Friday, December 22, 2006

For over fifty years the concentration on the development of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons - first and foremost by the United States and the Soviet Union, but also by the United Kingdom, Israel, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and now, possibly, Iran - has brought into being the very situation that is most feared: the ability of a nation, group or individual to destroy life on an apocalyptic scale. What is truly alarming is that a single individual who has access to the technology of destruction now has the power to destroy the lives of millions because he believes that the use of these weapons in a pre-emptive strike against a designated enemy is justified or, more dangerously, because he sees himself as the agent of God in eliminating evil from the world and instituting a new order.

The conviction that it is justifiable to murder others in defence of one's own group or territory (with God co-opted to serve that group) has evolved out of the belief systems and the defensive tribal habits that we have inherited from the past. The efforts of the greatest spiritual teachers have attempted to free us from our enslavement to these primordial habits. But their fundamental message - that life is sacred and, at the deepest level, one and indivisible - has consistently been ignored. From their perspective, inventing demonic weapons and using them to destroy the lives of millions in order to maintain or extend our power - even to save our own lives - would be inconceivable. Believing that the sacrifice of a single life is pleasing to God would be unimaginable. In colluding with governments in the development of the deadly weaponry of modern war, in not collectively raising their voice against it, the priesthoods of the world's religions have betrayed their spiritual teaching about the sanctity of life. One of the few exceptions to this betrayal would seem to be Tibetan Buddhism. The fact that India has developed the nuclear bomb suggests that she, like the West, has turned her back on her great spiritual heritage. The demands of a nation's perceived survival needs override spiritual insight.

::snip::

The Web of Life
Opportunely, as if to help us to change our perspective on war, the discoveries related to quantum physics suggest that the belief that we can achieve a position of dominance in relation to nature, life or each other is, ultimately, an illusion: each of us is an expression of a vast sea or field of consciousness - invisible, and as yet barely recognised by us. We are all connected to each other, part of a great living web of life. We are, literally, 'our brother's keeper'. The belief that modern states can continue indefinitely to act as if they were autonomous units, competing with each other to acquire the power to destroy life on a colossal scale is not only the most insidious of illusions but an unacknowledged pathology. In destroying others, or even imagining and rehearsing the destruction of others through the invention and development of ever more terrible weapons, we are, in effect inviting our own destruction and injuring all humanity, not to speak of the planet. In seeking reconciliation and the well being of others, even in the midst of conflict and however great the provocation to retaliate, we are contributing to our own well being and ensuring that of future generations. Each individual who holds this perspective assists in the process of humanity as a whole awakening to and embodying these different values. As Jung observed, "The world today hangs by a thin thread, and that thread is the psyche of man."

::snip::

[A] major problem in relation to the recognition of the need for change is that the overarching ethos of modern culture is one of power and dominance. At the root of this ethos is the influence of a very powerful solar mythology which polarises light and darkness, good and evil, 'us' and 'them'. We can see this most clearly reflected in the manipulative relationships between the Great Powers but we can also observe it in the fact that the majority of scientists and technologists work for the military, in the drive for supremacy in space, in the telling phrase 'full-spectrum dominance' used by the Pentagon as well as in the commercial drive to conquer and control new markets. It is the language used in these different areas that reveals the underlying and largely unconscious addiction to power and dominance – in a word – to winning. Absurdly, even space has to be 'conquered'. The metaphor of conquest and dominance is reflected in the attitude of modern science towards nature and matter, which it regards as something insensate, inferior to and separate from ourselves, that we are entitled to manipulate and control for our benefit.

This ethos derives from the age-old and deeply unconscious drive for primacy and dominance between men which is projected onto all manner of situations and conflicts. If you extrapolate this pattern to nations, then you have governments and the political leaders of nations locked into the pattern of competing with each other for dominance instead of co-operating with each other to serve the true needs of their people and the needs of the planet as a whole.

::snip::

In the context of the individual, particularly national leaders, archaic drives may be activated by unconscious complexes that compel certain men to seek absolute power in the first place - power to establish an invincible position of dominance in relation to other groups or individuals perceived as threatening to the supremacy of their own position or nation. Equally, a leader may take his people into war because of an unconscious desire to play the role of the warrior-hero, worshipped by millions as the 'saviour' of his people. He may fall into a huge inflation, seeing himself as the agent of God's will in eliminating an enemy and projecting all evil onto his opponent.

As long as we remain unconscious of the deeper motivations that control our behaviour, there will be people who are prepared to murder others to achieve their ends - ends which they are taught and may believe to be noble, heroic, and supported by the god they worship. They will be attracted to fight for causes which polarise a situation into a conflict between good and evil and demonise an enemy. No one of us is exempt from the possibility of falling into this collective demonising; each of us has to be continually vigilant lest its compulsive power, coming from the roots of the psyche, takes us over. In projecting evil onto the other, we effectively get rid of our own guilt, our own contribution to the situation of conflict and the past history which has led to the present conflict. On the one hand we may speak of our longing for peace; but on the other we unconsciously subvert the possibility of achieving it.

Only by bringing these deeply buried instincts into our conscious awareness can we hope to attain a transcendent perspective that could eventually lift us out of the tragic compulsion to repeat the patterns of the past.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 10:06 AM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Update on Brad and Angelina

The relationship between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has been extremely mysterious. An interview with Angelina Jolie that appeared in Vogue in March 2004 at the time filming on Mrs. and Mrs. Smith began says "Casting Jolie and Pitt as a married couple at odds is quite inspired. They could not seem more different. 'It's actually a very funny combination,' says Jolie. 'My opinion of marriage comes from a very cynical place, so the question 'Do you want to kill your spouse?' is a serious thing. And he comes from a place of 'What a funny idea, to kill the person you're married to,' because he has a happy marriage.'"

You may want to read my earlier article on the couple for more details. Astrologically, Brad and Angelina are indeed very different. Although Brad is a Sagittarius which is a fun-loving sign that is very compatible with Angelina's Gemini Sun, he has four planets in serious and responsible Capricorn. Two of those Capricorn planets are the Moon (emotional needs) and Venus (relationship needs), which shows that Brad has a strong need for a family structure that he can depend on. Brad has a "singleton," or unaspected Sun which suggests that he has difficulty establishing an identity for himself and he is well-known for taking on the personas of the women with whom he becomes involved.

Angelina's Sun and Mercury in Gemini gives her the ability to slip in and out of lifestyles easily and create different identities for herself. Her Sun and Mercury both are opposed by Neptune, the planet of mystical experience and illusion, which shows both a tremendous creativity but also a tendency to fall under a romantic spell and become deluded. Jupiter (expansion), the Moon (emotions) and Mars (aggression) are all conjunct in Angelina's chart in the warrior sign of Aries. She is a tremendously independent woman with a strong aggressive streak, and her Aries planets conflict with Brad's Capricorn planets. Angie's Aries Moon is in square to Brad's Capricorn Moon, suggesting that her independence (Aries) causes him not to feel safe (Capricorn) and that his need for structure and commitment (Capricorn) conflicts with her need to be in charge of her own life (Aries).

These two are a classic example of opposites attracting but then not being able to live happily together. Angie's fire excites Brad and brings out his own Sagittarian nature which can become overwhelmed by his Capricorn sense of responsibility. Brad's fun-loving essence harmonizes with Angelina's, and his discipline and desire for the structure of family (Capricorn) helps to stabilize her.

But in the long run, this is a relationship fraught with challenges. Her Mars is exactly square (conflicts with) his Mars, which can be a tremendously exciting sexual connection at the beginning when that fiery energy lets loose, but over time the conflict engendered by this aspect can become exhausting. It's interesting that their relationship began in the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which exactly embodies the essence of the square of Mars between their charts.

It has never appeared that this was a relationship inspired by romantic love. From the beginning there were reports of conflict between them over a variety of things: whether or not to get married, Brad's family didn't like Angie, Angie didn't like Brad going out with his friends, Angie wanted to live in Europe. Until recently there were few photographs of the two together that exhibited any affection or touching between them.

