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GW in the Astrological Squeeze
by Steffan Vanel March 25, 2007
Dear Friends & Clients,
As many of you know, I keep following the trials and tribulations of George W. Bush. Having studied his life in order to write a chapter about him in my book and being aware of the major planetary transits approaching, hitting and passing away from his chart, I am always a witness to his unfolding Astrological drama, wondering how those Astrological influences will play out in his life.
Here is a portion of what I wrote last year about the approach of certain transits to GW’s chart, transits which are now taking place:
Another instance where I have experienced an evolution of sentiment is in relation to our President. Although I am distressed by his policies and behavior, after doing the research for the chapter I wrote about him, I am also aware of the challenges and lessons that his soul has agreed to work on and grow through in this lifetime. Understanding him, however, hasn’t reduced my fear of the potential he has to create misery in the world.
The fact that the report of the Iraq commission is seen as a rebuke to the President and his policies, and has been delivered in large part by James Baker, a close colleague of his father, is a major challenge for George W. Bush. George W. has his Sun in tension with Neptune. This is relatable to his feelings of victimhood in relation to his father’s larger than life qualities and powers, which also led George W. to overindulge in Alcohol (related to Neptune), to being overprotective and defensive of his father, to seduction by Evangelical Religiosity (also related to Neptune). This complex was evident when journalist Bob Woodward asked George W. if he had asked his father for advice for the war in Iraq and he replied: “Actually I go to a Higher Father for strength.” If he couldn’t give a straight answer to that straightforward question then I can only imagine what kind of psychological turmoil he is facing now. Next spring, early summer, Saturn will be in conjunction with his Venus in the house of Self-image, and Neptune will be in opposition to his Venus, coming from his house of partnerships with others. Short of something dire happening to Laura Bush or in his marriage to her, I can only imagine all his relationships with others being such as to leave him an abandoned victim and martyr.
This week has been described as ‘politically brutal’ for George W. Bush. Much of the turmoil involves his partners (Seventh House), where even some Republicans are calling for the resignation of Bush’s partner at the Justice Department, Alberto Gonzales. This scandals was probably instigated by Bush’s true partner in crime, Karl Rove, who may well have to publicly testify before congress under oath.
One Republican Senator, Chuck Hagel, has said: “President Bush is flouting Congress and the public, so angering lawmakers that some consider impeachment an option.” Coming from his own party such comments must make even George W. feel somewhat vulnerable.
In my last newsletter I mentioned that all of us, individually and collectively, are experiencing a two-year period of Saturn moving into opposition to Neptune. This planetary tension is falling somewhere in your own chart.
On March 27 Saturn moves one more time over George W.’s Leo Ascendant, once again humbling the false Leo pride and arrogance that has been given to someone with Leo Ascendant to help them to compensate for feelings of insecurity in previous lives. And, April 10 is when Neptune is exactly opposite to his Venus. April should be a challenging month for our president.
This tension with Neptune goes way beyond his dealing with political relationships. It goes to his spiritual faith. In the beginning of Bush’s Presidency 45% of the American public thought that he had been chosen by God to serve as President at this time. Now only 29% believe that, and the numbers are decreasing monthly.
George W’s psychological need to appease and be validated by higher powers, starting with his own father, and moving on to various neo-con power brokers, and in his own mind, to God Himself, is now being dissolved in the waters of the Neptunian Sea of vulnerability and confusion/illusion/victimhood/martyrdom, coming from his House of partnerships with others, in tension with his need to validate his self-image by receiving love from others (Venus in the 1st House).
The noted Astrologer/Author Robert Hand says this about Neptune in the 7th House: ‘This transit is normally not a good one for dealings with lawyers and lawsuits.’ And for Neptune opposite to Venus: ‘This transit can create…obscure problems within an existing relationship. For example, you may find it difficult to communicate with your partner, or one of you may do something behind the other’s back, thus undermining your mutual confidence. It is important to play as straight as possible with your partners, because Neptune can leave long-lasting scars in a relationship, if you do not work to minimize its effects from the very beginning.’
Presently even George W’s own Republican partners in Congress are questioning his lack of ‘playing straight.’ From what I see it is only going to get worse, until he surrenders his illusions and/or admits his deceptions for what they have been. Or he goes even deeper into denial. To satisfy my own curiosity as to what is really going on with George W. Bush I am now going to do a Pentacross (five card) Tarot reading for him.
This is what I came up with:
1. The Past: Ace of Cups
Cups are water, feelings emotions. The Ace is the number one. This is an outrush of emotional feeling in its purest form, like the Holy Grail itself. That was when things were going great, like when he landed the aircraft on the aircraft carrier in 2003 to announce the end of the war in Iraq.
2. The Present: Five of Disks - Worry
Here there are five heavy lead disks, which grind and grate against each other, creating great tension, with the feeling that nothing can be done to change it. At least at the level at which it exists. If change is to come, it must come from a different dimension or level. This is pretty obvious.
3. The Challenge or Blockage: The Moon
This is the initiation where you must walk onto the dark side of your moon. Where you are completely vulnerable to all of your previously repressed emotions, so that they can be felt, healed, and released into the light. It is however, a ‘Dark night of the Soul’ or a ‘Dark hour before the dawn.’ This is what life is asking of him.
4. What can help: The Emperor
Here one is being initiated into a place of great power, will and authority. But it is not one’s own personal will which could be based on fear. It is by being able to channel your Higher Will, or the Will of God.
It may be difficult for some to accept, but this capacity for true spiritual empowerment would not be here if he didn’t have the ability to do it. The key is that he won’t have access to this unless he can go through his ‘Dark night of the soul.’
5. Possible Future: Ace of Disks
Here there is the desire and capacity to make a new beginning in the most concrete of levels, in relation to reality as it is.
This is also more hopeful than I might have expected. Of course how long it takes him to move out of the stuckness and worry of the Five of Disks and make this new beginning is up to him.
One thing I can say in ending. The transits hitting his chart in the last four months of 2008 are so tense and challenging that I can easily imagine those coinciding with a Democratic Presidential Victory.
And even though George W. Bush has some pretty difficult challenges ahead I have faith that, in the end, he will be a better person for it. I pray that he can awaken sooner rather than later.
As I often say when I read someone’s Astrology chart: ‘The planets hit by transit and it is always to learn a lesson. Now we can learn that lesson gracefully, or we can learn it kicking and screaming. As someone said ‘”Pain is necessary, suffering is optional.”’
If you would like to have a ‘heads up’ and know your own lessons, feel free to contact me.
Blessings,
Steffan
Steffan’s Spiritual Company Newsletters and ‘Starwise’ Monthly Forecasts are available by email on an annual, sliding-scale donation basis; from $10 - $50 a year.
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