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Sunday, September 30, 2007"Marcel Marceau and the Sounds of Silence"Check out Phil Brown's post on the life of the gifted mime Marcel Marceaux who died last week. Phil points out that Astrotheme's chart shows Gemini rising, although I am always a bit suspect of their birthtimes which are unattributed. But most interesting to me is the conjunction of Mercury in Pisces to Uranus, which shows that communication (Mercury) occurs in a unique way (Uranus). Phil says, "Mercury can have difficulty expressing itself through normal channels of communication when in Pisces, and Marceau communicated best through the unconventional language of silent pantomime. I think that helps to show us that even "poorly placed" planets (Mercury is supposed to be debilitated in Pisces) can find interesting ways to express themselves, shine, and even excel." Also interesting is the timing of his death at 84 during the Uranus return. Many elders at that age completely reinvent themselves, and the transition out of physical form is certainly one way to accomplish that! Saturday, September 29, 2007Mars enters CancerFiery Mars entered the watery sign of Cancer today. Cancer is the sign of tribe affiliation; in Cancer we protect those that we love and those whom we consider members of our clan as well as our family. In Cancer Mars becomes fiercely protective and emotionally sensitive as well as somewhat reactive and touchy. Mars will be particularly strong this fall because it will retrograde on November 15 and pass back into Gemini in January before re-entering Cancer in March of 2008, meaning Mars will be moving very slowly back and forth over the same 20 degrees or so until it finally moves on in April of 2008. Mars is said to be in its fall in the sign of Cancer because Mars is not well expressed in this sign of emotions and self-protection. Molly Cliborne notes, "Some of us confuse aggression for defense in our minds, threatening others because we feel threatened. It’s easy to get a little mixed up when Mars is in Cancer." We will have a longer time than usual of Mars in Cancer this year, so try not to become enmeshed in family dramas and emotional battles with no clear direction. Objectivity and clarity are key to managing the emotional turmoil that this cycle can bring. Labels: Mars Friday, September 28, 2007From the advice column: Where is this relationship going? Q: My boyfriend and I have been together for 2 years and a half. We were supposed to move together at his place in June, but we had to call it off. My boyfriend's mother went crazy about it, planting seeds of doubt in his mind that was already having existential concerns. Now, four months later, he's asking me for some time on his own, saying that even though he now knows he does have feelings for me, he feels better alone at the moment. I have validated with him that it wasn't about me, but I wonder now what to do... This relationship is probably the best one I've ever had and I truly gave it serious thought since he asked me to move with him a year ago in order to be sincere in my commitment. But now, I feel fooled and even though I deeply love this person, I now have doubts of my own regarding the strength of the relationship, his sincerity and the whole "where-is-it-going" dilemma. I am afraid that by loving enough to wait, I will be crushed harder... A: Let's first look at J's chart. As a Virgo, he is a cautious individual by nature and not prone to making hasty decisions. Venus, planet of relationship, in his chart is in Libra, the sign of partnership, so we can see that he is very relationship-oriented. Venus in Libra also tells us though that he seeks harmony and balance in his life, and is very sensitive to conflict. His Moon is in Cancer, the sign of family and emotional sensitivity, and it falls in the twelfth house of the subconscious. He is extremely sensitive to the nuances of what is going on around him and as a result he feels very vulnerable when things are out of whack with the people around him. Uranus in his chart is exactly square to his Moon which shows a conflict in his nature between the need for nurturing and family (Moon in Cancer) and the need for autonomy and liberation (Uranus). This placement also sometimes shows a mother (Moon) who is unpredictable by nature (Uranus). The Virgo Sun and his Taurus Mars does not like unpredictability, and as long as the relationship goes along without issues he is content, but when the ocean gets rough and the boat starts rocking he becomes very uncomfortable. In addition, his Libra Venus is conjunct Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth. This is an intense placement and shows someone for whom relationships can be very intense. This can be a frightening thing and there can be a fear of rejection, or else a fear of a deep intimate bond. With his Cancer Moon in the twelfth house he bonds easily and enjoys feeling merged with his lover, but I suspect that when things get too close for him he feels he has to pull back to regain his center. Your chart shows that despite your Aquarian Sun, which can be rather detached and rational rather than emotional, your Moon and Venus are both in Pisces. You are very comfortable connecting deeply in a soul partnership where the two of you experiencing a real merging at the core of your being. Your Sun is in the seventh house of partnerships, and you shine when you are in a relationship and feel at a loss when you are on your own. Cancer is rising in your chart, and taking care of loved ones is the way that you express yourself and without that you are floundering a bit. You didn't mention why you had to call off your moving in together, but it is interesting to me that in June when this occurred transiting Uranus was exactly conjunct your Venus, making what we call a "station" before it retrograded on the 23rd. When a planet makes a station its motion has virtually stopped and its influence is more powerful when it is in aspect to one of the planets in our birthchart. Uranus transits make us feel restless and rebellious, and during those times we need a tremendous amount of freedom and liberation. I suspect that you were the one who needed some space at that time, but because J felt destabilized as a result and needs some time to regain his footing. This Uranus transit for you has only just begun. The second phase of the cycle will hit in late February and early March and the final phase will occur in November and December of this year. That will be another powerful time like the June and July period. So this is really a good time for you to have some alone time as well as J. It's very important that we be able to give the people that we love enough space to be able to process their feelings, and because of J's sensitivity to those around him he does need to get away to be able to understand how he feels. You might want to give yourself a certain amount of time to see how things go, perhaps through the end of the year. If the relationship is on solid footing you will find yourselves reconnecting, and if the two of you grow farther and farther apart during this time you will know that there was not enough in the relationship to hold you together. In the meantime, the planetary cycles coming up for you show a period of change and expansion and this is a fortunate time for you to take advantage of that! Labels: advice Wednesday, September 26, 2007Burma's Astrological History photo from BBC NewsBurma is a country where the art of astrology is a respected tool in national affairs, and the date and time of the founding of Burma took into consideration the astrological influences at the time. A look at the Burmese chart provides insight into the recent protests in that country which have suddenly erupted into the news. Jupiter (abundance and opportunity) is ascending in the chart in Sagittarius, the sign which it rules, generally considered a fortunate placement. Mars is featured prominently in the 9th house conjunct the Midheaven, suggesting rule by generals and military might rather than democracy. Pluto (death and rebirth) opposes Venus (partnerships) in the chart which in a national chart could indicate the presence of open enemies and interpersonal conflict within the country as well as from those outside. The Moon(security) is conjunct Neptune (idealism) in Libra (relationships) and both square exactly the conjunction of the Sun (Self) to Mercury (experience) in Capricorn (hard work). Sun conjunct Mercury often indicates frequent moves or changes of personality and Neptune square to the Sun creates confusion with respect to the identity. We have certainly seen this in the case of Burma's 1948 chart, and the Moon/Neptune conjunction shows a tendency toward deception in service of the dream. Subsequent to Burma's independence from the British Empire in 1948, a military coup in 1962 ended democratic rule there. Later it became the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma in 1974 and then reverted to the Union of Burma in 1988 before becoming the Union of Myanmar in 1989. In 1962, when the coup d'etat instituted military rule in Burma, Pluto was in exact conjunction to Mars in the Burma chart and it was in a tight opposition to transiting Chiron. At the same time, transiting Mars was conjunct Jupiter and this pair made a square to Chiron in the chart. We call this a "double whammy" with two signatures between Mars and Chiron at the time, signifying war (Mars) and wounding (Chiron). Although Chiron is the wounded healer, in the square or opposition we tend to find that it is usually necessary to experience the wounding before we get to the healing. In 1974 a new Burmese constitution institutionalized the power of the ruling socialist party just as Neptune (confusion and deception) transited the ascendant in the Burmese chart and squared the Burmese Mars exactly. Resistance was quashed and hundreds of protesting students were killed. Transiting Jupiter at the time opposed Pluto in the Burmese chart, indicating an expansion of the power structure and authority. In 1988, transiting Pluto