Solar Eclipse, Retrograde Mercury, Occupy and Other Good Stuff

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.

How It All Began - Occupy Wall Street - New Moon in Scorpio

Occupy Wall Street began when a group called Adbusters sent out the call, on July 13, 2011,  to assemble in New York on September 17, 2011.  (I don’t have the time that Adbusters posted this) The revolutionary tactic outlined in the initial call was to focus on one issue, articulate that issue then demand and congregate in a public space until that demand is met. The original demand was for President Obama to form a Presidential Commission whose task is to end the influence that money has over Congressional affairs.  Good luck with that one.

 This call went out under a Cardinal Grand Cross which consisted of Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus in Aries, Saturn in Libra and Venus in Cancer.  Pluto is all about issues of power, control, debt, and destruction.  Pluto usually destroys in order to build something new and better. Uranus in Aries is the new, the revolutionary and the innovative.  This movement reverberates with Uranian energy.  Quoting from the original Adbusters document we have:  “A worldwide shift in revolutionary tactics is underway right now...”  This leaderless movement also reflects the Uranus in Aries mantra, the individual is all.  Saturn in Libra brings societal structures to the table. In Libra, Saturn is the great negotiator but Saturn can be rigid in the face of change. Venus in Cancer lends her blessing to this movement. Venus is social, attracting and diplomatic. In Cancer she nurtures. Venus wants everyone to get along. A walk through Burnside Park in Providence, RI reveals Venus’ presence and influence.  But don’t be fooled, when she takes off her party hat and gets down to business she’s all about the money. The cardinality present when the initial call went out indicates that this is just the beginning. The square between Uranus and Pluto speaks to masses of people and broad societal change. Despite being leaderless and sending out mixed messages this movement is not going away.

On the day that this call went out the Moon moved from Sagittarius into Capricorn at 10:14 AM EDT.  In Mundane astrology, the astrology of events, the Moon rules the people, women and public opinion.  Moon in Capricorn does not have an easy time but often this placement can harness the emotional impulse and use the emotion to bring about concrete results. Astrologers use a technique called Secondary Progressions, where a day in the ephemeris, (a table that lists the future positions of the planets) equals a year in the life of the person or event. This moves the planets along in the natal chart and offers a glimpse of what issues, incidents and occurrences the entity will face. In the Adbuster’s call to action chart the Moon moves through the chart making its first critical alignment with Uranus, (revolution), then Pluto (the power structure).  The Moon hit those points on that day and will do so through the process of Secondary Progressions as time progresses. The symbolism of these configurations clearly reflects the reality, the people are confronting the power structure.

The first actual march on Wall Street began after the first gathering on September 17, 2011 at 12:00 PM EDT. That horoscope has Sun in Virgo, Moon in Taurus and the Ascendant (the sign on the horizon, a critical point in any horoscope), in Scorpio. With the Sun and Mercury in Virgo there is a danger of getting bogged down in details and forgetting the big picture. The Moon in Taurus speaks to the fixed purpose of the people; they “will not go gentle into that good night.”  Pluto making a station, from retrograde to direct, located in the second house of money and ruling the Ascendant tells it all. The Ascendant and first house signifies grass roots movements. Scorpio rules debt and Pluto is all about power and the misuse and abuse of that power. Venus making nice-nice in Libra opposing rule breaker Uranus says that diplomacy is about to engage in a new tactic.

This week the New Moon on Wednesday, November 26, 2011 at 3:56 PM EDT is in early Scorpio.  Scorpio always brings the crap to the surface. People tend to get very emotional and tongues get razor-sharp. Remember that people get hurt very easily and can take offense when no offense was meant.  For the Occupy Wall Street movement the Lunation occurs in the twelfth house of secret enemies. Beware of the infiltrator. The enemy has deep pockets and has a lot to lose. The Scorpio energy will not suffer fools lightly. Scorpio gets to the heart of the matter, quickly and without the niceties that Libra applies. It’s down and dirty time. When things get emotional it is important to step back and breathe. Keep your eye on the big picture and know that this is all part of the process.  Think of it as growing pains.

Occupy Providence - Corporations Own Our Government

When I first heard of the Occupy Wall Street movement I thought, they should be occupying Washington, DC, not Wall Street but I soon realized they had it right because as stated in their first official  statement, their reason for being, is “because corporations own our government.”  The power lies in Wall Street.

