NewsScope for August 19, 2008

Obama in Colorado

In 1859, gold was discovered near Idaho Springs, which resides in the current state of Colorado. The gold rush was on as the so-called "fifty-niners" established camps in Boulder, Colorado City, Gold Hill, and Pueblo. The Colorado Territory was organized around these camps to govern the chaotic prospecting claims, and then on August 1, 1876 Colorado entered the union as the 38th state.

Colorado's Sun is in Leo  (August 1, 1876; noon, Denver), the sign traditionally associated with gold. The Leo Sun is given an extra dose of pride and energy by its conjunction with Mars, a robust pairing that accounts for Colorado's very active and athletic population with the lowest obesity rate in the nation. The prominent Mars also explains Colorado's high profile in U.S. military operations and planning.

Colorado's Sun squares Neptune, which makes Colorado denizens especially hopeful and imaginative. Colorado's Sun-Neptune square is the astrological signature for abundant oil and gas reserves, including oil shale deposits estimated at one trillion barrels—about the same as the entire world's proven oil reserves. Colorado's Leo Sun squaring Neptune also happens to be the exact celestial pattern shared by Barack Obama.

Obama was born one Uranus cycle after Colorado, and shares Colorado's self-confidence, hope for the future, and creative intelligence. As the DNC opens on August 25, Colorado's Mars will have progressed to 8º Scorpio, which corresponds to the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, as well as Obama's Neptune. The Moon moves into Leo on August 28, when Obama is scheduled to accept his party's nomination before 75,000 people, and perhaps a billion viewers worldwide.

The Astrology of Russia's Five-Year Plan

Although Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili signed the truce agreement with Russia last week, Russian tanks and troops remain in Gori (Stalin's birthplace) and only 25 miles from the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. As geopolitical strategists ponder the resurgent bear's next move—often comparing the current climate with imperialistic Russia of the past four centuries—the astrological picture helps shape what we can reasonably expect.

As described last week, Russia's horoscope (June 12, 1990; 1:45 pm; Moscow) is under a pervasive Mars influence, and one that is not likely to recede over the next few weeks, since natal Mars is under the rays of the progressed Sun and Ascendant for the next few months. This chart also reveals Moscow's intentions in Georgia—the opportunity to control Georgia's oil pipeline.

Russia's Neptune, the natural ruler of oil, is located at 13º Capricorn. As Russian troops pushed beyond their nominal goal of securing South Ossetia, they advanced toward the Baku/Ceyhan pipeline, which provides western access to the Caspian Sea's vast oil reserves. Transiting Jupiter, now at 13º Capricorn, is right on Russia's Neptune and will turn direct here over the next month, providing Russia with a major opportunity.

Russia's horoscope tells us that the return to Cold War geopolitics is more than just rhetoric. Over the next five years, Russia's progressed Mars is applying to a square to Saturn, indicating a steady and confrontational build-up of military power. More ominously, the epochal Uranus-Pluto square in 2012 takes place in Aries and Capricorn, and happens to perfectly align with Russia's Mars-Uranus square in the same signs.

Phelps's Eight Gold Medals Eclipses Spitz

Mark Spitz's incredible 1972 Olympic swimming record of winning seven gold medals while setting seven new world records was eclipsed by the amazing Michael Phelps. Mark Spitz (February 10, 1950; 5:45 pm; Modesto, CA) was born with 24º Leo Rising and his Sun at 21º Aquarius—the very degrees of the Lunar Eclipse that took place over the weekend as Phelps eclipsed Spitz.

Michael Phelps (June 30, 1985; Baltimore, MD; time unknown) was born with a Sun-Mars conjunction in the watery sign of Cancer. Sun-Mars individuals are naturally competitive and/or aggressive, and swimming provided an early outlet to channel his restless energy. His Mars, the natural ruler of great athletes, is celestially empowered by a conjunction with the first-magnitude star Sirius as well as a Yod formation with Jupiter and Uranus.

Phelps has an intensely rigid focus at the pool prior to races. With his Mercury closely aspecting  Neptune and Pluto, we can see that his winning ways are as much mental discipline and imagineering as physical prowess. His Cancer Sun is conjunct Ceres, a combination that enjoys making, eating, and sharing food. Currently, he eats around 12,000 calories/day—most of which is transformed into fuel for his grueling daily workouts.

Phelps was born exactly three Jupiter cycles after Spitz, that is, they both have Jupiter at 16º Aquarius. Star-watcher Diana Rosenberg explained this coincidence by noting its conjunction with Rotanev, a fixed star in the constellation of Delphinus (the Dolphin), a combination that makes for speedy swimmers. Jupiter here is also conjunct the U.S. IC, where it brings honors (Jupiter) to the American homeland (4th House cusp).

For more on Russia's horoscope, celebrity profiles and other geopolitical commentary from an astrological perspective, visit www.neptunecafe.com.

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