photo from cnn.com

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell over 416 points yesterday, a 3% drop that is said to be the worst since the day the markets opened after September 11. The drop came in reaction to a massive sell-off in Chinese equities, but this is probably a natural correction to the “irrational exuberance” fostered by last year’s passage of Jupiter through Scorpio, the sign that rules equity investments, followed by the current relentless optimism of Jupiter in Sagittarius.

I know I’m sounding like a broken record (Saturn/Neptune all the time), but Saturn is nearly exactly opposite Neptune now in the second phase of this cycle. Typically, when a planetary cycle includes multiple phases due to the phenomenon of retrogradation in which one or both of the planets appear to be moving backwards from our perspective on earth, the first phase of the cycle is like a wake-up call. We’re rustled from our sleep, wake up and say “Huh???” The second phase is often when the work really begins. We can’t go back to sleep now, we’re wide awake and having to deal with the energy of the planetary influences.

It seems to me that the market crash has more to do with the confrontation of our illusion (Neptune) and the need to face reality (Saturn) than any particular market fundamentals. In addition, Mercury being retrograde means we have to go back and correct some of the mistakes from the past.

Still, this may be a good time to pick up some stock bargains, but I would wait until after the eclipse on March 3 and Mercury’s direct turn on March 7, just to be on the safe side. Pick up your gains now, because when Pluto enters Capricorn in 2008 it may be time to take your money out of the stock market.

A battle on the internet over religion seeks to “dump religion from our culture,” says the individual who started the Blasphemy Challenge on YouTube. “We want to get rid of this supernatural belief in the same way that it would be great if we could dump astrology or phrenology and all of the other pseudosciences.”

This confrontation (Saturn) over the mysterious (Neptune) is clearly reaching a head as Saturn opposes Neptune, and the conflict is becoming very frothy indeed. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months as the cycle continues until its conclusion next summer.

(Thanks to Astrococktail for the link, even though it’s from my hometown newspaper!)

Our dear friend Elsa, tireless supporter of astrobloggers, has resuscitated the news feed under the Top Ten Sources site. Working day and night through the mists of Mercury retrograde, it is now finally up and running and my feed is finally working. You’ll find the permanent link in the links section.

Thanks again Elsa!

Mercury has been traveling through Pisces for the past few weeks, but as it retrogrades it is now moving back into Aquarius. The passing of retrograde Mercury back through a sign it has completed tends to bring back issues of that sign that are not yet complete. In Pisces Mercury is creative, there is an emotional softening and powerful empathy. Mercury in Pisces is flexible, but Mercury in Aquarius can be somewhat dogmatic.

Mercury in Aquarius is the sign of reason, and there is a return to practicality now. Any fuzzy- headed decisions made while Mercury was in Pisces, particularly while it retrograded through that sign, may have to be revised or reworked now. In Aquarius Mercury wakes up, there is an electrifying awareness that sees clearly. Creative projects inspired by Mercury in Pisces may wither in the Aquarian light of day, or they may be seen for the brilliant piece of magic that they are. Retrograde periods bring us closer to truth as errors are corrected, but we are asked to be more flexible, more adaptable, and more willing for change.

Update: Mercury is also making a sextile now to Pluto, an aspect that will be exact on the 28th but is in effect now. The harmonious combination of Mercury’s communication function with the transformative power of Pluto can add energy and depth to any projects where communication or the processing of information is involved and can add the intensity we may need in order to complete outstanding commitments. Pluto also helps us to get the most out of our daily life since Mercury governs how we process those experiences. This aspect will be in orb for another day or two.

photo from Cesar Millan’s Dog Psychology Center.

I’m a little behind on my tv viewing, and last night I watched part of a Dog Whisperer episode that I missed about Howie, the (adorable) rescue dog that lived at an animal hospital in Atlanta because he was “unadoptable.” Howie had been terribly abused before his rescue, and while his body had healed he was still terrified and growled whenever anyone new came near him. The ladies who cared for him were very protective of him and did all they could to keep him safe. He lived at the animal hospital for two years before Cesar Millan came to help Howie become adoptable.

When Cesar arrived, he found that Howie had been indoors for two years. Because of his abuse, his foster moms had been afraid to put a leash on him for fear it would bring back memories of the terrible times. They felt he had been through so much, and they just wanted to keep him safe and loved. Cesar always says that dogs live in the moment, and that if we keep living in the past and reinforcing that for them that they will never heal.

Chiron teaches us that our desire to heal others often stems from a wound within ourselves. In the highest form of this “Wounded Healer” archetype, we wait to heal others until we ourselves have been healed. Once we have walked into the fire and shadows of our own wounds and the energy held in the cellular memory has been released, we then experience the empathy to be able to help others heal. However, there is a shadow side to the Wounded Healer in which the wounds of the patient activate the wounds of a healing provider who has not yet fully healed. Jung called this phenomenon “countertransference,” and in this circumstance the patient and healer become locked in a drama from which neither can escape without outside help. This is likely what happened with Howie the rescue dog and the ladies who rescued him.

