Election Day – and the Mood of the People

The big question this election is; are the Democrats going to get the boot or what? When looking at elections I cast an Election Day chart for 6 AM EDT and locate it in Washington, DC. This year a couple of things hit me right off the bat. First,  retrograde Venus in Scorpio will be making a trine, 120 degrees, to the USA Venus, (July 4, 1776).  The USA Venus is in Cancer. Venus is a money planet and also has dominion over the arts, women, relationships, love, diplomacy and the social graces.  In a horoscope Venus symbolizes what you want. In the USA the love of home, family, Mom and apple pie predominate. Politicians love pushing those buttons. This year, Venus in Scorpio reflects the concern with the economy and debt, personal as well as national. The other piece that jumped out at me was the position of the Moon in Virgo. The Moon rules the public and public opinion. Here Moon makes a nice, easy connection to Mercury in Scorpio. Mercury rules the vote. So a nice connection like this indicates a big turnout, more than usual for a midterm election. The Moon in Virgo tells us what is on the mind of the people. In Virgo, they are looking way beyond the snappy slogan. Virgo wants, loves and needs the details. Virgo Moon indicates concerns with health care, unions and the armed services. These elements of society will be out in force. Through the course of the day Moon will move into opposition with both Jupiter and Uranus in Pisces.  This brings an anything goes flavor to the party. There will be some surprises, those expected to win will not and the predicted losers will be the victors. These factors will play out from the smallest towns to the biggest cities. Local as well as national politics are in for “Mr. Toads Wild Ride”.  In Mundane Astrology, the astrology of events, the houses and planets in the horoscope represent components of society, the first house represents the people, the Sun represents the head of state etc. The 5^th house represents the Senate while the 11^th represents the House of Representatives. In the Election Day chart the 5^th/11^th house axis runs along the Aquarius/Leo axis, with the Senate being the Aquarians and the Representatives the Leos. These are both fixed signs and could indicate no change. But the overall chart has a strong Cardinal flavor, with Libra on the ascendant and Cancer on the Mid-Heaven, two very important, strong points in a horoscope. This would indicate something new, a beginning or a fresh start. No matter how it turns out I think the politicians, pollsters and the people are in for a bit of surprise. There is a strong anti-incumbent feeling out there and it is not necessarily going to be the Democrats taking the brunt. There are going to be changes from Wasilla to Washington. The people will have spoken, and that is what it is all about.
Addendum:

The above was written using a 6AM opening for the polls. It has come to my attention that the polls open at 7AM. The time change changes the important points of the horoscope, the Mid-heaven and Ascendant moving them from Cardinal to Fixed signs. This new time further enhances the importance of the planet Venus as we find Venus and the Sun in Scorpio straddling the ascendant. The intense, oft time heated rhetoric of this election season will continue right up to the end. Moon and Mercury are still in aspect. The Virgo Moon and Scorpio Ascendant insure that the public is looking at this election, the candidate and the issues with x-ray vision. The polls and pundits are missing something and we won’t find out what that something is until the polls close and the ballots are counted.