began to square Pluto in the Burmese chart, an event popularly known as the "Pluto Square." In an individual the Pluto Square marks a time of intense reflection and change; often we find we must let go of the past in order to move into a future that more fully empowers us. For Burma, this time marked an increase in resistance to one-party rule and the 1988 Uprising and 3,000 deaths was the result. Plans for elections to be held in 1990 coincided with a Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Capricorn which was exactly conjunct the Sun/Mercury conjunction in the Burmese chart and therefore square to the idealistic conjunction of Burma's Moon to Neptune. The Saturn/Neptune conjunction tends to force us (Saturn) to abandon our illusions (Neptune), and is associated with governmental deception, particularly when Saturn is in its own sign of Capricorn as it was at that time. When free elections were held for the first time on May 27, 1990, Saturn had separated from the conjunction to transiting Neptune which was in tight aspect to the natal square in the Burmese chart between Moon/Neptune and Sun/Mercury. The resulting confusion nullifed the election and the ruling party remained in power, imprisoning the leaders of the duly elected party. Over the past month, as the Mars/Pluto opposition activated Uranus (radical change) in the Burma chart, a revolutionary fervor gripped that country resulting in the largest protests in that country in over 20 years. The ongoing square of Jupiter to Uranus is at play here as well, as both planets form tight aspects to the ascendant and Jupiter of the national chart, stimulating a sense of revolutionary confidence and visionary fervor that is spreading throughout the country, undeterred by the growing number of deaths as the military leadership attempts to squelch the increasing number of protests. Meanwhile, transiting Saturn is preparing to conjunct the prominent Mars in the Burmese chart which has marked the success of military rule in that country since its inception. Saturn will retrograde back over Mars and hit that prominent point a total of three times before proceeding to cross the Midheaven, continuing the pressure on the government. The rulers of this country have attempted to utilize astrology to stay in power, but perhaps the vision and revolutionary ideals of the Jupiter/Uranus square can help to unwind that power and create real democracy in that embattled nation. Labels: Mundane astrology Tuesday, September 25, 2007The Britney meltdown continuesThe National Ledger has my latest update on the Britney Spears saga. This is what happens when you combine the Sagittarian blind optimism with an Aquarian Moon and throw in a square of Chiron to that Moon in the natal chart. Then add a stew of the Saturn/Neptune opposition transiting that Chiron/Moon square, and then Chiron transiting that Chiron/Moon square as well. Top it off with a dollop of Pluto square natal Mars and you get Britney in rehab. A sad, sad story. Labels: Celebrities Over the past week Mercury has been harmonizing with both Pluto and Mars, facilitating resolution of the anger and breakdowns that erupted with the Sun/Pluto/Mars T-square a week ago. Mercury is the messenger and its presence now in the release of the T-square energy makes it easier to process the information that came out of these critical events. This heightened understanding paves the way for the Full Moon in Aries on the 26th. The Aries Full Moon opposes the Libra Sun and strives for harmony and balance between individuality (Aries) and the need to compromise (Libra), something which will be easier to achieve with the energy offered by trine of Mercury to Mars. Aries is the sign of new beginnings and inspiration while the Full Moon is the time of culmination and release of energy. That makes this a time of power and generation. There is still a bit of lingering tension between Venus and Neptune that may entice us into a bit of fantasy and expectations that are unrealistic, but overall this is an energetic lunar event that shines a light into any dark corners and inspires an awakening to new ways of interacting with others that leads to a transformation of our personal relationships and our own self-esteem with the upcoming trine of Venus to Pluto that moves into place in October. Monday, September 24, 2007Astrology Fund in the NewsI'm taking a few days off so the advice column will be delayed until later in the week, but meanwhile take a look at this coverage of Henry Weingarten's Astrology Fund on the financial website TheStreet.com: For instance, earlier this year Weingarten predicted there would be a major downdraft in the stock market on Aug. 28. It was the last total lunar eclipse, a technical and astrological convergence that culminated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling 280 points to test the 13,000 level.Weingarten has a bit of a spotty reputation - he has been sued by clients and has been under investigation by the SEC. And his 2006 predictions were off as I covered in this post. Still, it's exciting to see astrology being highlighted with respect in these major financial publications. Labels: Stock market Sunday, September 23, 2007Sunday Poetry from Owl's Daughter Thanks to Beth for this beautiful poem.The End of Summer by Peter J. Gorham Turn and take the summer with you to its fall. Take away its outlook and its need-- the message of the sun at hilltop-- and hand it to the courier, who waits to run the valleys and the shade and hand it in good season to its heir. It has blessed you, truly once again but summer goes its way, it must, and craggy hands of autumn seduce you fresh with promises filled in blinding summer light, unnoticed, not ahead. Ahead lies cold incrimination that faults you yet again for missing twice the splendour. Do not rush aestival’s cool end, for behind her is the icy breath of winter. Hold her hot against your form and let her breathe her lovefire on you and make you sweat beneath her crushing heat. Hold her as you know that she’ll be gone soon, and in her place will be the snow. Copyright © 2004 Peter J. Gorham photo by John Lund/Sam Diephuis from Jupiterimages.com Labels: Poetry Saturday, September 22, 2007Autumnal Equinox 2007 The equinoxes are magical points in time when the day and night are of equal lengths. These are times of balance and correspond roughly to the ascendant/descendant axis in the birthchart. The spring equinox (in the tropical system) takes place with the Sun at 0 degrees Aries, correlating with the ascendant and first house, and the fall equinox occurs at 0 degrees Libra, correlating with the descendant and seventh house.With Aries and Libra we are dealing with two points of initiation: initiation of the Self (Aries) and initiation of the Other (Libra). The distinction between Self and Other is a little blurry right now with Venus (connecting with others) having just passed an exact opposition to Neptune. We feel creative and inspired now, but the Self is a little more difficult to access. The opposition between Mars and Pluto has been square to the Sun, forming a T-square which has intensified the energies of that dynamic which is still in force for the equinox. Other influences are at play now as well (see chart): Jupiter is approaching its final square to Uranus which is accelerating the expansion of a new (Uranus) vision (Jupiter) and new ways of living the human experience, and Saturn is approaching a conjunction to the South Node which will test (Saturn) our attachment to the patterns from the past (South Node) that no longer work for us. This is a time to moving forward, of becoming unstuck from the glue of our ancestral, family and personal histories. Saturn in Virgo helps us to create a plan and a strategy but tends to be overly cautious when exposed to the wildly visionary influence of Jupiter and Uranus. This image by Willow Arlenea beautifully echoes this theme. The two individuals are separate yet connected by a force of spiraling energy that ascends from matter into spirit. Day and night are equally balanced, with the Sun ruling one half of the painting and the Moon the other. A new being grows in the waters of consciousness that grounds the image, and the higher selves of the two individuals ascend into a multidimensional field of new awareness. Balance is the keyword for this Equinox experience: not only between the Self and the Other of the Equinox itself, but also a balance between being rooted on the Earth (Saturn/South Node) and ascending into spirit (Jupiter/Uranus). Labels: Equinox and Solstice I love this woman. Labels: blogosphere Friday, September 21, 2007Day of At-one-ment Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year; the day when God seals the fate of his people for the coming year. It is a day of confession that follows ten days of self-examination and repentance beginning at Rosh Hashana.I suspect that the common people in most civilizations originating before the common area did not have the time for the luxury of introspection, and perhaps these ten days were provided for them as a time when they could look within themselves and evaluate their progress along their life's path. On the final day, the day of Yom Kippur, Jews are required to refrain from food and water and any kind of work. It is a day of prayer and fasting and prayer since this is the day when the judgement for the following year is entered into God's Book. There is an interesting tradition associated with Yom Kippur that absolves each adherent from any oaths or promises that they have made to themselves over the previous year which they were unable to keep, and to vows made during the following year that cannot be kept. Although this tradition has given fodder to anti-semites who believed that Jews were not to be trusted, some sources say that this tradition dates back to times of persecution of the Jews by early Christians. The release of oaths at Yom Kippur would ease the conscious of Jews who were forced to deny their faith under torture. Modern tradition says that the promises that are released are those between God