Those of us (myself included) who rescue animals or who otherwise have rescue fantasies are sensitive souls who have been wounded and who seek to heal ourselves through healing the animals we rescue. This is a Neptunian experience, since Neptune bestows boundless compassion, sensitivity, and an empathy which causes us to experience the suffering of others as if it were our own. While these are beautiful qualities, without the boundaries and discipline of Saturn we become codependent and unable to be effective in either our own healing process or the process of others. Cesar Millan’s famous refrain “rules, boundaries, and limitations” is the Saturn influence that, when combined with the Neptunian empathy, creates a truly effective healer.

I have had to learn this the hard way. With Saturn on one side of my Sun and Neptune on the other, it has taken me a lifetime to learn to balance the two. For years I tried to rescue myself by rescuing others, and finally realized that until the work on myself was closer to completion I would never be able to help anyone else. In the story of Howie, his rescuers were so overcome with grief and compassion at the plight from which he was rescued, they were unable to perform the simplest act that would complete the healing process: put a leash around his neck and take him for a walk. It was evident that Cesar felt compassion for Howie when he gently encouraged Howie to take his first steps outside. But the boundaries that he maintained in not falling into the pool of Howie’s pain helped him to truly heal this dog.

In the same way, those of us with strong Neptunian influences (planets aspecting Neptune or in Pisces and the twelfth house which are ruled by Neptune) need to cultivate the influence of Saturn in order to function effectively in the world. Cesar Millan’s pragmatic approach to dog psychology teaches dog owners this balance, but his lessons are valuable for anyone who lives on Planet Earth.

I’ll be adding my point of view on the upcoming March eclipse series as we get closer to the event, but meanwhile Jeffrey has written a great article on the subject:

Anticipation of eclipses tends to bring out a “sky is falling” mentality in many people, especially if the eclipse closely conjuncts the Sun in one’s natal chart. There are some doom-and-gloom websites out there — which I find irresponsible, but I also understand that the nature of consciousness has changed since old times. Astrology seems less deterministic than when a royal astrologer could predict accurately that a king would die from a head wound by a spear [although I frankly doubt that astrologers could ever make this kind of prediction - I believe most of the stories about exact predictions to be legends rather than history].

Eclipses are powerful events, indeed. Their impact lasts longer than your typical lunation, as the Sun and Moon are conjunct the Lunar Nodes. The Nodes relate to our spiritual progress, our karmic past, our fated connections with people.

::Bernadette Brady quotes snipped::

Thus, the best advice for someone who will be directly impacted by an eclipse — meaning that the Moon makes a conjunction or hard aspect to a major point in one’s chart — is to be open to whatever major overhaul your psyche requires. To fight against this energy is to court a destructive earthquake. Change will happen regardless — whether it is smooth or turbulent is, at least to some extent, under your control. Not completely under your control, because there are cosmic forces at work, gods who have their own plans for us. The best use of astrology is to understand our charts and these forces so that we can be prepared for the changes to come. This preparation requires both work and receptivity to change. The work can range from spiritual practices (meditation, yoga, shamanism) to psychotherapy and somatic practices (dance, movement) to writing in a journal or talking to a friend. Insight is not enough. One can theoretically understand that one’s intimate partnerships need illumination, but the reality of this experience often includes the opening of closets, skeletons and all; the end of relationships; the jarring introduction of new elements into one’s life. Are you open enough to accept all that the Universe wants to offer you?

Hillary Clinton’s campaign is sniping at former supporters who are flirting with the idea of supporting Barack Obama. Says Arianna Huffington at a campaign event for Obama this week, “It’s like being married, and suddenly you fall in love. You’re a good person, and a loyal person … you have a history with the Clintons,” she said. “And you feel like you’re cheating.”

Last week her popularity took a hit when she refused to apologize for voting to give the President war powers in 2002. Her campaign staff railed against John Edwards when he suggested that she, like he should apologize for their error, calling Edwards’ tactic a betrayal of other Democrats. Yet this week when David Geffen made comments about Bill Clinton in a column by Maureen Dowd, the Clinton campaign brought out all of their guns to retaliate, demanding that Obama return Geffen’s large donation.

None of this is making Hillary look very good, and it comes as Saturn is returning to its place in her birthchart and transiting Chiron (the wounded healer) is making a square to her natal Chiron, as referenced in this earlier article. These are both highly personal transits that evoke emotional reactions, making this a difficult time for Hillary to be conducting a highly public campaign. Her relationships are being challenged right now (with Venus conjunct Chiron in her natal chart, Venus is also affected by the Chiron transit). In April, transiting Chiron will oppose Pluto in her chart, exposing the cracks (Chiron) in the armor of her power (Pluto). These challenging planetary cycles can be times of great strength and personal development, but they can also break down our defenses making this a difficult time to be in the public eye.