January 1st, 2002
Nancy Lubar Sommers, LCSW
The War on Terrorism began with great energy and force, fueled by the tears of a nation in mourning. The very strong Jupiter transit to the US and President Bush’s Sun (both 13 Cancer) brought with it the successful forging of many disparate alliances, as well as a fundamentally successful military campaign which ousted the Taliban from power. But as the planets have shifted, so has the tenor of the war. Most of those who were in a leadership position in both the Taliban and al Qaeda have escaped, including the notorious and slippery Osama bin Laden. We are mired in a struggle that only a short while ago seemed close to completion. Many in Afghanistan want the bombing to stop, though we relentlessly continue, while word of the death and destruction of innocents seeps through the news embargo.
As mentioned in a previous article, some of this may be attributed to the strong Saturn element now present in President Bush’s chart. Saturn is currently square Bush’s Mars and semisquare his Midheaven and will linger there through late March 2002. This difficult transit is clearly impeding progress in many areas for the Commander-in-Chief and causing many obstacles that Bush must carefully and meticulously overcome. But it is the aspects unfolding in the Inaugural Chart that can help us more fully understand the swirling energies that will develop in January and February.
There are three significant Inaugural chart events in January that, together, suggest increasing military activity by the US, followed by some kind of crisis or upset that shakes up the administration. The first of these is the Inaugural tertiary progressed Ascendant conjunct natal Jupiter (approximately 1/10 to 1/26/02), suggesting expansion and forging ahead. An indicator in Bush’s chart supports this. From 1/14 through 1/22/02, transiting Mercury will make a station quincunx Bush’s Sun, triggering his very aggressive progressed Mars square to his natal Sun, which implies that he will be in a military and combative mode during the same period his administration is “expanding” under Jupiter.
A further indication in the Inaugural chart of increased confrontation with an opponent or enemy is the progressed Moon, which has moved into a semisquare with natal Mars. This intensifies the power of the progressed Ascendant currently opposed to natal Mars, an aspect that has been in effect for several months. Both of these aspects are peaking in strength during the second half of January. They create a tremendous focus on Inaugural Mars, whose natal position and aspects suggest fierce enemies who act suddenly (square Uranus), violently (in Scorpio), in the open (conjunct the 7th cusp and ruler of the 7th house), and in secret (ruler of the 12th house). The opposition from the Ascendant implies engagement with the enemy (1/19 through 1/21 may be of especial note in this regard).
The third aspect of import in the Inaugural chart in January is the transit of Uranus square to natal Saturn. Because Saturn is rising in the first house and rules the Midheaven, it is particularly representative of the Administration in this chart. The Uranus square implies sudden and powerful events that cause disruption and upset to the status quo. The last time Uranus hit Inaugural Saturn by a direct transit, the American spy plane was brought down over China. The standoff continued until the transit was over in mid-April 2001. This transit will last from mid-January through February 1, 2002. It will be strongest during the last days of the transit, simultaneous to the increased strength of the Inaugural Moon semisquare to Mars. Moreover, there will be some triggering from Mars at 9 Aries and the Moon at 24 Leo from January 29 to 31, 2002. Thus, the last days of January could very well bring forth some kind of significant and sudden crisis for the administration.
As we move into February and March, another Inaugural Chart aspect brings about a further focus on the battle between the Administration and its adversaries. The Inaugural tertiary progressed Mars will be moving into an exact opposition of natal Saturn, roughly from 1/26/02 through 3/22/02. This aspect represents the increasing struggle between the Administration, attempting to control and literally imprison the enemy (Saturn), and the terrorist enemy, wanting to manifest its rage and aggression (Mars). It is quite strongly triggered by the tertiary progressed Moon between February 8 and February 13, 2002.
With respect to events of terrorism and their aftermath, it is my opinion that the transit of Pluto over the US Ascendant, augmented by its opposition to Saturn, was the single greatest indicator of the post-September 11 feelings of trauma, suspicion, and fear that clung to the country like a shroud for several weeks after the attacks. This same Pluto/Saturn opposition continues to live in the 9/11 chart of the War on Terror. In this chart one may read the evolution of the War on Terror by following the transits and progressions over time. I feel that any trigger to Pluto in this chart should be watched carefully as a potential indicator of a terrorist event. Needless to say, there must be several other indicators in other charts as well, but a trigger to Pluto suggests that those same feelings of fear and threat to survival are likely to be made manifest. When the tertiary progressed Moon in the 9/11 chart made a sesquiquadrate (135 degree aspect) to Pluto, from November 12 to November 14, 2001, two things happened. Osama bin Laden announced he had nuclear weapons, and the American Airlines airbus crashed. Whether or not the plane crash was an act of terror, many assumed that it was, and the same feelings of deep distress and fear abounded.
In light of this, there is a period between February 8 and February 14 that I consider potentially quite hazardous. There are several triggers for several different progressions during those six days that suggest violence and significant events in the current war. The Inaugural tertiary progressed Mars opposite Saturn mentioned above is strongly triggered by the Inaugural tertiary progressed Moon, first opposite tertiary progressed Mars (2/8 –2/10/01) and then conjunct natal Saturn (2/11 to 2/13). But the most dangerous aspect, to my mind, comes on February 12 and 13, when the tertiary progressed Moon in the War on Terror chart reaches a square to natal Pluto. The Moon Pluto aspect suggests the possibility of the same feelings of fear and trauma generated by the events of 9/11, albeit for only a few days. The Sun Uranus conjunction on February 13 is another factor to consider; it suggests a sudden, unpredictable and powerful event.
Thus, January and February are likely to bring great turmoil to the administration, particularly during the second half of January and the first half of February. The War on Terrorism will continue to unfold, although progress will not be as direct and clear as it was in the fall. Fierce political battles as well as intense military activity are possible. President Bush is laboring under a difficult Saturn aspect until late March that will bring few victories and likely force him to face some harsh realities during the next few months.