and his followers only. Releasing the individual from the chains of oaths they had made that could not be kept was a liberation of the spirit as the New Year began. The concept of confession and repentance appears in virtually every organized religion throughout history. Many of us carry within us a shameful memory of deeds done for which we are unable to forgive ourselves. Facing these memories and the shame that they hold and releasing them is a major part of our spiritual growth, although I confess that I find the word "sin" particularly charged and rather distasteful. Still, I like this quote from the Hindu tradition because it requires attention and personal responsibility, rather than the concept that one is automatically forgiven simply for joining the right religion: If a man commits sinful acts which he does not expiate in this life, he must pay the penalty in the next life; and great will be his suffering. Therefore, with a self-controlled mind, a man should expiate his sins here on earth. Labels: holidays Thursday, September 20, 2007Alan Greenspan and astrologyI watched Alan Greenspan's interview with Jon Stewart this morning. If you really want to know how fragile our financial system is, watch the video here. The interesting thing from an astrological viewpoint was Greenspan's admitting that the financial markets are all based on perception: Planetary cycles give us a way to forecast general trends, even though it is impossible to pick stocks using astrology as we've discussed many times in this column. Still, we know that Pluto in Sagittarius has ruled over the biggest stock market expansion ever, and that with Saturn in Virgo we are going into a more conservative mode. We know that when Pluto enters Capricorn the payment for all of this hilarity will become due and there is likely to be more fear that will cause a market contraction. These are things we've always known but it was interesting to hear it coming out of Greenspan's mouth! Labels: Stock market The combination of Mars in Gemini, the sign of communication, opposed to Pluto in Sagittarius denotes an escalation of verbal confrontation, threats of war and the concept of speaking truth to power. Rather than seeing outright war in the news, such as we have seen with Mars square to Pluto, we are seeing events that create the conflict that leads to war:
Labels: Mars/Pluto Wednesday, September 19, 2007Stages in relationships and TV review I've been watching the new HBO show "Tell Me You Love Me" which is a dream for anyone interested in analyzing relationships. The show details the intimate emotions and sexuality of three young couples in various stages of marriage and it's the kind of drama that makes you wince because it's so real.The first couple, Jamie and Hugo, are in their 20s and in the first episode we find them planning their wedding. Jamie is younger, perhaps 25, and Hugo is in his late 20s and very likely in his Saturn return. We overhear him talking to friends that Jamie is the one he wants "right now" - Jamie overhears this also and is carried away by her insecurity to the point that she can't have a conversation with him without bringing this up again and again. Hugo prizes honesty above all else and doesn't want any secrets in their relationship but Jamie just can't handle it. Venus is in Scorpio in my chart and squares Pluto, a dynamic that brings with it a terror of rejection and I remember well the fear that I see in her character. The Venus/Pluto square has healed and become better integrated and I no longer experience the jealousy and dark desire for drama that used to drive me, but its imprint remains behind to remind me of what lies just on the other side of my current mental health. The second couple, Palek and Carolyn, are both in their 30s. They have survived their Saturn returns and are now successful professionals leading an upscale urban lifestyle. Carolyn is having difficulty becoming pregnant and deals with this in the way she does everything in her life: with Capricornian zeal and determination. Her single-minded focus is driving Palek away as he feels he is losing their relationship for the sake of bearing a child. Palek is perhaps a Libra, he has tried to accommodate Carolyn's needs in order to preserve the relationship, but the relationship is in danger of becoming a sacrifice to the goal of achieving pregnancy. This couple is probably in their Pluto square, the cycle that occurs when transiting Pluto makes a square to Pluto in our birthcharts. This is a powerful time where we are often forced to let go of people or dreams or illusions that will not serve as us as we evolve. Because of Pluto's elliptical orbit, the Pluto square occured in my generation in the mid-40s but is now affecting those in their mid-30s. This is a 3-5 year cycle and can be powerfully intense. Many astrologers dismiss this transit as being "generational" and therefore not affecting us as individuals but I have not found this to be the case. The Pluto square can be quite intense, particularly if we don't voluntarily let go of what needs to end during this time. The third couple, David and Katie, are in their 40s with two young children, and there has been no sex in their marriage for a year. David is a dutiful husband and father, attending sporting events, behaving lovingly towards his wife; still, we see that he is overwhelmed by his responsibilities and the show notes reveal that he has shut down his emotional world as a result. Katie is similarly overwhelmed by the responsibilities of life and family and feels she has become lost to herself. David has Taurus qualities - finding comfort in the security of his life and valuing stability above all things. Katie has Pisces/Neptune qualities; she has a bottomless well of love for her family but has lost herself in the process of giving everything to them. These two are very likely experiencing the Uranus opposition that occurs at age 40-42 and begins breaking down the structures that we have used to protect ourselves from our own dreams. When Uranus begins rattling the cages of our psyche all hell can break loose, and this is particularly difficult for security-oriented people like David who are afraid of change. Katie is beginning to look for herself as an individual and that threatens him, but in the end it will breathe the air into their marriage that is desperately needed. Then there are the elders: Dr. May Foster, the therapist that is treating two of the couples, and her husband Arthur. Both are in their 60s and have been married for 43 years, surviving the ups and downs of life and love. Their relationship is healthy and it is obvious that they both love and respect each other, offering the space for each to grow free from blame. Still, there are hints of an ongoing struggle in the navigation of the polarity between "who am I" and "who am I in my primary relationship." This axis is represented in the birthchart by the ascendant/descendant axis and the first and seventh houses which, like all polarities, requires constant rebalancing and integration in order to be fully functional. This is a hard show to watch, but it's a fascinating show for those (like me) with a psychological eye. Labels: Relationships Tuesday, September 18, 2007Hemlines and the stock marketEvidently the fashion industry has declared that hemlines will go lower this year, causing many to speculate about the anecdotal link between hemline length and the stock market. For the past few fashion seasons hemlines have been high and the stock market has continued to climb. This fall's fashions reveal a lower hemline, and down go stocks. Hemlines were high in the Roaring Twenties, and the stock market soared. After the crash in 1929 hemlines also dropped. In the 1960s hemlines were up, ditto the market- the 1970s saw a return to "granny dresses" and lowered skirt lengths and the economy languished, hit by inflation and lowered stock prices. These are very large trends and would likely not stand up to close scrutiny, but it wouldn't surprise astrologers to see a correlation between a more conservative view of the financial markets that cause the stock market to drop with a conservative style of dressing, and what better planet to bring about this shift than our old friend Saturn having just entered conservative Virgo. A new argument asks: Do hemlines follow the stock market or is it the market following hemlines? I would argue that the social moods follow the planets, and fashion and the economy shift as a result!! Labels: Stock market JM, as always, has an interesting take on the current Mars/Pluto opposition: Anybody getting into verbal quarrels deeper than ususal these days? Mars in Gemini (communication) will be spending the whole week closing in on the opposition to Pluto (death) in Sagittarius. People are dying to be understood. Speech is primary to human survival, coming from the cry in the throat for nourishment, and never is it more obvious than when this opposition comes around. And never is the truth more anxious to be revealed, the pretense stripped.We are certainly seeing quite a bit of this verbal barrage in the news: the French escalating their rhetoric against Iran, Greenspan coming out and revealing ::SHOCK!!:: that the war in Iraq was about oil (gee, what took him so long??), and the footing of Musharraf in Pakistan becoming ever more tenuous. Hang on everyone, it's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride for the next few months! Labels: Mars/Pluto Monday, September 17, 2007From the advice column: Neptune problemsA client writes with some vivid imagery: I'm very, very tired... the past 45 days have been killer for me, and though I know "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger," I wish I hadn't gotten all of these bullets at the same time! I don't know if you've seen the X-Men movies, but at the end of X-Men III, a great scene is when Wolverine is trying to get to Phoenix/Jean Grey, and she keeps on sending stuff his way, and it's basically constantly peeling bits of his skin away while he's continually healing/regrowing it (one of his 'mutation' powers), but