Condi On Parade
So we finally got to hear from Condoleezza Rice, former Chevron executive and national security advisor to George Bush. Unable to find anyone with cable television who wanted to watch her testimony at 6 a.m. (here in the Pacific zone), I camped out at the Emerald Motel and watched her do her thing. I suddenly realised this was the first time I'd seen her speak, so it was my first impression of Dr Rice in animation. It was also my first time seeing the Sept. 11 commission in action. (Yes, I'm now going to get a TV monitor and order cable, I give up).
My gut impressions? She seemed girlish and glib to me. I just could not take her seriously. Looking at her small, friendly face, I kept seeing her gat-toothed expression and her red lipstick and, studying her, got the feeling that she's a true submissive type, and a lusty one at that. She seemed barely capable of holding a focused thought except for 'get me to the cocktail party please'. I imagine she has a complex emotional relationship with her master. They do make an interesting pair of front-people.
There she was on the world stage, being questioned by men and women of authentic achievement. Rice never gave a moment's pause after being asked a question; she knew exactly what to say, like the trained performer she is (a pianist), but this is not the sign of a mature thinker. It was difficult to imagine her being the president's chief advisor and confidant on anything of an official nature, much less matters of national security.
This is probably an accurate assessment; national security seems to be the last thing on her mind. Her testimony consisted of one major argument: It all just happened. The FBI and the CIA didn't talk at that time, everyone knows that (except when they foiled the Millennium plot in 1999). Our bureaucracy is a mess (fixed with the PATRIOT Act). Sept. 11 wasn't anyone's responsibility; we had no warning; those aeroplanes just came out of nowhere that warm, clear morning. We were clueless. Oh, that silly Aug. 6 presidential daily briefing? That really wasn't a warning, it was an historical memo (indeed). It didn't actually say "this is going to go down on Sept. 11," it wasn't specific, so it doesn't count. It was a lot of chatter we were hearing. You can't take action based on chatter, now can you?
This went on and on, for hours. In the government and intelligence communities there is such a thing as "plausible deniability" -- another way of saying a very good excuse. Apparently the Bush administration has not heard of this notion. Rice's strategy, no doubt concocted by White House lawyers, was to say as much of nothing as possible, so as to consume the 10 minutes allotted to each committee member as effectively as possible. It worked pretty good. Often, panel members had to remind her to stick to the point or shut up so that, having heard nothing, they could ask another question. One told her to stop filibustering.
There was one tell-all moment for me. I went out of my way to see this on television so I could watch her face as she spoke. Actually, C-Span broadcast the hearing in split screen so that you could see Condi's face and that of the panel member addressing her. This made it possible to do what's called track them as they spoke. Tracking, a term used in Hakomi therapy and other modalities, really means multi-tracking: you watch the face of a person speaking at the same time as you listen to their words. Then, with some training and practice, you can compare and contrast the two data streams and find out a little extra information.
At one point, Condi was making her usual pitch that Sept. 11 just kinda happened.
"I've asked myself a thousand times what more we could have done," she said. Just at the point where she said "what more," her face broke into a little grin, which she controlled and went on. It happened very fast and I saw it clearly on a playback.
Even in her choice of words, the statement is meaningless: She asked herself a thousand times. What answers did she get? She doesn't say. Apparently they could have done quite a lot, like maybe call the cops. What does her little smile mean? It means she's embarrassed. Shame is an appropriate emotion under the circumstances, as she faced an audience filled with many widows and survivors of the Sept. 11 deceased.
For once, when we needed to see the imagery of Flight 175 plunging into the World Trade Center to remind us what this was all about, the clip was nowhere to be found. It would have made a sobering and grounding contrast to her casual approach.
Watching the affect and facial language of panel members, they seemed to come in two main categories: sombre and incredulous. I think both befit the moment. What was utterly lacking from Rice was the sense that something meaningful was really going on, as if it were all a little game. The sombre panel members, mostly older men, seemed to be emotionally connected to the reality of what we had experienced three summers ago. But others watched Rice talk around their queries with an expression of incredulity, wonder and disbelief, as if Rice were addressing people who knew nothing and had no context, rather than those who had interviewed thousands of witnesses and examined a million pages of documents.
Meantime, the panel is apparently unanimous in wanting the Aug. 6 presidential daily briefing declassified, and I hope our lame-ass, dumb-ass, candy-ass media rally round the flag and whine loud enough to get this thing out. The White House could have defused the whole issue by sending it out with a press release on any Friday afternoon, which nobody would have noticed. We learned the PDB's title today: "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States." But remember: It was not a warning. It was just an historical memo (about Osama about to attack). I look forward to reading it.
