Devine Observations

Neptune enters Pisces February 3rd

2012-02-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

The mysterious blue planet, Neptune, will enter its ruling sign, Pisces, in a couple days. It did dip its toe into Piscean waters last year for a test to see how the swimming was from April ‘til August, but it was only a test. Now the twelfth sign will have his (or is it “her”?) company for another thirteen years. Pisces doesn’t have this guest often; the last time was from around 1847 to 1861-62. We learn from history, and we can get a hint of what to expect, but times were different then, and we have other planets in different places now along with it, which colors the picture somewhat.

Neptune represents anything which is not solid or clearly discernable—mysticism, deception, redemption, artistic expression, spirit, smoke, gases, water, visionaries, compassion, corruption, pollution—you get the picture. Pisces is kinda like that, too—which is why Neptune rules that sign. So we sort of have a double whammy here. In a chart, if Neptune is connected to other planets positively, then we have a positive expression of its energy, but if it’s not in harmony with other energies, we get conflict, and therefore, negative results.

It seems in Neptune’s travels, that collective attitudes are subtly changed-- colored by Neptune’s innate core energy—or vice versa. For instance, when it was in Capricorn (1984-1998) corporate and governmental corruption and deception was a temptation. Capricorn represents corporations, government and power. The United States has Neptune in the ninth house, which is legislation, as well as religion (not spirituality, but organized religion). That time was the rise of fundamentalist religions getting too involved in government, religious-based warfare—or oil-based—also Neptune, and giant corporations like Monsanto deceiving us about genetically modified food, which is now a HUGE issue. Other corporations, like those of the Koch brothers, did their own manipulating.

From 1998 until now, Neptune has been in Aquarius. This sign is noted for its detachment emotionally and for fierce individuality, and so we have had a collective outcry that we are not our brothers’ keeper, and we have been looking for ways to shed emotional reaction to those less fortunate. This, of course, does not affect everyone, but collectively the masses would seem to be headed in that direction. Each sign is a reaction to the one before it, so during this time there was also an awakening to the corruption of the preceding fourteen years, and so the fierce individualism of Aquarius also noticed the infringement on individual rights, as well, as witnessed by the treatment of organic farmers by Monsanto.
Neptune is also melding or blending of anything. Immigration is one such blending. Back in the mid nineteenth century when Neptune was last visiting Pisces, we were concerned about immigration from Europe and did not trust the Irish and the Catholics. Now, it’s the Muslims and Spanish-speaking people we do not trust. These are “strangers” attempting to meld into our society, and in Neptune fashion, we have irrational suspicions.

In those years just before the Civil War, slavery was an issue, too. We are now just beginning to recognize that exploitation of children and the very poor worldwide in the sex trade is another kind of slavery. We are seeing books appearing to awaken us—like the trilogy beginning with “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” In the next fourteen years, we will do something about that.

I believe we will see much more compassion for the less fortunate as Neptune sojourns in Pisces. There might be some areas where it can be increased deception and fraud, but Neptune is not in negative aspect too much, so we’ll probably see the better side of it. For instance, it will trine the USA’s Cancer planets for most of the fourteen years. That can bring in increased recognition of how badly the American people have been deceived over the last twenty-eight years.

And last, Neptune in the USA’s birth chart is negatively aspected to Mars. We usually don’t use Neptune in its highest form. It will eventually activate that square, which has been involved one way or another every time we have a war. It is also the signature of a corrupt government. As long as this chart exists, we’ll have a propensity to this. It would be especially tempting when Neptune, itself, is activating it. That will be 2021-22, and I’d expect to see the very worst of that configuration manifesting. We would need to be particularly vigilant.

Obama Signs Defense Bill

2012-01-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

New Year’s Eve evening President Obama signed the controversial defense bill that he had previously threatened to veto. The main problem is that it pretty much ends our rights as we’ve known them. Most Americans probably have no idea what has just happened. Now the Executive branch has unprecedented power, including being able to arrest, prosecute and imprison American citizens without due process. All they have to do is suspect you are a “terrorist.” It has been announced by members of congress that among things that indicate that you are suspect includes having more than seven days’ worth of food in your house! Another is paying with cash! Have you noticed large signs on highways encouraging you to phone a number if your neighbors are doing anything suspicious? All you need to be arrested without cause is a vengeful neighbor who wants to cause you pain. All of this is like an Orwellian nightmare.

Although Obama added a written statement that he had “serious reservations” and would not actually use those powers, it passes on to all subsequent presidents who may have no reservations at all. This power lasts until the “War on Terror” is over. As Jon Stewart said, however, that is subjective. WHAT indicates that it’s over? Does “Terror” surrender? This could be perpetual unless something is done to change it.

When I heard of this betrayal, I looked at Obama’s chart to see what was going on that day. Transiting Neptune was exactly, to the minute, square his MC! This is blatant deception revealed, and/or he is totally without a clue what he has just done. This isn’t the first time for that aspect since he’s been in office, but it is the last before it goes into Pisces on February 3rd. The backlash on him for this very treasonous decision will start in about three or four months…or at that time he will be dealing with very serious issues and it will fill the rest of his term. Right now a pattern is forming (and actually has already been active), and it will be triggered often this year. Secondary progressed Mars and Mercury are occupying 25 and 26 degrees Libra. They are marching steadily toward a square with his natal Saturn-Jupiter conjunction at 25 Capricorn and 0 Aquarius. The progressed Mercury already was partile to squaring Saturn less than a year ago. I mentioned it in a previous blog about his chart. Besides this, progressed Ascendant is approaching an opposition to this pattern. Transiting Saturn will be back and forth over this pattern in 2012 in April, and again from August through early October. The progressed Ascendant will oppose the progressed Mars exactly sometime in late August/early September—a dangerous period for him in dealing with rage from others. Around August 17-20 Mars will also trigger the progressed pattern described above which could activate it early.

I think this bill signing will fuel the occupy movement even more and cause a backlash that Obama never dreamed his “sheeple” would be capable of doing. Let’s see what happens in April.

The Current Climate of Change

2011-11-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

Many of you may have noticed over the last few weeks that there was a climate of deception and change. We see it all around in the worldwide occupy movements, that were not reported in the mainstream media for a LONG time, and the flip-flopping of political candidates—not to mention the exposure of scandals like Penn State and even new information about Natalie Wood’s death. You may be wondering what is going on in the “astro weather” department. With the current indications, no one will get away with very much. People have had enough. You can expect further truths to emerge.

First there is the long, long cycle of Pluto. It went into Capricorn back in 2008, and that was the beginning of a clean-out of corruption and power misused. That was when we saw the economy begin to crack with all the corruption of financial institutions—and it’s not finished. The Universe has a scheduled, orderly agenda of overseeing our evolution whether we like it or not. It will extend all the way down to the individual level and will last until 2025. Until then, one out-of-balance power struggle after another will be transformed, which is putting it nicely. In other words, if you are personally (or collectively) used to wielding power or have been pushy and overly strong-willed, it will be harder to continue being that way. The last time Pluto was in Capricorn was way back when things got so bad in England, the Pilgrims decided to leave the country. It is a very long cycle, and whatever sign it is in, there is upheaval related to that sign that leaves a situation totally destroyed and left to rebuild. Capricorn is about government, structures of whole societies, power and “who’s in charge.” Whether the ultimate outcome is positive or not depends on us. Are we our best most honest selves, or do we try to control and repress others? If you are the one being forceful and controlling unfairly, it will not be allowed to continue. From an individual up to a global level we are personally responsible for the outcome. Since Pluto is being energized by Uranus 90 degrees away for the next several years, expect a revolution.

Then there is the continuing opposition of Jupiter and Saturn. These have already opposed each other exactly back in March, but are now in range of an opposition, although not exact, reminding us again of their meaning here at the holiday season. This is the business duo. When Jupiter is going FROM the conjunction of the two TO the opposition, business usually is on an upswing that is relative to possibility. In other words, for the last ten years, although it seems the economy has been negative, it was relatively positive compared to the NEXT ten years when it goes from the opposition back to a conjunction. This is a twenty year cycle. The first half is the more positive compared to the second half.

Mars
Every two years Mars stays in one sign for a long time. If it didn’t, its cycle would be about eighteen months, but because of this long retrograde period, it takes two years to complete its cycle. This time it will remain in Virgo from November 12, 2011 until July 4, 2012. The first two weeks of November (just passed) it was opposite Neptune. This inclines to deceptive behavior. You can be either the one deceiving or the one being hoodwinked, but one should have been vigilant during this period. This will not repeat again, but will be very, very close in mid-April next year. Virgos, Pisceans, Sagittarians, and Geminis will be more impatient, will jump to conclusions and perhaps be more impulsive than usual. Plus, the eclipses this year will activate those signs making them a focal point. They will be learning a lot.

There are two eclipses this month and next. The first was this morning, and the next will be on December 10th. The eclipse months are two months out of four each year that we call the “Moon Wobble.” The other two are half-way between those. They always show a time of upheaval and a bit of chaos if they affect your chart specifically.

As an aside, Mercury went retrograde yesterday and will remain so until December 14th. That doesn’t help in a Moon Wobble time. It helps to be vigilant with that, as well—double checking things for accuracy and postponing a start-up of any kind. It's a good time to go back to something that needs re-working.

The outer planets have been changing signs in unprecedented numbers. Very seldom do we have so many doing so in so short a time span. We feel this by being a bit off balance and wary of what will happen next. The last month has been particularly so. But, it’s all part of the larger plan, which in the end is for our best interests. The next one to change permanently(and it already did for a short time from April to August this year)for a fourteen year sojourn is Neptune, which will enter Pisces in very early February. Neptune’s activity is totally different from Pluto’s. It can be felt either as confusion and delusion or inspiration and spiritual enlightenment, depending on its placement and aspects in your personal chart. It, too, will affect the four signs mentioned above for fourteen years.

In short, for the next several years we can expect a concentrated effect of these planets like we haven’t seen in a long time. It has barely begun. We are entering into a new chapter of our evolution, and it should be welcomed. After all, we’re not doing so great where we are, are we?

Rick Perry

2011-11-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

Whenever we look at a birth chart, one challenge is to keep in mind that people have choices all their lives. They can choose to live up to the best of themselves, or reinforce and express their darker side. I first interpreted the second George Bush with an eye to his best potential when he first ran for president, but it soon became obvious that he had not chosen a positive path of growth. Rick Perry’s is a chart like that.

We had a date and place for him but no time. Then an astrologer in Texas called the department of vital records and was able to get his birth time read to him over the phone!! If only every vital records department were that co-operative. He was born on March 4, 1950 at 10:40 am CST in Haskell, TX.

He has placid, not confrontational Taurus rising. The ruler is Venus in Aquarius, and it is trine Mars in Libra which has great potential for compromise—the aspect, not just Mars. The ability to strengthen and exhibit that quality is there. However, he also has Mercury (the way we think) in Aquarius conjoining Jupiter, but in range of opposing Pluto and square the Ascendant. That is a different story. Mercury-Jupiter by itself is optimism, and in the tenth house, the optimism expresses most in his career confidence. He sees himself as very fortunate and deserving there. The Sun in the tenth adds to that. Venus, Mercury and Jupiter are all in Aquarius. That is an emotionally detached sign, when considered as an archetypal principal. It tends to view life as “what is best for the group.” Which group, is the question. Mercury is in an out-of-sign trine to Uranus, the dispositor of Mercury (ruling the sign Mercury occupies, Aquarius), and that indicates very independent thinking without feeling a need for advice—with Jupiter it is exaggerated; opposing Pluto, it is absolute. We have seen this quality blatantly exhibited, and it is dangerous.

Sun in Pisces (the only thing in that sign) is usually kind-hearted, not the sort of energy that executes people and seems to enjoy it. I think he was born a Pisces to learn how to BE one—Saturn is opposing the Sun. It includes the Moon, since Saturn conjoins it in Virgo. That can be very critical and cold—especially with so much in detached Aquarius. But, mostly it speaks to an austere upbringing, albeit with drama and ego involved (fifth house).

What is his life purpose? One lesson is to learn to be less critical and negative and more compassionate. But the main indicator of past life energy is the south node in Libra in the fifth house. This indicates that in past lives he was a person of some importance, used to being respected and admired, but mostly because of his spouse. He chose a well-off spouse in this lifetime, too. He was not used to making his own decisions, however, and so he’s in this lifetime, not only to learn to be “one of the common people,” but also to make his own decisions. As with most issues wherein we are not so skilled, we can see him over-doing it. Like the pendulum swinging too far in the other direction.

Pluto in his chart represents his public persona, since it rules the seventh house. Within the last year, his Moon-Saturn conjunction has moved by solar arc to square his natal Pluto. It calls for a transformation of habits—especially those of habitual criticism and callousness. Whether he is still in the presidential race or not, his progressed Sun will square his progressed Pluto in about five or six months, and he will have a strong lesson about control, power and public perception. It will be followed seven or eight months after that by a repeat of the same thing when the progressed Sun also squares natal Pluto. Sun-Pluto connections are the most life-changing of them all.

Not only that, but his goals radically shifted about four months ago when solar arc Pluto conjoined Neptune, but that wasn’t a strong harbinger of success. Instead, it indicated that he was not clear about what he was doing. That is exacerbated by the fact that Neptune in transit over the last few months has been squaring his 27:55 degree Taurus ascendant. This is about the most confused a person gets in life regarding their behavior. It also can indicate a period of escapism, like drinking too much. In fact, solar arc Neptune has been squaring his natal Saturn-Moon for more than a year, which greatly adds to this problem. I wish him luck, but he’s not presidential material.

Steve Jobs' Chart

2011-10-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

I've had requests for Steve Jobs' chart. Also, many people and pundits have mentioned some darker traits he had. I'll be doing an NCGR Memberletter article more in depth about this, but for now, I'd like to celebrate a life that did much for us, albeit with some unfortunate side effects. People will probably be examining his life for a long time.

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

No doubt about it; Steve Jobs was a genius who did, indeed, change the world. His chart shoots down some old myths of interpretation about astrology but verifies others. He was born on February 24, 1955 at 7:15 pm in San Francisco. We know now that he was adopted and that his biological parents did not keep him because his father was Syrian, and his mother’s family did not approve. Jobs did not respond to his father’s repeated attempts to contact him, right up to the end. The ruler of the tenth, which I’ve come to agree is the parent of the same sex as the child, is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is square Saturn. Saturn is also considered the father in anyone’s chart, and it is square Pluto in fixed signs. This shows non-communication and power struggles with all father figures (or authority in general), and most likely applies to his adopted father, as well.

One of the myths of astrology is that Mercury square Saturn is “not too bright.” You’ll find judgments like that in older texts. I ran across it first in the Rosicrucian astrology course and searched further because I was born with Mercury retrograde conjunct Saturn in the 12th house, and read that I was probably retarded!! I actually made straight A’s. (One wonders how to make a grade A plural since the apostrophe shows possession, but without it, it is the word, “as.”) Well, we know that Jobs had a retrograde Mercury, and it was square Saturn, so that myth goes out the window. His Mercury is actually rather weak when compared to other indicators. However, it is the chart ruler. When the chart ruler is in the fifth house, the drive of the person is toward creativity with an urge to stand out, to be special in some way. In Aquarius, it can easily be inventive and inclined toward electronics or future-oriented creativity. The square to Saturn just indicates that he learns by ‘doing,’ that he has to have solid evidence and hands-on experience while learning. It also indicates that he has to know the basic premise behind anything he is trying to understand. He isn’t a “memorizer.” He builds, which is what Saturn does. Everything has to have a logical purpose. The square of Saturn to Pluto shows hard work, perseverance and obsession. Since those two rule the fifth and third, then it would be obsession about his creative (5th) ideas (3rd).

In an early interview, the writer made much of his temper and “in your face” attitude. That comes from Moon and Mars in Aries…and especially Mars in the 8th house, which is extremely private and determined. He wanted only the best (Virgo rising and Sun in the 6th) and was a perfectionist with very little patience with mediocrity.
Mars is important in this chart because it is part of a configuration involving Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter. His Uranus/Jupiter conjunction shows originality and ability to expand on unique ideas; the fact that it is trine Saturn shows he can bring those ideas down to practical application. This is a traditional interpretation that has been verified many times. It would have been a moot, generational thing if not for the Mars, which personalizes it and allows him to USE his ideas. Neptune (ruler of the seventh) is opposing Mars, and shows vision for the public (7th)—maybe even some psychic ability. However, it is also a bit deceptive, which can explain how he could cheat his first partner out of several hundred dollars early on.

When he died, solar arc Neptune was exactly, to the minute, quincunx Uranus. Quincunxes are separative, and since Uranus rules his sixth house, and Neptune the seventh, we could say his spirit separated from his public life, his work and his illness—and isn’t that what death is? Plus the Moon was in between squaring Mars and Neptune, and Neptune was in between a trine and sextile to them. More than likely, he was unconscious at the end and the passing was easy. Solar arc Pluto was five minutes past trining the MC. Mars, ruler of the 8th and natally occupying it, was just minutes from sextile Pluto—more indications of an easy passing.

John Boehner's Speculative Chart

2011-08-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Riots in London, a volatile stock market, the worst single fatal incident in Afghanistan…all are very indicative of Pluto square Uranus. Now Mars is joining it—exact today and tomorrow, but tomorrow the Moon will have gone over it, as well. Many astrologers have said this first part of August would be tough. There was a similar pattern last summer when we had the BP oil disaster. John Boehner’s chart is feeling the effects of this, too, so today I’d like to look at his nativity.

I took the time to try to calculate what time he was born because I was concerned that he might run for President in the future. His biography is readily available, so I used events in his life to determine what time he was probably born for them to happen when they did. He was born in Cincinnati, OH on November 17, 1949. I’m speculating he was born about 7:37 p.m. Keep in mind that I could be wrong, but the resulting chart shows all the career events of his life and works quite well.

He is ribbed about being rather emotional and “teary-eyed,” and that is typical of Cancer rising. The Moon, therefore, plays a huge role in his chart, being the ruler, and it is conjunct Neptune in Libra. When this is misused, it can point to alcoholism (he’s known to imbibe) and deception. He has taken different sides of issues, depending on who was in the White House, going from one extreme to another. The dark side of Libra manifests as telling people what they want to hear to garner approval. Since the Moon also squares Jupiter, the result can be a loose handle on judgment—especially when the Moon also conjoins Neptune.

My teacher, Gina Ceaglio, told the class one time that alcoholics usually have very strong, willful natures normally shown by a strong Pluto and/or Saturn with Mars along with a strong Neptune. After all, she said, they have their whole family in hostage to their addiction. Everyone lives around it because it is always a factor. Boehner has Mars conjunct Saturn in Virgo AND Pluto square Mercury and the Sun in fixed signs (Pluto in Leo; Sun in Scorpio). Combine this with the Moon conjoining Neptune and square Jupiter, and there is a good chance that Mr. Boehner has tendencies to addiction; he smokes, but he also may have an addiction to alcohol. He is certainly a very controlling personality.

Much is made of his being “one of the people” because of his humble beginnings. However, a fifth house Sun person feels special, if not “royal,” and with its sextile to Jupiter, he has a lot of confidence in himself. Jupiter in the 8th house can often be an indication of wealth coming easily from others—such as lobbyists, his pension, and other perks he can now enjoy. He was seen giving out checks (contributions) to congressmen from a corporation just before a vote concerning that corporation. He admitted that was not a smart thing to do—i.e. being seen doing it on the house floor. He spends a considerable amount of money for a male-only country club membership. He said recently that he didn’t feel that congressmen should be “graded” on their jobs “like a teacher” because some of them spent a considerable amount of money getting into their positions—as if he bought the job and can do with it as he pleases. When the Sun squares Pluto in a natal chart, the person will feel that their early life was out of their control, and there is an inner vow to never let that happen when they grow up. So the ambition and determination is to change their life for the better, not stay in that mindset. Uranus is rising, showing a unique personality with a great deal of independence and fearlessness.

