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Chart data: January 20, 2001, 12:07 PM, Washington, DC
by Matt Carnicelli (c) 2001
By now, the details of the recently completed American presidential
marathon are doubtless familiar to everyone. The hope was that once
the constitutional processes were followed to their conclusion, the
country would unite behind the next president, and we would see a
return to relative normalcy here in America. The chart for George W.
Bush's inauguration as president on January 20, 2001, however,
suggests that world peace and domestic tranquility are not especially
likely during his first term. The pregnant question embedded within
the likely presidential inauguration chart is not whether Mr. Bush
will be under attack, but why, and from whom.
American presidents take the oath of office on January 20 in the year
following their election – almost always slightly after the noon hour
in Washington, DC. The Vice-President goes first, typically about
12:03 PM, with the President taking the oath a few minutes later,
typically about 12:07 PM. This article will be based on the
assumption that this tradition will continue (since it is being
written in advance of the event). Should Mr. Bush be wise enough to
have an astrologer in his employ, and hence take the Oath of Office
either substantially earlier or later that day, the conclusions in
this article would be subject to change.
The sad news for Americans hoping for four years of domestic and
international tranquility is that Mars, at 16 Scorpio, sits directly
on the descendant of any chart set for January 20, 2001 at/around
noon – give or take 15 minutes. It is exactly conjunct the Descendant
for my hypothetical inauguration moment of 12:07 PM. Mars in Scorpio,
ruler of the Scorpio descendant in this chart, strongly suggest
vehement, fearsome enemies. This could manifest in any number of
ways.
First, the symbolism could easily describe angry Democratic activists
who believe that the United States Supreme Court's ruling handing the
presidency to Mr. Bush (and specifically, the opinion of the 5 most
conservative Justices who held that time would not allow a complete
recount) was both unjust and ideologically motivated. This view of
Mr. Bush's probable enemies is strongly supported by the exact square
in the sky between aforementioned Mars in Scorpio and Mercury in
Aquarius (which might signify concerns about a process in which raw
political power, rather than egalitarian fairness, was the primary
focus). Further supporting this view are the placement of Saturn and
transneptunian Ademetos in the first house – each suggesting a firmly
conservative tone for the emerging administration. Such a tone would
be certain to infuriate any person believing that the more liberal
ideals of the Gore campaign should have, and would have, carried the
day had the Founding Fathers even the vaguest notion of the obvious
pitfalls of conducting an election at the moment of a Mercury
Station. And our critics say that astrology doesn't work! Mundane
considerations offer further ammunition for this potential
manifestation.
Mars in Scorpio can be very much invested in the idea of revenge. In
the shadow of recent history – that is, nearly 8 long years of savage
political attacks against the Clintons -- these liberal Democrats
might feel that turnabout is truly fair play. In the end, it doesn't
take much musical imagination to hear the phrase "no justice, no
peace" sung to the tune set by Mercury in Aquarius square Mars in
Scorpio. With Mars and Mercury tightly configured with Uranus,
whatever happens is likely to be sudden (perhaps the long speculated
tally by a newspaper putting Gore ahead if all the votes had been
counted) and explosive – with talk of revolutionary or dramatic
constitutional changes likely to be in the air.
Second, should President Bush indeed decide to be a leader who brings
people together (as he has promised) and steer a more centrist
course, these enemies might just as easily turn out to be enraged
social conservatives – who, believing that their support was
instrumental in George W's victory, might feel betrayed. For
instance, conservative spokesmen such as Gary Bauer and Jerry Falwell
were actively expressing their displeasure with early Bush cabinet
appointments – right up until the selection of former Missouri
Senator John Ashcroft and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. Or, in
light of their extensive efforts on Mr. Bush's behalf, one could
easily see the NRA painted by Mars in Scorpio's conjunct the 7th
house cusp (perhaps inspired by an iconoclastic Mercury in
Aquarius "original intent" reading of the 2nd Amendment) should the
President-elect not prove to be the gun advocate of their hopes and
dreams. In a very real sense, President Bush is in a classic "no-win"
situation. If he attempts to steer the centrist course, he alienates
his conservative base; if he attempts to pursue his more conservative
campaign agenda, he invites open political revolt from the moderate
and left wings of the Democratic party who supported Vice-President
Gore's popular-vote-winning candidacy.
A third option, which could manifest regardless of whether either
scenario outlined above comes to pass, is that Mars in Scorpio
suggests the dramatic projection of military power somewhere outside
of the continental United States – perhaps in response to a series of
terrorist attacks, or even an attack upon the presidency itself. An
old enemy of the Bush dynasty, Saddam Hussain, has been making noises
as of late -- and is said to be extremely interested in testing the
resolve of the new administration. Bush's natal Pluto and Venus MC
lines run through Iraq, with their midpoint falling right through
Baghdad, suggesting obsession with his father's old enemy –
especially if Hussain continues in his attempts to manipulate oil
prices, and evade the remaining U.N. sanctions. However, as seen from
the perspective of Astro*Carto*Graphy, Bush's natal Mars is not
angular in Iraq – so direct military action may not be likely (but
covert CIA-inspired activity might). On the other hand, Bush's Mars
Midheaven line runs directly through Afghanistan (where suspected
terrorist leader Osana Bin Laden is said to be hiding). Natal Pluto
MC runs not only through Iraq and much of the Middle East, but
directly through Mecca, the spiritual center of the Islamic world
(while the inaugural chart Pluto MC runs directly through Tehran) –
with inaugural Saturn conjunct the MC for Jerusalem. Natal Pluto MC
also falls very near to Moscow (where it joins Mercury MC), implying
that suspicion, increased espionage and a return to a cold-war style
rivalry might be conceivable in regard to United States-Russia
relations – especially with a former KGB official, Vladimir Putin,
heading the Russian government. Other potential international
hotspots include North Korea (with the explosive inaugural chart Mars-
Saturn-Ademtos-Uranus T-Square angular in P'anmunjom) and Serbia
(same aspect, with Mars-MC falling directly atop the coordinates of
Belgrade). In short, all the military hotspots of the "old" and "new
world orders" are back in focus during the Bush administration.
