New Horizons for the New Year

As we start 2012, we will see some big changes in the large, slower moving planets that make large impacts on society. Jupiter is moving into Taurus, a change from loosey goosey Gemini, into the stable Bull. I hope it will bring some stability to the stock market and get people thinking about prosperity again.

Uranus heading in Aries will see an explosion for technology. I know - what have we been seeing? However, Uranus is all about electricity and sparks and the future is Aries is the epitome of masculine charging energy.  This also a time when we question authority figures - the Occupy Movement started just as Uranus reach Aries.

Finally and perhaps more interestingly, in early 2012 Neptune will move into Pisces, the sign it rules. While I highly doubt the world will end in 2012- please! --- this is a time for an intense spiritual awakening.  We haven't seen Neptune in Pisces since 1848 and it is so funny that several books about that year have been published lately. That was a time when the "Communist Manifesto" was published - a false Utopian hope for a new way of governing - very Piscean. It was also the beginning of waves of spiritualism and Utopian communities of the Alcotts and Thoreaus.

Those who are spiritually attuned will have a wonderful time exploring new planes.

However, the shadow of Neptune is total illusion - 1848 was the start of the Gold Rush - where masses thought they would make it big in the West.  With Neptune you also have drug use and escapism of all kinds. I think with that Uranus in Aries there will be wild new ways to disengage and "drop out" of society.

So hang onto your hats kids - 2012 is bringing in a lot of changes. Keep your feet on the ground but your head in the spiritual realm and your hands on the Ipod 1000!

Happy New Year

Solstice Time

I love winter Solstice  - it is a time of rebirth in the midst of stillness and "death" and is the ultimate of optimistic universal events. This year the Solstice will actually take place around 12:30 AM on the 22nd of December. That is when the Sun moves into 0 degrees Capricorn.  Looking at the Solstice chart I am seeing alot of unsettled energy around Uranus and Pluto (which will be hugging the Sun for at least the first week into the Solstice.)

Now I tend to be a wee more pessimistic than some - that is the Scorpio Sun in me. I had a discussion with another astrologer today who sees this chart as some kind of awakening where people come together and put aside some differences in a Christmas week sing around the Christmas tree like a bunch of Whos.  He actually said politicians may come together and do something good for America! Silly boy.

I see it is something "big" happening between the 26th and 29th - some group or person pushing the limits so much that more than just the "Occupiers" will want to do something. I see the Uranus square Sun/Pluto as a real explosive energy and the Neptune, Vesta, Chiron conjunction in Aquarius being the "birth" of a new cooperative energy but from the ground up not the top down.

So sit tight and see who eats crow just before the new year.

Happy Holidays ALL!!

That Funny Lunar Eclipse

Remember when I said that the Lunar Eclipse would cut across linear time? Well it sure did. Saturday I was scheduled to represent First Book (a great charity that gets books into the hands of kids) at a gift giving fare at a local church. I had known for weeks that my shift was 10a- 12 noon. However, when I woke up Saturday morning I was convinced that I had the whole morning to play around because my shift didn't start until noon! I was enjoying the morning, drinking up the eclipse when I suddenly heard my blackberry sound the 15 minute alarm.


I couldn't help but laugh - the eclipse was having fun with me. By making me forget the correct time for my appointment, the universe allowed me to have some eclipse time. Had I remembered the 10:00 AM start I probably would have been spending eclipse time getting ready - and while I had to rush around the house like a chicken with its head cut off - I was able to spend time with the moon AND get to the event in time.


How did you feel the eclipse?

Lunar Eclipse This Saturday

If you want to do some cutting across linear time remember that there will be a lunar eclipse this Saturday the 10th of December at 9:32 AM, Eastern time. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth and the Earth blocks the light of Sun from reaching the Moon. As you can see on the cart below, the Sun and Moon are in opposition to one another and the Earth is in the middle.

Astrologically this is a great time to break the bounds that keep us on the same old path and shake us up. Think of it as the time to make real life resolutions and to start new paths! It is like we are going inward and then coming out of the darkness into new awareness.

So don't let the energy be wasted!!

Where Do You Find Your Joy?

In this season of joy I ask the question, where on your chart do you show the capacity for fun and joy?

Take a peak at the cusp of your fifth house, that will tell you alot.  The fifth house is where we see our creativity, sexuality - fun things! A cusp is what opens each house. Look at the small outer wheel to see what sign is sitting on the line between the 4th and 5th houses. For me Aquarius is there - so I like to do things like read astrology charts for fun - (yeah I know), and read in general and do things that take me far away from where I am physically. I have a friend who has Scorpio sitting there sort of challenging her to find some fun - so she has the perpetual serious-ess!

Of course, the planets in the 5th play a roll in fun too - but take a quick peek at the 5th house cusp of friends and family - before you go Holiday shopping! It will get the right present!

On the chart below - the 5th house cusp sign is Moon Child, so expect this person to like cuddling up with a book and a hot cup of tea and doing other homey activities - as well as visiting historic sites!

Feeling Secretive in Love?

Well blame it on Venus! Venus is now in the 12th house, the house of hidden knowledge and the house of karma, and is conjucting that very karmic planet Pluto. Don't be surprised if someone comes into your life who you knew many lifetimes ago. This placement could also make you feel like making a change in your love life - maybe even taken on a clandestine relationship. Now don't go using this as an excuse to be bad! I am just saying if you are feeling a little frisky, if you want to add some zip to your love life or do something you would never -ever do.... now might be the time....Good thing Venus is in the staid sign of Capricorn or people would be running amuck. As it is you should use it to bring new life to an old situation - if you catch my drift.

Solar Eclipse Time

The day after Thanksgiving here in the States, we will experience a solar eclipse in Sagittarius. Eclipses happen when the Sun and Moon are within one degree of each other. For those of us on the East Coast that will be 1:10 AM on November 25, when the Sun and Moon will both be at 2 degrees Sagittarius.

There is a lot of energy behind an eclipse and when in the sign of Sagittarius can help boast you on a spiritual path or just help you find your truth. Sagittarius is all about expanding out in the world and beyond in order to find personal truth. So this is a great time to work on those areas where you have been less than honest or where you feel other are being less than honest.

For some real fun - start doing this at the Thanksgiving table!


To find out where this will impact you the most you need to do a biwheel of your natal chart and the eclipse chart which is something I can whip up for you.

Moon and Jupiter - Appearing Together Now!

There are many spots on planet Earth, including the East Coast, where you can get a good shot of a Moon/Jupiter conjunction. For the next few nights look to the right of the silvery Moon and you will see a bright dot - that is Jupiter. The Moon is now 7 degrees Taurus, and retrograded Juptier is 3 degrees Taurus. Now we know that the Moon and Jupiter are NOT right next to one another in the sky; four degrees of Taurus is a long stretch of  property. However, it gives you a good idea of what we mean by a conjunction.

You can see this conjunction on the chart above. Look on the right side in the seventh house. You see a quarter Moon and then slightly downward is the big 4 - that is the symbol of Jupiter.  Charts are snapshots of the sky at a moment in time!

Saturn Move Away From My Door

Oh crap I thought as I looked at my own little cute birth chart.... Saturn has just entered my first house. Now I don't want to hear from Saturn anti-defamation league but there can be some real issues when Saturn comes near a personal "planet" - Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury and Venus - or if it hits the house of personality - the first.

Saturn is necessary for us to have order - it rules the bones of people and societies - so it is a necessary little devil. However, the shadow is that it can be so restrictive that it will lead to depression, or at best a sour mood. I was waking up annoyed at the new day - NOT something that is common for me; I did not want to interact with people - again not my thing. It would have been more worrying had I not be able to say - Ah Saturn having its way.

