You can read the whole article here but here is an excerpt. Much of this month’s article has to do with the major planetary events of 2006: Jupiter’s ride through Scorpio, Jupiter trine Uranus, and an introduction to the opposition of Saturn to Neptune which is moving into place:

The introduction:

We begin the month of August with four planets traveling retrograde: Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron. While there is a strong push by these “outer” or “transpersonal” planets to force us to re-engage ourselves in the process of accelerating our personal development, the personal planets (including Mercury and Jupiter which were retrograding over the past couple of months) are now moving forward and helping us to move forward as well.

The elemental balance, however, is not providing a great deal of fire energy to facilitate that process, with most of the planets now in earth and water signs. The elements of earth and water deal with the more passive (yin), or receptive energies; they are more concerned with the practical details (earth) and emotional connections (water) of life on Planet Earth. Mars, the planet of physical drive, is in Virgo now where it prefers to make plans and strategies than take direct action. Venus, governing relationships and interpersonal interaction, and Mercury, the planet of communication and short journeys, are both in Cancer where the focus turns to home life and feeding the family.

As some of you know, I write an advice column for Innerchange Magazine, and from time to time I will post some of the more interesting questions. Here’s one that came in the other day:

Q: I know a bit about astrology, but have not been able to find a satisfactory explanation of combination of transits that are now occurring in my chart. Neptune is on my ASC and Pluto is on my DSC, in exact opposition. This is a slow-moving influence, and websites call it “generational.” Do you know how this opposition might play out in my life and evolution?

A: While it is true that the opposition from transiting Neptune to natal Pluto is generational, it is still a powerful and life changing event. I disagree with certain astrologers who claim that the “generational” transits are limited in their effect on personal charts. While it is true that these transits are affecting a large group of people at the same time, the effect of the transit is still a powerful one.

That being said, this transit is especially powerful for you because it falls on the angles of your birthchart. Pluto in your chart is “angular”, it lies on the axis of the cusp of the seventh house (the descendant), opposing the ascendant. Pluto deals with issues of power, and on the asc/desc axis these power issues will play out primarily in relationships with others. Therefore, the transit of Neptune over your ascendant will aspect not only Pluto but the asc/desc axis as well. Transits of outer planets over any of the angles tend to produce major shifts in the life of an individual. Neptune transits can be challenging for many, and for you (with both Sun and Mars in Aries) this time may be extremely challenging but with the potential of being very rewarding as well.

Your chart shows a strong Neptunian influence, with Moon conjunct Jupiter in Pisces (opposed by Saturn) and Neptune opposing the Sun. The fact that your Pisces/Neptune influences are opposed by other forces indicates that you may have had difficulty integrating those more subliminal Neptunian influences into your Aries personality and the detachment of your Aquarian ascendant. There is a tremendous creativity in your chart that may be untapped as a result.

The Neptune transit to Pluto and your angles began earlier in the year, but you may know that Neptune is stationary right now exactly affecting your Pluto and angles. You may be feeling a bit confused and perhaps disoriented, but this would be a wonderful opportunity to spend more time indulging your more creative impulses, or spending time in Neptunian pastimes: meditation, listening to music (or better yet, making it), swimming or spending time communing with nature. This transit will likely have the lasting effect of softening and deepening your quest for empowerment and helping you to internalize this urge for power and integrate it in a way that is more productive for you.

This from the New York Times:

DAMASCUS, Syria, July 27 — At the onset of the Lebanese crisis, Arab governments, starting with Saudi Arabia, slammed Hezbollah for recklessly provoking a war, providing what the United States and Israel took as a wink and a nod to continue the fight. The Middle EastNow, with hundreds of Lebanese dead and Hezbollah holding out against the vaunted Israeli military for more than two weeks, the tide of public opinion across the Arab world is surging behind the organization, transforming the Shiite group’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, into a folk hero and forcing a change in official statements.

