Saturday, August 05, 2006

The two planets that dominate these cycles are Jupiter (expansion and possibilities) and Saturn (contraction and boundaries). These two planets have been dancing in a square (challenging aspect) since December of 2005 and this cycle will conclude in late October of this year. Jupiter wants to expand our awareness, and Saturn wants to impose limitations. Jupiter believes all things are possible, and Saturn can be cold and judgmental, sowing the seeds of discontent. Saturn is often seen as the bad guy in this cycle, throwing a wet blanket over Jupiter’s exuberance and spoiling the fun. However, while Jupiter’s influence is no doubt a more enjoyable one, it is Saturn that teaches wisdom and practicality, providing the security that is needed to live on Planet Earth.

Jupiter is said to rule the sign of Sagittarius, and because Pluto is traveling through the tail end of Sagittarius the issues of Jupiter are in the process of being transformed by Pluto. Jupiter is said to be the "greater benefic," and bestows good fortune and positive thinking. Jupiter is the principle that positive thoughts reap positive outcomes, and tends to be optimistic and expansive, ready to take advantage of all opportunities. Jupiter, of course, was King of the Gods, and as such he was the ruler of all and created his own laws. Jupiter is associated with law, theology, and our search for the meaning of life. Often this finds us in the realm of religion, which is the sharing of personal ideals with others. Jupiter represents blind faith - it also can show where we may find ourselves bigger than we actually are in life. It also rules expansion, and tends to bring an exaggerated manifestation of planets with which it comes into contact.

The Jupiter/Saturn cycle teaches us the balance between faith (Jupiter) and secularism (Saturn), between optimism (Jupiter) and realism (Saturn). The current 20-year cycle began with the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Taurus in the year 2000. We are currently in the waxing square phase of this cycle, in which new ideas and business frameworks are introduced, and then tested as the planets begin to form a 90 degree angle, or “square”, to each other. The Jupiter/Saturn square cycle deals with our ability to balance an openness of mind and optimistic viewpoint (Jupiter) with our ability to be practical and reasonable and be aware of our limitations (Saturn). Often the square aspect between these two planets creates expansive periods (Jupiter) that are followed shortly by a heavy dose of reality (Saturn).

The 20-year Jupiter/Saturn cycle is associated with the adjustment of social and political structures, including economic and ideological elements. At the hard angle points (squares and oppositions), there is a correction of any imbalance that exists between the exuberance of Jupiter and the hard realism of Saturn. For example, the conjunction in 2000 coincided with the end of an “irrational exuberance” (Jupiter) that brought the stock market to a screeching halt as the dot-com boom busted (Saturn), causing a recession that lasted for several years. The Jupiter/Saturn cycle is associated with volatility in the stock market as well as social and political relationships, and since the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction in 2000, political forces have been extremely polarized not only in the US but abroad as well. Many financial experts who seek geocosmic guidance predict a financial downturn as the current square cycle concludes in October 2006.

On a more personal level, the square of Jupiter and Saturn this year has most intimately affected those of us with planets in the fixed signs of Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius but all of us have been affected to some extent by the need to balance our need for expansion and fun (Jupiter) with our responsibilities and duties (Saturn). On a spiritual level, we may have found ourselves aligning with structured modalities of spiritual or healing practices (Jupiter) that we seek to impose on others (Saturn). Despite the challenges inherent in the “square” aspect between these two planets, they are both strongly present as teachers now and we can learn their lessons if we open our hearts and minds by asking ourselves where we may be out of balance. Are we being held captive by our responsibilities? (Saturn imbalance.) Are we holding on to unrealistic expectations? (Jupiter imbalance.) Do we impose our views on others? (Saturn) Are we spending more money than we earn? (Jupiter) The more we make a conscious effort to balance these powerful influences, the more we will flow through the conclusion of the cycle without having to learn its more painful lessons.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 2:03 PM :: |