The benefits of Saturn in the 1st is that it will help me work on parts of personality and physicality that I know needs some tweaking, which is why I have started walking every morning religiously and watching my diet - for serious.

One of the many great things about Astrology is to know what the heck is happening to you. So now I won’t worry about the shadow and will instead concentrate on the good it can do me. Had I not known, I could have wasted valuable time worrying that perhaps I was becoming a mean old lady.

Yeah I know hard to believe - because I am soooo lovable.............

Nodal Return

Courtesy of arlenew.com

I had a birthday last week that is going to start a series of Astrological events that can be someone trying albeit educational. At the ripe age of 56, we hit our nodal return, that is, the North and South Node are back where they were when you were born. This happens once every 18-19 years but the ones we "feel" are the ones that happen between 37/38 and 56/57 because we have had some life behind us.


A nodal return brings up unfinished karma. Remember your South Node is where we are coming from in our previous lives - so if there are situations or people that we haven't quite resolved they are going to come up and smack us in the face. That could be perceived as "bad" but it is really a great thing to be aware of what is happening. If you know that things are happening because of unresolved karma then instead of moaning and complaining you can make an effort to clear the annoyances.

When people are unaware of what is going on they are confused, angry and missing wonderful opportunities to move on and grow.

So check the calendar - is the nodal return happening? If so, take advantage of it. Let me take a look at your chart and see what issues might be on the horizon!

Rethinking Jupiter

When I first learned Astrology I was told Jupiter was the best thing under the Sun, pun intended. Oh, where you see Jupiter you see nothing but happy happy joy joy, was the general consensus. Then I started to  look at some charts. I have a friend with Jupiter in her sixth house - the house of health. If that theory held she should be a picture of robust health. In reality she is the person who gets the one disease in a million or the one complication that no one ever gets. Then I noticed that when Jupiter was transiting my sixth house I got cold after cold and my one sinus infection per year turned into three that year. What is it with you Jupiter?

As usual the easy explanation is rarely right. Yes, Jupiter is usually a harbinger of good things. However, as with all things Jupiter has a shadow and that is that it makes everything bigger. Someone with too much Jupiter in their chart can be a gambler or terrible risk taker with money because they think they will always be lucky even when the odds are against them. So Jupiter run amuck is not always a wonderful thing.

I have also learned to look for Jupiter as a harbinger of death. Saturn in the 8th - Pluto there as well usually portend death but so can Jupiter - as the spring board of something bigger - a life beyond.

As are all things, planets are not black or white, they are nuanced - even big, robust, loopy Jupiter.

The Real Eisenhower

First, I am sorry but we still can't find Herman Cain's birthdate... believe me, astrologers are spanning the universe to find it but so far it is a distant secret.


I did read a book this week about a real president, "Going Home To Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961-1969" by David Eisenhower and Julie Nixon. I thought the book showed him to be petty and small - not things I ascribed to the great general turned two term president. Frankly, I think it was History rewritten with a Nixonian touch to show how much Ike really like Nixon – really, really and JFK was bad – bad…  Please.
 

When I went to his birth chart, I saw why Eisenhower presented that stoic, silent persona. Look at Saturn in the first house in quiet Virgo. His rising sign too is in Virgo. This gave him an unassuming personality – very methodical, very nose to the grindstone – you know all of those things necessary when planning oh say D Day!  I would love to read a good biography to find out about his secret doubts, fears and even depressive feelings.


The ruler of Virgo is Vesta – and we see that his Vesta is in the Cardinal sign of Libra. Cardinal signs are the movers and shakers of the zodiac – they take the lead and get things done.  This Vesta is conjunct his Sun, Moon, Uranus – and all in the second house – the house of stability and security. Can you see the picture of Ike emerging?


Lucky for all of us he had the Part of Fortune, a little karmic marker of good benefits right on his ascendant. The plans that he made with painstaking detail, with strong leadership had a little kiss of karmic goodness.


Oh and no, I don’t see anything that would make me think he was petty and mean spirited!

James Madison, the Constitution and Pluto

My History Group is doing a program on the Constitution and I am presenting a report on James Madison, the often neglected Father of the United States Constitution. So, of course, I have to run to my software to see what his chart looks like!

Jemmy as he was called by his family has a fascinating combination right on his first house. Remember, that is the house of how we express ourselves to the world.  He has as his rising sign, the sign on the cusp of his first house, Sagittarius. A Ha, the novice might say, there is an outgoing, robust, adventurous person! As usual, the novice would be wrong.  Look what is sandwiching his Sagittarius rising sign--- Pluto and Saturn.

Anyone with Saturn in the first house, especially with one so close to the ascendant, is going to have a somber, perhaps even depressive personality. Madison was so shy, so withdrawn in a social setting that is said his effervescent wife, Dolley, had the band play a song to let people know he was in the room. This, if the story is correct, is the origins of playing “Hail to the Chief” when the President enters a room.

Pluto on the first house cusp gives someone the almost obsessive need to improve themselves .Pluto demands slow and grinding change – it gives a purpose and sense that one must make something of themselves. Important it is although not necessarily fun!

Looking a bit further we can see he has a Moon hidden in his 12^th house, next to the sign of our deepest wound issue, Chiron.  Both of these are in the deep, passionate, introspective, very serious sign of Scorpio (ruled by Pluto. See the double Pluto hit?)  Any “personal planet” – Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Mars in the 12^th house makes a person secretive and guarded.

Can you see how this 5’4” 100 pound man was often described as a withered apple john?  Everything about him was inward, driven and somber!

Next- I will look at his North and South Node axis which he used so well – thankfully for all of us!

Don't Discount The 99 Percenters

I should know better. Watching CNN is not good for the blood pressure but, silly me, I was doing it anyway. There was the new "Outfront" anchor Erin Burnett smugly mocking the people occupying Wall Street something no one at the major networks ever did with the Tea Party. As I typed out a furious email to CNN, I got to thinking about the movement and how important an impact it will make on America. According to the stars, no one would be wise to mock or discount this movement.

Keep your eye on Uranus, in the chart it looks like a pink H on a unicycle. In the past few months it has moved in Aries, the sign of the ancient god of war. Uranus is electric and quirky and is the harbinger of unique and sudden changes. Meld the two together and you get the energy for the beginnings of a off beat mass of angry people to coalesce into something to be reckoned with.

Now if you look at the chart of the USA, seen on the inside wheel above, you can see that Uranus has just moved into our 4th house, the house of roots and home. So electric warrior energy in the roots of who you are - anyone paying attention yet?

Don't forget, simultaneously we have Pluto, the transformer, in the sign of Capricorn transiting our first house. Remember what I said when Pluto moved into Capricorn? This is will be harbinger of change in those structures which keep society together - the government, the banking system. Pluto moved into Capricorn in 2008 - need I say more.

These guys are poky - both of them will stay in their respective houses for years - well through the 2012 elections and several years beyond. I would tell all politicians not to take anything for granted and be prepared for anything. Nothing will be normal during this time.

Feeling Goofy???

Finding the Path, Arlenew.com

Are you feeling a little wacky, a little off-balance? Blame it on the Libra stellium now sitting over us. If you are on the East Coast of the U.S it is in the 8th house, if in Western Europe on the 7th and if on the West Coast it hovers somewhere between the two.

Libra is and air sign depicted by the Scales - Libra tries to seek balance but often it swings wildly. Libra is very concerned with the other person - not self and it's biggest shadow is co-dependence. Libra also deploys her planet Venus to help us create things of beauty.