Whether any these hotspots erupt, and come to exclusively embody the
threatening symbolism of this Mars, remains to be seen. My guess is
that President Bush may find himself fighting a battle on both the
domestic and international fronts.
One would be remiss to conclude any discussion of this inaugural Mars
without a discussion of the oft noted Jupiter-Saturn cycle
correlation with the death of a president. While this astrologer
remains largely unconvinced of the universal validity of this theory
(since one has to really stretch the orb of influence to include
Franklin Roosevelt -- who was originally elected in 1932, and died in
office only after being re-elected again in 1944), the potential for
political violence is unmistakably present in the current chart.
However, a nearly exact waxing trine from Sun to Jupiter suggests
physical protection should the president be attacked. On the other
hand, inauguration Moon in the 8th house conjunct Chiron and Pluto,
in a nearly exact opposition to transneptunian Hades (and quincunx
Ademetos) certainly suggests the possibility of serious illness, a
grieving widow or great public sadness. Add to these a square to
Venus in Pisces (prayers, sentimental outpourings of affection) and a
sextile to technologically-oriented Uranus (perhaps life-support
medical equipment). Also, transneptunian Zeus, which Witte associated
with "armaments" and "warfare" sits directly opposed the Point of
Fortune. And, as previously referenced, Mars is square Mercury-
Uranus, and opposed both Saturn and Ademtos. It is an ominous picture
to be sure, but not inevitably one of physical violence – although
the potential certainly exists. In political terms, it very clearly
suggests a wounded presidency. And, in light of Vice-President
Cheney's heart condition (and remember that his swearing in occurs
within minutes of Bush's), it might even point to serious health
issues that are unrelated to political controversy and violence. But,
to reiterate, the nearly exact waxing trine from Sun to Jupiter does
suggest a degree of physical protection for both men. And perhaps the
waning trine from chart ruler Venus to descendant ruler Mars takes a
bit of an edge off the most malefic energies in this picture.
On the surface, security-minded Taurus and materialistic Capricorn
represent the predominant zodiacal hues for this administration. On
the other hand, these same two signs occupy the angles for any chart
set in the tropical zodiac for noon in Washington, DC on January 20th
of any year. Rather than being especially characteristic of this
presidency, they are perhaps more symbolic of: a) the horse-trading
and give-and-take required to successfully govern in a legislative
democracy; and, b) the vast institutional power of the executive
branch. However, add in the conjunction of Ademtos and Saturn (which
rules the MC, and provides stability and endurance via a reasonably
tight trine to that angle) in the early degrees of the 1st house,
square progressive Mercury-Uranus in Aquarius, and opposed Mars – and
we have the suggestion of a titanic battle between divergent views,
probable political standstill and, that mainstay of Washington
politics, gridlock. With these elements in play, I would expect, for
instance, potential Supreme and Federal Court confirmation hearings
to be extremely partisan – with any likely pro-life Justice having a
very difficult time overcoming the obstacle course set in front of
him or her by Senate Democrats (especially after the Supreme Court
intervention in the Florida recount). As a point of reference, Bill
Clinton's first inauguration chart had Ademtos in Taurus conjunct the
Ascendant tightly square Saturn in Aquarius – which very succinctly
describes a presidency under siege and constant
investigation/examination. The chart for Bush's swearing-in is, on
balance, much more challenging. On a somewhat lighter note, both the
1993 Clinton chart and the 2001 Bush chart have Venus at the same
degree: 17 Pisces. Taking note of Bush's tight natal Venus-Uranus-
Nodes configuration (which will be set off by transiting Uranus in
2001), one can only speculate what this curious parallel might auger
for the potential romantic scandals of a Bush presidency!
If I were giving President Bush astrological advice, my first tip
would be to delay, in the spirit of a new tradition for a new
millenium, the swearing-in ceremony so that it occurs later in the
day – thus avoiding Mars' extremely problematic placement on the
descendant. Even postponing the ceremony by an hour would introduce
an Aquarius MC (and a near stationary Jupiter on the Ascendant),
which might more successfully set the tone for a more enlightened,
bipartisan (not to mention successful) administration. Assuming
tradition stands, however, and the inauguration occurs more or less
at the expected moment in time, I would begin by urging an extra
degree of physical caution on behalf of both himself and Vice
President Cheney. I would further urge him to acknowledge as best he
can the legitimate demands of those opposed to either his domestic
campaign agenda or a perceived American hegemony around the world –
thus taking away as much destructive energy as possible from the
bitter anger and resentment so typical of Mars in Scorpio. Speaking
specifically in terms of the domestic front, if the best interests of
the United States were taken into account, I would counsel him that
this is hardly the time for a partisan politics-as-usual approach.
The single worst assumption President Bush could make is to take the
Supreme Court's judicial intervention as a mandate for any strongly
divisive change. To do so with this chart imprinting itself on the
American psyche would doubtless set in motion competing forces that
would likely engulf yet another presidency in dramatic controversy
and crisis.
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