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Friday, August 04, 2006

Thoughts on Jupiter in Scorpio

from Skywatch for August

Jupiter, the planet that drives us to search for the meaning of life, is still in Scorpio where it has been since late last year. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, the god of death, and therefore relishes the journey through the underworld of darkness and emotional baggage. Scorpio seeks power and emotional intensity and Jupiter is the planet of buoyant abundance, so this is an odd combination that expands (Jupiter) the focus on death, secrecy and sexuality, the domains of Scorpio. Scorpio is rather ruthless in its aims, and Jupiter, being the King of the Gods, can be somewhat arrogant and self-righteous and an unfortunate aspect of this combination can be the ruthless slaughter of innocents. Jupiter was last in Scorpio in 1994, witnessing the beginning of the Rwandan massacre and the murders of Nicole Simpson (wife of OJ Simpson in case anyone needs a reminder) and Ron Goldman. That year also witnessed the destruction of part of the planet Jupiter by the Shoemaker-Levy comet that coincided with the conjunction of Jupiter in Scorpio to Pluto.

Jupiter in Scorpio is not all death and destruction; it also opens our minds (Jupiter) to issues of sexuality (Scorpio), and opens up (Jupiter) trade and economic systems (Scorpio). For better or for worse, the processes that take place during Jupiter's travels through Scorpio create permanent transformation. For example, the 1994 NAFTA (free trade) agreement created a permanent flow of jobs from the US and transformed the American economic system. Although this process has created problems for US workers, it has expanded the economies of other countries and transformed the global balance of power (Jupiter/Pluto).

The passage of Jupiter through Scorpio this year has been marked by the square of Jupiter to Saturn. Where Jupiter expands, Saturn creates limitations and restrictions. Saturn's purpose is to keep Jupiter from expanding too fast and in an ungrounded way. The final phase of the Jupiter/Saturn cycle ends in October (watch for a new article on this cycle which will be posted shortly on my website).

Jupiter is known as the "greater benefic," but as in most things astrological that which we think of as "good" is often difficult, and that which we think of as "bad" can be exhilarating catalysts for change. Tun in more tomorrow for more on this complex planetary influence.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:31 PM :: |

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Thursday, August 03, 2006

Happy Lunasa!!

Artwork by Maria Kay Simms

Also spelled Lughnasad and later called Lammas, this holiday is traditionally celebrated on August 1st but as a cross-quarter day (halfway between the solstice and equinox) is more properly when the Sun is at 15 degrees Leo which is the midpoint between the Summer Solstice and the Autumnal Equinox, although it is also sometimes celebrated on the full moon nearest the midpoint.

For modern pagans, the cross-quarter days are the most magical times of the year, when the veil between the worlds (the spiritual and physical planes) becomes thinner and more easily traveled.

Lughnasadh is an ancient Celtic festival honoring the god Lugh for his triumph over the spirits of the other world who tried to keep the harvest for themselves. It was a celebration of the abundance of the Earth, and also a time of sports and games to celebrate good health and physical vitality, all aspects of Leo. Some sources say that Lughnasadh was a time for the crowning of kings, another correspondence of Leo. In some traditions this is a time when the corn god is sacrificed in order to guarantee the harvest, and the eating of bread is a major part of rituals and celebrations of the festival.

The Lughnasadh festival was later reborn in Medieval Christianity as Lammas (loaf-mass), in which a loaf of bread made from the newly harvested wheat was brought to church. St. Catherine's Day was often celebrated at Lammas with the Catherine Wheel which was set aflame and rolled down a hill, reminiscent of the pagan fire festivals of the cross quarter days.

This year the accurate cross-quarter date falls on August 6, with the closest Full Moon on August 8th.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 10:08 PM :: |

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Wednesday, August 02, 2006

DJ Ted Stevens and the Series of Tubes

I don't know how this ties into astrology, except perhaps that with Uranus retrograde our understanding of the internet may be going backwards as witnessed by the speech on the issue of net neutrality, which included brilliant statements like this one: "I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday," and "[T]he internet is not something you just dump something on. It’s not a truck. It’s a series of tubes."

