Vedic Predictive Astrology

#5
Face-off 2003 Bush/Hussein
Published January 2, 2003

I  Forecast Preview

Preface
     This fog-bound ship analogy to our nation's current dilemma doesn't suggest a prophetic "Heart Of Darkness" voyage, nor a "Brave New World" society view.  Yet, memories of these kinds of worrisome scenarios inevitably echo back from the disconnect between the reality we feel and the reality we're told.

The Stage 2003
     Bush's latest unsubstantiated fear-building claim is his New Year's message, headlined in USA Today, Bush fears reverberations of attack.  Strike by Saddam Hussein or a terrorist ally 'would cripple our economy.'  Yet, this same newspaper two days earlier ran an editorial entitled Powerful perch may be difficult for Bush to hold.

Hussein The Adversary
      Hussein's chart is truly amazing in its mix of power and degradation.  He is thereby the perfect devil for Bush to attack.  Hussein's exalted Sun in the 11th house of goals and groups gives him a fiery pride, confidence and tremendous political ambition, as well as support from tribal groups.  Yet, the public ego hides the inner fear of a man with a horribly tortured self image.  

The Hussein Thorn In Bush's Side
      In Hussein's chart, Scorpio is his 6th house of enemies, where the combination of Mars, Moon and Rahu are placed that make him both violent and ruthless.  Thus, Saddam's words and actions, indeed even his mere existence, infuriate Bush.  

Timetable For Battle
     The Security's Counsels response to the weapons inspectors report that day could be the trigger that sets off Hussein, which, in turn, would infuriate Bush to strike immediately.  It seems impossible with such a confluence of violent planetary influences that a catastrophic event will not beset the world on January 27.  A U S invasion, although likely, is not the only possibility.  

Economic Consequences
     Investors, companies and consumers will likely maintain the caution evidenced in the low holiday season sales and wait until the inevitable Bush/Hussein conflict is resolved by the end of April.  

II  Preface
     At the inception of this second year of the new millennium, uncertainty hangs like an impenetrable fog blanketing a sailing ship.  The view ahead is obscured.  The captain's fair sailing promises and favorable marine weather reports fail to dispel the crew's cold clamminess.  In this unfamiliar disconnection between personal reality and official statements, the cold penetrates right to worried bones.

     An outward optimism (a cloak over the inward discomfort) gives the confidence needed for the crew members to operate the ship.  Each must do is duty for the safety of all.  Cerebrally the crew believes, but doesn't feel the belief, that all is well.  To the senses, the fog conceals the course and hides dangers.  Instincts give alarm, stimulating a search for truth about the suddenly fated voyage.  In its cloaking of reality, the fog even steals free will.

     This fog-bound ship analogy to our nation's current dilemma doesn't suggest a prophetic "Heart Of Darkness" voyage, nor a "Brave New World" society view.  Yet, memories of these kinds of worrisome scenarios inevitably echo back from the disconnection between the reality we feel and the reality we're told.  We are figuratively floating, seeking firm ground, even as the ship blindly floats with no clear course.  As the analogous crew's fears stimulate a search for truth, we too search for certainty in our foggy sea.

     This Forecast, in applying metaphysical means, is a corollary to the ship's crew seeking other navigational aids, new information sources, which are outside the ship's captain and science.  In looking up to the heavens, this karmic weather forecaster attempts to pierce the gathering and hiding political fog, to catch glimpses of the true course and dangers ahead.  These insights are then meshed with both government/media information and the reality we perceive to divine the most likely future. 