he continues to push his way towards her, even though it gets harder and harder. THAT'S how I've felt the last month-and-a-half. But I'm not sure towards what I'm pushing my way, besides trying to SURVIVE right now!! It looks like your energy level is being sapped by Neptune. Neptune is the planetthat seeks to dissolve our material reality and show us that there is a life of spirit that lies beyond our material world. In the process of doing this it can create a lot of confusion and cause us to feel that we are walking through a pea-soup fog in our life. Neptune first crossed your Sun/ Midheaven conjunction back in March of 2007, retrograded and hit again throughout the month of August, and will make its final pass around January Between now and then, though, it will be within one degree of your Sun, which is your essential self, and the Midheaven which is one of the strongest points in your chart. This is affecting how you view not only your role in the world but your identity in general, and it is no doubt making it difficult for you to see your way through. Aquarius is so rational and reasonable, it has difficulty dealing with the Neptunian uncertainty. The reason the past couple of months has hit you the hardest is that you have hard a series of Mars transits which have endeavored to pump up your energy but working against the Neptune influence was just too hard. It's as if having lots of energy you go into the gym and start lifting weights that are twice what you normally would do to try to overcome the funk, you end up fatigued. You have a challenge with Mars and Neptune anyway because they are conjunct in your chart. I'm sure I recommended vigorous physical activity to you and that is still the best advice!! Activating Mars in your chart through intense physical activity helps to generate more energy for you. But Neptune also requires surrender and patience as your true destiny unfolds. The advice column is nearly completely ready and is making its final home here. You'll see I still have a few kinks to work through! Sunday, September 16, 2007Geek needed!I am seeking a professional geek to help me on a paid and ongoing basis with various website stuff like repairing the signup form on my website, helping with both Blogger and Wordpress, that sort of thing. Please email me directly if you can help! Chris is one of the smartest astrologers around, and he has a great breakdown of four of Dawkins' arguments against astrology. Here's just the fourth, but it presents an excellent discussion of the argument between the tropical zodiac (0 degrees of the cardinal signs at the solstice/equinoxes) and the sidereal (adapted to precession): according to Dawkins, astrology hasn’t changed since the time of Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century 'despite a shift in the Earth’s rotational axis that has thrown Ptolemy’s zodiac out by 23 degrees.' [quotation from Dawkins].Read more here... Labels: blogosphere, skepticism Saturday, September 15, 2007The 2007 Mars/Pluto opposition cycle Mars is moving through the last degrees of Gemini and approaching an opposition to Pluto which will be exact on September 21, just in time for the Autumn Equinox on September 23 when the Sun enters Libra. Many believe that the chart of the Equinox sets the tone for the entire season (I'm not sure if I'm quite there, but I'm willing to entertain the notion) so this could be a significant event.Mars is the individual will - the aggressive instinct, the warrior who defends his/her own boundaries and violates those of others. Pluto is the Ultimate Destroyer, and in the birthcharts of individuals it acts as the Will of our higher self. When Mars and Pluto are in opposition they are working against each other in an attempt to find balance, and you have Pluto's hand of destiny blocking the efforts of Mars to assert itself and achieve its desires. We tend to see an increase of aggression and violence when Pluto opposes Mars, as well as major power conflicts. Because Mars is in Gemini we are likely to see a flurry of battles of words and small skirmishes rather than major warfare, particularly since Mars is trine Mercury during this time as well. This could actually be an excellent time for confrontations that require discussion. Because Mars moves so quickly, Mars transits are usually felt for a few days or a week at the most, but because Mars will retrograde this year it will oppose Pluto twice more before completing the cycle in March. The opposition cycle is made more powerful by the fact that the second hit of the opposition comes at the last degree of Pluto in Sagittarius and the third and final opposition comes at the first degree of Capricorn. This is a time of transition, and the addition of Mars fires up the engines for powerful change. Mars will turn retrograde in November and oppose Pluto again on January 2, at the last degree of Sagittarius. The final degree of a sign is significant as it marks the completion of the work of that sign, and this phase of the opposition cycle will follow shortly on the heels of the conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto in late Sagittarius. Mars turns direct on January 31 and makes its final opposition to Pluto when both planets are at1 degree on March 7. This will also be a New Moon in Pisces that is very nearly conjunct Uranus, and four planets (including Chiron) will conjunct the North Node in Aquarius. Mark your calendars, this will be a very powerful time! There is a lot of buzzing about US invasions of Iran and Somalia, and a new report says that the US is seeking to establish a permanent command base in Africa called AFRICOM. I would not be surprised to see the scope of the so-called War on Terror widen under the influence of the Mars/Pluto opposition. We are also likely to see an increase in earthquake and volcano activity, particularly with Pluto heading into the earth sign Capricorn. On the positive side, Mars and Pluto are both power planets and that power can be used for good as well as for evil. There is an underlying power for change being exercised by Pluto, and as with any Pluto transit we need to get out of the way and let it work and not let our little Martian desires get in the way of real change. That is how true transformation takes place. Labels: Mars/Pluto Friday, September 14, 2007Doom and gloom for autumn 2007 Thanks to Elsa as always for finding this interesting article from Theodore White, a traditional astrologer, about upcoming fall events.As many of you know, I have a strong dislike for the consideration of certain planetary events or placements as "bad" or "good." Some are easier and some are more challenging, but it's often the easiest aspects that get us in the most trouble! And while I have tremendous respect for my more traditional colleagues and admire the work that they do, I find that much of the traditional approach is based in fear and avoidance of difficult situations. I can't help but believe that if life were meant to be easy we would have been sent to a different planet. Earth life is filled with joy and beauty but it is hard. Even individuals with easy charts go through periods of crisis and face death and disaster. But the experience of soul growth and transformation that comes from facing our challenges and learning their lessons is so exhilarating and magical that it is not to be traded for a life of laziness and complacency. Getting down from my soapbox now - I was particularly interested in this statement from the article because my knowledge of the fixed stars is very limited (although I hope to rectify that situation soon!): In summer 2007, we've seen some interesting transits of planets conjoined to what are called the four (4) Royal Stars --There is no question that climate change is occurring, but the August eclipse did not bring about an increase in seismic activity or earthquakes. In fact, a look at this list shows that earthquake activity actually dropped around the time of the eclipse after an extremely active period. Earthquake activity did seem to pick up during and after the eclipse on September 11, including a 8.4 quake in Indonesia on the 12th. But this was the solar eclipse rather than the lunar. As to the conjunction of Venus, Saturn and the South Node (Dragon's Tail), Mr. White writes: Saturn's hovering around the South Lunar Node in early Virgo has very strong influences for the world. It is wholly malefic, and during the third week of October 2007, Venus & Saturn conjoin for the third (and last) time in four (4) months in the month of October ~ with the Dragon's Tail. This is a negative conjunction, and I would urge caution in travel, relationships, and major decisions at this timeThese three planetary points meet every 10-12 years, making this a relatively common event without exceptional occurrences. The last conjunction in Virgo occurred in September and October of 1950, a year where very little occurred with the exception of the beginning of the Korean War. I am not contesting that we are in a major cycle of change - I think there's no doubt that this is occurring. Pluto is getting ready to change signs for the first time in over twenty years, and the Saturn/Neptune opposition certainly did its share of damage. We have been in an opposition cycle between Saturn and Chiron since 1986 that is still having its effect of forcing painful global experiences that promote healing, and Mars is preparing to retrograde in November for the first time in 2-1/2 years. But there's no need to fear these cycles any more than you fear a thunderstorm. The process of change is crucial for our growth as a species and as individuals. Labels: "bad" astrology, doomsday Thursday, September 13, 2007Great astrology, with jokesElsa and Neith have both posted on Matthew the Astrologer's blog which I just found today. It is really hilarious! Here's his take on astrological excuses for bad behavior during the excuse the eclipse: ARIES: "Nothing was happening, so I made it happen. Don't blame me because the barbecue wasn't starting fast enough. Besides, your eyebrows will grow back eventually... "Pay him a visit - maybe then he'll give me a link!  