Thanks to Jill at Brilliant at Breakfast for linking to this incredibly hilarious piece of video - sit down and watch the whole thing, it is the funniest piece ever, unless you stop to think that Ted Stevens, from whose brilliant words this piece derives, is head of the Senate Commerce Committee that is in charge of regulating (or trying to regulate) the internet.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:13 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Yet more on Mel

Thanks for the tip, Jeffrey, of another article from Celeb Astroblogy (I love the intro):

Let me step back and strive for a more measured level of schadenfreude as we examine Mel's horoscope and find out why Yahweh has a bone to pick with him.

A Capricorn, Mel has a malefic conjunction of aggressive Mars and his Sun's ruler, stern Saturn, in Scorpio. This configuration gives him a tendency to be controlling, power-hungry and manipulative, and he definitely likes to be in charge. See Mel Gibson's birth chart (Astrotheme) An out-of-sign Mercury-Chiron conjunction makes Mel prone to say hurtful, wounding things in public.

Another out-of-sign conjunction, of Pluto in late Leo with Jupiter in Virgo, gives Mel something of a megalomaniacal cast. He is overweening and overreaching in his ambitions yet controlling and micromanaging. With Uranus in Leo in the 1st house, he likes to shake things up and shock people; he is a well-known prankster.

At the time of Mel's arrest (2:36 AM PDT on July 28, 2006 in Los Angeles), the approaching inconjunct aspect between authoritative Saturn in egomaniacal Leo, in his 2nd house of values, and volatile Uranus in self-destructive, addictive, martyr-complex Pisces, in his 9th house of beliefs and foreign cultures, was forming a yod configuration with Mel's Capricorn Sun that is just now waning in influence.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 12:22 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- More on Mel

Jeffrey Kishner also posted on Mel Gibson's Midheaven problems (thanks for the link Jeffrey!):

Mel was born with a Pisces Midheaven. His public image is that of Christ and the alcoholic, both archetypal expressions of Pisces. Pisces has two rulers -- Neptune is the modern ruler, and Jupiter is the traditional ruler. His Jupiter is in Virgo, conjunct Pluto and square Saturn. Jupiter is the planet of religion and faith -- his beliefs (Jupiter) are somewhat critical (Virgo), and he is also extremist (Pluto) and judgmental and rigid (Saturn) with regards to issues of faith.

:snip:

Transiting retrograde Pluto on Friday 7/28 was at 24 degrees, 27 minutes Sagittarius. According to the birth time of 4:45 pm on January 3, 1956 in Peekskill, NY (chart), Mel's Midheaven is at 24 degrees, 22 minutes Pisces -- an exact square (give 5 minutes, which is a twelfth of a degree). Hence, the planet of destruction and rebirth is tearing down Mel's public image, as well as exposing his Piscean complexes.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 12:18 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Mel Gibson's Meltdown

Mel Gibson has long been one of the most likeable and bankable stars in Hollywood. His charming and amusing character in the Lethal Weapon series brought women streaming into the theaters, something unheard of for action films. However, during the promotion and distribution of his film the Passion of the Christ a couple of years ago, chinks began to appear in the armor of his well packaged presence as stories of Gibson's extremist views began to appear in the press.

Although these views and the fear of the spread of anti-semitism that surrounded the release of the Passion of the Christ subsided, they erupted again this week when Gibson was arrested for drunk driving while speeding in Malibu. A leaked police report has now surfaced at tmz.com, revealing Gibson's statements including his saying over and over "My life is f*&cked." He also ranted about Jews being responsible for all the wars in the world (the arresting officer is Jewish) though he later apologized, saying that he has battled alcoholism throughout his life. Yesterday he issued a very peculiar statement, asking Jews to help him with his recovery in a frantic effort to salvage his reputation.

Mel Gibson has a Capricorn Sun, with a strong focus in responsibility and hard work. The Capricorn nature is to lead and to seek authority and respect, and Gibson's Sun falls right on the cusp of his seventh house of marriage and partnerships, showing that these partnerships are very important to him and fuel his personal growth. (He has been married to the same partner for over 20 years, a rarity in Hollywood).