III  The Stage 2003
     Beginning in late August 2002, President Bush began beating the war drums against Iraq with a sudden and amazingly potent focus, intensity and charismatic power.  Hussein is clearly Bush's obsession.  (For an in depth analysis of George W. Bush, see The Bush Presidency - Profile and Prediction)

     Faced with the truly dire terrorism threat of 9-11, Americans immediately rallied behind their leader.  When the 9-11 anniversary came, Bush took the power a fearfully patriotic public freely offered him to implement his preemptive strike policy.  He played upon a basic psychological need for safety.  This gives Bush unrestricted authority to attack any country he perceives as a threat, beginning with Iraq.  Bush's latest unsubstantiated fear-building claim is his New Year's message, headlined in USA Today, Bush fears reverberations of attack. Strike by Saddam Hussein or a terrorist ally 'would cripple our economy.'  Yet, this same newspaper two days earlier ran an editorial entitled Powerful perch may be difficult for Bush to hold.  Reading both, the reality disconnect manifests again, bone-chilling gut feeling that Bush serves a selfish personal agenda, not the public's welfare.

     Bush must be supported by others to be effective, and there exists a valid question whether he gains support by his own efforts or is a mercenary instrument of his father's interests.  This is a moot point, however.  Bush is the President, his agenda is set, and as President, only he can set policy.  So we look to Bush's Vedic chart to understand where the impending conflict with Iraq is heading.

IV  Hussein The Adversary
     Hussein's birth date and place are well known, but typically for that era and country, the birth time was not recorded.  Accordingly several birth times have been floating around the astrological community.  I extend my appreciation to Indian Astrologer K.N. Rao for his 8:15 AM birth time as reported in the December 2002 issue of his Journal Of Astrology.  The resulting birthchart and planetary cycles match the major events of his life and his most unique personal characteristics.

     Below are birthcharts and current planetary cycles for Bush and Hussein.

Birthcharts & Planetary Cycles

George W. Bush                                                    Saddam Hussein

     In summary, Bush lives a fated life in which he is predestined for this great rise to the presidency, followed by a colossal fall brought about by his desire to please his father.  At this time, Bush's power to influence is at a peak, and so is his unbridled and blinded aggression against Iraq, which really means Hussein, his father's sworn enemy who survives still in his fated life to battle Bush. 

     Hussein's chart is truly amazing in its mix of power and degradation.  He is thereby the perfect devil for Bush to attack.  Hussein's exalted Sun in the 11th house of goals and groups gives him a fiery pride, confidence and tremendous political ambition, as well as support from tribal groups.  Yet, the public ego hides the inner fear of a man with a horribly tortured self image.  This occurs because Hussein's Ascendant (self) ruler, Mercury is weakly placed in the 12th of loss where it is shattered by Ketu (an eclipse point and mindless tail of a dragon in Vedic Astrology).  Mercury, as an indicator of both the self and the intellect, unceasingly worries about loss of self, and Ketu spaces out the mind in it's connection to otherworldly realms.  That the 12th house also governs the sleep cycle and clairvoyance denies Hussein the ability to sleep well, and he is likely haunted by nightmares and waking visions of astral beings - what we call ghosts.  It is partially due to this wretched life that he tortures others.  The sole benefit for Hussein is being highly psychic, which helps explain his uncanny survival ability.

     Hussein's perceptional Moon is even more afflicted, for there's no peace of mind or common sense in its fallen (weak) sign of Scorpio in the 6th house of enemies.  Hussein, already mentally tortured into abject fearfulness by Mercury, perceives everyone to be a potential enemy, and his psychic nature brings him insight into identifying true adversaries, as well as imaginary ones.  Mars closely conjunct the Moon stimulates great aggression in the 6th house, and Rahu (the head of the snake) influences again for a degree apprehension best described as explosive paranoia.  (The Moon is afraid of eclipse-causing Rahu.)  There is a hair-trigger temper against any perceived enemy.

