This Week November 29 to December 5 - Change is in the Air

The week ahead is a busy one with versatile Mercury setting the stage. Early Sunday morning the swift little messenger connects with Jupiter. A great “Sunday go to meeting” aspect as it promotes discussions of beliefs, philosophies and religion. This combination allows us to express our opinions but cautions against promising more than can be delivered. Big news and big talk involving politics, religion and foreign cultures dominate. Monday afternoon the little trickster, Mercury, makes an action aspect to Mr. Surprise, Uranus. Unexpected new and events, freaky accidents that disrupt the commute seem to take over. On Tuesday, Uranus changes direction, going from retrograde to direct. When a planet changes direction, the energy of that planet is strong. Uranus is a slow mover to begin with so the energy of the direction change can be felt up to a week before and up to a week after the aspect becomes exact. Expect Uranian types of events, like news that shocks. Uranus loves to shake things up, break down the boundaries and push the envelope. Anything that disrupts the normal routine, startles and comes at you from out of the blue belongs to Uranus. Tuesday should be an interesting day for along with Uranus’ directions change comes a Mercury aspect to Neptune. Here we may see some distortion of the news; the truth may not emerge until the influence of the aspect is over. Mercury/Neptune together encourages meditation, talks with God and becoming one with the music. It also encourages the Bernie Madoff types. Beware! To round out the day, lovely Venus slips into Sagittarius. Venus in Sagittarius loves to travel, seeks adventure and inclines toward the exotic. Sagittarius is a mutable sign so Venus here can be changeable, seemingly fickle. Here she stimulates our own desires for travel and interest in the foreign and the unfamiliar. Wednesday brings the Full Moon in Gemini. The Gemini’s are bouncing off the walls. Full Moons involve the “opposite” so relationships come to the fore. At this phase the seeds and issues planted at the New Moon come to fruition. Progress is made and fulfillment reached. On Friday Venus makes a charming aspect to Saturn. Diplomacy rules here. Any negotiations should run smoothly and thorny issues can be ironed out. Saturday, Mercury leaves exuberant Sagittarius and enters practical Capricorn where he organizes our thoughts, assists in putting our affairs in order and shifts the focus to the practical. We say more with fewer words with Mercury in Capricorn. With one planet, Uranus, changing direction and two others changing signs, Venus and Mercury, there is a shift in the energy. Direction change from retrograde to direct as in the case of Uranus signals that issues pertaining to that planet that have been on hold move forward. Things begin to crackle and pop. How we think and what we want alters as the planets change signs. This should be an interesting week publicly as well as privately. Try and stay focused.

Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh

What do these three have in common? They all have planets in Aquarius. Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin were born one day apart and they each have Sun, Mars and Saturn conjunct from 21 to 25 degrees of Aquarius. Rush Limbaugh, a Capricorn, has Mars at 22 degrees Aquarius, plop in the middle of this cluster. In synastry, the astrology of human relationships, when one person’s Mars is on another person’s Sun it can make the two competitors and/or bring sexual attraction. Guess which reaction Rush had to Sarah and what reaction he had to Glenn. Rush was born on a day when Mercury was making a station, when Mercury slowed down, stopped and changed direction. In this case Mercury was going from retrograde to direct. When a planet changes direction, the energies of that planet are strong. Mercury rules communication of all kinds and in particular radio. Rush, without a doubt, is King of Radio. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, born within a day of one another, have a great deal of affinity but Sarah, born a day later, has Moon and Mercury in Aquarius, with Venus in Aries; while Glenn has Moon and Mercury in Capricorn, with Venus in Pisces. This makes them two very different animals. But they are both Aquarians, given to Aquarian rants now and then. The sign Aquarius noted for being radical, rebellious, inventive and forward looking has two rulers, Saturn and Uranus. With Saturn in Aquarius in Glenn and Sarah’s natal charts, Saturn is strong and exerts a great deal of influence over them, thus their conservative viewpoints. They are Aquarians though and will continue to surprise, pull the rabbit out of the hat and generally upset the applecart at every turn. Transiting Neptune has been in Aquarius since 1998 and will be there until 2011. Neptune, when you take the high road, has you talking to God, meditating, and working as a hospice nurse. If you take the low road, you’re staring into the bottom of a bottle, pulling a Bernie Madoff or deluding yourself and others, through glamour, tricks or just plain naiveté. When Neptune was in the early degrees of Aquarius Sarah Palin was Mayor of Wasilla, Glenn Beck was working in a Radio Station in Tampa and Rush was dealing with prescription drug issues. In 2009 Neptune has gone from 22 to 26 degrees of Aquarius then went retrograde and will end the year at 24 degrees Aquarius. Jupiter entered Aquarius on January 5, 2009 and has been running with Neptune all year. Jupiter expands, brings plenty, and acts like a guardian angel at times. Rush Limbaugh has this combination on his Mars, very personal and I would not be surprised if an incident involving drugs or alcohol does not occur/recur. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck have them on their Aquarian planets. Glenn Beck’s TV show on Fox debuted on January 19,2009 (with Mercury retrograde/misinformation) and his first guest was Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin has resigned as Governor and written a book which has broken records and is earning her some big bucks. The passage of Neptune through the sign of Aquarius has coincided with and contributed to the rising popularity of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, not so much so with Rush Limbaugh, the Capricorn. The two Aquarians have enjoyed huge success this year because of Jupiter and Neptune transiting their Aquarian cluster of planets. Once Jupiter moves off, in January 2010, I think it is the beginning of the end. Neptune hangs around for another year or so then moves off into Pisces as well so we may not see them clearly until Neptune’s influence fades. In the meantime, Saturn the taskmaster sends them a lovely signal until October of 2012 when he changes his tune, enters Scorpio and gets ugly with Aquarius. With Saturn, if you do your homework and study all semester you get an A. If you have been goofing off, skipping class and avoiding responsibility, well Saturn gives you what you earn. We will learn in the fullness of time, whether or not the emperor has clothes.