When Mr. Boehner became Speaker of the House, the solar arc/progressed MC was trine his natal Venus and Mars, making a grand trine. The progressed Sun was conjunct Jupiter. The progressed Moon was about to conjoin the progressed Sun in two to three months which shows a brand new beginning to his life, but also a tendency, for a while at least, to be aggressive and impulsive. (note: when he began his first tenure as a representative in the US House in 1991, his progressed Moon was exactly square Jupiter)

Right now Uranus in the sky is square his natal Uranus, along with the Ascendant, and has been doing so since April. Pluto has been opposing that point during the last two and a half years as he rose to power. This is exceedingly independent, aggressive and confident. Currently, over this last few days and continuing through the next couple days, Mars has joined in. Right now Saturn is square his Venus. He is probably noticing the S&P downgrade and the reaction of the stock market and is somewhat disappointed, if not angry and shocked. He succeeded in his ambitions over the last couple months because solar arc Ascendant was exactly sextile natal Uranus which rules his ninth house—legislation.

In about 2 ½ years, solar arc Saturn will conjoin his Mercury and about 2 years and five months after that it will affect the Sun. He will not be getting his way then. Also in two years, the Sun changes signs, so another new beginning will be on the agenda.

Mitch McConnell

I didn’t try to find out his time of birth, but Mitch McConnell, minority leader of the Senate, born on Feb 20, 1942, has the Sun at one degree of Pisces. Neptune will be on that over the next year or so, and therefore, I don’t believe he’ll be clear-headed enough to know what he’s doing. He has a Mars-Saturn conjunction in Taurus, as well as the Moon (maybe, if he’s born after 4:00 a.m.) and Uranus. Money is his main objective, so those pundits saying he is in many corporations’ pockets are probably right.

The New Moon Tomorrow and Obama’s chart

2011-07-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

I knew months ago that this summer would be a tense time since the T-square of Uranus, Saturn and Pluto would be in range for the last time for a while (Saturn moves away soon) and because Mars is going to join it in August. It’s very similar to last summer when Mars and Jupiter had joined them, and we were in the throes of the big BP oil disaster. The energy that has been building over the last few weeks, related to the debt ceiling, is just the build-up to the discord and tension in August—but it may not be related to the same issue. It might just as easily be a hurricane or earthquake.

Lunation charts drawn for the capital cities of countries show more detail about a couple weeks ahead. This one tomorrow (July 30) is just a regular New Moon, not an eclipse, but it has information we can use, nonetheless.

The key aspect that is the most pronounced is Mercury opposing Neptune aligning with the MC, when we draw the chart for the US. Mercury is going retrograde on August second just before midnight EDT, as well, and that will be in effect until the 26th. It is in range of opposing Neptune until about the 15th, depending on how much orb you allow. That sounds ominous, but thankfully, they are well-supported. There is a nice “kite” pattern with them involving Pluto and Jupiter. To put it another way, Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto are in a grand trine—even involving the MC. Plus, Jupiter and Pluto, in turn, are sextile Neptune, which is almost midway between them. This tells me that creative imagination is at work, people are thinking more deeply, and even possibly waking up to some deceptions that have been blatantly perpetrated (like Fox News telling people that Obama has been spending three times what Bush spent DAILY. Since the Bush era ended with an almost 12 trillion deficit, and we’re now at 14.3, then Obama’s administration is spending slightly less per day if you’re averaging on an annual basis. And the obligations were already in place). But that’s not the only lie. A little research can sort it out, but it takes work.

Mercury opposing Neptune, taken alone, is deception and illusion. When it’s well-supported, as it is now, it can be used as creative ideas, spiritual objectives, or awareness of compassion. After all, Somalia, despite their pirates, is starving and desperate. Just what we throw out every day could save them—symbolically. Of course, I’m not advocating sending them our trash. There is no excuse for this kind of suffering when corporations and billionaires are raking in more personal wealth than in the history of the planet.

Another deception is the refusal of Monsanto and big agriculture to label GMO foods. One official even said that if they labeled them, they might as well put a “skull and crossbones” on the label. Europe has enforced labeling, and GMOs are not doing well there. An opposition infers “awareness,” so perhaps this opposition being in effect for a couple weeks, plus other things in the chart, can indicate a call to action as the populace wakes up to just what they have been consuming.

As far as Congress goes, the ninth house tells us what is going on with them. It’s ruled by the Moon (and the MC by the Sun), and the new moon is IN the ninth conjunct Venus. All are square Jupiter. That is excessive posturing and over-optimism. I think agreements will be reached, but at more cost than anticipated, and that all the congressmen have too much confidence in what they are doing (or trying to put over on us). However, the fourth house is the grassroots populace, ruled by Uranus in this chart, and IT is trine the Sun, Moon, and Venus. I believe that finally, we’re exerting our rights and individuality over the next two weeks, and people are letting it be known that they are not pleased with this dysfunctional congress. Since this chart is in effect for only a couple weeks, it isn’t necessarily going to change anything. For two weeks, I don’t believe anyone in any government knows exactly what is going on (angular Neptune) and a lot will have to be re-visited and done over (retrograde Mercury). The cost will be considerable (Venus square Jupiter).

We are heading into the long-term square of Uranus to Pluto. It’s a very important configuration that comes along periodically to upset the status quo and help us clean house. It will make seven contacts over the next several years, and it is just beginning; i.e. they are moving into position and have been for the last year—the first exact contact hasn’t even occurred yet (that will be June 24, 2012). These two were in effect during the Great Depression and also in the ‘60s when we had so many protests and assassinations. Pull up a seat; it is going to be a very interesting drama.

Obama’s Chart

There is so much going on in this chart, I can only hit the highlights here. First, his progressed Moon has been in Pisces for about 27 months. When the Moon is there, one can feel weak and ineffective, plus easily fall into a “victim” consciousness. BUT, in less than three months from now, it will go into aggressive, pro-active Aries, and you will see a different side of him emerge. On August second, though, his Progressed Moon is just four minutes from being sextile his progressed Jupiter, so he will feel he has achieved something in the next week.

Eleven months ago his progressed Sun went into Libra. Since the ruler of his chart is in Libra’s house to begin with, it only ADDED to his natural tendency to compromise and negotiate. We see that operating daily. This progressed Sun is right now only a couple minutes from being trine his natal Jupiter—very nice. I wish that were the only thing operating. Unfortunately, nothing is simple.

Solar arc aspects between the heavy outer planets are the most powerful. Solar arc Pluto is now square natal Saturn. By August second, it will be one minute past that. It just shows that this has been a difficult fight and very hard for him—one of the most intense power struggles of his career. In addition, progressed ascendant will be entering these stressful aspect arenas in the next two years, so (surprise!) it will not be easy. In a little over six months, when progressed ascendant opposes progressed Mars, he will be facing very angry circumstances. It could get violent. And in about 13 to 14 months, he’s in a depression or at least very tired, which I think is the most likely manifestation.

Progressed Uranus is approaching a square to his MC—and although this is a slow and very long influence, it does cover the next several years and shows great upheaval with one surprise in his career after another. To top it off, like background music, Neptune in transit has been square his MC for over a year and will continue to do so, moving on to square his Moon. That is indecision, confusion, deception, and eventually, it may affect his health, since the Moon rules his sixth house. Not a great forecast.

The Anthony Case

2011-07-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

When we look at the tragic case of Casey and Caylee Anthony, we are all saddened. However, it is a good example of relationship dynamics and what can set off a natural personality conflict. It would be ideal to imagine that every child will be compatible with his or her parents, but unfortunately, it is not the case a great deal of the time. If parents, however, would have an analysis of their chart with their children’s many tragedies like this one could be avoided.
We don’t have a time of birth for Casey, the mother—just a date and place, but we do have one for Caylee, and even without a time of birth for the mother, it is easy to see that these two would have a difficult relationship. It doesn’t mean that Casey was a “bad” mother, nor does it mean that little Caylee was a “s**t head” as her mother was quoted as calling her. It would have been difficult for these two to get along under the best of circumstances.

Caylee

Caylee Anthony was born on August 9, 2005 at 7:14 am EDT in Orlando, FL. Since she was born close to sunrise, she is a double Leo (Sun and Ascendant in the same sign), and she has the Moon in Libra. That combination needs a lot of attention and usually has a strong sense of how one is fitting into society even at a very early age.
Her mother is shown by the MC and its ruler. (I use the MC for the parent that is the same sex as the child.) That is Venus, in this case, and Venus is in Virgo squaring Pluto very closely—one degree orb. That shows that the mother was primarily materialistic (second house placement and Taurus MC), very critical of Caylee (Virgo) and controlling (Pluto square), although, it can also show that there was enormous tension between them, as well. Since Pluto rules the fourth, the other parent, it also indicates a great deal of secrecy about him. The early home life is the fourth, too, and with this kind of signature, Caylee’s early life would have been destined to be full of tension and pressure.
The Moon in Libra (in the second house with Venus) also describes her mother, and although it is sextile Saturn, showing general reliability, it is quincunx Mars. Mars is the indication of behavior—how one “acts.” A quincunx shows division or separation—nothing in common. So when she was being herself—her natural action, her mother (Moon) couldn’t relate to it. It was foreign to her. Being in Taurus, Caylee’s Mars indicates she would be somewhat stubborn and persistent. She would show frustration easily because Mars is square Saturn and Mercury. Her behavior was constantly limited or curtailed. She would have been outspoken (Mars in the ninth as well as square Mercury) and express herself quite clearly. Saturn in the twelfth is conjunct Mercury, which, in turn, is conjoining her twelfth house Sun. This is maturity at a very early age plus hardship, leaving a kind of “un-nameable” guilt for even existing. She would catch on very early that she was not really all that welcomed by her mother when she was born. This innate guilt is also shown by the Sun being opposite Neptune, both spanning the Ascendant/Descendant axis. Neptune is opposing Mercury, so she inherited her mother’s propensity for deception, although since it’s an opposition, it would often be coming to her from others rather than from her own choices.

The Composite

A composite chart is created from midpoints between any two entities’ charts. This can be between people, a person and a city, or anything that is “born.” It’s a fabulous tool to see the essence of a relationship, and from experience, I’m convinced it takes precedence over just comparing two charts. This one is not perfect, since we don’t have a time of birth for Casey (born March 19, 1986 in Warren, OH), but we can see a lot from what we have. First there is a T-square between Mars, Pluto, Mercury and Sun. If Casey had been born mid-day or later, this would be a full-blown grand square including the Moon. But the T-square is enough to indicate enormous tension. They would see each other as resistant, non-co-operative and stubborn. It would have been a life-long power struggle. Anger would easily escalate into rage.
Further, Venus is square Saturn indicating a lack of affection. And it also quincunxes Uranus very tightly revealing that there was a fundamental feeling that each was limiting the other’s freedom. Neither one felt she was free to express herself fully nor to do as she wanted.

June 16, 2008

This was the last day Caylee was seen alive. She had been going through quite a bit leading up to this day. For some reason, ten months earlier, her life shifted in some way resulting in her being more intense and ultra-aware. Her Libra natal Moon went into Scorpio. We all have this phenomenon of the progressed moon changing signs around every 2 ¼ to 2 ½ years. It usually indicates a time when we take a subtle change in direction, attitude, and sometimes even personality. Transiting Uranus had been opposing Venus and square Pluto for weeks, setting off the square that indicated a mother who was critical and controlling. Caylee would have seen her mother as being unpredictable, and since Pluto rules the fourth, her home life had become erratic and unpredictable, as well. When Uranus squares Pluto, the person experiencing it wants whatever is happening to be over with. It’s intense impatience at a peak. Little Caylee did not like whatever was happening and was more than likely very outspoken about it.
I have taught and always believed that solar arc aspects do not trigger secondary progressions, but I’ve often observed, nonetheless, that they seem to be operative. This is one of those times. The solar arc Mars on this day was square the progressed Mercury within ONE MINUTE, and progressed Mercury was quincunx progressed Uranus within two minutes. By the end of the day, both could have been exact. After all, we don’t know what time, or even what day, Caylee left us. But, Uranus rules the seventh, which is connected to “being in public” or visible to the public, and the quincunx is separating. So, at that time she was literally “separated from the public.” Transiting Nodes were conjunct the progressed Sun; this was a karmic event.
The most dramatic thing of all was transiting Mars. For about four or five days, Caylee had been angry. She was probably “acting out” quite a bit. Mars was going over her Sun, progressed Sun and then the Ascendant. The MC at this time was square the Ascendant, as well, so it was included in this. The night before this, it was exact. Chiron was exactly opposite the ascendant to the minute. This was a day of destiny, when choices were ultra-important.
Casey Anthony’s natal chart (even without an exact time) shows a Mars-Uranus conjunction square Mercury and Sun. This indicates a high-strung person who is easily angered and insists on doing what she wants. This is also a signature of attention deficit disorder—not a diagnosis, just a common aspect in the charts of people who have it. She is highly accident prone and impatient. Transiting Uranus was square Casey’s natal Uranus and conjunct her Mercury; so she was especially not patient at this time. In fact, she was highly nervous. On June 16th, the Sun at 25-26 Gemini was opposing her Mars, and since it had been opposite Uranus two or three days earlier, she had been high-strung and impatient for several days. Transiting Pluto had been squaring her Sun for over a year, so she felt pressured and desperate. This was a perfect storm.

The Composite on June 16, 2008

For over a year, transiting Saturn had been going over the T-square mentioned earlier that indicated that this relationship was very difficult. It had been activating it again from late March 2008 onward. That is extremely difficult with both parties feeling severely frustrated. The composite Moon is hard to pinpoint without a time of birth for Casey, but it was definitely in mid to late Leo close to Caylee’s ascendant. So, at some point around this time, the transiting Mars was also triggering the composite Moon which is not only anger and impatience on both parties’ sides, but also a visceral, emotional eruption of it.
Without a time of birth for Casey, I don’t want to speculate about anything, but there is ample evidence that both of them were highly volatile at this time, and it’s entirely possible that Caylee was accidentally killed out of impatience and anger. And last, solar arc Jupiter was within minutes of Casey’s natal Sun. If she was born earlier than six am, then this could have been exact around the time of the death, and it would have indicated being very optimistic about how this would all play out which could account for her behavior and carelessness.

June 15th Eclipse and the USA Chart

2011-06-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have a hard time believing that the founding fathers really used Astrology to pick a time to begin this country as some pundits have said. It may have the very nice Sun, Jupiter and Venus conjunction, but there are three difficult aspects (Sun square Saturn, Mercury opposite Pluto and Mars square Neptune), the last two of which are directly connected to the collective subconscious of the country. If you think of a country’s chart as an ex-ray of the psychology of the people en masse, it is not that hard to see what the underlying issues are behind the way they live, the way they are perceived by other countries and what motivates them.

In my opinion, the most unconscious and challenging of these three is the square between Mars and Neptune. A “square” aspect means the two planets are 90 degrees apart (and we allow a few degrees from exactness as being effective—Mars and Neptune are just one degree from being exactly 90 degrees apart, which we consider “tight” or close). A square means that their energies are in conflict. Imagine two rivers coming together at a right angle—which is what 90 degrees is. What happens? Turbulence is created. The square aspect is also the most likely of all the aspects to produce “projection,” which is a form of denial.

Mars in a chart describes how the entity handles physical energy—i.e. how s/he acts, moves, projects oneself, handles anger and aggression, and how one “does” things. It can show how impulsive the chart owner is. It also will describe, along with other things, what is going on related to the house(s) that has Aries on the cusp (since Mars rules Aries) and the house it occupies. In the USA chart, Mars is connected to houses four and five (Koch system) that have to do with the home and family, tradition, emotional security, and most importantly, the subconscious mind, which is programed by early home, family, etc. (4) and also sexual conduct, children, ego, recreation and even gambling (5). It is located in the angular seventh house, which is a strong position. The seventh is where we look to find out the entity’s attitude about war, but that’s the negative side. It’s really, essentially, getting along with others who are not part of your immediate family—i.e. the public, and therefore, has to do with partnership, marriage, negotiation, compromise and diplomacy—relationships that have contracts. But, when that breaks down, war breaks out. [I’m reminded of a comment by the late Edie Custer who said that the seventh house is “marriage and open enemies, and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.”]

Neptune stays in a sign for about 14 years, so it is not as personal as Mars by sign placement. It becomes more personal by house affiliation. It powerfully affects any planet to which it is connected geometrically. Neptune, in positive manifestation, relates to imagination, spirituality, sensitivity, compassion, psychic ability, and artistic forms that are ethereal, like music and dance. Neptune is called the “universal solvent” because it shows where we dissolve boundaries and become confused or, if positive, inspired. When it is connected to a planet in a challenging way, such as a square or opposition—even a semi-square (45 degrees) and its companion the sesqui-quadrate (135 degrees)—the usual result is confusion, delusion and sometimes deliberate deception. This can result in being in denial about one’s own traits and in this case, behavior (Mars). In the USA chart, Neptune is in the ninth house which is where we look in a country’s chart to see what kind of laws they use, what kind of legislature is in place, the educational system—in fact, all the country’s institutions, including churches, schools, social services, etc. And it is the entity’s attitude about foreign countries as well as showing one’s general ethics and philosophy. Since Neptune rules Pisces, we find that sign intercepted in the third house. The third is the conscious mind—what we are aware of—and our speech. [Note: An interception happens when there are two houses with the same sign on the cusp, in this case four and five both have Aries there, so a house somewhere else will have a whole sign “caught” within it and the previous sign on its cusp. The houses opposite these will also have the same phenomenon.]

Putting it Together
This all tells us something important about the USA’s way of doing things. There is an unconscious tendency to be deceptive (Neptune) in behavior (Mars); particularly, this is centered in the legislature and with foreign countries regarding our speech and negotiations. We citizens are in denial about it, but we are not honest in our negotiations, in our partnerships, even with our wars. And because it is part of the collective subconscious, we, the populace, are easily deceived, as well. That doesn’t mean that individuals are ALL this way, but as a general rule, our representatives (ninth house Neptune) are conveniently confused in their ethics (putting it kindly), and as a collective, we are in denial about it for the most part. It is a weakness in the very foundation of our country. It manifested from the very beginning. For instance, Alexander Hamilton formed a central bank, which is not what the constitution called for. After it was corrected (I think by Andrew Jackson), the very devious conclave of bankers who met at Jekyll Island in 1910 figured out a way to do it again by forming the Federal Reserve, which is, in essence, a central bank. Even today, people mistakenly believe it is part of the government. We were totally hoodwinked. (For the whole story, read “The Creature from Jekyll Island.”)

The Eclipse
Yesterday, June 15, 2011, the eclipse at 24 Sagittarius energized this square. It is MOST important when the part of the chart being contacted is holding an important progression, transit or solar arc. That is the case now. Pluto by solar arc is just 30 minutes away from being square Mars and only one degree and 33 minutes from being conjunct Neptune. That is MAJOR. Pluto and Mars are equated with volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and on a personal level, rage. When Pluto touches something, there is total breaking down and rebuilding the energies involved. The eclipse is bringing all the deception to our attention over the next year. I see an eclipse as a spotlight on a trait that we need to see in ourselves. When you also include something as important as solar arc Pluto in the mix, we have a potential powder keg. Thirty minutes of solar arc motion equals six months. One degree and 33 minutes equals a year and nearly seven months. All solar arc planets move about five minutes a month. When it is this close and triggered by an eclipse, it is right around the corner. No one can really predict exactly how it will unfold, but we are at a point in our history where we cannot be in denial any longer. There is much, much more to this since the Sun-Saturn square will be triggered by the eclipse on July 1st, and that one is also holding a Saturn transit. Our best defense is to be honest, prepared for anything like a hurricane, earthquake, etc.—even expression of rage in the country (which is already starting), expression of rage from foreign countries toward us, and hold our representatives accountable, as well.