While we can't have this thing quite yet, we can check the chart. The horoscope for this memo is another chart that gets my highest rating: GEE WHIZ?.
The Gee Whiz? Academy bestows this rating on three accounts. First, it is another in the Mercury series. Every Sept. 11 chart I've seen has something superbly mercurial going on. In the Aug. 6 chart, Mercury is exactly conjunct the Sun, in Leo. Exactly, as in within hours. When you think of Sun-Mercury, think of the exact, precise moment that Gov. George Ryan announced that he had freed Death Row in Illinois.
But Mercury-Sun-Leo? We could call that the conception of a regal idea.
Next, and more interesting yet. As astrophiles everywhere (even on other planets) know, the World Trade Center attack was part of the opposition of Saturn and Pluto: shorthand for the unstoppable force meets the immovable object. This opposition happens three times per century, and when you look at those dates across the centuries, they tell the story of civilisation. The last one was not in the Sixties, it WAS the Sixties, with help from Uranus and Chiron. Due to Saturn's annual retrograde, the opposition usually makes three contacts with Pluto in each of the main periods of engagement.
The first of these three contacts of the current era was Aug. 5, 2001; why, it happened the very day before the briefing was issued. They were working on it under the influence of the exact aspect. The process of materialising The Agenda had begun in tangible form.
Next and last for today. Two-thousand-one was the era of an extraordinary Mars retrograde in Sagittarius and Mars conjunct Pluto and Chiron episode. Think back on that summer and in fact the spring that preceded it. I mean it. Check your diary and your date book. The fur and feathers were flying. If I have ever experienced brutal astrology, this was it. I thought 1999 was out of hand, that old Grand Cross and Total Solar Eclipse in August 2001 was like the psycho water plume on acid, but it was less like a water plume and more like a fire plume.
In the Aug. 6 chart, we have the stunning array of Pluto, Mars and Chiron in Sagittarius. (New planet enthusiasts can add to the mix Ixion and Quaoar in the early degrees of Sagittarius). This stellium is opposed by Saturn -- Saturn-Pluto, as mentioned, is exact. The Moon in early Pisces is about to get entangled in the whole business, applying in squares to the Gemini end and the Sagittarius end of this opposition -- it makes a square to the opposition. Remember that in Sagittarius, we also have the Great Attractor, which is the largest, most prodigious point in the known universe; and the core of our own galaxy, upon which happen to be sitting Mars and Pluto. Sagittarius is the sign of THE WORLD and worldly affairs: all things international, academic and cultural. It, too, has a lot to do with ideas, and we can be sure that ideas were abounding at the time: or one big idea.
Mars conjunct Chiron is another of the trademarks of Sept. 11 and the Iraq war. It is about the triumph of the underdog*.
But back to today. What struck me the most profoundly was that, as the Rice testimony ended and the commentary by other politicos wrapped up, CNN transitioned into the story about the war in Iraq heating up viciously. It is pretty much going at full blast right now and a lot of people are dying. The utter sham of Sept. 11, and the sham of the war were connected only by continuity in television programming. Is anyone making the actual connection? Is anyone stating clearly that they were items on the same agenda, and that one was the direct consequence of the other?
Isn't it strange? Sept. 11 was "preventable" (in the words of Thomas Keane, the commission's chairman) and the war was based on a long series of lies, including the lie of Sept. 11 being inevitable and the work of Iraq, and the lie that Iraq was a military threat. Journalism these days seems to be a study in who, what, when and where. I guess "why" is usually a rare commodity.
Isn't it strange that nobody in the mainstream press is pointing out that whoever "wins" and whoever "loses" the war, an ocean of money is being dumped into the coffers of the military, its suppliers and contractors? So far, to the tune of $200 billion, a drop in the bucket compared to the 616+ American soldiers and Marines killed, 18,000 medical evacuations of wounded American troops, 102 non-American coalition soldiers killed, and more than 10,000 Iraqi civilians killed. There are no numbers available for Iraqi civilians wounded. And onward we go.
[Figures from Truthout. http://truthout.org/docs_04/040604A.shtml]
*To wit: http://planetwavesweekly.com/xasc9v9qk/archive/2003wk/030328.html
The Weekend
It is Easter season. Look for clues as to the true condition of the Pope. His message Sunday may have some overtones, undertones, tones and tomes worth checking out.