Tough times for the Federal Reserve when Pluto comes calling

The Federal Reserve System was “born” on December 23, 1913 at 6:02 PM. It was formed ostensibly to maintain monetary stability, contain risk and prevent bank and financial failures. In reality it controls money, credit and interest rates. It’s a curious institution in that the common assumption is that it is part of the United States Government, it is not owned by the United States Government, (it is private and nonprofit), but it is subject to The Administrative Procedures Act (1946) a federal law that governs how administrative agencies of the Federal government propose and establish regulations. It has the authority to act on its own without the approval of Congress or the President. The origins of this pseudo federal institution began when a group of bankers under the auspices of Senator Nelson Aldrich (R-RI) left New York in November of 1910, under a cloak of secrecy for a two week sojourn on Jekyll Island, Georgia, an exclusive enclave of the very rich. Beside Senator Aldrich, the head of the National Monetary Commission at the time, included in this group were Henry P. Davison, a Senior Partner at J. P. Morgan, Charles S. Norton, of the First National Bank of NY, Benjamin Strong, personal assistant to J. P. Morgan himself, and Paul Warburg, a German banker. (You know these guys had your best interests at heart right) During their time spent at Jekyll Island they formulated the Aldrich Plan, which later became the Federal Reserve Act which created the Federal Reserve System. The natal horoscope for this entity reflects the secrecy and the hidden power and control the Fed exerts over society. There is a powerful Sun/Pluto opposition, with Pluto, the power broker posited in the 12th house of all that is secret and behind the scenes. There is a wide conjunction in the 1st house of Mars and Neptune opposing Jupiter in the 7th. Any time you find Mars/Neptune and Jupiter involved with money it’s a case of the disappearing dollar, or fraud, or promising more than can be delivered. The Moon, the soul of any entity, is in the money, debt, and interest rate sign of Scorpio. The chart of the Fed has been under stressful planetary transit for some time now. Beginning in January of 2008, transiting Pluto has been battering the Fed’s natal Sun/Pluto opposition. Things really started to heat up around the time of TARP and the great financial meltdown of 2009, the very conditions that the Fed was created to prevent. The fun is not over but will continue through 2010, into 2011 and early 2012. During the spring and summer of 2010 things are really going to get shaken up when transiting Saturn and Uranus enter the picture. The planetary picture between the natal chart of the Fed and the transiting planets form a cross pattern. This pattern is in the Cardinal signs and is reminiscent of the planetary configuration present during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Now, transiting Pluto is the big dog here, he can destroy and bring you low, to the lowest you have ever been, but in the process of recovery, what is rebuilt is usually much better. When Saturn joins the party, beginning now, November 13th to be exact and through the summer of 2010, the Fed is between a rock and a hard place. Uranus brings the element of surprise, the unexpected and unusual in the spring of 2010. While the analysts, authorities and pundits may predict an economic recovery I would not bet the farm. It doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy to know that the current Secretary of the Treasury, Tim Geithner was President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before he became Secretary, during TARP, AIG, Goldman Sachs and all that good stuff. Having the fox guard the hen house is a long standing tradition in American government. When the Security and Exchange Commission was created President Franklyn Roosevelt appointed Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. as the first chairman, a master at manipulating the stock market. At any rate, false hope is in the air and it pays to beware, be aware and be careful.