…proving once again that the Bush administration just doesn’t get what’s driving the conflict here. In the ongoing square from Jupiter to Saturn, the Bush White House is playing Saturn in its attempt to use its imagined and overestimated power in the world to crush the rebellion in the Arab world against what is seen as the oppression of Israel. Yet Bush continues to speak about the insurgencies in Iraq and Lebanon as the result of the terrorists “hating our freedom.”
These events herald the upcoming Saturn/Neptune opposition, in which the fantasies of Neptune will run up against the hard realities and challenges of Saturn, and the Saturnian quest to build rigid forms of morals and ideas will collide with the Neptunian tendency to create illusion and confusion.

This also illuminates the trend during this heavily retrograde period (now that Mercury has changed direction and is no longer retrograde, we have four planets still appearing to move backwards making it very difficult to achieve any real and lasting results in our endeavors. Israel has retreated from its initial effort to overpower Hezbollah forces and instead is attempting to contain them.

The so-called Bush Doctrine which claimed that establishing a democracy in Iraq would spread a beacon across the Arab world has been made more complicated by the fact that early democratic elections in the Arab states have elected anti-Israel political parties, creating more pressure for serious conflict in the region against Israel. The tide in the US is shifting as well, with an increased Hebollah presence in the US and a 38% increase in the number of Arab Americans in the ten years between 1990 and 2000 it will be more and more difficult to align completely with Israel against the Arab world.

John Bolton is a neoconservative who has been serving the causes of the New Right since the early 1980s. Unlike most neocons, who tend to stay in ivory towers and think tanks, Bolton has worked within the political structure since his college days. It is said that his political views have not changed since his teens when he supported Barry Goldwater’s presidential bid. Attending Yale Law School, he befriended Clarence Thomas and others in the new Federalist Society (a group that seeks to abolish the Securities Exchange Commission and curtail the powers of the EPA, among other goals). His actions after the 2000 election, when he effectively stopped the recount in Miami-Dade, resulted in Dick Cheney’s saying that Bolton can have “anything he wants” in the new administration. Visit Tom Barry’s excellent and extensive history of Bolton for more details.

Bolton is known for his extreme intelligence and his stubborn ideology. He is also known for his rude and arrogant behavior, and in his appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations committee yesterday his contempt for his questioners was clear and unmitigated. A recess appointment (and therefore uncontested) for the position of UN Ambassador, he has proved to be as undiplomatic a diplomat as his reputation as his previous derision of the UN would suggest. He is well-known for caring little what others think about him, and for being “stunningly impolitic” in a the diplomatic world.

Bolton’s astrological chart shows he is a triple Scorpio, with Sun, Mercury and Chiron all in Scorpio. Scorpio is the sign of emotional intensity and laser-like focus; the Scorpio nature tends to be rather fearless and intense. Scorpio (ruled by Pluto as well as Mars) is also focused on issues of power. Scorpio is highly sensitive to power on a personal level: who has it and how to get it, and they are usually not squeamish about using power to manipulate. A certain level of charisma is usually bestowed by planets in Scorpio that often assists in the manipulation process if the Scorpio personal power is misused.

Bolton’s Sun is nearly exactly conjunct Chiron, the wounded healer archetype, and this should dispel any airy-fairy notion of Chiron indicating the healing profession. Chiron is the wounder as well as the healer, and when conjunct the Sun it can indicate a deep childhood wound in one’s ability to develop a personal identity as represented by the Sun. I was unable to find any information on Bolton’s childhood other than the fact that his father was a firefighter and his mother a homemaker, but you can be sure that there was some issue, probably involving his father, that created a painful situation for him early in life. Bolton’s Moon is in sensitive Cancer, showing that below the rough exterior he has an extremely sensitive interior. It’s not uncommon for Cancer individuals, particularly of the male variety, to conceal their inner vulnerability with a hard and crusty outer shell of disdain and coldness. Bolton also has Venus in Libra, the quintessential diplomat since Libra is ruled by Venus and both are known for their innate fairness and ability to get along with others (although Libra is also known for its manipulation through flattery). All of this suggests that Bolton’s bluster is more style than substance, developed for the purpose of controlling the power balance.