     A look at Hussein's Lunar Nakshatras (the 27 lunar houses the Moon passes through each month that are unique to Vedic Astrology), is revealing in confirming his tendencies.  Hussein's egocentric Sun is in the Nakshatra of Bharani, which makes forgiveness an issue.  Thus, once a person is identified as an enemy, Hussein cannot pardon, requiring eliminating by assassination or war.  Hussein's perceptional Moon is placed in Anuradha, signifying much traveling, success, triumph, concentrated power, leadership and forming cooperative alliances.  This last relates to Anuradha's deity being Mitra, governing friendships, and the influence combines well with his Sun's support from tribal groups

     For Hussein, truth is absolutely elusive, for the perceptional Moon rules the 2nd of truth, and Mars and Rahu demolish his veracity and reliability.  With his political power, Saddam is thereby the most ruthless of dictators.  It is interesting that in the Moon signifying the home and Mars landed property, Hussein builds 18 royal palaces during his nearly completed 10 year Moon cycle, and Rahu must both add to the building frenzy and to his fear of losing his home.  As worldly Rahu can never be satiated, there can never be enough palaces.

     Saddam also suffers from his Jupiter (wisdom and ethics) placed in its fallen sign in the 8th house of turmoil, catastrophe and death.  There is no sagacity or discernment in this Jupiter, and certainly an ethical vacuum, bringing calamitous wars in which he indulges himself with incredible violence, death and destruction.  His powerful 6th house in Scorpio brings secrets, intrigues and poisons (Rahu is toxic), and he uses his debased Jupiter for 8th house assassinations.  In fact, with Jupiter ruling his 10th house of career, his first profession at age 20 was as an assassin, and he continues that aberrant behavior throughout his life.  That Saturn rules the 8th house of downfall and is closely associated with Jupiter, signals an elevated powerful career fated to fall, most likely by violence.  Thus, Bush and Hussein both live their lives as fate, and fate brings their destructive conflict that topples them both.

     One of the most provocative planetary dispositions in this chart of excesses is Hussein's exalted Venus in the 10th house of career with Saturn.  There is no Venusian compassion in this man.  Hussein is emotionally dry and detached from others, but he can be a great charmer when it suits him.  Because Venus rules the 5th house of entertainment and is placed in the 10th house of career, Hussein is a great actor, sensing exactly what the Iraqis and other Arabs desire and feeding them lies mixed with just enough truth to be believable.  Ancient Arab pride, interwoven with Muslim beliefs and a long history of U S military and economic double-dealing for control over oil, give Hussein plenty of ammunition to incite hatred against the U S.  As the 5th is also intelligence, the otherwise bent and harmed mentality of Mercury and the Moon are rescued from stupidity.  This is a very bright, creative and deep-thinking sociopath, a man without friends, only enemies and accomplices.   

     A bizarre outcome of the Saturn/Venus combination is Hussein's writing romance novels.  Venus is, of course, the planet of love, and it rules the 5th house of authorship and romance.  Saturn rules the 9th house of publishing, and with these house rulers combined in the 10th house of career, Hussein is indeed a gifted romance writer, although these must be lurid in theme and detail. 

     These, then, are some highlights about the world's most infamous and cruel dictator.  We next look at how Hussein affects President Bush.

V  The Hussein Thorn In Bush's Side
     Bush's fated and unexpected rise to power is followed by a commensurate fall, as noted above and discussed in detail in The Bush Presidency - Profile and Prediction.  With such a predestined life (meaning Bush's free will is overpowered by fate), he has no choice in Saddam being his great enemy, and likely his Armageddon.  With Bush's father the guiding influence, and Saddam being Bush Sr.'s great surviving enemy, the conflict between the two has deep roots.  Regardless of America's military power, the prowess of Bush's expert advisors and allied support, Saddam's paranoid icy cruelty will make a U S led invasion a bloodbath.  A million casualties in the Iraq/Iran war was nothing to Saddam, and in this, his last great battle, millions more dead combatants and civilians in Iraq and elsewhere will also be of no importance.  Bush, on the other hand, is not an omnipotent dictator, and the U S so highly values life, he will be disgraced by the death and destruction of a final war against Hussein.

     In compatibility analysis, Vedic Astrology primarily considers how the charts overlay each other, called synastry.  While there are several such influences among the charts of these two fated leaders, one is both dominant and fundamental.

