You Think Last Week Was Tough? Get Ready for More

After teetering on the edge of default Congress finally reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling; an agreement that many are not happy with. They reached this agreement on Tuesday just before Mercury went retrograde. In typical Mercury retro fashion (nothing resolved) the agreement included a plan to form a committee of 12, 6 from each party to review the budget cuts, revenue and debt ceiling again at the end of the year. If they don’t do this, automatic spending cuts will be implemented in a wide variety of programs. On Friday Standard and Poors downgraded the United States credit rating, from AAA to AA+ citing “the difficulties of bridging the gulf between political parties.”  On top of all this, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to its lowest since December 2010.

In the July 4, 1776 horoscope of the United States the money planets, Jupiter and Venus are conjunct in the early degrees of Cancer.  Pluto, the great destroyer and ruler of debt, taxes and interest rates is presently sitting directly across from these planets at 5 degrees of Capricorn.  Revolutionary Uranus currently at 4 degrees of Aries has been and will be creating a stressful square to the US Jupiter and Venus as well as to transiting Pluto. The energies created by the dynamic action between Uranus and Pluto impact financial, political and social constructs all over the world. Their last conjunction, occurring in the tumultuous sixties, should give you an idea as to how they shake up society. Today in their waxing square aspect we have most of Europe, along with the US, is in the financial toilet, revolutionary fire spreading across the Middle East; terrorism rearing its ugly head in the most unlikely places, natural disasters and weather extremes creating human misery across the globe.

Here on the eastern seaboard of the United States, Mars entered Cancer early Wednesday morning on August 3, 2011.  Zero degrees of any Cardinal sign; (Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn) is a potent degree. These are the degrees that change the seasons, a lot of energy there.  Pluto and Uranus are in the early degrees of Cardinal signs as is the Jupiter and Venus of the United States. Pluto and Uranus are already messing with these money planets and when Mars enters the picture, well he is the original Action Jackson.  

Last week there was quite a bit of turmoil in the United States, politically as well as financially.  There is more to come. Today, Sunday, August 07, 2011 transiting Mars is conjunct the US Venus. Before the week is out he will connect with the United States Jupiter bringing more money woes for sure with the diplomatic arena not looking to healthy either. Transiting Saturn, hip deep into the Cardinal sign Libra will move into stressful square aspect to the United States Sun.  As the Sun in a mundane chart signifies Heads of State it is safe to assume that Obama’s got himself a big headache.  Transiting Saturn often puts you between a rock and a hard place.

Monday morning at 5:46 AM EDT, pesky little Mercury retrogrades back into Leo and then he opposes Neptune in Aquarius.  I would check every fact and figure that crosses my radar. Don’t take anything at face value. Do your homework and avoid snap decisions.  On Tuesday, 12:34 PM EDT, Mars, Mr. Action, squares off with Uranus, Mr. Upset and later in the afternoon the Moon enters Capricorn and the fun begins as Old Lunar kicks off those Cardinal Degrees.  By Thursday when Mars opposes Pluto be ready for scorched earth, literally and figuratively.  Major events are unfolding now and we may not know or understand what is really happening or what the fallout will be for many Moons. Whatever the case may be, this week’s run up to the Full Moon in Aquarius on Saturday will be volatile, unpredictable and violent.

Barack Obama's Solar Return 2011

I always look at the Solar Return chart of the President of the United States because what is going on the President’s chart holds significance for the country as a whole. A Solar Return chart is a horoscope for the moment in time when the Sun makes its annual return to the sign and degree of the natal Sun.  This chart is a valuable predictive tool that reveals the conditions, events and themes of the upcoming year for the individual.  The Sun’s placement in the Solar Return chart reveals the focus for the upcoming year. In President Obama’s Return chart the Sun falls in the second house of money.  Money, debt, budgets and value systems play an important role. No big surprise there.  The President faces powerful opposition.  For the most part he knows who opposes him but this year will bring some surprises.  There are those that are not being quite honest with him and when the truth comes to light there will be a few shifts in alliances.  Women and diplomacy play an important role, a smart, intellectual, thinking woman in particular. There will be a lot of tense public meetings and events. Whatever agreement they come up with over the next few weeks will not be one that will stick because it will not really settle anything in a permanent way. The President knows this and will work throughout the year to consolidate, revise and review; getting all his ducks in a row for the big 2012 push.  He will have a serious communication problem with difficulty getting his message heard and understood.  Surprising, unexpected, innovative and unusual actions and events will highlight his year. Since he is the President much of this will play out in the public arena.  He will appear moody, emotional and at times petulant.  There will be a lot going on behind the scenes.  He may do an about face when he finds that those he thinks he can trust are perfectly willing to stab him in the back. There are powerful forces aligned against him and his reactions will often be based on emotion rather than intellect.  Within him this year is a need to negotiate, to see both sides of the picture and come to a just and equitable agreement.  This is a year where President Obama will make enemies of friends and friends of enemies.  Life will not be dull as the President faces difficult choices, hard negotiations and powerful, influential enemies.  The week after his birthday as we roll up to the Full Moon in Aquarius will be a week of action.  When listening to the late, breaking news, don’t rush to judgment. Be wary of lies, slurs, exaggerations and plain misinformation coming from all sides of the political spectrum with the media jumping in without a thought to something as simple as a fact check.

