Monthly Archives: November 2009

Top Planetary Events of the Week: Nov. 23-29

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This is written for Eastern time zone, please adjust for your own locality.

  • Moon begins the week in Aquarius – emotional detachment prevails.
  • Lots of Venus this week!  Venus in Scorpio squares Jupiter on the 23rd creating a fertile climate for social events; however, there is a possibility of broken dates (Jupiter) and demand for retribution (Scorpio Venus).
  • Moon moves into Pisces on the 24th at 11:07 am bringing dreamlike wonder and mystery.
  • The Sun forms a harmonious sextile to Saturn on the morning of the 24th.  Focus and acuity are the gifts today!
  • Venus squares Chiron all day, peaking near midnight – watch for hurt feelings and the necessity to go deep where others are concerned.
  • Venus trines Uranus on the 25th – break out of your routine and look for the unexpected.
  • On the 26th (Thanksgiving in the US) Mercury trines Mars, limiting the number of arguments that are likely when families get together.
  • On the other hand, a square from Venus to Neptune suggests that unrealistic expectations may create some problems.
  • Moon enters Aries late on the 26th, and for a few days it’s all about ME and that’s a good thing.
  • Moon enters Taurus early on the 29th, bringing with it a need for luxury and delicious foods.
  • Mercury is sextile Chiron on the 29th culminating late in the evening bringing greater wisdom to our emotional world.
You can sign up for Lynn’s Skywatch: Planetary Illuminations, a monthly report of planetary activity from an astrological point of view, on my website.
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Astrological Musings Radios: Sunday 11am EST

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This Sunday the Sun will have just entered the sign of Sagittarius, the sign of opportunity and adventure.  We’ll be discussing the meaning of Sagittarius and how to keep an optimistic viewpoint without stepping over the edge into denial, and where positive thinking and reality can join in transformation.

I’m glad the new time is working out so that more of you can listen live and call in to the show, but we have all been frustrated at how quickly we run out of time.  So I’ve extended the show to 90 minutes to allow more time for your calls.  I can’t promise I’ll get to everyone, and I may have to go back to 60 minutes some weeks.  The call-in number is 646-478-5731.

Here’s the link to learn how to listen live or to the archives.  You can also download the show and subscribe via Itunes.  Please consider leaving a review for the show on Itunes!
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Jupiter and the God Gene

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I’m a little behind on my newspaper reading so I just read the article by Nicholas Wade in the Times last weekend titled The Evolution of the God Gene.  The concept of the “god gene” suggests that the desire to believe in a higher power is wired into the genetic makeup of human beings.
Mr. Wade reports that in the Oaxaca Valley in Mexico archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a transition in religious experience from a simple dance floor for communal religious dances in 7000 b.c.e, through ancestor-cult shrines from 1500 b.c.e, to astronomically sophisticated temples beginning in 30 c.e.  Mr. Wade makes the point that religion is found in virtually every society at every stage of development and says that religion has been “wired into our neural circuitry.”
Religion is the belief system that we develop to give our life meaning, and as such it is represented astrologically by the planet Jupiter.  In the chart of an individual, Jupiter’s placement shows the way that we construct our reality and what we believe in.  It shows where we find meaning in life, and the kind of experiences that give us what we would call a “religious” experience.
Religion occurs when multiple individuals share the same belief system and that belief system is formalized.  As Mr. Wade says, religion binds “people together, committing them to put their community’s needs ahead of their own self-interest.”  Religion is about community  rather than individual experience, but the urge to devise a theology that gives our life meaning is a universal urge that is symbolized astrologically by Jupiter.
Early discussion of the “god gene” related more to a direct experience of the divine or other mystical experiences, which has more to do with Neptune.  Jupiter relates to the beliefs that we create around our experiences, and the way that we share those beliefs with others.
Mr. Wade’s article divides people into atheists and believers, but there he misses the point.  Everyone believes in something, and if you ask an atheist what he believes in, he will likely say “the power of nature,” or “humanity,” or “the power of discrimination.”  They may not share a belief in what one group or another calls “God,” but there is a belief system or a set of values that underpins everything they do.
Jupiter extends the personal belief system into a desire to share that belief system with others.  In an astrological chart with a stressful aspect from Jupiter to, say, Pluto, the individual will have a tendency to want to convince others of the correctness of their belief system.  Jupiter in a harmonious trine to innovative Uranus will have a more open mind, and Jupiter in a challenging square to Uranus will rebel against any organized religion.
Jupiter of course was King of the gods in the Roman pantheon, so it is only fitting that he embody what we are now calling “the god gene.”  I’m sure he would be very pleased.
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Swine Flu: What’s The Fuss?

