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by Maya del Mar

We are heading towards war in the Middle East.

Those of you who are Premium Daykeeper Subscribers have already read about the September energies that show the U.S. careening towards war, perhaps before the month is over—although the U.S. does not historically enter into conflicts while Mercury is retrograde.

Mercury turns direct on October 6, the day of the Libra New Moon. Libra is the sign of war and peace, and we begin then a month of rebalancing. This New Moon conjoins the U.S. Saturn, which represents the U.S. Administration, and shows it engaging in new endeavors. Neptune turns direct on October 20, and an autumn-long period of Jupiter trine Pluto, excellent for fighting and accomplishing big goals, commences then.

For most of September we are in the Virgo moon cycle, the best for gathering and training the military. As I write, the U.S. has reportedly deployed 250,000 troops in the Middle East, along with the necessary weapons and equipment, and another 150,000 troops could be ready on 96 hrs. notice. The war machine is getting ready to move, and it appears that nothing will stop our Bush man from invading another of the world’s poorest countries.

The rest of the world would like to stop this foolhardy excursion into hubris. But only the U.S. voters have the political power to do so, and they so far have lacked the will.

Why are we willing to go to war now?

I believe we have lacked the will for one big reason. We do not want to take any chances of disturbing our style of living, which includes automobiles and a high living standard. We’re willing to maintain it even at the expense of killing innocent people, although we don’t think of it that way.

Our whole way of life, the entire industrial complex, depends on oil. We believe that neither our infrastructure nor our goods and products could survive without oil. U.S. world domination is not "just about oil," then—it’s about survival. GW Bush is aware of this, the plutocracy is aware of it, and the American people feel this threat to the survival of their way of life. September 11, 2001 clinched that feeling, and let us know that we have to protect ourselves at all costs—even at the cost of our liberties.

Survival instinct is driving this nation, like it drives the lemmings, to rush off the cliff to destruction.

Oil, that great gift of ancient forests, is finite. It will run out. And fairly soon, according to estimates. By 2011 we begin the downward plunge. Thus the U.S. needs to control world oil resources, so that we have a supply as long as possible. Iraq has 20% of the known oil in the world. Saudi Arabia has another 16%. Together they contain 36% of the world’s oil.

The police-military state is necessary to control the populations, whose protests will increase as the noose of control tightens.

Neptune, associated with oil, has the highest place in the U.S. chart.

Neptune is the oil planet. In the U.S. chart Neptune is the most elevated—thus the most prominent—planet. Further, Neptune is in the ninth house of foreign lands, showing that the world is our source for oil. In addition, Neptune in the U.S. chart trines Pluto, showing a natural, easy fit between oil and big business—the Plutocracy.

Neptune is also idealistic, and we have exported help and ideals to the rest of the world. Neptune is universal as well, and our plutocracy spreads itself around the world. As do our movies and music, also Neptunian. Neptune also rules addictions, and we have been called the addicted nation. Neptune rules denial, and we are denying the consequences of our oil-based lifestyle.

Neptune in the U.S. chart is also squared by Mars, and this is a mixed blessing. It shows that we expend a lot of energy in connection with oil (and all Neptunian activities)—using it, thinking about it, fighting for it. Neptune is ultimately a spiritual energy, and Mars reaches for earthly goals. Combining these two is challenging. Unless Neptune is charged with spiritual ideals (as it was at the founding of the nation) Mars finds its powers misdirected or undermined. With Pluto involved, as it is the the U.S., Mars can act with brutal force, unmindful of human consequences.

Mars is at 22 Gemini. Neptune is at 23 Virgo. Mars in Gemini is restless, mobile, ready for action, versatile, and with a tendency to quarrel. Neptune in Virgo has an intuitive understanding of life and of people, and is interested in healing and in improving things for the common people. Neptune in Virgo can also spread the armed forces all around the world. Mars specifically corresponds to fighters, soldiers, and battlers of all kinds.

This is a versatile, flexible combination, and can be used many ways. The U.S. has used it for furthering positive ideals, underground operations, and often, for war-making.

Transiting Saturn is now pushing the U.S. Mars to establish its authority.

Transiting Saturn represents the push for form and responsibility. Saturn now transiting in Gemini has been conjoining Mars and squaring Neptune since early July 2002. Saturn puts the pressure on to ground this mutable, flexible energy. This transit comes to a head in February 2003, and finishes in May 2003.

Troops have been building up heavily since early July, and the Defense Dept. put on desert war games in southern California in July, testing 100,000 troops and war material for desert use.

Saturn now on U.S. Mars now represents the real-time creation of a war on Iraq.

Both Iraq and Saudi Arabia have planets that tie into this month’s sky’s-the-limit Jupiter-Neptune opposition (which will recur in February and in June). Unrealistic expectations often accompany this combination.

Progressed moons, which show development, are excellent for timing. The U.S. progressed moon is in Gemini, and just now passed through the doorway of connecting to the world in a new way. This means that the U.S. people show a new face to the world. With natal Mars in Gemini, it is a martial face, and with transiting Saturn in Gemini, it is a severe one.

The U.S. progressed Moon will conjoin the U.S. Mars in April, and will square the U.S. Neptune in May.

We are in a transition time between ages.

Current events are occurring in the context of the U.S. beginning a new 360-year Aquarius cycle about February 1, 2002. In the autumn of 1994, when GATT (world "trade") agreements went into effect, the U.S. began a 30-year progressed sun-moon cycle, also in Aquarius.

We are slowly moving from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius. Pisces is about faith and ideals—and oil. Aquarius is about social organization, science, and human dignity. We are on the cusp of that period, leaving the old behind—and terrified about it—and taking small steps to enter a new age where everyone’s voice is heard.

Interestingly, Dick Cheney represents that cusp. He has Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Pisces. The U.S. itself represents that cusp, as it swings from Aquarius to Pisces, within its own long Aquarius cycle. Very soon (March 2003) Uranus, the planet of Aquarius, will enter Pisces. And in 2005 the U.S. progressed Sun will enter Pisces.

These ages are about 2000 years long, and the cuspal periods, then, are also long in terms of human lifespan—perhaps 300-400 years.

There is disagreement about when the Age of Aquarius begins. Consensus hovers around the middle of the next century, which is when Neptune and Uranus have their first conjunction in Aquarius for approximately 4000 years.

Transiting Uranus now opens a new door to action by the people.

During much of 2002, and early 2003, transiting Uranus, the planet of restlessness and surprises, conjoins the U.S. Moon in Aquarius, which represents the people. We are feeling unsettled now. Uranus in Aquarius is also about ideas of reform, and this is a time for basic reform in the nation.

Opposing Uranus in the heavens is Transpluto, the energy of resurrection. Transpluto is now at the end of Leo. It entered Leo as Hitler began WWII, and that process resurrected the U.S. as world leader. Leo is the sign of kingship, and it is also the sign of the the U.S. North Node of the Moon, the U.S. point of destiny.

Transpluto in Leo opposing the U.S. Moon and opposing transiting Uranus is giving the people of the U.S. an opportunity to rebirth their world leadership. Bush and friends represent one path, that of militarism and repression, of accomplishing this change. The world looks at us and is appalled. So are many of us.

But the people of the United States, holding to the ideals of freedom and democracy, can represent another way. We can begin the work, in our homes and in our communities, of fighting for people over profits. We can begin by putting democracy to work in whatever ways we can, and by joining with others of like minds and hearts.

Transpluto has a 650-year orbit. In 2011 it will enter Virgo, and we can begin a half century of resurrecting the common people.

The latest YES magazine features "Living Economies," with many suggestions for positive change. Next month I’ll talk about some of them.