N O V E M B E R  2 0 0 2   F E A T U R E   A R T I C L E

by Maya del Mar

Senator Paul Wellstone’s plane crashed in northern Minnesota at 10:00 a.m. on October 25, killing him, his wife, their daughter, several campaign aides, and two pilots. He was there to attend the funeral of a co-worker, taking that time even in the midst of a hard-fought campaign. That’s how Paul Wellstone was; he really cared about people. Many saw him as their best friend.

I’ve been following Paul Wellstone for most of his 12 years in the Senate, and donating to his campaigns, because he was the one consistent liberal voice in the Senate. He spoke for the people, for the laborer, the underdog, the minority, the one with no voice. And these were the people who elected and supported him. He never got big bucks from corporations.

Ralph Nader called him "the conscience of the Senate." His very good friend, Senator Tom Harkin, called him the "soul of the Senate." Rep. Barbara Lee said that "he was the consummate public servant." He was the only Senator who belonged to the Progressive Caucus—otherwise composed of liberal Representatives.

Paul Wellstone was a Senator from Minnesota—"the best we’ve had in the Senate," according to Matthew Rothschild, editor of "The Progressive" magazine. He was a populist, a movement politician who knew how to organize people and help them to empower themselves. For many years he was a political science professor, but he was terminated because of his community activism.

He then, without money, decided to run for the Senate against a very well-entrenched politico, backed by Republican money. He got an old bus, painted it green, and traveled up and down the State of Minnesota with his message of power to the people, and a better life is possible. Much to the surprise of old-line politicians, he won.

I know Minnesota. I grew up there. Minnesotans are both interested in politics, and independent. Politics is a favorite topic for conversation. I can imagine how they loved Paul in his old green bus, talking and listening to them, lifting them up with his message of hope, and his record of fighting for social justice.

Paul’s Memorial Service was October 29. 20,000 people filled two stadiums at the University of Minnesota, and the service, orchestrated by Paul and Sheila’s three surviving children, was definitely political in tone. Governor Ventura and the Minnesota Republicans are filled with criticism about its political nature.

But that is exactly how Paul would have wanted it. He passionately believed that the purpose of politics was to better people’s lives (seems obvious, doesn’t it?), and he spent his life acting on that belief. "Let’s get organizing!" he would say, and I could see him smiling up there as the crowd, in his name, cheered over and over as they heard spoken again those old progressive Democratic principles which the party used to hold dear. Paul planted his feet firmly on the ground of the traditional Democratic base—the idea that everyone should have a chance to reach their potential. And people speaking in his memory spoke for him.

Representative Maxine Waters said that Paul was the best example of a real fighter who refused to back down from his principles (takes one to know one, Maxine!). For example, even though he was very vulnerable in this race, Paul voted against the Iraq war resolution—the only vulnerable incumbent Senator to do so.

Paul was in a very tight race. The Republicans barely ruled this Congress until May, when Senator Jim Jeffords quit the Republicans and came into the Democratic Caucus. This gave the Senate to the Democrats by only one vote.

In this election, Paul was the number one target of the Republicans. They were desperate to beat him, and the Administration hand-picked a popular Republican to run against him. Many millions were spent by both candidates, and Paul and his opponent, Norm Coleman, were running neck and neck. Recently Paul was moving ahead in the polls, and his victory was predicted.

Paul’s death injected a huge dose of energy into the progressive movement. It was the day after the crash that hundreds of thousands of people marched for peace all over the world. I was with the great crowd in San Francisco which filled Market St. for miles, and there were many home-made signs for "Paul Wellstone" carried aloft throughout the crowd. Most of the speakers mentioned Paul, and his legacy of carrying the torch for social and economic justice—and now passing it on to us.

He died at this time of year when the veil is thinnest, and I feel him very close to the progressive movement, picking up on this crucial moment in time. Perhaps as its soul, he is more effective working on the other side.

