Mercury Retrograde – Election Day

This Election Day the planet Mercury turns retrograde at 6:04 PM EST.  That is the day starts off with Mercury in direct motion and ends with Mercury in retrograde motion.  As Mercury rules the short trip, the neighborhood, voting, and the process of counting those votes the change of direction on this day holds particular significance. On Election Day in 2000 Mercury moved from retrograde motion to direct motion. Hanging chads and a Supreme Court decision to decide the election is just the sort of mischief that Mercury, direct or retrograde, is the master of.

In the  Homeric Hymns  the ancient Greek texts that celebrate the Gods, the hymn to Hermes (Mercury) describes him as  “a child who was a shrewd and coaxing schemer, a cattle-rustling robber and a bringer of dreams,”  He was born in the morning, made and played the lyre at noon and in the evening he stole Apollo’s cattle.  Quick, clever and not entirely honest, that’s Mercury.

Mercury is also associated with the “Trickster” the mythological creature found in many cultures who messes with your head, often behaving in a confusing manner.  As Mercury turns retrograde on Tuesday he is in alignment with another trickster, the planet Uranus. Uranus likes to break down rigid social constructs, create revolution and in general disrupt the normal flow of things.

On Election Day there are many planetary factors in play.  The ongoing Uranus/Pluto square which is playing out all around us in government, business, weather and personal lives is one very important aspect that brings with it change in the culture and the social order.  This election is just a blip in the planetary dance of these two heavy hitters. Saturn’s entrance into Scorpio, a 29-30 year cycle signifies accountability and responsibility.  In Scorpio, the reckoning involves debt and taxes.  Jupiter in Gemini guarantees a huge turnout and in alignment with Venus in Libra says women will be a big factor in this election.

What this Election Day will bring is anybody’s guess but with the type of configurations in play, especially that between Mercury and Uranus, we haven’t got an inkling.  We haven’t heard any hints on the news nor have the polls or opinion pieces given any clues.  Something weird, wild and straight out of left field, with Uranus, if you can think of it, that ain’t it.

A Little Bit of Saturn and A Big Election

Today, October 25, 2012 Sun makes a conjunction with Saturn.  This is the first time that the Sun and Saturn have been conjunct in Scorpio since Saturn was last in Scorpio in the early 80’s. Saturn is the sign of duty, responsibility and accountability.  Saturn restricts and contracts. The sign Scorpio known for sex, death and transformation is also concerned with debt, interest rates and taxes. The death of Scorpio is not the physical death but the death of an old way bringing rebirth and the new.

The fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius will feel Saturn’s restrictive influence most strongly.  All signs of the Zodiac will feel the impact of Saturn in Scorpio on some level. Saturn spends approximately two and one half years in a sign.  In December of 2014 Saturn will move into Sagittarius then due to retrograde motion will slip back into Scorpio in June of 2015 finally leaving that sign in September of 2015. If you are a Scorpio ask your Libra friends what life has been like for the past two years or so.

The houses of the horoscope represent particular areas in the life of an individual.  The first house is the self; the second house is money etc.  The house in your horoscope that Saturn travels through is where it is payback time.  Or if you have done your work, did your homework and accepted responsibility you may find this to be reward time. Saturn gives you what you have earned. If you have been deluding yourself in any area of your life Saturn brings you face to face with the reality of the situation.

Over the next couple of years Saturn will form a trine aspect with the money planets, Venus and Jupiter, in the July 4, 1776 chart of the USA.  At this pre-election moment, Saturn is in harsh aspect to Obama’s Mercury. His ideas and opinions face obstacles and challenges.  His challenger, Mitt Romney has transiting Saturn moving into trine his Mars, the planet of action and energy. Saturn brings focus and the ability to organize and get the job done. He is a formidable opponent at this time.  Concurrently he has Saturn making a harsh aspect to his natal Venus.  This aspect points to the Republicans apparent problem with women.  There may be strains and disagreements within his relationships and a difficulty relating to people.

