When I look at the chart of the United States, there is definitely something going on in the background.  If I were to read this for a human, I would say that now is the time to look within oneself and shine a light there, and look at one’s flaws and gifts, and work at improving the positives and letting go of the negatives.  It is true that for the USA, whenever the body of the state “goes within”, it is thinking about money, its reputation in the world, and how it can be of more influence.  That is the hidden agenda of the USA, according to astrology.  This is not to say it is all about greed; it is not.  The U.S. does have a work ethic in mind, and the agenda includes, “Sow, and ye shall reap”.  Another side of the agenda, however, is about doing world service, and leading revolution, and eventually, by January through April of next year (2009), that is going to come into play, but right now we are headed towards a major ending, happening behind closed doors, that will be finalized by November/December of 2008.  The end of the year will go out with a bang, quite literally, but it won’t affect our country so much as its institutions, and, we hope! Schools. 
2009 will bring greatly needed healing to the states and a new spiritual partnership (the president) and may also increase feelings of patriotism.  Anyway, we’ll be working on it.  The main reason for this write-up, however, is my interest in the Middle East, and the ruckus that is occurring over Syria, Iran, and Israel.

Astrologically, George Bush has definitely been a karmic partner.  He brings our leadership as a nation to a point of pain.  Interestingly enough, the chart does indicate a “deal with the devil” going on behind closed doors.  There are other indicators that George thinks the country is his playground, and it’s pretty clear that he is clueless, not only when it comes to money matters, but also as far as what to say.  He is literally fed lines all the way—this has all the indicators of puppetry, and somewhere deep inside he is aware that he is not running the show--which depressed him, although I think for the most part he just tried not to think about it.  (That would be his Ego thinking.)  Well, he probably has been groomed not to think about it.  It has the makings of a REALLY BAD horror movie—a “father who sells his son to the devil” scenario.  (You think “The Manchurian Candidate” was science fiction…well, this tops that!)  It really WAS Bush’s karma to be used for big business. 

Interesting that Papa Bush also has a huge place is U.S. history, but the deal is that America doesn’t like his ways and so grows more after its release from him.  But there is a monetary partnership nonetheless, and although Bush is Janus-faced, as Geminis are, he definitely knows what the hell he is doing as he does it.  There is none of the cluenessness of the son—this man is in control, and he brings two wars (Gulf war & Iran Contra situation)--not surprising for a man who is an arms dealer through his family inheritance.  If that’s where your money comes from, wouldn’t you want battles to continue?  Well, I wouldn’t, but not all people feel like I do.  THE U.S. will eventually rebel against the policies this man has created over the long term, and he himself (Papa) will live to regret his participation, because his legacy is not a good one, but rather one of war.

To be fair to the child-pawn, Georgie boy did try to rebel against Pops, but it just didn’t hold, for other reasons.  It’s sometimes very hard to buck power.  He did try, though.

When I look at Israel and the U.S., it’s like the chart of a schoolgirl madly in love with the bad boy who is in the gang.  Guess who the bad boy is, and guess who the lovesick girl is.  The U.S. is the lovesick girl, completely enamoured and, madly, wildly in love with Israel, who is a warrior boyfriend.  They have a spiritual link but really couldn’t be more different, as Israel has a lot of communist leanings—all must serve in the military, many folks live in communes, and Israel is a warrior—although, yes, they try to control themselves, but don’t always do that well.  I don’t think Israel will ever be a nation of peace, because they are not peaceful inherently, just as the Palestinians, their astrological twins, are not either.  Actually, the Palestinians are more geared to peace but are constantly having to fight for survival, which is then why they war.  Israel literally feels on top of the world because of their powerful partner.  It’s like a street hood has married the most rich and powerful WOMAN on the planet.  Lady Liberty is like a schoolgirl when she sees her hot little street tough, and she gives him anything.  Meanwhile, Israel flaunts this power of protection by flashing his weapons and being arrogant in the neighborhood.  He knows his woman has got his back.

