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Monday, June 30, 2008Earth: The new Mars?New evidence supports the theory that Mars may have been the home to life forms at one time: read more here... For years scientists have speculated that Mars was formerly a wet planet. Some UFO-logists and conspiracy theorists have hypothesized that life on earth was seeded from Mars when the planet ran out of water and its inhabitants relocated to a lusher, greener planet. We now have evidence that leaky seas could render the Earth as dry as Mars (this will be in a billion years so there's no need to panic just yet!). What pleases me is the ever-growing pool of evidence that what seemed far-fetched ten years ago (life on Mars) is no longer so far-fetched. As we shift into the Aquarian Age our minds will have to expand to accommodate new paradigms of information and reality! Sunday, June 29, 2008Sunday inspiration Astrology provides us with clues about the future, and sometimes that instills fear in us if we lose sight of the larger picture. Carlos Castaneda explains it here:Remembering this idea that the process of our unfolding evolution occurs at the deepest and most internal level within us will help us to be able to navigate any rough seas that come our way. We all know people who have relatively easy lives but are unable to experience any level of happiness because of the misery they carry within them; we have also seen people who have gone through unimaginable horrors and have come out of them with strength and wisdom. This idea of acquiescing to infinity is what Pluto teaches, and the key to a life of bliss and power. Saturday, June 28, 2008Sagittarian Factoids Dharmaruci had an interesting couple of posts a few days ago about factoids being the shadow side of Sagittarius. DR writes about the theories espoused by David Icke and others that the ruling class is actually a reptilian race:For a while this sort of belief had me a bit gobsmacked, like how can these people, who do not have mental health problems, believe these things? But then it occurred to me that it is no different to believing in the literal truth of the Bible, and there are plenty of people, and always have been, who are prepared to believe this. With my Scorpio Mercury my thinking (Mercury) tends toward the shadow side and tend to look for the darker forces lurking beneath the surface. I have studied the Kennedy assassination since the 1970s, and after September 11 I became a conspiracy fanatic and regular visitor of the many sites that feed a hunger for knowledge of Truth. This hunger falls right in with the symbology of Pluto in Sagittarius, which approaches the search for Truth (Sag) with the compulsion of Pluto, and we've seen this in the spread of fundamentalist Christianity and Islam during this period (1995-2008) as well as conspiracy theories which look for meaning (Sag) in the dark corners of the human psyche (Pluto). In DR's follow-up article he writes, Pluto is currently spending its last few months in Sagittarius. So this is a good time for looking more closely at those things which you would perhaps like to be true – like UFOs or Alien encounters or the faking of the Moon Landings or the various 9/11 conspiracies or the suppression of alternative technologies by the car companies or the role of 'junk' DNA. They may well be true. But what we think of as ‘facts’ around these phenomena, often well-established, can turn out not to be so. I would add that in Sagittarius we tend to hold on to our established belief systems in a way that can be rigid and dogmatic and leave little room for facts. With Pluto in Sagittarius it's the belief that is crucial - the facts only stand in the way. Friday, June 27, 2008Retrograde Uranus in the NewsUranus turned retrograde last night, as it does every year, creating interesting sudden shifts and reversals for citizens of Planet Earth. Planets don't really change direction, of course, but because astrology looks at the movement of planets from our perspective on earth it appears from time to time that planets slow down and then reverse course. When this occurs their influence is felt more intensely, especially if our personal planetary radio is tuned to the frequency of that planet (if the retrograde planet is strong in our birthchart) or if we are experiencing a transit of that planet to a planet or point in our own chart. It could just be a coincidence, but the stock market in the US chose that moment to make the biggest drop since 2006. This was largely driven by a sharp increase in oil prices, proving that increasing supply (since Saudi Arabia had just agreed to begin pumping more oil) is not the cause of high oil prices. Speculation in oil futures is rampant - the last gasp of the Pluto in Sagittarius mindset as Pluto completes its Sag journey before re-entering Capricorn at the end of the year. OPEC is now warning of oil prices reaching $170 a barrel (consider that oil was around $80 a barrel when Bush took office - but that's another story. In other reversals, the Supreme Court declared that the right to bear arms found in the second amendment of the US Constitution applies to individuals. For the last 200 years this language has been in contention, and the conservative Supreme Court in this ruling gives free rein to gun ownership. Uranus rules personal freedom and social justice for all, so in some ways this ruling complies with the Uranian desire for equal access. But it also paves the way for the social uprising that is coming when Uranus transits into Aries and begins the square cycle to Pluto in Capricorn. President Bush removed North Korea from his Axis of Evil blacklist, and in a gesture of cooperation the North Koreans yesterday blew up a nuclear reactor tower. This gesture is largely symbolic, because the agreement signed does not address uranian enrichment or sale of nuclear materials to other rogue nations. As Uranus travels back through Pisces it will begin a series of oppositions to Saturn that will begin during election day. That opposition cycle will enter its second phase in September of 2009, and will conclude in May of 2010 with the final opposition to Saturn which will then be conjunct Jupiter. The first