Right now we have the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Juno, Saturn and the Moon all hanging out together having a good old time in Libra. In a nut shell, this means we are looking for something to attach to, something or someone to join. Of course, if in the 7th house, the house ruled by Libra - this could be a wild time of people looking to resolve issues, please the other people in their life, forge new alliances. However, this is also a harbinger of a time of great creative expression - someone with well aspected Libra in their chart could find themselves finishing that scrapbook, working on that painting again or even finally cleaning up the bedroom and hanging the pictures!

The eighth house is a bit more tricky - this is the house of death and rebirth, it is also the house of insurance and goods of the dead. Feeling the need to literally shed old skin and do some heavy internal work - figure out where we are going - what we are doing with ourselves; these are all in the eighth house arena.  This is a time of intense soul searching to say the least.

If this were all loopy enough those retrogrades that I spoke of last week have now crept up to first house - our house of personal expression. So on one hand we have this need to deal with this huge issues, what do I believe in, who should I commit to and on the other our personal energy and power are being dragged down by the retrogrades. How Libran! One side up - the other side down.

My suggestion - think about this big issue items but don't try to act on them until the retros get moving out of 1 - better yet wait until they go away completely in the early New Year. Think, ponder, delve - then act in January!

Happy Equinox - beginning of Cardinal time.

The Autumnal Equinox will soon be upon us - September 23, 9:04 AM is when fall arrives in the Washington, D.C. area. Yippee... I love fall and winter - sorry for those who are cold-boned but I can't wait for fireplaces, sweaters and stews.


This is a time when the Sun reaches a "balance" and the day and night will be equally long. It is also the time when the Sun will be at zero degrees Libra, moving into the Constellation of Libra. All of the equinoxes and solstices happen when the Sun is moving into a Cardinal astrological sign.


Cardinal signs are the movers, the shakers the doers. If you are born with a well aspected cardinal sign on your ascendant you are apt to be someone who takes lead, takes charge of things. The Cardinal Signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.



When people take on spring cleaning in March (Aries) and fall cleaning in September (Libra) they are doing Cardinal activities. Cancer time is summer the time for planting and Capricorn happens around the winter Solstice activities when the houses are full of people and activity.



Fixed signs are those that exhibit stubborn resolve to forge ahead no matter what. Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius are all fixed. Taurus follows Aries so you need to cultivate and watch your garden to make sure it grows. Leo is in rule in summer when, for me anyway, you have to get the resolve to face another hot day. Scorpio is the time of Halloween and moves us into the other fixed tradition of Thanksgiving when much attention must be paid to working hard on the harvest and Aquarius is in the dead of winter when it takes a lot to get through the cold.



When the Sun goes into mutable signs, Gemini, Virgo Sagittarius, Pisces we are less concerned with tromping ahead and slugging it out. Gemini is late spring, early summer when we can relax and exchange in mental exchange of ideas, Virgo early harvest when we can see what foods we need to gather to care for our bodies. After Scorpios hard work, Sagittarius can lay back and shoot his arrows into the sky looking for the truth and then Pisces, ah other-worldly Pisces – March brings buds of spring and the time to think of rebirth and new worlds.


So enjoy this Cardinal time. Celebrate the Equinox and get to harvesting your thoughts for the winter to come!

Retrogradessssssssssssssss

A friend whined to me a few weeks ago, "When is Mercury going to get out of retrograde?" It was about to leave I assured her. (However, it will zip back in November 23 - December 13.) Retrogrades are a time for whining. Everything seems to go backwards, cars don't start, computers go on the fritz, and things just don't get done. However, instead of whining we should remember that retrogrades are a time for going within and working on the internal stuff before pushing forward.

Right now we have an inordinate amount of number going retrograde. No wonder people feel like they are under water and so dejected.



Pluto is still in retrograde - until Sept 16 - but we talked about Pluto recently in another blog entry.



Right now most of the "girls" - the big asteroid are in retrograde. Juno, Vesta and Ceres are all retrograded. Juno is where our loyalty lies - so there might be relationship issues coming up. Vesta, where we feel we must dedicate to something, when in retrograde will make us feel like I can't get excited about anything. Ceres is our mothering, nurturing nature - need I say more?

An asteroid that vibrates to male energy, Chiron, our sacred wound issue - a pain so deep we don't want to deal with it is also retrograded. We are feeling pain but can't get to the source, can't confront it.



Had enough? Too bad. Neptune, Uranus and Jupiter are also all retrograded! Really people - I wish the pundits who rap about how the American people are feeling can take a look at this! Neptune, our connection to the spiritual, Uranus, our energetic change energy and Jupiter our expansion and hope guide are all going in reverse. Makes you sleepy just reading it.



Never fear - these guys never stand still for long. Jupiter is being quite dramatic and going straight again on December 25, Uranus December 10, Chiron November 10, Neptune November 9 and Ceres December 6. Vesta will only be retrograded a few more days and Juno will follow Chiron.



So see - it won't last. Remember that retrograde is a time to go within and learn why we are feeling the way we are. Whining never gets us anywhere!

Perry - a bit more

OK several people have asked me, "Does Rick Perry, like Bachmann, believe what he is saying or is it a political act?" My answer. It doesn't matter to him. Deeply ensconced in his Libra South Node he will do what gets approval. Libra is all about the other person - about getting others to approve and accept you. When Texas was a Democratic state - no really it once was - really ------ he worked for Al Gore. That got him the approval of the political powerful.  Now he embraces the radical right because they have overtaken Texas and the entire Republican Party. The more they approve of the nonsense he spews, the more he will do it.

The trick is that I don't think he is capable of realizing that this stuff doesn't play with thinking independent people. He is getting reinforcement from those closest to him - the circle of radicals. It is hard for him to pivot away from that and realize that he needs to appeal to a broader audience. He is hooked on the acceptance of those in his immediate area.

Rick Perry- yes I found the chart information... hang on kids.

Compliments of Arlenew.com

OK by popular demand, I give you Rick Perry's chart. Now, I don't know if this birth time is accurate. It is running around the astrology boards and it is alleged to have been checked out with the county board but again let's hope it is correct.

This time would place his South Node in Libra in the 5th house. The South Node is where we are coming from karmicly, the identity that we carry over from previous lives. Libra is the sign of "the other" - they are karmicly addicted to being in motion, and of relating to others and the social reality of others. Basically what a Libra South Node person is saying "who am I unless you tell me who I am?" They must reflect in other people's eyes. They tend to co-dependence. Being an air sign it is hard for Libra to know boundaries.

 
The fifth house is the house of creativity and personal expression. A Libra 5th house person screams accept me for how unique I am - see how interesting I am - see me - please - see me! Remember the 5th house is the house which vibrates to the sign of Leo - the king of the jungle, the astrological narcissist.

Perry's South Node is conjunct a retrograded Neptune, Mars, Juno and Saturn. His Moon is also there - it is the only thing NOT retrograded in the fifth house. His past lives were characterized by an illusionary attachment to some aggressive or even militaristic group. Since Saturn, Moon and Juno are still in Virgo - this was some fierce dedication - service to something in a big way. Retrogrades are a pause for karma -an additional lesson learned. A retrograded Neptune is a call to rework spiritual values and awareness - how is that going, Rick old boy? Retrograded Juno is asking us to look at the relationships - the things we are loyal too and Mars in retrograde asks us to rework our thoughts on aggressive, drive and assertion.