This election is a difficult one to call for a lot of reasons.  Mercury changes direction on Election Day moving from direct to retrograde.  Mercury was in retrograde motion on Election Day 2000 so there may be some dispute or discrepancy that will take a while to sort out.

The winner of this election will face Saturn’s transit of the USA’s Venus, Jupiter and Sun. The Sun rules the head of state and as mentioned before Venus and Jupiter the money.  Saturn can surely depress the economy but can also bring a certain amount of stabilization.  Saturn in Scorpio can restrict or contract the debt. At any rate, it will be “get your ducks in a row” time and whoever is in the driver’s seat will have their work cut out for them.

For the rest of us Saturn will be very personal according to the house it transits and the aspects it makes to the individual’s chart. A Saturn transit is real and concrete. It manifests in the physical world. Even if you don’t know Saturn from a hole in the wall you can identify where Saturn is by locating where the principles of Saturn are manifesting in your life.  A Saturn transit is a good time to see an astrologer.  Remember no matter how difficult it gets: This to shall pass.

 

New Moon Start Anew And Other Delights

New Moons signal the beginning of a new cycle. This New Moon, in Aquarius, on January 23, 2012 holds some noteworthy patterns and points of interest that will hold sway far longer than the typical lunation cycle.  Mars in Virgo, stations in preparation for a 3 month retrograde period a few hours after the New Moon perfects. The New Moon, the conjunction of the Sun and Moon, is involved in a dynamic pattern with Saturn and Jupiter called a T-Square.  Saturn and Jupiter oppose (180 degrees) one another and the New Moon squares (90 degrees) them both. Saturn and Neptune are in a trine aspect (120 degrees) from Libra to Aquarius and they both are in the critical 29^th degree of their respective signs. Tying it all up is the developing waxing square between Uranus and Pluto. The seeds planted at this New Moon will continue to bear fruit well beyond this lunation.

Mars goes retrograde about every two years. The last time was from December 2009 to March 2010 in the sign of Leo.  When a planet is retrograde the qualities of that planet are more pronounced and it often does not function in the normal manner. Mars is the planet of action. In a natal chart Mars is the juice that gets you going, gives you the energy to function in the world and moves you across the finish line. In the big wide world Mars rules the military, wars and disputes of all kinds.  During this retrograde period Mars moves backward from 23 degrees Virgo to 3 degrees Virgo. Those with planets and angles within those degrees will be exposed to this energy three times, when Mars goes forward over them, retrograde and forward again. Mars was at 3 degrees of Virgo around November 18/19, 2011 and will station to go direct on April 13/14, 2012.

 Barack Obama has natal Mars at 22 degrees Virgo and Pluto at 6 degrees Virgo in his 7^th house of partners, relationships and open enemies. Transits to the horoscope of a head of state move from the personal to the very public. In Mundane astrology, the astrology of events, the 7^th house has to do with wars, foreign policy and international relationships. A Mars transit juices up the planet it touches and often brings out aggressiveness, belligerence and makes one prone to a snappy or snarly response. Mars prompts a combative stance. Obama will make his State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9PM with transiting retrograde Mars conjunct his natal Mars. My guess is he will come out swinging and over the coming months he will face his opponents both foreign and domestic, within the party and without; in ways that are not his normal mode. What worries me is the natal square between Neptune (22 Virgo) and Mars (21 Gemini) in the horoscope of the Declaration of Independence.  Mars square Neptune means war for all the wrong reasons. Retrograde Mars, jazzing up this square, is up to no good.  High ideals dragged through the muck of combat seldom emerge pristine.  

The involvement of the New Moon in the Jupiter/Saturn opposition sends a frisson of energy to the long term Jupiter/Saturn cycle. Jupiter and Saturn form a conjunction every 20 years and their interactive dance over the years plays a big role in political, financial and societal events. The opposition is the half way point. Oppositions are just that, two opposing forces colliding head on. Jupiter wants expansion while Saturn wants contraction.  Jupiter wants to try something new while Saturn favors the tried and true.