rumblings of the Uranus/Pluto square begin in the spring and summer of 2010. Change is inevitable, and change is easier for some of us than for others. Regardless of how well we adapt to change, knowledge is power and understanding the energy behind these cycles help us to be better prepared to navigate them. Thursday, June 26, 2008Readers, your input please!I will have some exciting news soon - Astrological Musings is being picked up by a large national website where it will find a larger audience. This means that I will need to mainstream my posts to make it more accessible to that larger audience, much of whom likely has had very little exposure to "real" astrology. So I am thinking of keeping the Blogger format, perhaps as a forum for some of my more controversial views, personal thoughts, and for more advanced astrology discussion. There's no way I can keep up three blogs, so I would probably incorporate my personal blog here. I would love to hear from those of you who are regular readers and have any ideas about this. Many of you would probably greatly enjoy reading these posts in simplified language, but many of you are astrologers and quite a few are professionals. What are your thoughts? Ideas? Input? What kinds of posts do you like reading the best? What could you live without? Please either comment here or send me an email: lynn at astrodynamics dot net. And thanks for your participation! Wednesday, June 25, 2008Are you left brained or right brained?I was pretty sure I knew which way I would tilt in this test (thanks Elsa!) but I WAS surprised to see these results. I'm sure I love dogs more than 25%!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008Obama, Mars/Uranus and the FISA billLast month I, along with other astrologers, reported on a challenging transit coming up for Barack Obama: the transit of Mars to his natal Uranus which coincided with a longer-range transit of Uranus to his natal Mars. I wrote at the time: There is, however, a dangerous aspect looming on the horizon: a "double whammy" combination of transits from Mars to Uranus and from Uranus to Mars. When these two conflict, there are fireworks and danger from accidents or violence of some kind, and the opposition from Uranus to Mars in Obama's chart occurs as transiting Uranus is at its most powerful, between now and early August. Transiting Mars will hit Uranus in his chart around the 23rd of June, and he is vulnerable to some sort of attack at that time. Obama has been a very cool character throughout this campaign, but under this Mars influence (particularly in late June) we will begin to see some fissures in his smooth exterior. This is typical of the Uranus/Mars combination and is likely to bring some real fireworks to the campaigns! Hopefully it will not present a danger to his physical person.The conjunction of Mars to Uranus in Obama's chart occurred on June 23, and as we can see there were no accidents and it does not appear that Obama was in any kind of physical danger. But we did see a reversal and strong expression of a desire (Mars) to go his own way (Uranus) in Obama's announcement on Thursday that he would not accept public financing of his campaign. Just about at the exact time transiting Mars made a conjunction to the natal Uranus, Obama's position on the FISA bill (and those of other Democratic leaders) came under angry attack from members of his own party as being overly conciliatory to the telecom industry. Uranus is the Awakener, and as much as I would like to hope in the Neptunian dream of a Utopian America, I am willing to concede the possibility that we will look back on this Mars/Uranus moment as the point at which Obama's campaign for President revealed itself as just another political maneuver rather than a crusade for hope and change we can really believe in. So I ask that you support the MoveOn effort to convince Obama to honor his promise to block the passage of any bill that supports retroactive immunity for telecommunications company that engaged in warrantless spying against ordinary Americans. Monday, June 23, 2008And now George Carlin... Another great journalist has died: George Carlin succumbed to a heart attack yesterday at the age of 71.I expected to see a strong Uranus component to his chart since he was so irreverent and iconoclastic, and there is a wide conjunction of Uranus to a Sun/Mercury conjunction in Taurus. The combination of the Sun and Mercury indicates a brilliant mind with fixed ideas, and the presence of Uranus there illustrates the dislike of conventional thinking which is contrary to the Taurus nature. There is also an exact Chiron/Moon conjunction which suggests a deep and painful wound at the heart level. We never know the deepest emotional workings of public figures, but most comedians are driven by pain to find humor in their situations and this was likely true of George Carlin. Sadly, his wife of nearly 40 years died in 1997 and he was subsequently treated for drug and alcohol addiction. His irreverence was never as biting as when directed at religion, and this is not surprising considering an exact opposition in his chart between Jupiter (shared theologies) and Pluto (compulsion and transformation). He often said he prayed to Joe Pesci instead of to God, and invented the Frisbeetarian religion. At the time of his death transiting Uranus was making an exact square to the Chiron/Moon conjunction in his chart. I suspect that Chiron was ready to leave this earth and Uranus provided the liberating force for him to make his exit. Jill has a great article on Carlin along with videos. Astrotheme has a comprehensive bio along with the chart. He will be greatly missed by those of us who recognize that the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes. Sunday, June 22, 2008Pluto and the 2008 Summer SolsticeThe four tropical cardinal points of the year are commonly known as the Solstices and Equinoxes, commonly celebrated on the days that the Sun enters the four cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. For thousands of years these times have been celebrated as gateways from one season to another; from one perspective to another. The astrological chart for these gateways are thought