Friday and Saturday, as their names suggest, are two different days. The Moon moves through Sagittarius till Saturday morning (EDT), heading into last quarter. El Sol is entering the last decanate (10 degree phase) of Aries; a cycle of experience is wrapping up fast. Mercury storm is ending and we are in ordinary Mercury retrograde, except for the fact that old Hermes slides backwards into Aries, leaping over the point of the April 19 solar eclipse on Monday. That should offer a few clues as to what the upcoming eclipse cycle has in store, the second of which is the May 4 total lunar eclipse in Scorpio.
The most interesting aspect of the weekend, if you ask me, is Venus square Uranus; some would say "spontaneous romance" and others would say "interesting perversions" and yet others would say fast cash. This aspect is exact overnight Friday into Saturday. Venus continues to enter the spotlight as the Venus retrograde in Gemini warms up as the planet of love, value, talent, wealth and desire moves into the zone in the horoscope where she will be retrograde. We are seeing, played for the first of three times, a sequence of events that will teach us to explore both sides of our nature, and ultimately to resolve our inner dualism in recognition of our fundamental unity of self, purpose and pleasure.
The process we are in involving Venus proceeds clear through July.
Birthdays This Week
You will discover that it is okay to change your mind. The world is due to present you with easier and more pleasurable opportunities for growth than usual, and they are likely to arrive spontaneously, run their course and yield to the next experience. This is what you might call a lesson in flexibility, and such is the prerequisite to freedom.
While you have never been one to hesitate to express your opinion or be unpopular, at the same time, you tend to strive for consistency as a measure of integrity. Give it up; there is little about your forthcoming four seasons that remotely involves towing anyone's line, not even your own. The purpose of this time in your life is to transgress what you think of as your ideas, your values, your beliefs and -- notably -- who you think of as your ideal partner.
It would appear that your past tendency is to be perfectionist or indecisive, as well as to seek people who are somehow polar opposites to yourself. Now, you are more likely to encounter your own impetuous, unpredictable and, in all honesty, uncontrollable tendencies in others, and learn to adapt. This is a kind of cosmic plan to make you more sensitive to both your own needs and your impression on others.
No, there is nothing you can hold for very long. And yes, only those who learn to appreciate beauty in the moment can appreciate it at all, and appreciate rather transcends possess. The promise of this experience is to raise the discussion of many new ideas about relationship and, in the process, facilitate a kind of growth that can only come through the conscious exploration of relationship and its values.
On the career front, Chiron continues to move through your 10th house of ambition, power and responsibility. You have passed many tests as this process has unfolded since late 2001, and learned that unless you stand on your own two feet and devote your life to authentically feeling secure, you cannot project your power into the world. Worldly power has many elements of being a solitary path, and you have seen that to the extent that you must lead, you must stand alone in that role. And it is in standing alone that you can see and accept the support that people offer you with their full individuality and sovereign decision power.
For those of you who are less professionally ambitious, you have no doubt seen that it helps you immensely to add a touch of culture and scholarship to your work, and to expand your work environment. Make it bigger, literally, and check in with colleagues in other countries to see how they do what you do and perhaps to offer them insight into what happens where you live. Much is to be gained, improved and expanded upon if you do.
As in your partnerships, the time you are in is all about ideas and their application. No idea should be deemed too unusual, strange or exotic to at least consider and to have the boldness to try. Persist for a while and by June you are likely to encounter a masterpiece.
Your Planet Waves Weekly Horoscope
Aries (March 20-April 19)
In dealing with a professional issue, be sure to factor in personal issues that may be influencing people who are involved. Unfortunately, the situation is not strictly business, but to the extent that emotions and injured feelings are intruding on circumstances, you need to be aware of what is happening. This is the mark of a real leader. Besides which, a lot is at stake. It may be that all you can do is pay attention, though that alone may help defuse the situation and give certain people whose psyches are built on alienation the sense that they are not so alone. You may have the chance to be in this person's presence when they open up. Listen more than you speak.
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
The recent change of direction of Mercury in your sign suggests a radical change of attitude over a critical issue, and you adopting a new perspective on the past. You are now being presented with a rather brief opportunity to resolve certain old circumstances, possibly dating back to childhood and the months before you were born. These events continue to have a profound influence on your life as an adult, though it is lurking behind the silk curtain of consciousness. At the very least, you can now see these issues for what they are -- and seeing is believing. Action would be the next logical step, but at the moment that amounts to little more than holding in your awareness what usually slips away.