Paul Wellstone was born on July 21, 1944 in Washington DC. His chart was dominated by Cancer Sun and Cancer planets, and Leo Moon and Leo planets. He was a quintessential Cancer-Leo, the man of the people, spreading sunshine to his audience. Someone said that the room lit up when he came into it. Leo likes its audience, and enjoys talking—witness Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro.

In a death situation, the first things to look at are the Eclipses, especially those adjacent in time. Paul’s Juno at 28 Taurus almost exactly conjoined the coming November 19 Lunar Eclipse at 28 Taurus. Juno often indicates victimhood, and that exact conjunction would be enough to tell the story.

But in addition, Paul’s Juno, and the Eclipse, are squared by the Transpluto-Uranus opposition which has been in effect all year, and will continue until Uranus enters Pisces in March 2003.

This Taurus Lunar Eclipse completes a fixed grand cross centered on that opposition, and the pressure is on. Uranus stands for revolution, and Transpluto for resurrection. We’ve been seeing the resurrection of revolution all year, but now it is bottom-line, as this sky configuration squares the Taurus-Scorpio eclipse axis.

Whose reform? That is again the question. Is Paul’s death a turning point in catalyzing the electorate to speak up, or is it a turning point because the last big obstacle to the Administration’s brand of reform is now gone? It’s up to us to make that choice.

The degree of this Lunar Eclipse is very close to Algol, the Demon Star, often a very destructive influence. Algol means "The Ghoul"—very seasonable! Algol is a fairly bright star, and can be seen now in the eastern sky in the evening just a bit below Cassopiea. It is variable, with a three-day cycle. Check it out.

But more. The Total Eclipse of the Sun on December 4 will be at 12 Sagittarius, exactly opposite Paul’s Uranus. Two exact eclipse hits. Paul was targeted by the universe 58 years ago for drastic change at this time.

Uranus in Gemini enables one to think in a revolutionary manner, to be inventive, to act "cool," in touch with the latest "whatever." Independence, brilliance, and youth are matching qualities. The U.S. Uranus in Gemini is very close to Paul’s Uranus, and to the Solar Eclipse.

Uranus is our individuality. Many people pass over to the other side as their 84-year Uranus cycle comes to a close.

The chart connections are multiple. I will only mention that the preceding Full Moon in Aries of October 21 was assertive, accident-prone, and filled with Black Holes, those vortexes of transfiguration.

The four planets in Libra at the Full Moon made various and multiple over and with transits to GW’s five bodies in Libra during the time between the Full Moon (which was on GW’s midheaven—his goals) and the crash four days later.

These transits included all four asteroids—Juno, Pallas Athena, Vesta, and Ceres, along with Chiron, and Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Those were a very busy four days, especially for Libra energy. (But also for all the other cardinal signs—Cancer, Capricorn, and Aries.)

Perhaps most telling was that Full Moon Mercury at 13 Libra, conjoined Black Hole Nemesis, and the U.S. Saturn. (Reread October 21 in the October issue.) During those four fateful days Mercury passed over GW’s Chiron, Moon, Juno, and Jupiter, and ended up trine his Uranus—carrying the Nemesis energy.

Full Moon Mars, meanwhile, was at 4 Libra. It moved to 7 Libra by the crash, and it too had been very busy. At Full Moon it opposed GW’s Vesta in Aries, then squared the Full Moon Chiron in Capricorn, then squared GW’s Pallas in Capricorn, then conjoined GW’s Neptune—and by the crash Mars was exactly opposing Ceres in the sky.

This is just the beginning, but we can already see that those four days were very active and aggressive for GW.

A closer analysis of these charts is not feasible at this time. However, the interweaving of connections between these four charts—Paul’s, the Full Moon, the crash, and GW Bush could lead to a book. And the U.S chart should be included.

Paul Wellsone’s death feels very much like a turning point for the progressive movement. Uranus in the sky turns direct now. There are many signs all over the world that revolution is in the air.