The New Year begins, but what will happen in Iraq? Looking at the cards, it seems things will be more complex than the United States thought and the second Bush Presidency will be trying different things than it has tried so far.

The Significator, this is what the Tarot reading speaks to: Ace of Swords The Sword of Power. Excalibur. The force upholding the crown Laurels and the olive branch hang from the crown. The President's foreign policy has been based on military strength and it is no secret he believes this. He also believes he won re-election, unlike his father, because he managed to topple the leadership in Iraq. The US enjoys clear military superiority. Comparisons to Vietnam, though tempting, are not apt. There is no strong opposition or leadership from a "North Vietnam" type of regime nor is Iraq split the way Vietnam was. This gives the US forces an easier time and this card shows that will be the case at least until spring, for the Ace of Swords is also the card signifying winter.

Covering Card, this covers him: The Lovers. Eden. I break here with the "book" on Tarot reading and go with what this card means in this spread. Adam and Eve, the apple, the serpent, an angel. Which angel? The traditional meanings are: choices between head and heart; the conscious versus subconscious; having unexpected things happen; having to make choices. Certainly that's in there. However, this card suggests that issues of the Holy Lands will determine a great deal about how the United States uses its might in the Persian Gulf. This will be a time when the President will truly be torn between his faith in God (which remains unshakable) and the best interests of the United States. He will have to balance these and try to make the two work together and there will be a great deal of pressure from the Department of State and the "Old Hands" to act in ways that might not square with his personal views.

Crossing Card, behind the scenes - everything has a secret side: The Magician, The Magus Perhaps one of the best and most powerful cards in the deck. This card means Mastery. All four of the Tarot's suits are before him to use - cups, wands, swords, and pentacles. The President has every resource at his disposal and so far he has relied primarily on the sword, but that may soon change, but not for the worse. The President will be riding high and there are powerful individuals who want to make sure that the Middle East is not destabilized by the presence of US forces.

The Foundation, this is below him on which he stands: Knight of Pentacles. Spending Money. This card suggests that the United States will increase its financial investments in Iraq, perhaps encouraging many business to invest there and not only those from the US. The figure is ready to ride and holds the coin - a knight of money, not a sword - his weapon is different from what has been used up to now. The nature of the investment will be broader than it has been in the past. There is a recognition in the administration that if money is spent on building/rebuilding an infrastructure, that it will be more effective and less costly than an extended military presence in that country. Often this card is associated with first-time spending. If it were a person's Tarot, it might indicate a teen spending his/her money and perhaps not foolishly, but certainly not with maturity - that would have to be the King of Pentacles, but this will mark a basic change in policy that will begin in the second term of the Bush Presidency.

Behind, this is finished business: The Eight of Swords. Isolation. Part of America's isolation has been its sole reliance on military power which has not endeared the nation to very many outside the United States. The aid that will be flowing to Iraq, in addition to other moves by the United States, will help to blunt foreign criticism, although not completely. The figure has been blind as to what to do until now. The President has not been able to see his way out of this until now, but that is behind him. President Bush may have felt immobilized until now, but that is changing.

Above, what is hanging in the air: Queen of Wands. A Wise Woman. Another excellent card for the President. Can this guy go wrong! He is charmed. He has a woman of high intelligence helping him and say what you will about Condoleezza Rice, she is going to see him through this, at least in the short term. That she is above rather than in front suggests not that she is a "maybe," which is the usual sense of the placement in the spread. In this case, she is pulling strings from above. There are those in the Administration who do not like what she is thinking and saying, but she has the President's ear and they can do little to stop her.

In Front, this is right in front. Two of Swords. A dilemma. The President for all the luck he is having is not out of the woods, yet. Remember the blindfolded woman behind him - the Eight of Swords? Well, she's still there and she's going to pop up again - right in front! The President's difficulties with America's allies will get better, but they are not going to completely disappear. The moon of Islam hangs in the sky, so my guess is that although European allies and those outside the Islamic world may soften, his toughest task will be to solidify support for what the United States is doing in a neighboring country. For example, if the US is building Iraq's economy and infrastructure, what will nearby nations bordering Iraq be thinking? Iran, a nation which not long ago was at war with Iraq may have reservations about what a secular and rebuilt Iraq might mean - and Iran is not alone.

The Outcome, the future: Six of Sword. Pulling Up Stakes. The woman and child head across the water carrying six swords with them. Well These six swords plus the two of the Two of Swords add up to Eight - which we saw was the card in "past" position in this spread. What this suggests is that while the President will enjoy more success in handling Iraq than critics fear, there will be longterm difficulties with the Islamic nations in the region that cannot be handled given the new strategy of rebuilding Iraq. Once the United States leaves, it will not erase its presence or influence. The economic ties may in fact alienate the other nations in the Middle East whose institutions are not democratic and who might see a rearmed and democratic Iraq as a negative example to their way of thinking

The Meaning Bush is a President of many Swords. Four of the eight cards are swords except for the Queen of Wands and the Knight of Pentacles which means that the President will continue to deal militarily with the Middle East and not because he wants to, necessarily. It's just how he got into the situation and so it will continue based on the existing momentum.

The two Higher Arcana cards - the Lovers and The Magician - represent the karmic forces. As before, these are the longterm aspects which will continue over the long haul. The "Old Hands" at the State Department are planning a policy many years beyond the Bush Presidency and are mindful of the emotions that run high in the region.

The United States is now more intimately involved in the Middle East than ever. With Israel still an ally and with Iraq now under US sway, the Two of Swords shows us that the balancing act must not only be between the President's own religious and secular view, but in balancing two nations in the tinderbox of the new millennium.

The United States has not been so powerful in the Middle East as it is today. Administering this region while not toppling any regimes will be the difficult task for the United States. The President's religious views are not those of most people in the Middle East nor of the the rulers and this will pose a challenge in forming a stable coalition of interests.

However, these issues will not surface until later and for now the President's approval rating will improve on his handling of Iraq. Rice will steer him right, at least for the short term.