Upcoming Eclipses

2011-05-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

We are having three eclipses in a row in the immediate future: a partial solar eclipse on June 1st, a total lunar eclipse on June 15th and another partial solar eclipse on July 1st. Each one is very important for different reasons. And if you have a position in your chart in the eclipse degrees, this will be a very personal effect for you. Or if you were born 3, 6 or 9 months from these dates, it will affect you, too.
The first one on June 1, 2011 at 5:01:57 pm EDT in Washington DC shows the eclipse at 11:02 Gemini. Since the USA’s Sibley chart has 12 degrees Sagittarius rising, it is very close to opposing the ascendant. That is potent—especially since it is also in range of our 8 degree Gemini Uranus which is holding solar arc Saturn at 8 Gemini also. Uranus represents surprising and unexpected events. Saturn conjunct Uranus is loss of freedom, a feeling there is nothing one can do about anything. We are already into this mind-set, so the eclipse will intensify it.
In the astromap for this eclipse, this configuration is primarily affecting the western part of the US from eastern Nevada to mid-Texas and all regions north or south of that. A Uranus-Pluto-Saturn T-square affecting a region can bring great hardship, and we’re seeing evidence of that with weather already.
The Eclipse chart’s MC, at 6:25 Leo is aligning with the USA’s north node at 6:36 Leo! Plus, transiting Uranus is not only square the USA Venus, it is also opposing the progressed Moon, all in 3 degrees of cardinal signs—i.e. they occupy Aries (Uranus), Cancer (USA Venus) and Libra (progressed Moon). Since Pluto is not far from also activating this configuration, and the progressed Moon will be involved with IT in a couple months, we are looking at a very interesting summer to say the least.
With all that, though, most citizens will continue to see the economy as tolerably stable and be in continuing denial that anything is out of the ordinary. This is because Jupiter at 29:26 Aries is opposing the 0:53 Scorpio ascendant (out of sign opposition, but very close). Jupiter opposite the ascendant is extremely optimistic. And there is a stellium of Venus, Mars, and Mercury in Taurus in the seventh. There could be some grumbling about prices, but so far, there is no outright major rebellion.
Then we come to the eclipse of June 15th. Amazingly, that one has an even tighter opposition of Jupiter to the ascendant—only a three minute orb!! There might be a sudden upsurge in jobs since Jupiter is technically in the sixth house, but Uranus is there, too, which can indicate instability. Neptune in both these eclipse charts is in the fourth house which usually indicates a rainy season ahead.
This eclipse is the strongest of the three even though it is not a solar eclipse, which is normally stronger. This is because, being at 24 degrees of Gemini/Sagittarius, it is the closest one to the ecliptic, shown by the nodes being at 23 Gemini/Sagittarius. The nodes indicate the location of the Moon in relation to the Eclipitc, and this lunar eclipse is closer to it than the two solar eclipses are. Therefore, it is very powerful.
The T-square mentioned above is getting tighter now, and it will be set off by the third eclipse coming on July 1st, (three in a row is relatively rare). Even though it is the weakest since it’s further away from the nodes than the others, it is still powerful for the USA. At 9:12 Cancer, it is close to the USA Sun—in fact, at the midpoint between the Sun and Jupiter, which is affected also by the T-square mentioned before. When you add the progressed Moon just entering this configuration, too, it is going to be a very, very important summer for us. We are in for a rocky ride concerning just about everything.
Don’t be surprised if you see news about earthquakes or other natural phenomenon (or political upheaval) coming out of Alaska. In the Astromap for this eclipse (which is posted above) note all the activity by the T-square, the eclipse, Venus and Neptune all converging around Fairbanks and above Anchorage. Plus, the Mars line is going through the mid-west again as the Vernal Equinox Map showed, and Maine has the eclipse line and Pluto going through it, so that state may have some deep rumblings going on, which could just as well be political as physical.
Rain should be plentiful in a swath from the Great Lakes eastward to Virginia, but more than enough on the latitude that divides Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and 100 miles north and south of it. (I’m just dipping my toe into the weather part of this, so don’t hold me to it.)
We have been predicting the time ahead for many years. It’s very important because it is a clean out and balancing of everything that has gotten out of balance and mighty dirty. Before the calm and order comes back, a lot of dust has to be raised, so rest assured, it’s all for the good, no matter how messy it seems.

Skepticism

2011-05-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, all you have to do is label something “socialist” (whether it applies or not) and conservatives will dismiss it out of hand and not even read or listen to what is being relayed. Or, if you’re a Liberal, just hear “conspiracy theory” and the ears and eyes close. Those are the sound bites our “leaders” or media mouthpieces are repeating over and over to, apparently, keep us from dialog. However, I have a son who is on the opposite side of the political fence from me (got it from his Limbaugh-lovin’ father) so I listen to, read and view whatever he sends me. I don’t agree with most of it, but I get a really good idea of what conservatives are thinking. I have to admit, there are some points that I had to pause over.
One is the “FEMA Camps.” When Jesse Ventura did a show about them, it was promptly removed from the internet, and it’s impossible to see it now. Not even allowed as re-run. I have to wonder why, and it had to come from a powerful place to manage such censorship. I don’t like Jesse Ventura particularly, but that one show was an eye-opener (popper, actually), and I now have a good DVD of a similar documentary about it. The only thing I object to in the DVD is that the producer added a lot of propaganda at the end about Hitler that wasn’t necessary or relevant. My point is that both sides have some valid information that we’d do well to ponder. And I believe we are cheating ourselves by shutting out ALL that the “opponent” has to say.
Osama bin Laden
A second point I had to pause about was the demise of Osama bin Laden. Right after the purported May 2nd killing of bin Laden, Steve R. Pieczenik was on radio saying that he personally knew (as did Bush, Rice and even Albright) that he had died in 2001 of Marfan disease. They purportedly froze the body to trot out later when politically expedient. You may have to copy and paste the following link, which is not supporting it—just REPORTING it. You can google Pieczenik if you want to find the actual radio show: (copy and paste)
http://blogs.forbes.com/kenrapoza/2011/05/05/osama-bin-laden-already-becoming-the-new-roswell/
I wouldn’t have put something on Facebook about it except that right after that there was a little survey on the internet asking people to vote on when bin Laden died. They offered December 2001 or May 2011. The vote tally was 98% FOR December 2001. Amazingly, I had done a little research astrologically about what month he would have died, if in 2001, and had come up with early December, myself. I wondered where they got December! I had not seen that date anywhere else—just “shortly after 9/11” or “months ago” when someone appeared on TV in late April 2002. (I wish I’d saved the links, but didn’t know I’d be writing about this.) So, let’s examine the charts for the two dates and see what they show.
First the source of the chart for Osama bin Laden from Karen Hamaker-Zondag who said:
“My source is William de Rijcke in Belgium, a physician and astrologer, who has a good friend working at Interpol. This friend has been searching the archives of Interpol and found the date and time. He gave this to William de Rijcke who in his turn spread the news. I heard somebody mentioning that it was a hospital record, but I am not 100% sure it is.
I was given the following data: March 10, 1957, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, at 10:58 AM EET. I know William de Rijcke for decades now, and he has a scientific mind; there is no indication that one cannot trust him.
The only problem I have is that as far as I know Arabian hospitals did not record birth times, but maybe I am wrong. I have published the data to add to the discussion, and always mentioned the source.”
Keep in mind that the family was very wealthy and might have been treated differently than the average Saudi citizen relative to birth records. Also note this data says EET, not BAT, which is the local time zone. The chart I’ve seen circulated ignored the EET, and set it for BAT, which moves the ascendant about 14 degrees. That is very important since the ascendant is the body.
The Chart for December 6, 2001
The natal chart has Saturn in the sixth house which in turn is ruled by Scorpio. Saturn rules connective tissue in the body (Rex Bill’s “The Rulership Book”), and when Saturn is in the sixth, it usually indicates chronic health conditions. Saturn rules bin Laden’s 8th house, which is usually involved in one’s death, and indeed, shows the “promise” of how one will most likely die. When the ruler of the 8th is in the sixth, then one will most likely die of a chronic illness (especially when the planet is Saturn), not violence.
It is known that bin Laden had Marfan Syndrome. Wikipedia says: “Marfan syndrome (also called Marfan's syndrome) is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. People with Marfan's tend to be unusually tall, with long limbs and long, thin fingers.” Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, and in December 2001 (indeed, for the whole year) Pluto was transiting Osama’s Saturn. Plus, solar arc Neptune (weakening, debilitating) had been conjoining it two years earlier. On December 6, 2001, the Sun and Mercury joined Pluto at 14-15 Sagittarius which was between the 14 degree Saturn and 16 degree solar arc Neptune. It was a critical day.
Pluto in the natal chart is at 28:43 Leo. On this day, transiting Mars was opposing it and was quincunx the progressed ascendant. The progressed ascendant was semisextile that point; a semi-sextile acts the same as a quincunx and is separative. (i.e. ruler of the sixth being activated by the ascendant can be the body separating from Spirit because of illness.) Solar arc Chiron was quincunx Pluto, and Juno was conjunct. Progressed Moon was opposing progressed Pluto and the transiting Moon would trigger all this late that afternoon. Progressed Moon/Pluto connections are very intense and dramatic.
The Sun represents vitality. The progressed Sun had been opposing Neptune a year before and was square natal Uranus just before this. It could indicate slow deterioration for over a year and then a sudden turn for the worse. Transiting Uranus was trine the ascendant, but the natal Uranus is semi-square the ascendant, and when a planet activates any point in a chart, it will bring out the NATAL aspect no matter what aspect it is making. This is another indication of an emergency. And last, transiting Neptune was opposing the solar arc ascendant and squaring the progressed Venus which rules the 12th house. This can be the indication of deception about the whole thing but also the extreme weakness of the body and probably hospitalization.
The Chart for May 2, 2011
I did a blog about charts being activated after death awhile back, and it looks like this is what is going on here, and it’s a very different story than the 2001 chart. The natal chart has a square between Neptune in the fifth (which rules the MC) and Uranus in the second (which rules the ninth). Ninth and tenth houses together represent one’s position in the world (tenth) and the media (ninth). This square promises mysteries and deception regarding those things.
At 1:00 am Abbattabad, Pakistan time, the MC was exactly quincunx the ascendant and conjunct the north node. This can indicate a separation of the person from public view (one’s position in the world) and karmic results of such. Transiting Neptune, the ruler of the MC, was within three minutes of trining the natal Moon and progressed Neptune!! If this indicates a deceptive event, then it is a successful one. Plus, the solar arc MC, Mercury and Venus were all square natal Uranus, having been opposite natal Neptune the year before. This is a sudden awakening, or event that is very public (because of the MC being involved) after a year or two of deception or secrecy. Transiting Uranus was quincunx natal Neptune. This is tricky and can be either an end to media “mystery” and deception about bin Laden’s role in his “career” or that the media is not involved in the truth at all. Uranus rules the ninth (media and also foreign countries, by the way). Transiting Saturn is quincunx the tenth house/MC stellium of MC, Mercury, Venus, Juno and Hygeia. Saturn rules the 8th, remember. So, this can be the “death” of bin Laden’s career, and because Mercury (ruler of the ascendant) is involved, it can also be the death of the body. However, just a Saturn transit with little else to sustain it, is not enough for such a huge event. It can also be the final act that puts the whole thing to rest.
Solar arc Pluto is trine the ascendant and quincunx the south node. He was born with Pluto in wide sextile to the ascendant—six degrees orb—so this is activating the sextile. That is not defeat or death. It’s being able to exhibit power and control. However, contradicting this, the progressed Sun was only 14 minutes from being quincunx progressed Saturn, which can be loss of vitality and even death, since Saturn rules the 8th. Echoing this, the transiting Sun was also quincunx the transiting Saturn, which we often look for in activating a progression.
We may never know which year bin Laden died, but I have to say the 2001 date is more dramatic and concrete, and there is just too much Neptune (deception, deceit) involved in the second one. Symbolically, he “died” this month because we all know it now. Before, it was speculation. Of far more importance currently is the Japan nuclear plant disaster that may end up being a global problem.

The Economic Cycle of Jupiter and Saturn

2011-04-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Jupiter-Saturn Cycle
Jupiter and Saturn are considered the planetary pair that most closely relate to economic factors in a person’s chart. Their relationship by phase (more below about that) and aspect can relay information about a person’s attitudes, prospects and habit patterns regarding “success” in the “real” world. On a mundane scale—i.e. global/political, they have a cyclic relationship that correlates with worldwide economic conditions which can be very helpful in assessing current events.
It was 1974 in San Francisco at an AFA convention that I first heard about this. Marc Robertson gave a lecture on the topic, and in fact, you can read more about it in his succinct book, “Engine of Destiny” published by AFA. I don’t know if it’s still available, but it’s a wonderful little gem of a book with enormous information packed into less than 100 pages. He covers not only the Jupiter/Saturn cycle, but five other pairs, as well.
The synodic cycle of Jupiter and Saturn is twenty years. That is, after Jupiter and Saturn align (conjunct) in space, it will be roughly twenty years before they do so again. Within that cycle there are eight phases. We are used to the Sun and Moon having phases and are familiar with four: new, first quarter, full and last quarter. Those are the times when the Moon has moved, in relation to the Sun, a quarter of a circle (90 degrees), half a circle and the last quarter of the circle before becoming new again.
You can divide each of those four phases in half again. This makes each of the eight phases 45 degrees in space. All planets have phases with all the other planets, and it is a bedrock concept in Astrology holding profound meaning. With Jupiter and Saturn, regarding our global economic cycle, the new phase, which is at the alignment or conjunction (they appear to be together in the sky although one is farther out in space than the other), is when we tend to act instinctively. The beginning of this current cycle, was in late May/early June 2000. We believe we have pretty good sense about how far to go with spending or not, we think, but it is instinctive and without a plan. This initiates an approximately ten year period of optimism and spending—and if misused, greed. Note that ten years ago we in the USA had a surplus when Bush took office. Lots of optimism, so Bush gave it back. Then we had a rising bubble of housing prices and debt accumulation over the next ten years. Whoever was amassing debt was looking at expansion or profit and not at the responsibility of the results. The waxing phase of the Sun and Moon, remember, is when the Moon appears to get bigger and bigger.
After the new phase comes the crescent phase, which is when the two planets are 45 degrees apart with the faster planet ahead of the slower one. This is when there is an urge to break new ground and depart from old structures. We started a war.
Then there is the first quarter phase, around five years from the conjunction, and it is here that there is a crisis, a battle. Usually, it is a more aggressive period. In the current cycle, this was when Bush entered his second term where he aggressively announced he would spend his political capital.
The next phase is the gibbous. Jupiter is now 135 degrees from Saturn in the sky. This is the time the global community begins to analyze what has been going on and to try to be more efficient. There is a danger of degenerating into criticism and “blaming” during this time. It has a “Virgo” flavor.
The ten year marker, or full phase, is where we are now in this cycle. It was exact the last day of March/first day of April, which is why I was inspired to write this. The full phase is when we “see the light.” That is, if we use the Sun/Moon analogy, it is full Moon time, and there is full realization of the results of the last ten years’ economic choices and activity. We are heading into the waning phase for the next ten years, and during that time, historically, economies are more austere. We reap what we have sown in the waxing phase—positive or negative depending on whether it was wise or not.
The disseminating phase is next, starting in October 2012, and may be the most important of all. This phase is about assessing what we have learned and teaching others, although most of the time we as a species don’t use its highest function. It is about making laws to insure the future will be wiser from our mistakes.
The last quarter phase, starting August 2015, is when we reach a place of responsibility and act on what we have learned, preparing for the future. In the last cycle, Clinton was in office during these last couple phases. It wouldn’t have mattered who was in office, though. The same energy would have been prevalent. The difference is that some can use it better than others.
And finally, the Balsamic phase, which is the most spiritual of all. On some level of our global psyches we realize, whether we’re conscious of it or not, that we are all one. It is an internalizing of what has gone before, digesting it, and preparing for the new cycle which will begin this next time just before Christmas in 2020 at zero degrees Aquarius. Every time I see these cycles unfold, I’m awestruck again at how orderly God has arranged our growth. If we don’t learn the lesson in one cycle, there will be another one right behind it!

MEDICARE

2011-04-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Since I use Medicare, I am very concerned about attempts to end it or alter it in a way that makes it no better than forced health insurance via the insurance industry. Therefore, today I researched the date and time Medicare was signed into law and was delighted to find that Lyndon Johnson’s itinerary for that day, July 30, 1965, was archived at www.ssa.gov/history/lbjsm.html (You will have to copy and paste) On this page are links to the four pages of his schedule for the day along with the exact times he did each thing. Note that he finished opening remarks and “moved to the signing table” at 3:09 p.m. He was in Independence MO at the Truman library for this occasion, and the log also mentioned on page two that it was CST. It mentions that he and Truman, along with others, walked to Truman’s office in the library at 3:20 p.m. Therefore, since the last act was to present Truman with the first SS card at the end of the signing, I set the chart for 3:19 p.m.—a logical time for the signing to be complete.
Amazingly, the Sun is conjunct Hygeia, the asteroid we associate with health, in the ninth, the sector we associate with legislation. Also in the ninth is a stellium in Virgo (also associated with health) of Venus, Moon, Uranus and Pluto. Mercury is also in the stellium, but in the last degree of Leo. We are all familiar with Medicare’s abuses, which is shown by Neptune being in the 12th and widely square the Sun, but more closely square Hygeia. Just the process of vigorously investigating and prosecuting those abuses would go a long way to making Medicare more solvent! As a recipient of Medicare, I’ve found the process of using it most efficient. They send the patient a statement of treatments and what they paid, and I caught a fraudulent charge one time by just looking at the statement. I’ve also had years of dealing with health insurance coverage, and I prefer Medicare and the single payer process hands down.
Right now there is quite a bit going on in this chart. First, as one would expect, Neptune is not only an active trigger, but also is being acted upon. One of our greatest problems right now is being deceived and misled by the media and corporations who have a vested interest in controlling government. Masses of people are being deceived and manipulated into supporting things that are not in their own best interests. This is shown in this chart, as well. Mercury in the chart rules the 7th—the public. It also rules the MC, which represents those in control of Medicare. Neptune is transiting opposite Mercury all during this year, and since it is coming from the 12th house, you can be sure it is deception of the public, and even those in control, on a scale none of us could imagine. This is further emphasized by secondary progressed Mars moving to conjoin natal Neptune as well. It is now within one degree, which is how close it needs to be to be active. It will go on to conjoin progressed Neptune showing that it will be in effect for quite some time. The progressed MC will catch up to this long influence in ten years, which is when I anticipate Medicare will not resemble its present form any longer.
You might wonder why it would take ten years. Well, it’s a strong chart with Pluto at the MC—tenacious. And transiting Pluto is going to be trine the stellium in Virgo and the MC until 2021. After that, it will be out of range and not effective. Plus, in 2021, not only will the progressed MC be conjoining Neptune, but transiting Neptune will be opposing the natal MC. If the signing of the law was finished a minute or two earlier, then this could be earlier as well. That literally means the base of the program is “dissolved.” One would hope we replace it with another strong health system after that dissolution. Right now, though, I don’t believe anyone will succeed in dismantling this very popular program.