Saturn is also involved in a trine with Neptune. Saturn is reality; Neptune the ideal. Before this Lunation cycle is over, Neptune will leave Aquarius for the final time and enter the home turf of Pisces, while Saturn turns retrograde.  (Neptune was briefly in Pisces from last April to August 2011) In the final degree of a sign a planet seems to always give it the “last hurrah” before leaving that sign, an event that signifies the symbolism of the sign and planet.   Neptune in Aquarius can denote a spiritual brotherhood. That’s the upside. The downside can be fraud, slander and misrepresentation.  Not much scandalizes us any more so it is difficult to imagine what event or revelation could set us on our heels.  We can only hope that the positive prevails, the sharing, caring and sense of universal human hood evidenced in the Occupy movement and other protests around the world.

The waxing square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn reaches exactness on June 24, 2012, the first of 7 squares from June 2012 through March 2015. These squares are part of the 126 year cycle of Uranus/Pluto.  This cycle brings about broad societal change. Uranus is the revolutionary rebel and rule breaker, in Aries; he’s willing to fight for it. Pluto is the great transformer, in Capricorn; he’s about altering the structure of business and government.  Here again it is the old against the new.  Think of these 7 squares as growing pains.  It will not be easy. Echoes from this New Moon will reverberate at the time of the first Uranus/Pluto square on June 24^th as Saturn moves in direct motion and Mars, once again in direct motion, reaches 22/23 degrees of Virgo.  Get ready to Rock and Roll.

This is not an easy time. These planetary dynamics touch each of us on a personal and collective level.  Transits to the natal planets and through the natal houses tell the tale of personal challenges and opportunities. A consultation with an astrologer is a valuable tool in troubled times. Astrology points the way around that stone wall so you don’t have to bust your skull trying to go through it.  As a timing device, astrology pinpoints the moment of chance and change.  Astrology gives you an edge when you need it and a heads up when difficulties loom.  Carpe Diem – seize the day!

Happy Birthday Barack Obama

I took a look at Barack Obama’s Solar Return chart for this upcoming birthday. The Solar Return chart is a forecasting tool astrologers use to predict what the upcoming year is going to be like for the individual or entity involved. Obama’s Solar Return has a Lunar Return this year as well. Both the Sun and the moon have returned to the place in the sky where they were when he was born. This is a somewhat rare occurrence. Moon represents, among other things, what you need. Obama’s moon is in Gemini, he needs to talk and he does it very well. Both his Natal moon and Solar Return moon are in the 3rd house of the Solar Return chart which further enhances the need to talk. This will be a yak, yak, yak year for him. The asteroid Juno figures prominently this year as well. Juno is the Goddess of marriage, the melding of the masculine and feminine and, the committed relationship. One of her major concerns is the equality of the sexes. In the Natal chart of Obama Juno is at 0 Aries and is getting a direct hit by Uranus and Jupiter. The symbolism is so apt, women and the law. Thus far he has nominated two women to the Supreme Court. His wife is an Aries type of woman independent, athletic and a trailblazer in her own right. Obama is and will continue to be a strong advocate for women’s rights. The sun in the Solar Return chart is in the 6th house, as is his natal sun. Issues of health care and the armed forces will be topics of discussion. The Uranus/Jupiter conjunction and the Great Cardinal Crescendo figure prominently in his Solar Return Chart, as it will/does in all the Leos this year. In Obama’s case the 1st (I) and 7th (you) houses figure prominently. He’s got Venus, Mars and Saturn in the 7th and Jupiter and Uranus in the 1st. Venus will be the diplomat, Mars brings the heated discussion, Saturn helps to hammer out the differences. The agreements will be literally hammered out. The 1st house represents Obama himself, his physical body, his persona and how people see him. With Uranus there he is still seen has the revolutionary First Black President. Jupiter gives him great confidence but also may have him biting off more than he can chew. Pluto in the 10th house of the Solar Return chart insures that the public will have no doubts as to who is in charge and in power. He is through playing games with the opposition and will not be looking for consensus. For all his talking he will still have a problem getting his message across. The inauguration chart for his presidency has a retrograde Mercury, very prominent thus very important. Most often he is misunderstood or opens his mouth inserting foot and has to go back and fix it. Think Gates, Sherrod etc. This will not be an easy year for him and probably not an easy year for the rest of us. So, Happy Birthday Barack Obama.

