Weekly NewsScope for February 28, 2005

Pope John Paul II and the Solar Eclipse

Roman Catholics around the world offered their prayers for Pope John Paul II's swift recovery following the second emergency visit to Gemelli Hospital within a month. The Pope was suffering from acute respiratory distress caused by a bout of flu that was so severe he had to have a tracheotomy. At last report he was breathing with the aid of a respirator.

Pope John Paul II was born a persevering Taurus (May 18, 1920; 5:00 pm; Wadowice, Poland), with Mars Rising in the diplomatic sign of Libra. Although his exact birth time is controversial*, Mars Rising fits the aggressive diplomatic personality that helped topple communism in his native Poland, and bridged the previously isolated Vatican with Catholics around the world. The Pope as a young man was unusually athletic, another sign of a prominent Mars.

The Pope's chart features a Saturn-Uranus opposition, which describes the battle between the traditional way of doing things, and the urge for radical reform. Saturn and Uranus both form hard aspects to his Mars, so that he must mediate between these forces. On May 13, 1981 when transiting Pluto was exactly conjunct his Mars, he was shot by a would-be assassin.

Over the last year, as transiting Saturn squared his Mars, the Pope's frailties have noticeably worsened. On his first emergency hospital visit on February 1, transiting Saturn was exactly, to-the-minute squaring his Mars. Saturn remains in this degree area through mid-May, which must be seen as an excruciatingly painful phase for the Pope. The April 8 Solar Eclipse, often a signal for the imminent death or a fall from power of a world leader, happens to fall right on his Descendant and opposite his Mars.

CPS and the Solar Eclipse

Last week several more cases of businesses losing consumer information came to light following the February 18 revelation by ChoicePoint that their database had been compromised. ChoicePoint notified some 145,000 Americans that their social security numbers and other personal information may have been viewed by criminals. Payroll processor PayMaxx, cell phone provider T-Mobile, and the Bank of America all announced similar breaches.

Astrologically, the flurry of financial data snafus can be attributed to transiting Pluto's long-term passage through the U.S. second house of money. Last week Pluto made an exact aspect (an inconjunction) to the U.S. Mercury, the natural ruler of data. Then, zooming in on the main breach of trust, have a look at ChoicePoint's First Trade horoscope, which is set for July 25, 1997 (9:30 am; NYC).

The CPS (ChoicePoint) horoscope features Virgo Rising and Gemini at the Midheaven, both ruled by Mercury. Mercury is found in the twelfth house of secrets, and is conjunct Venus, the planet associated with money. This Mercury-Venus pair is squared by Pluto in the third house of information, further defining the company's business as discrete financial research.

At the time the breach was discovered in late October 2004, transiting Uranus was exactly opposite the CPS Venus. Uranus also hit the CPS Sun in Leo, which represents the company's executives who are now being investigated for dumping their stock before the public knew. The company has major problems ahead as transiting Saturn and the Solar Eclipse perfectly align with the CPS Saturn, indicating that institutional holders (Saturn) will likely be purging their portfolios of this one.

Jamie Foxx and the Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipses have the potential for a sudden rise to stardom as well as a sudden fall from grace. Jamie Foxx's portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic "Ray" led to his Oscar nomination, but the tie between these two men goes much deeper than a Hollywood film production since the two met just before the famed singer died.

Jamie Foxx was born with his Sun in the trendy sign of Sagittarius (December 13, 1967; Terrell, TX; time unknown) square to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo. Sagittarians are often known for their showmanship and clownish sense of humor, and Foxx began his career as a stand-up comic. Ray Charles was born with his Sun in late Virgo (September 23, 1930; Albany, GA) or early Libra, depending on the exact time he was born.

The stongest tie between these two charts is Foxx's Uranus conjunct Charles' Sun. This link can lead to spontaneous connections, but just as easily, sudden separations. When Foxx first met Charles, the two had a quick and easy rapport, but Foxx didn't want to spend too much time with the elder Charles, and left their sessions early to study the film clips of the younger Charles.

Their charts have in common a Neptune-Mercury-Sun planetary containment**, said to be the mark of an imaginative mental dreamer. Neptune is the planet of both music and movies. Another connection between their charts is Foxx's Ceres in Libra and Charles Moon in the same degree area in Libra. This combination brings an emotional rapport, and a genuine mutual caring. Soon the Solar Eclipse aligns with their Ceres-Moon, vaulting their shared experiences into Hollywood legend status. Foxx gets all the excitement since transiting Uranus is now forming an exhilarating, fame-inducing trine to his Venus.

* Astrodatabank prefers a time of 5:30 pm, while other favorite times include 1:00 pm, and 6:25 am. Using a 5:00 pm time, John Paul was elected Pope on October 26, 1978 as his progressed Venus, the ruler of his chart, was conjunct his Midheaven.

** Planetary containments are a technique pioneered by Alexandre Volguine in Les Encadrements Planétaires.

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