"Shock and awe" occurred just before dawn in Baghdad on March 20. At that time powerful, explosive Pluto was sitting exactly over Baghdad. It packed extra punch because it was stationary, about to turn retrograde. Pluto-as-destroyer was surely pleased to see the bombing and destruction happening in its wake. GW had Pluto rising when he was born, and he obviously (looking at his policies) resonates to Pluto as destroyer.

Saturn, planet of concentrated authority, was on the nadir of the bombing chart, conjoining the U.S. Mars, setting events in motion. Since its three exact hits in 2001-2002, this moment is the peak of the difficult Saturn-Pluto opposition. From here on in, it diminishes—promise.

[Ed. note: Maya has written extensively on the Saturn-Pluto opposition, including "Pluto and Saturn, Messengers of Reality," the December 2001 issue of Daykeeper. Take a look at the list of her past feature articles for more.]

That opposition means great effort expended to bring about structural change. We can see at least the surface level of how the Bush Administration has been using it. But we’ve all been living with this pressure. How have you changed during these years? Especially in your mental outlook? May’s Eclipses will give us a push through the new doorways which we’re anticipating.

The midheaven-Pluto combination conjoins Black Hole Erishkegal, who was Mesopotamian Queen of the Underworld. The Pluto-Saturn opposition, together with its placement, the midheaven-nadir axis, which shows the core of relevant action, conjoin Bush’s Nodes, his destiny points. Pluto is on his South Node, considered a malefic in Vedic astrology, and often called "the place of self-undoing." Happening on the midheaven, the whole world gets to see him in action.

Pallas Athena, the General, is rising now—and challenging the Pluto-Saturn power structure. In Pisces, her forte is compassion on a broad scale, and this bombing has opened a mass outpouring of compassion for the Iraqi people around the world.

Venus, Moon, and Juno are also intimate with the action now. Here we see the Goddess helping to open hearts. Juno is now in Scorpio, and here she shows intense abuse. She is a goddess of revenge, revenge at betrayal, and she will not forget what is happening already, the U.S. breaking its promises of help.

Saddam has disappeared, no weapons of mass destruction have been found or used by the Iraqis, and the U.S. is taking over Iraq.