Recently that seems to have changed; in the blitz of publicity that Angelina is doing for her new film the photographs of them have changed and there seems to be genuine affection in the body language in those photos. Another interesting development is that Brad seems to have regained his own identity again rather than adopt a mirror image persona of Angelina. Over the past couple of years Brad has been going through a powerful planetary cycle involving a conjunction of Pluto (transformation, endings, rebirth) to his unaspected Sun. This is a time of great challenge and great rewards, when we are forced to strip away from our lives anything that no longer serves us, and recreate ourselves in a new way. He has also been going through a cycle called the "Uranus opposition" that occurs at midlife and breaks up old routines and patterns. Uranus is the planet that urges us to free ourselves if we have become stuck. This cycle can be quite difficult for those with very fixed natures since everything is in flux at this time. Both of these transits are complete now, and Brad will be having a much easier time.

Angelina has also been going through a cycle of Uranus, marking a square to her Sun and also Neptune in her chart, creating an urgency for freedom and independence and perhaps heightening her tendency towards self-delusion as indicated by the Sun/Neptune combination. This difficult cycle is completing in early 2007 and she also has a much easier year ahead. Transiting Pluto (transformation) is in a harmonious aspect (trine) to Chiron (healing and wounding) in her chart, helping her to let go and heal old wounds within herself. There still seems to be an element of self-delusion as was evidenced in the interview where she said she hated her character in her film "The Good Shepherd" for stealing another woman's husband: "She does one of the worst things a woman could do. One scene I actually had trouble shooting because I'm so against that behaviour."

As much as we think we know about celebrities, we rarely know more than they wish to reveal; We have no way of seeing what is behind the curtain. Astrology can give us a peek behind that curtain, but can't predict the future of the relationship. This is a couple with a strong attraction of opposites, and a relationship that will never be dull. Certainly the children are a strong bonding influence for both of them, and only time will tell if the couple will be able to make it for the long haul.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:26 AM :: |

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Thursday, December 21, 2006

Capricorn and the Winter Solstice

The Sun enters Capricorn tonight at 8:06 pm EST, bringing with it the Winter Solstice Under the tropical zodiac system*, the Sun enters Capricorn on the date that coincides with the shortest day of the year which we call the Winter Solstice. Associating the sign of Capricorn and its ruler Saturn with the time of year, the ancient Romans celebrated the Saturnalia festival which marked the end of darkness and a return to light.

There are many "dying and resurrected" gods that are associated with the Winter Solstice, most likely due to the short day and long night. In the Celtic Old Religion, the Holly King and the Oak King are two faces of the Greenman, or nature deity. The Holly King rules over the half of the year when the sun wanes, and at the Winter Solstice he dies and the Oak King is reborn and rules during the waxing sun.

The Winter Solstice is associated with a number of different dying and resurrected gods: Osiris, Dionysus, Mithras, Attis, Tammuz. The cults of these gods knew that the god must die in order to be resurrected and assure the continuation of mankind.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, called in ancient times the "Greater Malefic" (with Mars being the "Lesser Malefic"). Saturn, called Kronos by the Greeks, is the god of time and therefore the god of death. In modern times we view Pluto as the Lord of the Underworld, of death and rebirth, but Saturn reminds us that our life is short, that death awaits. Capricorn carries some of this burden as well with a deep awareness of the seriousness of life and the burden of time so it is appropriate that the Sun's entry into Capricorn marks the Winter Solstice - the death of the Holly King and the resurrection of the Oak.

This year the Capricorn ingress follows shortly after the New Moon in Sagittarius, deepening our sense of responsibility and practical application of understanding. It is interesting that the last few New Moons have been in the last degrees of a sign: Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and now Sagittarius. This trend will continue into 2007, with Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces New Moons at 28 degrees. There is a sense of completion here combined with difficulty moving forward. It has been difficult to move forward and we find ourselves still retracing our steps.

The Winter Solstice is a time to remember that just beyond the darkness is the light. Happy Solstice!

*The tropical zodiac system keeps the cardinal egress points of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn at the solstices and does not allow for the precession of the equinoxes which have moved these points over time. Many consider the sidereal system, which follows the current alignment of the equinoxes with their actual point in the zodiac, to be more accurate but this has not been true for me and most western astrologers. Vedic astrology does use the sidereal system.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 9:52 AM :: |

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Wednesday, December 20, 2006

What was the Star of Bethlehem?

In the 2,000 year old tale that we know as the Christmas story, three wise men came out of the east following a star to Bethlehem. The three wise men were Magi, members of the priestly class of Persia. Ancient historian Diodorus tells us that after Persia invaded Babylon, the Magi learned astrology from the Chaldeans as well as alchemy and other occult arts.

There has been much debate over the centuries as to the identity of the Star that the Magi followed. In ancient astrology Jupiter, being King of the Gods, was associated with kings and Johannes Kepler in 1606 hypothesized that the Star was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in June of 2007. Astronomer Michael Molnar says:

Jupiter underwent two occultations ("eclipses") by the Moon in Aries in 6 BC. Jupiter was the regal "star" that conferred kingships - a power that was amplified when Jupiter was in close conjunctions with the Moon. The second occultation on April 17 coincided precisely when Jupiter was "in the east," a condition mentioned twice in the biblical account about the Star of Bethlehem. In August of that year Jupiter became stationary and then "went before" through Aries where it became stationary again on December 19, 6 BC. This is when the regal planet "stood over." - a secondary royal portent also described in the Bible. In particular, there is confirmation from a Roman astrologer that the conditions of April 17, 6 BC were believed to herald the birth of a divine, immortal, and omnipotent person born under the sign of the Jews, which we now know was Aries the Ram

Looking at the chart for 4/17/0006 b.c.e. with our modern planets, there is a nearly exact Mystic Rectangle formed by an opposition between Pluto and Uranus which sextiles an opposition between Neptune and Mercury. Jupiter in Aries is at the exact midpoint of the Mercury/Uranus sextile. This is a powerful configuration that could bear out this theory.

However, there was a slow moving comet in 5 b.c.e. that bears the hallmarks of the gospel stories. The gospel of Matthew reports that the comet "stood" over Bethlehem, and Chinese accounts of the comet in 5 b.c.e. said that it was visible in the sky for 70 days. Although in the middle ages comets were seen as portents of doom and disaster, in more ancient times comets were said to herald new dynasties. Colin Humphries has written a very convincing article promoting the Comet as the Star of Bethlehem.

The dating of the birth of Jesus at zero c.e. is due to an error by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus who was instructed in A.D. 533 to create a new calendar using Christ's birth as a beginning point. The Gospel of Matthew states that Jesus was born during the time of Herod the King, but Herod died in 4 b.c.e.

Because the Magi were astrologers and astronomers, it is more likely that they used a combination of astrological information to seek the star since they would not have been privy to the schedules of comets. However, the confluence of events that occurred during this period, combined with a high expectation of the imminence of a messiah to rescue the Jews from Roman subjugation, no doubt led to a flurry of messianic prophecy and excitement.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 3:53 PM :: |

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Tuesday, December 19, 2006

"Conviction Politicians" - George Bush, Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher

Dharmaruci has a great post today on what he calls "conviction politicians," those who "pursue a particular course of action regardless."

Politicians frequently present themselves as “conviction politicians” in order to convince voters that they are principled, that they will not be swayed by the demands of political expediency and career aspirations. What it comes to mean when they are in a position of leadership is somewhat different and less favourable: it tends to mean that they are the sort of politician who will pursue a particular course of action regardless, that they have a certain ‘gut instinct’ as to what is right that they are determined to pursue.

‘Conviction’ is not an air quality, astrologically speaking. It is a ‘gut instinct’, and it is rigid. It is Scorpionic. I have always thought that to have such convictions about the right course of action – which can be an appealing quality to voters – you need the ability to ignore inconvenient facts. Not consciously ignore, but actually be opaque to them, so that to you it’s as if they don’t exist. So here we also have a Neptunian quality, the ability to delude oneself.

He has a few choice words for American politicians and those who elect him, but those words only hurt because they're true. ::grin:: Dharma says this about President Bush:

Though he may or may not be able to understand a page of print in front of him (opinion seems to be divided here), he certainly does not base his decisions on reason. His believes in his gut instinct and that it will ultimately be proved right. It is a sort of magical thinking. That is why, for example, there was very little planning as to what to do after the successful invasion of Iraq, and he was able to keep repeating the mantra of ‘staying the course’ over Iraq, in the face of all the facts.

