Copyright
2003. All Rights Reserved
As promised in my last column I would like to give in this column an
insight into what I see as the most intense planetary configuration
affecting the U.S. Astrologically over the next two years. The
U.S. has, in its natal birth chart, Mars in the Seventh house.
The Seventh House is the house related to the sign Libra. It is
the house of partnerships and relationships. The U.S. also has
the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter in that house as well. It is our most
populated house in the natal chart, therefore a significant part
of our karmic lessons involve the way we relate to others.
Venus and Jupiter there are quite positive. In an individual’s chart they
would be positive indicators of an eventual happy marriage or pair-bond relationship.
Mars in the seventh house, however, is not so positive. It is at the beginning
of the house therefore its effect is stronger than that of the other planets
placed in that house. Hilarion says that with Mars in the Seventh House there
is a tendency to experience conflict and aggression in your relationships and
there is a tendency to ‘rush into battle when opposed.’
This Mars is also in tense aspect, a square, to Neptune, making it subject to
illusion, confusion, and delusion. In the later part of the 1960’s transiting
Pluto in the sky made a conjunction to the Neptune. This can be related to the
explosion and transformative manifestation of Neptunian energy in this country
at that time. The music, spirituality, drugs and altered states of consciousness
and mysticism which was pervading the mass culture at that time.
At the same time, however, Pluto was making a square to the Mars in the Seventh
House of Relationships. This was Vietnam. The only war we ever clearly lost.
One could say that it was a Plutonian undermining of that normally Martial way
of dealing with relationships. Vietnam was a clear example of how using only
Mars, ie. military, approaches to deal with complicated social-political relationships
was not the best way to go.
At the end of 2003 and throughout 2004 and 2005 Pluto, still moving through our
First House of self-image, as mentioned in my last article, will move into an
exact square to our natal Neptune (instead of only conjuncting it) and an exact
square to our natal Mars. Basically everything which was in effect during Vietnam
will be occurring again but with much greater tension. One could surmise that
everything we didn’t learn in Vietnam we may very well have to deal with
again. I originally thought that this was going to be the war with Iraq. That
we would start something which would then turn into a Vietnam type ‘quagmire.’ Now
it seems that it may well involve some other of our compicated conflictual relationships
in the world.
This Mars/Neptune tension in our birthchart can be identified with the tense
schism within this country between what was referred to in the 1960’s as ‘hawks’ and ‘doves.’ At
that time I was definitely one of the doves and I definitely lean that way now.
At the same time, as I said in my last column, I am a Libra and I try to look
at things from both sides. I sense that what is needed in this country is a healing
integration of these Mars and Neptune energies. We cannot embrace only Neptune
which is in total disregard for the fact that in the present world there is occasionally
a need for Mars energy. And we clearly cannot rely on only Mars, ie. military,
solutions with no Neptunian qualities such as true compassion and empathy and
capacity for spiritual/psychological healing.
At the end of the Cold War there was the potential for a healing integration
of these Mars and Neptune energies. I am referring to a specific situation I
am aware of. I have a friend who was a colonel in the Army at that time and was
working at the Pentagon. After the fall of Soviet Russia he submitted a proposal
to the top brass of the military. This proposal suggested a transformation of
the usage of the military. He suggested that, while maintaining military readiness
and training, that we should make use of all of that incredible manpower and
make it into a humanitarian force for peace. To go into areas where there were
natural cataclysms, or ecological disasters or famine and provide substantial
aid and support.
The Martial elements of the military were so intimidated by this Neptunian suggestion
that not only was my friend’s proposal vehemently refused but the atmosphere
became so untenable for him that he had to take early retirement. In my book
I presented this story and made the point that if the military had accepted his
proposal and they had transformed the military into a humanitarian force for
peace back in 1991 who knows where we would have been in September, 2001.
There are other components to this Mars/Neptune tension in the U.S. chart which
is also likely to arise as part of our karmic experience in the next couple of
years. These I will address in my next column. In the meantime, as I said before,
I wish us all peace and clear guidance.
Steffan Vanel
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