The Astrologer Says

Some Thoughts About the Astrological Weather

In the past few weeks we have been doing some heavy duty processing.

It's been a tough year for many. If you have been directly impacted by this summer's once-in-a-lifetime cardinal T-cross your world has changed profoundly. And if you ducked the blow this time, then you observed the turmoil in world events--think the floods in Pakistan, an occurrence of truly Biblical proportion or the fires around Moscow.

And then there was the landmark passage of the health care package and finance reform.  

A great deal happened in only a few short months and many seeds were planted. When historians look back they will see the summer of 2010 as a crossroads.

But we're not finished.

But as summer gave way to fall, planets, one-by-one, either retrograded or retreated into their former signs. So Uranus and Jupiter are now cooling their heels in Pisces--for now.

The Universe is giving us this time to process the change that took place this summer and earlier in the year.

Currently the Sun is traveling through Scorpio. Just a couple days ago it was accompanied by Moon, Mercury, and Venus in that sign. As the world is changing on a profound level it affects us in our personal lives, too. The Scorpio energy is helping us integrate and transform on a very deep level.  

This past Sunday, Neptune turned direct and on the 18th, Venus and Jupiter will do the same, only a few hours apart. Pent up energy is released when a planet begins to move forward. Not only will you feel energized, but you will be able to see your world with a very different perspective.

Keep in mind, though, that we are only part of the way through the major outer planet transits that are remaking the world we live in. 

Whatever insights you've learned, whatever perspectives you've gained, will change again and again. Like the results of last week's mid-term elections, the results are temporary. 

Stay loose and nimble and you'll be fine.

2010 Solstice Greetings and DNA in the Court

Continuing along my previous theme of noting what I am reading or listening to as an aspect becomes exact, here is my news story for 2010's Summer Solstice. 

The Solstice, which arrived just a few minutes ago at 7:28 am EDT, is also the Sun's entrance into Cancer. Cancer, of course, is associated with all things mother and mothering, roots, family, heritage, background, personal security, etc. 

But this Solstice begins with a bang. Just as the Sun enters Cancer, it sets off a square (conflict) to the Uranus (innovation, technology, breakthrough, shock, upset) and Jupiter (higher education, law and legal profession, academia, expansion, hope, optimism).

Tell me if this story doesn't hit on these themes. 

I glanced through this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer and was attracted to a story of pending litigation that is poised to reach the US Supreme Court. 

Two geneticists working at the University of Pennsylvania who had developed a test for genetic mutations that carry a high risk of breast cancer were ordered to stop offering it. They were accused of patent infringement by Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Myriad had not patented their test, but they owned the patent on the human genes that are the subject of the test. 

The ACLU along with various medical associations and breast cancer activists sued Myriad. They won round one in Federal Court. This past Wednesday, Myriad filed an appeal. 

A Supreme Court decision on the subject can have wide ramifications depending on how it is drafted. Companies need patent protection to fund their work and publish their findings. Yet, Myriad's patent is on the gene itself, not the tests or processes associated with it.

Stay tuned as the astrology--and the story--unfolds.

Mercury Retrograde, the Times Square Bombing Attempt and 911

Mercury Retrograde is well known for its correlation with an increased incidence of mechanical glitches and communications snafus. Did the fact that the Times Square bomber make his attempt under Mercury Retrograde contribute to his failure?

On May 1, 2010, an SUV was seen entering Times Square at 6:28 pm. Surveillance camera showed him entering West 45th Street between Broadway and Eight Avenue. Two minutes later, a street vendor flagged down a mounted policeman to report a car filling with smoke parked on the southwestern corner of West 45th Street and Broadway. 

By 6:33 pm, the mounted police officer had circled the car and radioed for help. The area was cleared in minutes. By 2:20 am, Mayor Bloomburg and Police Commissioner Kelly announced that a bomb was discovered in the vehicle.

