Arrogant daydreams that inspire military actions can become humiliating nightmares that produce political debacles.--Charles W. Freeman, Jr., U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf War.
We know George Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair, Donald Rumsfeld, have all been linked together through the influence of Neptune. I've discussed numerous times the illusion, delusion, and deception that has marked Bush and his minions from the very beginning of his hostile take over of the White House.
There is another astrological configuration called a Grand Cross, however, which catches even more members of the administration in a web of intrigue and impulsive folly, creating more dangerous possibilities for terrorism in this country, as well as initiating the debacle that is now occurring in Iraq.
Starting with Bush's Saturn(Karma, limitation) in Cancer conjunct the US Mercury(communications, media), we add on Cheney's Chiron, Rice's Uranus and Jupiter, Powell's Pluto, and the new ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte's, Sun and Pluto in a massive conjunction. This sickening soup is further made volatile by opposing Negroponte's Mars, the US Pluto, Rice's Chiron and Powell's Jupiter. The third arm of the cross is manned by Rice's Neptune, while the fourth arm holds Powell's Mercury, Rumsfeld's Uranus and Negroponte's Saturn.
For readers that know nothing about astrology, let's just say that this is a dreadful configuration that could either be the spark that ignites a devastating attack in this country right before the election( transiting Saturn comes in and hits off the Grand Cross), or makes everyone in the administration that has it self-destruct. Could we be so lucky?
Since this is a Cardinal Grand Cross, the complex is aggressive and actively pursues mischief. You know the bad side of the Cardinal signs(Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn). They can't leave well enough alone. Constantly initiating, no matter how foolhardy(Aries), constantly meddling(Cancer), always trying to get others to make nice(Libra), or constantly trying to control everyone and everything(Capricorn).
First let's start with the U.S. Mercury in Cancer opposing Pluto in Capricorn. This is a unpleasant little number that helps us intimidate foreign countries(Pluto being in the 9th House of foreigners), and despite our ideal of religious freedom, gives the fundamentalists a media outlet for their religious hypocrisy and intimidation. Fundamentalists want a theocracy which certainly fits in with Pluto(misuse of power, the dark forces) in Capricorn(government). This unpleasant aspect is stimulated by Bush's Saturn, which reveals that despite Bush's proclamations to the contrary, he experiences a deep seated but subconscious resentment towards our country as well as towards foreigners(Pluto in the 9th House) and although he, at one time, despised the missionary zeal of fundamentalist Christians, he has now, at least on the surface, appropriated that same zeal in his "mission" to bring "freedom" to third world countries. Magi Astrology believes that the bad Saturn Pluto aspect gives the Saturn person(Bush) control of the Pluto person(US). We've certainly been suffering with Bush's incompetent but powerful control over the U.S. government as well as our disastrous relationships with foreign countries. Further with the U.S. Mercury in Bush's 12th House of secrets and deception and conjunct his Saturn, people believe that he has the most secretive administration in history. The Saturn tries to stifle communication(Mercury) and has particularly affected the media because this conjunction fits into the U.S Third House of communications.
On to Dick Cheney with his Chiron conjunct Bush's Saturn, therefore squaring the U.S. Mercury Pluto opposition. According to Magi Astrology, Saturn conjunct Chiron is called a Saturn clash with the Saturn person(Bush) having "control and dominance over the destiny of the Chiron person." In a love relationship this aspect is a disaster. Just look at the destructive relationship between Prince Charles and Princess Di who had the Saturn clash. Dick and George's divorce, when it comes, will probably be quite bitter. With Cheney's Chiron opposing the US. Pluto, Magi says this aspect will bring initial attachment and then a slow deterioration coupled with merciless torment. Neither Bush nor the United States is good for Cheney, particularly with regards to foreign policy(9th house)
Meanwhile, Condoleezza Rice's Neptune is squaring this U.S. Mercury Pluto opposition. After watching Rice give her testimony to the 911 commission, you can see how delusional(Neptune) she was with regards to danger from foreigners(Pluto in the 9th House). With her Neptune squared to the US Mercury, we can say that she also lied in order to cover her incompetence with regards to 9-11. Rice's Neptune squares Bush's Saturn, which Magi says is "devastatingly harmful, particularly for the Neptune individual who is likely to suffer financially as well as emotionally." Condoleezza is likely to suffer because she is delusional(Neptune) about Bush, idolizing him. She made a Freudian slip the other day when she almost referred to Bush as her husband at some social function. She said "hus" and then corrected herself midword.Furthermore,she suffers from the same distress Cheney is likely to feel as both he and Rice have Chiron in bad aspect to Bush's Saturn..
Continuing to using Bush as the lead with his Saturn placement, we can see that Powell doesn't fare well with his Mercury Pluto Jupiter t-square involved. Powell is used to having his words and ideas paid attention to(Mercury square Pluto), and yet Bush is busy squashing(Saturn) the General's enthusiasm(Jupiter), his ideas(Mercury), and his authority(Pluto).
Negroponte fares badly in this miserable stew. His menacing T square of Sun conjunct Pluto(power mad) opposing Mars(aggression and hostility) and square Saturn(repression) is being adversely stimulated by the U.S. Mercury Pluto opposition and Bush's Saturn. Again with the U.S. Pluto in the 9th House, he shouldn't be involved in foreign policy at all but last week Bush appointed him to be the ambassador to Iraq. Negroponte has earned a bad reputation by looking the other way when Honduran death squads rampaged across that country while he was ambassador to Honduras under Ronald Reagan.
The least affected by this Cardinal Grand Cross is Rumsfeld who just has Uranus involved, but we can see that when he acts in an independent, erratic and unconventional manner(Uranus) which is much of the time, he is blocked by Bush (Saturn) and intimidated or secretly plotted against by Powell(Pluto).
Further interesting chart comparisons can be done between many of the same players and the Iraq war chart, but that discussion must be saved for another time.