Perry started out a Democrat but was convinced by Rove, et al to switch. He saw the tide changing in the South and in order to stay attached, to get the positive feedback and acceptance via votes (all very Libra qualities ) he embraced the views and became the center of (5th house Leo) radical right wing.

His North Node -where he should be moving in this lifetime is Aries in the 11th house - the house of group activities. He needs to be working on becoming a group leader of some group, humanitarian activities. The humanitarian comes in from the Aquarius influence of the 11th house. Now if you read this blog with any regularity you may surmise that I am a proud latte liberal. I am sorry I can't see anything humanitarian about a man who has executed more people than any other governor in Texas. To hold that record in Texas you have to really work at it.

So while he seems ensconced in his South Node still the question everyone asks me about Tea Party politicians is, do they believe this stuff or are they doing it for votes? With him I don’t' think it matters because he now believes he believes it. It is like the person who tells the same story so many times it becomes a reality for them. His Mercury is conjunct Jupiter in Aquarius in the 10th house - the house of government and society. Mercury is all about thoughts and communications and Jupiter is expansion and growth. Being grouped together and in the quirky, changeable sign of Aquarius we can see how this guy is capable of saying anything even carrying it to extremes. In fact, he likes to say things that are offbeat and shocking - and fortunately for the country he will probably going around shocking any sane thinking sentient being between now and election day.

So who is Rick Perry? Someone who is still clinging to the need to stand out and shine in a group -someone still stuck in his religious warrior past who will say or do anything as long as it keeps him in the spotlight.

Another one?

Thank you Lord - we have Michelle Bachmann's Chart!!!!!

Michelle Bachmann was SO intent on proving to everyone that she was a "real" American unlike you know who in the White House that she proudly told the "Des Moines Register" that she was born "at 12:08 on July 6." We have a time - but like so much of Mickey Girl - it is half-baked. Is it AM or PM? Well-armed with at least some kind of time, we hand maidens of Satan, astrologers, cracked open our computers to see if we can figure out which is more plausible. After reading several analyses and studying the possibilities, I concur with a majority of political astrologers that it was noon. Besides, if you are born at midnight most people would say midnight or 12:08 in the morning. By just saying 12:08 it sort of implies noon to me.

Also, the noon time chart places Jupiter in the 5th house - a perfect place for someone to manifest many children. (Mia Farrow has the same placement although I think her style of raising children (I refuse to say parenting) might be a tad different than Mickey Girl's.
 
Most importantly, the noon chart places her rising sign - how she projects in the world - as Aries - the archetype of aggressive, militant dominant energy. Uh Duh? The ruler of Aries, Mars, is in Pisces in the 12th house in her chart. The 12th house is how we connect to the universe, the god-source. Mars in Pisces is one of those funny oxymoronic placements - it makes one feel like a warrior for God. Because Pisces vibrates to the 12th house she has a double dose of this spiritual warrior stuff that flows right out into the world. (I could say that craps all over the world but I am really, really trying to be nice here.)
 
Even spookier - she has a retrograded Neptune (ruler of Pisces) conjunct her Vesta in the 7th house. In English, that means that she is dedicated (Vesta) to bringing her somewhat deluded spiritual views to people on a very personal level (7th House.) In other words, she is frustrated proselytizer. She really believes this stuff. It is a part of her big time.

The bad news for liberals is her Venus (albeit it retrograded), Mercury conjunction in Gemini in the 3rd house - the natural house of Gemini. Retrogrades remember are pauses for karma and they cause the person to have issues in these areas that they should reflect upon and work out.). Venus, the goddess of beauty along with the communicator Mercury in Mercury and in Mercury's house means she is not to be underestimated when it comes to her ability to communicate. She has some talents in that area.

The good news is that with these retrogrades and with the arrogant Aries rising she will say things that will shock anyone comfortable with living in a world that has progressed past the year 1510. It won't be because she is a goofball a la Palin; it will be because she believes them and is arrogant enough to think everyone should believe her word too. With her South Node also in Gemini, she has lots of life times of communicating to people and sadly she doesn't think she is done with that yet.

Astrological Gift Baskets Are Here!

Photo by Eric G Brown

I am happy to tell you that I have teamed up with CandC Gift Baskets, to produce Astrological Gifts
Each basket is unique and will contain a frame- able astrological chart as well as a full 60 - 90 minute interpretation by yours truly on a thumb drive.

This is a wonderful wedding, birth, birthday or holiday gift and you won't find a more personal gift!

Order them on the C and C website. www.candcgiftbaskets.com or by calling 888 534 3660!

Get a jump on holiday shopping!

Retrograded Pluto - A Good Time to Refresh

Courtesy of Arlene Weinstock

Pluto has been in retrograde for the past few months and will not go direct again until September 16. Pluto is the planet of change and transformation - and makes us want to eliminate and release the old, outworn, outdated and obsolete in our lives. When Pluto goes retrograde, it is the perfect time to go deep within yourself - do some deep deep soul searching and get rid of the attitudes and ideas that simply don't work anymore. Think of it as a house cleaning of your inner workings

Ask yourself the questions - what do I really need in my life - what do I really want - what is working for me or what I am doing because I feel I should. THere is nothing worse than a bad case of the shoulds. It is a time to ask - who do I want to be when I grow up (no matter your age.)

Pluto which rules Scorpio, the detective of zodiac, wants us to investigate - go deep and investigate - those patterns that don't work for us. This isn't a time for lying to yourself or anyone else. It is a time for brutal honesty. This job, this relationship, this activity -- does it really serve me or am I doing it because (insert reason here)?

This is a time for regeneration - for detoxing not only the body but the entire lifestyle you now have Get quiet, go deep and be honest. Get rid of what no longer works and make way for the new fruitful ways of life.

Look at your personal chart and see where Pluto is now transiting. (I can whip one up for you.) That is the area that Pluto is calling you to examine and change. Use the retrograde - heed the call of Pluto - if he isn't heard he will cause a change - change or be changed. Isn't it better to be in control of the change?

Full Moon

Don't forget to catch the full Moon! It is so pretty over the Ocean here in Maine! The Moon is "full" when it is directly opposite - or the furthest away from the Sun -- because it isn't competing with Sun energy we can see it at its maximum.....

Astrology of Sea Gulls

Last week we made the Earth changing revelation about the astrological make up of lobsters…this week it is sea gulls. No, I am not joking.  Here in Maine the sea gulls rule to skies over the Atlantic and with their screaming squawks and cries they let you know they are around. It is hard to describe the noises they make. It is a cross between a cry and a war whoop. Mercury conjunct Uranus I said to myself – what else could make such a crazy voice! If you are old enough to remember Howard Cosell, the sports commentator, you remember his very distinctive voice. He epitomized a Mercury (the planet of communications) conjunction Uranus – the wild and unpredictable planet.  If you hear a funny voice think Mercury in Aquarius or aspected with Uranus (the planet that rules Aquarius.)

Gulls live in noisy, packed communities which they leave to scavenge for food. Fourth house cusp – the cusp of family and roots – must be opened by Aries. Aries, the ancient god of war, would be a perfect setting for a noisy, active home life occupied by scavengers! I would even say that Mars, the planet that rules Aries, is in Aries natally in the chart of our gull friends. There is just way too much male energy in those communities.

To those of you who think I may have gone off the edge with the animal astrology bit don’t worry. It is just a fun way to explain the many way astrology can play out. Besides, the only other things I have seen around here are chipmunks, moose and skunks….no matter how hard I try I just don’t have it in me to try to figure out what makes them tick.

The Astrology of Lobsters - Part 2 - The Real Lobsters....