After 48 hours of investigation, the authorities called back Emirates flight 202 bound for Dubai leaving from Kennedy airport. A suspect, Faisal Shahzad, was placed under arrest and the plane was allowed to depart at 6:29 am.

On September 11, 2001, another terror attempt was made in New York. As we well know, 911 was only too successful. 

If we look at May 1, 2010 at 6:28 pm ET as the chart for the Time Square bombing attempt and the 8:46 am chart for 911, the time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the north tower, we can see that the two charts have may similarities. 

For starters, Libra rises in both.  

On Sept 11, 2001, Saturn opposes Pluto and widely trines Uranus. By May 1, 2010 Saturn has moved on to square Pluto and tightly opposes Uranus. In both cases, the forces for revolution and transformation are at odds with the establishment.

But while Uranus is retrograde on 911 and Saturn direct, it is the opposite on May 1.

The 911 moon is in the 9th house (use of aircraft in the sky as weapons), but the May 1 moon is conjoining the cusp of House 3 (cars, streets, neighborhoods). Nonetheless, the two moons are nearly opposite each other by sign and degree (28 Gemini and 23 Sagittarius respectively).

But it's the differences that lead to the disparate results. 

On 911, Uranus, planet of shocks, upset, and revolution, is trine the void of course moon enabling it to act freely. It does oppose Venus, but Venus in warrior mode (when it rises before the Sun) only eggs Uranus on.

On May 1st, Uranus gets no such help from Venus or the Moon, instead it is in a separating square from the moon and closely opposes Saturn (blockages). 

Mercury, strong on 911, conjoining the ascendant and trining Saturn, was now retrograde in Taurus and moving rapidly to square Pluto.

While many signatures between the two event charts are similar, it seems that Mercury Retrograde's proclivity to mechanical glitches may have protected New Yorkers from a great tragedy. 

Think about that the next time you complain about Mercury retrograde.

The Astrology of the War in Iraq

Sometimes an astrological chart can provide a stark description of an event. When an event's effects are particularly strong, expect to see strong activity in the event chart--and this is certainly the case here.

March 19, 2010 is the seventh anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war. At that time, 10:30 pm Eastern (March 20th at 5:30 am local time) President Bush's "Shock and Awe" offensive began.

Astrologers look first at activity near the chart's angles, that is the points on the very top, very bottom, furthest to the right and furthest to the left. 

For the people and the nation of Iraq, the effect was the beginning of a protracted period of devastation. Pluto in Sagittarius is within 5 minutes of the Midheaven, the very top of the chart.  The symbolism of Pluto is certainly appropriate. Pluto in mundane astrology represents death and destruction. In this case, it was raining from jets from above by a foreign power (Pluto was in Sagittarius). 

Meanwhile at the very bottom, at the IC, Saturn opposed Pluto. When Saturn and Pluto dance together, the effect is restriction and purging. Saturn on the IC describes the hardship brought by the invasion. 

Within 24 hours, the Sun would leave Pisces to enter warlike Aries. The proximity of the event to the Spring solstice or 0 degrees of Aries highlights its huge impact on the world scene. Often events take a turn when a planet is at the very end of a sign or newly ensconced into the next.

Uranus had just set foot into Pisces and it squared the transiting nodes. Certainly this is descriptive of the "shock and awe." That there was much more to the unveiling of events than met the eye is indicated by Uranus' placement in Baghdad's 12th house along with Venus and Neptune. 

This chart amply describes an event of stark and far reaching consequences whose reverberations are still being felt.

Now the planets have moved on and Saturn is making its closing square to Pluto. 

Iraq is being restructured again, but this time it is the result of a vote to form a new government as the United States continues to draw down its troops. 

Saturn in aspect to Pluto describes a tearing down of facades and rebuilding of existing structures. The war revealed the fiction of 'weapons of mass destruction' that were designed to puff up Sadam's profile and deter Iran. It displayed the limits of American power and unveiled the sharp sectarian fissures in Iraqi society, with death, destruction, and suffering as the result.

