Astrology of Bush's War Against Iraq by Gary Brand Traditional Astrologer

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BUSH’S WAR AGAINST IRAQ
by Gary Brand - written March 15, 2003, published in the April 2003 edition of Echo* newspaper
pril has one planetary aspect of great significance: the square the Sun makes to Mars. It is significant for three reasons: (1) both the Sun in Aries and Mars in Capricorn are exalted and, therefore, powerful in these signs, (2) this aspect lasts virtually all month (April 4 - 30) because these two bodies are moving at close to the same speed in the zodiac, and (3) they form very intense aspects with two key planets in the U.S. birth chart. Normally, the exalted Sun and Mars would make the square between them less problematic but they are precisely square (90°) on April 17 at 27°38' of their respective signs and Pluto in the U.S. chart is at 27°34' (after April 20 - 21, Sun and Mars change signs so much of their strength is lost). Therefore, these influences will be maximized on April 17 when Mars will precisely conjoin the U.S. Pluto and the Sun will precisely square both transiting Mars and the U.S. Pluto. These aspects signify a "might makes right" stance, self-righteousness, violent assaults, wielding and abusing power, the breakdown of equipment and machinery, and the Bush regime flexing its will and military might. Mars and Pluto are rulers of the 12th house in the U.S. chart and the 12th house is self-undoing, hidden weaknesses, karma, and unconsciously provoked dangers. If the war is under way by this time (this column was finished on March 15), all of these hard aspects indicate much rage and destruction inflicted on the Iraqi people by U.S. forces (and possibly vice versa). [The war actually began in Iraq on March 20, 2003 at 5:42 AM BGT with the U.S. bombing of key targets in Baghdad. However, in this country it began the day before - on March 19 at 9:42 PM EST because the decision to go to war and the decision of when to start it was made and issued from Washington, DC or from the Pentagon across the Potomac River in Virginia.] The Sun square U.S. Pluto symbolizes the continued pressure from overwhelming, world-wide, almost universal opposition to a preemptive, unwarranted, virtually unilateral war against Iraq; this is the world continuing to demand that the Bush regime account for the reckless rush into this war of aggression. In typical double-speak, Bush continues to use the word "peace" in his rhetoric but his lust for war speaks louder than his words. The war will probably start en masse, if it hasn't already started, during the latter half of March when Mars squares the Sun in the U.S. chart and the Sun in Bush's chart. In April, Mars opposes U.S. Mercury (April 6 - 17, maximum strength April 12) while the Sun squares U.S. Mercury (April 12 - 17, maximum strength April 14). Mercury rules the 7th house in the U.S. chart of warfare, enemies and allies and these are adversarial aspects. The next Mercury retrograde effective period begins April 12 and runs through June 10 so Bush's war will be rife with confusion (Mercury squares Neptune) and with communication and equipment problems. Looking at Saddam Hussein's birth chart, it looks like he is going to disappear during this war (transiting Neptune is square his Sun), just like Osama bin Laden did during the war against Afghanistan. I hear talk of this being the start of World War III but I am optimistic enough to not give energy to that fear. Is there a positive side to this war? Yes - it is mobilizing people of conscience who oppose pointlessly spending [hundreds of] billions of dollars on a war that threatens to destabilize world peace and kill as many as 100,000 Iraqis (most of whom are children). Wouldn't that money be better spent on humanitarian priorities here at home such as stimulating our failing economy, providing health care for the millions of Americans without health insurance, and helping millions of people in this country who are without jobs or who are suffering and desperately need government assistance? Isn't helping our own people here at home more patriotic than attacking a country that poses no threat to us? We can't stop Bush's war on the Iraqi people but we can make a difference by more actively opposing his domestic and foreign agendas, which are focused only on corporate profits and the acquisition of power (especially the military-industrial complex) and they do not care about improving the lives of the vast majority of Americans or protecting the environment. It's all in Bush's birth chart and the U.S. chart, which will be addressed in depth in a future article. _____________________________________ *Echo is a monthly newspaper about community, the environment, health, cuisine, and spirituality that is distributed in central Virginia.
Good Timing and Location are Keys to Success Gary Brand, Astrologer P.O. Box 3673, Tallahassee, Florida 32315 850-656-5758 © copyright 2003-2011 Gary Brand. All Rights Reserved.