One of the most notable factors in Bolton’s chart is the opposition from Uranus (radical thought) to Mars (aggressive instinct). Bolton’s Mars is in Sagittarius, showing someone who craves freedom so his ultra-conservative nature may be somewhat surprising. However, Bolton’s conservatism is more on the Libertarian end of the spectrum, desiring to abolish regulations and shrink government. However, his desire to expand the power of the United States abroad plants him firmly in the neocon camp, demonstrating the radical nature of his ideology (Mars/Uranus) and the fact that he cannot be easily pigeonholed. The opposition of Mars to Uranus nearly always shows a rebellious nature and a resistance to being controlled in any way.

So where does his conservative nature arise in the chart? Perhaps from the trine of Jupiter (values and ideology) in Capricorn (tradition and hard work) to Saturn (restriction) in earthy Virgo (cautious and critical). Capricorn and Virgo are both earth signs, and earth signs tend to be more conservative in nature. Virgo in particular is conservative because of its extreme caution and dislike of anything new or unexpected, and Capricorn shows a deeply ambitious and practical nature.

Transiting Pluto is passing over Bolton’s Mars right now (beginning late last year), empowering (Pluto) him to assert (Mars) his ideas (Uranus opposition), and it is likely that his position will be made permanent under this transit. During this same period, transiting Jupiter hit Bolton’s Mercury, creating a favorable (Jupiter) environment for communication and expression (Mercury). However, Jupiter is also making a square to Pluto in Bolton’s chart, showing that the confirmation will not be an easy one and he will be blocked from several directions. The month of August will be intense for Bolton as Saturn conjuncts Pluto and the structures in his life (Saturn) confront the inner urge for personal growth and transformation (Pluto). However, there is little doubt that his influence under the current administration will continue to expand, setting the stage for additional challenges in global politics.

Somebody emailed this to me and I wanted to share it:

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic.

It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.

If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places – and there are so many – where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future.

The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

–Howard Zinn
(You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A personal history of our times, p. 208)

photo by Tony Howell

Some astrologers say that the effects of Mercury retrograde linger for several weeks after Mercury changes direction to move forward again, but I have never found that to be the case, in my experience Mercury’s direct turn generally alleviates the difficulties in communication, travel, email and phone service. However, Uranus is still retrograde so don’t expect everything to be working smoothly quite yet.

Uranus is said to be the “higher octave of Mercury” – where Mercury rules the thought process and communication of individuals, Uranus is associated with communication on a more transpersonal level. For this reason it rules technology and the internet as well as more esoteric or transdimensional levels of communication such as mediumship or channeling. Uranus will remain retrograde through November 19 where it will be activating our awareness in new ways and encouraging us to break free of our restrictions, and quite possibly, causing problems with computer technology. You may want to review this earlier article on the Uranus retrograde period for more information.

Meanwhile I hope to use this last Mercury Rx day to finish the site update! Check back Saturday for a whole new look.

Drawing by David Michael Friend

While we’re on the subject of the sign of Leo, let’s talk about the Pluto in Leo generation. My friend Jon sent me this article:

My cohort of early baby boomers has been called a lot of names in its nearly six decades of existence—we were the insolent teenagers of the 1950s; the self-centered Yuppies of the 1980s; now we are the aging spendthrifts who will bust the federal budget and bankrupt our children with unreasonable demands for creature comfort in old age.

But maybe it would be more appropriate to think of us as the Faustian generation. We didn’t exactly sell our souls to the devil—not collectively, anyway—but as we jog toward senior status, it’s hard to escape the sense that we were complicit in our own unique kind of unholy bargain.

