NewsScope for July 23, 2002

Crisis of Confidence on Wall Street

Last Friday the Dow took a 390-point dive, capping of a dismal week of corporate accounting and earnings woes. For the week overall investors lost a staggering $750 billion as the major markets reached lows not seen since 1998 and 1997. The market slump has jolted people's worlds, as capitalism itself is being broadly questioned.

From an astrological perspective, such deep questioning of essential core values is what the planet Pluto is all about. Pluto's slow orbit of 248 years means that when it hits a critical degree or area, the intense transformations it engenders tend to take an excruciatingly long time before the process is completed. Pluto has been transiting through the U.S. Second House since 1997. (Editor's note: WolfStar uses a Scorpio Rising chart for the United States.)

The Second House refers to values, both financial and metaphysical. Pluto's passage here begins with a breakdown phase, leading to severe loss of personal income. Ultimately, new attitudes toward property and material possessions must be developed. Over the last two years Pluto's breakdown phase was activated by Saturn's opposition  from the Eighth House of corporate affairs.

While Pluto has never before been in the U.S. Second House, Saturn visits there regularly, every 30 years. Saturn's passage likewise has corresponded to severe financial downturns, including the crashes of 1929 and 1987. As mentioned last week, the market is probably hitting a short-term bottom now since transiting Jupiter is opposed the U.S. Pluto. Still, in the long term, Pluto's presence in the Second House remains a potent force. Pluto here insists on a collective attitude adjustment about our overly materialistic society.

Jupiter Enters Leo

On August 1 expansive Jupiter enters Leo, marking the beginning of a one-year passage through the sign associated with royalty, celebrities and heroes. Jupiter in Leo highlights whatever shines brightly, and carries great dignity, magnificence and splendor. When Jupiter enters Leo, confidence returns, and new superstars emerge to lead others along a quest for a better and more beautiful world.

As Jupiter forms challenging aspects to other planets, the path to success is challenged by other views, other interests. Jupiter advances rapidly to form an opposition to Neptune in Aquarius, which happens to be exact on the ominous date of September 11. The Jupiter-Neptune polarity highlights the Leo-Aquarius axis, and by extension, the critical problems of the New Age, the Age of Aquarius.

In astrologer Ray Grasse's exciting new book Signs of the Times, the Age of Aquarius is described as a polarity between Leo and Aquarius. Leo honors the individual, and boosts the king or dictator, the Hollywood star or the CEO. Aquarius works for a systems approach, which in the global village means building democracies, alliances, networks and social equality.

Neptune  in Aquarius is hopelessly idealistic for its cause, whatever that might be. Jupiter in Leo is ready to pursue the hero's path in whatever form is available. This axis when active frequently corresponds to Middle East turmoil, as the democratic society of Israel confronts the autocratic societies of its Arab neighbors. In the U.S. this polarity is particularly relevant as it shapes up during the election season. CEOs, movie stars and Senators can become heroes or scapegoats overnight.

Angela Jolie and Billy Bob

Tomb Raider star Angelina Jolie and her husband of two years Billy Bob Thornton are going their separate ways, having reached the point of "irreconcilable differences." In an interview with US magazine, Jolie says she hasn't seen Billy Bob since June 3, the day before her birthday when he left her alone with their recently adopted son to tour with his band.

Angelina Jolie was born with beautiful Venus rising in the domestic sign of Cancer (June 4, 1975; 9:09 am; Los Angeles, CA), a placement that gives great love for home and family relations. However, this Venus is exactly square Uranus, promising that her relationships tend to be unreliable because whatever is new and unusual holds more attraction than the tried and true.

Billy Bob Thornton (August 4, 1955; Hot Springs, AR; time unknown) has six planets in creative Leo, all squaring Saturn, which gives a constant need to prove himself. The easygoing Sun-Jupiter conjunction can relax for awhile, but with a tight Mars-Saturn square, the underlying irritation to accomplish something really big is always present.

Billy Bob's Venus is conjunct Uranus, giving him the same need for highly stimulating and even bizarre relationships as Angelina. Then his Uranus is perfectly aligned with her Venus-Ascendant. These Venus-Uranus links created a spontaneous love affair, characterized by bizarre love rituals and plenty of exciting Hollywood gossip. However, they split* just as suddenly as they bonded, exactly as transiting Uranus hit his Uranus and her Ascendant-Venus.

*Also as transiting Saturn was exactly conjunct her Juno, the marriage asteroid. See NewsScope June 19, 2001 for more on Ms. Jolie.

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