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Evidently I’m not the only one asking this question.  If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’ve been very skeptical of the hysteria surrounding the swine flu which arrived just as Chiron and Neptune were aligning in conjunction.  Chiron rules over matters of health and healing, and Neptune’s domain is mysteries and vaccinations so the rush to find a vaccination for the swine flu was to be expected.  The addition of Jupiter to the mix in the spring resulted in an overblown (Jupiter) fear of this unknown (Neptune) new threat to our health (Chiron).
As I wrote in this earlier post, it’s easy to be suspicious when billions of dollars can be made from a pandemic and now that the spread of the swine flu has proven to be significantly less extensive than first feared, the skepticism is spreading faster than the flu.
Jupiter and Chiron conjoin for the final time in February of 2010 at the height of flu season.  After that time this whole issue will have subsided.
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Computer Glitch Grounds All FAA Flights

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I found it interesting that this occurred right after Mercury (communication) squared the progressed Sun in the US chart at 1:53 am.  The computer glitch occurred between 5:15 am and 5:30 am, and by 9 am flights were being canceled just as the Moon was moving out of Sagittarius (air flight) to Capricorn (grounded on the earth).  Once the Moon moved into Capricorn at 10 am it was conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (transformation) and squared by Saturn (restriction, challenge).
Probably just a coincidence, but interesting nonetheless!!
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Johnny Deep is the Sexiest Man Alive!

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You’ll get no argument from my 82-year old mother on this subject!  People Magazine today named Johnny Depp the sexiest man alive, a title he first won back in 2003.  I first profiled Depp in 2006:

After many years of resisting commercial exploitation, Johnny Depp has become a major bankable star with the release of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Beginning with his breakout role in Twenty-One Jump Street, Johnny Depp has fought the Hollywood machine even though it meant foregoing roles that would bring him great commercial success. Instead he focused on smaller character roles where he could practice the art of acting, aligning himself with quirky geniuses such as Tim Burton and John Waters. After a lifetime of what he calls “hillbilly rage,” he has mellowed into a mature actor with a grown-up life that includes family life with his children and long-term partner Vanessa Paradis.

Depp’s astrological chart shows that he was born with the Sun in Gemini. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, and is the sign of the trickster, the prankster, the messenger. Typically very communicative and verbal, Geminis (or those born with Mercury prominent in their chart) can be mercurial and adept at mimicry, able to slip in and out of roles easily. Leo, the sign of rulership, is rising in his chart, showing someone with a natural confidence and desire to be recognized and appreciated.

Uranus, the planet of individuality and rebellion, conjuncts Mars (the aggressive instinct) in Depp’s first house of identity and personality, a strong combination that tends to show reckless and rebellious behavior. Uranus in the first house often shows someone who is perceived as being “odd” or “strange,” and this is certainly true of Johnny Depp. He seems most comfortable playing characters whose weirdness protects them from hurt and emotional pain (remember Edward Scissorhands?).

Johnny Depp showed the Uranus/Mars combination from an early age; he was a rebel in his teens, suffering self-mutilation as a child and scrapes with the law and drug abuse by the age of fourteen. As a young actor he was well known for bad behavior resulting from a lack of respect for the studio process and the desire of Hollywood to turn him into a commodity. As an adult, he has cut his own road to success in films.

Johnny Depp has a Capricorn moon, identifying him as a serious individual who craves material security as well as emotional nurturing. Some interviewers have been surprised at Depp’s desire to continue the “Pirates” series, believing that he dislikes material success, but he has stated clearly that this is NOT the case. What he dislikes is having to be something other than who he is in order to be successful. He clearly enjoys the fruits of fame, with homes in L.A. and in the South of France, and his own island in the Caribbean. This Capricorn Moon is primarily focused on business and outcome, while the rest of his personality craves an outlet for his tremendous creativity. This combination can sometimes lead to internal stress between the artist and the businessman and we have certainly seen that in Johnny Depp.