Courtesy of Arlene Weinstock

So I am up in Maine making my annual escape from the Virginia heat and I am trying to think of a blog entry. Maine is conducive to many things including deep introspection but for some reason my imagination is failing me.... what to write what to write? My mind wanders. I had a lobster Cobb salad last night - very yummy. Lobster - that is it - I will write the Astrology of Lobsters. Now that is silly, Joan, I hear my subconscious saying. How can you know the exact day and time that lobsters came into being on Earth? I can't of course but I when in doubt - heck, make things up. It works for the news media, why not me?

So with the help of Wikipedia I present to you the real Astrology of lobsters. "Lobsters...have blue blood due to the presence of haemocyanin, which contains copper." Blue blood? They must have Leo rising. After all, Leo is the king - the ruling lion of the Zodiac. Think about it - even though they often wind up on our dinner plates, they do demand a king's ransom before allowing us to eat them. There is nothing cheap and tawdry about them. How Leo of them. Besides, how do you think they got that big claw? It had to be from preening their shells!

Again thanks to Wiki I learned that, "Recent research suggests that lobsters may not slow down, weaken, or lose fertility with age. In fact, older lobsters are more fertile than younger lobsters. This longevity may be due to telomerase, an enzyme that repairs DNA sequences of the form "TTAGGG."
A ha - they must have Venus in Aries! Aries is the masculine, fire sign - if you want an aggressive lover find an Aries. Go Lobsters.

As for Moon sign - I have to go with Pisces. After all, for all of their airs, they do wind up on your platter more often than not, a martyr to Man's insatiable appetite. They might even jump into the traps to save another - cuter - species - now that would be a very Piscean move.

So the next time you are pouring butter over one of these crustacean friends, remember his Leo and give him due homage, remember his Aries and keep the antacid close by in case his fire burns in your stomach and don't forget to thank him for his sacrifice.

Gotta go - there is a new restaurant on Goose Rocks Beach that has oven roasted lobster on their menu. I can't miss that.

The State of the Union -- Continued

Last week I started to talk about the progressed chart of the United States because my acupuncturist asked me, "What in the world is going on with the U.S. right now?"

One really fascinating placement is our progressed Chiron, our wound issue, is in the 1st house in Sagittarius. Chiron is where we carry a wound so deep that we don't want to go near it - it is like a nagging pain we don't want to aggravate.  With Chiron in Sagittarius in our first house - the house of who we are it is a good time to come to reckoning with our spiritual truth. I happen to think this is the last hurrah of hard right spiritual forces in our political arena. Yes, it might be wishful thinking but this Chrionic wound issue will soon be in the 12th house - and while it will be even stronger it will once again be "underground." The 12th house is the hidden house - the first house is the house of how we project in the world.

Chiron is loosely opposed to Mars in Gemini in the 7th - as these two pull away and Chiron recedes into the 12th house - the vocal, vigilant and some cases violent hard "religious right" should have their power weakened. However, don't for one minute think they will go gentle into that good night.

I tend to be a pessimist when it comes to the future of this country. However, I am happy to see that Sun and Venus are transiting the 8th house - that is actually a good sign for us. Sun and Venus in the house of power and personal transformation are transiting over our progressed ascendant and our North Node. Venus was the goddess of beauty and love but she also dealt with money. We forget how much of an influence Venus has on money. (Mercury is the flow of money - Venus is the personal gaining of money.) Hopefully, President Obama will hang strong and force Congress to make some good long term financial decisions.

The stars are working in our favor - that doesn't mean we won't still screw it up! Perhaps if more people call and crash a few websites on the House they will come to their senses.

The Progressed Chart of the United States - What in the World is Going On With Us?

My wonderful acupuncturist, Kate, asked me a question that I frankly wish I had thought of. "What is going on with the progressed chart of the United States?" Eek - after I thought for a second, I replied, "I don't know but I think I am afraid to look."

Well, life is all about conquering of fears so I finally looked. What I did was a triwheel - with the birth chart of the United States (the moment the Declaration of Independence was signed) in the middle, the progressed chart of the U.S.next and a current transit chart on the outside. A progressed chart shows the movement of the planets from the time of the birth chart to now. The final transit chart is just showing where the stars and planets are now.

There is so much here that I think it is going to be two blog entries - if not, you may all start snoring. The first thing that grabs me is that progressed South Node is conjunct progressed Pluto in the 9th in the cusp of the 10th house. The 9th house is the house indicates where we go out into the world and search for our larger truths, the 10th house is career and social status - and the house of government.

Any individual who has this combination - progressed South Node and Pluto in conjunction - will be facing a time where past karma must be addressed - and where they must change because of it. Is there much of a stretch to think of past karma coming up with us now? Race relations, hideous debts built by people who now must get our "budget in order" -- these are a few issues coming to a head now. We didn't have to get our budget in order when the GOP destroyed the economy - now it is high priority for them! I think it is hysterical that this conjunction is happening in the house of higher truth. I have a feeling the truth will come out during this whole mess and that is the truth that some people will do anything even destroy the country to make sure a black man won't win re-election. Sad but true, no?

To make this more interesting, this combination is over the natal Neptune of the U.S. Our natal Neptune is in Virgo in the 9th. Neptune is where we can rise to spiritual awareness and brilliance - but it is also where, when we are in shadow, is where illusion takes over. Happily America is known to come to people's aid -with food and care (very Virgo) when countries are in trouble. However, we are also in illusion about our place in the world and have a hard time reconciling some of the negative things we have done with our foreign policy.  So we swerve from savior to illusionary super power because of our Neptune 9.

Our standing in the world will be effected by this Pluto/South Node - karma issue. This goes beyond the economic catastrophe that will be loosed on the world if we default - it is a matter of how much of a banana republic we appear if we allow a handful of ideologues to NOT face their past accurately and live in Neptunian illusion.

Pluto demands change - if you don't head Pluto's call you are headed to a big downfall.

More later......

President Obama at 50

On August 4th President Obama will turn 50 years old. It is so depressing realizing that for the first time in your life the President is younger than you but I will have to deal with that later.

One of the big things that happens around our 50th is our Chironic return. Simply put, that is why Chiron returns to the same position it was when we were born. For the President, he has Chiron at 5 degrees Pisces in the 1st house and right now Chiron is hovering at 4 degrees Pisces. It is almost back where it was when he was born.

Chiron is where we carry a deep, deep wound. Chiron in Pisces creates a wound issue around our connection to source, God, the universe - whatever word you want to use. Pisces Chiron people fall into two basic archetypal patterns - either they firmly believe that they are the ONLY way we can connect to source - they know the actual truth or they feel unconnected to the God-source, believing they don't know or don't have the right to know how to be a "child of God."

With Chiron on the first the President's wound issue and this disconnect directly to his self assertion, his basic aggression and focus values. With his natal Mars in Virgo (Mars vibrates to the first house) he kind of has to battle the Virgo-Pisces - victim/martyr syndrome. In other words, it is easy for him to have had problems about who am I, how do I fit in here on Earth and in the whole cosmic picture. As you can imagine, it must have been hard for a highly intelligent, highly ambitious bi-racial man, raised in various parts of the world to put all of his parts together.

One left over of his learned behavior of fitting in is his desire to round off the edges, make himself invisible not to offend (Virgo-Pisces.) Let's hope that after being kicked around by the lunatic fringe or the lunatic base I should say of the GOP, after years of trying to meet them in the middle when the middle keeps moving right, he will experience a Chironic awakening of his own power.