Mars in Sagittarius, Venus Retrograde Conjunct the Sun, Last Quarter Moon

In the lead up to the Last Quarter Moon on Saturday, October 30^th two significant events occurred on Thursday the 28^th. First, Mars left his home base of Scorpio and moved into Sagittarius. Mars is the planet of action.  Mars in a horoscope points how we do and what we do. Entering Sagittarius Mars signals the return of enthusiasm and optimism. Mars in Sagittarius sees the glass as half full. There can be a certain amount of impulsiveness when Mars and the Archer join forces. Mars is the warrior and in Sagittarius battles can assume the aura of a holy crusade. At the extreme, Mars in Sagittarius can bring the foaming at the mouth religious fanatic to your doorstep.  But most of the time the anger of Mars in Sagittarius is anger at an injustice.  This energy is good for the sportsman and athlete. Sports and athletics provide a positive outlet for this energy.  Thursday also saw the conjunction of retrograde Venus with the Sun.  This is called the inferior conjunction. Inferior conjunction occurs when Venus is retrograde and is closest to the Earth. Venus lies directly between the Earth and the Sun. It is a New Moon type of occurrence.  It is a special moment, a time to plant Venusian seeds. Venus is concerned with love, art, money and relatedness. Venus attracts but she is more than just a pretty face. Venus in a horoscope signifies what you want, your value system and what matters to you.   At the conjunction, Venus is not visible in the night sky. After the inferior conjunction Venus will appear well before dawn in the morning sky beginning November 4^th. It has been said that when Venus rises in the morning she calls the men to war. Let’s hope that she doesn’t intend to rouse them now.   If you want to figure out how this will affect you think back to eight years ago. Every eight years Venus will retrograde and conjoin the Sun in approximately the same area of the Zodiac.  The cycle begun at that time is ending and a new one is beginning. This is the time to plant those seeds you wish to grow and flourish during the upcoming eight years.   On Friday evening, October 29, 2010 at 8:38 PM EDT Moon enters the sign of Leo heading towards a square to Scorpio Sun.  This is the closing square; the Moon grows smaller in the night sky winding down bringing the darkness of the New Moon on November 5th.  The waning square between the Sun and Moon is a time to wrap things up and assimilate all that was taken in and learned since the previous New Moon and to clear the decks to make way for the new.  Meditation and inner reflection do well during these periods.  This is the weekend for quiet, romantic evenings.  Leo Moon brings out kindness and generosity in people.  There’s warmth and affection in the air. Enjoy!

Moon in Taurus opposes the Scorpio Gang - Hang On To Your Wallet

Moon enters Taurus at 10:29 PM EDT on Friday, October 22, 2010 grounding the energy and bringing enough oomph to the table to finish those projects begun under the impetuous Aries Moon. Earthy Taurus Moon shifts the focus to the material world. Our sense of security comes from our “stuff”. Caution is a key word here and there is a tendency to maintain the status quo. Change can be difficult. This weekend Taurus Moon will oppose the cluster of planets in Scorpio. On Saturday the oppositions between Moon, Mercury and Venus occur. And the last aspect Moon makes before going void of course on Monday, October 25th at 3:49 AM EDT will be to Mars in Scorpio. Taurus and Scorpio are both money signs. Oppositions between these two signs represent mine, (Taurus)/ ours (Scorpio). Taurus does not want to share and Scorpio loves the power of it all. On Sunday morning Mars and Uranus trine one another, a trine is an aspect of ease. The Warrior and Mr. Unexpected join forces from Scorpio to Pisces. This indicates an explosive period with unanticipated and startling events unfolding. After the Moon enters Gemini on Monday morning, the 25th at 7:47 AM EDT the news begins to pop and sizzle. Mercury, that faithful little news gatherer snuggles up to Retrograde Venus. They are together in Scorpio so you can bet the news will be about hot sex, dirty politics and filthy money. We all get a bit chatty under Gemini Moon. We become more adaptable and willing to change. Sometimes we can’t make up our mind being so busy looking at both sides of the picture. We speak spontaneously and the truth of what we say may only be true for a moment as situations shift and change rapidly under this Moon. Change may come when the Sun in Scorpio connects with Pluto in Capricorn. When the Sun brings light to the God of the Underworld you can expect something that has been hidden, buried and secretive to surface. Exposed is the word that comes to mind. Moon goes void of course on Wednesday morning at 10:19 AM EDT. It will be an intense couple of days and deep, emotional issues will surface. Money issues that have been ignored will have to be dealt with. What is mine, what is yours and who owes who are questions that will need answering. The headlines will reflect this, as well as the checkbook. Remember to breathe.