to provide a glimpse of what is in store for the next few months. The most notable thing in the chart for the 2008 Summer Solstice is the nearly exact opposition of the Sun to Pluto, just 11 minutes of orb (11 minutes from an exact 180 degree angle). The Sun is conjunct Venus and Ceres, so Pluto by relationship also opposes those planets as well. This suggests an intense summer, with Pluto creating the necessity for letting go of anything that is holding back the force of change. It's an interesting coincidence that astronomers are still toying with Pluto's classification. First they tried to demote him to a "dwarf planet," now they want to mollify him by giving him his own classification of Plutoid. Still, astronomers continue to demonstrate a lack of respect for the power of this planet despite his small size. In an age of nano devices when smaller is better, you would think that astronomers would get with the program. Astrologers understand the power of Pluto, and it can't be reduced by changing his name. We are already seeing the power of Pluto that began with the shift into Capricorn earlier this year, getting our attention as it began to undermine the very foundations of the structures (Capricorn) which we build as a society. Pluto will continue to be a powerful influence for at least another six months since Pluto squares the Sun in the chart for the Fall Equinox as well. There is a message here from the gods, and a recommendation for all who read the stars. Pluto can be ruthless, but it also brings Truth. Whatever we must let go of under Pluto's influence is for our own ultimate good, and if we remember this and cultivate a deep trust in the process, we will find we are sheltered in the storm. Friday, June 20, 2008Friday links!I'm giving my brain a rest today so please visit some of my friends:
Thursday, June 19, 2008Profile of Barack Obama: ConclusionDisclaimer: Barack Obama is my choice for president. Venus is trined by Neptune, and in a trine we see the positive aspects of both planets. Where the Neptune/Jupiter square mentioned previously has a tendency towards illusion (Neptune) in one's ideals (Jupiter), in a trine to Venus we see an enhancement of creativity as Neptune dissolves the boundaries that keep us locked in the material world, and Venus opens us up to the true beauty in life. This combination is often found in the charts of artists and mystics. Neptune here encourages Venus to see the best in people and dislikes conflict. Chiron is in the first house of personal identity in Obama's chart and forms a Grand Trine to the Venus/Neptune planets. A Grand Trine occurs when three planets form 120 degree angles to each other, and is an aspect that brings an easy flow between the three planets. We saw in Part I how Chiron in its role as the Wounded Healer denotes an early wound in Obama's search for identity; it also provides the key to his healing of himself and others. Obama has made his healing process a part of his public persona (first house) as evidenced by his book Dreams of my Father in which he searches for his identity, and his political messages which is focused on healing (Chiron) the rifts of the past between peoples (Venus) of all kinds and finding common ground (Neptune). Obama doesn't just want to create change - he wants that change to heal what is wrong with America. The Neptune/Chiron aspect of the trine inspires Obama's supporters, and Venus gives him the attractive qualities to help him spread his message. Partnerships in Obama's life are apt to be fraught with challenge, though, as we can see from the presence of Pluto in the seventh house of marriage and committed relationships. Pluto in any house shows where we are likely to face our fears and find experiences that drive us into the underworld of transformation, and for Obama this has come in the area of partnership. This placement is eased somewhat by the Venus Grand Trine which smooths the way and makes it easier for him to face the demons in the seventh house. Pluto in the seventh requires that we learn to balance issues of power in our relationships. So far his campaign has been remarkably free of drama, and news reports indicate that this lack of drama is a central requirement imposed by Obama on his staff. But we saw how Pluto in the seventh house erupted in the form of Jeremiah Wright as transiting Saturn set off the Chiron/Pluto opposition in Obama's chart. Pluto is the ruler of the Midheaven here, revealing that it's not enough for one's career and public life (Midheaven) to bring fame and fortune - the individual must be able to connect to the career in a way that is deeply and intensely meaningful. There is a desire for power here, with Pluto as ruler, and also an extreme sensitivity to the ebbs and flows of the balance of power. Someone with a Pluto complex such as this who suffered from a lack of confidence would tend to react (Chiron) to a loss of power (Pluto) by creating dramas in their relationships (seventh house) that could sabotage their careers (Midheaven). Obama's confidence (Leo Sun) and Pluto-ruled midheaven combined to give him a powerful insight into the way politics was played, and from an early point in his career he worked with the power base to get his foot in the door. We always have a choice as to how our chart can be expressed, and if we choose a life of service and personal evolution we can create quite a different story: the story of a man who overcomes a painful struggle (Chiron) to find a personal identity (in the first house) and strives to build a base of alliance in people that he trusts (Venus in Cancer) and then empowers them (Pluto in the seventh) to work with him towards a Great Work (Scorpio on the Midheaven) of transformation (ruled by Pluto). Instead of becoming deluded (Neptune) by his own sense of importance (Jupiter) he seeks to find a religious theology (Jupiter) that has real meaning and connects him to a true sense of the divine within himself (Neptune). The South Node in the chart tells the story of our evolutionary past - it shows where we are most comfortable, but where those comfortable reactions have held us back. In Obama's chart the South Node is in Aquarius and in the first house. Obama has