Why a chart tells us what it does

2011-04-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Last week a client, who received an annual forecast recently, called with a question. It reminded me that no matter how long someone has sought the services of an astrologer, it helps to go back to the basics and explain some things from time to time. When people come to an astrologer, it is usually because they have a drama in their lives and are looking for immediate answers. They are not interested in what led up to it or how they may have been the cause of it themselves. They are in the moment and looking for results.
The lady calling wanted to know why a chart would show circumstances coming up that are a repeat of a chronic situation that had permeated her life for as long as she could remember, and what she could do about it. Since I had been doing her chart for several years, I thought she would know the basic premise behind the “why” of events in our lives, but she didn’t remember. Or, perhaps I did not make it clear at the beginning. In a highly charged emotional engagement like a chart interpretation, people will not hear all the details. One client wrote me that she didn’t fully “hear” it all until she listened to the tape again ten years later!! Then she said it changed her life. Knowing why things are happening is the heart and soul of spiritual growth—besides, of course, faith and prayer.
My teacher used to say, “Character is destiny; change your character and you change your destiny.” The birth chart shows why you are here, what character traits need attention and what your habitual patterns are potentially going to be. I say “potentially” because you have free will to change whatever is not working for you. When the transiting, progressed or directed planets contact the pattern in the chart that shows where improvement is needed, you can count on situations or events to come together to remind you to improve them.
For instance, if your chart shows an addictive personality, and you have given in to it for years by smoking, eating or drinking excessively, then when the transits, et al, align with the pattern that shows that, you might have a health issue emerge if you have not curtailed habits that are unhealthy. We learn by seeing and experiencing cause and effect.
Further, nothing comes from nothing, and underlying that will be psychological issues that may be the trigger for such a personality. That leads to the question, “Where did that come from when it’s shown at BIRTH—BEFORE you have had a chance to be affected psychologically?” If some of you doubt reincarnation, please read carefully John 9:1-3. The disciples asked why the man was BORN blind…HIS sin or his parents’? Jesus did not say, “Are you crazy? How can someone sin BEFORE he’s born?” Instead, he replied as though it was a perfectly reasonable question. And I might add, the fact that he was born blind for some other reason does not negate the disciples’ question as valid. Origen, an early Christian leader, wrote about this, but his works were largely discredited by Justinian and Theodora during one of the Ecumenical Councils of Constantinople.
Steven Forrest’s work about reincarnation as shown in the birth chart is worth pursuing. He states that we come into life with engrained, often negative, habits that had a “pay off” before, but which now may not be appropriate. Most people will persist in trying to make them work for four or even five decades before finally striving to find out why it isn’t “paying off” anymore.
Some people will be in denial about their traits and exhibit the famous psychological phenomenon of projection—usually those with fixed sign squares, and the astrologer has a choice. You can enable them by going along with the denial and even excusing it, or tell them as much as possible what the traits are that are causing pain or discomfort. This does NOT mean it has to be done cruelly or extremely directly, but that you point out the events leading up to the current drama and how the person was a contributor. If he or she reacts very strongly—especially to something that is not that huge, then you can be sure, (as all my teachers have said) you have touched the truth. The subconscious (or as the Course in Miracles calls it, “the ego”) does not like to be found out or to have to take responsibility, so it will react strongly to hold onto its illusion. You cannot do anything about the way a person will use what you tell them or how they will respond, once it’s out of your mouth, but it might be the best thing you ever did for that person even though you take a lot of heat for it and they blame you for their problems—which I call, “letting the chips fall where they may.” You can control nothing but yourself.
My most gratifying times have been when these people call to thank me for being forthright with them. No one had explained cause and effect to them on that level, and if someone had not, they could have wasted many more years beating the same drum and getting the same results.
Please note that there are many very disturbed people out there. Discernment is needed to determine when to refer someone to a professional psychologist.
I have worked with many social workers and psychologists, who would never tell anyone they use an astrologer, who found the insight invaluable, as did Jung. Someday, probably not in my lifetime, we will see giant strides taken to help people with their spiritual journey when we get over our knee jerk negative reactions to this magnificent gift God has given us to do just that.
Next time: The Saturn/Jupiter cycle.

The Equinox, Full Moon, Federal Reserve and Health Issues

2011-03-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Remember last year when the oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded? It was just before the long-expected T-square of Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn would form along with Mars in the mix. The explosion was just the sort of thing that would fit that configuration, but it started early, so when we got to late July and nothing further happened, we were disappointed. Actually, in late July the oil spill was still not contained, BUT how do we know what was really going on, the consequences of which have yet to be discovered? However, there were other things, as Ray Merriman wrote in a recent post:

You may remember at that time four major things happened: 1) the Financial Regulatory Reform Act was passed, 2) the Federal Reserve decided to launch QE2, thus surprising market participants who at the time did not anticipate this, 3) Russia fueled the nuclear rods of Iran, enhancing their nuclear ambitions against the wishes of much of the rest of the world, and 4) Russia (and much of Europe) suffered a great drought that caused wheat prices to soar. There were also deadly floods in Pakistan and China. I know many astrologers were disappointed that more serious calamities or a financial meltdown did not manifest. But events that would be associated with the Cardinal Climax are happening now it is rekindled with the ingress of Uranus back into Aries over the degrees of this configuration. It is as if this configuration is unfolding all over again. That's what happens when such highly charged degrees are hit again later on.

Well, now Uranus has entering Aries again for a seven year visit, and by the time it leaves, things will be a lot different. Last night Suze Orman was lecturing about the “American Dream” being quite different now. She said that the idea of a “bigger house, better car, new clothes and toys” is over. It was never a sustainable vision anyway, because it was not based on real values. This is only the first of a long list of adjustments we are making to get to a less insulated attitude about life and how we fit into the global community. We could not continue to conspicuously consume and ignore our starving brothers on other continents forever. (See more about this later in this blog under “Health Issues”)

The Vernal Equinox

This chart is considered the most important in forecasting for the year because it is a chart set for the moment the Sun enters Aries, and hence, the beginning of Spring. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac and our Western Tropical system is based on this. The real zodiacal year is from the first day of spring until the next one. Our contrived calendars are not really natural. Therefore, it is a chart that will give us authentic information about the theme of the year and what we can expect. Keep in mind that although it is a definite chart, time is different in various places, so it has to be cast for the capital city of the country you wish to investigate. Then when put on an Astro Map, you can see how it will affect that specific country relative to the rest of the world. Mundane astrology is very complex and would just about require full time attention to be able to forecast about every country.

This chart is dramatic. We all know that this year the Sun, when it enters Aries, will immediately conjunct Uranus, which had entered that sign days earlier. What is surprising is that the Ascendant and Midheaven are also involved. Even the nodes are aligning with the MC/IC axis. This means that we are in for a very unpredictable year with a lot of surprises.

The Moon is conjunct Saturn in the first house, so depression of the populace is a given; however, it is opposing Jupiter (which is conjoining Mercury) in the 7^th. Since Mercury rules the intercepted 9^th house, and Jupiter the intercepted 3^rd, the media will be overly optimistic and, as usual, mislead the public. However, Pluto is squaring both ends of this opposition, and financial problems of millions of homes will fuel a strong back lash (such as we have seen in Wisconsin and elsewhere). You can expect this to reach a strong rebellion about injustices (Pluto square Jupiter) about five months from now—i.e. in August/September—and then continuing for six months at least. Rage about unemployment and other daily survival concerns reach a peak also around the new year (2012).

There is a willingness to sacrifice because the majority of people just do not understand what is going on. Venus rules the chart—Libra rising—and it is in the fifth conjoining Neptune. It’s well-aspected, so the people will be led easily to dramatize the spirituality of sacrifice, when, in fact, they are unaware of how they are being manipulated. We haven’t had a Vernal Equinox chart with the Sun conjoining Uranus since 1927, and we all know what happened a couple years after that. The stock market crash didn’t just “happen” in 1929; it was a final result of the preceding several years. In some important ways, we are reliving history.

Astromap (Illustrated above--click to enlarge)

I have designated the places being affected by this chart—which is good for the whole year until the Vernal Equinox of 2012—either by lines drawn for latitudes that are sensitive or by circles. Note that the top line I drew goes through the northern part of Japan, but in the Pacific just west of Hawaii there is a very important crossing of Pluto with the Sun and Uranus (earthquakes?), and one I did not draw a circle around is a crossing of Pluto with Mars at the left edge of the map just below the top line I drew. That could be an earthquake point, as well. I did not circle Chile, but note that the whole southwestern coast of South America is alive with activity as is China, Egypt and Libya.

Full Moon Today (March 19, 2011)

This weekend is a double whammy. First today, March 19^th at 2:10 p.m. EDT in Washington, DC, we will have a full Moon at 28:49 Pisces (Sun)/Virgo (Moon). A full Moon is when the Moon is opposite the Sun. The chart for the exact minute the full Moon is partile (exact) is not as dramatic as the Vernal Equinox chart, but there are some interesting things about it. On December 21^st, there was an important Eclipse at 29 Sagittarius. In this chart the Moon’s nodes have just passed that point and are in square to the Sun and Moon. The Sun is conjoining Uranus, albeit out of sign, and that is going to be the major aspect in the Vernal Equinox chart. Configurations like this point to instability and sudden disruptive events.

Federal Reserve

Those of you who follow my work may remember that I’ve been beating the drum about the Federal Reserve being unconstitutional and one of the causes of our problems. It is fascinating to see that the chart of the Fed is currently being affected dramatically. Right now the solar arc Neptune of this chart is exactly (to the minute) square natal Uranus, which rules the 8^th house. This means that the Fed is definitely not in touch with the values and mood of the people. Since the 8^th is debt and power via debt, the Neptune square indicates a dissolving of this. This one thing would not be enough to say that the Fed is losing its grip, but there is more, and it’s the prevailing energy. The Ascendant-Mars conjunction in the natal chart has moved by solar arc to square natal Neptune!! The Mars square was exact less than six weeks ago, at which time this institution was confused about what action to take—and may not have known what it’s doing. This will continue for another year and four months at least, as the solar arc ascendant moves to square Neptune, as well. And Transiting Neptune is square the Fed’s progressed Moon for the next two months, if not longer.

The Vernal Equinox chart aligns with this chart’s MC quite well. The zero degree Aries Sun and Uranus are straddling the Fed’s zero degree Aries MC and squaring the Fed’s zero degree Cancer Pluto and one degree Capricorn Sun. AND, the transiting Pluto at 7:25 Capricorn is square the Fed’s progressed Ascendant at 7:26 Libra as well as moving closer to square the Fed’s solar arc Pluto at 8 Libra. Transiting Saturn will continue to hammer the Fed’s chart as well. Hopefully, Congress will succeed in the years ahead to dismantle this behemoth that should never have existed in the first place. (Read The Creature from Jekyll Island or Money Creators by Gertrude M. Coogan –now online free as a public domain book—for background on this)

And last, Health Issues

Recently, I was shocked to find out that my blood sugar was elevated. Not drastically, but enough to do some research. I found this about High Fructose Corn Syrup from an article in Mother Jones:

Unlike glucose, which the body stores in various tissues for use as fuel, fructose is sent to the liver for processing. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California-San Francisco, has shown that it causes a buildup of fats there, triggering a host of health problems including diabetes, gout, and heart disease. Most worrisome, Lustig says, it can lead to insulin resistance, a hormonal snafu that makes you feel hungry even when you're full. "The way fructose is metabolized leads you to want to eat more," he explains—no great revelation to anyone who's ever slain a pint of Ben & Jerry's in one sitting.

Ever since HFCS was added to processed food, diabetes has spiked. So I then decided to cut out Fructose and all derivatives of corn and soy. Easier said than done. It is in EVERYTHING. Even Campbell’s soup and Lay’s potato chips. Even saltine crackers!! The problem is not just the way fructose is processed in the body; it’s also that 95 to 98% of corn and soy (and possibly beets—another sugar source) grown in this country is genetically modified. Not only is it in the food via fructose, but that stuff is fed to the cattle and other animals that we EAT. Plus we are possibly buying genetically modified FRESH produce because nothing is labeled as such. To be sure you’re not getting it, you have to either grow your own (with certified organic seed) or buy from vendors who certify their produce to be organic. I’ve mentioned before in a lecture (available free by download on my website: www.devineadvantage.com) that Mother Nature “corrects” aberrations one way or another. Monsanto’s frankenseeds are sterile, so that no one can grow anything from the seed of a genetically modified organism (GMO). Everyone is up in arms about how they make farmers buy the seed over and over. It MIGHT be profit, but it MIGHT be that they couldn’t GET seed from their GMO crops that would reproduce.

And to further this thought, lab rats fed GMO food were sterile within two generations. “That,” some greedy power mongers might have thought,” is a way to get rid of overpopulation.” (meaning the starving third world population to whom they generously donate seed) Monsanto shipped some of their “round-up ready” seed to Haiti, and the people there, knowing it for what it is, burned it. Keep in mind too, that Monsanto is quickly becoming the controller of the world’s food supply. All we need is a bug that just LOVES Monsanto seed, and worldwide famine could ensue. We need diversity.

Something to really think about next time you go grocery shopping. Read the labels. Some form of corn or soy is in everything. Now that the public is catching on, and their ads about “sugar is sugar” didn’t work, they’re getting deceptive. You’ll see things like “Sunflower OR Corn oil” – they don’t say which. Or “vegetable sugar or vegetable starch,” not which vegetable. If we just stop eating their junk, it will hit them in the purse, and this will make it change faster than any other way—and you’ll be healthier, too.

Disaster in Japan

2011-03-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

We are watching in shock and horror as the worst earthquake in Japan’s recorded history and subsequent tsunami rocks that nation, setting off a volcanic eruption in the south of Japan and fear of nuclear explosions elsewhere. The first shockwave occurred at 2:46 p.m. local time near Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. The chart, itself, didn’t yield much in terms of describing the event, but when it is compared to the chart of Japan, it’s a different story.

The chart of the official restoration of independence and sovereignty of Japan is accurately timed. According to Nicolas Campion’s Book of World Horoscopes, this was on April 28, 1952 at 1:30 pm GMT in Tokyo. Note that is GMT. The latitude and longitude automatically generates an accurate time for the place. It is notable that the Moon in this chart, at 28:41 Gemini, is very close to opposing the ascendant at 00:31 Capricorn. Transiting Uranus, which is notorious for sudden, unexpected events, occupies 29:57 Pisces which is very close to being square the midpoint between these two and is just over a half degree from squaring the ascendant, itself.

We associate Pluto with earthquakes and volcanoes. The progressed Moon was just past natal Pluto by 13 minutes and approaching progressed Pluto by less than half a degree. Keep in mind that the progressed Moon moves about a degree per month, so this is significant. Moon-Pluto connections are the most intense of emotional trauma indicators.

The nodal axis is also active; the solar arc Ascendant is conjoining it at 27 Aquarius, and as most of you know, Neptune has been close to that degree all year. The transiting nodal axis is only three minutes from natal Moon. Besides karma, the nodes of the moon (the nodal axis) indicate the immediate environment, as well. It is often active when there are changes in the environment, such as a move or renovation. In this case, seeing as how it is indicated two ways and there are other supporting factors, the environment is going through drastic change.

Along with Pluto, Mars is usually an active player in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In this case, it is showing both in the country’s chart and also in the astromap. In the chart, the natal Sun in Taurus is opposing Mars in Scorpio. It is a rule in astrology that if two planets are in an aspect in the natal chart, then no matter what aspect is being formed by progression, solar arc or transit (or any other system), it will manifest the energy of the natal aspect, sometimes called the “natal promise.” Right now, solar arc Mars has moved to trine the Sun with only a seven minute orb, bringing out the violent promise of Sun opposing Mars.

I did an astromap for the eclipse of December 21, 2010 because it was on the degree of Japan’s natal Moon, and it is in effect for at least six months. Pluto and Mars (eruptions, quakes, tsunamis) are opposing the eclipse Ascendant, so the lines are going right through the middle of Japan. Exactly. Just to the east of Japan, right on the epicenter of the quake, the Jupiter and Uranus lines are present. This means that in the eclipse chart, Jupiter and Uranus were slightly east of the MC. Uranus is unexpected, sudden activity, and Jupiter “expands” or “makes larger.” These planets are tricky to interpret because they are somewhat neutral regarding “good” and “bad.” It depends on what else is going on. That configuration, for instance, if it were positively supported, can be a windfall of sudden good luck, but as it is here, not always the case.

Middle East Rebellion

2011-02-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Let’s start with the chart for Egypt which is set for June 19, 1953 at 1:30 am in Cairo which is when the proclamation of the new Republic was read over the radio by General Neguib (Campion: Book of World Horoscopes). I have no doubt this is the correct chart in light of recent events.
There are several themes. One is the progressed Sun is conjoining the progressed Pluto, and on the day Mubarak stepped down, the transiting Sun was opposing this. The progressed Sun (and the transiting Sun) was in good aspect to progressed Saturn. The Sun-Pluto conjunction closes in six months, the time of the elections. Progressed Jupiter was also within a degree of squaring natal Moon, which is not partile yet. That shows a little too much optimism right ahead. However, real change is coming since the Sun-Pluto progression is a dying and rebirthing indicator and the progressed ascendant is less than one month from changing signs. The country’s persona is emerging into a new energy.
For the last year—maybe more—Pluto has been opposing the country’s Mars at 3 Cancer. Pluto in this chart has a great deal to do with fairness and justice since it rules the intercepted seventh house. Mars rules the Aries ascendant, so the people are naturally expressing rage about this. Rage is a hallmark of Pluto-Mars.
Egypt, like the United States is having a Saturn return, as well. The two years before a Saturn return is complete are full of stress if the entity owning the chart has issues to resolve. Things that need revision are revealed one way or another. Saturn, at 17 Libra, was also square the chart’s Uranus at 17 Cancer, an indication of having to do what is necessary.
Egypt’s Mercury is at 20:58 Cancer, and the secondary progressed Uranus is at 20:50 Cancer, both only a degree from the fourth house cusp (the grassroots populace). This is an indication of free expression and independence of thought, but that’s not all. Transiting Uranus was squaring the chart’s Sun all during January. It is literally a “declaration of independence” and often called the “divorce aspect.”

Mubarak
I don’t have a time of birth for Mubarak, and those of you who know me know that I hate doing an untimed chart. But, there are some things going on that do not require a time. I believe however, that Leo rising is not out of the question. On the day he left, if mid-Leo was rising, the progressed Moon was opposing progressed Mars, which fits the scenario. Further, transiting Mars was square both!
Solar arc Pluto was opposing his natal Uranus (death of freedom –for him!) and transiting Pluto was square the same place. Transiting Saturn was square his progressed Pluto and solar arc Venus. Since the Swiss banks froze his assets, this can be the indicator of economic loss.

Astro Map
The astro map set up for the eclipse on January 4th for Cairo, shows that the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction, which was rising in the eclipse chart, is just to the east of Cairo. The Sun/Moon line is conjunct the MC and running through Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and, being square Saturn in the eclipse chart, the Saturn line crosses it over this area. In the Atlantic Ocean the Pluto and Saturn lines cross setting up a sensitive latitude that runs just south of Cairo, all through the north African countries, and is close to Bahrain, as well. The Neptune line runs straight through Tunisia.
The Uranus-Pluto configuration’s promise of upheaval and rebellion is off and running for at least the next seven years.

