Darrelyn Gunzburg
February 2005
On 16th November, 2004, President Bush named his national security adviser, Dr Condoleezza Rice, as successor to Colin L. Powell in the role of secretary of state. Rice was sworn into office on 20th January 2005. I thought it might be interesting to have a look at one of the aspects that indicates ambition and prominence in Rice’s chart through the lens of the Fixed Stars in order to gain an understanding of how she may handle this position over the next 4 years.
Mars square Sun-Venus
Prominent in Rice’s natal chart * is Mars rising in Aquarius in the first house in the same sign as the Ascendant. It squares a Sun-Venus conjunction in Scorpio in the 10th house conjunct the MC. The Mars as the dispositor of the Sun-Venus thus receives them both – they both have reception from the Mars – making this even stronger. Mars also rules the MC (by old rulership) and the 3rd house. The Sun rules the 7th house and Venus rules the IC and the 9th house.
Now a natal interpretation of this would read how steady (fixed square) hard work and effort (angular Sun-Mars) would allow the angular Sun in the 10th house to gain her prominence in the community through her career (Sun in the 10th house/Mars ruling the 10th house) and with the help of a business partner or intimate relationship (Sun rules the 7th house); and how family support (Venus rules the IC) and a tertiary education (Venus rules the 9th house) would allow her intellectual creativity to flourish (angular Venus in Scorpio square Mars in Aquarius).
But added to this already hefty mix are the following empowering stars :
Mars in paran with Sadalmelek
Starlight says of this star and planet combination:
A person who makes their own luck; auspicious events follow concentrated effort.
It is no surprise to read in her biography that Rice was a piano prodigy at age 3, graduated college at age 19, became a college professor at age 26, a senior White House advisor at the age of 34 and provost of Stanford University at the age of 36. Sadalmelek is also known as the Lucky Star of the King and now she definitely has the ear of the king.
Rice also has the following star active
The Sun in paran with Regulus
Starlight says of this star and planet combination:
To receive honours and awards, provided one avoids matters of vengeance.
This star-planet combination suggests that Rice will always be placed in positions of prominence, for now we can see that she not only has her Sun conjunct the MC but that is also in paran with Regulus.
However, it also issues a warning: Rice must never, ever take revenge, for if she succumbs to the notion of vengeance, then she loses all that she has gained. For Regulus is a Royal Star of Persia. It promises great success but only as long as she can keep a cool head on her shoulders – a difficult request from an intense, obsessive and ambitious Sun in Scorpio in the 10th house.
This is a fascinating insight in itself but it becomes even more so when we look at the actual sky itself.
The Sky Story for the day of her birth
The sky had Mars being carried on the back of Capricornius, the Sea Goat. This would not have been visible at the exact time of her birth as she was born during the day. However, Starlight considers the patterns across the first 24 hours of life and Capricornius, carrying her Mars on its back, would have been visible in the western part of the sky from around 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm.
Starlight gives us the background to this Sea Goat
“Ea (the Sea Goat) was the protector of his people and from his place in the sky, the great rivers flowed, giving life. Periodically he would rise from these waters, take on human form and teach the people the knowledge they needed for civilisation. He was another Osiris-type of god: caring, educating and civilising…. “
So here is one of her angular planets, Mars, her motivation, her drive, her anger and her libido, being carried on the back of the one who educates and teaches, clearly expressed when Rice worked in the academy.
However, Capricornius also expresses that extraordinary phenomenon of society, the scapegoat.
Starlight goes on to say:
“The early Jews considered the goat sacred and a saviour. Every year the sins of the people would be placed on the head of a goat which would then be killed or hunted. The sacrifice of the goat was seen as a way of being absolved from sin and from this practice comes the concept of the scapegoat.”
We know that Rice was raised as part of the rigidly-segregated black middle class of Birmingham, Alabama. As a people, African-Americans themselves are one of the holders of the scapegoat complex in society, so by her very background Rice is expressing that aspect of Mars caught on the scapegoat’s back.
However, one can also question whether the scapegoat is still prominent in her life with the dance the USA plays with terrorism today? And if so, with such an empowered Sun-Mars and with Rice in such an obvious position of power, will she be able to resist taking revenge?
Rice has the following star active when she is in her Prime:
Mars with Alderamin
Starlight says of this star and planet combination:
To seek or be a leader of a noble cause; to play the game with dignity
There is no doubt that all of this is unfolding in Rice’s life and it will be interesting to see how life offers her the opportunity to take revenge and how she handles that in her position as secretary of state.
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* The source of her birth data comes from Astro Data Bank. Approximate time deduced from a biography by Antonia Felix, “Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story,” Newmarket Press, NY, 2002, p. 36, “Condi was born on a Sunday morning while her father was leading the eleven o’clock service at Westminster…. On November 14, 1954, Angelena (her mother) gave birth to a girl, and she named her Condoleezza.”