But after Pluto destroys it grants the gift of rebirth. And tentatively, gingerly, Iraq is finding its own way.

Retrograde Planets and the Cycles of 2010

The Universe moves in cycles and rhythm. 

The planets of the solar system revolve around the Sun beginning and completing endless cycles with themselves and with other planets. There is daylight and darkness, waking and sleep, and the cycle of the seasons. The tides go in and out. Your heart beat and your breathing are rhythms and they are the essence of life.

As seen from Earth, planets appear to move forward and then retreat in the sky. When we reverse direction or cease our forward motion in response to the planetary motion, we are acting in accordance with the rhythms of the Universe.

Nature does not operate on a 24/7 always-on schedule. 

Even when you are subject to a challenging, long-lasting outer planet transit, there are periods of greater and lesser intensity. An outer planet will advance, then retrograde, advance then retrograde. Pluto, for example, can go back and forth over a single point as many as five times.

It is important to keep this in mind when there are periods of intense change as the Cardinal Climax we are experiencing from 2008 through 2015.

In between the peaks are intervals of calm. 

Like a long distance runner, it is important to pace yourself. 

During this time of rapid change, each of the outer planets, with the exception of Neptune, is involved. The very core of our society is being transformed. 

The Earth and the way we live on it has gotten severely out of balance. American society, politics, business, and finance have also gotten severely out of balance with the vast majority of resources flowing upward to a small number while even formerly comfortable middle-class people fight to survive.

We will get a taste of the blowback this summer when all of the planets from Jupiter outward, with the exception of Neptune, advance to the early degrees of cardinal signs. And then, mercifully, by summer's end, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter will have turned backward to retreat back into previous signs.

But from now through the spring at least one personal planet will be retrograde. Many people get impatient at the thought. They think it means putting their lives on hold. Their impatience is compounded by the fact that some planets like Mars heighten the likelihood of premature and poorly thought-out action.

Be grateful for this retrograde time and use it wisely. It is the time to strengthen your center and your foundations. Re-consider your actions/direction (Mars retrograde), reevaluate your values and relationships (Venus), and reevaluate your thinking and communication (Mercury).

Thoughts?

Pluto in Sagittarius - A Look Back

Did I recently say that this is the time of year that news publications traditionally look back on the year that is passing away? 

A few minutes ago I went out to retrieve my copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer to be greeted with the headline A Decade in Review. Yesiree, folks, when the ball drops in Times Square, we won't just be throwing out our 2009 calendars, but saying good-bye to a decade that still has no name, but has left a very deep imprint into our every day lives... the aughts? Come on.

In keeping with an earlier post about using this time to do your own year in review, consider a longer period. To that we can look to the outer planets. Outer planet transits through a sign are long lasting. They  set the zeitgeist rather than sticking their noses into day-to-day events until they trigger personal and sensitive points in a chart. And when they do...

Pluto, the ruler of death and transformation, entered Sagittarius in 1995 and left the sign in 2008. What are the overarching themes of your life during that period? What entered? What fell away? How did you change? What wisdom did you come to understand? What shifted?

From a societal standpoint, Pluto (transformation) brought to the surface many issues associated with Sagittarius. Sagittarius is where we look for hope and inspiration. It is our quest for the truth--how we fit in the greater scheme of things. So the sign's energy is associated with academia and higher education, philosophy, organized religion. It is also associated with long distance travel, foreign cultures and foreigners, adventure, marketing, advertising, and teaching.

Sagittarius' ruler, Jupiter is one of two planets that governs our connection with the larger society, so its sign Sagittarius is also associated with the legal system and lawyers from the standpoint of getting to the truth of the matter and the pomp and ceremony of government and high officials.

Jupiter's energy expands, so it brings optimism to what it touches and has a tendency towards excess.