Here in Providence, RI,  Occupy Providence officially began on Saturday, at 5PM, October 15, 2011 with a rally at Burnside Park and a march through Providence.   My first impression as I entered the park was that this gathering had a definite sixties flavor to it.  Not surprising.  In the mid-sixties Uranus and Pluto were aligned in the sky and today they are approaching their first major alignment since then, sparking that revolutionary fire. The revolutionary impulse springs from Uranus and the process of transformation comes from Pluto.  The 1960’s alignment, the conjunction, brought the anti-war, anti-establishment, civil rights, and women’s rights movements.  Raising consciousness, eye-opening and “click” moments were the order of the day. In those days demonstrators faced opposition and hostility from the police, the politicians and the general public. Today, with the recent history of the banking bailout, i.e. rewarding the banks for bad behavior, this movement resonates with a large segment of the population. The police, at least here in Providence, seem to be in sympathy with the occupiers, as are the Providence Fire Fighters who have made donations to the cause.  

Personally, with a large dose of Aquarius in my horoscope, these group efforts, rallies and revolutionary movements bring joy to my heart and arouse my curiosity. I am drawn to Burnside Park and the people there, I want to know about them, find out what their motivations are, and see how they are managing this mass of people camping out in a public park.

The first thing I noticed is that they are well organized. They’ve erected booths for food distribution and media. They have a donations intake tent and a couple of medical tents. They recycle the trash and compost what they can. Volunteers man these posts.  

Here are some snippets of conversation, thoughts and reasons for getting involved from some of the people I have talked with.

Bobby, the 19 year old who holds the live streaming gig at Burnside Park related to me how he saw a news blurb about 700 people who were arrested in NYC in connection with their involvement in Occupy Wall Street.  He waited for two weeks  and did not see or hear anything in the main stream media about the Occupy Wall Street movement.  He decided to volunteer because he felt that the movement needed to get the word out and he was adept at live stream.  He feels that the government controls the media. He’s a registered voter and gets most of his news from the internet.

I spoke with Shantal at the food booth, a 24 year old volunteer who feels that “the current system has failed us economically, politically and socially”.  She volunteers after work spending her evenings dishing out food to the occupiers and the homeless. 

Tom, 26, describes himself as an anarchist  and feels that the “right to eat should not be dictated by money.” 

Dave, 43, was drawn to this movement by “a blend of grief and anger….about our broken promises to our most vulnerable population…..”

Jessica, 25 feels the “power balance is out of whack.” And that through the “government and corporate media we are manipulated….it creates a woundedness….consumerism is shoved down our throats.”  She is down here because she feels it is about waking people up to what is going on around them.  A very wise young lady she says, people need to ask themselves, “Why are you unhappy?” and follow that to the root cause.

Elliot, a retiree,  is down here because he feels that the country is “going down the tubes.”  He listed a variety of issues, banking reform, health care reform, unemployment, “it is a real shame that we are in these dire straits.”

Carol, another retiree, is “depressed at the direction the government is going.”  She feels that corporations buy candidates and campaign financing should be regulated and campaigns should only last three months.  She has lived abroad and finds the health system here appalling. 

Will, 24,  has not voted for awhile because he has no faith in the electoral process and feels to effect change we need direct democracy.  “The bailouts are symptoms and we need systemic change.”

Willie, 42, feels that “greedy people create problems”  Corporations are so greedy that they are putting people out of work, out of their homes and people are unable to take care of the basics. “The country is suffering.”

I did not see any evidence of partisan politics. The movement is not about that, it is about the corruption of the entire system. On my daily walk through Burnside Park I have seen the tents sprout like mushrooms as more people get involved. I think everyone should go down to Providence to see for themselves, to talk to the people and make up your own mind. I will continue to make trips down there to talk to people and get their ideas and thoughts.   

My next post will analyze the horoscopes of Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Providence.  These horoscopes show the direction, duration and outcomes of this movement.  Stay tuned.

Get Ready to Rock and Roll With This New Moon

The New Moon occurs at 7:09 AM EDT on September 27^th here on the eastern seaboard of the United States.  Begin, begin, begin cries the New Moon. The New Moon marks the beginning of the new cycle and simply put, it is the time to start something new. Inspiration and intuition flow into consciousness, and the wise do not ignore these spontaneous ideas that pop up, seemingly from nowhere. It pays to watch how they develop as the Moon waxes into the Crescent and First Quarter phases.  Often new ideas meet resistance or face obstacles at these points in the cycle.  If the idea or project has merit and is important to the individual, these impediments can be overcome. As the Moon reaches the Full Moon phase on October 11, 2011, seeds planted at the New Moon flourish and reach fruition. 

