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The Hole in the Bucket

FOR A FEW YEARS now, I've been writing about the ominous presidential inauguration chart from Jan. 20, 2005. Ominous means full of omens, and it contained two that stood out enough to put into print repeatedly: one for late October 2005, and another for late March or early April 2006. Both looked like trouble for the Bush administration, though when I first noticed the pattern nearly two years ago, it seemed hard to believe. No matter what they did wrong, they could do no wrong.

The predictions, based on a factor called the "progressed Moon," as well as last week's total solar eclipse in Aries, were published in articles in the Planet Waves column in Chronogram magazine in New York, and in Astrology Secrets Revealed on http://cainer.com/

The first date turned out to be when Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, chief of staff to Dick Cheney and assistant to George W. Bush, was indicted for obstructing justice in a federal investigation about the outed American CIA agent, Valerie Plame Wilson. The second date, just this week, involved evidence emerging from that case pointing straight to Bush as someone who personally authorized leaks of classified information to the press -- something he has long made a show of condemning.

According to Libby's written testimony, orders to leak classified information came from Bush through Cheney to Libby, whose job was to do the actual leaking to reporters. This is more than issue of the president "knowing" -- it's a matter of the president doing.

Cover-up for Nuclear Claim

The point of leaking of secret information was to cover the fact that Bush lied about Saddam Hussein developing nuclear weapons. This nuclear claim was used in the 2003 State of the Union Address as an excuse to get the United States into the war with Iraq, contrary to common sense and worldwide public opinion. The image of mushroom clouds blended with Saddam's face was more than enough to convince people we needed to invade.

But it was little more than a mirage. After it came out that there was no Iraqi nuclear weapons program, and that the White House knew this before claiming there was one, some damage control was necessary -- and that came in the form of the White House giving bits of classified information to the press designed to perpetuate the lie. Part of hat project involved exposing the identity of a deep cover agent named Valerie Plame Wilson.

In late October, coincidental with the first date, Libby was indicted for five felonies by a grand jury, on the day the grand jury's term expired -- not for exposing the spy, or for leaking classified information, but for allegedly lying about these things to the grand jury and investigators. This was pretty monumental: a Bush administration official had finally been charged with a crime, indeed, five of them. "The intersection of the grand jury's term expiring and the progressed Moon making its opposition to Mars is ominous," I wrote in October 2005, explaining the prediction.

"And it is just the beginning. Because once the Moon gets mixed up in Mars, and the public is divided and the press awakened, that Moon moves along to Pluto" in late March, "which does not suggest an improvement in the situation for those directly involved."

More recently, here is how I summed up the forthcoming development: "It would appear that something entirely new comes to the surface in late March, some time between Mercury stationing direct on March 25, and the first few days of April. The epicenter of a cluster of astrological events is a total solar eclipse on March 29."

This would count for something new -- long suspected, but so far without actual evidence to support it. Now that evidence is there, and people are going to have to answer for it. Yet from our current perspective, it's difficult to see just how big it's going to be. Much more information is coming out, from Scooter Libby and from others, and we're likely to see more indictments and as well additional information pointing to Bush and Cheney.

Impact Will Spread

The impact will take time, but it will be deep and wide. It's like a crack has formed in the central foundation of the Bush administration and all its policies -- indicated by the progressed Moon opposing deep, dark, subtle Pluto -- and slowly this will show its effects. Because it's so complicated, it's difficult to make this a sensationalized story, and anyway nothing is shocking, but no matter. This will have its effects.

Many other events, including the March 28 resignation of Andy Card, the White House chief of staff, followed by the appointment of Joshua Bolten; and the judge sending Jack Abramoff to jail for nearly seven years the same day, will be factors. There will be others, reaching far outside the administration itself, because the astrology associated with the March  29 total solar eclipse suggests something much larger. The Bush administration will have a hand in it, but it's an event of global proportions.

In addition, it seems inevitable that data will surface placing responsibility for the Sept. 11 attacks at the feet of Bush or Cheney -- and gain public acceptance.

Within the administration, at this point, there is only one person who can take the fall for Bush, and that is Dick Cheney himself. And it appears that something happens to Dick Cheney or his political career between now and early May.

