AUGUST 2006  

by Maya del Mar

People are saying, “Why doesn’t Bush 'do something' about the obscene horror in Lebanon?” The answer is simple: It doesn’t have political payoff, while backing Israel in its wars and in arming its arsenal provides much political capital. Here are at least four benefits to Bush. I’m sure there are many more.

1. Bush has a golden opportunity to express his macho image, in which he feels secure, and which has wide popularity in the U.S. Vesta is where we feel secure. Bush has his Vesta in Aries, a fighting sign, in the ninth house of foreign relations and expansion. He is propping up his public image shortly before election time.

2. Because of Bush’s backing of Israel, what was the growing neocon criticism suddenly ceased, and he has his fanatic neocon team back again rooting for him. Bush’s actions are indeed an expression of the American psyche, for Bush’s Vesta is conjunct the U.S. natal nadir in Aries, that place which is the U.S. psychological base.

3. The failing financial numbers pick up, as weapons makers and war-supporting corporations increase their business. This helps Bush in two ways—averting financial catastrophe, and giving his party’s major campaign donors a payoff. (Remember, the U.S. is a major financial supporter and weapons supplier to Israel.)

4. The American public is distracted from domestic issues, some of which are very pressing, just prior to election time.

This is a brilliant move, probably designed by that master strategist, Karl Rove. (His Sun is in Capricorn, where “General” Pallas Athena has been traveling since last winter. See article.) There are memos, in fact, dating from a year ago, between the U.S. and Israel detailing the Lebanon operation.

Israel’s attack on Lebanon began just as the U.S. progressed Mars turned retrograde to begin an 80-year retrograde journey.

Mars is The God of War, the ruler of Aries. Retrograde planets take us back into the past. The very day that the U.S. progressed Saturn turned retrograde was election day in November 1994, when Republicans made a huge sweep of election wins. Immediately Gingrich touted his Contract on America. Now we see what Mars retrograde means for the U.S. In 1994, Scorpio Saturn was in the 11th house of Congress. Now Libra Mars is in the 10th house of how we meet the world.

Martin Schulman says that Libra is the most difficult sign for Mars retrograde. Mars retrograde brings us back to a time in the past when we had to deal with a force. Now we unconsciously vibrate to that same force. It is very difficult to match our energies (Mars) with present circumstances and needs.

The U.S. progressed Mars, as it is turning retrograde at 19 Libra, conjoins George W. Bush’s natal Jupiter at 19 Libra. Jupiter is a significator of politics, and GW is very energized now (and for months to come) to be very expansive politically. Remember that on July 6, Jupiter in the heavens turned direct, and sprang into action. This was on Bush’s birthday, and thus sets the tone for his whole solar cycle, lasting until his next birthday.

The U.S. currently has five of the ten major planets progressed into retrograde phase. It is as though we have moved backwards instead of forwards during the last several years. We vibrate to past experience.

In addition, the natal U.S. Mercury is retrograde in Cancer, a sign which never forgets. Because of this, the U.S. already has a tendency to live more in the past than in the present.

Added to Neptune’s strong influence, this preponderance of retrogrades makes dealing with current reality very difficult for the U.S. Progressed Mercury only has a decade to go in retrograde, but natal Mercury will always have that placement. The rest of the planets are very slow and will be retrograde for anywhere from Mars’ 80 years to many scores of years.

Saturn, we need you!