Fred Thompson announced his bid for the presidential election last week just in time for the eclipse. You wouldn't think an eclipse would be the best time to begin an endeavor like running for President, but Fred Thompson wouldn't care about small things such as this.With four planets in his chart including the Sun in Leo, the sign of royalty and kingship, Thompson is confident and certain in his powers of persuasion and ability to rule. Leo is generous, open, gregarious, and concerned primarily with celebration of the Self. Leo's grand gestures and good deeds often have an underlying agenda that requires adulation and acclaim, particularly in those individuals who have not fully developed their egos and still require attention from outside of themselves in order to feel whole. The placement of Venus in Leo shows his charisma and generosity of heart in relationship to others, and a conjunction of Pluto to Venus reveals an intensity in his nature that can manifest in a strong sexuality and sense of power. The Venus/Pluto conjunction is in a harmonious relationship (sextile) to a conjunction of Uranus and Saturn in his chart, which helps him to balance that intensity with a desire for freedom (Uranus) and a strength of character and self-discipline (Saturn). Jupiter in the family-oriented sign of Cancer shows a strong need to care not only for the family, but for the entire tribe with which Thompson feels affiliated. Combined with the intense loyalty that is a signature of Leo, Thompson will reward any entity or being that has supported him, and this could be the underlying reason for his loyalty to corporations both as a lobbyist and with his votes against immigration reform and pro-corporate stance. Mars denotes our aggressive instinct, and in Thompson's chart it falls in Virgo. Virgo is a conservative sign that is cautious and seeks perfection, and Mars in Virgo typically indicates a strongly conservative streak. Mars conjuncts Mercury (thought process) in his chart, which combines the aggressive urge with the communication function and gives him a force of expression that can be very impressive. Because Virgo is the sign of the Mars/Mercury conjunction he is able to keep his temper under control and tends to be analytical and detailed in his thinking (both Virgo traits). Still, he has a fiery (Mars) mind (Mercury), and this trait combined with the Leo stubbornness shows that he does not back down from a fight. The combination of Uranus and Saturn is an interesting one because these two planets are diametrically opposed in their significance. Where Saturn is the planet of established social structures and morals, discipline, hard work and achievement - Uranus is the planet of breaking down established social orders and building something completely new. It's the revolutionary, the rebel. Despite Thompson's innately conservative nature, he doesn't want to be the same kind of conservative as anyone else. He has to do things his own way, but he may be able to coast through on sheer force of personality. While the Saturn/Uranus combination is in harmonious aspect to Venus and Pluto in his chart, it is in conflict (square aspect) with the Mars/Mercury conjunction. It is likely that during his life Thompson suffered from depression as the pressure to succeed arising from a deep insecurity (Saturn square to Mars/Mercury) conflicted with a restlessness within himself and desires to break free of confinement (Uranus square to Mars/Mercury). The planets will be kind to Thompson over the next two years, and he may turn out to be the GOP candidate to watch. Labels: Political figures Wednesday, September 12, 2007Some say why, others say why not? A new scientific study reveals that political orientation is related to differences in the way different brains process information.Participants were college students whose politics ranged from "very liberal" to "very conservative." Scientists instructed them to tap a keyboard when an M appeared on a computer monitor and to refrain from tapping when they saw a W. We can conclude from this that conservatives tend to question established routine less than liberals do, and that liberals tend to be more comfortable with new experiences and change. Although the processing of information is identified in the astrological chart by the planet Mercury, the ancient messenger god, we can see this dynamic operate in a variety of ways in the birthchart. As with everything relating to astrology we cannot make this determination from sun signs alone, but Mercury falling into certain signs in the birthchart, especially earth signs and the water sign Cancer, lend themselves to more conservative behavior. The planet Saturn when strongly aspected will also tend to demonstrate a more conservative world view. A prevalence of fire and air signs or a strongly aspected Uranus or Jupiter will tend to denote a more liberal viewpoint. The birthchart of a single individual can often include several conflicting characteristics however; An Aries Sun with a Virgo Moon and Cancer rising will tend to be very individualistic (Aries) but have conservative (Virgo/Cancer) values. A Virgo Sun with a Taurus Moon who has the sun in square to Uranus will be torn between the need for safety and security that resists change (Virgo/Taurus) and the urge for radical freedom of Uranus. Most of us are conscious only of one of these dimensions while the other operates on a subconscious level and many people begin life on one end of the political spectrum and change as they age. My chart has Saturn (conservatism) in conflict with Uranus (liberalism), and although I was a radical leftist in college my views have become much more moderate as time goes by. With my Libra Sun (sign of balance) I am more comfortable firmly in the middle. Few of us can be categorized into a single pigeonhole, but studies like these are useful in demonstrating that personality traits are often wired into us rather than an acquired taste. Labels: Politics Tuesday, September 11, 2007September 11 - An Iconic Day art by Pepe PiedraToday is the sixth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, the day the world changed. George Bush says "Everything changed after September 11," and he is of course absolutely correct, and is mirrored by the placement of Pluto on that day exactly conjunct the ascendant in the US chart. After September 11 the citizens of the US willingly walked like sheep to the slaughter and surrendered their rights to the US government without questioning the official story of the event: a cartoon-like picture of bad guys out to get the US, the best country in the world. Today we are no closer to approaching the truth of the event than we were six years ago. Many questions remain of which these are only a few:
Chiron (the wounded healer) in the event chart is exactly square to Neptune in the US chart, suggesting that the event brings up the national wound (Chiron) around the tendency of Americans to deceive themselves (Neptune). Neptune is square to Mars in the US chart, which mirrors the schizophrenic American nature which struggles between an instinct for compassion (Neptune) and an aggressive instinct that craves war (Mars). Chiron in the event chart stimulates this innate conflict in the US and we can see its influence at work in the schism within the US over issues such as prisoner treatment in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and the question of torture. Chiron both wounds and heals, and it is the examination of the wound that provides the ultimate healing process. The exact trine of Saturn in the event chart to Saturn in the US chart is more difficult to understand. Trines are harmonious aspects that facilitate change and opportunity in a way that is effortless, and Saturn is the planet of hard work, achievement, and building something lasting. It's difficult to look at the events of the past few years and see anything positive that has come out of it, but often we lack perspective in our own lives. Hopefully one day we will look back and discover that September 11 was a turning point at which the US began to build a new pathway to a more productive destiny. Labels: September 11 Monday, September 10, 2007A time for service and healing Pluto and Venus both turned direct last week (Pluto on the 7th and Venus on the 8th) and we will begin to feel the energies of our life moving forward for the first time since Pluto turned retrograde back in March. The New Moon on September 11 (8:43 am EDT) is also a partial eclipse of the Sun. The Sun and Moon are conjunct at 18 degrees Virgo and form a Grand Cross that includes the separating square of Mars and Uranus as well as Pluto. Jupiter is also involved by association, since Jupiter at 11 degrees is square to the New Moon and to Uranus but is too far from Mars to be considered connected there. In Virgo, the New Moon presents an opportunity for selfless service and healing, and what better time for this to take place than on the day that we remember the events of September 11, 2001 that marked such a colossal turning point in global affairs. In Virgo we are no longer concerned about the aggrandizement of our own ego; instead, we attend to the details of life in a practical and matter-of-fact manner, seeking improvement in every aspect of our life and the life of our communities. Virgo urges us to attend to our housekeeping duties in all phases of our life - our personal ecology and cleanliness and that of our environment, as well as cleaning up any areas that have become cluttered with emotional detritus. There is a tremendous amount of tension in the Grand Cross that can erupt in some kind of crisis, particularly for those of us with planets in 14-26 degrees of the mutable signs (Virgo, Pisces, Sagittatius and Gemini). This crisis could result in the ending of any aspects of our life that are indeed finished so that the new beginnings of the New Moon can take root. This New Moon is a partial eclipse and its conjunction to the Moon's nodes is very wide, and this will diminish the intensity somewhat. Venus