already been the one who was most visible (first house) - the one whose personal identity was the thing that was most important. He has already been the transpersonal leader (Aquarius) who sought no acclaim for himself . His North Node is in Leo in the seventh house, and his evolutionary pathway is calling him to express more of himself (Leo) but to do it through partnership with others (seventh house). Yet that transpersonal quality is still important, as evidenced by the conjunction of Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, conjunct the North Node. Uranus in the seventh house illustrates Obama's interest in talking to all kinds of people and learning their views in order to effect change (North Node). Both Uranus and Aquarius are overwhelmingly concerned about issues of social justice and equality. There is a danger with a charismatic leader like Obama to become overwhelmed by a cult of personality, but we can see how the development of Obama's political career fits the story of his chart. In a day or two we'll look at what the planets have in store for Barack Obama over the next six months. Tuesday, June 17, 2008Solstice Full Moon tomorrow!I interrupt the Obama series to bring you the Full Moon! NASA reports: On Wednesday night, June 18th, step outside at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant form rising in the east. At first glance it looks like the full Moon. It has craters and seas and the face of a man, but this "moon" is strangely inflated. It's huge!Thanks to Beth and Rich for the link! The Full Moon occurs on June 18 at 27 degrees of Sagittarius and incorporates a tight opposition between Venus and Pluto. Here the Sun combines with Venus while the Moon merges with Pluto, signifying that the light or conscious mind (Sun/Venus) is in struggle with the darkness and unconscious soul (Moon/Pluto). The Full Moon occurs when the Sun is opposite (180 degrees) the Moon, and the opposition reveals a tension between two polarities. This double conjunction continues the theme of choice that we saw when Chiron made a conjunction to the North Node earlier in the month. Chiron is still fused with the North Node, forcing us to rise to the challenge of facing our darkness and transmuting it into light. The Full Moon is in Sagittarius, and brings with it a longing (Moon) for the lightness and adventure of Sagittarius that finds it difficult to reconcile with the Plutonian need to continually re-enter the underworld of the soul to find what is true and deep. This could be a challenging time when we are forced to make a conscious choice: to give up something familiar in order to enter the unknown world of the future. This is a difficult process and requires great trust and awareness. Venus will enter Cancer on the 18th, and our responsibilities to those that we love have become more important. The opposition to Pluto here suggests that any stress in these relationships will be highlighted at this time and brought into the evolutionary dynamic. Mercury will end its retrograde travels by turning direct on June 19. The Summer Solstice occurs each year when the Sun enters the cardinal sign of Cancer, the sign of emotional security and family connections. The chart for the Solstice is often read as an indicator of what the season will bring, and in this Solstice chart, for June 20 in the evening with the Sun at 0 degrees Cancer, we see a harmonious (sextile) aspect of Venus to Saturn, helping us to feel more responsible (Saturn) in our relationships (Venus). This will be useful because Mars (drive and aggression) also opposes Neptune (confusion) that day and we could become quite impotent in our focus as what we want (Mars) begins to be more blurred and indistinct (Neptune).  This is part II - catch up with Part I here.Obama’s Mars is in Virgo, a thoughtful and cautious place for Mars to be. Mars shows the kind of drive we have and how our aggressive instinct is expressed. This is not a Mars that would go to war on a whim, or invade a country without doing its homework. Virgo needs order and security, and Mars here tends to be somewhat cautious and precise. Obama’s Mars makes a trine to Saturn, the planet of discipline, hard work and success, suggesting a hard worker who is patiently focused on the goal. Saturn in this chart is in its own sign of Capricorn and it is retrograde. The placement of Saturn by sign and house shows where we feel we are not good enough; where we suffer from self-doubt. In Capricorn, the sign that shares Saturn’s intense focus on goals and achievement, there is a deep fear of failure that rides along with the pressure to achieve. This is exacerbated in Obama’s chart by the fact that Saturn is retrograde, and that tends to enhance the inner voice of self criticism. Because Saturn is in the twelfth house of the subconscious and the call of Spirit, the intense drive for success and achievement can become confused and made more difficult. Or, if the individual heeds the call of the Inner Self and drives his ambition along the road of seeking to improve the lives of others as the twelfth house requires, Saturn provides the material rewards for which he is so well known. Saturn in the twelfth, traditionally the “House of Karma” or the “House of Troubles” does sometimes reveal a great inner loneliness – one’s road is solitary and fraught with conflict. There is also a great sensitivity here and a need for isolation that in early life can be hard to bear. In later life we find that the imposition of this early isolation has strengthened our core soul structure and our ability to withstand the pressures of life. Saturn is conjunct Jupiter here, but they are nearly 6 degrees apart and not in the same sign. Six degrees is a bit wide for what we call an “out of sign” aspect, so this aspect is weakened as a result. In any event, Obama’s Jupiter is in Aquarius where it seeks to find meaning in life (Jupiter) through the achievement of social justice and equality as well as by living one’s own dream (Aquarius). The placement of Jupiter in the chart shows the kinds of experiences we need to feel optimistic and that life is full of possibilities, and in Aquarius there is a need to live one’s life in a way that