Here is a PDF document with the U.S. natal chart (Scorpio ascendant), progressed to 4 July 2007. An aspect grid and a 360° midpoint sort are included.

This has been a difficult chart to write about. What do you include? I personally don't think that prediction is a strong suit in astrology -- too often events don't occur as predicted. Which is good. If they did, it would imply that events are predestined. If so, why grow, learn, experience and develop skills to make reasonable choices? Granted, some things are beyond control, but not all or even most.

On the other hand, this is a chart for a country, a large collection of people. Does a country have free will? Even in a democratic election, the peoples' choice can be overridden. Who has final responsibility in a system of checks and balances?

Some things we know for sure (quotes are from the Declaration of Independence):

• This country was created by a group of representatives from 13 colonies, who wanted freedom from tyranny, felt that all persons are created equal, and that each has the right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." (Sun in the ninth house)

• ..."mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security"... (Moon in Aquarius)

• "Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends." (Saturn in Libra, 11th house)

I weighed whether to include a solar return or a progressed chart. The solar return just didn't feel right. In a progression things don't change much from year to year. As in life, they just sneak up on you. The thing that changes most is the Moon's position. Also of note is a planet changing signs.

This progression shows the Moon in Leo conjunct the Midheaven. That's pretty important, but I'll be damned if I can get a fix on it. My handy midpoints reference states:

The involvement of the common people with politics; women and their movements having influence on policies; production of basic materials or commodities raised as an issue of emotional concern ('good' outcome) —VS.— The opinion of a minority of concerned people influencing policy; food production curtailed due to poor long-range planning; natural disasters which cause much concern and interrupt long-range policies or goals. ('bad' outcome)

(Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets by Michael Munkasey; ACS Publications, 1991)

Looking at this progressed chart I see 5 retrograde planets: Mercury, Jupiter, Neptune, Mars and Saturn. Retrograde planets are discussed here.

In mid-December, 2004, the progressed Sun entered Pisces and was posited in the 4th house. To get an idea of how this might effect us, I searched on attributes of the 4th house (real estate, mines, buildings, crops, democracy, opposition to the chief executive) in the news:

• Bush inauguration and its expense
• Fannie Mae shakeup in Dec, 2004. The article is dated Dec 2006, but the shakeup was in 2004.
• U.S. corn, dated 2005, but about an occurrence in 2004.

Journal entry dated 4 July 2007
Category: Whatis Aquarian, Astrology