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Linda Schurman
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THE SOOTHESAYER INTERNET
October 2004
The Sign of Libra, the Sign of Cancer, and the Presidential Election: On September 26th, transiting Jupiter entered the sign of Libra where it will reside until Oct. 26th, 2005. In addition, both Mercury and Mars are transiting this sign this month during the course of the presidential debates. Mercury will be there until Oct. 15th and Mars will be there through Nov. 11th. Mercury squares Saturn in Cancer between Oct. 13th and 14th and Mars squares Saturn in Cancer between Nov. 2nd through Nov. 8th, just in time for the election. Squares symbolize significant conflicts that are right in line with the personality differences between Pres. Bush and Sen. Kerry. Libra is a promoter of peace, fairness and diplomacy. Cancer is a protector of the family, the tribe, the nation. PRESIDENT BUSH, who is getting his Saturn return this month, has his Sun and Saturn in Cancer in the 12th house of hidden agendas and personalized issues. He comes from an extremely wealthy and historically powerful family whose assets have made it possible for him to be in the political forefront. He is comfortable with the idea of defending a “my tribe at all costs” approach no matter what the cost in human lives or fiscal liabilities. Cancer is a deeply emotional sign, attached to its “turf” and has its distinct loyalties. In Bush’s case, these are to the giant corporations, especially the oil companies, whose interests he has subsidized with huge tax breaks and suspension of the enforcement of the environmental laws that have been passed over the past 30 years to the point that many environmental groups have labeled him an “environmental terrorist”. His deeply held conservatively interpreted Christian religious convictions have allied him with those against stem cell research and gay marriage. These same views have led him to support the current Israeli military policies toward the Palestinians almost unconditionally, fueling hatreds of the U.S.A. throughout the entire Arab world. His pre-emptive invasion of Iraq in violation of international law goes right along with the consistent pattern of “go-it-alone” in his personality. The neo-conservatives on his staff have had an enormous impact on Bush as they have a history of promoting a large American military presence in the Middle East, protecting the oil companies and the interests of Israel. Interestingly, Bush disengaged himself from the Israeli/Palestinian peace process in 2001, soon after his inauguration. He also let it be known that he would no longer enforce the nuclear disarmament treaties that had been carefully crafted in the preceding thirty years. Instead, he asked Congress and received approval to develop new nuclear weapons. Since that time, other nations feel they should have the “right” to develop these weapons against the imperialism of the U.S.A., contributing to a new wave of building up armaments rather than continuing ongoing disarmaments promoted by previous administrations. Libra is the sign most associated with peacemaking. His natal Jupiter and Moon in Libra would indicate he could develop diplomatic skills if he chose to do so. His Venus in Leo in his first house sextile this Jupiter/Moon conjunction accounts for his success in “charming” the American public with his personal charisma. However, his own inner conflict is between the Saturn/Sun in Cancer philosophy of “us against the world” versus the Jupiter/Moon in Libra suggesting balance and diplomacy. Notably, Russian Premier Vladamir Putin is a Libra with whom Bush seemed, at one time, to have a positive connection. A great contradiction in Bush’s policies is the encouragement of corporate outsourcing of jobs and international trade agreements without protecting labor and the environment. He and his friends constantly reiterate that we cannot be isolationists in the global market place, even though it means the loss of tax revenue to finance American infrastructure and the escalating loss of jobs in manufacturing, high-tech, financial and pharmaceutical industries. We are “global” when it favors giant corporations, but unilateral in our foreign policies, alienating friends and allies abroad. Many American tourists are shocked while traveling abroad at the intense hatreds expressed for the Bush administration. In addition, many Republicans are deeply concerned about the astronomical budget deficits incurred by the huge corporate tax breaks, the black hole war in Iraq and the so-called prescription drug benefit bill that does nothing to reduce costs of prescription drugs in the market place. Bush’s Mercury/Pluto conjunction on his Leo ascendant suggests he would be very unlikely to change his mind or his loyalties, no matter how catastrophic the consequences. SENATOR KERRY is a “double” Sagittarius with his Sun in his first house with a stellium of planets in Gemini in the sixth and seventh houses including the Moon and Saturn. His Jupiter (ruler of the chart) is in Leo in his 9th house of travel, education, and international relations, pointing to a willingness to work closely with other countries in a more multi-lateral approach to the war on terror. Pluto and the No. Node in Leo in his 8th house shows that he, like Pres. Bush, has access to multi-millions of dollars through his backers and his wife Theresa Heinz Kerry’s estate. He also is a Yale graduate and a charter member of the “establishment” network of politically and economically powerful people, having served in the Senate for about 20 years. His 7th house Saturn connects with his Sun, Moon and Jupiter lending a reserved and often wooden appearance and suggesting a deliberate careful and intellectual approach to solving problems. The 7th house is the “Libra” house of partnerships