Scorpio New Moon

The New Moon perfects at 2:13PM EST, today, November 16, 2009. This Scorpio New Moon brings up the issues of debt, international finance, international relations, pension funds, and interest rates. Scorpio is a secretive sign and we may not hear about any of this because Wall Street and Washington are keeping a low profile. They don’t want the American public to ask too many questions. Scorpio Moon engenders intense energies and stimulates our desire to probe the depths, dig for the answers and to not accept things at face value. A Scorpio lunation stimulates our desire to know what is hidden; rouses our attraction to the forbidden, the mysterious and the sexual. Ooh La La. Scorpio can be a helper and healer or can use the Scorpionic powers to keep others dependent. With Scorpio energy there is not much room for compromise. With no middle road negotiations are hammered out with no holds barred. In the New Moon chart, Venus, the diplomat, in Scorpio, has donned her combat boots. She’s through talking. Saturn and Pluto, at odds with one another, set the tone while occupying important points in the New Moon chart. Saturn is strong, in negotiating Libra but Pluto is at the top of the chart flexing his muscle. Overall it is not a happy influence. On a personal level the energy of Scorpio calls to us to take the high road while giving us the courage to take the dangerous path of truth. Issues of power and control surface over the next couple of weeks; don’t go on a power trip and don’t fall victim to one who seeks to control every aspect of every situation. Don’t obsess and remember to breathe.

Saturn Pluto Cycle Terrorism and the Twin Towers

Like the Lunation cycle of the Sun and Moon, planetary pairs have cycles as well. Saturn and Pluto today form a square aspect, resembling the Last Quarter in the Sun/Moon cycle. The Saturn/Pluto New Moon phase began in November of 1982. The waxing square occurred three times in March 1993, October 1993 and January of 1994. The first attack on the Twin Towers occurred during this period. At the opposition, or Full Moon phase, the planes hit the Towers. Now at the closing square, the first of which occurs today, November 15, 2009 we find the alleged perpetrators being brought to justice. Due to the retrograde motion of the planets involved the waning square will perfect two more times, on January 31, 2010 and finally on August 21, 2010. We can expect these trials to drag out until the final square. Saturn and Pluto’s New Moon phase does not occur again until 2020. The waning phase of any planetary cycle has to do with tying up loose ends, finishing the business started at the New Moon phase. Often at the New Moon phase you don’t “see” anything, there is no concrete activity that you can point to because the New Moon phase is the seed planting time. At the waxing square you see the first activity, in this case the bombing of the World Trade Center. The Full Moon phase, (9/11) is the culmination of all the planning begun at the New Moon phase. Now at the closing Square, we finish, assimilate and prepare for the next New Moon in 2020. Today’s waning square plays a big role in tomorrow’s New Moon. Stay tuned, more to come.

Patrick Kennedy and Bishop Tobin

Representative Patrick Kennedy and the Catholic Bishop of Providence, the Most Reverend Thomas J. Tobin have been engaged in verbal warfare over the abortion issue. Nowhere in this debate has the question of separation of church and state been raised. Back in the day, when John Kennedy was running as the first Catholic for President he had to bend over backwards, jumping through hoops to convince the American public that he was not going to allow the Pope, the Bishop or his parish priest to tell him what to do and that his personal faith would not impinge upon his civic duties. How far from the Constitution and the principles laid down by the founding fathers have we come? Looking at Patrick’s horoscope I can see that this is not going to go away, probably not until next summer. Patrick is a Cancer, with Sun and Mercury conjunct in the ninth house of philosophy and beliefs. His personal beliefs are very important to him and with Mars (how we act) and Moon (what we need) conjunct in Libra in the hidden twelfth house, in close aspect to his Sun, his beliefs are very private indeed. One of the techniques astrologers use is to compare the charts of the Solstice and Equinox to an individual’s chart to see how the season will go for that person. The Autumnal Equinox chart has the planet Mars, (action, aggression, and argument) at 17 degrees of Cancer which is the midpoint between Patrick’s Sun and Mercury. This aspect perfectly describes the situation Patrick finds himself in. An argument, debate or clash of ideas (Mars) about religion (9Th house). Mars, in fiery Leo, is fueling this debate and will do so for some time to come. Mars has just rolled over his 9th house Jupiter (ruler of our beliefs) and heading for his Midheaven, the most public point in a person’s chart. On December 20th Mars at 19 degrees of Leo, changes direction and heads back to revisit old ground moving all the way back to 0 Leo on March 10, 2010, when he changes direction again and moves forward hitting those critical degrees in Patrick’s chart for the third time. This debate should heat up on November 27th and again on January 10, 2010 and some type of resolution should be met around May 10, 2010. January 28, 2009 and April 24, 2010 may present challenges to Patrick but of a very personal nature. With Mars moving over these personal points in his horoscope Patrick faces challenges but he also has the will and the energy to meet those challenges. Mars will give him the energy to defend himself. He should make a very vigorous defense before Mars goes retrograde on the 20th of December. He would be smart to shift the debate to the separation of church and state, a discussion that needs to take place. Stay tuned.

