Weekly NewsScope for January 3, 2005

Probably the best forecast for last week's tsunami came from Richard Nolle*, who used his time-tested technique of the SuperMoon. The problem with Nolle's prediction was that it was not geographically specific; it just gave the timing for a likely geological disaster. An astrologer totally focused on earthquake prediction could have used Nolle's SuperMoon for the timing, and then cross-referenced that with the horoscopes of regional disasters.

In hindsight, the 8.9 earthquake near Indonesia's Aceh region (December 26; 7:59 am; 3N16 95E47) resonated strongly with the August 27, 1883 explosion of Krakatoa (10:02 am LMT; 16S42 105E42), which also generated a huge tsunami and massive loss of life. If one takes the Krakatoa horoscope as the birth chart for the region's tendency toward geological disaster, then the current event can be seen as an inevitable expression.

Most notably, transiting Pluto was precisely squaring the Krakatoa Uranus, which in itself is an explosive combination. Then, transiting Uranus was exactly opposite the Krakatoa Sun, likewise representing a sudden awakening of a shocking event. Neptune, the King of the Seas, is located at the foundation of the Krakatoa horoscope, and by secondary progression, was stressfully activated by both Mars and Mercury.

The Krakatoa event was the fourth in a series of volcanic eruptions that began that morning when the Moon was at 28 degrees Gemini. The Indonesian earthquake also features the Moon at 28 degrees Gemini, as does the 9/11 event. This degree is the location of the malefic star Menkalinan which astrologer Vivian Robson associates with "ruin, disgrace, and frequently violent death."

The astrological rule of three makes the asteroid Ceres a major player in 2005. Ceres by transit, transiting Uranus to the U.S. Ceres, and Ceres in Bush's Inauguration chart (see NewsScope, December 13) are all giving an important message about specific themes we can expect over the next year. In personal horoscopes, Ceres is associated with the parent-child relationship, nurturing, food, and the caretaking professions.

In the geopolitical realm the pending prominence of Ceres often foreshadows disasters. Last week as President Bush announced a tenfold increase in relief aid to the tsunami victims, transiting Ceres was exactly conjunct the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant. Due to Ceres' periodic retrograde cycle, Ceres will remain in Scorpio through September 2005, which is a good indicator of how long Americans will be concerned with this disaster relief program.

In the U.S. national horoscope Ceres is located in Pisces and is exactly trine the Scorpio Ascendant. This favorable configuration has become manifest as the Statue of Liberty, which strongly resembles the archetypal image of Ceres. The Statue's attached poem "The Colossus" reflects the compassionate imagery of Ceres in Pisces as it welcomes "your tired, your poor, your huddles masses yearning to breathe free."

Transiting Uranus, the planet of crisis and sudden developments, is heading for the U.S. Ceres and makes its first conjunction on April 1, followed by another on September 3, and a final pass in January 2006. This long term cycle parallels the passage of Ceres in Scorpio, and indicates that the Southeast Asian tsunami is likely only a prelude to more natural disasters and other grief-inducing events.

Among the many celebrities** who bowed out last week under the spell of Ceres conjunct the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant was Big Bandleader and clarinetist Artie Shaw. Aside from his exceptional musical talent, Shaw was best known for his tumultuous relationships with Hollywood glamour girls, and his eight marriages to the likes of Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and "Gone with the Wind" star Evelyn Keys.

Artie Shaw was born with his Sun in restless, dextrous Gemini (May 23, 1910; NYC; time unknown), and his Moon in intense, perfectionist Scorpio. His Mars in feeling-oriented Cancer is musically inspired by a conjunction with Neptune, and this combination facilitated his entrance onto the American stage since it's conjunct the U.S. Sun. Shaw's Venus in flirtatious Aries reflects his interest in showgirls.

Shaw's Venus squares his Mars-Neptune, a dynamic configuration that leads into endless cycles of falling in love, and then falling out of love through disillusionment or finding greener pastures elsewhere. It's the signature of the incurable romantic, and when this is taken into consideration with his vengeful Scorpio Moon, we can see why his autobiographical novel was titled "I Love You, I Hate You, Drop Dead."

While Venus and Mars deal with love and romance, making a real commitment comes under the auspices of Juno, the marriage asteroid. Shaw's Juno is also in Cancer, underscoring the stay-at-home expectations he and that era's culture expected from a wife. But with his Juno squaring Venus, he was always lured away. Juno's opposition to Uranus, the divorce planet, brought chaos into his preconceptions.

* see his explanation of the SuperMoon and December forecast at http://www.astropro.com/forecast/predict/2004-12.html

For more NewsScope articles on earthquakes, see January 29, 2001; March 5, 2001; December 29, 2003.

Also, see John Halloran's newsgroup posts connecting the December 26 magnitude 9.0 earthquake, and the December 24 magnitude 8.1 earthquake that preceded it, to the chart for a 90-degree square aspect between Jupiter and Pluto on August 6, 2004 - click on this link.

** The list includes actor Jerry Orbach, author Susan Sontag, NFL football star Reggie White, country music star Hank Garland, artist Charles Biederman, and TV Heart surgeon Jonathan Drummond-Webb, plus actress Liza Minnelli fell out of bed and hurt her head.