NewsScope for August 21, 2007

Russia Claims Arctic Ocean

On August 2, Russian explorers planted a titanium Russian flag 4,200 meters beneath the frozen Arctic Ocean at the North Pole. This ritual aimed to secure Russia's claim over the Arctic (along with its vast resources of oil and gas) as an extension of its coastal shelf. As global warming breaks the Arctic ice cover, the competition for control of the sea lanes is heating up.

Russia's modern horoscope (June 12, 1990*; 1:45 pm; Moscow) reflects a resurgent military, empowered by huge oil revenues. Venus, the ruler of Russia's Second House of money, is strongly placed in Taurus and forms a close trine to Neptune, the natural ruler of oil. Venus also opposes Pluto, which has played out in recent years as the struggle between Putin and oil tycoons for monopolistic control.

Russia's Sun, located at 21º Gemini, is exactly conjunct the U.S. Mars. From this, one can see how Russian leadership (Sun) identifies itself as a rival to the American military (U.S. Mars). Russia's own Mars is well-placed in Aries, and by secondary progression, is found at 21º Aries where it forms an exact sextile to the Sun, which accounts for Russia's recent military exercises around the globe.

At the moment, transiting Pluto is exactly squaring Russia's Ascendant, showing how some of Russia's recent military exercises have proven quite provocative. Over the coming years, Russia's progressed Mars advances to square Saturn, ensuring that the Russian war machine is just gearing up, and becoming much more belligerent and assertive over the next five years. Watch when Pluto turns direct on September 6 for big developments involving the Russian military.

Coming Soon: A Lunar and Solar Eclipse

Commenting on item #5 listed in this month's Top Five Astro-Events**, a reader from Denmark writes, "I see some close connections between the chart of Dick Cheney and the lunar eclipse of August 28. The Ascendants stand close as does Juno, and the Sun and Chiron.... What could be the significance of this?" First, many thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Dick Cheney (January 30, 1941; 7:30 pm; Lincoln, NE) currently has transiting Uranus squaring his Mars as the Lunar Eclipse aligns with his Virgo Ascendant and Juno. Also, transiting Chiron is conjunct his Aquarius Sun, located in the Sixth House of health. Since the Ascendant is associated with the physical body, these stressful transits may indicate a sudden failure of well-being.

The next Solar Eclipse takes place on September 11, 2007 (8:44 am EDT). This event is exceptional, not only for its ominous date, but also because the U.S. Mars Return takes place only 21 minutes earlier. The Sun-Moon conjunction forms a highly explosive, volatile, confrontational Grand Cross with Mars in Gemini, Uranus in Pisces, and Pluto in Sagittarius. Any number of disasters can be forecast from this astro-event.

The prominence of Mars in this configuration points to major military developments, not only in Washington as General Petraeus makes his Iraq report, but on the ground in key hotspots. Mars in Gemini also implicates the troubled transportation and communications networks that become disrupted due to hurricane, volcano, or earthquake activity. Terrorist events are very likely wherever American troops are stationed, or perhaps even within the United States. 

Jenna Bush Announces Engagement

Last Thursday, the White House announced that Jenna Bush is going to marry Henry Hagar, the son of a Virginia politician and an aide to Karl Rove. Jenna, one of the "First Twins," has outgrown her party-animal ways to become a teacher and an unpaid intern for UNICEF. Her first book, Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope will be published on October 2.

Jenna Bush was born with her Sagittarius Sun conjunct Uranus (November 25, 1981; 10:05 am; Dallas, TX), and only one week before Britney Spears. Like the pop tart princess, Jenna has conflicting needs in her horoscope that push her between extremes. Jenna's Venus is in responsible Capricorn near her Capricorn Ascendant, and squares the taskmaster Saturn—all of which works hard to tame her wild Sun-Uranus conjunction.

Marriage is a natural expression of Juno, and in Jenna's chart, her Juno is sandwiched between her Sun and Uranus, giving her a reluctance to settle down unless her independence is assured. She may change her mind about wedding dates and even her commitment several times, since transiting Saturn makes three squares to her Sun-Juno-Uranus over the next year.

The engagement announcement was widely seen as a joyous event, and corresponds to transiting Jupiter's exact conjunction with Jenna's progressed Juno. The subtext—not discussed in public, but astrologically clear—is that Ceres is very prominent in her chart now (progressed Moon-Ceres-Jupiter triple conjunction). This indicates that she is either pregnant now, or that she's getting married to have children in the very near future.

*This is the Russian horoscope favored by mundane astrologer Charles Harvey. Another popular chart is set for the raising of the Russian flag on December 25, 1991; 8:45 pm; Moscow. In this second chart, Jupiter in the second house trines Neptune, and progressed Mercury and Mars are conjunct.

**These are listed at www.neptunecafe.com. Note that item #4 includes a forecast of natural and