While political observers and journalists desperately search for clues in the shady, KGB-tinted past of Russia's presidential hopeful, at least one group of analysts say they have the answer: He's a Libra with an astrological chart that could spell bad news for the country's future.

In an article titled "Vladimir Putin: Astrologers' Warning," (in Russian) published in February on www.astrologer.ru, a group of St. Petersburg star-readers said the horoscopic profile of the acting president, born October 7, 1952, is of a man with the potential to be violent, cold and destructive.

"When he starts to do something, he can't stop until the problem is solved, and he cares about nothing else," the article, signed jointly by astrologers Alexei Vaenra, Semira and Vitaly Vetash, Alexander Gromov and Albert Timashev, reads.

A dangerous link between the sun and Saturn makes the Libran politician "likely to be violent." And Putin's "negative Jupiter" lends him dictatorial tendencies and strips him of his ability to make diplomatic decisions. His "accentuated Pluto," linked with the "black moon," the astrologers added, "speaks about his inclination to pander to the lowest instincts and desires of the masses."

A "destructive interaction" between a handful of planets, furthermore, indicate that Putin is "a person who needs a stressful situation" in order to be creative. All in all, the article concludes, Putin's potential presidency is a "destabilizing factor," and the astrologers warned voters who favor Putin that "not only he will not satisfy their hopes, but he may also cause serious damage to their interests."

Soon after the article first appeared on the Internet on February 3, Pavel Sheremet, a commentator on pro-Kremlin ORT television, announced that the article was written by "people who call themselves St. Petersburg astrologers" in order to discredit Putin. The article, he went on, was a tool of "dirty political technologies."

The astrologers promptly denied these allegations. "We wouldn't have written this article if it hadn't been for the upcoming elections, of course, but it was our own decision to write it," said Timashev, the creator of the astrologer.ru site, in a telephone interview last week.

"We simply shared our thoughts about his stars and ... came to the conclusion that it would be bad if Putin is elected," he said, adding that the astrologers were basing their analysis on the politician's horoscope alone, and not on their personal attitudes toward him.

Timashev said he and his fellow astrologers have examined the horoscopes of each of the politicians running for president in the upcoming March 26 elections, and have concluded that Putin's is "the most unfortunate."

For example, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov - a Cancer with an "accentuated Taurus" - is "an inexpressive personality who has no ideas of his own and is therefore unlikely to come to power," said Vaenra, another of the article authors.

Yabloko party leader Grigory Yavlinsky, an Aries, has a "strong Jupiter" which ably equips him for "long-term strategic planning," Vaenra said. His election chances, however, look astrologically dim. "Yavlinsky will experience a major defeat," Timashev said.

Both Timashev and Vaenra agreed that of all the presidential hopefuls, Putin's election-season horoscope is the most fortuitous. The stars, however, do not see long-term rule in his future, Vaenra said.

"[Putin's] Jupiter is weak, which means it will be very difficult for him to achieve legitimate presidential status," Vaenra said. "Acting president is an ideal position for him. Even if he wins the elections, he won't be president for long."

Reached by telephone last week, a Kremlin press official said that "in his political and state activities, Putin does not use the services of astrologers. I am not aware of whether he uses their services in his private life."