King George VI and “The King’s Speech”

2011-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

The King’s Speech, a movie based on the life of King George VI of England, premiered first on Sept. 4, 2010 in Telluride, CO. I used 8:00 pm as the time of the premier, but it could have been at any time during the day. The question of whether or not a person’s chart is activated after death has long fascinated astrologers, so when something like this comes along, it is interesting to test whether or not it is true. First, though, an examination of his chart is in order to give a little background.
The future king was born on December 14, 1895 at 3:05 am in Sandringham, England. He was baptized Albert Frederick Arthur George after his great grandmother, Queen Victoria’s, deceased husband, and his birth was on the anniversary of Albert’s death. His childhood was difficult due to knock knees that were corrected with painful braces, delicate health, forced to write with his right hand although being left handed, a stammer that invited ridicule, and seeing his older brother always favored. It was said of him that he was “easily frightened and prone to tears.”
His birth chart shows this childhood clearly. The fourth house (early home life) is ruled by Uranus which is in a stellium spanning the first and second houses of the physical body and self-worth. This stellium includes Saturn, Uranus, Moon and Mars, all in Scorpio except Mars, which is at 1:21 Sagittarius. Moon in Scorpio bestows deep reactions and emotional turmoil—especially when very close to Uranus, adding suddenness to reactions, hence “easily frightened.” Mars, less than seven degrees away, only exacerbates this. Saturn, when connected to Uranus, can indicate a feeling of hopelessness, lack of freedom, a feeling of “one must do what one must do.” And, of course, Saturn conjoining the Moon (which it does because of Uranus bridging the distance between them) is notorious for hyper sensitivity and depression, leading also to a feeling of loneliness.
Further, the chart ruler, Venus, is also in Scorpio and square Jupiter in Leo, which conjoins the MC. I am amazed that he didn’t have diabetes (maybe, though who knows?), but he did smoke to excess, which eventually led to his early demise. This square often indicates illnesses associated with over-indulgence or a lack of ability to process sugars. But, in this case, because Venus rules the ascendant, he would over-react to anything that attacked pride and ego (Jupiter in Leo). But, where you may ask, do we find the stammer?
Sun and Mercury are conjoined in the second house in Sagittarius. These are opposing Neptune conjunct Pluto in Gemini in the eighth. We would expect Gemini to be represented or the third house, but Neptune and Pluto would not qualify for a specific case like this because they are outer planets in a sign for many years. However, Mercury (speech, communication) opposing Pluto is difficult because the process of talking would be so intensely important, it could indicate excessive concentration of effort resulting in physical and psychological blockages. Neptune opposing both Mercury and the Sun further erodes self-esteem and amplifies imagination so that the owner of the chart can imagine or fear slights that may not even exist. The third house is ruled by Jupiter, and Jupiter is the dispositor of Mercury—therefore, it is of importance. Since it is in Leo and conjoins the MC, his ego and pride, even public image, is all bound up in his communicating abilities. Since it squares the ruler of the whole chart, Venus, and is the most angular planet, he has a deep conflict about this issue. Further, the south node in Virgo indicates a perfectionist, so he would be deeply aware of all his flaws and shortcomings.
Two Important Speeches
The last straw leading the future king to do something about his stammer was a speech he gave on December 31, 1925. It was so painful for him and the audience, he sought help the next year. The progressions for that day show the progressed Ascendant conjoining progressed Saturn—both at 17 Scorpio. Transiting Saturn, at 22 Scorpio was just passing his natal Uranus in the same degree (“I have to do what I have to do.”) Progressed Sun was sextile natal Uranus, progressed Mercury opposing the MC, transiting Mercury opposing Neptune, and most importantly, transiting Uranus squaring the natal Sun within two minutes!! That is famous for being a “declaration of independence” from whatever constraints are bothering anyone. For the past two years, progressed Mars had been conjoining the Sun, so he was frustrated and angry about the whole situation, and he had just had his Saturn return, a time of confronting whatever is haunting a person.
The second important speech was on May 9, 1927 in Canberra, Australia. He had been working with his therapist for about six or seven months, and this was the first speech in which he did not stammer. (note that this was about a decade before he was king) Solar arc Moon is only 18 minutes from trining the Descendant (public), the progressed Moon is just about to conjoin the progressed Sun—a brand new beginning, solar arc Ascendant is about to change signs—a new personality emerging, transiting Saturn is trining Jupiter and the MC—gaining control over one’s public image, transiting Jupiter is trine the Moon—joy, and transiting Uranus is trine Mars—unique abilities. There are other contacts for both these speeches, but these are the main indicators.
And Now the Movie:
This movie is going to give the public new insight about this quiet king who died way too early. Amazingly, the chart of the debut in Telluride, CO on September 4, 2010, and progressions/solar arcs for the date activated the King’s chart as vividly as the above events!! Immediately, we see that transiting Venus is conjoining the King’s birth chart Ascendant exactly (and would have been in range no matter what time the film aired). Progressed Venus at 22:53 Pisces is just about at the midpoint trining the natal Uranus-Sun conjunction. The progressed MC is just past Mars, but keep in mind the movie had been in production earlier, when the MC was right on the Mars—changing public perceptions. Solar arc Venus is square Mars exactly within one minute!! Since Venus rules the 12th and 1st, and Mars rules the 7th and 6th (Koch system), then this indicates the movie’s bringing into public awareness the private life of the King and his health issues.
The progressed Moon is opposing the natal Jupiter, and since the progressed Sun is quincunx progressed Saturn, we may see this film changing awareness about speech impediments more than anticipated. Progressed Mercury is conjoining progressed Hygeia, the asteroid regarding health matters, and both are approaching a trine to the MC and sextile (tightly) natal Juno. I’m sure this movie is making the Queen Mother (Juno—his wife) very, very happy. She had asked that any drama about the King’s personal speech problems not be made public in her lifetime. Progressed Juno is also in the last minute of Pisces, being transited by Uranus and both are trine the progressed Jupiter. All these energies are moving into a new expression. Solar arc Juno is opposing natal Mars. Even transiting Neptune is trine the ascendant. There may be more contacts, but this gives you the idea.
Why?
The movie is about this man’s life. Therefore, it is reasonable that the events unfolding pertaining to it would show up in the birth chart of the person in question. We’ve seen this in events connected to her life unfolding after Marilyn Monroe’s death. All is energy, so if one is “acting out” a person’s life, the event would tap into the energy of the person in question.

Is Our Zodiac Wrong?

2011-01-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

I have to comment on the recent hoopla in the media about the 13th sign and the precession of the equinoxes. We astrologers have long (and I mean LONG) known about that. I wrote an article about "the new sign" over ten years ago. It's as predictable as the sunrise that every dozen years or so, some scientist or skeptic will publish something like this thinking they are "enlightening" us and pointing out our ignorance. There are even some astrologers who prefer the Sidereal Zodiac upon which this is based. But within their circles, they are not even in agreement about exactly where the first degree of Aries falls in that constellation.

Two thousand years ago the Sun was aligned with the constellations that were used to "name" the signs. It did not mean that the constellations CAUSED anything. It was simply a reference point at the time for nomenclature. Over the years, we have refined the discipline. It is really based on our seasons and is pretty much contained in our solar system. There are some fixed stars that we use, but not ALL the constellations that fall on the Ecliptic! There are several others besides the one being touted right now.

Zero Aries each year is aligned with the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring) and then the signs along the ecliptic are calculated from there--30 degrees each. Having worked with these for forty years, and knowing the signs extremely well, I assure you, the system we use (called The Tropical Zodiac) is highly accurate. Relax. This is not important and will soon pass as it always has.

Gabrielle Giffords

2011-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

The shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on January 8, 2011 may go down in history as the event that made the difference. There is so MUCH being activated in the USA Sibley chart, it would be hard to believe it was just another massacre among many we have witnessed in recent years.

On December 21, 2010 there was an eclipse at 29 degrees of Gemini. That triggers a sensitive four-point pattern including 29 degrees of Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces. The 29th degree of any sign is considered a “fated” degree and sometimes denotes the qualities of a martyr. Many times when a person is born with a personal planet in this degree, there is a sacrificial quality to some part of the life—usually related to where the planet is located and what it rules—especially in Pisces. In the case of the USA natal chart, there is nothing at that degree exactly, but the MC is only a couple degrees from squaring it, and therefore is in range of being included as a signal of potential events of a significant and sacrificial nature. The MC has already been highly sensitive due to most of the outer planets recently forming challenging aspects to it, and since it represents the leader of the country, we are seeing that played out vividly in the difficulty the president has been having. In addition, Uranus and Jupiter are now very close to 29 Pisces—just a couple degrees away—one of the things denoting the suddenness of this event.

As most of you know, I am a big user of solar arc, having written a book about it. Transits and eclipses DO trigger solar arc positions. On January 8, the USA solar arc Moon’s nodes were positioned at 29 Pisces/Virgo!! And the USA chart’s progressed Moon was only 10 minutes from being 29 Virgo. This is yet another bit of evidence to verify the 5:10 pm time of “birth” for the USA. Otherwise, the progressed Moon would be in a very different place. As a side note, even transiting Juno, the asteroid representing marriage and particularly the married woman, was at 29 Virgo at the time of the shooting.

There were several things at 29 degrees in the USA chart other than these. First, the secondary progressed Ascendant was at 29:26 Leo, about to change signs in about six to seven months. It stays in a sign roughly 30 years, and a change of sign of this angle means a changed persona. It is going from ostentatious, sometimes arrogant, and unapologetically high-living Leo into humble, hard-working, service-oriented and analytical Virgo. That is probably a very good thing. The progressed Moon will change signs in about a month into Libra, and progressed Pluto is at 29:12 of Capricorn, but it has always been in that sign and not changing until 2050, therefore, it is not a big concern right now. Solar arc Jupiter is at 28:50 Aquarius and in a year and two months will go into kind and benevolent (or delusional and deceptive—however we choose to use it) Pisces, where it will stay for thirty years. It is the chart ruler, so is very powerful. It was exactly to the minute quincunx the progressed Moon at the time of the shooting. Usually, it is not kosher to mix solar arcs with secondary progressions, but sometimes I wonder. If this IS active, then it would mean that much of the country as a whole would detach from taking responsibility for this massacre. We’re seeing it already on Fox news and elsewhere as those who have spewed hate rhetoric are distancing themselves from it.
The time the shooter opened fire was 10:10 a.m. in Tucson, AZ. At that time the chart of the shooting had 7:06 Pisces rising, and the Moon was exactly at 7:06 Pisces!! First, that is less than a degree from the progressed USA Sun at 6:13 Pisces. That, alone, is amazing. They both opposed USA natal Astraea and were square natal Uranus (just about at the midpoint between them)—again an indication of the sudden unexpectedness and shock of this event. They also were square solar arc Saturn at 7 Gemini. (transits trigger solar arcs) Since the progressed Sun will go on to square the progressed Uranus in about nine to ten months and then the natal Uranus in two years and roughly eight months, we can expect some more shocks ahead if we learn nothing accurately from this event.

I’ve found that when I’m about to need some information, it seems I get it prior to the time I’ll need it, not realizing that I will. Just recently I’d been researching Astraea for no apparent reason. It represents the place of tenacity in any chart—where there is a very difficult time changing direction. In the USA horoscope, it’s located where we look to find information about our laws, lawmakers, masse consciousness and also, attitude about foreign countries—or how they perceive us—ninth house. Uranus squares it. In terms of our “personality” it would show excessive independence and even rebellion—holding on tenaciously to autocratic behavior.

Pluto, as other authors have noted, is a big player here. It was exactly opposing the USA Jupiter at the time of the shooting, and of course, as many know by now, activating Mrs. Giffords’ Mars-Uranus square. This can mean many things, but the main thing is justice. Jupiter is associated with the ninth house and Sagittarius, both having to do with laws and justice. Pluto is transformation and a thorough rebirthing process. Since Jupiter rules the whole chart, it can mean an in-depth soul search in this country about how we treat our mentally ill, our projected image to foreign countries, what we do with our resources—after all, one has to ask how we are able to pour billions of dollars into attacking other countries, murdering hundreds of thousands of their people and destroying their infrastructure but just CANNOT afford to care for our most vulnerable and helpless people. People are going to be very angry about this since transiting Mars was opposing the USA Mercury at the time of the shooting, which is minor, but still a factor in our reactions.

On January 4th of this year, there was an eclipse at 13 Capricorn, closely opposing the USA Sun at 13 Cancer and squaring Saturn at 14 Libra, and transiting Saturn was in close proximity to its natal position. When two eclipses are so closely in aspect to components of a natal chart—especially those involving a Saturn return, you can be sure the next six months to a year will be eventful and important.

Other things to note: Transiting Sun at 18 Capricorn was square the USA’s secondary progressed Mars at 18 Libra—violence. This will happen on some day close in range every year, but the days that it does will have more violence than usual.
Chiron is worth mentioning. It is where in a chart we see the hard-to-heal wound an entity comes in with. We have a collective wound about being “first,” being self-referencing (if we don’t experience it, we don’t understand it), head-strong and aggressive—even childish and too subjective. Our Chiron is in Aries. The wound is probably about having been impotent in our collective past lives and not having our individuality recognized. Perhaps now we are over-compensating. However, it’s in the fourth house (Koch system), so we are also healing a longing for home, family and security, therefore producing fierce patriotism. Isn’t it interesting that we attempt to “feed” the rest of the world (fourth house is nurturance), but we do it “our” way (Aries)? Right now solar arc Chiron is just past our ascendant—only 41 minutes of a degree, if our ascendant is really 12:21 Sagittarius. And progressed Venus is conjoining natal Chiron. Even Vesta is on the eclipse degree at 12:39 Capricorn and opposing the Sun.

Last, but by no means least, is the ongoing transit of Neptune to the USA natal Moon. This is the background noise of the last couple years that is at the base of everything. The Moon is the grassroots population, it’s housing and security as well as the emotional health of the nation. It rules the eighth house, which represents other people’s power, the power of BIG money because the 8th is banking, insurance, debt, etc. Neptune rules the intercepted third (again, the Koch system), and so we are definitely being deceived. There is no doubt about it. As a result, we’re confused and do not have enough information to be really informed about anything. It also represents willingness to sacrifice as well as the sacrifices we’ve already been making through our dead and maimed young men who’ve been sent off to a devastating war for no reason other than greed.

Gabrielle Giffords’ chart

Congresswoman Giffords was shot on January 8, 2011 at 10:10 a.m. in Tucson, AZ. She was born on June 8, 1970, but we don’t have the time of birth yet. In Mrs. Giffords’ untimed chart (I used noon), two things, even without a time of birth, stand out. One, Pluto was still in range of opposing her natal Mars squaring her natal Uranus. This is the most violent of all aspects with Uranus injecting the element of surprise. She had already been the target of violent action over the previous couple of years, one being a recent break-in of her Tucson office. It is possible, if she were born much later in the day, that solar arc Mars could be conjoining her Moon right now, as well, but that is speculation.
The second contact is that her solar arc Saturn is still in range of squaring her natal Pluto. Progressions and directions of any kind stay in effect for a very long time—up to almost two years in the case of Solar Arc—and therefore it is still able to be triggered. The trigger was Mars, the planet we associate with war and violence (Martial arts, martial law, etc. all come from the root, Mars). Mars at the time was located at 24:21 Capricorn, in a tight trine to her natal Pluto. This may be why it was a wound instead of death. Even though the solar arc contact was a square, a trine can trigger it, and it will activate the SQUARE, not act as a trine.

Further, her progressed Sun at 26:17 Cancer was square her natal Jupiter at 26:23 Libra. Even though it is a square, it is sometimes a very lucky indicator. A saving grace may be Uranus and Jupiter transiting trine her natal Neptune, although they were between that and an opposition to natal Pluto. The eclipse of December 21, 2010 was in range of opposing her natal Pluto. When we find her time of birth, it may be that the eclipse of January 4th may have been prominent, as well.

January 4th Eclipse

2011-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

We start the New Year with an important eclipse on January 4th at 4:03:16 a.m. in Washington DC. If you live outside the United States, you’d have it occur at a different time (for your zone), and the chart for your country (calculated for the capital city) and its concerns would be different, as well.
This eclipse is very significant for our country because it is within minutes of opposing the USA Sun. And, since the US is also having a Saturn return this year, it is significant because in the eclipse chart Saturn is two degrees from its birth position and also activated by the eclipse. There are other contacts, as well.
One of the most pressing problems we have today is the growing inequality between the rich and poor. For an assessment of why this is a major social problem, see http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1. (You’ll have to copy and paste this into your browser, more than likely.) Those who feel we should not have to help the less fortunate through social programs may realize later, if their policies are implemented, that it actually costs them more eventually than if they just tried to work for more equality. This eclipse chart points to financial issues being the most important over the next year. Not only does the eclipse fall in the second house of the eclipse chart drawn for the USA, but also the second house of the USA chart, as well. With Saturn squaring the eclipse and Pluto not being far away from it either—eight degrees—our economy is in dire straits. The mind-set of the average citizen is very fearful and anxious.
On the surface, however, we’ll collectively appear to be OK; Venus is rising. But Venus is exactly square Neptune within one minute of orb, so underneath that façade is confusion and lack of focus—a feeling of helplessness and sacrifice. Since Venus rules the seventh house, which has to do with treaties and alliances with foreign countries, among other things, we can expect to be kept in the dark or deceived about those issues, Wikileaks notwithstanding. Neptune rules the fourth, so at our core, security is dissolving. Property values continue to be elusive. Even if they appear to rise, it will not be solid. Since Venus rules the sixth (jobs, civil services, etc.), those things, too, continue to erode.
The good thing is that in the fourth, Jupiter and Uranus are tightly conjoined, also one minute of orb, and within ten and eleven minutes of exactly being trine Venus. This shows that the public is waking up, getting impatient and may do something unexpectedly and in greater measure than we anticipated. It would have a very positive impact, and the masses’ insight and judgment about what is happening is relatively accurate, despite that Venus-Neptune influence.

What can we do?

In hard times, it might be a good idea to meditate on why we are here in this life in the first place. I believe we are here to become ONE, consciously, so that we may return to the Father. A Course in Miracles (and the Bible as well) teaches that what we do to our fellow human beings, we are doing to Jesus and to ourselves because we really ARE one, whether we realize it yet or not. (“Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”)
The key is to ask ourselves if what we do and say is divisive or unifying. It is obvious that we are on the wrong track when we point a finger and say, “It is THEIR fault! THEY need to change.” That is why I think Glenn Beck and Ms. Coulter are so dangerous. When we start labeling groups of people as “wrong” or “bad,” especially without knowing what we are talking about, it is divisive. It creates fear. A Course in Miracles says there are only two things that are real: love and fear. When you are living in one state, you cannot be in the other.
This morning the guest minister at our church mentioned that the early church in the first century stood out as “weird” because they went against the social norm and were kind and good to people. They took food to the sick, helped widows and orphans, and visited prisoners. Times were hard then, and society had become hard and selfish out of fear of not having enough. What the Christians were doing was unheard of! They did no street corner proselytizing, no strong tactics for converts…they just went about their daily lives caring about and helping other people as though they were their own family. The early church grew and prospered from this activity. But, what is happening now? Christians are actually supporting war out of fear of their brothers.
So, in conclusion, when we get into the demonstration and rebellion phase of the coming Uranus square Pluto era for the next several years, ask yourself if what you propose and believe furthers the energy of love becoming more prevalent or do you prefer more fear? To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr., Love begets more love and war begets more war. You can’t kill a man’s children and expect him to thank you.

END NOTE: The lecture about 2011 that I’ve been giving away became so much in demand, it was taking too much time to send it out individually. I had to finally just post it on my website as an instant download. You can go to www.devineadvantage.com, and it is immediately apparent. It will be there indefinitely as a gift. Happy New Year!!

Julian Assange

2010-12-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

As Mercury turns retrograde, the drama continues toward the revolutionary Uranus/Pluto square that will partile in 2012 and continue with seven exact contacts through 2017. The most amazing event to surface recently that gives us a clue of what is ahead, is the apprehension of Julian Assange, the creator of Wikileaks.

He was born July 3, 1971 at 2:05 pm (according to a source from The Mountain Astrologer) in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The resulting chart sure gives new meaning to the old schoolyard taunt, “It takes one to know one.” Mr. Assange’s chart is heavy with Scorpionic energy which we associate with secrecy. He has Moon, Ascendant and Jupiter in Scorpio, and in fact, they are equidistant by 10 degrees from each other giving us the mid-point formula of MO/JU=ASC. That means that the ascendant is conjunct the Moon/Jupiter midpoint. He knows how to keep secrets and how it is done.

Adding to this is the Sun, Ceres and Venus in the 8th house, which is like having those in Scorpio also, since the 8th is Scorpio’s natural home. Pluto rules Scorpio, so anything it touches will add a Scorpio flavor to it; in this case it squares Venus, which will be triggered by the eclipse on December 21st. That is an aspect of crudeness in the sex drive, too, (in a lower vibration), and since Scorpio is also rather passionate in that regard, it isn’t surprising that they are using a sex issue to apprehend him.

I also expected to see a strong Uranus, and I was not disappointed. It is tightly square the Sun, and people with that are usually a law unto them selves. It takes that kind of courage to do what he did. And it also takes idealism to WANT to do it. He has Jupiter conjunct Neptune in the first house showing strong idealism and spiritual values. It is opposing Saturn, so he is aware of the responsibility to build new foundations and make ideals concrete and real.

Solar Arcs

When I was in astrology school in San Diego in the early ‘70s, my teacher, Gina Ceaglio, once said that if a giant finger came out of the sky and said, “You must choose between Solar Arc and Secondary Progressions!”, she would choose Solar Arc. For that reason I put a huge emphasis on it and wrote a book about it ten years ago. [It’s on sale on my website, by the way, until they are all gone, which will not be long now.] Right now the Solar Arcs in Mr. Assange’s chart are more phenomenal than I’ve seen in a long time! Let’s start with the Sun-Uranus square.

A year ago, SA Sun was square the ascendant, and that was probably about the time we first heard about Wikeleaks—or if not, when he may have launched his work, I’m not sure, but it was a turning point for him, personally. I remember being delighted that someone was going to expose all the corruption that goes on in Washington and all over the world. Now, during this breaking news, Solar Arc Uranus is EXACTLY on the ascendant. That is sudden, abrupt, unexpected disruption to one’s life. It is hidden things becoming suddenly known, since it’s moving out of the 12th (secrets) into the first—the house of things obviously apparent.