Pluto arrived in Sagittarius in 1995 with the O.J. Simpson trial which brought thorny issues of justice, race, and domestic violence to the fore. During its travels, we experienced the dotcom bubble, and later, the infamous housing bubble.

Pluto reveals the underside of issues so we are forced to deal with them. So we had the Catholic Church's pedophilia scandal. September 11th brought us face-to-face with the bitter fruits of our 1980's foreign policy in Afghanistan.

Happy-go-lucky Sagittarius felt comfortable with hands-off financial regulation so Congress killed Glass-Steagall at a time when laissez-faire reigned in the highest levels of Government and the financial markets. And we are still digging ourselves out of the consequences of that mess. 

By the way, what did happen to all of the toxic assets?

But that was American society at-large. What happened for you and to you? Share your stories.

Uranus and Pluto - Another Spin

Many in the astrological community are looking ahead at the convergence of hard outer planet aspects. Already we are experiencing Saturn square Pluto. And in the summer of 2010, Saturn, Pluto, and Uranus will form a configuration called a T-square--three planets each in square to each other forming a big T.

The outer planets, especially, Uranus and Pluto, will square each other on and off until 2015 when unpredictability and volatility will reign. I wrote of the growing anger of the general public here and here. It's my opinion that the grassroots reactions to an increasingly uneven playing field will be the signature theme of this period.

But the upcoming shakeup will also unleash new ways of thinking and powerful creativity.

Here is an example of what is yet to come. 

The November 23rd issue of Newsweek magazine has an article about a scientist by the name of Edward Moses. He works out of the Lawrence Livermore lab. He and his team are working to unleash the power of vitamin-sized pellets containing deuterium and hydrogen, isotopes of water, by zapping them with a laser. 

He is aiming to force the deuterium nucleus to merge, producing helium and generating energy. If Moses is successful developing his process, controlled nuclear fusion, he would be able to produce energy with no carbon emissions from a fuel that is cheap and abundant. 

The ramifications include ending or decreasing our dependence on oil, nuclear power, and possibly a solution to the global warming problem.

While Uranus is associated with volatility and unpredictability, it is also associated with breakthrough and technological leaps. And Pluto is associated with nuclear power. 

The Perils of Being an Astrologer in Sri Lanka

Astrologers can't win according to this story in the Washington Post.

In the West, many astrologers bemoan their marginal status; their status is a topic of many a discussion at astrological conferences. 

But they may want to be careful what they wish for.

In South Asia, astrology and astrologers are still revered. Few people there make major business decisions or marry without consulting with an astrologer. And that sword cuts two ways as evidenced by the story of Sri Lankan astrologer Chandrasiri Bandara.

Considered the most popular astrologer in Sri Lanka, Bandara received death threats from Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa. His crime? Bandara had gone public with his forecast that Rajapaksa would be booted out of office or killed.  

As it turns out, Rajapaksa may face presidential and parliamentary elections in April, and opposition parties recently formed an alliance to oppose Rajapaksa. 

The astrologer predicts his own demise saying that "until 2012 there is a chance of someone in the government killing me."

An untimely death was always an occupational hazard of court astrologers who had the temerity to bring bad tidings. Apparently, some things haven't changed.

Uranus Comes to Aries and the Grassroots Wakes Up

Yesterday I wrote about the coming visit of Uranus to Aries. That is when I expect to see the frustration and anger that many 'regular folks' are feeling come to a head. The summer of 2010 will be a very hot one.

The actual incidents and way the anger is expressed may very well be shocking or upsetting depending when and how it is expressed, but that there is a great deal of anger rising should not be a surprise. Too many people are feeling that the deck is stacked against them even when they work very, very hard and play by the rules.

As jolting and disconcerting as the expression of anger may be, its expression is a healthy sign. It means that 'ordinary people' are galvanized enough to take back the power they had lost over several decades of a power grab of the larger players of the financial sector disguised by free market rhetoric.

Call it blowback. 

