Women on Top: Venus Retrograde Tales

March 25, 2009

As Venus continues its passage backward through Aries, women are in the news in surprising ways.

Saudi Arabia
In the past few weeks, King Abdullah, 85, has sacked the head of the Mattawa, or religious police, and the minister of justice, who were noted for terrorizing women, and especially for leaving more than 100 schoolgirls locked in a burning residence hall to die because they weren’t properly attired. As if this weren’t enough, he introduced a number of reforms that will equalize the education of men and women. First, he named Nora al-Fayez his deputy education minister, making her the first women to climb so high in Saudi history. Then, he appointed progressive son-in-law Faisal bin Abdullah as minister of education, charged specifically with modernizing the school system toward equalization. (Christopher Dickey, Newsweek, March 30, 2009)

North Korea
Two US reporters, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were arrested at the border with China before dawn on March 17 and charged with spying. It is interesting that a male cameraman traveling with the women was not detained. Since the US has no diplomatic ties with North Korea, the Swedes are requested consular access with the detained women on behalf of the US. (The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, March 25, 2009)

Iran
Roxana Saberi, an American-Iranian student and reporter, is in the news lately. She was arrested on January 31 (before Venus turned retrograde) for practicing journalism after her press credential had been revoked. Although Iran assured US officials earlier in March that she would be released soon, they now say that she will be detained indefinitely. Her father has been permitted contact with her in recent weeks, and now the US State Department is requesting consular access for her with the Swiss government to monitor her well-being and negotiate her release. (The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, March 25, 2009)

United States
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues to make headlines by supporting sane, humane foreign policy initiatives, including owning up to the responsibility that the US bears in contributing to Mexico’s civil war. Top leaders from the US have become fully present to this issue, as Secretary Clinton, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and Attorney General Eric Holder give face time to Mexican President Felipe Calderon. (And by the way, the right is still targeting her.) (Andrea Mitchell, on The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC, March 25, 2009)

Nevada
In a state where prostitution is (in many locales) legal, a budget-balancing $5 tax is proposed for each prostitution service provided. (NPR.org, March 24, 2009)

When Venus is retrograde, conventional wisdom says that this is a “bad time for women”. However, energy is energy, and it is there to be used. It will work better for some than others. All we can say is that women are making advances toward true equality: They can be leaders or political prisoners — or be taxed for business activities — on a par with men.

© Terry Lamb