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NewsScope for April 9, 2001 by WolfStar China Holds U.S. Spies In a high-stakes diplomatic standoff, China continues to hold 24 members of a U.S. spy plane following a mid-air collision and emergency landing on April 1. China's aspirations to host the Olympics and to enter the World Trade Organization are in jeopardy, but President Jiang Zemin is exasperated over U.S. surveillance flights so close to the China border. China's national horoscope (October 1, 1949; 3:15 pm; Beijing) reflects the dilemma. Transiting Saturn has just entered the fourth house where it seeks to establish a strong economic foundation (Saturn is in financial sign of Taurus). Saturn here also represents the central authority that seeks to assert its control over domestic unrest. The Falun Gong, the Dalai Lama, and Taiwan have been the major obstacles in this process. At the same time, transiting Pluto is forming an exact trine to China's Mars. Mars in a national chart most often refers to the military establishment, and when powerfully invigorated by a Pluto transit, the military branch becomes a potent political force. President Zemin must balance the legitimate military concerns (Mars) with the needs for economic and domestic security (Saturn). Meanwhile, Jupiter and Neptune are in the diplomatic air signs of Gemini and Aquarius respectively. Since these two planets form a Grand Trine with China's Sun, resolution is within reach. Over the coming week transiting Saturn hits a critical degree* which shows China's tenacious determination coming to some climactic head, an eventful turning point. U.S. Spiraling into Recession The Labor Department reported last Friday that the U.S. lost 86,000 jobs in March, the steepest decline since 1991. Until now, economists euphemistically referred to a "business spending recession." Now that employment figures have shifted downward, consumer spending will likely fade. Since two-thirds of the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending, a genuine, across-the-board recession is arriving. Astrologically, the planets ushering in this economic cycle are Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto (as detailed in NewsScope last December 18). The key planet is Pluto, now slowly moving through the U.S. second house of money. As transiting Jupiter and then Saturn oppose this Pluto, we can expect the recessionary cycle to kick in full force. Astrologer Steven Forrest does a beautiful job of describing the impact of Pluto in the second house: "Pluto laughs at nickel and dime bets. It wants winning to be life-transforming… and the price is that losses are potentially catastrophic." Over the past few years as transiting Pluto opposed the U.S. Uranus, the natural ruler of new technologies, the stock market zoomed to life-transforming heights. All that is changing now as transiting Saturn and Pluto begin to oppose each other. Financial analysts look to the stock market as a lead indicator of where the economy will be in six months. Unfortunately for the NYSE, transiting Pluto hit natal Uranus in the same week that transiting Uranus hit natal Pluto. While the NYSE had been trading in a narrow band for months, this double whammy sent the market into wild gyrations, plummeting and rebounding hundreds of points daily. Wang Zhizhi Joins the Dallas Mavericks Last Wednesday Wang Zhizhi made sports history by being the first Asian to sign a contract with an NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks. The deal came during the height of the spy plane incident, and coach Don Nelson commented that "It would be my wish we would be a positive influence on that with our friendship here with Wang Zhizhi." The seven-foot strong forward was born in the family sign of Cancer (July 8, 1977; Beijing; time unknown) with his Moon in pioneering Aries. The Sun in Cancer and Moon in Aries is a difficult pairing, with sensitivity and feistiness phasing in or out depending on the mood and situation. "Mentally I must be ready. NBA games are very cruel," he said, citing the trash-talking and brutal physical nature of the game. Zhizhi's Jupiter, representing opportunity and wealth, is conjunct the U.S. Mars, which symbolizes the military as well as professional sports. As transiting Mars opposed the U.S. Mars (and Zhizhi's Jupiter), the U.S. was simultaneously involved in a military incident with the Chinese Army and a sports deal with an athlete who led the Chinese Army team to six straight national titles. At the moment Zhizhi's status remains uncertain. With his Uranus conjunct the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, he could be an exciting force. However, transiting Neptune is squaring this combination, putting a diplomatic cloud of uncertainty over his professional career. Neptune will remain in this limbo zone for the next two years, which happens to coincide exactly with the term of his current contract. * T. Saturn is entering the 29th degree, where it opposes China's progressed Sun and Mercury; exact on Saturday. Reader feedback is welcome. Click here for feedback.
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