NewsScope for May 17, 2005

Senate Majority leader Bill Frist is on the verge of triggering the so-called "nuclear option", which is the plan to ban filibusters against judicial nominees. Many Democrats are determined to stop several of Bush's appointees, and will want to filibuster. The political battle is reaching a crisis point this coming week, with the potential of grinding the entire congressional process to a halt.

Astrology as the study of cycles describes the recurrence of the filibuster. The very first filibuster began on February 18, 1841 and lasted until March 11. At the time Neptune was in Aquarius, and exactly opposite the U.S. Midheaven. Now, precisely one Neptune cycle later, Neptune has returned to the same degree area of Aquarius, as the procedural right to filibuster is debated. (Editor's note: WolfStar uses a Scorpio Rising chart for the United States.)

While this political jousting may seem trivial to outsiders, the Neptune cycle has much wider implications. Neptune at the foundation of the U.S. Scorpio Rising horoscope also initiated the Presidential Death Cycle. William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, died on April 4, 1841 only one month after his inauguration. Ever since then, a President has died in office whenever Neptune makes a hard aspect to the U.S. Midheaven, on average, every 21 years.

The only exception to this cycle was Ronald Reagan, who was scheduled to die, according to this cycle, around 1985. He may have been protected by his astrologer Joan Quigley, but he did develop Alzheimer's around this time, and many of his presidential obligations were assumed by his Chief of Staff, Donald Regan. The Neptune cycle is now in effect once again.

Classified Memo on Iraq Leaked

During the last few days of Britain's just-concluded election, a secret memo was leaked claiming that President Bush had already decided to invade Iraq by the summer of 2002. The memo, dated July 23, 2002, summarized what the chief of MI-6 (British intelligence) learned about the Bush administration's intentions, and stated in part that "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

Comparing the transits on July 23, 2002 to George W. Bush's horoscope (July 6, 1946; 7:26 am; New Haven, CT) reveals the smoke and mirrors* being created behind an established policy. First, Bush's Mercury-Pluto conjunction in the First House describes a personality with intense, highly focused perspectives and opinions. Mercury-Pluto people have a strong desire to persuade others of the their views.

On July 23, 2002 transiting Neptune was exactly, to-the-minute, opposite Bush's Mercury. Neptune, the planet of imagination, fantasy, and deception is capable of mounting a misinformation campaign when aspecting Mercury, the communications planet. As we know now, Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction, and was not harboring Al Qaeda terrorists, as the Bush administration repeatedly asserted as their reason for invading Iraq.

The leak arrived as transiting Mars and Uranus opposed Bush's own Mars last week. This extremely dangerous combination manifested as two separate incidents of potentially lethal attacks on the President, and involved an unexploded hand grenade and a pilot entering restricted air space over the White House. Uranus remains in an opposition to Bush's Mars through February 2006, and we can anticipate that unexpected, disruptive attacks, both political and physical, will continue.

Eva Longoria's Venus

Last week Latina sexpot Eva Longoria topped Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list of the most successful women in the entertainment business. The brash actress, who plays the mischievous Gabrielle on ABC's hit satire Desperate Housewives, recently commented, "I love being sexy and feeling sexy. But the best thing about being a woman is the power we have over men."

Eva Longoria was born an alluring Pisces (March 15, 1975; Corpus Christi, TX; time unknown) with her Venus in assertive Aries. The Sun and Venus placements are identical to American Idol contestant Carrie Underwood, and even occupy the same degrees (24º Pisces, and 24º Aries). Fame and fortune have arrived for this lucky combination since transiting Pluto is at 24º Sagittarius.

Pluto will remain in this degree area through the end of 2006, providing a time frame for Eva's likely reign over the rest of the Desperate Housewives. Transiting Pluto trine her Venus intensifies her love nature and sex appeal, while transiting Pluto's square to her Sun may be personally challenging due to all the media attention and film offers she will be getting.

Eva's Venus is further enhanced over the coming year with a once-in-a-lifetime conjunction with her progressed Sun. The Sun-to-Venus connection is traditionally associated with finding true love, but in modern times is more likely to bring her a passionate, new love affair. Her current romantic interest is ‘N Sync musician J.C. Chasez, but with her progressed Venus in restless Gemini and forming a sharp aspect to excitable Uranus, the astrologer suspects she's about to find someone new.

*See NewsScope for September 10, 2002 for preliminary discussion on transiting Neptune to Bush's Mercury, and other astrological factors leading up to the invasion. For more on transiting Uranus opposite Bush's Mars, see NewsScope February 8, 2005.

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