is moving away from an opposition to Chiron and approaching an opposition to Neptune that may create difficulty in our relationships as we may lose our clear vision where others are concerned. We may not be able to rely on their support during this lunation, which is likely to have a strong effect for about three days on either side. We must become strong and grounded in ourselves before we can reach out to those we love in a new way and with new strength. The opposition of Venus and Neptune can bring us into a heightened state of bliss but it can also lead to a fall if we fail to plant our feet firmly on the ground. When Mercury (thought functions) forms a trine to Chiron (healing) and a sextile to Jupiter (expansion) on the 13th, all of the events of the past week under the influence of the eclipse will begin to make sense. We will find ourselves able to conceptualize a broader view of our life and one that gives us a greater perspective. By the 17th when Mercury trines Neptune we will be prepared for the influx of positive creativity and intuitive vision that will help us to internalize the changes in a positive way. This lunar event is likely to be gentler than the full moon eclipse of two weeks ago but there is still opportunity for evolution and change. My clients always ask me, "Is this good or bad?" and I always say there is no good and there is no bad. What we think of as difficult planetary cycles hold the seeds for change and the resolution of difficult issues, resulting in an ultimately happier existence. Sunday, September 09, 2007There is a crack...that's how the light gets inANTHEM by Leonard Cohen a song for the end of Saturn in Leo and the new eclipse cycle The birds they sang  at the break of day Start again I heard them say Don't dwell on what has passed away or what is yet to be. Ah the wars they will be fought again The holy dove She will be caught again bought and sold and bought again the dove is never free. Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That's how the light gets in. We asked for signs the signs were sent: the birth betrayed the marriage spent Yeah the widowhood of every government -- signs for all to see. I can't run no more with that lawless crowd while the killers in high places say their prayers out loud. But they've summoned, they've summoned up a thundercloud and they're going to hear from me. Ring the bells that still can ring ... You can add up the parts but you won't have the sum You can strike up the march, there is no drum Every heart, every heart to love will come but like a refugee. Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in. Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in. That's how the light gets in. That's how the light gets in. Video interpretation of the song Labels: Poetry Saturday, September 08, 2007CEO personal lives and stock pricesI've said many times that there are too many variables in the financial world to be able to accurately use astrology to predict the rise and fall of stock prices, and now a Danish study reports on links between major events in the lives of CEOs and the stock prices of their companies. The Wall Street Journal, reporting on the article, writes: The study is part of an emerging -- and controversial -- area of financial research that delves into the lives and personalities of executives in search of links to stock prices and corporate performance. The trend is an outgrowth of the tendency to lionize CEOs as critical to the businesses they lead. If their performance is so vital, the researchers say, investors should want to know anything that could affect it.This is particularly interesting to astrologers, because this is where we have the edge. If we see a Pluto transit coming up for a CEO, it might not be the best time to invest in that company. Or perhaps we should look for poorly aspected Jupiter in the chart: A study he co-wrote looked at executives' home purchases. It found that on average, the stocks of companies run by leaders who buy or build megamansions sharply underperform the market. The researchers don't claim to know why. They theorize that some of these executives might be focused more on enjoying their wealth and less on working hard.This may be an interesting topic for a future research project! Stay tuned... Labels: Stock market Thursday, September 06, 2007Teen suicide rates are upWASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2007-Following a decline of more than 28 percent, the suicide rate for 10- to-24-year-olds increased by 8 percent, the largest single-year rise in 15 years, according to a report released today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).19 years ago Pluto entered its own sign of Scorpio, so all of these kids were born under the sign of maximum emotional intensity. In Scorpio Pluto delves into death and destruction and seeks continual regeneration, which is a lot to ask of young people. In addition, many of these kids are the particularly sensitive children who were born under the Uranus/Neptune conjunction in Capricorn. Judging by the music they're listening to, a lot of them are very angry as well as depressed. Phil Brown, writing on the widening presence of skull logos, had this to say of this generation: The Pluto in Scorpio generation (current ages: 10-22), fast-metabolized through the retailer Hot Topic, brought skulls into the mainstream. Pluto in Scorpio is of course a signature for death-obsession, but death can take many metaphoric forms, not just physical ones. The last generation of Pluto in Scorpio, born 1737-1749, featured the artist Goya (see link to Phil's article to see his painting of Saturn, but be careful—it’s not for the squeamish), a painter who was fascinated with death and the dark side of humanity. Scorpio's not afraid to face the darkness.These kids have something to learn about death, and something to teach as well. They needn't walk into its shadow to learn those lessons, however; only we can help them to walk that path. Labels: Pluto in Scorpio  Phil Brown went to see Hamlet last week and offers up an astrological review. This is a very interesting take on the subject so take a look. Phil writes on a phenomena called the "Grand Mutation": Shakespeare wrote Hamlet under the cosmic influence of a Grand Mutation (also known as a Mutation Conjunction). A Grand Mutation occurs when the 20-year Jupiter-Saturn conjunction changes elements (roughly every 200 years), signifying great changes in society, culture, and government. It's interesting that this mutation into air occurs at the transition point to the Age of Aquarius. Meanwhile, I thought it might be a good time to repost one of my early articles on astrology in the works of William Shakespeare from May of 2006: An article on chartplanet.com reports: In all of Shakespeare's 37 plays there are more than a hundred allusions to astrology, and many of his characters' actions are said to be favored or hindered by the stars. The signs of the zodiac are mentioned in six of Shakespeare's plays, and the planets may even be blamed for disasters, especially as they wander from their spheres. Several of Shakespeare's characters were governed by particular stars, as Posthumous was born under the benevolent planet Jupiter, and thus had a favorable destiny at the end of the play. Another character, Monsieur Parolles, was born under Mars and became known fittingly as a soldier. The moon--known for its influence on emotions and self-image--was said to govern Elizabeth, who wept throughout the play Richard III. These examples and many other astrological passages scattered throughout his dramatic works show that Shakespeare was at least interested in astrology and used the art abundantly in the creation of some of his most striking passages. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived during the Elizabethan era, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. This was the height of the English renaissance, coming at the heels of several significant events, including the Protestant Reformation which sharply curtailed the worldwide power of the Roman Catholic Church and facilitated the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Church. Also preceding the life of Shakespeare was the discovery by Nicholas Copernicus that the planets actually orbit around the sun rather than the earth. This revelation turned the world of astrology upside down and where previously astrology and astronomy had been taught together as the "science of the stars," a great schism now grew between the art and the science. Where magic, religion and science had long been intertwined, they now began to separate. Shakespeare's works often frame the debate that was central to the study of the stars at the time. In fact, many believe that the character of Prospero was modeled on Queen Elizabeth's court astrologer, John Dee, who was one of the most renowned astrologers of all time. He was a respected mathematician and astronomer as well as a leading expert in navigation, as well as being an early "channeler" of some of the more remote angels. Edmund in the Bastard, in King Lear, has this to say about astrology: This is the excellent foppery of the world, that when we are sick in fortune, often the surfeits of our own behavior, we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars: as if we were villains on necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. An admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition on the charge of a star. Although this quotation has often been used as evidence that Shakespeare was against astrology, it is actually a diatribe against the tendency of humans to blame their faults upon their planetary configurations, something that astrologers work against to this very day. "I'm a Scorpio, that's why I'm secretive." "I can't make decisions, I'm a Libra." "I can't help being critical, I'm a Virgo." The tools of astrology can help us to use the attributes of our planetary influences to greater growth and empowerment if we take the reins of our own lives. Despite the discovery of the heliocentric universe and its threat to