The early rumblings of a promised war against Iraq have been gathering momentum, becoming, of late, more like a loud and insistent drum roll. The most recent member of the administration to pound this compelling message into the collective brain is Condoleeza Rice , who tells us that Saddam is an "evil man" who given half a chance will use weapons of mass destruction against us all. It is not coincidental that a recent Gallup Poll shows that fear of these weapons and fear of terrorism are the strongest reasons given for support of a war against Saddam.

It appears not to matter to the Bush administration that there is not one country on the entire planet that supports the U.S. in this coming war. Nor does it shake their self-satisfied arrogance that some leading Republicans and many of the Joint Chiefs have grave reservations about this relentless march to mayhem. Despite a vague pretense at dialogue, there seems an inevitability to the whole process which nothing can deter.

Astrological investigation suggests several periods of increased turmoil and potential war during the remaining two years of this administration. Powerful events begin either in very late December 2002 or January 2003 that unleash a new and very turbulent phase for the administration. It is possible that this will be the beginning of the Iraqi War. In any event, in early 2003, the administration will be caught in a swirl of forceful and dramatic circumstances. In Mr. Bush's chart, we find his progressed Midheaven coming to natal Uranus (19Gemini09) from October 2002 through November 2003, and triggered profoundly from January through mid-May 2003, by an opposition from transiting Pluto (19 Sagittarius). This suggests decisive action, ruthlessness, and unilateralism. He will be operating in high gear amidst a whirlwind of unfolding and transformative events.

The Inaugural chart also suggests that January will be a crucial time for the administration. The Inaugural tertiary progressed Midheaven will be conjunct natal Uranus (12/22/02 - 1/22/03) suggesting a sudden shift in focus and activity, as well as a relentless and grim determination. The Inaugural tertiary progressed Ascendant will be opposite natal Pluto, suggesting a consolidation of power, and a profound experience of power struggle with an enemy or adversary. This clash of wills may be exacerbated by the simultaneous transit of Pluto to the Inaugural Moon during this period.

In the Inaugural chart there is a natal Moon /Pluto conjunction. This is descriptive of the underlying suspicion and distrust which so motivate this administration, as well as its almost obsessive need to control everything so as not to feel threatened. The Moon in this chart is also descriptive of the people who are under the administration, and the Moon's position conjunct Pluto suggests a populace that is frightened of an unknowable and uncontrollable power (terrorism), as well as distrustful of a government that attempts to manipulate and control. There is a basic power struggle inherent in this position that goes through the entire four-year term and is reiterated in the basic structure of the chart by the Inaugural Sun semisquare to natal Pluto. The coming transit of Pluto to the Inaugural Moon, which dominates the first five months of 2003 and returns at the end of the year, suggests a time when the administration will strongly experience these feelings of suspicion and the need to control. In turn, the population is likely to feel resentful and distrustful.

There are two aspects in the US chart that further suggest the possibility of hostilities somewhere between late December and mid-February. The US tertiary progressed Sun will be opposite natal Mars (21Gemini23) from 12/18/02 - 1/18/03, and the tertiary progressed Mars will be square the natal Sun (13Cancer19) from 12/20/02 - 2/16/03. A Mercury station will trigger the latter aspect from 1/18 to 1/26/06, a time when several other aspects are at their strongest. A transit from Uranus will further trigger it from 1/21 to 2/8/03. There is no question in my mind that events from about 1/10/03 to approximately 2/1/03 will be very significant.

There is hardly a demarcation between this first period from roughly January through mid-May 2003 and the second period from May through about mid-September 2003. The biggest difference is that some of the intensity of the initial phase is gone, signified by the Pluto transit not being as dominant after May until it reappears at the end of the year. There is a great deal of Mars activity in this period, which suggests ongoing aggression for several months. The biggest indicator here is the progression in Mr. Bush's chart of the Sun coming to a conjunction of his natal Mars (9 Virgo 18). This is a powerful aspect for a president and is often an indicator of his role as Commander-in-Chief. This begins around May 2003 and continues into June 2004.

From mid-July to mid-October 2003 there is almost nonstop Mars activity in Bush's chart, including very strong triggers from both transiting Mars (7/13 - 8/10/03) and transiting Jupiter (10/6 -10/11/03) to his progressed Sun/natal Mars aspect. There is also a tertiary progressed Sun square to tertiary progressed Mars (0 -1 Gemini/Virgo) from 7/19 to 9/19/03 that is triggered by transiting Uranus for the entire month of August and by Mars and Jupiter during the first half of September.

