February 28

     The last few forecasting efforts have detailed the planetary karmas resulting from the ongoing retrogrades of Jupiter and Saturn, Rahu and Ketu changing signs February 22, Mercury retrograde beginning March 20 and Mars-inspired violence March 5, 10 and 13.  The February 21, 2005 In-depth Forecast, #61  Kama & Kendra -- Desire & Power and the February 26 Celestial Wheel integrated and summarized these influences, suggesting challenge internationally and domestically.  While challenge is naturally not welcome,  the process of resolving problems can bring personal growth benefiting humanity.

     Last evening, I saw a biography on Mark Twain, who not by chance coined the term Gilded Age.  Always a bad investor, he went bankrupt in the financial panic of 1893 but promised to fully pay the $200,000 owed to creditors.  Twain suffered through a round-the-world speaking tour to generate cash, and during the trip a daughter died.  Twain managed to pay off his all creditors, resulting in a wave of public admiration for his personal growth, which was amplified by sympathy for his daughter's passing.  From that point onward, and until his death in 1910, Mark Twain was the revered pundit in America and overseas.  His is an example of personal growth via overcoming challenge through truth and honor.  Perhaps this current period of challenge will also bring a similar positive result.

     For example, I've predicted ...the U.S. both failing to control the insurgency and being unable to work with the new Iraqi leadership.  This failure in Iraq's democracy effort can result in the U.N. replacing the U.S. to begin a successful program to stabilize Iraq.  A major consequence of failing in Iraq to G.W. Bush is that ...he will be unable to advance his international democracy crusade and fail in forcing Congress to pass his neoconservative agenda.  I am not suggesting, however, that Bush will rise above his failure, like Mark Twain, for his path has never been one of truth and honor.  The reverse is indicated  -- that Bush will be dishonored.  This gives the positive result of stopping his neoconservative rampage.

    We can look to the second subcycle planets for, further and shorter term, influences.  Rehnquest ran Saturn as a second subcycle planet in December and January, advancing the cancer.  Mercury has replaced Saturn, and because Mercury rules the eighth house of chronic illness, the health harming influence continued.  Ketu is now the second subcycle planet, bringing further harm.  Saturn's transit influence in the eighth house adds weight to the harms shown in the planetary cycles.

     Rehnquest's health must therefore continue to deteriorate through the end of this Sun cycle ending April 13, 2005.  The problem is only when he will step down, for the Saturn/Moon combination makes him very stubborn, and when he enters the Moon cycle in April, his fixity of mind will only increase.

     Considering his age, the the cancer's advancement and Rehnquest's ongoing inability to attend court, it appears that only his stubborn nature has kept him alive and from resigning.  Further, as the twelfth is the house of sacrifice, it is probable Rehnquest is keeping his position (even as working outside court stresses his health), as he waits for Bush to be dishonored  -- for that will pave the way for a moderate Chief Justice and a moderate Justice replacement. 

     Combining the stubborn and self sacrificing qualities of Saturn/Moon in this chart, I believe Rehnquest to be most honorable, like Mark Twain, who suffered to pay his creditors.  Rehnquest intends to save the Supreme Court from radical conservatives through his suffering.  Look for him to keep his Chief Justice post until he believes the political climate has soured on the neoconservatives.  

     Although Rehnquest will not enjoy the fruits of his honorable actions as Mark Twain did, he will have the satisfaction of having done a great service to his country.  History will recognize Rehnquest's sacrifice, and this life will have been one for him of great advancement on the path toward self-realization.    

February 26

     In the February 12 Celestial Wheel, I suggested the ongoing retrogrades of Jupiter and Saturn and the Rahu/Ketu (the Moon's Nodes) February 22 sign change,

     While it's difficult to express how these energies express themselves, my own experiences reflect the above qualities, to which your chart resonates in its own way.  Jupiter in my third house is the planet of short articles, and I have thereby written few Celestial Wheels since Jupiter began retrograde February 2.  Rahu (modern science) was in Aries, ruled by Mars (machinery) in my seventh house of relationships.  A week ago Thursday, the warning lights and bells on my cars' election system issued a cacophony of electronic cardiac arrest.  I had to wait until Wednesday, after the February 22 Rahu sign change into Pisces (sixth house), for the mechanic to repair the voltage regulator.  With Rahu now finished disturbing my seventh house relationships, and in a good position in my sixth house of the daily job, a sudden burst of client inquiries came in.  As Rahu is foreigners, and spiritual Ketu transited in my twelfth house of far and distant places, one call was from Chili, and I'm working with another client in Vancouver, BC, for his cousin in Moscow.

    Ketu in Virgo in my twelfth house, close to my Ascendant ruler Venus, which is fallen in Virgo.  This is negative for physical energy but positive for twelfth house introspection and seclusion.  Dissolving Ketu on this weak Venus is also negative for Venus' romantic relationship, and I'm struggling to schedule a lunch or dinner with a woman friend.  Too, I'm concerned for my daughters (Venus), and they are both going through home and job changes. 

     Prince Charles was born five days before me, and transit Ketu on his Venus must cause problems with his upcoming wedding.  Queen Elizabeth has already declined attending his civil ceremony wedding.  There will likely by other problems arising before the April 8 wedding date.

     The international arena too has been uncertain and unstable.  G.W. Bush's European trip, although applauded in the media, appeared to solidify their differences.  Fundamental is Bush's simplistic freedom philosophy and the European view that eliminating poverty is the key to world peace.  There is also the thorny issue of NATO being replaced by an alliance between the U.S. and the EU, for this replaces a military alliance with cooperation between the U.S. superpower and the EU regional authority.  Further, there is plenty of action throughout the Mideast.  These events follow my May 26, 2004 In-depth Forecast, #52 The Jupiter/Saturn Conjunction  -- A New Twenty Year Era.  Below is a summary of this interval, that began in May, 2000,  

     Consider too the June 18, 2004 In-depth Forecast, #53 The Timeless Mideast Bottleneck  -- Ancient Karmas.  This is a five-part Forecast which concluded by stating, In summary, there's a convergence of karmas in these four key Mideast countries occurring now that will transform the Mideast.  The question is, will the area further disintegrate into chaos or rescue itself?  The likely period for transformation is the summer of this year, and I'll investigate this in future forecasting.

     In closing, keep in mind the three sensitive dates in March discussed in the February 21, 2005 In-depth Forecast, #61 Kama & Kendra -- Desire & Power, during which Mars precipitates events:  March 5, 10 and 13.