That was the Sun-Uranus moving to a new position; but Saturn by Solar Arc is right now—within minutes separating (meaning already happened)—leaving a square to Uranus (nothing he can do about what is happening to him; freedom limited) and approaching a conjunction to his natal Sun. That will be exact in a little over a year from now, so recently and for the next year or so, he is going to have lessons (Saturn) about being that “law unto himself.” Not that it’s necessarily a spiritual lesson; it’s his being detained so that he can’t do it as freely as before. He is currently very depressed, since Solar Arc Mercury is square his natal Saturn; it is only two minutes from partile. A year ago SA Mercury was square his natal Neptune, which often is confusion, but can also be communicating, or exposing communications, in secret. I use the word “exposing” because Mercury rules HIS eighth house and is squaring a planet in the first. This was his goal, since Mercury also rules his eleventh, which is long range goals, among other things.

Meanwhile, SA Neptune has been moving, and IT is approaching a square to Uranus, exact in about fourteen months, and opposing his Sun in about two years and three months. Those two will be extremely difficult, since they will be extremely debilitating, the cause of this done secretly, and could very well be the lowest point in his life. Powerful people who have their secrets exposed do not take it lightly. They will feel that retribution will be in order. In addition, Pluto by SA is approaching a square to the MC, exact in about a year and four months. That one destroys a career and public image, or creates a power struggle with “authority.” Solar Arc Ascendant will oppose Venus in about seven months, which is an outpouring of positive public support, but it then goes on to square natal Pluto in about two years and four months. That can be physical strain and sometimes brutality. That lasts for awhile because secondary progressed ascendant is right behind it and keeps it going on for more than a year. I have to wonder what kind of physical or psychological abuse he may be put through.

Two years ago SA Mars was opposing his natal Pluto, and that may have been the time of some of his most hardworking covert research, since Mars rules the sixth (our work or service). Mars is changing signs in about nine months, and then will trine natal Neptune nine months after that. He will feel he achieved what he set out to do and get spiritual sustenance from that.

I love what Robert Gover (whom I consider to be a genius) said recently in either ISAR or NCGR’s e-newsletter—forgot which:
“Wikileaks is Dorothy flinging open the curtain to find that the Wizard is a deranged con artist playing with lights that enchant the masses.
How dare the people of a democracy learn what their public servants are up to. Those doings are Officially Classified Secret. Your duty, John Q. and Susie Q. Citizen, is to work your asses off and pay your taxes to support the Wizard. You are not permitted to know what the Wizard does with all that money. That information is way above your pay grade” [Remember, Robert Gover wrote this, not me.]

And last, the speech given on December 5th was well-received. It is my Christmas gift as a download to all of you if you ask for it. Please send AN EMAIL ADDRESS to me to receive it. Email me at carole@devineadvantage.com. Otherwise, I don’t know where to send the download. After Christmas it will be for sale on my website.
And my book, “Star Trek Revealed,” makes a great gift for the Trekkies in your life. You can order that via the website, as well.

Happy Holidays, everyone!!

December 21: Eclipse AND Winter Solstice!!

2010-11-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

This year, the Winter Solstice (which is the Capricorn Ingress chart, as well) is following a lunar eclipse on the same day. And this eclipse is not just in any degree(s) but the all-important last degrees of mutable signs—often called “fated” degrees. In this case, we look at the last degree of Gemini, which is the position of the Moon in this LUNAR eclipse. We’ll examine both charts as they apply to the USA, and therefore set for Washington, DC—but first, the eclipse chart.

Rudhyar says the key note of this degree is: “The setting of social standards through personal excellence and competition.” He concludes, “The SHOW is over. Now comes the hour of decision.” (An Astrological Mandala, page 109)

We know by crunching the numbers that our long term habit of living beyond our means is coming to a close. The national economical condition is the macrocosm of our individual microcosm financial condition, as witness the upsurge in bankruptcies and foreclosures. We are a collective, and therefore the country’s persona is always a reflection of its individual citizens.

A lunar eclipse is a full moon that occurs near or on the ecliptic (hence, the term “eclipse”). A solar eclipse is a new moon near or on the ecliptic. This full moon lunar eclipse falls in the second and eighth houses. Those are called the money houses, so our attention for the next six months to a year will be on money issues—income versus outgo. They are in challenging aspect to Jupiter and Uranus, which are conjunct in Pisces in the fifth house. This means there is a conflict in the collective psyche regarding income/outgo and pleasure. Jupiter and Uranus in the fifth indicate a “good time,” humor and fun. Ironically, despite the knowledge that we are going to see austerity ahead, this quarter should be a kind of “last hurrah” with more spending than expected. It’s a kind of defiant, “I’ll do as I please.” “Don’t tell ME what to do.”, attitude. Uranus is square both Sun and Moon, which in a natal chart would be a defiant, independent person. We can already see that in polls that project people will spend more than they did last year during the holiday season.

Also in this chart is a Mars/Pluto conjunction, with Mars in range of being square Saturn in the 12th, so the reality is, subconsciously, the populace is fearful, frustrated and enraged. The words coming from people are angry, most likely better researched than usual, but still somewhat deluded because Mars is semi-square Neptune, located in the fourth. Neptune in the fourth of an eclipse chart would indicate the masses are confused and feeling emotionally overwhelmed. It will come out as anger because of the Mars connection.

The legislature is the 9th house, and in this chart, it is ruled by the Moon. It is in the 8th house and part of the eclipse. The buoyancy people are feeling is in some part because of expectations from that body. However, there should be some surprises in store (Moon square Uranus and Jupiter) after feeling too optimistic.

Mercury is not only retrograde (we’ll have to retrace our steps from this quarter and do some correcting later), but also square Jupiter and Uranus. It rules the 8th and 11th. Over optimism is usually the norm concerning Jupiter stresses, but with Uranus, it can also be “know it all” thinking, or defiant decisions not based on facts at all. The 8th house is debt, taxes, any money that is held jointly or shared in some way with others. Inflation and mis-management is a common result of 8th house contacts with Jupiter and Uranus—especially in Pisces where delusion and fantasy can cloud perception.

Venus is rising and rules the 7th, the public, contracts, agreements and justice. It also rules the 12th—secrets, behind the scene activity. The Moon (remember, the legislature) is sesquiquadrate Venus, which means that congress is not necessarily going to be “just” in its contracts or policies and that there will be secret, behind the scenes activity that may not be wholly in the public’s interest. There is a chance that congress will be compassionate (Moon does trine Neptune, after all), but it is a free-will choice, and the rougher aspects are stronger. We shall see.

The other chart, the Ingress for Capricorn, or in this case, also the Winter Solstice chart, continues the saga. In this case, Saturn square Mars/Pluto is much more prominent and takes center stage. Saturn in the fourth, indicates fear in the grass roots populace, but also frustration since it is still square Mars. Mars with Pluto is rage. They are located in the sixth house which is concerned with jobs, military, police, everyday activity, and the service industry particularly. Even the Sun is there! So the emphasis is on those things. The Sun will activate Pluto in late April-early May (using a technique of one degree equally a month) and that is when the government can shut down if some things are not approved. That is shown in several ways, not just that one technique.

The Moon, which is the chart ruler (Cancer is rising), is opposing Mars-Pluto and square Saturn and the MC. Even the nodes are aligning with Pluto and the Sun! A LOT is going on out of sight, but it is affecting our everyday life dramatically. The Sun is also square Uranus and Jupiter out-of-sign (meaning that they are square mathematically, but at the end and beginning of signs not associated with squares). Back in late July-early August we had one of the first close (but not exact) associations with the coming Pluto-Uranus square. It will not be exact until 2012, and then will last for several years becoming exact an amazing SEVEN times!! That is the aspect of revolution. You can be sure that last summer some things were happening that is precipitating the drama now unfolding.

I’m not a weather forecaster, but I believe that when Saturn is in the fourth of an Ingress chart, it portends a dry season. Remember this chart is set for Washington DC, so it only applies to our country. Remember, it’s all a play, an illusion, and spirit will not be affected by coming events, BUT we are on the planet now participating in the drama, and what we choose to do or not do DOES affect our soul development.

NOTE: I am offering my lecture about 2011 free to anyone who wants it as a Christmas present. I will be presenting the talk on Dec. 5th in Annapolis, MD. Only downloads are free, and you need to send me your email address for it. If you want a CD instead, the price is $10 including postage. That is pretty much my cost including my time to do it for you. “Merry Christmas,” everyone.

Post Election 2010

2010-11-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

I’m amazed that it has been so long since I posted anything. It has been very busy and time flew by.

Last year I read Jon Peterson’s book about 2012 and also attended his lecture in Fairfax, VA a few months ago. I was reminded again about his thoughts this last weekend when I attended a seminar by Tom Jerome Roma. These are unprecedented times, and no one can really predict what is coming for good reason. Tom and I both agreed that we have never seen the configurations in play now for hundreds of years (and still haven’t found the last time), and even Arch Crawford has said he hasn’t either—although he did find something to compare related to the stock market, but I don’t know what it is. Still he says it has been hundreds of years since seeing the current unfolding planetary drama.

The thing is this: We DID see a similar PATTERN in both the ‘30s and the ‘60s, but at those times five of the outer planets were not changing signs all at once within a couple years. And not just ANY signs; four of them are entering into the cardinal signs, which is the world axis degree pattern. i.e. they are the times of year when the seasons start--the summer and winter solstices, and spring and fall equinox points. When the outer planets change signs, it always brings in a new focus, new experiences and reforms. Five all at once is incredible. In 1989-90 we had a major conjunction of outer planets in Capricorn—Neptune, Uranus and Saturn. Jupiter was opposing them. When an outer planet enters Capricorn, the focus is on “father or authority figures, government and business.” That was when some of the current problems started. They have escalated because Pluto just entered Capricorn in 2008 and has been back and forth changing from Sagittarius to Capricorn since (but is entrenched there now). Pluto is subversive activity and also total destruction and transformation of whatever Capricorn represents. The last time it was in Capricorn was just before we declared our independence. The USA chart has Pluto in Capricorn in it.

Right now, the government is so controlled by corporate interests, and so many people are being misled by subversive political manipulation (google the "Koch Brothers/Tea Party" movement, for instance), it is hard to see what the causes and solutions of our dilemma really are. Most likely, we are going to see a third party emerge and the whole system will implode. But, first, expect hyper inflation. It’s around the corner. Meredith Whitney says, “It’s going to get very expensive to be poor in this country.” I’ve heard from some people that their health insurance premiums have tripled. (I don’t like all of the new health care reform, either.) Again, insurance companies are out to make a profit, and they have a powerful hold on the government. It’s an example of more of the corporate stranglehold on the country. And, incidentally, a short 20 month period of time is not enough to "cause" what we are dealing with. It started decades ago. To think otherwise is very simplistic.

The recent election result is a non-event. We all knew how it would go. Nothing will change, however, to benefit mainstream Americans. All the partisan bickering is just to keep us preoccupied while people like the Koch Brothers do their thing. I wish people would just research them, alone, if nothing else.

So far, Pluto and Saturn have changed signs. In 2011, Uranus and Jupiter will do so, and Neptune will begin its 14 year sojourn in Pisces. Hold on to your seat. It’s going to be an unprecedented major shuffling of life as we know it unfolding over the next half dozen or so years. After all, computers changed life enormously, but took a few short years to become embedded. The most important of the aspects is the Uranus square to Pluto. Uranus is the "awakener" and Pluto is "transformation, subversion and manipulation" (among other things) We will "awaken" to the "subversion and manipulation." With a square of these two, it's usually violent and disruptive. This cycle started in the mid-sixties--remember the violence then? It is not even exact yet, but will start to be in 2012. It will not be completely out of orb until 2018. That should be how long it will take to hopefully heal what ails us or get us used to new paradigms. But, we have free will to listen to liars and follow pseudo-Messiahs. Neither side of the great American two-party system is ALL right and squeaky clean. Both have a lot to answer for.

On the up side, Peterson says that change is coming via huge technological advances that will enable us to live for 200 years and halt the aging process. He says that people in their 30’s now, and even older, are going to have much longer life expectancy due to being able to create new organs from one’s own DNA. It is already successfully being done in laboratories. Other advances will usher in a whole new way of looking at life as we know it. It might be wise to expand your thinking to be able to even encompass all the change that is on the way—and not from where we expect it!!

One last thing, and probably most important... A Course in Miracles teaches that this is all an illusion, and many may feel that since it is, we can drop out and not participate. Participation is not necessarily "getting into the streets," but can be more effective if it's just holding a vision of what life can be. Prayer is powerful.

Virgo Ingress

2010-08-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Ingress chart each month, when the Sun goes into a new sign, is usually a very good forecasting tool for the month ahead. Cast for the capital city of a country, it is made unique for that government and so is not the same all over the world.

The one for Washington DC this time is showing that the month is largely out of our hands. Most of it will be the results of forces already put into motion. Earlier, many pundits in our profession, including myself, had correctly pointed to late July and early August (three weeks ago) as being pivotal. Sure enough, on the news the past couple days, commentators have been saying that the unemployment figures for “the last three weeks” show that we are not out of the “recession” yet. Property values continue to plummet. And it has been a summer of extremes. The worst oil spill ever, the worst flood in Pakistan ever, the worst heat in Russia ever, and on and on. Haiti’s earthquake disaster continues to haunt them. In fact, earthquakes are occurring more frequently than usual.
In private lives, shocks and adjustments are happening everywhere. I hear about it every day.

Many people thought that a pivotal point would be a stock market crash. That may yet come, but it isn’t necessarily the only thing that can bring about global clean up. We are in a “tearing down” period, meaning that old structures that are not working, are being exposed for what they are so that we can get rid of them and build more workable alternatives. Specifically, it is the work of Pluto in Capricorn. The last time Pluto traversed that sign was in the 1700’s. In fact, in the USA chart, it is at 27 Capricorn and had been in that sign since 1762. The control of England over us that was oppressive and unacceptable led to the Declaration of Independence. We are now entering a similar period of recognizing who is trying to control us and to declare another statement of independence. We can see it all around, if we can just get clearer eyesight to see who is really doing it.

Right now the problem is that Neptune is transiting the USA Moon exactly right now, and the citizenry is being deceived. The Moon in a country’s chart represents the populace, the patriots. Neptune is deception, but it CAN represent inspiration if used positively. We need to step back and really look at what is going on and hear both sides. The worst thing we can do is to get fervent over a few sound bites fed to us by a party line without hearing what everyone has to say.

Pluto has been just beginning to affect us and has a long way to go. Uranus has yet to exactly square it. Saturn has been the star for a while, going over the USA MC, but it will quickly pass on soon, and Uranus will enter the drama. When Pluto reaches three degrees Capricorn for the last time in this cycle, which will be October/November 2010, we may be able to more clearly see the truth.

Everything is an unfolding process, and this one is global in scope. It isn’t just the USA and our concerns that are being addressed here, but rather, it is humanity’s evolution and where we are choosing to go next that is the focus. Don’t expect this to be just our country’s unemployment/property values problems; it is much, much more than that. Pay attention to what is happening all over the world.

Our personal ingress chart is showing emphasis on our homes, jobs and survival. It is not, however, the chart of a critical time showing anything major. There will be some surprises in Congress, shocking news on a regular basis (Uranus square the ascendant, and ruling the 9th), but people’s minds are on their daily routine and jobs—or lack thereof. Next month’s ingress will be a bit more dramatic.

Alcoholism and Mel Gibson

2010-07-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Most astrology books attribute Alcholism (and all drug addiction) to Neptune and the 12th house in a general sense. So, one would think that being an actor, as well, (also Neptune—illusion, escapism, etc.) that Mel Gibson would have a very strong Neptune. Well, in a way he does, but there are other things much stronger.

My teacher, Gina Ceaglio, once gave us a lecture in class about addiction in charts, and one of the most important points she made was that addictive personalities were not “weak,” as you would think a strong Neptune would be, but rather, the extreme opposite: willful, controlling and self-centered, the antithesis of Neptunian characteristics.

“After all,” she said (to paraphrase), “what can be more controlling than to leave the people around you, who depend on you, not knowing what you’ll do next and living their lives all around your addiction? The addict is the center of attention and essentially controlling the whole group.” This is definitely borne out in Gibson’s chart.

Born on January 3, 1956 at 4:45 pm in Peekskill, NY, he has family-oriented Cancer rising. Moon is in Libra in the first minute of the sign (zero degree of a cardinal sign is very powerful) and, of course, Sun in Capricorn in the sixth house just under the descendant. The most powerful configuration in the chart involves four planets: Pluto at 28:20 Leo conjunct Jupiter out-of-sign at 1:03 Virgo in the second house both square Mars at 23.20 Scorpio which conjuncts Saturn at 29:10 of the same sign in the fifth. These are primarily fixed signs (except Jupiter) in fixed houses. That is a tough configuration. People who have preceded me in this profession have written that a fixed square like this indicates that the soul has entrenched himself (or herself) in a very hard-to-budge habit pattern of behavior for many lifetimes regarding what the planets represent. Mars-Pluto: intense anger, and in Leo-Scorpio (the most dramatic), can be rage. Jupiter-Pluto combinations can be outrage regarding justice, and with Saturn in the midst, frustration at being blocked or stymied in getting the rage out or getting justice. Saturn rules the seventh house, so marriages can be the source of much frustration. Another source is having the Moon in Libra, a position denoting that he is not naturally a confrontational person. The Moon rules his chart and is in the fourth house, as well, so family, tradition and security of the home are of paramount importance. He would try to keep the peace for that reason, but if frustrations built too much, which is easy for him if he’s losing control, he’d need an outlet. Enter Neptune.

Neptune is at the apex of a T-square with Mercury and Uranus. Taken by itself this is an active imagination, maybe too much so, coupled with a very independent mind that is somewhat brilliant. Neptune rules the Pisces MC, great for an actor, and is in the fourth house in the Koch system. It is said that Mercury square Neptune is a “slippery” mind that can be very creative in rationalizing most anything. It’s the signature of a person who can bend the truth easily or be in denial about things that are obvious to other people. And, it can be one of the signatures of alcoholism. Not everyone who has this is an alcoholic; it takes a combination of factors, but Mr. Gibson has this.

I could write a long, long article about these two configurations above, but this gives you an idea of what he is dealing with in his own nature. Just remember, though, that we make ourselves who we are by choices we make over many lifetimes, and events in our lives are supposed to be our teachers. For that reason, if anyone has events that reveal his or her darker side, we would expect that the indications in the chart of that darker side would be triggered at that time. That is exactly what is happening to Mr. Gibson.

It’s obvious that his Moon is being triggered by the current Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter and Uranus T-square. The Moon in a very early degree of any sign has meaning of its own. Lynn Koiner has written about this, and she says that an early degree Moon is someone learning to harness emotional energy and instincts. Emotion could too easily take over the personality. There is certainly a lesson about this going on!

Also, and more importantly, the fixed four-planet square, mentioned a few paragraphs above, is being triggered by the progressed ascendant. The ascendant/descendant axis is the relationship-marriage axis, and when it contacts anything in the chart, the owner of the chart has his or her attention drawn to that issue. If you look at the chart above, the secondary progressions are in the second ring. Note in the second house that the progressed ascendant is currently between progressed Jupiter and Pluto. It had been conjunct Jupiter about sixteen months ago when he was happy with a new girlfriend. About four months ago, it hit the midpoint between them, and that was probably when the relationship began to unravel. Incidentally, it was square the fifth house natal Mars about three years ago after the separation from his wife and the racist rant of his arrest. Lots of anger at that time! The progressed ascendant still has to go over both the progressed and natal Plutos plus square the natal Saturn, which is probably when his divorce will be final. In about five years, it will conjoin Jupiter. I believe that will be a health issue since Jupiter rules his sixth house and the ascendant is also the physical body.

Meanwhile, in addition to the progressed ascendant triggering his dark side, transiting Neptune is also involved. It is opposing natal Pluto right now, has been square his natal Mars and is about the square natal Saturn. Even solar arc Neptune in involved since it has been square the MC, exact a little over a year ago, and with it Mercury was recently conjoining the MC—just over two months ago at the same time the progressed Moon was opposing it. Therefore, since Uranus is part of this T-square, it has been opposing the MC, but that was two years ago. He has really been in a state of confusion and instability!!