This particular New Moon falls in the sign of Libra. The Sun and Moon together in the sky square off with Pluto in Capricorn and oppose Uranus in Aries. This is a volatile, explosive combination. The indications point to strikes:  lightning, labor, sit ins, and protests involving youth in particular but also the public in general against the corporate, political and financial power structure. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions grab the headlines. The quakes and eruptions are not limited to the physical earth. As the public agitates, the power structures respond. As the Uranus/Pluto conjunction that occurred in the 1960’s approaches its First Quarter phase echoes from that era reverberate today. This New Moon period offers a glimpse of what may happen over the course of the series of Uranus/Pluto squares beginning in June 2012 and continuing through March of 2015.

Calculating the chart for Washington, DC puts the Sun and Moon conjunct the Ascendant. The Ascendant is an important position in any horoscope as it designates the point of entry into the world for the individual or entity. The Sun represents the father, head of state, CEO’s etc. The Moon represents the mother, females, the public and public opinion.  The Sun, Moon, Mercury cluster in Libra opposing Uranus in Aries straddles the Ascendant/Descendant axis. The Ascendant represents the self, while the Descendant symbolizes the other.  The Descendant or cusp of the 7^th house is the house of the “significant other” as well as open enemies.  The Sun opposing Uranus along this axis suggests that authority figures will meet the opposition, the rebellious and the revolutionaries head on. Here in the United States, President Obama will also meet his opponents head on.  He will confront those who contest his policies to the delight of his supporters and the dismay of his opponents.  The public is very much involved here.  The use of social media, the trend and tool of the modern grassroots organizer, continues to grow with novel twists and innovations along the way as Uranus in Aries shakes up the status quo for most of this decade.

As the Moon waxes moving into the First Quarter phase on October 3, 2011, the discontent with existing conditions in the political, commercial and personal arena reach a point where some action needs to be taken. Land values, real estate and agricultural themes focus around money, interest rates and the cost of goods and how these issues impact the work force. The general public is in a serious and somber mood.  At the Full Moon the money problems continue as political opponents, the public, parents, youth, management and labor threaten to leave the bargaining table behind with diplomacy forgotten. 

The Last Quarter Moon on October 19^th brings a change in public opinion as a new determination takes hold. Social unrest resonates with young and old alike.  The buzz circles the globe. Here again, this is the button that will get pushed time and again over the next few years.  For the immediate future, now is the time to assimilate all that has been learned and experienced during this current Lunation cycle.  This cycle holds the Libra theme of partnership, negotiation and social awareness. Libra needs to relate.  People need people now and despite political differences, are more than willing to try and work it out. The next Lunation Cycle begins with the New Moon in Scorpio on October 26, 2011.  Try and resolve any relationship issues while the Libra influence is in play as the Scorpio New Moon promises to take no prisoners.

Waning Moon – Planetary Shifts – Life Goes On.

 The period between the Full Moon to the Last Quarter Moon is called the disseminating phase.  Now is the time to share what you have learned during the waxing phase.  What projects, events have unfolded and what have you learned.  What wisdom have you gained from your inner dialogue? At this time there is an urge to reach out to others and relate our experiences.  This is the letting go and the giving back phase.  When we get to the Last Quarter Moon phase on the 20^th its inner reflection time; a time to maybe take a break.  A project may come to an end or need to be put on hold for awhile. Quarter Moons are action times, times of crisis. In the waning phase the crisis is inner, more of consciousness than in the physical realm.  A good time to ask yourself where you are in life and where you want to be.  Let go of what is holding you back, get rid of bad habits and toxic people now.  As the Moon shifts from the crescent into darkness we enter the Balsamic phase.  This is just prior to the next New Moon.  One cycle is ending and begins to blend with the new.  This is the time to dream, logic does not do well in this phase.  Dream the fantastic.   What works in this phase is, cutting something that you don’t want to grow back fast, your hair or the weeds in your garden.  While the night sky is dark prior to the New Moon on September 27^th clean out your closets, get rid of clutter and anything you haven’t used for awhile.  Its painless under this phase of the Moon, we don’t cling so much to objects that we might be sentimental about, like our skinny jeans or the battered baseball from our youth.  It is wise to hold off starting anything new until the New Moon and the beginning of the new cycle. 