“The dull ache will not depart,” Faust says in the first part of Goethe’s epic, as he laments the cozy tedium of his cloistered life. “I crave excitement, agonizing bliss.” That does pretty well as a mantra for the best and brightest of the early baby boomers as they reached mid-adolescence in the early 1960s. [Baby boomers found themselves with] ever-expanding choice—the freedom to make important life decisions and then unmake them at will: new locations, new spouses, new careers, all subject to endless re-evaluation out of a concern that something more exciting might lie around the corner.

This article perfectly characterizes the “baby boomer” generation, so-called because they were primarily born when Pluto traveled through Leo during the post-war years (generally between 1939 and 1957). Pluto is a slow moving planet – it takes approximately 20 years to pass through each astrological sign, and although it is a small planet it has the most powerful effect of any of the planets. Because it deals with issues of death and rebirth, Pluto force us to come face to face with our mortality and transform our lives, to regenerate and recreate the area of life that is signified by the sign Pluto falls in.

The period during which Pluto traveled through Leo witnessed major social, cultural and political upheavals – beginning with the end of World War II, which forever transformed the way wars were fought and marked the beginning of the a totally new kind of war: the Cold War. Leo is not only about personal self-expression, it is also the sign of royalty and demand for power. While Pluto was in Leo, the nature of power changed completely as the world’s previous superpower Great Britain yielded to United States and Russia which became the two world superpowers. Pluto, with its destructive and compulsive nature, is associated with the atomic bomb which was invented roughly at the same time as Pluto was discovered, and the specter of the bomb haunted the post-war period.

The generation born under Pluto in Leo have a compulsive (Pluto) need to live life in their own way, to “do their own thing.” The frenzy to be completely and totally authentically true to one’s Self (Leo) has in fact resulted in a generation that has not want to be tied down to the expectations of others. There is as we’ve seen a sense of entitlement in Leo – the underlying psychological premise of royalty and righteousness. Not every Pluto in Leo person displays this arrogance – much depends on the balance found in the rest of the chart. But the need to live a life that allows freedom of expression (Leo) will always be one of the underlying principles in these people. In doing so, it is true as this article says that every phase of life is “subject to endless re-evaluation” but the concern is not so much that something will be better right around the corner as that one’s current lifestyle does not accurately reflect the “me” that I have now become.

The Pluto in Leo generation has been called the “Me Generation,” and this is astrologically accurate since Leo bestows the gift (or the curse under Pluto’s compulsive application) of self-expression. There is indeed a Faustian price to pay for this freedom, and for Leo it is the threat of losing the respect and admiration from others that often results from Leo’s need to pursue one’s own path at the expense of others.

The New Moon in Leo occured early this morning EDT, last night PDT, beginning a new cycle of creativity and play. Leo is the fun-loving sign of the zodiac, and this New Moon marks a new cycle to offer a respite and a chance to break out of restrictions that we may have been experiencing. In a New Moon the lunar feminine principle is conjunct the solar male principle, the yin and yang are joined and the positive and negative find a way to unite their expression. In the “lunation cycle”, the cycle of the moon phases from new moon to full and back again, the New Moon and the first quarter (seven days after the New Moon) represents a period of action and initiation. In Leo, as we saw in this recent post about the Sun in Leo, there is a tendency towards dramatic and expansive events that stroke the ego.

The Leo New Moon is a good time to celebrate the Self, to indulge oneself in play and pleasure. However, with Venus in Cancer with its focus on nurturing relationships and friendships highlighted now there will also be a sensitivity to the needs of others. Venus is approaching a trine to Jupiter and exactly quincunx (50 degrees) Chiron, showing an expansion (Jupiter) of compassion and desire for alliance (Venus), yet these efforts cannot reach fruition yet (quincunx to Chiron). The quincunx focuses the attention on the problem without offering a release, unlike the square (90 degree) aspect which forces a confrontation and resolution.