But that is not all. Secondary progressed Mars is at the midpoint between natal Saturn and Mercury, all 29 degrees. Mars will be exactly there in less than two months, but it is so close, he can feel it now. The Combination of Stellar Influences says of this, “Incompatibility, unrest, the desire to quarrel. The tendency to treat others badly, separations caused by disputes and arguments, the tendency to bring about a separation by force, a change through force of circumstances.”

A lot more could be said about his early life, even past lives, but blogs cannot be books. I’ll have to save this excellent example for a book about forecasting. In short, this is a pivotal point in Mr. Gibson’s life. It would be so helpful if an astrologer could explain to him what the lesson plan is. After all, healing can’t begin until we have some idea about the source of our pain and how we bring it on ourselves.

BP's Chart and Astro-Map

2010-07-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Before I get into BP’s chart and its forecast for April 20, 2010, I’d like to point out a couple things about the above Astro-Map. (Click on the map to enlarge it.) In interpreting these maps, one of the primary indicators is the latitude where the lines cross each other. If two planets’ lines cross, it lights up that whole latitude all around the earth and indicates conditions for the owner of the chart on those latitudes. Some may be quite lovely; others can be disastrous. It is one of the factors we consider when doing re-locality analyses for clients.

I have drawn two lines across the map and circled the crossing place of the planets in question. You will notice that in the Gulf of Mexico, itself, there is a crossing of Saturn (at the MC: vertical red line) and Mars (on the Ascendant: curved yellow line). This means that if BP had been born at that spot, in the Gulf just off the coast of Texas, then Saturn would have been on the MC and Mars on the Ascendant. It also means that the energy of those two planets will “play out” at that location. You can see that a line drawn on the latitude of that crossing goes right through the spill area. Mars on the ascendant is often impulsive and aggressive, and certainly accident prone—especially when in the natal chart it is square Uranus. Saturn on the MC is responsibility in professional dealings among several other things.

Below that line is another one going through the Yucatan Peninsula and the Caribbean. There are two crossings for this latitude. One is in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii (circled for you), and these two are Mercury and Jupiter. In the BP natal chart there is a square between these two, which is over-confidence. Often when people have this in their natal chart, they are hasty in making judgments, are prone to exaggeration toward the positive, and when connected to the second house, as this one is, then greed can be a factor. And in the natal chart Jupiter also opposes Pluto which rules deep recesses of the earth.

The other crossing is way over in Asia in Laos (also circled for you). Regardless of how far away it is, a crossing affects the entire global latitude it occupies. This crossing is for Mars on the ascendant again, but with Uranus on the MC. This is the “accident” pair. It is noted for impatience, short cuts and defensive arrogance. It is in BP’s natal chart.

BP’s Natal Chart

First, a natal analysis of some of the company’s issues—this is an incorporation chart for July 2, 1962 at 9:30 a.m. in London, England.

The arrogance and aggressiveness of this company is all over the chart. Leo is rising with Uranus just over the Ascendant, and both are square Mars at the MC. The Sun, ruler of the chart is midway between these two, semi-squaring each. Uranus on the Ascendant is individuality personified. Depending on how it is aspected, it can be a pioneer unafraid to blaze new trails, or a lawless renegade who thinks rules are “made to be broken.” And Leo rising is inherently proud, feeling superior to others (the small people), unless there are other indications to soften it, which in this case, there are not.

Mars at the MC is indicative of aggressive management, and when square Uranus, impatience, as well. The MC is in Taurus, as is Mars, so the main objective of management is money making—not necessarily providing a service or product. There is also a tendency for management to be secretive—ruler of the MC is Venus, which is in the 12th.

BP was born just after a new Moon which means it is in the first lunar phase. This is noted for being very Aries-like, or impulsive, out-going and aggressive—almost adolescent in behavior. Add to this the extreme optimism of Mercury square Jupiter, which also forges ahead with little preparation, and one can see that the company probably did very little long-term planning. All this together is “quick, quick, quick—get it done.” Mercury rules the second house and also the intercepted tenth, so being square Jupiter, spending can be excessive with little forethought—especially for management. So, where does the cost cutting come in?

Saturn is where we look for “limiting,” and it is in the sixth. The sixth house is day-to-day operations and also employees. It is conjoining the south node of the Moon in Aquarius. There is a natural tendency for the company to be cold and inhumane to employees (sixth, Aquarius south node and Saturn opposing Venus). Venus is ruler of the MC, and when in opposition to Saturn in the sixth, there would be cost cutting secretly (12th house) in the areas of day-to-day operations and toward employees in some way.

In addition, there is a tight square between Saturn and Neptune. Since Saturn is in the sixth (employees) and Neptune is in the third (communications) it appears that employees were deceived (Neptune when stressed) chronically.
But here is the kicker: Pluto is 8 degrees from conjoining the Ascendant—a very powerful, forceful entity. Pluto rules the fourth house and is opposing Jupiter, which also rules the intercepted fourth. The fourth house is the foundation upon which something is built—its source of security. Reinhold Ebertin says of the negative expression of these in his Combination of Stellar Influences, “The pursuit of fanatical aims, the desire to exploit the masses (Plutocrats), wastefulness.” He also says on the same page (176) that when this is manifesting (by progression or other technique), the result is: “Loss of social standing and of one’s wealth, conflicts with the authorities and the executors of governmental power (arrest). The misfortune to lose everything.”

The Chart’s indications on April 20, 2010

Mars is at 25:10 Taurus, and the progressed Sun, which rules the chart, had just reached 25:41 Leo on April 20th, squaring the natal Mars Position. Six months earlier, or even before, the recklessness escalated. Impatience ruled. But the Sun still has yet to conjunct Uranus at 27:52 Leo, so we will see what happens to this company in about two years from now.

The Sun and Moon are both in Cancer in new phase. New phase charts have an Aries quality about them—rushing ahead with little preparation. Mars by solar arc had just conjoined the Sun the year before, and on the day of the explosion, transiting South node was within a degree of the Moon. Solar arc Uranus is about to square the Moon. In other words, the natal Mars-Uranus square is activating the natal Moon of the company chart. The Moon is the ruler of the eleventh and resides there, so there were goals to be met, and this was addressed with extreme aggressiveness and impatience.

I mentioned quotes by Ebertin above. The Jupiter-Pluto opposition was exact within two minutes (progressed to progressed), which would have triggered its manifestation, and transiting Pluto opposed the progressed MC also within two minutes! This can be the beginning of the demise of the company and, at the very least, extreme pressure on the authority figures therein. Transiting Mars was within half a degree of the natal nodal axis and even closer to the progressed nodes—emergency suddenly erupting. But, again, including aggressive behavior, which we have witnessed.

When a progressed or solar arc planet (or angle) changes signs, circumstances change. The solar arc moon had just gone into Virgo a week or ten days before, having conjoined the Ascendant only a month before. It was a critical time, and BP was fully aware of it; hence the “elite” in the company selling off their shares of stock. The transiting Sun on April 20th triggered this by trine aspect, and also trined progressed Uranus which was located at 0:34 Virgo. A new beginning for BP!

But I believe the major indicators are progressed Mars and transiting Neptune. Uranus in this chart is at 27:52 Leo. Progressed Mars, which is natally square Uranus, was at 27:51 Gemini. Even though it’s a sextile, it triggers the natal “promise,” which is the square. Neptune in transit has been contacting the Mars-Uranus square for quite sometime. On this day, transiting Neptune and transiting Uranus were both activating the mid point (in orb) of the Uranus-Ascendant conjunction. Uranus in quincunx—a loss of public trust since it rules the seventh house (the public), and Neptune opposing—public awareness of all their deceptions. Even Venus was in the act, going over Mars and squaring the progressed Sun at the time of the resulting fire and sinking of the rig.

Employees Sue BP

Two days ago (June 29, 2010) a story broke at 9:10 a.m. (NYC) that BP’s employees are suing BP for their own losses. At that time, transiting Mars, at 12:07 Virgo was opposing BP’s Jupiter at 12:41 Pisces. Mars rules the ninth (law suits) and Jupiter generically is justice. Transiting Venus was within ten minutes of natal Venus. Transiting Moon in the sixth (employees) was just past BP’s Saturn. Transiting Saturn was quincunx transiting Neptune, which is closing in on an opposition to BP’s Ascendant. But above all, Uranus, ruler of the sixth, was exactly to the minute quincunx progressed Uranus, a public rupture from the company. This chart is so clear about BP’s character and the event we are enduring, I have no doubt it is the correct one.

Showtime!

2010-06-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

For many years, astrologers have been writing about this time. It is significant. We are entering into a new paradigm in our collective evolution, and this is the week that it gets down to business. We have compared the years 2008 to 2015 to a combination of the Great Depression and the turbulent sixties, but because we are in different circumstances, leadership, problems and technologies, it will follow its own unique script which no one can predict, since we do have a modicum of free will—and the more conscious we become, the more we acquire.

As the so-called “recession” went on in the last couple years, we astrologers have been saying it was only an introduction to what is to come. It was the prelude, when the events and actors took their places on the world’s stage and “set the scene” as the curtain went up on the drama about to unfold. With this month’s Cancer Ingress and the eclipse of June 26th, we begin to get deeply into the process. We’ll see how serious it all is when we get to the end of July and early August. For this reason, I have set up Obama’s forecast for August 1, 2010 which we will explore later on in this offering.

The Summer Solstice
On June 21st at 7:28 am EDT, the Sun entered Cancer, also called the Summer Solstice. The chart for this event at the beginning of each season (Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox are the other three) is important to show us what to expect for the following three month period. To determine how it will affect each culture, it is calculated for the co-ordinates of the capital city of any particular country. Using the co-ordinates for Washington DC, the resulting chart prominently features the approaching dynamic cardinal T-square, and it involves the Sun this time, as well.

The Jupiter-Uranus part of it is near the MC showing erratic leadership. Pluto squares the same point, and that can designate power struggles (as we are witnessing) and tension in leadership, particularly. Whomever is leading the country, and it can be said it’s the entire government—not just one person, can expect some unsettling upsets regarding very serious issues—like the Republican rift over exposure of their support of Big Oil by the public apology to BP from Senator Joe Barton.

Especially tight is the Uranus-Sun square, which indicates sudden surprises regarding national financial issues (they rule second and eighth) as well as a discontented and rebellious populace. And with Pluto opposing the Sun, this will not be an easy three months ahead—especially concerning financial issues and employment which fuel this rebellion. With the Sun in the 12th, it won’t be entirely visible this quarter, but a movement is growing since Jupiter is involved. We know about the tea party movement, but there is also the Zeitgeist movement (you can Google it) and probably several others. This particular configuration usually is present when there are revolutions that lead countries into a new direction. When this separates and moves on in a couple years we’ll look back on this time as the turning point when drastic changes occurred.

With the ruler of the chart, the Moon, placed in the fourth house, we will be focused on domestic issues as well as fundamental security whether brought on by the economy, weather or just plain survival. Fourth house is very basic—our foundations. Further, the Moon is in the last degree of Libra. Most of the Sabian Symbols for each degree are rather personal, but this one is quite different. Rudhyar’s definition in An Astrological Mandala is:

"(Keynote: the fulfillment of man’s power of understanding at whatever level of existence the person operates.)
…Understanding and wisdom develop in terms of the life of community and through experiences provided by interpersonal and group relationships. Cultural factors are always involved, even though true wisdom transcends cultural values and is rooted in the essential nature of Man. What is at stake here is a HOLISTIC APPROACH TO KNOWLEDGE, based on Universals.” (page 191)

We are at a precipice where we have choices to make. Do we allow greed to continue unabated? After all, it is hardly logical that 90% of the wealth of the world be in the hands of 1% of the people and that at the expense of masses of peoples’ suffering. Do we continue to deplete finite resources and destroy the planet we depend on for survival? This particular three months’ of time should awaken us (Uranus square the Sun) to just how dangerous this is, and thus help to develop our collective “understanding.” There are many layers to this. Do we understand the power of the mind and spiritual laws, for instance? As a “masse consciousness” we have an enormous gap in understanding.

The Lunar Eclipse of June 26, 2010
This particular eclipse is powerful because it is in tight alignment with Pluto, which is part of the T-square coming into partile just ahead. Rather than talk about the chart, itself, I think the Astro Map of this eclipse is very graphic in helping us understand the importance and pivotal affect the Gulf Oil Disaster is having in precipitating the events that we’ve been expecting this year and for the next two years, at least.

We can discern quite a bit about where in the world our country’s attention will be focused by constructing an astro map (see image above) using the eclipse date and time, and our capital’s co-ordinates. Most of the current computer programs have an astro mapping application based on Jim Lewis’ famous Astro*Carto*Graphy premise. This map (from the Kepler program, btw) shows where planets would be on the angles of the chart if one were born in various places. In the map above, calculated for the date and time of this eclipse, you can see glyphs for all the planets’ angular positions; the red lines are the MC/IC axis and the yellow lines are the AC/DC axis. Wherever those lines pass over places our attention will be drawn to those geographical areas for the next six months at least. And it’s especially potent in a large swath where they happen to cross each other.

Note the plethora of lines going through the Gulf of Mexico. These are the eclipse line, itself, plus Mercury and the T-square of Pluto with Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter. In a nutshell, we can expect extreme disruption (Jupiter and Uranus), serious concern (Saturn) and great annihilation (Pluto) in that area. Looking over toward Indonesia, we see a mirror image of this, where there will also be similar energy. These same planets are on other angles through Western Europe and in the Pacific Ocean near the longitude of Midway Island. For some reason, our country’s attention will be drawn to those areas, as well. This is so graphic, there is very little else to explain.

Obama in August
During the last presidential campaign, I wrote in one of my analyses of the candidates (archived on my site www.devineadvantage.com) that if Obama were elected, he’d come into the office very bewildered about what to do. (I believe he realized what he was in for just after the debriefing from Bush.) Neptune was just past his ascendant and about to oppose Uranus, the ruler of his chart. It was evident that he wouldn’t know what to do first. But, Aquarius, as a sign “type” projects an air of certainty. So it would be hard to spot vacillation since it isn’t the characteristic “m.o.” of Aquarius. Actually, it has been nicknamed the “know it all” sign, when used negatively, and because it is fixed, the natives usually remain married to their certainty of being right. Uranus, which rules his chart, is in the seventh sector, which has Libran energy undertones, and therefore, his by-partisan efforts. Libra, ever the diplomat, tries to get all sides to “get along” and is willing to compromise.

Now more than a year later, Neptune is still opposing Uranus and his nodal axis, as well. But new things are just over the horizon. When the progressed Sun changes signs, there is usually a great change in personality. It has been in analytical Virgo, and will pass into Libra. One of the negative traits of Libra is indecisiveness and getting many, many opinions before acting, if indeed, it ever happens. It can look weak. Jimmy Carter is a Libra. It’s better for a diplomat than a president. But, it has also been nicknamed “the iron fist in the velvet glove” and can be quite a potent energy when used well by getting it’s way using shrewd diplomacy.

Obama’s progressed Sun is now in the last degree of Virgo and will change signs before August is over. And where is Saturn now? In the last degrees of Virgo, and it was there contacting his progressed Sun last October and again right on top of it in April during the initial days of the BP disaster! His progressed Sun and transiting Saturn are together going into Libra this summer and will join the other major players in the great T-square (a right triangle configuration) of outer planets that are the harbingers of this turning point in history. At the same time, they are both exactly opposing Uranus and Jupiter, with Mars at 2 degrees Libra, for good measure.

But, that’s not all! Obama has Venus at 1:47 Cancer, which fills in the fourth part of a grand square in the sky. Saturn and Mars (and his progressed Sun) are 90 degrees from his Venus, Pluto is opposite it, and Uranus and Jupiter are on the other side 90 degrees from Venus, as well. The USA Venus is 3 of Cancer, and so is close to Obama’s position. It doesn’t get much more stressful than that relative to world history, so we should be witnessing dramatic events that will awaken us to finally implement changes and do something about the state of affairs we have caused—either by greed, ignorance or apathy. The only thing I see in Obama’s chart that would indicate effective leadership at this time, is about eleven months after August when his progressed Sun trines natal Jupiter. However, close to that time solar arc Pluto is square Saturn, and that is one of the most difficult aspects anyone ever endures—very strong-willed, though.

In the beginning days of August, Obama’s progressed Mercury (at 25:19 of Libra on 8/1) will exactly square his natal Saturn (at 25:20 Capricorn—8/1), which indicates depression, fatigue, and impotence of words. And with Saturn just having crossed his progressed Sun position in Mid to late July, there may be good reason.

Splitting of the Golden Couple

2010-06-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

We were all shocked recently when we found out that the Gores were calling it quits after a long and seemingly happy marriage. Thankfully, we have the exact birth data for both of them, so an analysis is possible. Al Gore was born on March 31, 1948 at 12:53 pm in Washington DC and Tipper on August 19, 1948 at 2:40 am in the same city.

Before looking at the composite, let’s examine each one separately. If we had been watching their charts, this would not have been a surprise. The marriage had been having some problems for at least six years. Tipper has an exact Sun-Saturn conjunction at 26 Leo—only one minute of orb. It opposes her Moon at 21 Aquarius, and that axis has been experiencing a Neptune transit since 2006 when we allow a degree or two applying. We begin to feel an outer planet transit a couple of degrees before it is exact. Some people allow five degrees, but I think that may be pushing it. Neptune rules her MC, her status in life. The Sun rules the second and third (by Koch houses) and Saturn rules her seventh. She had been indecisive about the marriage for several years. Now, her secondary progressed ascendant is only 10 minutes from conjoining her natal Saturn-Sun. She is not a happy person about her marriage. Further, progressed Saturn is conjoining her natal Mercury—sadness and depression.

Six and a half years ago, the Saturn-Sun conjunction had moved by solar arc to conjoin her Mars, which natally is 20:06 Libra. She was very angry about something connected to the marriage and very likely concerning money, status or communications. The same rulerships are in play because Mars is the intercepted ruler of the tenth house. The MC is the cusp of that house (for those of you who don’t know). At the same time, solar arc Pluto was square her ascendant, which is part of the relationship axis. When Pluto squares that, a relationship is under stress. About 10 to 11 months ago solar arc Mars was square her natal MC and 18 months ago conjoining her Jupiter. She was having a lesson about her need for financial security and prestige. There is more, but those are the main indicators.

Tipper projects a charming and motherly image with Venus rising in Cancer. But, that part of her chart is square Neptune, and in reality, she feels like a victim much of the time and sacrifices a great deal to satisfy a need to be proud of her station in life. People who have Sun conjunct Saturn usually feel they have worked very hard without being given things in life unless she earned it. She would persevere through a great deal to keep what she may have worked very hard to achieve.

Al Gore, for some reason, had a very upset and angry wife about five years ago when solar arc Uranus conjoined his natal Mars, but that was just the last of six prior years when one thing after another was cascading in the marriage. Uranus, which rules his seventh house, had previously conjoined his Pluto and Saturn. He has Leo rising (hence being attracted to a Leo woman) and the stellium, Pluto, Saturn and Mars, in his first house. Uranus by solar arc slowly moved over them for at least five and a half years before separating from it almost five years ago. He probably thought the storm was over. However, his Moon occupies 3 degrees of Capricorn (and conjunct Jupiter in the fifth) and recently Pluto transited his Moon while Saturn was square. The Moon in a man’s chart represents habit patterns, home life and women in his life, including wife and mother. In the last couple weeks the progressed Moon set this off forming a square from 3 degrees Aries. His solar arc MC (status, career, etc.) is now conjoining natal Uranus—a sudden surprise from his wife (Uranus rules the seventh, remember) that has left him a bit confused. Progress Venus (ruler of intercepted tenth) is square natal Neptune. However, the progressed Sun is trine natal Uranus, but don’t jump to conclusions! In his natal chart the Sun opposes Neptune, so the trine is diluted and may operate like an opposition. I think he probably considered himself free a year ago when solar arc Uranus was trine his MC. That is often a move, since it is sextile the fourth cusp, and a quick one, at that.

