NewsScope for December 24, 2001

Pakistan, the Center of the Cyclone

India's government demanded that Pakistan arrest the leaders and freeze the assets of two Pakistan-based militant groups accused of the December 13 suicide raid on India's parliament. India Prime Minister Vajpayee is under domestic political pressure to launch a military strike against what it believes are terrorist training camps in Kashmir. Tanks and troops are now taking up positions on both sides of the line that divides the two nuclear nations.

India and Pakistan were each created as sovereign states on August 15, 1947 at midnight when the British colonial power officially bowed out. Their respective horoscopes are set for their capitals of New Delhi and Karachi. The critical war planet Mars is placed in territorial Cancer, and made extremely volatile by a conjunction with explosive Uranus.

This Mars was powerfully energized by the Summer Solstice Solar Eclipse, and ignited last week by transiting Chiron's opposition to this star struck zodiacal point. In addition, progressed Mars last week was exactly square natal  Chiron, repeating the astrological vibration of Mars-to-Chiron. This Mars-Chiron duo describes a readiness and willingness to fight to protect the national sense of wounded pride.

Over the next week transiting Mars and Pluto square each other, setting the tone for extreme measures. Hopefully, international pressure will prevent India and Pakistan from actually going to war during this highly dangerous week. However, over the next year the focus shifts to Pakistan where progressed Mars is nearly exactly on the Fourth House cusp, a situation that could lead to civil war or other warlike conditions.

Argentina Slips Into Chaos

Argentina's dire economic problems spiraled out of control over the last two weeks as rioting in the streets culminated last Thursday with President De la Rua's resignation and dramatic exit via helicopter from the presidential palace roof. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil maintained a hard-line stance against any additional aid to help Argentina with its staggering $132 billion in public debt.

Argentina's national horoscope (May 25, 1810; Buenos Aires, noon) accurately reflects the current upheaval. The activating agent* for last week's turmoil coincided with the Mars-Saturn square (discussed in last week's NewsScope), which happened to perfectly align with Argentina's Mars opposite Saturn. This combination of transiting Mars-Saturn to a natal Mars-Saturn configuration is double trouble, and one of the surest astrological signatures for profound conflict.

Another, longer-term double hit is the ongoing Saturn-Pluto opposition aligning with Argentina's Saturn-Pluto square. The inherent message implied with this combination is that the socio-economic problems will require deep structural changes before any improvement can be expected. These necessary changes were forecast back in the July 24, 2001 NewsScope, where you can find further astrological background.

The next hurdle is the third and final Saturn-Pluto opposition in May 2002 that aligns with Argentina's Ceres-Pluto square. Ceres-Pluto combinations are known to bring tremendous suffering and loss of life. Ideally, by this time the restructuring process will be implemented, otherwise the social chaos could be truly catastrophic.

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's New Leader

Last week Hamid Karzai assumed temporary leadership over war-ravaged Afghanistan, taking charge of the difficult business of nation-building. In 1994 Karzai was supportive of the Taliban, and as a respected tribal leader was asked to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations. But he grew suspicious of Pakistani and Arab influence over the Taliban, and since then has fought against them.

Hamid Karzai was born a constructive Capricorn (December 24, 1957; Quetta, Pakistan; time unknown) with his Sun favorably trine to Pluto and sextile to a religious Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. The exact trine to Pluto facilitates his ability to rejuvenate and rebuild a nation. These three planets enhancing his fatherly Capricorn Sun also show how Karzai inherited leadership skills from his own father who was the chieftain of a powerful Pashtun tribe.

Karzai's Moon and Venus are in egalitarian Aquarius, giving him an easy rapport with people from different ethnic or national backgrounds. He is equally comfortable in a suit and tie as he is in a tunic and turban, and he speaks English fluently. He built a reputation as a diplomat by making deals between Afghanistan's feuding tribes.

Karzai's Mars is in cosmopolitan Sagittarius, and forms a challenging square to Pluto. The Mars-Pluto square is hardened by extreme violence, and resonates with this coming week's transiting Mars-Pluto square. His immediate task under this hostile climate is to convince the Northern Alliance troops stationed in Kabul that they are not the national military. Then, with transiting Chiron conjunct his Sun, he can proceed to personify the role of national healer.

*An additional astrological trigger for Argentina's current dilemma is transiting Chiron's opposition to the Summer Solstice Solar Eclipse. The path of total darkness for that powerful eclipse began in Argentina. See NewsScope June 12, 2001 for details, which also discusses Pakistan's Mars.