His North Node is Leo - the ego centric sign (and I don't mean that in a critical sense.) His South Node is Aquarius (which is also his rising sign.) It is very easy for him to try to come to some center point to bring all people together - to find results that will be happy for all. But, Mr. President, please - that is your South node - your past karmic identification.

Embrace your Leo - embrace your Lion energy - take the return of Chiron to realize you have found your rightful place. Now roar like the Lion you need to become!

Happy Summer Solstice

The Summer Solsitice is here but what does that mean? Simply, it is when the Sun moves into the sign of Cancer, or Moon Child, if you are more PC.  What does that mean exactly? Well let me illustrate this with a few charts. The symbol for the Sun is the circle with the little dot in the middle. OK, on the first chart, cast for 1150 AM Eastern time today shows the Sun 29 degrees into the the sign of Gemini. (Each sign is 30 degrees.)

The second chart is cast for 2:00 PM Eastern today. Look! The Sun is now at 0 degrees Cancer. The Solstice will take place around 1: 15 PM  - when the Sun moves into Cancer.  Anyone born this morning will actually be a Gemini Sun person - this afternoon will see the birth of Cancer Sun people. This only happens on the Solstices and Equinoxes.

So you ask, if there are twelve signs why do we get so involved in just the 2 solstiices and 2 equinixes? Well, because that is when the Sun moves into Cardinal signs. Astrological signs are divideed into Cardinal, the movers and shakers, Mutable, the more complaint -some say vasilating signs, and Fixed, the stubborn more stable signs. Cardinal signs, Libra, Aries, Capricorn and Cancer, because they are the more active ones - because they are leadershup signs, if you will, contain a great deal of energy and thus give a boost to the whole chart.

So when you start to enjoy the summer remember that it all starts with the Cardinal energy of Cancer.

Group Charts! Think of the possibilities

I have to tell you about the cool new project I am undertaking... group charts!
By combining the charts of several people into one new relationship chart I can tell alot about the dynamics of that group. For instance, if I combined the charts of you and your spouse and children I would get a new chart that details how you interact as a group.

I recently did this for a spiritual book club I belong to and it showed how we are feeding each other's needs provide security through knowledge. It also pointed out some human faults that we were guilty of that if not addressed could cause disharmony in the group.  It was great to look at and talk about our pluses and minuses.

These charts are often doors to discussion on issues we sometimes don't know how to approach.

So get your family chart done -  or your office chart - or book club...whatever. Awareness is the stepping stone to understanding after all!

Happy Birthday to the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is celebrating his 76th birthday today by coming to Washington, D.C. (It is a good thing he is used to warm weather.) He has such an interesting chart as you might expect.

One of the most fascinating aspects is his South Node. As a karmic astrologer I always look at the South Node first - it is one of the largest indicators of our current personality because we carry over so much from our previous lives. His South Node is in Moon Child in the 10th house - the house of society and government. Moon Child is the sign most linked to the Mother and our emotions. Therefore, he has a karmic memory of being a nurturing figure in society. He provided for people's food, housing - or even could have been a counselor.

Here is the really neat part. The ruler of his South Node, the Moon, is in the 12th house in Virgo. Virgo is the sign of duty and service and the 12th house is the house where we connect with the universe, God, the Source.

So in a nutshell he was known for caring on a deep emotional level for members of his society. This society was in service to God. Hmmm, do you think they got something right when the Buddhist leaders claimed that he was the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama? It seems he has done this before.

His North Node (a current soul desire indicator) is Capricorn in the 4th House - so this lifetime he has to be more of a father figure to people in his immediate family - his immediate neighborhood, if you will. With the Tibetan Diaspora he has had to become the center figure, the father figure, of his people.

In the past he was able to be the emotional, nurturer of his people - now he has to hold them together - be a beacon.

The Astrology of "the hat"

OK what made her do it? Why did Princess Beatrice don the hideous hat at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton?  Her South Node made her do it, of course! Well sort of.  Beatrice was born with her South Node in Virgo in the 7th House. Our South Node is the indicator of our karmic past - our karmic addiction - because we have the memory of living with that signature. In her case, she is coming from many lifetimes as a Virgo who worked on 7th house issues - the house of close personal relationships.

People with a Virgo South Node, regardless of the house, bear the burden of control. They have to control, organize, fix and make perfect even though that is an impossible task. When they "fail" they must affix blame which is why Virgo is known as the most critical of signs.

Beatrice's S. Node in the 7th calls her to control others - those very close to her. This manifests as someone who dominates other or who plays the victim to keep people under her thumb. See what you did to me? See how you make ME suffer?  So when someone close to her - her mother - was not invited to the royal wedding - she made them know how they were making her suffer. It was even OK that she walked around looking like a deranged Martian she caused a scene at the wedding of the people who hurt her and she made them suffer through her victimization.

Let's hope with age she will progress into her North Node - Pisces in the first house and realize that she can embody something greater - that she doesn't need to look to and blame everyone else. Going from Virgo to Pisces is going from tunnel vision to embodying the view of the universe. Hopefully, from up there she will be able to spot a better hat.

Happy Solstice....

The Summer Solstice is here but what does that mean? Simply, it is when the Sun moves into the sign of Cancer, or Moon Child, if you are more PC. What does that mean exactly? Well let me illustrate this with a few charts. The symbol for the Sun is the circle with the little dot in the middle. OK, on the first chart, cast for 1150 AM Eastern time today shows the Sun 29 degrees into the sign of Gemini. (Each sign is 30 degrees.)

The second chart is cast for 2:00 PM Eastern today. Look! The Sun is now at 0 degrees Cancer. The Solstice will take place around 1: 15 PM - when the Sun moves into Cancer. Anyone born this morning will actually be a Gemini Sun person - this afternoon will see the birth of Cancer Sun people. This only happens on the Solstices and Equinoxes.

So, you ask, if there are twelve signs why do we get so involved in just the 2 solstices and 2 equinoxes? Well, because that is when the Sun moves into Cardinal Signs. Astrological signs are divided into Cardinal, the movers and shakers, Mutable, the more complaint -some say vacillating signs, and Fixed, the stubborn more stable signs. Cardinal signs, Libra, Aries, Capricorn and Cancer, because they are the more active ones - because they are leadership signs, if you will, contain a great deal of energy and thus give a boost to the whole chart.

So when you start to enjoy the summer remember that it all starts with the Cardinal energy of Cancer.

Part of Fortune

With all of the bad news in the world, riots, earthquakes, the GOP Presidential Debate, I decided to talk about good news - or the Part of Fortune. Besides, I promised last week this would be an easy one.


The Part of Fortune is an astrological marking shown on your chart as a circle with an X in the middle - and indicates where we get karmic reward. Can't beat that! If you happen to have a Part of Fortune in Aquarius in the seventh house then you will have karmic rewards that come from close relationships. If it appears in your first house, however, then your "luck" would come from expressing your own self assertive, independent energy. However, in the eighth house look for it to come from insurance, other people's money.

A fifth house Part of Fortune brings reward through creative energy and the 6th when you dedicate to self improvement and hard work. The second house you can be lucky with money or sudden "fortune" but the third will come through your intellect. When in the fourth house the Part shows the way when you get in touch with your emotional center - your roots.

The ninth house Part of Fortune triggers when you head out on your search for truth, but the 10th house only when you involve yourself in some endeavor that benefits society. Groups will bring the Part's effects to you if it is the 11th but the 12th house is all about meditation and solitude.

So take a look at where your Part of Fortune is located and then see if you are working to help it work its magic for you!