Sometimes politicians are saying something for the sake of expediency, and we know it’s not true and we know that they know it’s not true. It’s not entirely satisfactory, but that seems to be part of how politics works. What is worrying about conviction politicians like George Bush, however, is that they will say things that are patently not true, but you get the sense that they actually believe what they are saying.

Astrologically, GWB has Pluto Rising in Leo and Sun in Cancer, between them giving him his ruthlessness and primitive, unconscious ‘gut instinct’ way of operating. I don’t want to offend anyone here, but America has a capacity for electing stupid leaders like Bush and Reagan almost BECAUSE they are stupid. “Ah, you’re thick like me, I can trust that!” And the genius of these leaders is that they know exactly the sort of stupid thing to say that will win them votes. Like Ronald Reagan saying about his ballet dancer son, “He is not gay. We made sure of that!” Or George Bush saying, “People misunderestimate me.” Oh yes, you’re not one of those tricksy, liberal intellectuals, we can trust you!

To be fair, the UK and the US have a different method of electing leaders. In the UK, our leaders are elected by their fellow MPs (or, in the case of the Tories, were until recently), so being the new kid on the block with mob appeal ain’t going to get you elected leader. What I admire about the American system are the checks and balances built into it which are proving so effective at present.

Back to GWB. He also has Moon conjunct Jupiter in Libra in the 3rd House. This is the chart of someone who potentially has a good mind, who in fact probably DOES have a good mind when he bothers to use it. But the Moon is conjunct Chiron, so there is a problem with it, and it is square to the Sun in Cancer, which seems to win out. Maybe some years down the line, when Pluto hits this square, and his father has died and he has some distance from the failure and humiliation of his last 2 years in office, he will be able to reflect on the shortcomings of gut instinct on its own, and in so doing empower his Libra Moon. Don’t get me wrong, ‘gut instinct’ is a powerful and necessary part of our make-up – and who would not be ruled by it when faced with a survival situation? – but it can also get things terribly wrong if reason and reflection are not also properly honoured.

GWB’s Sun in Cancer is in the 12th House, so here we see the Neptunian element that seems also to be necessary to make a conviction politician, the ability to delude oneself and so maintain self-belief by shutting out inconvenient facts. This Neptunian element (which we also saw in Thatcher) also gives a redeemer quality to the politician, that they are in some sense going to save the country, whether it is from terrorists (in GWB’s case) or from the Trades Unions and bad economic practices (in Thatcher’s case).

Read more about Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher in the original article at Astrotabletalk.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:33 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- More Magic from the Universe

Thanks to Rich for this incredible "massive star" picture from Nasa (click image to enlarge).

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 5:57 AM :: |

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Monday, December 18, 2006

Harvard Business Review: Stocks are higher during new moons

The Harvard Business Review recently did a peer review on a study by University of Michigan researchers:

"We find strong lunar cycle effects in stock returns," say University of Michigan Business School professors Ilia D. Dichev and Troy D. Janes in a research report.

"Specifically, returns in the 15 days around new moon dates are about double the returns in the 15 days around full moon dates. This pattern of returns is pervasive," they report.

The scholars set out to examine the folk wisdom that moon cycles affect human behavior, especially abnormal behavior around full moons. They turned to stock markets to get a big enough sample, as millions of people make billions of trades on a regular basis.

They gathered data on major U.S. stock markets over the past 100 years, and on the markets of 24 other nations going back 30 years.

"Taken as a whole, this evidence is consistent with popular beliefs that lunar cycles affect human behavior," the researchers concluded.

The Harvard Business Review, reporting the research in its current issue, says that while these findings "are a bit off the beaten path, they're the product of rigorous research."

It's hard to predict the ups and downs of individual stocks because there's so much variability in the fortunes of companies and there are greater cycles that would also have an effect, such as the Jupiter/Saturn cycle we just experienced and the passage of Jupiter through Scorpio (expanding stocks/other people's money) and now Jupiter in Sagittarius (more irrational exuberance). This is a trend that can't be used for investing: for example, the stock market fell today even though a new moon is around the corner. But it does prove a correlation between moon cycles and human behavior that most of us are already familiar with.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:25 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Current astrological fortunes of the US

Mundane astrology, the astrology of places and events, is not my specialty (Nancy Waterman is my usual source for this area of expertise) but I confess it does fascinate me. Knowing that the commonly-used Sibley chart for the United States has Sagittarius rising I took a look to see how the Sagittarius stellium was affecting the US.

Transiting Uranus in Pisces has been making a square, or challenging aspect, to the descendant in the US chart since back in March of 2006, bringing a radical change (Uranus) in the way the US identifies itself relative to its allies. Uranus transits bring sudden change and revolutionary behavior, and the ascendant/descendant axis deals with how we balance our personal identity with our relationships. Before Uranus began this transit to the US chart back in March the GOP was considered by many to be a strong ally in the cause of United States policy; now they rank close to the bottom of public approval. Britain was a powerful ally before Uranus started kicking us around, but now with the demise of Tony Blair the ties between US and Britain have all but disintegrated.

Uranus also takes the ruling power out of the hands of the few and gives it to the many and we have seen this in the Bush administration: Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld were designing the destiny of the US and now there are many voices speaking up. But is anyone listening?

The first of the transits across the US ascendant occurred back in late November when Venus crossed that point, and Mercury crossed the ascendant a few days ago as President Bush was involved in his quest for help with the Iraq problems. Mercury was in square (challenging aspect) to rebellious Uranus at the time and although Bush was listening to advisors (Mercury) he was determined to follow his own path (Uranus) regardless of the consequences.

Mars will be next to cross the US ascendant on December 22-23. Mars is the god of war, and we would expect to see a flareup of tensions between the US and other nations as well as within the country itself. In late January, determinedly optimistic and potentially arrogant Jupiter will cross the US ascendant in square to Uranus which will be completing its own square to this point. The square of the king of the gods (Jupiter) to revolutionary Uranus is a potentially explosive combination that will have a powerful effect on the relations between the US and its allies and alliances within the United States.

President Bush is going through a series of astrological challenges to the ascendant in his own chart, showing problems with alliances and partnerships over the past year. Transiting Saturn, the bestower of delays and disappointments, crossed over that sensitive point in his chart followed closely by Chiron, the planet of wounding and healing. Chiron tends to expose old wounds in our psyche that have not healed, and the transit of Chiron (beginning back in March of 2006) has challenged all of Bush's relationships. It has further brought up the spectre of failure that has followed him his whole life as he drove not one but three oil companies into bankruptcy. In this most visible role of his life, he is determined not to fail and ironically it is this quality that is most likely to result in failure.

All six planets and luminaries fall right now in President Bush's fifth house of creative self-expression. This is the house where we need to feel special - admired and celebrated. The fifth house is associated with the sign of Leo, the sign of royalty, which is Bush's rising sign as well. All of these planets traveling through the fifth house are exacerbating Bush's innate need for respect and veneration. In the fifth house we often make grand gestures of generosity, hoping to receive the regard that we seek but when afflicted these gestures can often backfire because of their self-centered origin. In the fifth house we often play out our childhood need for attention, and for many years President Bush has attempted to gain the favor and respect of his father by following in his footsteps. He has failed miserably.

Jupiter is making a trine (harmonious aspect) to Bush's ascendant right now, and he has the potential to draw fortunate (Jupiter) allies (ascendant) to him. However, these will require him to drop the need for adulation and respect that has driven his presidency and listen to the wisdom of those around him.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:02 AM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- New Moon Approaching! And other planetary news

The Sun is now conjunct Pluto (regeneration) and in a trine to Saturn (forms and structures), making it easier for us to release the old bonds that have been holding us back as Pluto transforms the structures in our life so that they can better accommodate our new vision. This process is completed by the sextile of Mercury (thoughts) to Neptune (transcendence) which is approaching now but exact on the 19th which aids in the integration of our experience (Mercury) and opens our creative channels (Neptune). Venus is sextile Uranus the same day, and we may find ourselves involved in surprising encounters (Uranus) with new people (Venus).

All of this sets the stage for the New Moon on December 20 at 9:01 am EST. The energy for the lunations (New and Full Moons) typically begins about three days before as the luminaries (Sun and Moon) begin to move into place. The New Moon is a time of new beginnings: the energy of the Sun and Moon are working together during this time and the conscious and unconscious aspects are fused and operate as one. Projects or plans that begin during the New Moon tend to be more successful, since there is a greater integration of spirit that coincides with the event.