While we easily draw others to us now and life is generally flowing in a positive direction, we may find ourselves irritated (quincunx) by difficulties in our ability to balance taking care of others with caring for ourselves. However, the celebratory energy of this Leo New Moon will help to overcome any lingering disturbance.

Saturn is now approaching an opposition to Neptune, the next big planetary event (more soon), and the confusion that results from the tension between Neptune’s urge to dissolve form and the pressure of Saturn to crystallize and solidify is beginning to make itself known. Perhaps during this New Moon we can clarify our intentions and lay the groundwork for successfully navigating the Saturn/Neptune cycle through disciplined planning and hard work (Saturn) that includes time for retreat, meditation, connecting to spirit and recognizing the transitory nature of life (Neptune).

I’m working on what I think is a cool redesign of this blog and wanted to give you a little warning because in the next few days you’ll log on for your regular astrology fix and find a whole new look. You can preview it here, and comments are welcome (either on the test site or here).

I have just heard for the first time of a phenomenon called the “Lunar Standstill,” which evidently peaked on July 23. Although there seem to be many resources on the astronomical configuration (I refer you to Wikipedia for the technical astronomical explanations) I was not able to find much from astrologers.

One resource I found says that the Lunar Standstill occurs when the ascending note passes from Aries to Pisces, which last occurred in 1987 and which I reviewed in an earlier article. The Lunar Standstill seems to have been important to many ancient cultures; it is visible in only in northern latitudes, but there is some evidence that the Mayans aligned their temples to this event. It does make sense to me that the larger moon cycles would have a powerful effect on humans, just as the normal 28-day lunation cycle does, but what can we expect? It’s always useful to look back in history to learn what we might encounter during planetary events.

1987 marked the Iran Contra scandal in the US government, the first Palestinian intifada, hurricanes in the UK, the crash of the stock market and the so-called “Harmonic Convergence.” The previous event lunar standstill event took place in 1969, another time of great cultural change. During that year the SDS took over Harvard University, sparking protests against the war across the US, the Stonewall riots marked the beginning of the gay rights movement, the Woodstock and Altamont festivals celebrated the peak and fall of the hippie generation, and ongoing war between Egypt and Israel planted the seeds of AlQaeda, most of whose senior members are Egyptian.

Richard Nolle wrote last year,”Years when there’s an extreme maximum lunar declination tend to have extreme seismic and meteorological disturbances, and as I indicated a couple years ago, we’re in one now.” (His article is a bit steeped in fear and not for the squeamish, but his research is exceptional.) Nolle compares the current Jupiter/Saturn/Neptune cycle to a period back in 535 of an identical configuration that occurred during the lunar standstill, during which the volcano Krakatoa erupted and caused major climate and cultural changes. He fails to mention that Saturn was exactly conjunct Uranus at the time, which thank the gods is not what we have here. However, his point that since last year when the lunar standstill began (culminating in March through September of 2006 depending upon your location) we have seen a major change in climate as well as economic factors that are certain to leave lasting effects.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Jonathan Cainer with a much friendlier article. He writes, “At the peak of a Lunar Standstill, the Moon exudes a special kind of energy. Mystical places have the power to draw down and capture this, rather like aerials, picking up a radio transmission. They then amplify the signal and ‘rebroadcast’ it along the secret lines of power that connect these ancient ‘sacred sites’”. Cainer continues, “According to tradition, Lunar Standstills re-energise these ley lines, causing them to widen dramatically and to send out a much stronger signal. For a few months in the middle of this year, the entire grid will broaden out until it becomes a blanket of energy, covering every inch of the land. “

Here is is a great site with more astronomical information than you ever need to know about this phenomenon, and this article discusses the Standstill at the ancient site of Callanish and other ancient cultures.

Other significant planetary events were in play during the Lunar Standstills of 1969 and 1987, but there is no doubt that these years were major turning points in the global culture. There is no doubt that we are standing now at the precipice of change, and perhaps we will look back on 2006 as we do 1969 and 1987, and note that this was the turning point.