I have said earlier that I don't think he will be vice president for much longer. Cheney is going through a series of rather enormous transitions, all involving Pluto and the Moon, and soon to involve Leo (the heart), and it's amazing he can even take the stress of these events, but then, he does have a lot of practice. Somebody will need to take responsibility for the leaks, and it's unlikely to be Bush himself.

Still, I would not underestimate the potential for a power struggle in the White House, and I am not looking forward do seeing how these people act when they have nothing to lose. They have been quite reckless when they have everything to lose.

"I think we're going to see things go down in US politics that make the Nixon administration look quaint," I wrote last November. "Indeed, I will propose here that every odd issue that we have seen go oddly nowhere in the past five years is going to come home to roost in the next five months. People will wonder who Bush really is, how he even got there, and how we can possibly get rid of him."

That remains a question -- and it may take a long time to answer. That is, longer than three years.

== resources

The 3/29 Cluster - Astrology Secrets Revealed
http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/mar24.html

Let the Games Begin - Planet Waves for August 2004
http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2004/08/backbone/planetwaves/

Reckoning - Planet Waves for November 2005
http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2005/11/planetwaves/index.php

Inauguration Chart
http://planetwavesweekly.com/twdco99~/open/inauguration05_web.html

Full Set of Inauguration Charts
http://www.planetwaves.net/charts/inauguration/


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Eric Francis is journalist and astrologer based in Europe. He is working on his first book, Planet Waves: An Investigative Reporter Finds Meaning in the News.

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Planet Waves by Eric Francis
April 7, 2006 Weekly Horoscope #605 - Internet Edition
 
Happy Birthday Aries!
Embrace the unknown with a sense of adventure and you will take away any power that it seems to hold over you. You may sense that your life is changing -- but you may have no idea quite to what extent. In many ways, the future is in the hands of your higher self. You are making decisions on levels that are not necessarily so obvious, the most important being that you have finally found a way past some kind of paralyzing fear or sense of being overwhelmed that is often so pervasive you don't notice it. The world is big, but not so big your awareness can't handle exactly who and what is around you -- or count the unknown as nothing other than potential that you do have the ability to make real.
 
Aries (March 20-April 19)
Are you surprised things have worked out the way that they have? If you trace the thought process back to the origins of the situation, you'll see that some tangible beliefs were involved, combined with a firm commitment, and that these are what have come true. Commitment plus belief: this is pretty much what makes the world go round. Those who lack commitment are usually on the losing side of whatever game they play; those who have some, even a little, are a lot more likely to get onto the winning side. But those who are at the greatest advantage are the people who can evaluate what they have done, and what they are doing, and make appropriate adjustments. That time has arrived, and finally it's no longer an uphill struggle.
 
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
Progress takes many forms, and in our particular world, one of those forms is feeling better. Life seems to deliver one paradox after the next, especially the one about how what is expected of you seems so removed from what you expect of life. It is true that you have your needs, and it's true that a lot of people need you. Venus in Pisces is offering more than a clue that you'll find a balance between the two. I suggest you keep yourself open not just for a few easy breaths, but also for some of your more unusual wishes to be fulfilled, or at least some of the ones more precious to you. How that's even vaguely possible remains something of a surprise.
 
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
The absolute clarity of Mars in your sign opposing Pluto and the Galactic Core is offering you insights that are making the world seem transparent, but somehow made of living substance and not of glass. Imagine as you look around that the light passes through everything; said another way, that nothing obscures the light the world contains. People are not so mysterious and you are not so complex. It would be nice if the world could be this clear all the time, yet what you do have at this point is the ability to learn to see people and yourself from this perspective. At least you know it exists, and you're unlikely to forget any time soon.
 
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
So, without that thing you kept banging your head on, you may be feeling a little more exposed to the elements. It's a small price to pay, and the wind, rain and weather are here to remind you that there's a wider and wilder world outside than the one you had grown accustomed to for so long. Let the changes that have come into your life stand as testimony that you do have the power to change your life, and that fortunately, this is an ongoing process that responds well to experience. I just suggest you do something that has not been on the agenda for a while -- take a long-range view. Excuse yourself from the limits that were so real just weeks ago. Try going only new places for a while.
 