the geocentric astrological system, many of the scientists who succeeded Copernicus strengthened the appeal of astrology including Johannes Kepler, another contemporary of Shakespeare. Carl Sagan referred to Kepler as "the last scientific astrologer," which many would dispute but it does show the respect to which he is accorded. Kepler never lost his love for the mystery and magic of the study of the celestial spheres: he was quoted by Franz Hammer as saying, "May God free me from astronomy, so that I can devote myself to the effort of my work on the harmony of the world." Shakespeare was undoubtedly influenced by the works of John Dee, Copernicus and Kepler, and his works reported faithfully on cultural trends and conflicts that resonate to this very day. Labels: William Shakespeare Wednesday, September 05, 2007"Anger is the Guard Dog of Denial"This comes from Donna Cunningham via Top Ten Sources (thank you Elsa!!): Nothing makes us madder than some darned fool telling us the truth! If we grew up in dysfunctional families, in order to survive our upbringing, we learned to be highly sensitive, reactive, and always on the alert for a threat to the status quo. Thus, we tend to be easily wounded by even the gentlest reminder of the shortcomings of ourselves, our families, or other codependent ties. We may react with rage to even the most constructive of criticisms. In order to protect our denial, we may go so far as to sever relationships with people who are unwise enough to rock the boat with the facts. (No one said we were easy to live with!) . . .Read more here. Many of us try to hide or suppress our anger, others hold onto anger for protection. This article states the issues very well, and offers tools for replacing anger with more constructive tools for protecting the Self. Labels: Anger This is part III of the series on the US Progressed Sun. Catch up with Part I here and Part II here. The Sun of the US astrological chart (Geeky astrological note: I use the Sibley chart with Sagittarius on the ascendant) progressed into Pisces on the exact day of the 2004 Presidential election. We saw in Part I and Part II how the progressed US Sun has brought major shifts in the attitudes and circumstances of the United States culture, and I expect this cycle to be no different. Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac: it is the sign where we long to transcend the boundaries of ordinary reality and attain an experience of the beyond. For the devout this takes the form of a longing for god; for the atheist the transcendent experience may come through music. Some, such as Richard Dawkins, spend their whole lives fighting against the transcendent impulse within them. The darker expression of the Pisces impulse brings us into a state of confusion and delusion when reality becomes blurred and undefined. It is easier to look back and assign astrological significance than to predict the future, but let's see what we could see under the Pisces influence. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the US nation was united and strong in their resolve to battle the forces of darkness, but by the time the 2004 elections came about Americans were beginning to have doubts and that national resolve began to splinter. Just after the election Colin Powell resigned, the first chink in the Bush administration to fall. Pisces tends to obscure the truth, and suddenly the world appeared far less black and white. The United States has become much more culturally diverse over the past 50 years, and under the Pisces influence racial identification will become much less defined and specific. We are already seeing this with the candidacy of Barack Obama, who is not white, not a black descendant of slaves - he defies categorization. There is a Muslim member of congress, and Latinos are gaining a foothold in the power and economic structures of the country. This trend towards a blurred national identity will continue under Pisces. Pisces rules endings, and as the US entered its influence the Terry Schiavo case opened up a new debate on end-of-life issues. Sacrifice and redemption is associated with Pisces and Neptune, and controversies over birth and death will bring changes in the way our society looks at these transitions. A true experience of the divine is what Pisces offers, and the movement out of dogmatic theology into a more authentic and transcendent experience will continue to be more and more important for Americans. Psychic experiences will become ever more accepted, as we are seeing even now in our major media.  The television show "Medium" premiered in January of 2005, just after the US progressed Sun moved into Pisces, and was the first of many such shows that came afterwards. The darker side of Pisces could lead some into a well of confusion and deception, however, as the yearning for the divine can combine with the urge for self-sacrifice and atonement that we also find under Pisces and encourages some to leave their discrimination behind.The sacrificial urge can also be expressed in a higher form through benevolent compassion and nonviolence as prescribed in the Buddhist religions, and we will likely to see a spread of these congregations throughout the US. Pisces bestows empathy and a desire to understand the plights of others which could lead to increased understanding between various social and religious groups. This growing empathy could lead to a greater sensitivity to environmental issues as well, and perhaps the urge for martyrdom and redemption will encourage the kind of conservation that can help preserve the earth's resources. Music is associated with Pisces, and I would expect new forms of music to enter popular culture in the US. Fantasy films are likely to become even more popular for adults as well as children; eight out of the ten top grossing films in 2005 were fantasy films. The next 30 years could mark a weakening of US global power. Pisces is not a sign of action or strength, and it can be difficult to achieve enough focus and energy under the Pisces influence to be able to effect real change. In addition, the US progressed Mars turned retrograde back in the summer of 2006 which many astrologers believe to be the end of US global domination. It will be difficult for Americans to unite behind a common purpose under the Pisces influence and we are likely to see a fragmentation in the government, particularly with transiting Pluto entering Capricorn and then squaring Uranus in Aries in 2010-2013. The cycle of the zodiac marks a natural evolution and progression, and each transition is equally important and the next 30 years will bring a crucial phase for the evolution of the United States. Only time will tell exactly how that will manifest!! Labels: Mundane astrology, political cycles, US chart Tuesday, September 04, 2007Part II: The US Progressed Sun in AquariusCatch up on Part I here. The US progressed Sun left Capricorn for Aquarius in April of 1975. The Capricorn period in the US witnessed a huge post-war building boom and rise of social and economic status for many Americans, both Capricornian attributes. It also marked a more paternalistic relationship with the rest of the world as the US began to take on the role of world protector (Capricorn's ruler Saturn represents the dynamic of the father). Usually when the progressed Sun moves from one sign to another there is a major shift since the adjoining signs are so different from each other in element and quality. This is less true of the shift from Capricorn to Aquarius, due to their mutual rulership by Saturn. In Aquarius the Saturnine duty and discipline takes place in the mental realm whereas Capricorn is a sign of action. Aquarius has an ancient ruler (Saturn) and a modern ruler (Uranus), and there is always a pull between these two influences. Uranus seeks to break apart the old structures that Saturn has built and create something new and this is the Aquarian challenge. In Aquarius the strong sense of responsibility that is Saturn's gift combines with a need for change, creating the famous Aquarian urge for social justice and equality. As the US progressed Sun shifted into Aquarius, the last soldiers were airlifted out of Vietnam which marked the end of military involvement in that nation. The Watergate scandal had just ended with the conviction of four Nixon administration officials. As Jimmy Carter says, there was a malaise in the country as could be expected under a dual Saturn rulership. The Uranus rulership is associated with technology, and the first computers were developed in the US when the P Sun shifted into Aquarius. The first supercomputer was designed in 1976, and both Microsoft and Apple had their beginnings in that year. And although the Uranus/Pluto conjunction in the mid-1960s had fanned the revolutionary flames of social justice, by the mid-1970s there was a growing nationwide acceptance of equal rights for women and minorities. 