Gibson has some challenging planetary systems in his chart, including a conjunction of Pluto (power issues) to Jupiter (philosophy and shared values). The combination of these two planets can indicate a person who seeks to impose through power and manipulation (Pluto) their values and ideology (Jupiter) onto others. Mars is conjunct Saturn in Gibson's chart, both in Scorpio which is ruled by Pluto and deals with issues of power and secrecy. Mars in Scorpio is extremely charismatic and sexy, but conjunct Saturn, which tends to be more repressive, it often doesn't find its full expression. The combination of Mars with Saturn can indicate a frustrated individual who is unable to activate the assertive urge of Mars, it's like driving with the brakes on.

These combinations create a huge challenge as they constantly conflict and create a buildup of energy that needs to be released. Gibson's films have provided this release for him; they have tended to portray characters who are tortured emotionally and face physical abuses in order to attain their noble goals. Evidently Mel Gibson has battled alcoholism throughout his career as he attempted to keep these emotional challenges in check.

Everyone now knows that Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving in Malibu California on July 28, and that the transcript of the arrest record shows that Gibson is currently experiencing a transit of Pluto in square to his Midheaven. The Midheaven is the point of highest aspiration in the birthchart; it also shows how our life is played out in the public eye. This cycle began for Gibson back in December and is currently in the second phase of the cycle. The television film on the Holocaust which was announced when Pluto first aspected Gibson's Midheaven has now, during the second phase, been canceled. The last phase of this cycle will take place in December, coinciding with the release of his next film Apocalypto (since Pluto rules death and rebirth, this is perfectly symbolic).

The current scandal over Gibson's remarks in the current climate of religious conflict has already affected his career (Pluto transiting the Midheaven), but it may create an environment for him where real transformation can take place, and I suspect that what we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg. But in the Midheaven, particularly since he is a public person, that transformation will take place squarely in the public eye.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 1:11 AM :: |

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Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Israel and the Second Saturn Return

Michael Lutin is best known as the astrologer who writes the Vanity Fair sun sign column, and as you know, I have little respect for astrologers who try to condense this ancient art into an attempt to predict the future based on sun signs. But he has some interesting things to say about Israel/Palestine and its second Saturn Return which is approaching beginning in September and continuing through next year, as well as the planetary influences on suicide bombers..

The Saturn Return occurs when Saturn returns to its place in the birthchart - the first Saturn Return occurs at age 28-30 and is a time when we are tested for our ability to leave childhood behind and grow into adulthood. It can be a time of great success, or great failures. The second Saturn Return is around age 56-59, and our ability to successfully navigate through life's structured passageways is confronted. This is the doorway to the "third age," the time when we begin to ease off our responsibilities (as represented by Saturn) and enjoy the fruits of our labors.

From Michael Lutin:

If you speak fluent Hebrew
could you please explain to Israeli authorities
what the Saturn return is all about?
the Saturn return of Israel/Palestine
means that the events of these past weeks
will last well into 2007
This situation is setting off the Saturn return
and what's going on there now
is setting up a situation that's going to last a long long time
The roots of this situation go back to 1977
then 1948 when Israel/Palestine was first formed
and then back even further.
To solve the problem
new boundaries will eventually be created
and that may take a long long time
the Saturn return
always
demands respect for boundaries

SUICIDE BOMBERS
ARE GETTING YOUNGER WHY?
As the kids born with pluto in Scorpio (1983-1994)
grow into adulthood
more individuals will be taking more risks
be more obsessive
and be willing to put themselves
in harm's way
insane or not
this is Pluto in Scorpio
Do the math.
Then you'll see how long all this is going to last
Until these kids turn forty.
Probably.
president george bush has just has his second saturn return
in the twelfth house
as saturn moves into leo
everything that has been hidden
will be leaking out
and if he has acted with honor and integrity
he has nothing to fear
because if he has acted with honor and integrity
and been truthful and sincere
he doesn't have to worry about what people will think
whether they agree with his policies or not.
if, however,
hee has been deceitful or been led astray or has been underhanded or
done anything illegal, immoral or untoward
he will have to aanswer for it
because that's just what happens when saturn comes out of the twelfth house
this is true for everybody who has leo rising
and frankly
all leos as well
Oprah is exhausted beyond belief. So are all Aquarians.
Donald Trump is coming out of one of the
tightest spots he's ever been in. If you're a Gemini,
take a lesson from him

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:04 AM :: |

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