Frank Caprio Revisited

Back in August I blogged about Frank Caprio after he made the news by returning some questionable campaign funds. I said then that he would be in the news again during the first week of November. I was a little off on my timing because I don’t have a birth time for Caprio, only the date. On Monday he “confirmed” that he was running for Governor and said a “formal announcement” would be made in the first quarter of 2010. What the difference between confirming and a formal announcement is, I don’t know; a bit of political speak that. He also vowed to spend at least $100,000.00 per month on campaign related advertising. To my way of thinking he’s in the race and his confirming on Monday has made it official. He confirmed on the day of the Third Quarter in the current lunation cycle, while the Moon is on the wane. In astrology if you want something to grow and increase in size you begin when the Moon is waxing. If you want it to dissipate, shrink and dissolve you begin when the Moon is on the wane. Since Caprio has begun this huge advertising campaign while the Moon wanes his popularity will not increase despite the huge amount of money he will spend. If he elects a more auspicious time to make his formal announcement things may improve. He still has to get through the Democratic Primary and if Patrick Lynch hangs in there, he will definitely give him a run for his money.

Roller Coaster Week Mercury Uranus Neptune

Before this week is over we will all feel like we have taken a roller coaster ride. We can expect the unexpected. Startling news and events assault us with varying degrees of accuracy. Wait until the dust settles before you form an opinion. There is bound to be exaggeration and distortion, in some cases downright dishonesty and fraud. Veterans Day should be a corker. This week is the lead up to the first of the Saturn/Pluto squares on Sunday and a multitude of planetary action heats up the atmosphere prior to that important aspect. Tuesday, as Sun beams at Jupiter efforts at expansion, to move beyond our previous limits, run into roadblocks. Differences of opinion, overconfidence, over optimism contribute to overload. On Wednesday, Mercury, the planet of news, information, commerce and transportation bounces off Uranus, then Neptune. When Mercury is with Uranus we can expect the unexpected, weird news and accidents, unpredictable events that startle and astonish. As Neptune joins the party we need to be sure that we are seeing the truth and are not being deceived or deceiving ourselves. Mercury with Neptune is great for the artist, the formation of creative ideas, it stimulates our intuitive thinking. That’s the good side. The bad side is that both Mercury and Neptune can be tricksters, fooling us, bringing flashes of insight at the same time clouding the issues. Under this type of aspect, it is a good idea to sleep on it before you make a decision or take action. I expect we will be hearing a lot about Wall Street and their shenanigans, terrorism (Fort Hood and is there a connection?), and of course, the health care reform debate in the Senate. Pay attention and read between the lines. What appears on the surface is not the real issue. Back room deals, subterfuge, propaganda and people presenting themselves falsely. The truth will emerge after the New Moon of the 16th. Until then, tie up all your loose ends, meditate, and contemplate all you have learned in preparation for your next plan of action to begin after the New Moon.