Full Moon Aries/Libra and the Scorpio Season

Moon goes void of course at 2:49 PM EDT on Sunday, October 17, 2010 until 10:52 PM EDT when Moon enters Pisces.  There is softness about Pisces Moon, a dreaminess, a heightened sensitivity to the ethereal.  Under this Moon we tune into the subtle nuances around us. People are more emotional and tend toward the spiritual. There is a need to escape the harsh realities of life.  The danger here is donning the rose colored glasses, seeing what we want to see, not what really is. Mercury makes an aspect of ease to Neptune on Monday morning. When these two join forces the possibility of illusion, deceit, false rumors and fake news increases.  This aspect is great for imagination and creative work but it is hard to be objective in practical matters. Keep in mind with this aspect often not all the facts are known.   On Tuesday morning the Sun sends loving beams to Neptune.  This aspect can literally be illuminating as sunlight reveals some of the dark secrets Neptune has kept.  The Moon goes void of course on Wednesday morning at 6:25 AM EDT moving into independent Aries at 11:23 AM EDT.  People are fired up under Aries Moon, eager to begin, to start something new or go off exploring.  People are enthusiastic, energetic and impulsive. Many times projects begun under Aries Moon never reach completion. Completing projects requires more than an initiative impulse; follow through and a stick to it attitude is required.  Wednesday is also the day that Mercury enters Scorpio.  Mercury rules the intellect, the thinking process, communication and transportation. The transaction, the buy and sell of business and commerce falls under Mercury’s purview as well.  Scorpio is the sign of finance, banks, debt and co-mingled resources. In world events and markets, Scorpio brings out the power hungry, threat, crisis and the old fear factor.  In this day and age think complicated transactions that end in default.  An individual with Mercury in Scorpio has a mind that is sharp, decisive, likes the mysterious and has an x-ray quality when it comes to digging up the details.  Mars in Scorpio mixes it up with Jupiter in Pisces creating some aggressive competition. Expect some ugliness on the campaign trail and an increase in international tensions.  In the lead up to the Full Moon on Friday, October 22, 2010 at 9:37 PM EDT Mars in Scorpio squares of with Neptune and Mercury connects with Pluto.  This Full Moon falls along the Aries/Libra axis at the 29^th degree.  Soon the Libra mode of accommodation will give way to the intensity of Scorpio when the Sun enters that sign on Saturday morning, October 23, 2010 at 8:35 AM EDT.  There is a lot of planetary action around this Full Moon.  Exposed is the word that comes to mind, on all levels and all fronts.  By weekend we will be in full Scorpio mode with Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars all traveling through Pluto’s territory.  Pagans and Christians alike recognize this time of the year as the time of the dead, when the veil between the two worlds is the thinnest.  Samhain, All Hallows, All Saints and All Souls signal the close of the harvest and the preparation for winter.  Whether you prescribe to the theory that one can talk to the spirits at this time or not, you can expect the Scorpio season to raise fear and suspicion.  Complicated financial transactions will continue to collapse, more scandals will be revealed and politicians, public opinion and public actions increase in intensity.  Scorpio tempts with the allure of power but will bring you down if you don’t take the high road.  That is the key, taking the high road, the more spiritual path.  It is hard to do when the energy is permeated by the sex and death sign of Scorpio. But it is through sex that life is created.  So think about that for awhile. And when the going gets rough, ground, center and meditate.  Remember to breathe.

The Week Ahead – October 10, 2010

Sunday, October 10, 2010 Moon enters Sagittarius at 6:09 PM EDT and enthusiasm takes over. Sagittarius Moon ruled by Jupiter likes big ideas, big action and big adventures. There is a warm, friendliness in the air coupled with a feeling of restlessness. Independence spurs an itch to travel and/or participate in sporting events. The Moon goes Void of Course on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 8:07 PM EDT. The Void period ends at 12:17 AM EDT on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 when Moon enters sober Capricorn. We are cured of the travel bug and settle down to the business at hand. Enthusiasm gives way to pessimism. The best thing to do now is to concentrate on the job at hand, the tasks before you. Good feelings come from accomplishment, creating structure and form around you and getting organized. Capricorn Moon triggers our ambition and favors work that will advance our cause. The First Quarter Moon occurs on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 5:27 PM EDT. “Stuff” happens, action is taken and decisions are made around the Quarter Moons. The Quarter Moon occurs with the Sun in Libra and the Moon in Capricorn. The Cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will feel the agitation of this Quarter Moon and will continue to do so as the energy builds to the Full Moon next week at 29 Aries/Libra. At this Quarter Moon the Libra/Capricorn energies speak to concrete issues involving relationships, negotiations, career path and public image. Cardinal signs are great for starting and initiating and the waxing phase of the Moon brings energy to that impetus. The decisions of this Quarter Moon may well be about beginnings, getting started, and taking a first step. The Moon goes Void of Course on Friday, October 15, 2010 at 5:49 AM EDT until 10:24 AM EDT when the Aquarius mode takes over. People get friendly under Aquarius Moon. They also want to come and go as they please and express themselves in a unique and personal way. This is a great time to get together with a group that shares the same cause or purpose, especially if that cause is to benefit mankind in some fashion. This is a good weekend to expand your social network and to make new connections. Be ready for the spontaneous and take advantage of it. Be aware that we are still under the Venus Retrograde in Scorpio. Venus runs on an eight year cycle, thus is retrograde in the same sign every eight years. We have completed that cycle and are now beginning anew. Think back to your own life experiences of eight years ago; where were you, where were you going and what were you doing. Remember, Venus has to do with what we value, what matters to us not only the love and money aspects of our lives. Another Venus fact is that every eight years at your Solar Return you experience a Venus Return at the same time. This is a very personal, individual eight year cycle. At any birthday, the best gift you can give yourself is the gift of a consultation with an Astrologer.

