As GW Bush’s disastrous leadership becomes more and more apparent, many people in the U.S. are thinking seriously about who could best replace him as President.

I believe that GW Bush has represented the grand finale of the U.S. stance of world domination which has persisted, and changed form, since WW II. The U.S. military-industrial-government complex, which successfully shepherded the world through WW II, emerged triumphant then, as President Eisenhower saw, and has been growing ever since. Bush and friends have exposed its raw power drive, and now that we see that power drive, many Americans do not like it. And now that the gloves are off, the rest of the world can declare its opposition.

In 2000, I believed that Bush could not be elected because of the "weak" position in his chart of the two planets of leadership, Sun and Saturn. They were placed in the twelfth house of "karma" at his birth, a location which re-arouses past lives and brings back their shadow now to be, hopefully, redeemed. The twelfth house is often called the "hidden" house, for it is the repository of the unconscious, of dreams and of fantasies, of the past and of secrets and of unseen things. Its planets are difficult to express in the normal world.

The universe does have its grand design. And now I believe that Bush was selected as President precisely for his seeming debilities. Twelfth-house planets can take on the suffering and the errors of others, and Bush was able to take on the arrogance of the U.S., which has over the years led us into so much trouble. He is our national scapegoat. It’s little wonder that many people hate him.

On the other hand, we tend to forget that all of us are part of this nation, that we bear collective responsibility for the course of our nation. We are beginning to remember this, and as we do so we can make real, lasting, and beneficial changes in our outlook and in our national direction.

That basic change is not going to happen tomorrow. It will take time. But are we ready to begin? I believe that by election time we will be ready, for Bush and the U.S. both have the reality principle of Saturn transiting their suns this summer. By election time Saturn will have crossed the U.S. Mercury and will be opposing the U.S. Pluto, the seat of national power. It will be time to clean house.

The next president will, at best, be a transition president. The most qualified contenders, John Kerry and Wesley Clark, are both heavily enmeshed in the system. The importance of transiting Saturn to the national chart also shows that ties to the establishment prevail in voters’ mentality at this time.

We have good birth-times only for Dennis Kucinich and Wesley Clark. John Kerry’s mother says "around sunrise," but I can tell you from experience that a birthing mother has other things on her mind than watching the sunrise and checking the clock. Mothers are simply not reliable as birth-time givers.

However, I will use a sunrise chart for John Kerry, which gives us a wheel very much like the U.S. wheel, with Sagittarius rising and a Libra midheaven.

Howard Dean was born in New York City. I was given an unverified birth-time for him of 7:21 p.m., and I will use this time. The Cancer rising and a Pisces midheaven show a very emotional man.

I have no birth time for John Edwards. I understand that he was born in Seneca, South Carolina on June 10, 1953. He is a double Gemini, with balsamic moon just behind the sun.

I want to look at Clark’s, Kerry’s, and Dean’s charts in terms of transiting Saturn, which tells about how we are being activated to responsibility. Transiting Saturn for Dennis Kucinich is right at the bottom of his chart, not a good place for someone wanting to be in the public eye, but an excellent place for beginning to develop a new foundation. For the next 14 years, Saturn will be on a rise to the top in Dennis’ chart, and he is laying groundwork now.

Transiting Saturn takes almost 30 years to move around a chart. Wherever it is transiting, it forms character and self-authority through providing us opportunities for problem-solving, discipline, and responsibility. Saturn in a national chart refers to the Administration. Voters tend to look for a Saturnian candidate at election time. (Saturn is also Daddy.)

Timing is better for a candidate if he/she has transiting Saturn rising in his chart, i.e., on the right-hand side of the chart. A candidate is more electable and tends to do a better job in office, because there is that sense of the rising star. Saturn above the horizon is also more favorable, because that is the public side of the chart.

Jupiter works with Saturn to define our work, or role. The placement of transiting Jupiter also has special importance in looking at someone’s future work.

Transiting Saturn now is moving very slowly retrograde at about 7 Cancer. It will turn direct on March 21 at that degree. This will be Wesley Clark’s second Saturn return, the beginning of a new 30-year life cycle for him. He was born with Saturn in his 7th house, and transiting Saturn is then climbing, heading for the 10th house of career. Natal Saturn in his 7th house shows that his major responsibility is relationships, which he has consciously worked very hard on learning how to do successfully, including learning to listen.

This Saturn timing is very favorable for Clark. So is his Jupiter timing. Transiting Jupiter is hovering over Clark’s 9th house, near the top of his chart, and will continue to do so right through convention time. In early September transiting Jupiter will conjoin his natal Jupiter, which is in Virgo in the 9th house, to begin a new 12-year growth cycle for Clark. Just afterwards it moves through his 10th house for the next year, bringing him into the limelight.

We see that Clark begins two big new career cycles during this coming year, both of which are moving him closer to the public arena. It looks good for Clark. This is also good for the country, because correct timing aids competence.

Howard Dean has transiting Saturn on his Ascendant. When Saturn transits the Ascendant, one takes one’s own authority, one takes charge. However, at the same time one is totally accountable, and thus any personal misstep will be caught out. Saturn is moving down in Howard’s chart, beginning an eight-year period of focusing on self. This is not a good time to run for public office. It is a time, in fact, to retire to a quieter arena, where one can focus more on self.

John Kerry, like Wesley Clark, was born with Saturn in the 7th house, and transiting Saturn is also moving through Kerry’s 7th house. Kerry had his 2nd Saturn return during the spring of 2003, and so is beginning his new cycle of destiny. (Saturn is also destiny.) Saturn is thus moving up towards his 10th house, which is good timing.

Jupiter is also transiting his 9th house, as with Clark. The 9th is the house of promotion, so both Kerry and Clark have the gods with them in promoting themselves for most of 2004. This is excellent placement.

When transiting Jupiter is elevated, as in these two charts, the public will have a favorable view of the candidates. Jupiter will enter Libra at the end of September, and by November 1 it will be smack on Kerry’s midheaven, a very good omen for Kerry being favored by voters.

And GW Bush? Saturn is traveling through his 12th house, the very worst place for public office (as we see). He will have his Saturn return at election time, which means he begins a new 30-year cycle then. Saturn will continue to travel downward in his chart, helping to reform his personal character for the next eight years.