J U L Y   2 0 0 2   F E A T U R E   A R T I C L E

by Maya del Mar

George W. Bush and the United States of America are birthday twins. Their birthdays are celebrated on different days, but in fact their Suns are both at the same degree—14 Cancer. Their Solar Return charts for 2002 both come on July 5, the U.S. in the morning, George in the evening. (It’s interesting that the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 was to declare independence from the mad King George III of England. And now that freedom is being "unsigned" by another George.)

The United States Declaration of Independence chart is set for July 4, 1776 at 5:10 p.m. in Philadelphia. G.W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946, at 7:26 a.m. in New Haven, CT.

Energetic connections are very strong between the charts of the U.S. and GW. And yet they are not twins.

The U.S. chart has most of its planets on the side of other people rather than the side of self. And this nation has been very engaged with the world from the very beginning. Even before the Revolution, and with the hardships and dangers of overseas travel, the U.S. was sending political delegations to Europe, England, and Russia. The three planets on the side of "self" are Pluto—power, Saturn—authority, and Moon—the people. These placements certainly say that potentially power and authority reside in the people, and that international engagement is the natural milieu of the United States.

This international approach is reinforced by a Sagittarius Ascendant on the U.S. natal chart. Sagittarius is expansive, open to the world, and aims to understand the meaning of life. The world is its home.

GW’s chart, on the other hand, has all of the 10 major planets on the side of self. Seeing and hearing others is his biggest challenge. Perhaps his dyslexia is a sign of how input from outside is blocked and distorted for him. He is a completely self-involved and self-determined person.

This self-centeredness is reinforced by an "I’m in charge" magnetic Leo Ascendant and its occupants. Mercury on George’s Ascendant shows that his consciousness and perception is centered on self. Mercury is communication. What does he communicate? Self. In Leo it is self as royalty.

Pluto on GW’s Ascendant gives him enormous personal power. With Pluto there is no outside authority. There is only personal will. Pluto here gives him total domination of his environment. Pluto too is magnetic, and with Mercury gives George great powers of persuasion and manipulation.

Venus, also in Leo in the first house of self, gives George extraordinary attraction powers. His personality is attractive and fascinating to many. Leo is the showman, and GW is the showman par excellence.

Sun in astrology represents the developmental life path, the central focus of our life energies. The U.S. Sun is in the seventh house of partnership, close to the eighth house of crisis. Dealing with others, particularly in crisis situations, is the natal U.S. growth path. GW’s Sun, on the other hand, is in his twelfth house. This is the hidden house, the house of spirit, of dreams, of fantasies. Work here is undercover, and Sun has a difficult time shining. Natural spheres are secret and behind the scenes.

These two types of charts are natural complements to one another. His U.S. role got GW out of Texas, and broadened his connections. GW, on the other hand, provides a charismatic personality to carry the U.S. message.

(The power of Pluto takes a long time to develop and to learn how to use. Its orbit takes 250 years to complete, and thus no one person ever experiences a whole Pluto cycle in a lifetime.)

A Solar Return shows the emphasis of planetary energies for the year.

A Solar Return is an annual chart done for the moment when the Sun returns to its birth degree and minutes. It is the individual’s Sun birthday. It indicates the year’s focus.

In regard to the chart placement of the planets in their Solar Returns, both the U.S. and GW have reversals from their natal placements. The U.S. has all 7 of the personal planets on the side of self, hanging around the Ascendant. The nation will decide on its own where it’s going. In regard to linking with others, Uranus, the planet of disruption, is featured.

GW has those 7 personal planets in the sphere of others. He will pay attention to people and be dependent on them, and he will focus on security, for the big gang of Cancer planets is in his seventh house of partnership. Opposite, on his Ascendant, is Chiron, showing personal unpredictability for him. (Pres. Clinton has Chiron on his Ascendant in Washington.)

Moon in both Solar Return charts is in money and territory-oriented Taurus, as was Pres. Clinton’s Moon. This bodes well for the economy--at least the business sector. In George’s chart Moon is in the fourth house of security, in the U.S. chart it’s in the tenth house of business. Moon in Taurus is very magnetic, and attracts its desires to itself. This next year will show us a lot about our national desires at this time.

The central cross of a chart, what we call the four angles, shows the mode of movement for the year. Fixed signs on the U.S. Solar Return angles show that the nation will "fix" in place something this year. With Hygeia at the top of the chart, it could be a health plan. In fact, in the U.S. Solar Return, the Sun—which shows the center of vitality—is in the house of Congress, along with Saturn, authority. This is also the house of large corporations. Large groups are the major field of action during 2002.

The U.S. Solar Return Ascendant is Leo, with Venus there as well. Venus conjoins Transpluto in Leo. This means a resurrection of the U.S. image. Let us see how this expresses.

Juno in Virgo is also in the first house. Juno refers to partnership and to abuse. It is where we co-opt into the patriarchy. It refers also to where we can be terrified. Terrorism will be foremost on the nation’s plate this year. It relates 100% to GW Bush, for this Juno sits right on his progressed Sun in Virgo. He will feel terrorized himself, and will lend the Sun’s dynamism to that whole subject for the nation. Juno here is in GW’s eighth house of birth, death, crisis, and mystery, so he may have good reason for fear.

Will the U.S. go to war during this next year? Saturn now on the U.S. Mars shows military dominance. Mars and Jupiter on the U.S. Mercury show thoughts directed towards fighting. Pallas now on the U.S. Moon shows that a defensive posture motivates the people.

Composite charts for Bush/Cheney, Bush/U.S., and even the composite solar returns for 2002 for Bush and the U.S. all show the likelihood of war. Furthermore, the U.S. Solar Return fixed wheel which I mentioned above is almost identical to the fixed grand cross of the great Solar Eclipse of Aug. 11, 1999, whose fallout we have only begun to experience.

In addition, Scorpio Mars on the seventh house of GW’s Inauguration chart is an indicator of war potential. This is especially so because this Mars, at 17 Scorpio, conjuncts the Scorpio Mars of that momentous August eclipse. Either Mars or Saturn at 17-18 Scorpio often coincide with historic turning points.

George W. Bush himself now has his progressed Moon in Scorpio, a sign which can be pugnacious and ruthless. Right about now it is conjoining the USA progressed Saturn in Scorpio, and Bush can use the authority of the nation to project his Scorpio Moon needs.

The USA progressed Moon in Gemini shows it’s face in July, and makes challenging aspects throughout autumn, especially from mid-October through December.

In general, challenging power struggles will dominate the coming year.