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
You're doing your best at living in two different worlds -- and in truth, you're not doing badly at all. The balance is finally starting to tip in your favor, and to the extent that you've had to endure the challenges of relationship and take on the difficulties of others, you're likely to find a lot of energy coming back to you. The world seems to have delivered a long list of maybes, particularly where financial matters and joint business affairs are concerned. The next item on the agenda is a resounding 'yes', but when it shows up, don't think for a moment that you haven't earned it. You have -- through your understanding, your awareness and your willingness to compromise on what in truth does not really matter.
 
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
You're starting to see that you have choices, and that people are offering you something that you cannot really offer yourself. If there's a risk in the situation, it's becoming too identified with people, places and things that are not actually you. However, it's fairly rare for you to aggressively assert your ideas, your personal vision or your right to exist. If people around you are a bit better at this than you are, you have the excellent opportunity to learn from their example. But this is a different kind of learning; there is a direct exchange of energy involved, an impression being made or a flame being passed. Soon enough you'll feel this fire burning inside you. It's impossible to miss.
 
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
You've taken some unusual risks lately. You've also endured some extreme pressures and challenging circumstances. The heat is off, and the sense of urgency is mellowing out. If you're likely to feel less inclined to dive into anything headfirst, or to make decisions based on opinions (or those of others) rather than how you feel, then you're finding some stability. I trust that you're feeling better, and at the same time, seeing that there are at least two sides to the story of your life, and at least two possible outcomes from every choice you make. For the foreseeable future, you need to keep your mind on one particular decision that seems to be looming on the horizon. It's not nearly as close as you think, and several factors you can't foresee will intervene. I suggest you take it easier for a while, and watch what develops.
 
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
You may be of the belief that life is not a journey one should take lightly or casually. There are too many threats, too many reasons to be on your toes all the time, and too many people throwing around their power. Your devotion to making precise decisions that align with your true beliefs has indeed saved you a lot of work and many disappointments. The question now is, what next? Well, something different, a softer experience of living and the feeling that life is less a game and more something to explore with your curiosity. Discipline has given you freedom, and it's a pretty good time to use it for whatever you decide you want or need.
 
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
It's always easier when people are direct in their communications, even if you don't agree with what they're saying. Unfortunately it's taken certain important individuals in your life a long time to come around to this, and as it works out you knew what they wanted a lot sooner than they did themselves. The point is that you can't spend your time waiting for others to say what they want, as much as you'd like to. People can take their time about making the decisions that help you feel like you're on solid ground, but that doesn't need to prevent you from feeling safe or in control of your life. Use what you know.
 
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
What exactly were you waiting for? Did it show up? It's interesting, some people are certain the way to bargain is to always say no. Others have the idea they have to agree to every last demand made on them. Some people take things one step at a time, and respond in reasonable ways to what the situation calls for. I'm going to guess you've been experimenting with one of the first two options, and are working your way toward the third. It would be nice if life were always as simple as 'the more you give, the more you get'. The truth is, sometimes it is that simple, and this happens to be one of the themes of your existence right now.
 
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
The tension is quickly draining from certain persistently difficult situations in your life, and it would make a lot of sense to let some of that tension drain from yourself. You do need a change of environment, and your environment is precisely the thing that's cooperating the best. Play with the expectation that certain circumstances involving partners or associates will work out better rather than worse, and you just may discover that your choosing is what sets things on a positive path. At this point in the history of the local cosmos, state of mind counts for a lot. Work on that first and much else will follow.
 
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You may be feeling like you came up a little too quickly from scuba diving a bit too deep, on a day with some rough seas when your stomach wasn't quite up to it. The planets have been twisting, turning and churning and a lot of this has taken your heart and soul for a plunge. Venus making her arrival in your birth sign today will ease some of your sense of vertigo, and give you a new point of orientation. There's just been too much happening to notice that life is beautiful, but I think that as the new planetary situation develops, this will be rather difficult to miss, indeed, perfectly obvious.

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Planet Waves Astrology - Horoscopes by Eric Francis

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