Palestine has learned from watching, and so has gone searching for a powerful lady partner too, but meanwhile he has to work his ass off to make that liaison work.  And of course, he doesn’t have much of a bride price to bring to the table, so therein lies the problem.  All he has is location, location, and no one is even sure if he has THAT.

Iran and Syria are in what will be a fatal partnership, sorry to say.  Iran has helped Syria to grow but don’t think that Syria wasn’t accepting help for its own purposes only.  This is NOT a love marriage, but a power trip.  These two nations are so independent that this is no true partnership.  They would sell each other out for a song, and of the two, it is Iran who is the more vulnerable, because she has believed Syria.  North Korea is “in love” with Syria, because she thinks dealing with Syria can improve her position around the world as a power, but in this case, both Syria and North Korea are clueless, because Number One, they don’t understand each other’s lifestyles at all, and Number Two, they are lying to each other.  This is like a serious but ridiculous episode of Spy Vs. Spy, the way these two deal with each other, making North Korea laughable if it weren’t so unstable.  Syria is never laughable.  Israel is a street tough with too big a head, but Syria IS a REAL street tough.  Syria is the partner that devours, because he is only out for himself.  North Korea is the leader that never was—she has to be watched for practical reasons but she is no Hitler’s Germany.  What goes on within may be that bad, but she can’t expand that influence except by the bluffs she continues.

I believe that Iraq will start to see the American troops move out in 2009, with great chaos ensuing.  For that reason, peace keepers will have to move back IN towards the end of May 2009.  The Spring will be a very difficult one for this country.  When I say “spring”, I talk “Houston spring”, which is January-April 30.  This is because something painful happens toward the end of December 2008, and then comes the chaos.  This is where the factions come out in force.  Things will get somewhat calmer by April of 2010, but the country will still have decades of healing before her, even so.

No matter what kind of talks Israel is having now, she will take war-like actions by the end of May, first week of June 2008, and show her war-mongering spirit for real.  So-called peacetalks will continue as folks make an effort to shut them down.  Remember that she feels like she can do anything, but come next Spring, she won’t feel so sure about her partner.  In love as she may be, she may feel abandoned by Lady Liberty.  Whoops!

Iran is about to go through regime change.  The last time she did this was about 30 years ago, so here comes her Saturn return.  Not a pretty sight.  We may see war-like posturing as early as May 8^th of 2008.  I am hoping this is just words and deals, but do expect to see real action at the end of the year.  There will be a breaking of relations with an important partner.  They are going to undergo peace negotiations as well.  The U.S. doesn’t have to do anything, because the people will rebel from within by Spring 2009.  Battles there continue through 2010, and it’s only by 2011 that things start to calm somewhat.  Don’t expect total peace for a long time, though.  Rebellions will continue through 2016, and after that, the pieces will have to be picked up.  Sad.  On the positive side, Iraq will be calmer, but will be under someone’s thumb.  I wonder whose. Duh.  Dictatorship of a more subliminal kind may be her destiny for now. The U.S. and Iraq are married in a painful, long distance partnership forever.  Okay, Bush’s puppeteers got what they wanted, after all.  And McCain was right about us being there for 100 years.  It’s not something that Obama, Clinton or anybody else can do anything about.  We will not abandon them like we did Vietnam, because Iraq has something we want: oil.  Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

The following was written in July 2006 as Israel bombed Lenanon to ruins.  I am leaving this article up because of the karmic indicators discussed in it...

The Middle East is currently creating the most dangerous crisis we have seen since the war in Iraq started, not counting the natural disasters heard ‘round the world. In looking at the charts of Israel and Palestine, we are at a crucial End to something, of the magnitude of 911.

Americans understand the feeling of horror and doom that surround those 3 digits; people in the Middle East live with 911’s daily. What’s more, one reason why Israel and Palestine continue to play a deadly and endless game of the Hatfields and the McCoys—is that, technically, their birthdays are one day apart.

