Saturn is the timer. It is the builder. It is the shaper. Saturn has a 30-year cycle, and is instrumental in the lives of individuals and nations. Saturn is the teacher and the drill sergeant. Whatever it touches, it pushes into shape. It is the voice of authority.

Saturn has a prominent position in the U.S. chart. At 14 Libra, It sits in the tenth house of the public and of the Administration, and U.S. authority is obvious to the world. Furthermore, it closely squares the U.S. Sun at 14 Cancer, and is thus intrinsic to the nation’s identity. This indicates achievement on the one hand, but isolation and an inability to flex with circumstances on the other hand. As earthquake designers know, too-rigid structures are vulnerable to destruction.

Saturn is now transiting through Cancer. It conjoined the U.S. Sun in October, when the pace of both Iraqi and Israeli attacks stepped up. It backed off the Sun, and moved backwards a few degrees, still in Cancer. Now, on March 6, Saturn will turn direct again. At the end of May, and in June, it will conjunct the U.S. Sun for the final time.

The last time Saturn transited the U.S. Sun, in 1974-75, it began with the resignation of Pres. Nixon and ended with the end of the Vietnam War. Now, as Saturn begins to move ahead, GW Bush is in trouble. His most blatant transgression of law is occurring right now, as Saturn stations to turn direct, with a coup in Haiti against the democratically- elected President Aristide, engineered by the United States. At this moment Aristide has disappeared. Witnesses saw U.S. Marines lead him out of his palace early this morning in handcuffs. "Regime change" strikes again.

Because of the prominence of Saturn in its chart, the U.S. reacts strongly to Saturn transits. Another one occurs this November, when Saturn stations again, and turns retrograde opposite the U.S. Pluto. This is the culmination of the action begun when Saturn conjoined the U.S. Pluto, in January 1991. This was when the Gulf War began. Saturn will again oppose the U.S. Pluto in June 2005.

The period from now, March 2004, until summer 2005, will be a tumultuous time for the United States. Saturn calls us to account, and it is time to fulfill national responsibilities. Our natal Saturn in Libra aspires to "liberty and justice" for all. This is the scales on which the world weighs U.S. behavior.

Saturn and the Outer Planets

When Saturn makes a hard aspect to the outer planets—particularly to Uranus and Pluto, those planets which change consciousness and change society—life is full of challenges.

Saturn will oppose Uranus in the sky in 2008-2009, and square Pluto in 2009-2010. These are aspects which can make for revolutionary times—as in 1965-66.

The Saturn/Uranus cycle began in the fall of 1988. This was marked by the ascendance of George H. W. Bush to the presidency. The next phase was when Saturn squared Uranus, in November of 1999. Then we had the Battle of Seattle, which marked the burgeoning of the widescale fight against corporate rule. However, it didn’t stop corporate rule. Now, from November 2008-September 2009, we see the culmination of events set in motion in 1988.

In January of 2008, Pluto moves into the business sign of Capricorn, on its way home to the 250-year U.S. Pluto return. Much will move in 2008. In October of 2009, Saturn moves into Libra, getting ready for a U.S. Saturn return.

Immediately, in November 2009, Saturn and Pluto square one another in the sky, a challenging aspect. This square lasts through February, and then repeats in August 2010.

Seeds were planted for this time when Pluto and Saturn conjoined one another in November of 1982. This was when Pres. Reagan gave his big speech unveiling the concept of Star Wars.

The next phase was when Saturn squared Pluto on January 1, 1994. NAFTA went into effect, and the Zapatista Indians in Mexico rebelled.

The culmination, when Saturn opposed Pluto, was from August 2001-June 2002. By now Bush 2 was in office. This was the time of the publication of the U.S. doctrine of world domination, and of building up propaganda for the invasion of Iraq.

This Saturn/Pluto cycle, for the U.S., is clearly about U.S. power. We will see it take its final turn in 2009-2010.

The years 2008-2011 are extremely active years. Many planets are in cardinal signs, which are the movers. Those are the signs which bring in the four seasons. They are the initiators. August of 2010 will be particularly explosive.

Towards the end of this volatile period, the U.S. has its 30-year Saturn return in 2010-2011. In 2012, Saturn squares the U.S. Pluto.

The above-mentioned periods are periods when we can expect particularly big change in the United States. Let’s keep up our prayers and positive visualizing, and ready ourselves to facilitate change for the better.