Depp beat out some serious competition for the prize, but People says that they awarded the honor to Depp for always “bringing the fun with him.”  Jupiter has been making a trine to Depp’s Sun this year, bringing good luck and good fortune his way, a trend that is likely to continue in 2010 as Jupiter continues to bless the Sun in his progressed chart as well.

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Mr. Obama Goes to China

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Much has been said about the fact that President Obama has not pressed China on human rights during this trip, and that China has not released any dissidents as they have in the past during previous visits from US Presidents.  Human rights advocates, of which I like to think I am one, are calling for the US to take a stronger role in applying pressure on China to improve its human rights record, to free Tibet, to buy more American goods, to expand democracy within its borders.
The problem is, the US has lost its power where China is concerned and Obama is well aware of the lack of leverage he has to assert the usual demands.  China has very quietly over the past few years been buying up the US debt in the form of treasury securities, and currently owns nearly a quarter of the US debt.  That is more than any other nation.
In 1988, foreign interests owned only 13% of the debt; by 2007 that figure had climbed to 25%.  At that time, Japan topped the list of foreign holders of US debt with $644 billion compared to China’s $350 billion.  China now leads the way with $800 billion which generates about $50 billion a year in interest for that nation.
The US has clearly lost its bargaining chips in the face of these facts.  If China loses interest in its investment in US bonds and tries to dump its holdings, it could collapse our economy.  Such a move would also mean a collapse in China’s investment, which is a no-win for everyone.  But there’s no doubt that the balance of power has shifted as the ownership of the United States has moved to the East.
The current cycle involving Saturn (challenge and limitation) and Pluto (endings and transformation) is tightly aspecting the Midheaven in the chart of the United States.  The Midheaven in a national chart describes its government and its standing in the world, as well as the President of the country.  Pluto began to square the Midheaven back in 2008 as the nation floundered under economic pressures, and Saturn is crossing the Midheaven right now as Obama attempts to bring the American message of democracy, human rights and spending to the Chinese.
I think we will look back on this period over the next few months as Saturn moves back and forth over the US Midheaven, and realize that this was the time that global power shifted to the East.  I wrote about this last month when George Soros indicated that China needed to be included in any global discussions.
China is certainly behaving as if they understand that the balance of power has shifted.  Hopefully the folks that run things in Washington will wake up to that before it’s too late.
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Scorpio New Moon Today!

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New Moons mark the beginning of the lunar cycle, and they bring a fresh new energy to begin anew. The Scorpio New Moon brings us squarely into contact with the rawness of our feelings and emotions. Here we are naked; unadorned, unprotected – seeking the Truth that comes from total and brutal honesty. With four planets in Scorpio, this is an opportunity to break through fears and bashful hesitation, and embrace the power of your passions.
This New Moon (the conjunction of the Sun and Moon) forms a challenging square to the Triple Conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune which suggests that this lunar event will embrace the deep soul work that the Triple Conjunction has been inspiring since February of 2009. Our deepest emotions and painful memories are easy to access now and can be transmuted in the fire of conscious awareness and intention.
The New Moon also makes a harmonious trine to Uranus, the planet that connects us with multidimensional consciousness. At this time we have the potential to use the alchemical process of emotional transmutation in order to elevate our awareness to a higher dimension of wisdom. Saturn is still in a very tight square to Pluto as well, so there is a sense that growth will be forced rather than strictly voluntary. Any time Pluto is involved there is a need for surrender and a deep faith that we are being guided in the unfolding process. We cannot always see the path, but when we look back we almost always can see the perfection.
As if that weren’t enough drama, today’s Scorpio New Moon is harmoniously entwined with the lunar nodes, the points that describe our evolutionary direction.  This signifies that an important shift occurs with this New Moon, changes in our personal life and on the planet which will refocus our attention and bring us into greater harmony with our unfolding destiny.
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