Venus in Scorpio

Venus enters Scorpio today, November 7, 2009 at 7:23PM where she will remain until December 1st when she moves into Sagittarius. Venus rules love, romance, marriage and all kinds of alliances. She also rules money, the arts , culture, diplomacy, adultery and temptation. Scorpio has dominion over sex, death, taxes, debt, and interest rates. Scorpio’s rulership over sex is often misunderstood. Scorpio has this deep rooted awareness that through the act of sex we create life and as such there is a need to merge with another on a soul level. If you have Venus in Scorpio in your natal chart, emotions run high, and you are intensely passionate. You can also be manipulative. This passion comes from the Scorpionic need to merge, create life and to have a real, life changing experience. Venus in Scorpio on a mundane level indicates that diplomatic relations will take on the Scorpion sting. International monetary policy will be under discussion. Diplomatic negotiations are behind the scenes and the real deals won’t be made by the official diplomats.
For Aries, money comes through a spouse or partner, a loan comes through and arguments over money around the 19th give or take a few days. Taurus has the opportunity to improve all personal relationships, even with competitors and adversaries. Love is in the air, Taurus, and you express affection and experience emotional closeness. Gemini may want to go out and have fun but duty calls. Problems within relationships need to be discussed. Work and professional matters run smooth. For Cancer, it is true love time. This is the time for fun, good times and all sorts of amusements. Leo wants to stay home and redecorate. Parties in the home and relationships with parents improve now. Leo needs to remember to be assertive not aggressive, especially around the 19th. Virgo’s social life picks up now and your everyday activities become pleasant, sociable and quite lovely. Libra wants to be extravagant but needs to really think before spending the cash. Venus in your cash box attracts money as well as the desire for rich and costly goods. Try and hang on to it. Scorpio, with Venus in your 1st house of physical self, experiences a period of peace, love and willingness to compromise. Venus attracts and you will attract people and good times during this period. When it comes to love, Sagittarius finds that giving and caring for a loved one brings great rewards. Not materially but spiritually, just don’t become a martyr and a doormat. Capricorn feels friendly, wants to meet, greet and get out with a crowd. Love affairs begun now begin as friendship then blossom. Aquarius attracts people and circumstances that improve career and public standing. Your professional life runs smoothly and you may develop an interest in the artistic or enhance an existing interest or talent. This is a good time for Pisces to take a trip, visit a museum or art gallery. Something that broadens your consciousness will contribute to your personal growth.
Venus in Scorpio has a lot to do with money and it will be interesting to watch the stock market, copper prices and interest rates while she travels through Scorpio. There should also be a lot of talk about taxes, like we need more taxes and insurance rates. It’s is interesting as well that before the House of Representative right now is the issue of funding abortions in any public health care options. There you go, Venus in Scorpio, sex and death.

Neptune Turns Direct Today

Neptune changes direction today, November 4, 2009 at 1:10PM EST. Neptune takes about 156 years to complete an orbit through the Zodiac spending about 14 years in each sign. Neptune has been in Aquarius since January of 1998 and does not move into Pisces until April of 2011. Where Neptune is in your chart is where you intuit, pick up the vibes and sense the undercurrents. Before you hang out your shingle and start giving psychic readings, be aware that Neptune is also where you view the world through rose colored glasses. With Neptune, we see the ideal not the reality; smoke and mirrors, that’s Neptune. Neptune represents such diverse characters as the mystical visionary, the martyr to the cause, actors, musicians, poets; priest and priestess all belong to Neptune. On the dark side there’s the criminal element, the swindler, the fraud, the con artist and of course, the drug addict. The area of your horoscope where Neptune is currently is an area of life where things are often unclear and confusing. We’re easily misled under Neptune’s influence. The high road of Neptune leads us to compassion, selfless acts and an appreciation of beauty, music and poetry. Neptune’s job is to dissolve the boundaries and structures created by Saturn. Under this influence we want to escape from reality. Some of us do through music, art, prayer and meditation. Others belly up to the bar, name their poison, and ask for a double. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. When a planet changes motion, the energy of that planet is strong. Neptune deals with illusion and glamour, glamour in the sense of an exciting allure as well as a magical spell or charm. Some of America’s great icons have strong natal Neptune’s. Marilyn Monroe had Neptune in the first house of the physical body. She had great beauty, allure and is idealized to this day. Frank Sinatra had a prominent Neptune as well. Before the Beatles and Elvis, there was Sinatra. Jacky Kennedy, another with a strong Neptune, was idealized as the grieving widow as well as a fashion icon. Neptune in the sky at any given moment represents the fluctuation of public opinion. A persons worth or popularity under a Neptune transit can be illusory. With Neptune fraud, slander and deceit is possible. The Oil and pharmaceutical industry fall under Neptune’s purview. Neptune turns direct at 23 degrees, 41 minutes of Aquarius. Rush Limbaugh, a Capricorn, has Mars at 22 Aquarius. Sarah Palin, an Aquarian, has Sun, Mars and Saturn at 22, 23 and 25 of Aquarius. Rush’s Mars, the planet of how we use our energy, is conjunct Sarah’s Aquarian planets which explains, from an astrological viewpoint, why he has been such a strong advocate of hers. Now Neptune has been in Aquarius for quite some time and has laid the cloak of glamour over many people with Aquarian planets. Think Paris Hilton, Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Aquarius, has enjoyed great success posing as a ditzy blonde publicity hound when actually she’s a pretty savvy business woman. My take is that once Neptune moves off into Pisces we will find that the emperor has no clothes. We'll find out who these people really are. This week as Neptune turns direct expect fake outs, feints and fraudulent activities to hit the headlines. Big Oil, Big Pharma and some human rights issues as well. On a personal level, go to the movies, go hear your favorite band, go to church and pray, and avoid drinking to excess. Ask for clarity.