This New Moon is in Sagittarius, the sign of adventure, experiences that expand us, bringing new possibilities and a new optimism. In Sagittarius we search for a truth that we can call our own, and break through barriers that have held us back. The Sun and Moon are both tightly conjunct Pluto for this event, adding an intensity and a transformative quality that can provide the fuel for us to propel into a new dimension of awareness and growth. Pluto urges us to let go of anything that no longer serves us, and to surrender to the loss of those things over which we have no control. Saturn's discipline and structure trines the New Moon/Pluto conjunction, facilitating our ability to create a plan for a new future and implement it with great success.

The Sun enters Capricorn on the Winter Solstice, December 21 at 7:22 pm EST, with Mars in tight square formation to Uranus. This is the darkest time of the year, when the days are short and the nights long. In Capricorn we face our limitations and responsibilities, putting enjoyment aside for the time being. The seriousness of Capricorn is still tempered by Jupiter, Mars and Mercury in Sagittarius, which is a much more light-hearted influence. Still, preparation for the coldness of winter is underway once the Sun enters Capricorn and begins the process of settling in until spring. The aspect between Mars and Uranus creates a restlessness and sets the stage for arguments and conflict. Add more care to your travel at this time (from the 18th through the 24th) since this restless energy can lead to accidents and reckless driving, particularly for those of us with planets in the mutable signs of Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo which will be directly affected by the Mars/Uranus energies.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:35 AM :: |

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Saturday, December 16, 2006

Pluto and the Galactic Center

If you haven't already read them, I've synthesized the two earlier articles I wrote on this into one and posted it on my website here if you feel like taking a peek.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:16 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Storms on the Sun and the Sun/Pluto/GC Lineup

Earlier this week I reported on the tsunami-like solar flare, and this week there was a huge electromagnetic storm resulting from a coronal mass ejection on the sun, disrupting shortwave communications and satellite systems and creating spectacular auroras. Space.com reports:

Flares like this one are spawned by sunspots, which are dark, cool regions that cap magnetic activity below. When the caps pop, colossal doses of superheated matter and radiation are unleashed.

Sunspot 929 began kicking up flares Tuesday, when a major X-9 event was detected by a space-based observatory. When another flare erupted Wednesday, the NSO's Optical Solar Patrol Network (OSPAN) was watching.

A shock wave propagated like the splash from a rock thrown into a pond. This was seen as a brightening from compressed and heated hydrogen gas. Astronomers enhanced the contrast of the images to bring out the detail, and they created an animation of the event.

Later, the shock wave swept across two dark filaments widely seprated on the solar surface, and they disappeared for a few minutes. Scientists are unsure whether the filaments were blown off or were compressed so they were temporarily invisible, according to an NSO statement.

Forecasters say there is a 40 percent chance of more major flares through this weekend. Skywatchers in Alaska, Canada and the very northernmost United States should be on the lookout for colorful Northern Lights generated by the space storminess.

In 2004 scientists reported the results of a study which extrapolated sunspot activity going back 11,400 years and found that sunspots have been more common in the past 70 years than at any time during the last 8,000 years. As I reported earlier this year, we are now in a "solar minimum" period in which sunspot activity has been low, and scientists are baffled as to why this intense solar explosion occurred now. Could it be the lineup of six planets in fiery Sagittarius?

The Sun will not be exactly aligned with Pluto and the Galactic Center until December 18 but was only four degrees away from that exact conjunction on December 14 when a coronal mass ejection hit the Earth, sparking the extreme electromagnetic storm. Spaceweather.com maintains an updated forecast on solar activity, which will be interesting to watch over the next few days.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:43 AM :: |

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Friday, December 15, 2006

Insurance companies using astrology!

You may have seen a study by Allstate Insurance correlating driving habits to sun signs. This analysis was done by a Vedic astrologer, Carol Allen, but I have to say it doesn't make sense to me. Aries make great drivers because they stay out of trouble? Leos are good drivers because they are generous on the road? Taurus drive the most luxurious cars? (Actually, that would be Capricorn - Taurus likes the cars that are the most comfortable and the most reliable, it's Capricorn that seeks the status of luxury.) Perhaps it's the Vedic astrology that makes these interpretations different than mine would be. Sun signs of course do not provide an accurate picture of ones driving habits - you can have a stable Capricorn with Uranus in the first house in square to Mars, and they will be as reckless as any fire sign.

Another insurance company in Australia did its own study described in this article by astrologer Nancy Fenn of 160,000 claimants that seems more accurate, finding Geminis to be the worst drivers (multitasking), with Taurus (stubborn) and Pisces (spacey) close behind. Capricorns were safest, probably because of their strong sense of responsibility.

Allstate has now gone further into astrology, using sun signs to predict retirement habits. This is pretty fascinating: Impulsive Aries are the most likely to say they've educated themselves about investing, but the least likely to save. Only 1% of Taureans, with their need for material security, have not saved for retirement. 96% of Cancers are worried about the future. 71% of Libras (me) are least likely to stick to a budget, and most likely (33%) to expect to provide financial support to family members.

These numbers are significant enough to have an impact in the public awareness about astrology, which is very exciting!!

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:05 AM :: |

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Thursday, December 14, 2006

Planetary News This Week

We are now approaching a square of Mercury to Uranus on the 15th, making it difficult for us to communicate clearly. Uranus has a disruptive quality and in seeking to open our minds to new ways of thinking it sometimes has the effect of creating anxiety, particularly for those of us with planets in the mutable signs (Pisces, Virgo, Sagittarius, Gemini). This can be a challenging time for interpersonal communication, but Mercury moves quickly and this influence will only last a few days. Because Mercury involves short trips, the disruptive quality of Uranus can lead to accidents as well as trip delays or detours.

Mars is sextile Chiron now, giving us the energy (Mars) to resolve any healing issues (Chiron) that are a concern, both physically and emotionally. Sometimes we know what we have to do but we are caught in a state of inertia, and Mars can help to move us out of that stuck place now.

Over the next few days, on the 16th and the 18th, the Sun conjuncts Pluto and forms a trine to Saturn, making it easier for us to release the old bonds that have been holding us back as Pluto transforms the structures in our life so that they can better accommodate our new vision.

This process is completed by the sextile of Mercury (thoughts) to Neptune (transcendence) on the 19th which aids in the integration of our experience (Mercury) and opens our creative channels (Neptune). This combination is excellent for meditation and spiritual experience as our mind is open to the experience of the divine. Venus is sextile Uranus the same day, bringing surprising encounters (Uranus) with new people (Venus) and adding a touch of excitement to our relationships.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:01 AM :: |

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Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Nicole Richie, Little Girl Lost

Nicole Richie in 2003

Nicole in 2006

Nicole Richie is one of those celebrities famous for not much other than being famous, but there's something about her that moves me, particularly now that she is unraveling at a rapid pace. Abandoned by her mother, raised in opulence but with no firm structures, she has struggled to find herself yet I feel she has an inner strength that will carry her through this difficult time.

If it weren't for Paris Hilton, no one would have heard of Nicole Richie. The adopted daughter of Lionel Richie, Nicole was born to one of his band members and then later turned over to the Richie family for financial reasons. Lionel and his then-wife adopted Nicole and gave her their name but divorced shortly thereafter when Nicole was 10. She attended the University of Arizona for two years after graduating high school and dabbled in rock and roll before she was chosen for the reality show "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton, her friend from grammar school.

Nicole Richie was born with the Sun in modest Virgo. Virgos typically shun the limelight, preferring to spend their time perfecting their craft and their lives in general. Where Virgos can sometimes become stuck due to their cautious approach to life, Nicole's Sun is in a harmonious aspect (sextile) to Uranus, the planet of individuality and innovation, showing that she approaches life as an individualist and isn't afraid to do things differently.

Nicole's Cancer Moon gives her a deep affection for family and shows that she is extremely sensitive and protective of those that she loves; however, her Moon is squared by Saturn, the planet of isolation and restriction. The Moon in the birthchart often shows how the individual was mothered, and Saturn in square to the Moon indicates a powerful sense of loneliness that originates in childhood and remains an issue throughout the life of the individual. Saturn threatens our sense of self-esteem and creates a deep insecurity in early life that can deepen into a strength of character as the individual matures. Often with Saturn square to the Moon there was an early rejection by the mother, and Pluto is also widely square to the Moon which accentuates that sense of rejection.