Between the two natal charts there are issues. Tipper’s Ascendant-Venus conjunction is very tightly square her own Neptune which in turn is forming a T-Square with Al’s Sun. She may have felt as though she were a victim in the relationship, sacrificing her own ego needs for the sake of his career. Tipper has Pisces on the MC, ruled by Neptune. Her MC conjoins his Mercury and squares his Uranus. His “out of the box” way of thinking may have taken her by surprise quite often. But, most of all, her Sun-Saturn conjunction is square his Venus by less than 10 minutes. She probably was not really supportive of many of his career moves since his Venus rules his MC and Saturn square is notorious for pouring cold water over whatever it touches or at the very least, being fearful of them. But a person with Venus rising and square Neptune can be a very good actor.

And now the composite: This truly is a love relationship. The Sun conjoins Venus with only 5 minutes of orb. The ruler of the Cancer ascendant, is the Moon, and it is posited in the seventh house, a sure indicator that this might be a marriage or other legal partnership. Idealism ran high in the partnership—Neptune tucked down in the fourth is trine Mercury, Sun and Venus. Since they were born relatively close together, they both have Saturn-Pluto in Leo. Al’s is in a conjunction with Mars and potent, but hers is too wide for a conjunction. In the composite, though, it is an issue. At this time and for the past five to six years, the Sun-Venus connection has moved to be congruent with the Saturn-Pluto in the composite chart. It started with Venus first going over Pluto about five and a third years ago. It is not over. Venus will start the contacts to Saturn in two more years, and that can be reconciliation or the beginning of the final chapter. It will take some time. Eight years from now, there is still a Venus-Saturn contact to come.

But why the announcement now? Solar arc Saturn is square the composite ascendant, and Transiting Saturn is opposing the solar arc Moon, both of which are trine and sextile the composite Moon in the seventh—hence the apparent amicableness of the separation.

to continue...

2010-05-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of Neptunian influence in the USA chart, as mentioned before, and although I had notes about it, I left out the progressed Moon now approaching a conjunction to Neptune and square Mars just before. All of those references relate, not only to the confusion of the people (if not deception of same), but also oil, which is ruled by Neptune. [So is the sea. Neptune also rules smoke (ash over Europe) and gases and poisonous chemicals in general, such as those that occur underground in mines.]

Our country depends on goods trucked all over the country. In the last depression, that was not the case. But now, with the prospect of oil going up steeply in price, the cost of food will also inevitably rise. This has happened in the past in Russia when fuel was so expensive, food rotted in the field before it could be shipped, and people starved in great numbers.

As history unfolds, it does repeat because the cycles that synchronize with events also repeat. We can learn from history, but we also have to take into account what has changed from one era of history to another. In this case, it is difficult because we are not being told the whole truth about much of anything. Just this morning (May 19, 2010) there was a Katie Couric video of a news crew being turned away from the beaches of Louisiana, under the orders of BP—i.e. the coast guard was following BP’s orders!!—and it was under the threat of arrest! Aerial photos revealed a very black beach for miles.

But on the other hand…
Even with all that going on, and knowing what enormous problems the whole globe faces, there is another way of looking at this. Robert Blaschke has written that the progressed Sun in the USA chart now trine the natal Jupiter is what is holding the country together. That may be so, but solar arc Uranus is also trine the USA’s MC, and we are awakening to what is really going on. There is a site, for instance, called wikileaks.org for anonymous posting of whistle-blowing types of reports. The internet is making it harder and harder to hide anything.

Whenever we have these very difficult configurations, they are actually a Godsend. Otherwise, the misbehaviors of humanity would go on to unimaginable results. Look at the major planetary players this way: (not that I’m telling you what to do… just a suggestion…) The Uranus-Saturn opposition is a struggle between the old and the new. When old ways (Saturn) are no longer working (oil has become destructive and too expensive), then through “shock” (Uranus) we “wake up” (Uranus) and “invent” (Uranus) new ways of doing things. The opposition just shows that the time has come.

Pluto square Uranus (major player over the next two to three years—not quite there yet) are always harbingers of major dismantling of existing structures. When we’ve had great innovation and change, they have been active. The conjunction of the two in the mid-sixties was the main reflection of the riots about equality of race and protest against the Vietnam War. We are now at the first 90 degree angle since that conjunction. This shows impatience on a massive scale and an “I am not going to take it anymore” attitude. Assassinations often result in this attitude, by the way. But, before we can have change, we have to break down the stubborn, resistant structure that is already there. The square shows that it will be done with impatience and force, but it will effect change in the end, and that is the important thing.

A Course in Miracles teaches that when we don’t like something, we can stop and say to ourselves, “I can look at this a different way.” When we do that, our energy shifts, and we begin to attract a different version of the drama in front of us. Yesterday I was depressed, but when I reflected on the outcome that all this will bring, IF we use the energies wisely, I felt a lot more hopeful.

The Major BP Oil Spill

2010-05-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

The news reports say that the infamous oil spill, that is now a major disaster, started with an explosion at 11:00 pm EST (note the “standard” time designation) on April 20, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. Co-ordinates given were exact, but rounded off, they are 29N and 89W. It is highly unlikely that the time is exact so it doesn’t hurt to round off the co-ordinates. I’m sure this chart is pretty close, though.

Amazingly, the chart for this event has the current Saturn-Uranus opposition aligning with the MC-IC axis. In fact, if the event happened about 2 to 8 minutes earlier, they would have been aligning exactly. Uranus was at 28:29 Pisces, which rules oil, and Saturn occupies 29:06 Virgo. Saturn rules “safety” and in Virgo, attention to detail. We may find, in general, for the past couple years, that the “devil was in the details” regarding safety for many, many events! Like the mining disaster that was also in April.

Pluto, although trine the Sun, is within range of a square to both ends of this opposition, and that suggests that this is a much, much more literally “in depth” event that it appears at first. For one thing, the MC of this chart is within a degree of the Sibly USA chart, and as Saturn and Uranus enter Libra and Aries, aligning with this angle over the next few months, we will see just how much damage has been done.

The nodes in this chart are exactly square the USA Saturn with only a five minute orb. I believe the nodes point to karmic lessons when they contact Saturn. Saturn, in turn, rules the Sibly chart’s second house and is posited in the tenth sector. Tenth is business, corporations, leadership, et al. Second house, as we all know, is money and values. Clearly, this is a lesson about those things. Not only that, but Pluto is in the second of the USA chart, and it has just experienced a conjunction of the progressed nodes, separating by less than a degree. Pluto is where we look for power, control, crime, even oil, if you consider that it is the “power” that is sought—not to mention it being the ruler of the “underground.” Transiting Pluto at 5:22 Capricorn is opposing the USA Jupiter within less than a degree, as well. Jupiter is too much, excess, expansion, and it is certainly true of the oil that is being spilled all over the Gulf, which will probably be taken by currents much farther away than that.

Neptune has been hovering over the USA Moon for quite awhile and will still retrograde (starting May 31st) back to an exact conjunction on August 25th and again on January 15, 2011. Where do we start to define that!?? The Moon in the USA chart is not only the ordinary citizen who has been manipulated and deceived for years, it also rules the 8th which is our collective financial system— the stock market, the insurance industry, taxes, banks—and even death. I’m not saying we’re all going to die, but I do believe we are going to be heard and the “death” will be the collective financial interests of the country that will go through dissolution of the system as we have known it, and a revision process to prevent the country from taking its last gasp.

Another clue to this is the quincunx of the USA’s solar arc Neptune to the USA’s Saturn, only 12 minutes applying. Saturn is ruler of the second, and Neptune the intercepted third. The quincunx is usually a separation, a disconnection. This can mean “decisions” (third house) to “disconnect” the monetary system as we have known it. Currently, we see a move on to dismantle banks into state-run smaller institutions. Personally, I hope it extends to dismantling the Federal Reserve.

A further clue is that the progressed USA Jupiter is retrograding to a position that is now within a degree of squaring the USA Saturn—a new foundation being built. It will probably take more than three years for this to suddenly be realized—about the time that the USA progressed Sun squares the natal Uranus in roughly three years and five months.
There is much more, but I get depressed…. More later.

The Cardinal Climax, Tiger Woods, and a little bit more about Star Trek

2010-04-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

The big news that we're all hearing lately is about the intense configuration this summer of the outer planets in the early degrees of cardinal signs. It has been a hot topic for Astrologers for the last five years at least. To give you an idea of how important it is, this pattern resembles those during the Great Depression and the mid-sixties when we saw so much drama with assassinations, the Vietnam War and the back-to-the-earth movement. What can I say that will add anything to the avalanche of things already written?
One thing is that the eclipse of June 26th, at 4:46 Capricorn is conjoining Pluto at 4:05. This is in line with the USA's Venus. Venus in the USA chart represents the economy generically, but also represents the leader of the country because it rules the MC. And, it tells us about labor, employment, the military and the police force because it rules the sixth house in the Sibly chart. (This chart has long been disputed, as have a number of others, but I’ve watched it closely for years, and it does show events accurately as they occur—particularly the 9/11 event.)

With this eclipse and the cardinal pattern coming into alignment, plus a number of other things, we can expect a good revolution this summer, or at least the beginning of one. The extent of our economic troubles will come to light, as well as the true unemployment rate. However, the country is in need of a good “cleaning house.” The benefit of this house cleaning is clearly shown, as well.

For instance, nobody seems to be mentioning the almost exact trine of the progressed Sun to Jupiter! That would be exact in early October. The Sun represents the legislature and laws. Sun rules the ninth, and the ninth house is the philosophical mind of the owner’s chart—that’s why it is law and legislature, which are supposed to represent our thinking and wishes. It is our country’s chart, so we are going to do a good job of communicating our mind-set—although contradictory with red and blue expressing different views. In fact, the progressed Sun is IN the third, which is communication on a local, day-to-day level. People are getting VERY vocal already, and it will get much stronger.

Solar arc Uranus is trine the USA’s MC, which is the aspect it has in the natal chart (and so doubly significant). This shows our inherent expectation of freedom from authority (MC) telling us what to do. It is exact right about now, but will be aspected positively by the transiting Saturn and Mars around the first of August. I expect a lot of drama regarding our rights to free expression from late June until September, if not beyond.

Progressed Mercury is retrograde, but it is approaching a trine to Mars. It has already quincunxed (is that even a valid word?!) Neptune. That would indicate a separation of the country’s thinking (grass roots Americans) and the way they see their will being implemented. Plus, it’s a strong trigger to the infamous square of these too, and MIGHT bring in some recognition of obvious hypocrisy. Neptune rules the intercepted third and is in the ninth; Mercury rules the intercepted ninth, but is progressed in the third. A quincunx indicates separation. It could not be clearer. We are not in agreement with our representatives.

But, the best for last: The progressed Moon is going to be square Mars in June. Then it conjoins Neptune in July. The Moon, representing the populace, is addressing the deceptive nature of the Mars/Neptune square. If that were all, it might not mean much, but solar arc Pluto is going to square Mars and conjoin Neptune around January 2012 and January/February 2013 respectively. This will bring in a strong accountability for the prior deceptions that led up to this point. However, I want to point out that there is always the possibility of mis-use of any energy. The last time solar arc Pluto contacted this square was in 1923/24, and although the roaring twenties is remembered for the Charleston, flappers and Gershwin, there was also the rise of the Mafia and Hitler. This particular aspect only affects the USA, but the Cardinal Climax affects us all globally. We are now approaching the regular adjustments we go through on a regular basis, when these patterns repeat, to bring a correction to excesses. It’s always painful in some way until we learn something, but better in the long run.

Tiger Woods—another Mars/Neptune issue

When the news first broke about Tiger Woods’ extracurricular activities, someone commented that it was the Gemini Mars in his chart. In a way it was, but I feel it’s imperative to say that a Mars position by sign, all by itself, doesn’t account for behavior of any kind, much less something this negative. Mars is the planet we look to for one’s desire nature, and Gemini is noted for liking variety, but it can be expressed many different ways. One of the reasons I chose to write about this in the same blog as the USA chart is because it involves that pesky Neptune/Mars negative expression of “deceptive behavior.” Tiger’s Mars is opposite his Neptune, and his Neptune, in turn, is conjunct his Moon. Together this is a very active imagination connected to his emotional needs. Even that, all by itself, is not enough to tell us what those needs are. What does that is his Venus in Scorpio along with his Sun square Pluto, which happens to be in the first house. That combination is a very, very strong sex drive. Pluto is opposite Jupiter (and of course, Sun squares) which only makes it more so.

When his infamous accident occurred, Uranus was exactly square his Moon (surprise emotional shock), and his progressed Moon was just between squaring his natal and progressed Mars. It was also midway between squaring this natal Moon and Neptune conjunction. Therefore, this was a shocking lesson about deceptive behavior to gratify his vivid imagination. In addition, his progressed Saturn was conjoining his progressed MC within nine minutes—a public fall from grace. Makes you wonder if anything is ever really an “accident.”

Star Trek

And last, the additional thing I wanted to say about Star Trek is about a chart’s effective longevity. In other words, does a chart stop when the owner dies? It appears not. It is said that whenever there was a new book or movie about Marilyn Monroe, it showed in her chart long after she was deceased.

I looked at the Star Trek chart to see if there was anything going on when “the next generation” first aired. Keep in mind that an event as large as a new show, which requires preparation, is a process that is unfolding over a couple years from conception to acceptance/success.

The key element of this show’s chart (set for the first airing of the original series: Sept. 8, 1966 at 8:30 pm, NYC), I believe, is the Uranus/Pluto/Sun conjunction in the fifth house. That was the primary energy being triggered during this time. When “Next Generation” first aired on September 28, 1987, several things were activating it. The solar arc Moon was not only sextile that triple conjunction, but also about to trine the seventh house natal Neptune a year later—a success indicator. Venus had conjoined natal Uranus eleven months earlier (Uranus, the “awakener”—and Venus is the chart ruler). Transiting Uranus had, and Saturn was, square the stellium.

In addition there was a lot of action involving Mars. The progressed ascendant was two minutes from sextile to it on that date, solar arc Uranus was in sextile separating by one degree and Pluto approaching by only 26 minutes. Solar arc Neptune (imagination) had been trine Mars a year earlier. Transiting Pluto was square Mars within one degree.

One little thing deserves comment. With most of this overwhelmingly positive, it’s worth noting that transiting Saturn was exactly square the Sun within six minutes, and it might have been closer if I’d set this up with the exact time the show started. Saturn gets a bad rap as an “inhibitor” or “block” to what we want to do. The USA has Saturn square the Sun in the Sibly chart, for instance, and we are a huge, successful country—albeit in a little trouble right now. Saturn square the Sun, if not overwhelmed by other indicators, shows responsibility and hard work in the extreme, which is probably what it took to put this show on for seven seasons. Without Saturn, there is no “backbone.”

Star Trek and the Void-of-Course Moon

2010-01-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

Star Trek first aired on September 8, 1966 at 8:30 pm Eastern time. Daylight saving time was in effect, so we have to assume that the time given was the one in use. If that is so, then the chart for the debut of Star Trek has a void-of-course Moon! Now, we’ve all been taught in astrology classes, and in Al Morrison lectures—he put the void-of-course Moon on the map, so to speak—that anything started on a void Moon has no energy or potential. (And for those of you who don’t have an astrological technical background, a void Moon is one that will not make a major aspect to a planet until it changes signs.)

I attended a local lecture in the late ‘80s by a Virginia Beach astrologer, Nancy Edwards, and she said it should be interpreted as “nothing to worry about” because the issue one might be addressing was “already decided.” This was from a horary perspective, but could just as easily apply to anything else. I began looking at the void Moon from both perspectives, and it seems to me that she is correct. Star Trek is an example. All this time we have been advising people to side step starting anything when the Moon is void-of-course, but with this evidence, we may need to re-think that—at least from a long range perspective.

In the Star Trek chart, the Moon is 27:15 Gemini, just separating from a square to Saturn at 27:05 Pisces, which was the last aspect. Saturn rules the MC! Astrologers would have hesitated advising starting a show with that in the chart! The show lasted three seasons—just until the Moon changed signs by solar arc. Now that part was predictable and would normally follow all our rules. The program was even derided at first and wouldn’t have survived if not for fans writing in protest; Mercury is conjunct Sun, Pluto and Uranus in the chart, so they were effective! Mercury not only rules letter writing generically, but also the third house in this chart, so it was a double whammy. And the Moon, ruler of the “public,” is in the third. The Moon, being in Gemini, is also indicative of the two layers this show had: one being the adventure, enjoyable in itself, but the other being a social/moral statement in each episode, as well.

I wrote a book about this a couple years ago, Star Trek Revealed, (which is available on my website www.devineadvantage.com—if you want an autographed copy, some Barnes and Noble and metaphysical bookstores, and Amazon, by the way). It is not aimed at the PhDs among us, but rather it is written for those who never watched nor understood the attraction of this phenomenon. It’s also for those who only saw the superficial part of the drama and didn’t recognize the underlying message. And at the end there is a section about the astrology of it all.

But, the point of this essay is to suggest why a void-of-course Moon didn’t stop it from mushrooming into a cultural icon. First, I don’t believe Star Trek was an accident or just another drama. When we are on the verge of an exponential leap in evolution, I think we are sent avatars to guide us. We need them in all levels of society and through all media. At the time of the Star Trek debut, A Course in Miracles was being scribed, for instance, which would appeal to a different kind of audience. It had a similar message to Star Trek, which was that “we make our own reality”—at least that was one of the messages. And, that “reality is not what we think it is—there are many worlds operating simultaneously.” I believe Gene Roddenberry had an avatar’s mission, whether he was aware of it or not. And so, Star Trek was “nothing to worry about”—it was an issue “already decided.”

Secondly, the chart, itself, has some clues. There is a powerful stellium in Virgo of the Sun, Mercury, Pluto and Uranus all in an applying trine to the MC. Plus, Saturn, ruler of the MC, is applying tightly to trine Jupiter with only a ten minute orb. Since Saturn is retrograde in the 12th, can this mean that the full impact on the subconscious would be felt later? It is fascinating that the original series went off the air when the void-of-course Moon changed signs, and the following Next Generation series started when the MC changed signs in 1987. (to be continued….)

The January 15, 2010 Eclipse at Washington DC

2010-01-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is an important eclipse, not only because it is unusually long in duration, but also because of two important configurations. One is the square to the ascendant of the eclipse chart. The ascendant will be different depending on the place you choose to calculate the chart. We set up eclipse charts for capital cities of countries to see how it will impact that particular region. In the Washington DC chart, 14:29 Scorpio is rising. Mars, at 15:17 Leo, is closely square (90 degrees away from) that position. Mars is also the most elevated planet and is retrograde.
An eclipse is in effect for at least six months, often a year, and sometimes it can be many years in duration—especially if it’s in a fixed sign with a powerful pattern involved with it. That is not the case here. This tells us that the next six months to a year there should be a great deal of angry expression about the unemployment situation, as well as the job congress is doing. Mars rules the sixth house and is in the ninth. Sixth house is employment, services and even health care; the ninth house is where we look to see how we’ll be feeling about the legislature, education and other social institutions. Even the triple conjunction of Sun, Moon and Venus in the third house of the chart will not mitigate this because that configuration is activating the USA’s opposition of Mercury and Pluto. In other words, when the USA was born, there was an opposition of these two. It indicates a country that is forceful in promulgating ideas. It can also be a secretive government since Mercury rules the intercepted ninth in the USA chart. This eclipse is triggering that, shining a light on it, and bringing it to our attention.
In addition, since Saturn and Pluto are in a long term square aspect, it is present in the eclipse chart, as well. Not only that, but Mercury is closely conjoining Pluto (and therefore square Saturn). This exacerbates the above trigger of the USA’s Mercury/Pluto opposition, and because they are both in range of opposing and squaring the USA’s Venus, the next six months should have profound impact on our economic situation. Since there is so much secrecy in our government and Federal Reserve, it’s hard to say exactly what we can expect.
In this chart Neptune and Jupiter are pretty much equidistant straddling the USA Moon at 27 Aquarius. The Moon rules the 8th –debt, banking, taxes, etc. Jupiter and Neptune together have a reputation of head-in-the-sand delusional thinking. The two have been hovering around the USA Moon for months, and the result has been denial that we are in a depression plus financial decisions that are disastrous. Very soon, Jupiter will pull away from Neptune and the “bubble” in our awareness will end.