1975 was designated Year of the Woman, and Time Magazine chose American Women for their person of the year: They have arrived like a new immigrant wave in male America. . . .enough U.S. women have so deliberately taken possession of their lives that the event is spiritually equivalent to the discovery of a new continent. Says Critic Elizabeth Janeway: "The sky above us lifts, the light pours in. No maps exist for this enlarged world. We must make them as we explore.This last image is particularly Aquarian - a completely new dimension of life's experience. Meanwhile, the bigoted individual in the form of Archie Bunker became a target for derision in the TV show "All in the Family" as cultural norms begin to shift to a larger culture of acceptance and The rebelliousness inherent in social revolution created some casualties, however; divorce rates soared as individuals struggled to find themselves (an Aquarian ideal) in the hedonism of the 1970s. Hippie culture, originally a revolutionary act itself in the 1960s, became a marketable commodity as more and more Americans attempted to break out of the Capricorn box and live their own authentic life in accordance with the more Aquarian urge. That revolutionary fervor was reflected too in the rise of punk and heavy metal which loudly proclaimed the death of the status quo (more Aquarius). In Hollywood technology and cultural transformation merged in the beginning of the Star Wars empire which hit the theaters in 1977. Aquarius urges us to reach beyond the limits of our ordinary life and experience a more multidimensional life, and Star Wars provided a vehicle for everyone to take that ride. Social attitudes continue to ease throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with more and more acceptance of the rights of individuals of all types. Certainly there was a backlash against this growing tolerance with the rise of hate groups, but overall the need for "political correctness" grew in importance. Music was revolutionized by technology with the introduction of MTV and electronic music with radically new instruments and sounds. Later, in the 1990s, hip hop and rap music created another social revolution. All of these trends continued to grow through the 1980s and 1990s, culminating at the end of the Aquarian period in 2004 when the progressed US Sun entered Pisces. What will this mean for the next 30 years? We'll speculate on this tomorrow. Labels: Mundane astrology Monday, September 03, 2007The Progressed Sun in the US ChartPart I: 1945-1975 The progressed chart shows the evolution of the individual - although the natal chart, or birthchart, remains the same the progressed chart describes life changes that occur as we age and grow. The progressed Sun changes signs every 30 years, and the US Progressed Sun had been in Aquarius since April of 1975 following a stint in Capricorn. The passage of the US Capricorn progressed Sun, from November 1945 through April 1975, beginning with the end of World War II and initiating a nationwide building period that  expanded middle-class affluence throughout the country (unless you were African-American, but that's another story). The GI bill made housing affordable for more and more families, and communities of tract housing such as Levittown sprang up across the country, beginning the suburban sprawl that would ultimately increase our dependence on automobiles and foreign oil.The Oxford History of the United States includes a volume called Grand Expectations which covers the Progressed Sun in Capricorn period between 1965 and 1974. From the description on Amazon: Beginning in 1945, America rocketed through a quarter-century of extraordinary economic growth, experiencing an amazing boom that soared to unimaginable heights in the 1960s. At one point, in the late 1940s, American workers produced 57 percent of the planet's steel, 62 percent of the oil, 80 percent of the automobiles. The U.S. then had three-fourths of the world's gold supplies. English Prime Minister Edward Heath later said that the United States in the post-War era enjoyed "the greatest prosperity the world has ever known." It was a boom that produced a national euphoria, a buoyant time of grand expectations and an unprecedented faith in our government, in our leaders, and in the American dream--an optimistic spirit which would be shaken by events in the '60s and '70s, and particularly by the Vietnam War. . . .Just as we would expect with the progressed Sun in Capricorn - the sign of building, hard work, discipine and achievement; in Capricorn our nose goes directly to the grindstone and we seek symbols of our new status. But this period also saw the more difficult aspects of Capricorn: the burdens of growth, disappointment in the new system. In the mid to late 1950s, when the US progressed Sun opposed the Sun in the US chart, the seams of the new system were beginning to unravel as it became obvious that the achievements which some enjoyed were not available to all. This time marked the birth of the civil rights movement. The Cold War was born under the influence of the Capricorn progressed Sun which resists inflammatory behavior and prefers instead to build monuments and defense structures of protection rather than act aggressively as a more fiery sign would do. Although this period marked several wars (most notably the Korean War and the Vietnam War), these wars were sold as wars of protection rather than aggression, and this period marked one of the biggest buildups of defense spending in American history. Obviously, as with any kind of Sun Sign astrology, the progressed Sun is just one aspect of the totality of the chart that includes other progressions and transits of orbiting planets to the natal chart. But it's interesting to get a picture of this 30-year cycle through the progressed Sun. Tomorrow I'll take a look at the passage of the US progressed Sun through Aquarius between 1975 and 2004, and then we'll examine the possibilities of the US Sun through Pisces. Labels: Mundane astrology Sunday, September 02, 2007"Everything is Waking Up"The Age of Aquarius is upon us. Please watch this message of positive inspiration: a film by the collective, for the collective. A very Aquarian idea! Labels: Inspiration A few days ago I pondered the fate of Owen Wilson as it relates to his possible ascendant, and the conflicts that we often encounter between our persona as represented by the ascendant with the rest of our birthchart. Martha Beck speaks on this issue from a psychological perspective: I base all my counseling on the premise that each of us has these two sides: the essential self and the social self. The essential self contains several sophisticated compasses that continuously point toward your North Star. The social self is the set of skills that actually carry you toward this goal. Your essential self wants passionately to become a doctor; the social self struggles through organic chemistry and applies to medical school. Your essential self yearns for the freedom of nature; your social self buys the right backpacking equipment. Your essential self falls in love; your social self watches to make sure the feeling is reciprocal before allowing you to stand underneath your beloved's window singing serenades.The "social self", of course, is the ascendant; the "essential self" the Sun sign. From an astrological viewpoint the social self is inherent in the individual and did not develop in response to any outward stimuli as Dr. Beck proposes. Still - the two dynamics may work in tandem with each other, such as a Leo Sun and Sagittarius ascendant. Or, as we have seen, the conflict between the core self and the social self can create more difficulties. The beauty of astrology is that it clearly identifies the nature of these selves, along with the other multiple personality traits that are symbolized by the other planets and points of the chart. This enables us to bring those different energies together into one cohesive whole. Labels: ascendant Sorry - I couldn't help myself! The Brain, of course, refers to the recent departure of Karl Rove who is commonly known as Bush's Brain. Nancy Sommers (Waterman) writes a biting commentary on the next few months of Bush's Reign: Unfortunately, Bush’s tendency to see the world as he wants it to be, through the rose-tinted lens of his neocon glasses, will completely obscure any rational thinking through October 2007, and to a lesser extent through the duration of his term. Recently, his jarring cheerfulness in the face of multiple abject failures and his self-aggrandizing fantasies of being lionized by history have been seen by others as increasingly disconnected from reality. With Bush’s progressed Moon square his natal Neptune from late September through October activating the peak month of the year-long solar arc progressed Ascendant conjunct Neptune, in addition to the transiting Jupiter square his natal Moon/Jupiter conjunction in October, we can expect Bush to be flying high during the next few months on grandiose delusions to which the rest of us who live in the reality-based world are not privy.charts and the rest of the article here. Labels: GWBush, Political figures Saturday, September 01, 2007"Astrologers differ on the fate of Musharraf"From Andhra News comes this report: An Indian astrologer thinks that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf might emerge from his recent troubles, while a British astrologer has predicted that the next two months are the most inauspicious for the General. I don't know what these people are talking about! Since we don't have a birthtime for Musharraf (born 8/11/1943), we don't really know what house Saturn is traversing. However, over the past couple of years Saturn has been passing over Musharraf's Pluto/Jupiter/Sun conjunction in Leo that includes his North Node which has been creating great difficulty for him. That influence is behind him now, and the next few months offer a series of transits of Jupiter, the great Liberator. This could mean that he is released from the bondage of his post, or it could mean that he becomes more powerful. Jupiter can fool us - it doesn't always bring what we want, but it always brings liberation and freedom. It can also bring an excess of confidence which inspires us to do things like cancel elections to preserve our power, something many are afraid Musharraf is about to do. This Jupiter transit cycle began in early 2007 and will continue into the fall. Because the Jupiter transits activate the conjunction of Pluto to Jupiter and the Sun in Musharraf's chart, this cycle is likely to expand his sense of empowerment and confidence in his ability to rule. The Presidential election is slated to be held under the influence of these Jupiter events, but a conjunction of transiting Saturn to Chiron in Musharraf's chart could be a painful event that brings up all kinds of issues around the power grab that put him in the Presidency as well as personal issues that need to be dealt with. This cycle begins in mid-September but he is surely beginning to feel it now. Only time will tell how this unfolds, but it looks to me that there is no end in sight to the current reign of Musharraf. Labels: International politics, Political figures
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