In an eerie bit of synchronicity, the very same aspect will be going on in the Inaugural chart: tertiary progressed Sun square to tertiary progressed Mars, from 7/30 to 9/20/03, at analogous degrees in the mutable signs (2 -3 Sagittarius/Pisces). Transiting Mars will also trigger this aspect, during the middle week of September and again in mid-October. Transiting Uranus and transiting Jupiter will come close but will not be exact.

The combination of these aspects suggest an angry and focused Bush, once again calling for the head of an enemy, and reminiscent of the post 9/11 Commander-in-Chief who had the strong Sun/Mars/Jupiter/Pluto activity in his chart. But there is one huge difference. The first few months post 9/11 saw Jupiter stationary conjunct Bush's Sun and the US Sun, lending an aura of success and patriotism to that entire phase of endeavor. The coming events of 2003 and 2004, on the other hand, include the increasing influence of Saturn, suggesting multiple problems, obstacles, and a lack of success, unless activities are extremely careful, small, and narrowly defined. Caution, humility, and negotiation are the keywords of Saturn.

It should be mentioned here that the US chart has a very strong Jupiter, conjunct both the Sun and Venus, in the exalted sign of Cancer, and empowered as ruler of the Ascendant. This lovely combination of planets suggests success, generosity, expansiveness, and power. When Jupiterian elements are strong by transit or progression, as they were last fall, these elements come to the fore. But the US chart also has a very tight Sun square to Saturn, and Saturn in the very dominant 10th house. So lessons come in learning to not overreach, restrictions come on power, and pride and arrogance (10th house Saturn issues) come up repeatedly and are harshly dealt with whenever the Saturn/Sun square is triggered. In early 1968, when public sentiment turned against the War in Vietnam and the Tet Offensive dealt the US a stunning blow, Saturn was square to the US Sun. In August 1974, when Nixon resigned from the presidency, Saturn was exactly conjunct the US Sun. Inevitably, Saturn aspects to the US Sun bring powerful lessons and painful and difficult times. The Saturn aspects of the last half of the Bush Presidency include: tertiary progressed Saturn opposite the US Sun from February through October 2003; tertiary progressed Saturn square the US Saturn from February 2004 to November 2004; and the transit of Saturn conjunct the US Sun from late September 2003 through mid-June 2004.

The third phase of likely war activity, which runs from roughly October 2003 through June 2004, seems like it will be the most difficult. This entire period includes very significant Saturn activity. It also begins with the final trigger of transiting Pluto to Bush's progressed MC/natal Uranus, as well as Pluto once again crossing the Inaugural Moon. These aspects, coming with a Saturn station on the US Sun, suggest that we can expect a huge crisis for Bush during October and November 2003.

Bush's very aggressive progressed Sun conjunct natal Mars culminates during early June 2004, and will be triggered by a powerful station of Jupiter from 4/4 to 5/22/04. Also of tremendous significance during this period is the transit of Pluto opposite the US Mars (21Gemini23), making a powerful station from January through May 2004. Thus, it seems likely that the period from January through May 2004 will include renewed or increased hostilities either in a war with Iraq or elsewhere.

The coming transit of Pluto opposite the US Mars will span almost all of 2004, until late November. To understand this transit, it is instructive to look at 1968, when transiting Pluto was square US Mars (10/67 through 8/68). March 1968 also included a square of Saturn to the US Sun, and so that month offers two very similar aspects to those coming in the first months of 2004. The 1968 period under the transit of Pluto square US Mars includes: the Tet Offensive, beginning 1/30/68, which became the turning point in the Vietnam War; the MyLai Massacre, 3/16/68 (Saturn and Pluto aspects both very strong); LBJ's withdrawal from the Democratic Primary, 3/31/69; Martin Luther King's assassination, 4/4/68 (Sun/Saturn conjunction square US Saturn); Robert Kennedy's assassination, 6/5/68 (Pluto/ Mars square aspecting US Mars); and several anti-war demonstrations and riots with significant police brutality, including the infamous Chicago Democratic Convention (both Venus and Mercury were conjunct Pluto that week, triggering the square to US Mars). These tumultuous events suggest the possibility of a strongly aroused populace, civil unrest, and likely violence in response to the upcoming situation in 2004, especially if there is an ongoing and increasingly unpopular war.

In an earlier article, War with Iraq , I have discussed what the relevant Iraqi charts suggest over the next few years. Many of the significant time periods are analogous to those found in the Bush, Inaugural, and US charts. Whatever the details, however, it is clear that 2003 and 2004 will be difficult years for the country and its leadership, and painful lessons in arrogance and overreach will once again be seared into the national psyche, with potentially devastating results.