     In Bush's chart, his 5th house of creative intelligence is in Mars' ruled sign of Scorpio, giving him a rash and hot-tempered nature.  That Bush's Mars is placed in the 2nd house of speech brings lying and alcohol, and from this position, Mars throws an aspect to the 5th house, giving a shifty audacity.  Ketu placed in the 5th house with this strong Mars influence makes Bush very sensitive, especially to criticism, to which he responds with "seething anger."  (Note: It was the Mars/Ketu conjunction on 9-11 that brought the terrorist's violence.)  Currently, Ketu is transiting Bush's 5th house, adding more energy to this volatile combination.  In the Bush analysis, he was described as being "slightly crazed" due to these planetary influences.

     In Hussein's chart, Scorpio is his 6th house of enemies, where the combination of Mars, Moon and Rahu are placed that make him violent and ruthless.  Thus, Saddam's words and actions, indeed even his mere existence, infuriate Bush.  In turn, Bush's seething anger toward Hussein stimulates the dictator's aggression against Bush and all that he represents, which means the entire country and the oil he covets.

     Bush cannot relate to this type of man or situation.  Before his rise to power, Bush's claim to fame was managing a baseball team, and his own religious fundamentalism blocks any comprehension of the Eastern mind, culture and religion.  Further, Bush is not the warrior his father is, even as Bush's chart is full of violence right now.  His army reserve duty is of small measure compared with the Saddam's 50 years of abject cruelty.  An upcoming U S invasion of Iraq, then, is the most desperate of all battles - an overwhelming military power against a staggering viciousness.

VI  Timetable For Battle
     We look at two basic factors in predicting war and its outcome.  First, transits (passage of the planets in today's skies) describe influences on the world at large.  
The August 02 to July 03 Forecast identified a period for calamity from January 7, 2003 to February 28, with January 27 spotlighted.  This date turns out to be crucial, for on January 27, the UN weapons inspectors report to the Security Counsel on Iraq's compliance during the first sixty days of inspections.

     During this January/February interval, Mars will be with Ketu in Scorpio, and Saturn will be with Rahu directly opposite in Taurus.  Saturn/Rahu signifies war, as Rahu degrades Saturn's responsibility and authority meanings.  Also, as stated, Mars/Ketu is seething anger.  Because these transiting planets will be aspecting (glancing upon) each other, their conjunct influences will combine, signaling a calamity.  On January 27, Mars will be just 1/5th of a degree from Ketu, and the Moon (life itself) will be sandwiched between the two.

     Second, we look at how these transits affect Bush and Hussein with regard to the planetary cycles each will be running during the sensitive period.  Planetary cycles (called Dasas in Vedic Astrology), are like the river of life and reveal the underlying karmic influences operating upon the birthchart.  Transits are like weather on the river, bringing temporary effects that are often compared to catalysts.  When planetary periods coincide with transit effects, events may be predicted with uncanny accuracy.  It is important to note, however, that only the type of event is predicted, not the precise nature or location of the incident.

     Looking now at the planetary cycles listed under the two leader's charts during the sensitive January 7 to February 28 period transit interval, predictions can be made for the first four months of 2003.

     Currently, both Bush and Hussein are "running" powerfully confident and aggressive cycles.  Bush's Rahu subcycle from December 25 to January 20 assures he will continue to prepare for war.  Hussein's Saturn subcycle from December 29 to January 27 stimulates stubborn pride and resistance with an expectation of violence.  These influences can only block any chances to avoid military confrontation during the early stage of the January 7 to February 28 sensitive interval brought by transits.  That transiting Jupiter and Saturn continue in retrograde (backward) motion, reduces Jupiter's wisdom and Saturn's responsibility, adding further influence to war.  In addition, Mercury will be retrograde from January 3 to January 23, harming communications clarity to again work against peace.