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
You do have a choice, but soon it will seem like that opportunity to choose is gone. It's not, and you'll need to resist that belief if you want to persist in working out what has proven to be a persistent challenge involving a domestic or relationship issue. This particular subject always seems to get better but then never goes anywhere. It also does not subject itself well to conventional analysis, and it will not, as long as you forget that, whatever you may have chosen in the past, you can always choose again. Expect to do so on this particular matter. It will work itself out for a while, and it will work itself out well.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Emotions are complicated, particularly when they belong to other people. And right now they are running high, or at least deep, complicated and difficult to comprehend. If you don't take a step back and make sure you know where you begin and the rest of the world ends, you're likely to get lost in a sauce that's not of your own making, and it will be flavoured with fear. You have too much else on your mind, that is, too many other more productive things to be doing, to get involved in what is not yours. If, however, you notice that someone else's issue truly involves you, then listen carefully, then think, before you respond.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
You will soon see that something that appeared to go wrong has actually served your purposes well, though it will be some time before you get to act on your knowledge. You do, however, have most of the solution in-hand now, whether you recognise this or not. A wise and productive use of the next couple of weeks would be to review the process you've been in as well as the goals you have set. After a minor reshuffling of the planetary deck (and reassessing your priorities), there will be no limit to what you can accomplish, as long as you keep a modicum of clarity and put your agenda in writing so you know what doesn't belong there.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
What started as a philosophical situation -- a difference over ideas, for example -- is now obviously a financial one. You may need to tidy up contractual and partnership arrangements, and now is your chance to do so. It would help if you could see people's personal motives for what they are, and work with them rather than resist them. Even if you can't exactly put your finger on what makes certain people tick, you can be sure of two things: One is that something makes them tick and two is they probably have you figured out pretty good.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
You seem to be taking fairly shocking news or odd circumstances in stride, though I suggest you leave a little extra room for the emotional impact it's having on you. While you're doing that, beware of an exaggeration factor that may kick in over the next couple of days. Once you decide that something is affecting your mood or your long-term happiness, it's important to keep your perspective, because at times it will seem like less than it is, and at others, far more. More is developing in your life than you now know, particularly as regards the long-term development of your most far-reaching plans. Intense times are ahead, but you must keep your composure without shutting down your feelings.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
While you've been inclined to take risks lately, your common sense may seem to be thinking that restraint is in order. You do, however, need to take action on what may seem like a small matter before it turns to a large one, and that involves taking a chance. In sum, you must hold others to a genuine impeccability where contractual, financial and commitment issues are at stake. They are likely to have other things on their mind at the moment, but I assure you they do have time for you if you have time for them.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
Someone you need to connect with is available, however it may not be on the terms you want. You have the choice of whether you adjust your terms, but you need to work within the limits set by this person on what they are willing to say or do. It may not appear that they are going along with your wider plans, but on more specific matters you may find them to be very helpful. They may, at least, offer you insights into how you can change your approach to your day-to-day work; the grand scheme of things is very much your own responsibility, and your specialty. While it's developing slowly, you can trust that it really is developing. Continue to paint the details and not the broad strokes.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
You need to be careful what you call love. Look around at the world and you will see all kinds of hurtful, vengeful, unconscious and otherwise unloving emotions being deemed love. These mislabelled feelings are used to justify all kinds of conduct and to lower our expectations about what others can and should do to us. This is a serious error and it can take a while to see the light of day; yet at the moment, you do not have that luxury. Love is loving. It's not tough, cruel or possessive, no matter who is doing it.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
You are on the verge of becoming aware of something that seems like a conspiracy. Is it professional, or does it involve your family? It has overtones of both; I would lean toward the personal in my interpretation, and I would say it goes back a long time. Living in the present does not mean having a case of amnesia, as most people think. This is an issue you're going to be working with for a while, but few focal points of your growth will have shown better results in the long run. What you can do now is study the dynamics of groups of people, and get a sense of how intelligent individuals can form one idiot of a collective.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
What are your guts, your intuition and your senses telling you? Well, that's subject to interpretation, but I suggest you collect your data and start your analysis. Don't drag out the process; you can rule out certain possibilities right away. Work carefully with what you're left with. You have a lot to learn about what motivates you emotionally and how at long last you can resolve this phenomenon of always feeling two ways about the same thing. There may be two sides to every issue but you have only one personal truth. It would help if you remember that it matters.