When Israel was created out of Palestinian homelands on May 14, 1948, Palestine became a new Palestine, and in one fell swoop, the two were joined in battle forever as warrior twins. May 15, which is Independence Day for Israelis, is called the “Day of Catastrophe” by Palestinians. May 14 is the actual birthday for Israel, and Arabs recognize midnight of the 15th as the beginning of their suffering.

Israel's chart shows Israel to be a stubborn world leader, using pressure as a way of “leading”, receiving monies from afar, and having a clandestine partner. (not so clandestine, really!) While nurturing to its own family, the Israeli state is basically unemotional and aristocratic despite its youthful age. Its mandate is to teach love, but it is not doing it. Instead, the state has a deep-seated chip on its shoulder that is the reason underlying every move it makes.

Connected by destiny to the United States, Israel is about to undergo some very unpleasant karma due to its war mongering. (For those that disagree, check out the BBC’s study that correlates how terrorist attacks by Palestinians increase every time Israel gets heavy handed. The two behaviors go hand in glove. They both need to stop. They both will be stopped.)

Palestine, on the other hand, immediately became a pariah, as soon as the Israelis took over. While Israel is a Taurus country with a Leo moon and Libra rising, Palestine is a Taurus country with Leo Moon and Aquarius Rising. The Aquarius is about what’s right for the world, while the Librans, wanting peace, emphasize right and wrong. Aquarians pull away to hide; the Libras want to talk. Aquarians are inherently revolutionary; Libras can be wishy-washy or judgmental at worst.

Palestine has a closer aspect of Moon conjunct Pluto, the Mother-Destroyer. While Israel has this too, it is less pronounced, and so Palestine has more difficult aspects and challenges to deal with. Palestine knows destruction more intimately and so values life more, but is willing to fight harder.

Both have major stubbornness issues.

Palestine does have a second earlier birth date sometimes used by astrologers: this is the vote taken in France in 1932 to create a Palestinian state. Sometimes Palestinians don’t want to recognize any of these dates, since they were already there, for thousands of years. But I will use both dates, because it indicates the beginning of the modern day interference in their lives.

The 1932 date gives Palestine a secret money partner as well and actually makes the country even more warlike and more apt to endure the pressures of war. It gives Palestine opportunities to be heard in the world and brings the tiny country to center stage, to the world stage.

At the moment I am writing this (July 21, 2006), Israel is presently under deathly pressure. The end is near. Saturn (pressure) is conjunct Pluto (separation and endings). Mars in Leo—warlike and bossy. Mars is conjunct Mars in Leo—same story. Venus is conjunct Venus; the stubborn Crab digs into the sand and holds on for dear life. I believe that Israel is right now calling to the United States for help.

Although Lebanon is the other country in extreme danger, remember that Israel and Palestine are unlikely twins to a degree. While everything I say for Israel goes for Palestine too, the difference is that Palestine is going to “get married”, and it will be a marriage to the God of the Underworld. The pain and suffering will finally be lessened by a major release of energy.

Lebanon too is an Aquarian state benefiting from secret bedfellows monetarily. The beloved, which is so adored, will die. An ending comes. Revolution and a release come, with many tears, many tears. Lebanon’s vulnerability comes from its willingness to sleep with revolutionaries and talk behind Israel’s back, as well as to accept gifts and weaponry from its clandestine bedfellows. This is Lebanon’s sin, the sin of disagreement with the powers that be and the continuing association with those considered unacceptable because of their resolute defiance. The fiancé pays with his life.

Other players include Syria and Iraq. Syria is on steady ground and so is unafraid to impulsively speak her mind. This cockiness combined with impulsiveness could be Syria’s downfall, however. Syria is waiting gleefully for the revolution and continues to pour gasoline on the fire. Pressure will be released, but the instigator will not be hurt much and will live to make another dollar and provide more weapons to the fray.

Iraq will continue to suffer in myriad minute ways, and her end too is immanent. How can she still suffer, and yet her end is near? We do not suffer after the end, but in this case, we do. There are so many talks going on, but Iran wants a release of power. Iran suffers for change, as she views the world stage. Somewhere in Libya a deadly deal is struck. Somewhere in Paris, a beloved dies.