It was no coincidence that Pathfinder should bounce down on 4th of July - exactly a year on from release the sci-fi epic, Independence Day. Though many cynics account for this as part of a PR campaign by NASA to capture the public's imagination, enthusiasm and ultimately votes, it also has an astrological significance.

At work behind the scenes is the influence of Pluto in Sagittarius that has has helped channel the deep urge within the US collective psyche to find meaning through expansion and exploration. The United States' horoscope (4th July 1787) is blessed with a Sagittarian ascendant. And for those who dispute the time, a Sun/Jupiter conjunction was in force all day. It is an overriding quality that pervades the country - and personally it's a feeling that I can't get enough of! The Sagittarian/Jupiterian quality makes everything large or 'larger than life'. It gives relentless urge to explore, discover, teach and crusade. It promotes an active and outdoor life.

Now that there is no land to discover and settle and that all major powers are now sold on the benefits of capitalism, the next frontier is space. As Time Hames in the London Times writes:
"In the space of 200 years, American energies will have shifted from Red Indians [sic] to the Red Army and now the red planet." - 5th July 1997