Moon in Libra-Scorpio and Venus Retrograde

Today the Moon goes Void of Course in Virgo at 12:43 PM EDT until 3:51 PM EDT when entering Libra. Avoid making decisions, starting something new or making purchases until the Void period is over.  Unexpected results and difficulties are common when projects are initiated during Void of Course periods.  The Libra Moon offers an optimal time for team efforts, social engagements and negotiations.  Libra’s rulership by Venus brings art, beauty and romance to the table.  A good time for beautifying your surroundings and connecting with friends, lovers and partners. Libra Moon goes Void of Course on Friday, October 8, 2010 at 9:38 AM EDT until 3:52 PM EDT.  The big deal on Friday is Venus in Scorpio turning retrograde. Venus goes retrograde every 18 months or so. This time Venus will be retrograde until November 19, 2010 although the influence of retrograde Venus will last until December 20^th when Venus finally moves beyond her retrograde degree of 13 Scorpio.  Venus retrograde periods, like all retrograde periods, are a time of review and reassessment.  So we review our Venus stuff, money, possessions, beauty, romance, relationships. Venus in Scorpio rouses passions.  Venus in Scorpio speaks to shared resources, interest rates and debt.  What do you value? What matters to you? Who matters to you? What do you want?  Meditation and reflection upon these issues will help to clarify. This is not one of those moments where we snap our fingers and all is well. Time, thought and inner guidance bring answers and action.  When the Moon enters Scorpio Friday afternoon at 3:52 PM EDT passions and desires are aroused.  People are suspicious and sensitive to real or imagined slights. Tread lightly around the feelings of others.  Pay attention when this Moon rolls over the 13^th degree of Scorpio, (sometime mid Saturday), feelings, actions, encounters will provide a clue or bring awareness to the areas of life that deserve reflection and review.  Venus in Scorpio plumbs the depths. Only you know what is right for you. This Venus will help you find that out.

Moon and Mercury Set the Stage For a Wild Weekend.

We begin the month of October with the Moon in Cancer. Moon is at home in Cancer and operates at full bore here. Emotion run high, sensitivity ratchets up and we all need to give or get a hug. Be aware of this heightened sensitivity as you negotiate the mine field of emotions until Moon enters Leo on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at 2:21 PM EDT. Creative enthusiasm reigns under Leo Moon. Our true selves emerge and we want to be recognized for our special gifts. And we all have them. Mercury plays a big roll this weekend as well. Mercury reigns over transport, trade, ideas, the highway, the byway, the daily commute, bus/train stations, airports as well as news and information. On Friday, Mercury opposes Jupiter. Jupiter rules philosophies, belief systems, the judiciary, foreigners and foreign travel. Jupiter is a big guy and he brings “lots of”. Since both planets have to do with writing, publishing and the media we might expect some bombshell news event over the weekend. This is further indicated by Mercury’s opposition to Mr. Surprise, Uranus on Saturday morning. Uranus represents the urge for freedom, the innovative, the unexpected and the unusual. When Uranus comes calling, you can review every possibility that comes to mind and Uranus will still surprise you. In addition to revolutions and such Uranus brings events in the natural world, earthquakes, violent weather etc. (Here in the Northeast we are experiencing some of that wild weather) On Sunday morning Mercury leaves the dust of Virgo behind and enters Libra. Mercury in Libra talks nice, negotiates and pours oil on troubled waters. Do not be lulled or gulled by the smooth talkers. Mercury often acts as a trigger for events set up by the outer slower moving planets. So hang on to your hat and get ready to Rock and Roll.