Saturn and Uranus can't wait for Pluto to Join the Party

The fourth opposition, in a series of five, between Saturn and Uranus takes place this week on Monday evening, April 26, 2010 at 7:27 PM EDT to be exact. Oppositions represent just what the word implies, two opposing forces working against each other. This force is strengthened by the nature of the planets involved. Saturn symbolizes the traditional, stability, and structure. Uranus corresponds to the revolutionary, the innovative and the progressive. The first of the oppositions between these two planets occurred on Election Day, November 4, 2008. The race between John McCain and Barack Obama was the physical manifestation of the Saturn/Uranus opposition and the Obama administration continues to play out the battle between the old and the new. The second opposition occurred on February 5, 2009, right around the time Obama signed the stimulus package. The third opposition happened on September 15, 2009 coinciding with Barack Obama’s big speech to Congress and the famous or infamous “You lie.” Now at the fourth opposition, we find Barack Obama taking on Wall Street. The first four oppositions occur along the Virgo/Pisces axis. The last one on July 26, 2010 will involve Aries/Libra and will occur at zero degrees of these Cardinal signs. This is a very potent degree. Cardinal signs initiate and there is not much that is more powerful than the initiatory energy of 0 Aries, (thing spring). The Saturn/Uranus dance over the past few years symbolizes the polarity we see in society today. And we see it played out in the fierce opposition that faces the change and reform that this administration is attempting to achieve. The final opposition will also involve a 90 degree angle, from both Saturn and Uranus, to Pluto in Capricorn. Now Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008 and will be there until 2024. Pluto, dwarf planet or not, changes everything it touches and what it touches is relative to the sign that it is in. When it was in Sagittarius, the sign of philosophy and religion, from 1995 to 2008, the scandals of the Catholic Church first gained prominence. Capricorn rules structures, governments, big business, and institutions. Capricorn also has rule over Heads of State, the CEO, Presidents, Popes and whoever is in charge. Today, the scandal of the Catholic Church has reached the Pope. This is Pluto in Capricorn. In July at the final opposition between Saturn and Uranus, Pluto joins the party. This planetary configuration signifies a huge power struggle and you can be sure that the rhetoric is going to get ugly. There’s big money involved and those who want to maintain the status quo will not hesitate to spend it in an effort to keep things as they are. Just remember that not only are we being served corporate coffee at the local Starbucks, we are being served corporate news on the TV, radio and at the news stand.

I'm Wondering

I'm wondering,when Mars goes direct at 0 Leo and starts rolling over Barack Obama's Leo stuff, is that when he is going to start kicking some ass, or what? Has this Mars retro period been all about him positioning himself or is he just another bullshit politician? You tell me. Mars goes direct on March 10th at 0 Leo. Talk to me.

Obama, Gates and the Stupid Cop Remark

Obama is a Leo and a politician. Leo is the show biz sign and Leo loves and basks in the spotlight. Everytime you see him striding to the podium with all eyes upon him, you know that he is in his element. My take on politicians, Democrat or Republican, left, right or in the middle is that they will do or say anything to get elected then hope that you will then ignore them for the term of their office. Another thing politicians always do is play to their base. Aquarian Sarah Palin does this incredibly well. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a Virgo. With Venus, Saturn and Mercury in Virgo as well , you might say he is a Virgo's Virgo. Think of all the things you know about Virgo and intensify it. Gates also has Mars, the how we take action planet in Scorpio. The Moon, ruler of emotions is in Scorpio as well. I do not have a time for Gates' birth but Moon and Mars in the same sign would indicate that he acts and reacts emotionally. News reports say that Gates had just returned from China. After long flights like that one tends to be a bit cranky. I don't have any birth data on the officer involved, but from all accounts he is an officer with an exemplary record. We have two accounts of what happened and somewhere in there is the truth. Obama, in defending his friend, made a "stupid" remark, that he did not give much thought to and I am sure he regrets making.