     Bush trades out his Rahu subcycle for Jupiter on January 20, and this period continues until February 12.  Jupiter gives Bush desire for power, a renewed religious distaste for Hussein and opportunity to launch an invasion of Iraq, but it's retrograde motion must also harm wisdom and judgment.  The spotlighted January 27 date puts the Mars/Ketu combination in his 5th house of creative intelligence, which will stimulate a reflexive reaction to any real or imagined threat by Hussein. Fortunately, Mars/Ketu will be a 13 degrees Scorpio, some distance away from Bush's 27 degree Ketu, but still, this is a potent combination for a surprise assault.

     Hussein trades out his Saturn subcycle for Mercury exactly on January 27,  and his Mars/Ketu seething anger will balloon out of control with the Mercury cycle onset.  Making matters even more grave, Mars/Ketu at 13 degrees will be right on top of Hussein's 11 degree Moon and 12 degree Mars.

     The Security's Counsels response to the weapons inspectors report that day could be the trigger that sets off Hussein, which, in turn, would infuriate Bush to strike immediately.  It seems impossible with such a confluence of violent planetary influences that a catastrophic event will not beset the world on or about January 27.  A U S invasion, although likely, is not the only possibility.  Hussein could launch missiles at U S forces or a terrorist act of major consequence could occur anywhere in the world.  Bush too has other options, and he could, for example, try to assassinate Hussein that day.  As stated above, exactly how the karmas will manifest is uncertain, but that they will trigger a major event is certain.

     Individually, we may feel some of this energy, and the type and magnitude of its impacts upon us will directly relate to our planetary periods and whether we have birthchart planets in Scorpio or Taurus.  (Note: the constellation Taurus is where Rahu and Saturn will be transiting, and these will be at 13 degrees and 29 degrees respectively.)  Regardless, we will each tend to overreact to negative news, and it is best to try to maintain emotional equilibrium.

     Subcycle planetary periods for Bush and Hussein following January 27 are not as decisive, but with the momentum of late January violence, both men will be powerless to influence for peace anyway.  

     However, April brings major shifts for Bush and Hussein that portend a bloody ending to a 3 month war.  Beginning on April 16, Bush moves into a self-centered and righteous Sun cycle that promises (to him) major achievement.  This means the U S overwhelms Iraq, that Saddam is killed. Also possible are that Bush confronts other "enemies" (like North Korea) and that Bush antagonizes allies.  However, with the events on or about January 27 signaling the beginning of Bush's fall from power, impulsive actions during his Sun subcycle must turn the tide of public opinion against him.

     For Hussein, on April 4, his 10 year Moon cycle (a weak major cycle which has brought him failures), yields to his powerfully destructive 7 year Mars cycle.  Mars must certainly stimulate for rash action, a last-ditch effort at reprisal so devastating that the West reels in disgust and the East rejoices. The U S must take unacceptable casualties in this final venting of Saddam's legendary rage.  Since Mars associates so closely to Saddam's public Moon, his actions will kill multitudes of Iraqis - all martyrs to the cause.  This will undoubtedly be Hussein's legacy to the Arab cause, feeding antagonism toward the U S for many years.  The Mars cycle will certainly end Saddam's reign of terror, and will end his life within months.  An acquaintance could kill him, and there's a potent influence for fire in his home.

VII  Economic Consequences
     The economy, as reflected in securities markets, will continue to struggle during the first four months of 2003, for the threat of war dampens optimism.  During Mercury retrograde from January 3 to January 23, the markets will tend to seesaw back and forth with big gains followed by big losses as investors try with great difficulty to make sense out of the international scene.  While the July 02 to August 03 Forecast stated the economy will slowly recover during those twelve months, this improvement may be lost to the fears or war, and/or harmed by war.

     Investors, companies and consumers will likely maintain the caution evidenced in the low holiday season sales and wait until the inevitable Bush/Hussein conflict is resolved by the end of April.  However, at that time, unless Bush's actions bring reprisals or an Iraq invasion is simply too bloody - both of which would harm Bush's reputation - the economy and the markets should surge ahead.