which are extremely important to him since he truly listens to what others have to say. Yet, he demands of himself and others a rigorously critical examination of any issue before deciding what action to take. Thus, he sometimes appears to “flip-flop” from one side of the issue to the other looking at all the possible consequences of any one decision. He would choose cabinet members and close advisors with the highest intellectual credentials and take what they say seriously. He seems to have a real concern for the environment and realizes that the escalating price of oil and gas are precursors to eventual shortages and and the exhaustion of supply. He has a plan for investment and tax breaks to those who develop solar, windmill and fuel cell technologies. He would re-engage in talks with the Kyoto environmental treaty. Whether or not he sees this issue as of supreme importance is, at present, unclear. He has voted for the war in Iraq but, as he has stated many times, thinks the whole operation is a disaster and that Bush has no workable plan for the rebuilding of Iraq. With his 9th house Jupiter, Kerry is more likely to engage other nations in this effort than Bush and most other nations have voiced their willingness to work with Kerry. Recently, however, both France and Germany have stated they would not send troops there. In any event, Kerry is definitely a coalition builder and would give other heads of state the impression that he is really listening to them. However, once he made a decision, he would stick with it. It is getting to that point that is his issue. Kerry has Mercury in Capricorn in his 2nd house of finance and would drop the large tax breaks for the upper one percent, keeping the tax breaks for the middle class. Fiscal responsibility and paying down the debt would be high priorities for him. However, Mercury is inconjunct both Uranus and Pluto in his chart and he would have serious difficulty dealing with the giant corporations (Pluto) and the Congress (Uranus) and the Republican majority in both houses would tie his hands and limit his ability to get the right legislation passed. He would have to clearly communicate a grave truth to America; that if we do not “fix” Social Security and Medicare, we will not have them. If we do not pay down the deficits, this economy will simply collapse in a few short years. Americans these days seem to have a philosophy: “Ignore the truth and it will go away”. It would be hard for anybody to make this kind of case for fiscal responsibility and Kerry must summon much more energy for this task if he is to take the presidency and do the job. The good news for Kerry is that the planetary configurations are improving for him between now and November after extremely trying aspects hit his chart in September. Some of these same Libra placements are also pretty good for Bush. However, on election day, Bush has a very difficult Saturn/Mars square on his Natal Saturn. I think, as do others, that it is too close to call. My concern is for election fraud in Florida and Ohio and that we will have confusion as to who has won, similar to the 2000 election. Mars squares Saturn between the 6th and the 7th and Mercury squares Uranus on the 6th, meaning delays and questions surrounding the electronic returns. Mercury sextiles Jupiter on Nov. 11th, and we should know by then.
THE ECONOMYThere are two eclipses this month: a solar eclipse at 21 degrees of Libra on the 14th and a lunar eclipse at 4 degrees of Taurus on the 28th. Up until the 14th, we should see stock market highs. On that date Mercury squares Saturn and we should see stocks fall. They should rise again on the 18th into the next eclipse and the cabal will try to hold this market up until after the election. There will be a lot of talk about China this month, its growing economy, and the amount of U.S. debt it holds. Soon, they will be able to trade gold publicly on their stock exchange and since they have traditionally been gold bugs, it will be interesting to see if they invest more heavily in the precious metal. I see a rise in gold between November and December. Recently, it has broken through another barrier to trade at over $420. The real estate market bubble is about to be over starting in late December. Interest rates are rising and there is a serious shortage of building materials like wood and steel and, most of all, cement ( which we have been “outsourcing”). Building costs will escalate next year at about the same time as escalating fuel costs and higher interest rates. If you need to sell your house, do it soon! I do not yet, however, see a “crash” in this market until around 2008-09.
FINAL THOUGHTSWith all these planets in Libra, we need to turn our thoughts to the political debates, the issues at hand, and the direction we are headed. It is time to wake up to the repercussions of political and social apathy and how history has shown us that our rights and freedoms are fragile and so easily erased by the power brokers. During the long transit of Neptune in Aquarius, the sign of democracy itself, it would be easy to become anesthetized by the media who swings from promoting its products to promoting its agenda, with little regard for its responsibility to present real news or important truths. I am shocked by the number of people who don’t even want to discuss politics, the war, the economy, or the massive social and economic meltdown that is confronting us. I realize that most of us are tired, burdened by long hours at work at jobs that are increasingly fading away. I understand that we want to spend what little time we have with our families and those we love. But the price we will pay by looking away is simply too high. The price is everything we hold dear, our way of life. So let’s get going! Linda Linda L. Schurman |
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