NewsScope for October 9, 2007

The Global Village Enters the Age of Aquarius

Last week, cities across Asia, Europe and North America launched protest rallies against Myanmar's military regime, which admitted to detaining hundreds of Buddhist monks. The widespread, spontaneous response demonstrated how global communication networks are connecting people and events around the world, as if we all live in a small village. The accelerated merging of diverse cultures is a celestial signpost for the Age of Aquarius.

Among astrologers who point to a year when we officially begin the Age of Aquarius, 2012 is becoming increasingly popular. The most recent addition to this view comes from astrologer Mark Borax in his book 2012: Crossing the Bridge to the Future. The author describes the pending paradigm shift, and how we are in the best of times and the worst of times: "The balance of forces is raw and volatile."

Among those who experienced the socio-political revolution of the 1960s, many felt that era was the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. A Uranus-Pluto conjunction astrologically marked that era for a collective change in consciousness. But in the seventies, everyone forgot that peace and love happened, as practical necessities overtook liberation. However, the sixties did give birth to our information technologies.

In 2012, the revolutionary Uranus-Pluto cycle reaches its next major phase. The two planets form the first of seven squares in June 2012, by which time we can expect their crisis-inducing tendencies to be full-blown and on a global scale. As reported last week, global warming is already escalating much more rapidly than anyone anticipated, but this will likely be only one of many collective challenges.

The Prince of Blackwater

Last Thursday, the House of Representatives approved a bill (by 389-30) that would bring all U.S. government contractors in Iraq under the jurisdiction of American criminal law. The legal move comes amid the continuing uproar over the September 16 shooting of Iraqi civilians by the Blackwater* security company. Blackwater personnel are charged with protecting the world's largest embassy, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

Blackwater's founder and CEO is Erik Prince, who was born with his Gemini Sun (June 6, 1969; Holland, Michigan; time unknown) square Pluto and opposite Mars, which is about the most militant combination one can find. His Mars is particularly prominent due to its network of close aspects, and its conjunction with Antares, a first magnitude red star traditionally associated with military honors.

Until 1995, Prince served in the armed forces as a Navy Seal. His life changed on March 2, 1995 when his father died unexpectedly, as his Sun was simultaneously squared by transiting Saturn and opposed by transiting Jupiter. His father left him a $1.3 billion fortune, giving him the opportunity to found Blackwater on December 26, 1996, as transiting Pluto was heading into a conjunction with his natal Mars.

Erik Prince is renowned for shunning the spotlight, but last week, as transiting Uranus squared his Sun, he had to testify before Congress to defend his company's role in Iraq. With the doubled combination of transiting Mercury opposite his Saturn, and transiting Saturn square his Mercury, he was roundly criticized and judged. Still, with Jupiter completing its first return since his father died, there's bound to be a silver lining for him in this scandalous international affair.

DWTS Early Favorites: Helio and Julianne

When Dancing with the Stars leaped to the top of the TV ratings in its premier week, Sabrina Ryan won the judges' favor, although she lost some points for putting too much hip-hop into her cha-cha. In week two, last year's winner Julianne Hough and her partner, Indy-500 winner Helio Castroneves, emerged as the most likely couple to capture the coveted crown.

Helio's Taurus Sun (May 10, 1975; Sao Paolo, Brazil; time unknown) is sextile to Mars in Pisces on one side and Saturn in Cancer on the other. This combination finds success through hard work and a consistent, reliable drive toward the goal. Mars in Pisces is traditionally associated with dancing, and with Helio's Mars conjunct Pallas, he can visualize and perform complex moves.

Julianne's Sun in Cancer (July 20, 1988; Provo, Utah; time unknown) is closely sextile Jupiter, and the two form a yod with her Saturn-Uranus conjunction in late Sagittarius. This combination has brought her supportive family connections, but with Uranus's disruptive influence, she left home at age ten to study dance in London. Her high-energy Mars in Aries squares graceful Neptune, a very favorable dance signature.

Julianne is the real celebrity in this team: her very close Sun-Uranus aspect sparkles with glitz and showmanship. Transiting Pluto will be conjunct her Saturn-Uranus and then quincunx her Sun over the coming weeks, a sure sign that she will rise to the top of the competition. Transiting Mars's long-term passage through early Cancer is favorably aligning with Helio's Venus and Julianne's Juno, ensuring that this couple has the chemistry to wow audiences.

*For more on the incredible reach of the Blackwater security company, see Wikipedia.

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