Nicole has other signatures of the Plutonic intensity as well: Venus in her chart falls in Scorpio, signifying a passionate nature and desire for deep and lasting relationships, and Mercury conjunct Pluto, linking her communication process (Mercury) to the probing depth of Pluto. She is not one to shrink from an argument and will stand up for herself where necessary.

A square of Jupiter to her Moon suggests that Nicole is subject to dramatic mood swings and although she is exceedingly generous with others, she has a tendency to lose herself in the process. She may tend to idealize (Jupiter) those around her and overestimate their ability to take care of her emotional needs (Moon

Mars in Nicole's chart is in Leo, showing a strong sense of pride and a flair for the dramatic (Leo) and a drive (Mars) for admiration (Leo) that fuels her career goals. Mars is square to Venus, showing an impatience with others when they fail to meet her expectations and impatience with the pace of relationships in general.

With transiting Chiron (wounding and healing) opposing her natal Moon, Nicole was arrested in early 2003 for heroin possession just before she was to enter rehab for her addictions. But 2003 was the best of times as well as the worst of times for Nicole, with transiting Pluto making a harmonious aspect (sextile) to her progressed Sun, she became known and loved as Paris Hilton's adorable and slightly chubby sidekick in "The Simple Life." Harmonious Pluto transits create transformation and change, but they occur easily and with great exhilaration.

2004 and 2005 was more challenging for Nicole, when transiting Saturn was conjunct her Moon and set off the stressful emotional complex in her chart. Under this influence her friendship with Paris Hilton fell apart in a very public way, necessitating the end of their television show. She began to lose weight and although she was initially lauded for her classy new look, by summer of 1995 she soon became the subject of much speculation as her weight dropped to dangerous levels.

In September of 2006, as Nicole's weight continued to be a source of news and speculation, transiting Saturn and Neptune both are making challenging aspects to Chiron in Nicole's chart. Chiron shows where in our chart we hold a deep wound that we try to ignore, but when a transiting planet activates that point, the old pain is activated in order to promote healing. Under the influence of Saturn to Chiron we are forced to face that part of ourselves from which we are hiding. Neptune is the planet that rules mystical experiences and shows where we delude ourselves, and the difficult transits of Neptune to Chiron can blur our senses and make it difficult to find our way. Nicole has been in the news lately, passing out at nightclubs and recently being arrested for driving under the influence. Her arrest report cites her weight as 85 pounds.

Ultimately, this difficult cycle which will last throughout next summer has the potential to bring about a deep healing for Nicole but the path will not be easy and will require facing some truths about her family history and her psychological issues that she has denied for some time. Fortunately, her progressed Sun is making a harmonious aspect (trine) to Pluto this year, facilitating her ability to let go of the past and move into the future if she maintains her focus on healing the person within rather than building her career and public persona.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:32 AM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Michael Lutin on Pluto in Capricorn.

Thanks to Marianne for sending a link to this article by Michael Lutin, astrologer best known for his Vanity Fair sun sign columns. I love Vanity Fair but as you know if you read this column, I have a prejudice against astrological sun sign columns as being oversimplistic and misrepresenting the complex beauty of the astrological art.

At any rate, it's good to see Vanity Fair publishing a real astrology article by Lutin on the entry of Pluto into Capricorn and how it will affect the United States with its Cancer Sun. There are a few incorrect details, such as a statement that the Uranus-Pluto square will begin in 2015 (it begins in 2012 but its effect will be felt as the alignment approaches as soon as Uranus enters Aries in 2010). But overall it's a great article and very exciting that information like this is getting into the mainstream.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 5:54 AM :: |

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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

More on the "Sagittarian Convergence" and Litvinenko's death

Art Gianfermo always has an interesting perspective on astrological events, and I was sad to see that he stopped posting in May. I just noticed he's been back since October. Here's what Art has to say about the Sagittarian Convergence:

[I've snipped and added some punctuation for ease of reading] In the past 17 days we have gone from the climax of a dark Scorpio Convergence on a Cold Winter's Day to an explosive Sagittarian Convergence starting at 9:52PM PST and set for November 20th. This lunation which had Sun-Jupiter-Mercury-Venus-Mars-Jupiter-Uranus-Neptune-Pluto all in South Declination and only Saturn-Leo in the north presaged wild and cold weather - this is also the precursor for covert and spying scandals to be settled.

Scorpio is about spies, detectives and research and Sagittarius is about adventure, sporting attitudes, out of doors and literary lives. Scorpio cherishes privacy, even darkness to create in a slower more fixed modality which eventually erupts in some time of powerful reacion. Sagittarius is explosive, more changeable, and tends to get what they want off their chest.

Our past new moon mirrored the previous year's Jupiter in Scorpio obsessions with poisons and spies like this most famous victim of radiation (Pluto, modern ruler of Scorpio, poisoning Alexander Litvinenko (born 12-4-62), [who had] mutable wounded Chiron-Jupiter conjunction in Pisces opposing Pluto-Uranus in Virgo. He was buried today in London where officials believe he was probably infected with polonium-210 last month when he met with several people. During the Scorpio Lunation the ancient ruler Mars was applying in a highly dangerous square to the most malefic Saturn.

Investigation into the causes of Litvinenko's death (at 9:21PM UT 11-23-06) has Pluto conjunct Fixed Star Aculeus telling of Enduring Attacks that are Successful in killing him, with Uranus (ruler of radiation) in the 8th House of Death. More remarkable is that [the current] Merc-Mars-Jupiter-Sun are all crowded in the 4th house, signifying the End of a Matter. And on this day his most expansive majesty Jupiter entered Sagittarius and the arrows now are out of their guivers.

On the day of [Litvinenko's] internment, Mercury has joined Mars-Sun in Sagittarius. Expect to hear a few exagerrated stories with so much Sag. energies dominating. Current clandestine theories still make facts around this case filled with air of an international mystery with several proposed solutions.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 8:17 AM :: |

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Monday, December 11, 2006

Solar Flares Ignite "Tsunami"

From space.com:

A major flare on the Sun earlier this week generated what scientists are calling a solar tsunami.

The tsunami-like shock wave, formally called a Moreton wave, rolled across the hot surface, destroying two visible filaments of cool gas on opposite sides of the visible face of the Sun. . . .

Will this affect us here on earth? It's hard to say. Galactic astrologer Philip Sedgwick has this to say about solar flares:

Given that the human aura comes from the electrical-neural-spiritual system of an individual, the stimulation of the solar storm can affect behavior as well. This occurs because of the natural response of the body’s energy to all the stimulation in the airwaves. Because of our knowledge of this solar eruption, we can step back, take an extra few breaths and allow for any challenging or confronting situations to cool somewhat. This way we can avoid our own ego-based solar flares (the Sun equates to primal ego in astrology).

Consider this your SPF protection warning. The energy of the Sun offers more stimulation than you might need. Therefore, remember to invoke your personal spirit protection filters. Then enjoy the display of lights in the sky.

This comes on top of five planets in fiery Sagittarius, so there's plenty of fire energy now! Meditation and tub soaks will help cool the nerves for those who feel a need to control the burn.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:35 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Venus enters Capricorn today

The first planet to leave the Sagittarius stellium is Venus, which entered Capricorn today shifting the focus to our responsibilities in relationship to others. Relationships serve a purpose under Capricorn, and this is a good time for business associations. Venus in Capricorn could also be good news for corporations and perhaps therefore the stock market.

Venus also describes the way we value ourselves as well as others; our self-esteem and sense of self-worth. In Capricorn there is a practical element and a need to establish something of material value in order to become more confident and secure.

Venus is sextile Uranus now, a harmonious relationship between the planet of love and beauty (Venus) and the planet of radical new ideas and change (Uranus). The influence of Venus is not usually very powerful, but if we pay attention we will be able to sense a new understanding between people and an opening in the way we experience our relationships with others. For just a few days we are more tolerant of people that are different (Uranus) from ourselves, and we may find ourselves in a surprising (Uranus) encounter with someone new.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:17 PM :: |

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Sunday, December 10, 2006

Mars, Mercury and Jupiter in alignment

Not since 1925 have three planets been aligned so tightly in the sky, and it won't happen again until 2053. Early Monday morning (EST) Mars and Jupiter will be aligned within 7 minutes, and Mercury will be just one degree away. This is a tight conjunction that fuses the energies of these three planets and will make for a beautiful sight in the pre-dawn sky.