Nodes on the Loose

 I had lunch with a friend today who has been feeling a little out of sorts. You know the feeling;  pulled one way and then another -  wanting to do something as opposed to having to do something - knowing you should be working on your business when you want to be hibernating. So being the dutiful astrologer I checked her chart before I met up with her. Sure enough her nodes were transiting one another, sort of.

Follow me here - right now the North Node is at 23 degrees Sagittarius and the South Node is 23 degrees Gemini. My friend was born with just the opposite - S Node Sag and North in Gemini - and they happen to be passing each other now. So transiting South Node is sitting on her natal North and vice versa. (Sit with it - trust me it works.)  If the South Node is our karmic identity - what we are programmed from the past - and the North is where we are going to - or should be going to, we can see the root cause of her agitation.

As the opposite Node activates her natal nodes she feels the urge to try new things (North Node) but she is hanging onto the things from the past and the fear of what would happen or could happen if she lets go of her old identity (South Node.) She feels like a push-me-pull-you llama in some ways.
 
It is a clash of stepping out of the old and into the new fearlessly. No small fete.
So if there are feelings of being stuck and confused it doesn't have to be but it could be a nodal transition happening.

And I promise - next week will be easier...

Uranus has moved into Aries.

We have recently seen yet another slower, outer planet shift into another sign. I have already talked about Neptune moving into Pisces and Pluto heading into Capricorn, now we have Uranus moving in Aries. Uranus takes about seven years to move through one sign. Contrast that to Mercury which makes it through all twelve in eighty-eight days!

courtesy of arlenew.com

Uranus is the sign of quick change - it is the rebel. I liken Uranus to the teenager of the Zodiac because it hates status quo and likes to shake things up as it explores new opportunities. Like a teenager who can turn a house on end in a minute by tossing clothes about as soon as they enter the door, leaving the refrigerator door opened and blaring loud music, Uranus brings upheaval whether you are ready or not.

Like youth, Uranus also has a humanitarian side. It isn't jaded yet like Saturn and Pluto and sees the beauty in every person. Uranus really cares about humanity and wants to help all humans.

So now we have the teenager meeting the baby - Uranus meeting the infant of the zodiac - the raw aggressive energy of Aries. If there was ever a time to change - to finish a project or start one or to analyze a relationship. Be spontaneous- take a trip on the spur of the moment, learn Russian.

Like all teenagers, Uranus is a techno-geek - so expect another explosion of gadgets and widgets in the next seven years.

However, remember that teens are prone to explosions and irrational anger. So watch for impulsive, erratic energy.

It is important to look at your chart and see what Uranus/Aquarius Aries/Mars activate - control the energy and you will make great headway in these areas.  (Countries can also have these planets in strategic areas of their charts so watch for eruptions around the world.)

Check out The Wisdom from Within Workshop!

http://www.meetup.com/Wisdom-from-Within-Workshop-Series/?gj=ej4&a=ti1_lm1

My student and all around spiritual wizard, Wendy Hamilton, is sponsoring this series. If you are in the Columbia area check it out. It will be well worth your time!

Mars and Venus conjunction tonight

Mars and Venus are in conjunction tonight in the 9th house- the house of spiritual seeking. This is a wonderful placement to engage the energy of Mars and the beauty of Venus - in your spiritual journey.

Participate in a meditation led by the man who taught me so much about astrology, Adam Gainsburg of Soulsign Astrology...

From Adam: "The only conjunction of the tantric planets in 2011, tonight's Meditation will both illuminate and somaticize this unique conjoining between Mars and Venus."


No need to register! Just dial...

+218-936-4700 with 885588#

When: 23 May 2011, 8p ET, 30-45 minutes (please adjust for your time zone).

Prep: Light a candle, Quiet your mind, Make some love, Breath into your Heart's altar

Why (to participate): Because there is no better cosmic reflection for our Inner Union than a Mars Venus conjunction

Planets without orbits?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/18/planets-without-orbits_n_863661.html?fbook


I have no idea what this means yet astrologically but it will be interesting to see what energy the universe will be revealing!

Chiron Neptune and Pisces



courtesy of Arlenew.com

 I talked about Neptune entering Pisces a few weeks ago and the general karmic implications of having Neptune in its ruling sign. Pisces and Neptune, remember vibrate to the 12th house - the house that is our connection to the universal unconsciousness. Many astrologers say Pisces is the universal unconsciousness!


Now we have an extra added attraction to this because Chiron, the asteroid which pinpoints where we carry our deepest wound - a wound that is so painful we don't want to touch - is now in Pisces. Of course, we much transmute the pain of Chiron if we are to heal; the trick is to have the courage to do that.

The last time Chiron was in Pisces was from 1962 - 1968. Remember those fun years?

Keep in mind - and this is very important - we also had some wild transits of Uranus and Pluto at that time which is not in the cards now. Don't expect a return to the go- go '60's.

However, for the next nine years Chiron will be in Pisces and for a large chunk of this year Chiron will be conjunct Neptune in Pisces. Whatever house this conjunction transits and whatever planet it agitates in your chart you will feel a deep karmic pull. Let me explain this with a story of what happened to me. Right now, over the Washington, D. C, area and much of the East Coast, this conjunction is in the 7th house - the house of intimate relationships such as marriage and business contracts. The 7th house is an "angular house". These include the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses - these are very powerful, very active houses. My natal Chiron is also in an angular house - the 4th. I am feeling this conjunction.

To make a very long story short, I found out that a large bank had totally screwed up a major account to the point where they actually had no clue how to undo their error. I went through 2 weeks of "bank hell" and finally, with the help of my ace financial advisor, got them to move on fixing the problem. Oh, did I say their screw up threatened my business accreditation and I had only one month to fix it?

Throughout this time, the bank never apologized and even had to nerve to hold up the process of fixing their mistake because they found one small error I made. Six years of major errors they made - one little paperwork error on my part and they tried to turn it around and lay all the blame on me.

It was at that point that a nerve was struck or more correctly it was my 4th house Chironic wound - of not feeling heard, of being validated and having root source - of being a grounded, accepted person. They were trying to put me in the place of little kid and it angered me. Instead of retreating into the wound - and becoming the chastised little kid - I found a way around them and basically told them what they could do with my account. I took the money out and found a new way to do what I needed to do.

So be aware of painful karmic issues that are going to pop up in contractual relationships. Look at where Chiron is in your birth chart and see how this is going to resonate with you. This is the time to clear up a lot of wound issues that are karmic in nature IF you are aware of what is happening. Don’t fall into Pisces martyrdom – don’t accept what is happening – analyze how this is making you feel and use this to transmute your Chironic wound issue.

Announcing ASTROLOGICAL GIFT BASKETS

You can now order the most personalized gift under the Sun - an Astrological Gift Basket! I have teamed up with C and C Gift Baskets, a fantastic gift company to bring you gift baskets that will be designed toward a specific chart. I will interpret the birth chart of the recipient and then C and C will design a gift basket based on my analysis.

This is the perfect gift not only for birthdays but for weddings, anniversaries and babies!

Order at the C and C website!

http://www.candcgiftbaskets.com/category_23.asp

May 1, 2011

Several friends told me last night that I had to do the chart of Osama Bin Laden. However, I just don't have the desire to do it - I just feel like I have to go wash even when I mention his name. What is cool is to look at the chart over Abbotbad at the time of the raid.

Look at that Aries Stellium in the 3rd house! Remember the third house deals with things local - things in your neighborhood. Well that neighborhood got visited by the Aries - warrior energy force - of our Navy Seals.
I am sorry that is just neat.