is unshackled by the expectations of others. Jupiter is in the twelfth house with Saturn where it finds meaning in a life of spiritual connection and expansion of the realm of the unconscious through dreams and meditation. Jupiter is retrograde which shows that it’s difficult for Obama to experience that sense of expansion or trust the opportunities that come his way. Obama’s Jupiter is opposite his Leo Mercury, and herein lies his supreme confidence in speaking. Mercury in Leo basks in the attention that is given to one’s ideas and speech, and the opposition from Jupiter expands one’s confidence and aggrandizes the context of one’s conversation. Jupiter opposite Mercury thinks large and often without considering the details, which has been a big complaint against Obama. However, his Mercury sits in the sixth house of humility and work which is his saving grace. Mercury in the sixth house is always considering the details, but in Leo there is a grander concept at work. This has likely always been a struggle for Obama as he tries to balance the pressure of the need for a detailed approach to his conceptual framework with the pull of Jupiter to be always bigger, always better and always more confident. This Jupiter/Mercury opposition squares The square from Jupiter to The mutual reception shows that combining these two experiences is crucial for Obama’s personal growth, but the square between them indicates that this hasn’t always been easy. We know this from the history of his religious background which originated in an eclectic secular household and resulted in his finding his truth in Christianity. His speech about this experience reveals some interesting things about the Jupiter/Neptune relationship: He found his true faith when he saw that this faith (Jupiter) could serve as an agent in the world (Aquarius) and redeem him (Neptune). Monday, June 16, 2008Astrological profile of Barack ObamaThis is turning out to be longer than I thought so I'm going to serialize it. Here's part One: Barack Obama sprang seemingly from nowhere to become the winner of the Democratic primary run for President. Until he gave the keynote address at the Democratic convention in 2004 he was little known, but that speech propelled him into the limelight where he became the hook for the projection of the hopes and fears of Democrats. Barack Obama has attracted an even more divergent chorus of reactions among the Democratic faithful. Some are swept up in his message of hope and inspiration; others are suspicious and worry that he is a liar. Even on the political astrology boards, many are suspicious of what they consider Obama’s Neptunian attraction and the overwhelming response of his followers, as well as the lack of specificity in Obama’s speeches during the primary season. Without an accurate birthtime, astrologers “rectified” the chart to fit their image of the candidate. Some liked the Scorpio ascendant of the 1:06 am birthtime because they felt he was secretive about his real agenda. I liked a Libra ascendant because of Obama’s collaborative style. Now that we have an actual birth certificate released by the campaign (although the right-wing blogosphere is still claiming it’s a fake) and an actual birth time, we can get to work and see who Obama really is. The 7:24 pm birthtime on the birth certificate gives an ascendant of 18 degrees Aquarius, which is interesting since the eclipse on Super Tuesday fell nearly exactly on his ascendant. The late Howard Sasportas writes of the Aquarius ascendant: “[T]hose with Aquarius on the Ascendant (the point of self-awareness) gain a clearer sense of their own unique and particular identity through standing back and taking an objective and impersonal look at life.” Aquarius is cool and rational, with a passion for social justice and equality. However, Obama’s Sun is in Leo, the sign that requires a full expression of a healthy ego. We would expect there to be some conflict here as Leo is opposite Aquarius and where Leo needs to express the ego Aquarius seeks to transcend it. But Obama’s Sun sits in the sixth house of humility and service which depicts his need to develop his ego in a way that serves others. The square from Neptune to the Sun in Obama’s chart seems to alarm some anti-Obama astrologers who assume that the tendency of This Chiron is important as it forms a square to Obama’s Moon. This is a fourth house Moon that craves a home and sense of family, and it falls in Gemini which needs to talk about one’s feelings, to be understood. We know from Obama’s biographical information that his African father abandoned the family when he was two, and that for several years he lived in Pluto is also involved in this dynamic, forming a “T-square” as it opposes Chiron and squares the Moon. The Pluto/Chiron opposition generally results in a life that can be rather painful on an emotional level as the individual is forced by Pluto to face the wounds of the soul and work through them. This dynamic creates a shamanic process in which there is tremendous potential for understanding and wisdom. The pressure of both Pluto and Chiron on the sensitive Moon illustrates the emotional difficulty that Obama has experienced, although with Aquarius on the ascendant he will never reveal his emotions to the public. Sunday, June 15, 2008Sunday inspiration - CosmosisThanks to Elsa for this link. It's really fabulous. Saturday, June 14, 2008Ireland rejects the EU Treaty - Pluto at work.Ireland yesterday rejected the European Union Lisbon treaty, an agreement between member states that centralizes more power in Brussels and could potentially weaken the power of the member states. Ireland was the only nation to put the treaty to a vote by its citizens. Pluto's journey through Sagittarius accelerated the process of the globalization (Sagittarius) of power (Pluto), a process that is being turned upside down by Pluto's entry into Capricorn where that power structure (Capricorn) is being intensified. Pluto just today retrograded back into Sagittarius and we are likely to see some revision of earlier agreements and policies that will no longer suit the mindset of the Pluto in Capricorn society. It's an interesting note that Pluto in the chart of