Mars, Jupiter and Mercury are all in Sagittarius now: the sign where we find ourselves open to new ideas, to exploring other cultures to gain a greater understanding of ourselves. In Sagittarius we feel more optimistic and perhaps a bit overconfident; we strive to find a sense of meaning in our lives. Learning becomes more important and we may have a deeper desire to study philosophy or perhaps the law.

Mars is the god of action, he motivates us to accomplish our desires. Jupiter gives us the optimism and the faith that we can accomplish those things, and Mercury aids in the thought process that creates the plan. An alliance of Mars and Jupiter can bring an aggravated sense of self-righteousness, and Jupiter with Mercury can believe that one is always right. All three planets are operating in tandem now, and in Sagittarius there is some danger that overabundance of enthusiasm could become like a bubble which becomes too full of air and then bursts. Watch for some harsh words (Mars/Mercury) and arrogance (Mars/Jupiter) but take advantage of the beautiful energy that is available now.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:25 PM :: |

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Saturday, December 09, 2006

Pluto and the Galactic Center through History

I haven't written much on this subject since my earlier article, but the exact conjunction of Pluto to the Galactic Center will occur at the end of this month. The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way Galaxy in which we make our home. This is the first time that Pluto has been conjunct the Galactic Center since that point was discovered and mapped, so this is a new point of experience. In March Pluto made a station within a degree of the exact conjunction at which point the energy of this event began to manifest for this current cycle.

In the early 1990s as Uranus (unusual ideas) and Neptune (mysticism and confusion) conjoined, there was a surge of interest in New Age subjects. One of these had to do with a belt of photons being emitted from the center of the Galaxy. The Galactic Center was just discovered in the late 1960s, and the explosion of channeling (Neptune) from other dimensions (Uranus) that heralded the dawn of the Uranus/Neptune conjunction brought some wild ideas into mass consciousness regarding a galactic wave of consciousness that originated in the Pleiades which is actually in the Taurus constellation rather than the Galactic Center in Sagittarius. This is an example of the distortion that occurred under that transit as the actual information being transmitted from higher dimensions (Uranus) became confused and deluded (Neptune).

Pluto deals with the destruction of that which no longer serves us so that we can move forward in our evolutionary journey, and we would expect a conjunction with the center of our galaxy to be a course correction on a planetary level. It is unlikely that this will come as an immediate wave of advanced consciousness or significant events as many people are prophesying; it is more likely to be a shift deep in the core of our awareness that brings about a more groundbreaking change of direction on the planetary level.

We can get an idea of what to expect by looking back through history at other periods where Pluto was conjunct the G.C., and Robert Wilkinson has done the calculations for us. From looking at the historical record there's no consistency of major historical events; it appears that this conjunction event could open up a doorway to major power shifts through what appear to be relatively minor events.

The conjunction of Pluto to the G.C. that took place in 470-468 b.c.e. at 23 degrees Scorpio witnessed the end of the Persian wars in Greece and the beginning of the Golden Age of Pericles that witnessed the introduction of democracy and a court system similar to the one we use today (when Pluto went into Sagittarius, the sign of shared ideals). We would expect Pluto in its own sign of Scorpio to bring about endings and the death of the old order, and historians speculate that if the Greeks had not prevailed against the Persians western civilization as we know it may never have occurred.

The next conjunction occurred at 26 Scorpio at 223-220 b.c.e., at which time the Qin dynasty united seven kingdoms in China for the first time, and established the first Imperial Dynasty in Chinese history. Although this dynasty lasted only 37 years, the imperial system put in place continued for over 2,000 years.

The conjunction at 30 Scorpio in 25-28 c.e. may have coincided with the death of Jesus of Nazareth (the exact date of his death is highly debated, but many astronomers believe that Jesus was actually born 4 b.c.e. when a comet may have appeared as the Star of Bethlehem.

I couldn't find much of note for the period from 271-273 c.e. other than an increase in invasions of the Roman Empire that set the stage for its division shortly thereafter. The emperor Constantine was born in 270, and it could be argued that had the Roman Empire not been divided during this Pluto/G.C. period Constantine could not have utilized the new Christian religion to unite the Empire one last time.

The next conjunction was in 519-522 at 6 Sagittarius, coinciding with the end of a schism in the Roman church between the Eastern and Western branches over whether or not Christ had a dual nature (human/divine) or was purely divine, a theological argument (Sagittarius). However, this unity was to be short-lived and resulted in a later split for political reasons. This period also witnessed the founding of an independent Jewish state in Babylon. Shortly after the conjunction Justinian compiled the Corpus Jurus Civilis, a fundamental text in jurisprudence (Sagittarius rules bodies of shared ideas, encompassing law as well as theology).

767-770 c.e., at 11 Sagittarius, witnessed the founding of Baghdad by King Khalif Abbasid Al Mansoor who established a center for learning there (Sagittarius rules higher education). Ancient Hindu and Persian texts on astronomy and mathematics were translated into Arabic and collected for the benefit of scholars there. This period also marked the beginning of the Charlemagne period. Charlemagne was King of the Franks who conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III. His rule defined the Middle Ages and marked the first rule of a united Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire. This period also coincided with the mass conversion to Judaism of the Khazar Empire which began in the noble classes and seems to have spread to the masses by the mid 800s, the likely source of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern European descent.

Next came the conjunction in 1015-1017 at 15 Sag, at which time the Muslim caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah destroyed Constantine's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The reaction to this event in Europe was extreme, and likely was a precipitating cause for the Crusades.

In 1262-1264 AD Pluto was conjunct the G.C. at about 19 Sagittarius. This period coincides with the escalation of the Spanish Inquisition and the beginnings of the Inquisition in Rome, as well as the first parliament in England after the Baron's War captured the then King Henry III (he ultimately prevailed in a later battle. During this period anti-Jewish riots in Germany and Vienna precipitated the repression of Jews in those countries.

1510-1512, with Pluto conjunct the G.C. at 23 Sag, marked the acceleration of the Spanish gold trade in the new world (Sag rules exploration and adventure). Machiavelli wrote his landmark work The Prince, a treatise on gaining and maintaining power. Copernicus discovered that the earth revolved around the Sun. Martin Luther preached against papal indulgences that offered salvation for a cost in gold, beginning what was to become the Protestant Reformation. Shi'ism became the state religion in Persia, now called Iran. The Medicis regained the Italian throne and the Roman papacy as well.

The last conjunction before the present day occurred in 1758-1760 at 24 Sagittarius. Copernicus's treatise on his discovery was removed from the papal list of forbidden books where it was placed in 1610. The Seven Years War, arguably the first World War, began. This war marked the end of France's power in the New World and the emergence of Britain as the great Colonial power, changing the course of history. Also, 1758 saw the publication of the first treatise on the Atomic Theory, termed one of the most important theories in the history of science.

Pluto works slowly and is rarely the harbinger of a single dramatic event. Pluto transits to our personal charts can take years to develop. We know very little of the Galactic Center and its astrological functions, but it appears that it may anchor us into the heart of the Galaxy and offer instructions for the role of our planet in the evolution of the Universe. As we have seen, the shifting cycles of human evolution through Pluto has not always been smooth or blissful; it has been fraught with war and destruction. As human beings we have a dual role: that of individual persons on an individual path to knowledge and awareness, but also as links in a chain of human consciousness that evolves over time.

Sources: Wikipedia, Timelines of History.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 11:25 AM :: |

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Thursday, December 07, 2006

The Astrology of Blogging

Jeffrey posted a link to a post on a new astrology blog by Twilight analyzing her motivation in writing about astrology. Jeffrey has made this a "meme," which I suppose is a dare for bloggers ("I dare you to expose yourself the way I have done"). Anyway, it's an interesting supposition and I invite you to witness a rare exposition of Jeffrey's inner workings and I'll take him up on the meme/dare.