With Uranus making a square to Pluto and opposing Saturn, it might get very crazy. Much depends on the leadership that arises from this grassroots anger. 

For too long, the halls of power heard from monied and corporate interests. The union movement, imperfect as it is, was the only countervailing force in the political arena. But it never bounced back after President Reagan broke the air traffic controllers union in the early 80's.

Today top Wall Street executives hold top posts in the Executive branch, as they did in previous administrations. The high cost of campaign financing puts all but the very wealthiest Senators and Congressional Representatives at the beck and call of big money donors.

And so we have a federal government with the trappings of democracy, but is bought by deep-pocketed interests. And the citizens who are supposedly represented there are effectively shut out.

When Uranus enters Aries, regular citizens will rediscover their voice and demand to be heard. They will unceremoniously remind their governmental leaders that their positions are dependent on winning the next election and citizens have more votes than AIG. 

In the meantime, there is a window of opportunity for our leadership to recognize and address the sources of the anger. My hope is that they take advantage of it.

Dr. George Tiller: An astrological look

It was with shock and sadness that I received the news of Dr. George Tiller’s death. Dr. Tiller was fatally shot in the foyer of his church while officiating as usher at a service this morning.

 

He was long reviled by the anti-abortion movement for his open support for late-term abortion. In fact, at the time of his death, his center was one of only three still operating in the US attracted women with fetuses diagnosed with horrendous fetal anomalies that were either life threatening or extremely serious to the baby and/or the mother. http://aheartbreakingchoice.com/

 

He felt strongly that he should support women who made the difficult choice to terminate a late-term pregnancy even though he put himself at risk—he was continually on the receiving end of death threats—his clinic was bombed in June 1986, and, in 1993, shot in the arms. Yet he continued undeterred.

 

His compassion was focused on the women, who were faced with painful, sometimes tragic decisions. His center was staffed with counselors and offered extensive grief counseling that included funeral viewings, cremations, and post-mortem baptisms.

 

Below is a brief astrological look at Dr. Tiller’s life and death.

 

Dr. Tiller was born on August 8, 1941 in Wichita, KS, time unavailable. His passion and courage was evidenced by Sun Mercury and Pluto in Leo while his compassion by Moon in Pisces, North Node conjunct Neptune, and Venus square Jupiter. His courage showed by 4 planets in fire, and a fearless Mars in Aries trine his Sun. Jupiter stands midway between the Sun and Mars forming a sextile to both amplifying his fearlessness. And four planets in fixed signs including Sun in Leo attest to his determination.

 

The tight Chiron/Mercury/Pluto conjunction in Leo spoke to his willingness to speak out about his patients’ plight and act on their behalf when few others would as well as his involvement with issues of life and death. Pluto is where we can cut out what is diseased or dying in order to heal. Chiron, too, speaks of healing and Mercury his ability and willingness to give voice to these women.

 

Uranus conjoining Saturn in loose sextile to the Mercury/Pluto/Chiron conjunction speaks of his willingness to ruffle feathers.

 

At the time of death at 10:03 am CST on May 31, 2009, the South Node was rising, conjoining the ascendant within a minute of arc showing the wide reverberations of this act of violence.

 

The transiting midheaven at 19 Aries conjoins Tiller’s own Mars while transiting Mars is in the last minutes of Aries in a separating conjunction to transiting Venus. It was a public act, but one that found little support by the public as evidenced by the square from the Sun to the Moon/Saturn conjunction as well as the square from transiting Mercury to the triple Chiron/Jupiter/Neptune conjunction. All but the majority of pro-life organizations quickly denounced it.

 

The Chiron/Jupiter/Neptune conjunction in the transiting 8^th house speak to the perpetrator’s ability to blend into the worshippers and his warped idealism.

 

Without Dr. Tiller’s birth time I cannot look at his chart angles nor house placements, but it is reasonable to assume that a description of this analysis would come into sharper focus.