Let’s Look at Lincoln Chafee

When Lincoln Chafee was elected Governor of Rhode Island it was a three way split so it is not like he was elected by a landslide. It was more like a squeaker. A lot of people were upset, they don’t like his politics, and they don’t like his sales tax, beverage tax or any other plan that he might have to balance the budget. This week the General Assembly voted on Chafee’s proposed budget. Chafee had stated that he did not expect it to survive as written. The relevant quote from the article on Projo.com is that Chafee had “wins, losses and some compromises.” The word that jumps out at me is “compromise”. Compromise is Chafee’s middle name. You wouldn’t think so, him being a “me first Aries” but his natal Venus, retrograde in Taurus has a lot of what astrologers call “Essential Dignities” which makes Venus a potent energy operating within his personality. Lincoln Chafee does not come across as an aggressive Aries. He has this super dignified Venus along with retrograde Mercury in Pisces. The world sees that Mercury and that Venus. A softness and less than clear articulation is the signature of Mercury in Pisces. His mode of operation is reflected in that Venus. He is known for reaching across the political aisle, reaching a consensus, looking for a compromise. His formation of a pension committee is a clear expression of this strong Venus. Remember Venus in Taurus is about money and Venus in general rules tact and diplomacy. This year began with Pluto in Capricorn in square aspect to Lincoln Chafee’s natal Sun. This aspect remains in force until the end of the year as Pluto rolls back and forth over his Sun. Now a square aspect creates problems and issues that require action. A battlefield over debt(Pluto), pensions (more Pluto) and budgets perfectly describes this aspect. Lincoln Chafee has his work cut out for him but do not be fooled by that Venus in Taurus, Mercury in Pisces persona. Chafee is an Aries and Aries loves a battle. Jupiter’s entry into Taurus in early June hit his Venus and his Mars. Jupiter brings gifts so I would venture a guess that this budget that has passed in the General Assembly has more of what Chafee wants then meets the eye. His troubles are not over though. His entire tenure as Governor will be a series of battles, upsets and unexpected events. His personal life will not escape either. In November 2011 he will experience his second Saturn Return, a major life cycle event. This is a 29 year cycle. In May of 2012 he will have a Jupiter return, a 12 year cycle. In the midst of all this he will be contending with Uranus conjunct his Aries Sun. That’s another slow moving transit that begins in April of 2011 and ends in February of 2013. Uranus’ cycle is one of 84 years and when the Master of Surprise conjuncts a personal planet get ready for the far out, the unexpected and the unusual. My mantra for Uranus transits is, “if you can think of it, that is not it.” Events occur that are so beyond your personal scope they jolt and jar your very existence. My advice to Lincoln Chafee, should he ask, is to be ready for change and don’t resist it. With Uranus, areas where we have become entrenched in a rut or lifestyle that is not beneficial to us are ripe for disruption. Uranus says, make the change or else I will do it for you. And by doing it for you he means, some event outside yourself will occur that will force the change. The powerful planetary lineup in the sky this summer, Pluto, Uranus and Saturn in a difficult T-Square aspect, reflects the difficulties prevalent in the world today. Pluto is about sex, death, taxes. Uranus speaks to the sudden upset of the status quo while Saturn works to maintain that status. These three energies are at odds with one another. Lincoln Chafee, as Governor, must steer the ship of state that is Rhode Island through that tangle of energies. The average citizen must make their way through the confusing often debilitating morass that life in modern society has become. Change what you can. Deal with what you can’t. Keep the faith and remember to breathe.