As Twilight writes,

Mercury must be the foremost influence in blogging, as in any form of writing and communication in general. We all have Mercury somewhere in our charts, but those with Mercury aspected by Saturn and/or positioned close to one of the angles would be more inclined to enjoy writing. Mercury will come through loud and clear in Gemini, Virgo, or in 3rd, 11th, or 7th houses where he feels "at home" but that in itself might not incline a person to writing, especially writing a blog. There is need for a certain amount of Saturnian discipline to sit at the computer and write on a regular basis, with no incentive other than the love of doing it, or the satisfaction of receiving comments.

I have a fair amount of Mercury/Gemini in my chart: Gemini rising, Moon/Pluto conjunct in the 3rd house and Mercury in Scorpio - a "double whammy" emphatically linking Mercury (communication) and Pluto/Scorpio (intensity). For me astrology blogging is all about probing (Pluto/Scorpio) under the surface to see what lies there and how everything is connected. Mercury in the sixth house (service, work environment and day-to-day life) tends to like to be helpful, and I very much like that the blog seems to be helpful and useful to the people who read it (my Venus is there as well). In the sixth house I like the daily ritual of writing every morning, and my 3rd house Leo enjoys the fact that people are reading what I write.

I'll tag a few others for this: Phil, Dharma, Jude and Barbara.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 3:27 PM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Jupiter in Sagittarius and other planetary news

Mars left Scorpio for Sagittarius yesterday, and with Mercury and Jupiter moves into position to form a sextile, a harmonious aspect, to Chiron that has the potential to open up new possibilities (Jupiter) for healing (Chiron). Mercury provides the ideas and Mars the energy to accomplish this.

Five planets are now in Sagittarius and tomorrow Mercury will enter Sagittarius making a whopping six planets in this sign of ideals, philosophy, religion, adventure. John and Susan Townley write in their excellent article on Jupiter in Sagittarius:

You would expect anything passing through a mutable sign to have the effect of, well, mutability. The whole meaning of that is not change itself, but the shift toward it – not ultimate developments, but penultimate ones. So, it may not be surprising that Jupiter in Sagittarius has often marked a final pause, a year of hanging on the edge before pitching forward into a new dispensation, a hesitation before the final lunge into the next step forward, good or bad, which comes when Jupiter subsequently goes cardinal. There’s almost a feeling of helplessness, like you can see it coming but can’t really do much to stop it.

Accompanying this there also is another theme which is very typical of Jupiter and Sagittarius, and that’s declarative bluster. It’s a time when history is on the march but hasn’t quite reached its objectives so there are a lot of declarations of independence and intent before those intentions turn into final moves.

They offer a timeline to prove their point, and it's a good one. Next year both Jupiter and Pluto enter Capricorn and we'll start to see some real changes. Perhaps the Jupiter in Sagittarius period (ending at the end of 2007 just before Pluto enters Capricorn in January of 2008) will be a time when new ideas take shape.

Jupiter was known in classical astrology as the "Greater Benefic," and we like to think of Jupiter as being bountiful and the bestower of opportunity and All Good Things. But as with everything in astrology, there is a darker side to Jupiter as well. Dane Rudhyar, the grandfather of transformational astrology, wrote "Jupiter, worshipped by medieval astrologers as the Great Benefic, [can] also ... become a power for evil. It can of itself be a force of self-destruction, if the function of self-preservation and self-sustainment turns into an uncontrolled desire for self-aggrandizement at any cost."

We have seen in this column that many political figures have the Sun in square to Jupiter in their charts, resulting in an arrogance and a determination to be "right" at all costs. It appears that in the US there is a move towards a more expansive public policy which embodies the positive aspects of Jupiter in Sagittarius. There is always a danger with both Jupiter and compulsive Pluto sweeping through the last degrees of Sagittarius that arrogance and self-righteousness could be manifested instead. The expression of these dynamics are always our choice.

The six Sagittarius planets are all working together until around the 13th when Mercury moves out of reach, but the conjunction of Jupiter and Mars will remain in effect until around December 17. Throughout the month though, Jupiter is in tight aspect to Chiron as it approaches the exact sextile on December 28. There is an openness (Jupiter) to healing old wounds (Chiron) - an ability to create new ideologies (Jupiter) that bring about new wisdom (Chiron). This could be a very positive aspect for the world's political problems as well as provide aid to our personal lives.

On December 7, Venus conjuncts Pluto, and a few days before this event we will begin to experience an intensification (Pluto) in our relations with others (Venus). Passions run high now, but the trine of Venus to Saturn which echoes the trine to Pluto will help to keep the intensity at a level where it can be useful (Saturn). On the 9th, the Sun makes a harmonious aspect (sextile) to Neptune, a lovely day for spiritual (Neptune) contemplation and activities requiring creativity and imagination.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:50 AM :: |

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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Saturn turns retrograde today!

I hope you have enjoyed the breather over the past couple of weeks with no retrograde planets - Saturn turns retrograde today and will appear to travel backwards from our perspective on earth until April 19. When planets appear to move backwards their influence is somewhat stronger as they revisit sensitive points in our chart and cause us to re-do and re-think various aspects of our lives.

Saturn is the god of restriction and discipline, and also the bringer of material wealth and success. Cesar Millan on the show "The Dog Whisperer" always to "rules, boundaries and limitations" as being beneficial to dogs, and they are beneficial to us as well. Without these rules, boundaries and limitations we are likely to grow lazy and complacent.

With Saturn traveling retrograde we become more acutely aware of those limitations and restrictions, and this can be difficult for those of us who have very airy or fiery charts who crave freedom and inspiration above all else. Saturn bestows rewards on those who work hard; when you bump up against one of Saturn's restrictions (car wrecks, spinal injuries, joint problems, difficulties at work, financial issues) step back and make a plan for overcoming the difficulty. You will see tremendous results during strong Saturn periods.

Saturn is nearly trine Pluto now, and Pluto's ability to create transformation harmonizes well with Saturn's urge to create form. This is a beautiful time for manifestation and creating a new vision for your life. With Saturn retrograde it could take time for your vision to take root, but discipline in watering and nurturing the seeds of creation will result in a new flowering of your life's possibilities.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 8:43 AM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Predicting the future: Fate or free will?

One thing you'll notice if you've read my posts on celebrities, is that my predictions of the demise of several of these relationships have not yet come to pass. Although in my practice I NEVER predict the outcome of a client's relationship, in the celebrity profiles I have made a stab at doing so, with less than satisfactory results. This does not minimize the accuracy of astrological interpretations, simply the accuracy of predictions of the future.

For a while it was popular for psychics to make predictions for the new year, but we are not seeing too much of that any more. Despite what we see on the TV show Medium, which I love and watch religiously, the screen into the future remains insistently closed a great majority of the time. If we tune in to the proper frequency we can see glimmers that can be of great help to us, but predicting the future would depend upon a life that is caught in an irrevocable destiny from which we could not escape. I don't believe that this is the case.

In the case of Malachi Ritscher, who set himself on fire to protest the war and in doing so ended his life, we can look at his chart and see where his inner complexes and difficulties led him to this sad end. A birthchart can identify areas of difficulty in a person's life but also provides a map to help that person find the gift that is hidden underneath the burden which they have been given. At every moment we have a choice whether to take the easy road of ignorance or make the extra effort to live consciously and strive for personal evolution. The psychological complexes in the birthchart are our fate, but how we use what we are given by fate becomes our destiny.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 8:32 AM :: |

---------------oOo--------------- Astrodynamics in the UAE!!

Thanks to the magic of the internet, I was the subject of an article about astrology and relationships for Emirates Woman, a glossy women's magazine in the United Arab Emirates. Take a look!

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 8:22 AM :: |

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Sunday, December 03, 2006

The Sad, Strange Journey of Malachi Ritscher

On November 3, 2006, Malachi Ritscher set himself on fire in Chicago on the Kennedy Expressway to protest the war in Iraq. The only problem is, no one was paying attention. Only in the past few days has this story hit the mainstream media.

Malachi left a suicide note, which begins:

When I hear about our young men and women who are sent off to war in the name of God and Country, and who give up their lives for no rational cause at all, my heart is crushed. What has happened to my country? we have become worse than the imagined enemy - killing civilians and calling it 'collateral damage', torturing and trampling human rights inside and outside our own borders, violating our own Constitution whenever it seems convenient, lying and stealing right and left, more concerned with sports on television and ring-tones on cell-phones than the future of the world.... half the population is taking medication because they cannot face the daily stress of living in the richest nation in the world.

