendant (19 Aquarius19). During the first half of January, Newt’s grandiose expectations will know no bounds, with transiting Neptune quincunx his natal Neptune, activating his natal Sun/Moon/Neptune T-Square, the astrological source of his bloviating, self-delusional tendencies.

While Newt’s hopes will be high for the January 10 New Hampshire primary, with transiting Venus aspecting his Sun and Moon that day, Venus will depart just as the polls close, suggesting his disappointment with the actual result. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, will have come out swinging after a passable, but not great, Iowa performance, with transiting Mars opposing his Sun from January 2 through January 5, and seems poised to win big in New Hampshire, due to the transit of Venus square his Moon/Jupiter conjunction on January 11.

As expected, South Carolina will be difficult for Romney, with the Sun opposite his Saturn for that primary on January 21. Gingrich has a Venus quincunx to Venus on January 22, suggesting he will do fairly well, but perhaps not manage as much of a rout as he had hoped. They both are likely to have high expectations for Florida which are disappointed due to strong Venus transits in both charts on the morning on January 31, but with Venus passing by the time the results come in that night. And both candidates will manifest renewed vigor and aggression in early February: transiting Mars will semisquare Gingrich’s Pluto and oppose Romney’s Sun.

Their paths seem likely to diverge around Super Tuesday on March 6. While Romney will be basking in an uplifting and rewarding Jupiter transit square to his Venus from March 3 through March 9, Gingrich will have the Sun square his Saturn from March 6 to March 7, indicating his disappointment and frustration.  It may be that this period is the real beginning of the end for Gingrich’s high hopes. The second half of March brings Saturn square to Newt’s Jupiter, ruler of his Midheaven. The first half of April brings Saturn trine his Sun, activating the natal conjunction. The second half of April brings transiting Saturn sextile his Moon, activating the multi-year waxing progressed Saturn opposition to that sensitive point.

So much focus on Saturn in Gingrich’s chart in March and April suggests a thwarting of his presidential ambitions at that time. On the other hand, by May, Romney will be enjoying a period of contentment and increasing popularity signified by the Venus station as it squares his Sun early in the month, sesquiquadrates his Venus through mid-month, and returns to square his Sun at the end of the month. It seems likely he will have consolidated the nomination by then and begin his face-off with President Barack Obama in earnest.