Throughout the course of this year, Pluto has been rocking back and forth in a square to the US Midheaven.

The kiss of Death

Pluto is, of course, the Lord of the Underworld, and as an astrological archetype deals with issues such as sex, death, primordial fears, and the forceful application of the will. Dirty laundry and secrets can be exposed at this time. When Pluto first conjuncted the US Ascendant, the nation learned about Monica and the whole country was thrown into political turmoil. When Pluto last conjuncted the Ascendant (there are usually three passes of the outer planets), the Senate closed its doors in a private session to determine Clinton's fate, the House having already voted to impeach him.

  When Pluto first squared the US Midheaven at the beginning of this year, Jack Abramoff was given the option to either accept a plea and name names about his corrupt political dealings, or go to jail. When he decided to accept the plea and work with prosecutors, the New York Times reported in a front page headline, "Tremors Across Washington as Lobbyist Turns Star Witness". Also, the WEB stated that with the inception of the new Medicare Aid package which came into effect on January 1st, that the program would be riddled with problems (acknowledged in a Times story on July 11).

G.I. accused of Scorpionic crimes

  As Pluto rocked back across the retrograde square to the US Midheaven during the first week in July, more of the national 'dark side' was being exposed to the light of day. Rather than the consensual sex of Bill Clinton as Pluto crossed the Ascendant, the papers were carrying one of several stories on the rape and murder of Iraqi family members by a US G.I.

  NYT, July 1, 2006- "G.I.'s Investigated in Slaying of 4 and Rape in Iraq. The investigation is the fourth into suspected killings of unarmed Iraqis by American soldiers announced by the military..."

Pluto, Lord of the Underworld

  NYT, July 4, 2006- "Ex-G.I. Held is 4 Slayings and Rape in Iraq. Federal prosecutors said... (a former G.I. had) raped an Iraqi woman and killed her and three family members." On July 7, the Times reported American officials apologized for the crime. "The officials said the rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman and the killing of her family had injured the 'Iraqi people as a whole.'" In that same issue, another headline of our dirty laundry emerged. "Algerian Tells of Dark Odyssey in U.S. Hands. The tale of Liad Saidi has never been told before, and it carries a new set of allegations against the U.S.'s rendition program."

  The Midheaven represents not only our president, but our national image before the world. Unfortunately, these dates confirmed some people's worst suspicions about the moral fiber of our national character. In addition, some of the worst fighting in our war against terror was happening at this time, as American troops engaged in their biggest operation against Taliban forces in Afghanistan since 2001. On the 10th Baghdad erupted in mob violence as the "...Sunni-Shitie bloodletting was frightening even by recent standards. Also, five more U.S. soldiers were accused in a rape and murder case."

  Just before Halloween, on October 30th, Pluto will make the third and final square to the US Midheaven and we will witness the third and final pass as the nation continues to grapple with our "War on Terror" (primordial fear).