Karmic Knowledge

Donald Rumsfeld made headlines recently when, in a speech before the American Legion, he compared critics of the war in Iraq to appeasers of Adolf Hitler. Reactions were immediate and intense with Democrats planning to call for a vote of no confidence on the Secretary of Defense. Many in the media began to refer to the Secretary as a kook or a doddering old fool. (Rumsfeld habitually uses phrases in his speeches that you might expect to hear from your old grandma, expressions like “henny penny the sky is falling” and “oh my goodness gracious.”)

But with one look at Rumsfeld’s natal chart, it’s easy to see he’s no fool. (click chart thumbnail to see larger image.)

With Sun conjunct Pluto in the 8th house, Rumsfeld is the magician who casts a glamor, the wizard behind the curtain, a role often ascribed to his protege, Dick Cheney. The “doddering” senior facade is made possible by his charming Libra Moon in the 10th house of public reputation.

If you didn’t know who this chart belonged to, you might think this person was here to be a priest or a philosopher, even a shaman. With Neptune in Virgo in the 9th house, at best an indicator of a spiritual and compassionate nature, and idealistic Jupiter working closely with curious Mercury in the 8th house of secrets, psychology and healing, it would be a safe assumption. That Libra Moon in the house of career must surely belong to a wise counselor.

It’s when you consider the karmic aspects of Rumsfeld’s chart that the truth begins to surface. Scorpio on the 12th house cusp (the karmic past) combined with a retrograde Saturn in the 2nd house of money and Black Moon Lilith in Taurus (not shown on chart) point to a past life overly concerned with power and more importantly, wealth. The conjunction of Sun and Pluto, when expressed negatively, is the mark of the despot, and its position in the 8th house of other people’s money, tells us that, in his past life, Rumsfeld likely used power grabs and covert operations to control resources and amass wealth. Does this story sound familiar? In addition, Rumsfeld’s Venus was retrograde at birth, a sure sign of past life greed, probably having married for money or extorted it from a business partner. Or both. With his North Node in Pisces and Part of Fortune in Aquarius, our Secretary of Defense would have created a more karmically rewarding life if he had chosen to use his penetrating insight and command of will for compassionate and humanitarian ends. Here to get in touch with his feelings and create open dialog, to teach and enlighten, I fear that our Secretary, without a major change of life direction, will have to come back for a repeat of this lesson.

The plot thickens when you compare Rumsfeld’s natal chart to the chart of the United States of America (Using the Sibley chart for the US. Click thumbnail to see larger image.) One need not be an astrologer to see that there is a high degree of alignment here.

The US Ascendant is 12 degrees Sagittarius and Rumsfeld’s Ascendant is 10 degrees Sagittarius, making the charts fit together like spoons in the kitchen drawer. The Midheaven points are also conjunct at 01 degree Libra and 29 degrees Virgo respectively, linking Rumsfeld’s destiny with that of the US and vice versa.

Both charts have Venus in the 7th house of partners, in the case of the US, trade partners and foreign nations. In the US chart Venus is conjunct generous Jupiter, indicating the US ability to lend foreign aid when needed. It’s important to note that Rumsfeld’s retrograde Venus sits directly on that US Venus/Jupiter conjunction. The Secretary’s Sun/Pluto conjuncts the US Sun and the US Mercury and opposes the US Pluto. A person with a strong Sun Pluto conjunction will want to control everything he touches. Pluto opposite Pluto is a sure marker of a power struggle. With the opposing positions in the house of money and banks (US) and other people’s money (Rumsfeld), a case can be made for karmic greed as a possible motive for the continued plunder of war.

Speaking of war, both charts have Mars in that same 7th house. Partners can easily become enemies. (In the wake of Rumsfeld’s controversial speech, a resurrected photo of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein has been making the rounds in the blogosphere.)

To round out the scenario, Rumsfeld’s Saturn, his karmic fear, sits on the US South Node, karmic weakness. It’s possible that this is not the first lifetime that Rumsfeld has exploited the goodwill of the people of the US.

How wealthy is Donald Rumsfeld, and where did he make his money? Internet searches did not return a satisfactory answer. He did, at one time, have stock in Enron. But that’s only one chapter in the story. And unlike Bush and Cheney, his tax returns are not made public on April 15th. Yet another manifestation of 8th house secrecy regarding money.

This is the second time in less than a year that a call has gone out for Rumsfeld’s resignation. The first, in April 2006, spawned the famous George W. Bush “I’m the decider” quote. It becomes easier to understand, in light of the karmic connections illustrated in the charts of Rumsfeld and the United States, why it has been so difficult to pry him from his post. And what about George W. Bush? Why does he feel so compelled to defend Donald Rumsfeld?

Take a look at the following chart comparison:

With Rumsfeld’s Sun/Pluto conjunction touching Bush’s natal Sun and his Mercury conjunct the President’s Mercury, perhaps Donald Rumsfeld has found a way to be the counselor after all. You be the decider.