Also, look at the rising sign - in Capricorn the sign of authority figures. The ruler of Capricorn, Saturn,  was in the 9th house - the house of worldly searching and going beyond ourselves and our homes. It doesn't take much to see the our authority figures were making an impact on some part of the world!

In earlier posts I told you  that this Aries Stellium that we are in was pure raw masculine, warrior energy. I am so happy that at least in this case it was used to combat a force of evil. My only fear is that it is still there - so we need not to let our guard down - it is still a time when that energy can go either way.

"Easter" Musings

Recently I asked a group of people where the word Easter came from. Didn't that name always seem out of place? Not surprisingly, no one knew. Easter - it has no correlation to the day. Right? Well, if you dig back into the history of it all it clearly does. Easter is named for the Germanic and Celtic goddess Eostre. Depending on the tribe telling the story, she was either a young maiden who travelled the country side with her rabbit spreading eggs in your garden or a magical woman who transformed into a rabbit in Spring. Virgin, rabbit, eggs - yes, fertility and rebirth - they weren't subtle back then. (Actually, there were many variations on the theme but these were the general avenues of interpretation.)

To celebrate the day of Eostre one would bake breads with the cross of the rising sun which have become translated into hot cross buns and dye eggs. Who said human beings have original ideas?

Interestingly in Sweden they celebrate Easter by celebrating witches! The children dress as the up as the witch Blakulla, make drawings and then go door to door exchanging the drawings for candy. Sounds like a take on Halloween. Interestingly, in Italy, the witch Buffana comes to the children on Christmas Eve. Witches, girls, maidens, they all find their way into someones celebration.

Anyway, back to Astrology and Easter. However, the celebration it is important to remember it all starts with the stars. The Spring Equinox, when the Sun is at the mouth - zero degrees - of Aries, the first sign of the zodiac - the sign that starts the wheel of life again - is March 21. Easter takes place on the Sunday after the first full Moon following the Equinox. Who can guess whether I was taught that little tidbit during eight years of Catholic school? Easter linked to the Equinox - linked to the Moon! Shock.

Passover too starts a day or so after the first full Moon after the Spring Equinox.

This year the full Moon was April 17, so Passover started at sundown on April 18 and Easter is April 24. 

And they both have to thank Aries the first sign of the Zodiac for it. Speaking of Aries, it is still in full force. We currently have Mars, Uranus, Lilith, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in an Aries stellium (that is, more than five bodies in one sign.) That is a lot of raw, dynamic change energy circulating in the universe. Using it to harness change in your life, new ways of expressing yourself, a new search for love and new way to open new doors. Those people who aren't aware of themselves or their natal planets could be feeling very angry and restless because they embody the shadow of Aries. So that potential for anger, violence and just raw emotions is still very high.

In any case, dye your eggs, plant your gardens and tip your hat to Eostre this weekend!

Mary Todd Lincoln - Can We Find the Real Person?

This April is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and while some people think of the battles and the military strategy, I am always more interested in the people involved. One of our more fascinating historical figures is Mary Todd Lincoln, a woman who I feel we will never really get to know because she has been defined through the prism of so many others prejudices for more than a century.

The closest we can get to the “real” person is to look at her birth chart but even that is shrouded in some mystery. Most astrologers use 6:00 PM as the time of birth. When I researched it the closest I got was an entry in a Bible stating it was a “rainy early evening.” For sake of discussion, I will use the 6:00 PM time but keep in mind, the fast moving bodies, Moon, Mercury, Venus – can move a lot in fifteen to thirty minutes.

This chart shows her Moon in Moon Child in the 12th house. I would tend to think this is off, because Moon in the 12th would be someone who would keep their feelings to themselves. Mary was not known for this! (This is another reason I think she was born a bit later.) Moon in Moon Child people are often ruled by their emotions. Added to this is that her rising sign – how she presented herself to the world – was also Moon Child. Her Moon and her rising sign were both Moon- driven so I am sure that the stories that she was highly emotional and given to outbursts followed by depression were correct.

What grabs my eye even more than that was the Stellium (five or more planets) in the 6th house. (Again this could have straddled the 6th and 7th if her birth time is later.) She clearly had many planets in the 6th house the house of health. Mars and Uranus both in the fire sign of Sagittarius in the 6th points to someone who has mercurial rages. You are mixing male fire energy and Uranian lightening – that is combination for flare ups. The theory that they were driven by headaches and other medical conditions is proven by this sixth house placement.

This Mars/Uranus conjunction is sitting right on top of her Sun/Neptune conjunction. Sun and Neptune makes us unaware of our true selves. Neptune is the great obfuscator and gives everything have an air of unreality. When Neptune is tightly conjunct our life force, the Sun, a person has a hard time learning or facing who they are.

This is a classic definition of the historical Mary Lincoln – highly emotional, prone to rages, someone unaware of their public persona – out of touch with reality of the day. However, there is much more to this very complicated chart. In my next blog we will explore her Capricorn Venus – do you see the attraction to the Saturnian, dour looking Lincoln? However, it is her Moon and Lilith conjunction and her Aries North Node in her intercepted 11th house that I believe will give us a more rounded look at this highly complex woman.

Her ninth house (the house of spiritual seeking) is also jammed packed and highly charged with Chiron, Pallas Athena and Saturn there all in Pisces, the sign that connects us to the cosmic consciousness. Today she might be a spiritual leader. Then she was ridiculed for having séances in the White House.

Few people in the 19th Century looked beyond the flighty, emotional woman. Why bother, she was after all just a woman? Worse, she was a woman with a rebellious streak and a calling to be a leader at a time when those traits would be castigated. How easy to use her emotional short comings to keep her inner drives from being realized.

Happy Birthday Michelle!!

I can't let this auspicious occasion pass without a few words. It is Michelle Bachmann's birthday! What do you get the queen of the Tea Party? First thing I can think of is a good American History book since she seems to screw that up repeatedly. In lieu of that how about a chart? I am sure she would LOVE nothing more than an astrological chart. 

Alas and alack we don't know the time of her birth but we can cast a chart for April 6, 1956 in Waterloo, Iowa.  (Is she really younger than me? Really?)  The Moon was in Aquarius. Let's see what comes to mind when I think Moon in Aquarius? How about erratic, disruptive, fickle, stubborn and a little peculiar? Yup, that fits.

However, it is her North Node in Sagittarius in the 5th that is more interesting to me.
A North Node in Sagittarius in the house of creativity certainly gives her the drama gene. This is someone seeking the creative arena to speak her truth and with a North Node in Sagittarius it is very easy to assume even demand that your truth be the truth for all.

Sitting right next to her North Node is Saturn, the epitome of authority. Someone born with Saturn conjunct the North Node is seeking to join with traditional authority groups. She is seeking paternal, authoritarian approval. Of  course, with Saturn retrograde it is hard for her to do this to her satisfaction so she has to out tradition the traditionalists. "See, I can be like you. I can be the most traditional, flag waver on the block."

Conversely, Venus, the feminine symbol of love and creativity, is conjuct her South Node in Gemini- where she is coming from karmicly. She has used her femininity to get her voice heard before.  So this lifetime she is using her "good girl" feminine energy to get the approval of very traditional masculine authority groups.

Fueled by the eccentricity of Aquarius it isn't hard to see how she can take on this persona of Mom, Apple Pie and oh yeah everyone who isn't exactly what the traditional, white, straight, paternal power structure decrees valuable should be marginalized.

So I guess I shouldn't mock dear Michelle, she is in a way a victim of her Nodes.  And anyone who believes that should check my chart.