During this period leading up to the New Moon and the Fall Equinox Venus enters her home sign of Libra on September 14^th.  Venus loves it here and our social lives usually pick up and relationships take on a rosy hue.  Venus in Libra signals the time to make amends and iron out differences within relationships.  On the 16^th Pluto moves into direct motion.  When a planet changes direction the energies of that planet are intensified. Pluto in Capricorn has much to do with societal norms, institutions, and hierarchies.  Pluto in real time adversely aspects the money planets of the USA’s July 4, 1776 chart, (Venus and Jupiter) as well as the Sun/Pluto opposition in the Federal Reserve chart, money, budgets and debt will rule the headlines.  Currency wars reveal where the real power is.  On the 18^th Mars, the planet of action and how we use our energy enters the fire sign Leo.  Mars here gives self confidence, drama and the grand gesture.  Mars in Leo does not take criticism lightly.  Nonetheless, with Mars in Leo the show must go on. These planetary shifts and changes set the stage for the upcoming Autumnal Equinox on the 23^rd when all things Libra rule.  By the 27^th when the New Moon in Libra perfects it will be a brand new day.

Hurricane Irene, Dark Moon, New Moon, Mercury Direct

Hurricane Irene rolled up the eastern seaboard of the United States under a dark Moon forcing us to comply with the Lunar dictates of quiet, meditative inner work while the Moon finishes one cycle and prepares for the new.  Rain, wind and power outages were the enforcers of those dictates. What else could you do? The New Moon occurs on Sunday night at 11:04 PM EDT in the sign of Virgo. This New Moon has a lovely trine, an aspect of ease, between Venus and Jupiter. Not a bad influence for the upcoming month. In traditional Astrology Jupiter is known as the Greater Benefic while Venus carries the moniker the Lesser Benefic.  They are money planets and also have a much to do with international diplomacy, treaties and negotiations. They can bring about to much of a good thing as well. With Mercury direct, the New Moon under our belt, and Irene trekking into the interior the work week begins with a burst of energy and activity. Projects and plans that have been on hold or that have hit a dead end begin to move forward as new ideas and information change the picture.  The trine between Jupiter and Venus becomes exact in the wee hours on Tuesday morning, August 30^th shortly before Jupiter turns retrograde. The capitalist, bankers, lawyers and diplomats will react. In the afternoon when Moon enters Libra at 2:25 PM EDT the real negotiations will begin. Libra Moon brings a strong desire to socialize as people want to connect with their fellows. This is a good time to form partnerships or to work on a team.  Libra Moon loves balance and harmony so take advantage of this Moon to iron out any differences you may have with friends, loved ones and co-workers. The cooperative energy remains until Moon moves into Scorpio.  Moon in Scorpio pulls in the energy of Scorpio’s rulers Mars and Pluto. People are sensitive and take things very personal.  Feelings get hurt and folks lash out.  It is hard to forgive and forget under Scorpio Moon but it is wise to remember that when Scorpio and Pluto are involved it is best to take the high road.  These deep emotions offer the opportunity to connect on a soul level with those around you. On Friday Sun kicks off the weekend by making nice-nice with Jupiter. Sun is in Virgo and loves the details; Jupiter always sees the big picture. An aspect of ease brings a nice blend of these two opposing ideals. When Moon enters Sagittarius on Saturday, September 3^rd, there’s a general feel of restlessness and the urge is to get up, get out and do something. Folks are warm and friendly so it is a good time for socializing, especially if it involves a sporting event. The Moon, in the waxing phase, offers a great time to begin new projects and with Mercury in direct motion all systems are fired up and ready to go. Take action.

A Classic Mercury Retrograde Blunder

In writing about the Moon’s waning phase this week and the jangle of energy winging its way along as the night sky darkens; in true Retrograde Mercury fashion I neglected to mention one of, if not the most important shift of the week. That is the Sun’s entry into Virgo on Tuesday morning at 7:21 AM EDT. As mentioned in the prior post, Monday evening Sun opposed Neptune in Aquarius. (This is the last aspect the Sun makes before moving into a new sign and will be kicking up some dust.) The Sun’s annual trek through Virgo signals the end of summer and prompts preparation for the upcoming Autumn and Winter. This is the harvest time. Sun in Virgo is discerning, able to differentiate between the wheat and the chaff. The Sun’s energy brought to bear in Virgo enhances our ability to differentiate between what is valuable and what is junk.  Virgo will achieve the most while doing the least because of a natural bent towards efficiency.  The Virgo energy of astute perceptiveness may be hampered while Mercury continues in Retrograde motion. But rest assured once Old Murky goes direct it’ll be clear sailing. While Sun remains in Virgo get rid of the useless, clean out closets and cupboards and get organized.  Virgo Sun will send those bright beams down and help you tackle the sometimes difficult task of parting with possessions that no longer serve. An assist we can all use.