Ireland is at 1 degree Cancer, and Pluto turned retrograde exactly in opposition to the Irish chart, giving Ireland a crucial role in the continuing development of the European Union. Friday, June 13, 2008Tim Russert has diedAmerican political junkies have become familiar with Tim Russert over the past 15 years or so since he took over the Sunday talk show "Meet the Press." Russert had established himself as one of the most respected newsmen in the business ( a real feat under the influence of Pluto in Sagittarius which has eroded the field of journalism beyond recognition). Russert died today of a massive heart attack while filming a voiceover in the Washington Bureau of NBC News. He was 58. Astrologically, Russert had the Sun in Taurus, known for perseverance and endurance, and his tenacity as a reporter was widely acclaimed. He had a dogged persistence that inspired him to keep asking questions in an interview until he had his answer. His Sun was trined by Saturn, giving him the discipline to work hard and enhancing his focus on success. But it was also squared by Pluto, suggesting a challenging early life and a difficult upbringing. This was not the only challenging aspect in Russert's chart - he also had Mars (aggressive instinct and personal boundaries) squared by Chiron, indicating an early repression of his ability to assert himself. Nothing in his chart suggests that he would eventually be a journalistic superstar - instead he was clearly a hard worker (Mars in Virgo, Saturn trine Sun) that cared deeply about telling a story that was true and powerful (Mercury in Taurus is practical and seeks only the truth). There is virtually no biographical information available for Russert, but since the heart is often symbolized in the chart by the Sun, we can see that Russert's heart was stressed by the square from Pluto. This is a challenging aspect for anyone since the individual ego (Sun) is blocked and sometimes crushed by Pluto. It's clear from Russert's hero worship of his father as evidenced in his book "Big Russ and Me" that Russert saw his father as being larger than life. At the time of Russert's death, transiting Mars had been crossing over Pluto in Russert's chart, aggravating the Pluto/Sun square. But Russert's health problems may have accelerated back in May, June and July of 2007 when transiting Chiron (the Wounded Healer) made a square to the Pluto/Sun combination in Russert's chart, bringing up old psychological issues and putting pressure on his heart. That cycle continued in late January and early February of this year. At the same time transiting Uranus had been making a square (challenging aspect) to Chiron in Russert's chart. Chiron's healing process is not always an easy one; it often brings up old issues that we thought were long behind us. If we aren't successful in working through them, we sometimes face health problems. The combination of Uranus and Chiron can be an incredibly exhilarating period of illumination, but it can also be difficult for a nature that is more fixed and earthy like Russert's. He will be missed by all political junkies. Thursday, June 12, 2008A birth certificate for Barack Obama!Thanks to the many readers who sent me this link to the actual birth certificate as posted on Daily Kos. This now official time of 7:24 pm is very close to the 7:11 time that came from the UAC conference. No story yet on how Markos ended up with the birth certificate but it does debunk some of the wilder rumors about Obama. I've put the new chart up here. Please refer to this earlier article and I'll be working on a comprehensive profile over the weekend.   Last week I heard a show on NPR that highlighted a woman who had always been unattractive because of her big nose until she had an accident and the doctor suggested that while she was having surgery that she have her nose fixed. After the surgery, according to her own account she was "a babe." As a result, she had a unique perspective on what it's like to be pretty vs. "ugly."The second house is most commonly associated with money and wealth, but it also houses our personal resources, our self-esteem, what we value and how well we value ourselves. I've written earlier on the relationship between self-esteem and wealth, and  there is a strong connection between them. In the second house we develop a relationship with our environment and learn what belongs to us and where we fit into the world. The strength of this sense of belonging to the world and having a secure place is what helps to determine our financial success and our ability to accumulate wealth and prosperity.Studies have shown, cruelly, that beauty is tied to success. But these studies do not prove that it's perfection that is tied to success - merely a perception of attraction. If cosmetic surgery enhances one's confidence in one's value, then it can have benefits to that individual. But if surgery becomes the tool in the pursuit of perfection, the point is missed and the inner lack of self-worth remains. Life can also be difficult for the beautiful as they age. We have seen this with movie stars who g  o into seclusion because their identity is so wrapped up with their beauty and they can't bear to be seen in public. In these cases the second house has not been developed and the physical beauty, the only resource, is now disappearing. The beauty of youth fades early, but Venus remains present throughout our lives. How are we to express her, and gain the benefits of the second house?Venus rules the second house, and in her guise as Goddess of Beauty she also places a high value on attractiveness. Venusian beauty is not a perfect geometrical facial shape or perfectly sized breasts; it is rather the power to attract. I used to know an aerobics instructor who had a face which most people would classify as homely. Yet she had the most beautiful smile, and with it the ability to draw people to her like a magnet. This is the real power of Venus. photos from corbis. Tuesday, June 10, 2008The Barbury Crop Circle and the Magic of Pi I found this link on Ellie's World about the new crop circle in Barbury, England that includes a very detailed analysis of the crop circle and its relationship to the number Pi and has rounded up to an astonishing 10 digits. This is a very precise measurement, and its difficult to imagine that two drunk guys with boards on their feet (the classic debunking of crop circles) could dream this up. I'm no mathematician, but the mathematical precision of this crop circle seems pretty amazing. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, and is considered the original irrational number. It is an infinite number that has no end, although people keep trying to find it. Typically Pi is depicted with its first six decimal digits, so the extension to 10 digits in the crop circle is pretty amazing! This is an interesting site that explores the connection of Pi to the esoteric philosophies of the Illuminati, making a case for Pi representing the solstices and equinoxes. Some writer have said that in establishing the relationship between the circumference of the circle, which is round, to the diameter, which is linear, Pi depicts the transcendence of the circle from linear rationality. The infinite nature of the number Pi suggests to me an inability for the human mind to grasp that which is infinite; that the Mystery will always be greater than the humans who seek to discover it. Monday, June 09, 2008Britain cracks down on astrologersNew consumer protection regulations in Britain classifies astrologers along with fortune tellers and double-glazing salesman under a new consumer protection act. Astrologers, faith healers and spiritual advisers will now have to post a sign that says "for entertainment purposes only." Consumer protection is a wonderful thing, and I am all for prohibiting fraudulent treatment of consumers under any circumstances. But astrological consultations are NOT for entertainment purposes only! From the Times UK: Andy Millmore, a partner at the law firm Harbottle & Lewis in London, said: “What is significant is the sweeping nature of the regulations. They will effectively criminalise actions that might in the past have escaped legal censure, even if they may perhaps have been covered by industry voluntary codes.Certainly no one wants to see little old ladies taken advantage of. But are spiritual advisers any less vetted than church parsons or priests? I'd love to know what Dharmaruci, Barbara, Katherine and my other Brit friends think about this new law! Sunday, June 08, 2008Sunday Inspiration: Awakening the HeartVenus and Mercury are conjunct right now in Gemini, along with the Sun, and the power of Venus to soften the mind (Mercury) is illuminated by the Sun and offers an opportunity to open the doors to the wisdom of the heart. A sextile from both planets to Mars today helps to activate this opening if we choose to do so. This is a perfect day for the pursuit of bodhichitta, the spirit of awakening in which the Self becomes empty and spacious and compassion fills the heart. Chiron forms a trine to the Gemini planetary lineup and can assist in this process by opening the chinks in the armor that we build around the places within us that are wounded and fearful. Pema Chodron's tale provides a beautiful picture for this process (from her book The Places that Scare You:  "When we were digging the foundation for the retreat center at Gampo Abbey, we hit bedrock, and a small crack appeared. A minute later water was dripping out. An hour later, the flow was stronger and the crack was wider.Thanks to Allspirit.com for this quote. Saturday, June 07, 2008Retrograde RoundupWe can't blame everything on Mercury retrograde, because don't forget there are four other planets retrograde as well. Today, astrodynamics.net went down and I'm in good company because Amazon.com, the world's largest online retailer, yesterday was "hit by technical failure" when its website went down. Retrogrades turn our attention to the past - we tend to look back more than forward, and re-evaluate where we've been so we can be better prepared for where we're going. It's like the Sankofa bird from Africa which means "to go back in order to go forward. Despite Pluto's preparation to retrograde back into buoyant Sagittarius, the economic mood in the United States took a dive Friday as the job report punctured the bubble of optimism that was beginning to seep into the general pessimism of Pluto in Capricorn. And in a stunning look back at the run-up to the war has included not only Scott McClellan's new book, but also the release of a bipartisan Senate report on Thursday after years of wrangling harshly condemning the Bush White House for misleading the American public about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. Still, Mercury is not all bad. My research shows that nearly half of all launches performed by NASA were done when Mercury was retrograde. From an earlier article: The successful launch on July 4, 2006 as Mercury turned Rx is a good example of how Mercury retrograde can work. The failure of the shuttle to launch the previous July during a Mercury Rx period forced NASA to go back to the drawing board and revise their plans, leading to a successful launch in 2006. This example shows the way retrograde Mercury works, and why with all of astrology it's important to view the larger context. Events that are disrupted during one Mercury retrograde period are completed during another retrograde period. The retrograde periods are great times for going back over something that needs more work. For redesigning your website, reviewing your goals and plans. We may find them frustrating, but they are essential to balance periods of growth and change. They help to deepen our understanding, and give us a greater sense of depth and balance. The unfolding of life takes on a great and wondrous magic when we learn to adjust to the energy of the cycles of our lives. People that I work with, who don't believe in astrology, find it comforting and useful to know that the communication glitches and mechanical failures are occurring for a reason, and that all we can do is go with the flow and work with the retrograde instead of against it! Friday, June 06, 2008Astrology in the Mainstream: Mother Earth News!Thanks to Astrococktail for this enlightening link about America's Seventh Saturn Return by astrologer Robert Cole that appeared in Mother