We kick off this Holiday Season with a Retrograde Mercury and a Solar Eclipse. The Eclipse is in Sagittarius; the sign of philosophies, religion, publishing and the judiciary. Mercury sits at the bottom of the chart set for Washington, DC so we can count on mixed messages, confusion and outright obfuscation coming from that quarter. The failure of the Super Committee to do what it was designed to do may actually be a blessing in disguise as actions taken under a Retrograde Mercury usually have to be revised and done over. Eclipses are powerful and their influence last longer than the usual New Moon to New Moon cycle. This Eclipse stresses an already stressed monetary system. The Euro is under pressure and the family of nations that comprise that union may be looking at divorce as some countries may opt out. Here in the United States the Federal Reserve and the money planets of the United States face tension and strain. We can expect more confusion. Financial matters and the huge debt facing nations and municipalities continue to threaten as the power brokers struggle to maintain the status quo. In the upcoming months expect financial surprises and secret deals. When those secrets are revealed it will bring the downfall of a famous person. The Occupy movement will continue to focus the lens on the excessive corporate, big money influence on Congressional affairs. The politicians, pundits and power brokers are trying to figure out this movement so they can turn it to their advantage. They don’t get it. This movement resonates with lots of people and cuts a wide swath through society touching many people at many levels. Most importantly, they are committed. This movement is in its infancy and is not going away. From an astrological standpoint it is part of the great 126 year cycle of Uranus and Pluto. In the early 1930’s they were in a closing square aspect moving to conjunction. This was the depression era and the time of the Bonus Army, the WWI veterans who camped out in DC because they wanted the bonus that was promised to them. From that 90 degree closing square Uranus and Pluto moved into conjunction, together in the sky in the mid-sixties, planting new seeds of social revolution. Now we are approaching the waxing square between these two, the first of which occurs on June 24, 2012. From June of 2012 to March of 2015 they move back and forth forming a series of seven exact squares. This period of time holds the flavor of the thirties and echoes of the sixties. The slower moving planets stimulate broad social change. Uranus represents revolution and rebellion. Rules are made to be broken. Pluto brings about deep transformation and he is not above destroying an existing system to bring that transformation about. For the near term, it will pay to check all facts and don’t take anything on face value. Do your research and always get a second, even a third opinion. Amuse yourself by watching the Politicians dance a jig around the hard truths so they can maintain their relevance in a changing world.
