We have been examining Pluto's transits to Mars in US history, watching as the incendiary God of War exploded in the late '60s; but this was only a part of the story. In the US natal chart, Mars in Gemini squares Neptune in Virgo. Interwoven together with the Martial dates of this alignment were the conjunctions to Neptune by Pluto on Nov 15, 1967, May 5 and Sept 8, '68, and May 26 and June 2, '69. Each represents part of the larger mix.

Neptune, God of the Sea deals with the psyche and what we believe in. It is our faith, hope, and trust in God and the unknown. Located at the pinnacle of the US chart, we hold our national relationship with the divine in a special reverence. In God we trust.

It is equated with our goal, our manifest destiny. Both the oceans and our navy have had a huge influence on our national development. It's in our myths. From sea to shining sea. It protects us, feeds us, and insulates us. But that also means that it isolates us, helping us to feel as though we're not part of the international community. Neptune squares Mars, so these two archetypes are at cross purposes, and their currents play out in powerful ways.

Because Neptune is the planet of the unknown, the populace is often in a fog about the reasons we are being attacked (Mars), why we attack (Mars), or as at Pearl Harbor, that we are being attacked (Mars), as in a sneak attack.

At the beginning of any conflict (Mars), what we are told or our actions (Mars in Gemini) are misconstrued (Neptune), either by design or default. Let's look at the start of a number of our wars. The Lusitania, at the start of WWI, was carrying munitions in violation of the articles of war, but we were duped (as a people) into believing they were innocent victims. The Chinese entry into the Korean War totally caught us unawares on Thanksgiving Day, the war with Mexico was seen by people of the day as an outright land-grab, and the abduction (Mars) of US seamen (Neptune) by the British provoked the War of 1812, even though it was never mentioned in the final resolution. The opening conflict of the Civil War generated an entirely false impression; that the South would be able to sever ties with the North in a bloodless conflict. Neptune was in the final degree of Pisces on that fateful day. Not one soldier fell at Fort Sumpter during the bombardment and takeover, yet this war was to become the bloodiest this nation had ever known.

When Pluto conjuncts, something dies. When Pluto conjuncted Neptune, our faith and belief in our preordained divine direction died. As a result of Vietnam, the race riots and loss of our president, we were hit with a succession of body blows to the national psyche.

Naturally, a new image would emerge. Neptune is the poor, the people and the masses. As Pluto conjuncted Neptune, the popular heroes of the poor were assassinated. Within a month of the May 5th pivot, MLK (April 4) and RFK (June 5) were shot down. Later that June Vietnam became the longest war in our history. Within a week of the May 26 alignment the US destroyer Frank E. Evans was sliced in two by the Australian carrier Melbourne in the South China Sea. Seventy four US seamen were lost.

Finally, in June, '69 the US announced troop reductions by 25,000, the first of many.

We were throwing in the towel.