Earth News in 1981. I love it when astrology is taken seriously by the mainstream media! On October 22, 1981—in the midst of a massive solar system alignment which is currently happening in the ancient zodiacal symbol of Libra—the United States experienced its seventh Saturn return. (The return of Saturn in Libra occurs only once in approximately 29 years, and its strong influences can be noted for as much as a year's time on both sides of such dates.)read more here... The US has Saturn in Libra, as do many of the baby boomers who will be experiencing their second Saturn return in 2011 along with the US Saturn return. This is an interesting article with some points to think about for the future. Wednesday, June 04, 2008The light side of Mercury RetrogradeEven my assistant, who doesn't believe in astrology, now is an expert on Mercury Retrograde. The expression "forewarned is forearmed" was never truer than when dealing with Mercury's retrograde travel time. So I was pleased to see this article posted in Astrology News: There is an ancient Roman saying: “Vocatus atque non vocatus deus aderit.” Called or not called, the god will be there. Elsa is a tireless supporter and promoter of the entire astroloblogosphere. I know she's having a Pluto transit to her Moon, but this is ridiculous. Please drop by and give her some love. Tuesday, June 03, 2008Into the Matrix in the Aquarian Age In the news today:Children will learn by downloading information directly into their brains within 30 years, the head of Britain's top private schools organisation has predicted.I've been joking about this for years, but it's somewhat shocking to see it in print! It's also a little creepy that Mr. Parry worked with the military where perhaps he saw some research in this regard. In 30 years Pluto will be in Aquarius, and I have no doubt that technology (Aquarius) will have evolved by then to the point where Pluto can wreak some real havoc!! Reports are mixed as to whether Hillary Clinton will end her campaign after the last two primaries today. On Countdown last night: Senator Hillary Clinton appears on the verge of suspending her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, and endorsing Senator Barack Obama. That, the widespread reading of the electoral tea leaves today, after a tidal wave of separate reports that add up to the end, in sight, probably by tomorrow night. In our fifth story on the Countdown -- the components: She has reportedly personally urged her top backers and financial donors to attend her speech in New York tomorrow night. She reportedly told Senator Obama last night that their staffs should begin to bargain over what to do after Tuesday. Her official schedule, after a morning speech in Washington on Wednesday, is blank...And, perhaps most saliently, her staff has reportedly been urged to turn in all of their expense reports and receipts, before the end of this week. Now the details of what is being perceived as: the final Countdown.Today would be a beautiful time astrologically for Senator Clinton to end her arguably failed race for the nomination. The New Moon, a time of new beginnings, forms a harmonious aspect (sextile) to the conjunction in her chart of Mars and Pluto in Leo that fuels her dogged determination and refusal to say no. The New Moon is also very close to a conjunction to Mrs. Clinton's progressed Moon, stimulating within her a flowering of emotional awareness and an inspiration to recreate herself in some way. Mrs. Clinton's natal Saturn is the subject of several powerful aspects right now. Saturn in the chart shows where we build our structures, and where we find ourselves alone creating the business of our lives. Mercury, traveling retrograde at the moment, forms a sextile to Saturn in Clinton's chart so the Winged Messenger (Mercury) is adding a note of flexibility to her ability to put her plans (Saturn) in motion. In addition, transiting Jupiter (expansion and meaning) and Uranus (innovation and change) form a nearly exact Yod aspect to that Saturn in her chart. The Yod is also called the "Finger of Fate" or "Finger of God," and a Yod by transit such as this signifies a crucial event in a person's life. For Mrs. Clinton, Saturn is the "apex planet" in this configuration which tells us that this is a crucial time for her to take responsibility (Saturn) for creating a structure for her life that will serve her and keep her moving forward on her evolutionary journey. Mrs. Clinton has burned a lot of her bridges in this campaign under the influence of Chiron (wounding and healing) in a challenging aspect to her Scorpio Venus, but this is a turning point for her to be able to set off in a new direction and discover the Chironic healing quality of facing up to one's inner issues. Her nature is very fixed and stubborn, with four planets in Scorpio in a square to Mars and Pluto in Leo, and it's not easy for her to gain perspective over her life. The New Moon provides an opportunity for her to do so, and with that new perspective to begin a new phase in her career that could end up putting her in a position of real power as we can see by the harmonious aspect of the New Moon to that pesky Mars Pluto conjunction (Pluto rules power, change, and endings). If she fails to take advantage of this opportunity and instead continues down the path of blind and stubborn determination, it will take her a long time to pick up the pieces. Sunday, June 01, 2008Skywatch is posted!Skywatch for June has been posted, offering a tantalizing look at the delicious planetary opportunities in store for us this month. Here's a tidbit: Welcome to June! Because we have a number of planets changing direction this month, turning retrograde and direct, the influences of the outer planets are particularly strong now. When planets change their apparent direction (of course they are not actually turning backwards, it just looks that way from earth) they slow down, just as a car does when it prepares to make a U-turn. To sign up to receive your own free subscription to Skywatch, which includes a translation without astrologese of each month's planetary events, visit my website and use the signup form.
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