The event was largely ignored by mainstream media. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "But with all great respect, if he thought setting himself on fire and ending his life in Chicago would change anyone's mind about the war in Iraq, his last gesture on this planet was his saddest and his most futile." This gesture has largely been dismissed as the act of a mentally ill man.

Malachi Ritscher was a fixture in the Chicago jazz scene. He attended concerts five or six nights a week, documenting each concert for posterity and for the musicians. He was well loved by strangers but a stranger to his family; he wrote his own obituary because, as he said, "no one else really knew him." A statement from his siblings makes it obvious that they didn't know him either, but suggests that Malachi suffered from depression.

Malachi was born with four planets in Capricorn: the Sun, Mercury, Chiron and Venus. (see chart) Capricorn is the sign of the builder: responsible, disciplined, with a need to create a legacy. In Capricorn the end justifies the means, and there is a strong practical element that is always seeking ways to accomplish their goals. With the Sun conjunct Mercury within one degree, he was exceptionally bright, perhaps brilliant. Chiron sat right on his Mercury and the Sun, showing that he suffered a deep wound (Chiron) in his ability to express himself (Sun) through his intellect (Mercury). The conjunction of Chiron to Venus identifies him as someone who is wounded (Chiron) in his self-esteem and ability to relate to others (Venus).

The Capricorn system in Malachi's chart is in difficult aspect (square) to Neptune, the planet of idealistic illusion and self-sacrifice. Neptune square to the Sun bestows tremendous creativity but also a tendency towards indulging in fantasy and for self-delusion. Neptune in its highest expression is the planet of universal compassion and spiritual communion, but in a stressful aspect to Sun, Mercury and Venus Neptune can create an environment where the self becomes sacrificed . An individual with a strong Neptune placement such as this is often made the scapegoat in various situations. Neptune clouds his personality (Sun) with its mists and others are unable to see him as he truly is, and he is unable to know himself as well.

The sense of responsibility is so strong in Capricorn that an individual with this kind of solid bank of Capricorn planets can feel that he is responsible for everything that goes on in the world. He appointed himself the documentarian for the Chicago jazz scene, and in the testament he left behind he apologizes to the world for the "mayhem and turmoil" caused by US policy. The Neptune square made it easy for him to literally dissolve (Neptune) himself in fire in a final expression of that responsibility.

Complicating his chart further is the addition of the rebellious quality of Uranus into this system. Uranus is opposite the Capricorn planets and square to Neptune, a configuration called a T-square. Without the explosive addition of Uranus, the planet that is associated with rebellion and radical change, Malachi may have simply dissolved into obscurity, but Uranus is the revolutionary within us. In a difficult aspect like the T-square, Uranus creates a constant and intense need for change and a deep sense of social justice. Uranus makes it difficult to sustain personal relationships, particularly when opposite the Sun and other personal planets such as we find here, because there is a greater concern for the collective - the balance of global power.

Mars in his chart was in Scorpio, an extremely intense placement for the god of war. There is a strong passion here, and a drive (Mars) to achieve some sort of power within (Scorpio). However, Saturn (restriction and limitation) was conjunct his Mars, putting the brakes on his efforts and likely creating a great deal of inner frustration. Earlier this year, transiting Saturn made a square to this inner dynamic which would have brought this frustration into the forefront of his consciousness and perhaps caused him to feel that there was no way out of the box he had created for himself.

The Moon in Malachi's chart was in Taurus, showing that he craved stability and security in his close relationships and emotional world. However, a square to the Moon from Pluto, god of death and regeneration, would have made it very frightening for him to get close to anyone. There is an intense emotional nature with this configuration that is at odds with the Uranus/Capricorn dynamic we find elsewhere in his chart. I suspect that the depth of his emotional world remained hidden from view and probably from himself as well until Saturn, after putting him in a box when it transited Malachi's Mars/Saturn complex, then proceeded to square his Moon as well, setting off the Moon/Pluto dynamic of obsession and despair.

We find in his chart a restless quality of rebellion and dissatisfaction, but Malachi lacked the fire element that would give him the drive to take the kind of action that would effect change. Fire in the chart bestows physical energy and a focus on the Self which Malachi, with a preponderance of earth and water, did not possess. Perhaps this is why Malachi chose to end his life by immersing his body in flames rather than walk through the fire of his own emotional makeup and challenges.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 8:42 AM :: |

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Saturday, December 02, 2006

Full Moon December 4: "The Cold Moon"

The Full Moon in December was known by many native Americans and other cultures as the "Cold Moon." The Sun is at its weakest now: it is lowest in the sky and the trajectory of the Moon is therefore higher than in any other Full Moon event. The nights are longest and darkest, and the winter cold has taken over the land.

The Moon is Full in Gemini at 7:25 pm on December 4, with Uranus forming a tight aspect (T-square) to the Moon and Sun which are now opposite each other. During the Full Moon, the lunar unconscious principle faces off against the solar conscious principle. The Sun illuminates the Moon at this time, casting a bright line on the deep workings of the unconscious, empowering the Moon to reveal her inner secrets. Uranus is the planet of innovation and rebellion, and because the Moon is in Gemini, the sign of communication and the processing of experience, Uranus calls on us now to open up to new ways of thinking, new technologies that open doors to awareness.

Uranus is called "The Awakener," it shakes up our old routines and provides inspiration but it is hampered by a square of Mercury to Saturn that same day. Saturn enforces limitations, and in the difficult aspect to Mercury it seeks to restrain our thinking and may keep us from realizing the full potential of the Uranus influence. As with any such conflicting dynamic, the key is to negotiate the two influences. Saturn loves form, and while Uranus seeks to burn through tradition and establish new patterns Saturn will resist this. During the Full Moon our ideas and plans can come to fruition, and using Saturn to create a new form through which the Uranian ideas can be expressed will help to integrate the dynamics of these two great gods. Gemini is the sign through which the lunar energy is focused now, and for Gemini there is a need for direct experience as well as ideas and communication with others. Gemini is highly verbal but also very active and requires a great deal of stimulation. This is a time for active learning and teaching, for sharing information with others and taking short trips to expand one's horizons.

During this Full Moon we have an opportunity to prepare for the return of the sun at the Winter Solstice on December 21. The Uranian energy facilitates change and new ideas as well as the clearing out of anything in your life that is old and stale or repressive, and the strong Sagittarius presence that we are still feeling with so many planets in Sag will help to keep us optimistic and our vision strong.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 7:55 AM :: |

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Friday, December 01, 2006

A look at the Imum Coeli

Saturn and Pluto are approaching a transit to this point in my chart so I thought it might be a good time to explore some secrets about this rarely discussed point. The Imum Coeli (IC), or Nadir of the chart is the midnight point and the cusp of the fourth house. It lies opposite the Midheaven which usually gets all of the attention, which is somewhat appropriate since the Midheaven (the cusp of the tenth house) is the noon point at which we project ourselves into the public arena. The IC, or Nadir, is the point where we meet the deepest part of ourselves.

The IC is typically described as representing our family history and psychological roots. The ancient Greeks considered the IC to be the home of the underworld and in psychological astrology the IC usually represents the nurturing parent - typically the mother, but not always. Sometimes the IC represents the grandmother if the parents were absent, and the father can also be present there if he was the parent that did the nurturing in the home.

From a transformational perspective, the Imum Coeli is the midnight of the soul. It shows the psychological legacy from our parents and ancestors that submerges in the unconscious until activated, usually by transit of a planet to that point. This is the point at which we enter the underworld of our own internal psyche, turning inward to meet the essence of who we are in this lifetime.

There is a certain amount of karma and destiny inherent in the cardinal points or "angles" (ascendant/descendant, Midheaven/Nadir) and transits to angles are usually life-changing events. The nadir is where we turn inward for self-examination, where we settle with ourselves and become aware of what lies within us. Our hidden fears, desires, dreams, parts of ourselves that have become lost - all lie at the IC waiting to be discovered. Until we are able to embrace and reclaim these parts of ourselves we cannot manifest our highest aspirations as shown by the Midheaven. Therefore, the IC is really the foundation of the personality and of the chart and the key to unlocking our personal evolution.

Posted by Lynn Hayes :: 6:50 AM :: |

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