Monthly Archives: February 2011

More friendship advice from Saturn in Libra

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If you live in North Carolina you can visit me this weekend at the Body Mind Spirit Expo in Raleigh at the fairgrounds (Kerr Scott Building).  We have lots of beautiful rocks and crystals for sale, and I’ll be doing readings and mini readings.

Meanwhile, in other Saturn-related relationship news, researchers in Edinburgh studied 200 students to determine their feelings about Facebook friends.  At least 12% of them were anxious about their Facebook obligations, and that 12% had an average of 117 “friends.”  The remaining 88% had an average of 75 “friends.”  (This is rather astonishing, because I know high school kids who have over 900 Facebook friends.)

You can read more here, but this was interesting to me because I had just received a Realtor magazine with a cover story titled “Overfriended,” in which the writer revealed that he had spent the past year unfriending people on Facebook.  This author cites a study about a “Dunbar’s number” that limits the number of stable relationships a person can have to 150.

I too decided last year to pare down my Facebook friends to a more manageable number of people that I actually know.  To me the beauty of Facebook is keeping up with the people that you know but don’t get to see very often.  My oldest friend who lives in another state and who I only talk to once a year on our birthdays.  People that I have met online and want to know more about.  Astrology clients who want to share more of their lives with me.  Frequent commenters on my blog who always have interesting things to say.

Like everyone else, I was rather thrilled when my Facebook friend number kept rising, but when it reached around 900 I started to feel overwhelmed.  I had no idea who half of those people were, and I didn’t really care what they ate for breakfast.  And then there are the people that troll other people’s friends list and friend everyone on THEIR list to build up their own friends list.  So I started sending (I hope) nice little notes to people if I had no idea who they were.  Now my Facebook list is much more manageable and I can actually keep up with the people that I care about.

Saturn is all about creating limits in life and establishing meaningful boundaries so that we can be more effective.  What are YOU doing to manage your Facebook world?

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Uranus/Pluto and the power behind the revolution

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As you may know, the revolutionary fever spreading through the middle east is not isolated to the Arab world.  In Wisconsin, protests against anti-union measures by the governor there have mobilized tens of thousands of government employees and students since February 15th.

These protests are just the beginning of what will become a firestorm of political resistance over the next year as Uranus, planet of revolution, squares off against Pluto, planet of power and control.  They were inspired by the return of Jupiter into Aries and the simultaneously square of Jupiter to Pluto in Capricorn, which mainlined confidence (Jupiter) and courage (Aries) into the souls of individuals who were fed up with the control (Pluto) of autocratic governments (Capricorn).

The face-off between Jupiter and Pluto is just above over now, but when Uranus enters Aries in a few weeks it will take Jupiter’s place in the battle against autocracy, and Uranus is a much stronger player in this game.  Uranus is at the 29th degree of Pisces now, so its influence is already filtering through.

Astrology gives us a window into the real meaning of personal and world events.  It cannot predict specific events, because (in the opinion of this astrologer) events are not predestined.  We make choices as individuals, as communities, as nations, that can alter the course of history.  But astrology does provide us with a climate report that alerts us to the energies with which we will be dealing over the next few years, and they are not pretty.

Political analysts can see the handwriting on the wall, even though they don’t understand the energetic dynamic that underlie the events.  One analyst writes that the protests in Wisconsin were inspired by the revolt in the Arab world.  There is some truth to this, because a small fire in a forest can ignite a very big flame, but the conditions must be right for the flame to ignite, and this is what is happening here.

The protests in Wisconsin arose after Republican governor Scott Walker proposed a bill that would remove most collective bargaining rights for state workers.  Astrologically, social justice and equality are the province of Uranus, and Uranus moving into Aries will be more aggressive in demanding individual rights as well as the right to collectively seek these rights.  Pluto’s trip through Capricorn, which began in 2008 and preciptated the economic (Capricorn) crisis (Pluto), is also having the effect of consolidating power (Pluto) in corporations and government entities (Capricorn).  You can see how the goals of Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn are at odds with each other, and where this will lead to trouble.

An article in the New York Times (thanks Jill for the link)  reports that one of the groups encouraging Governor Walker to shut down the unions is the conservative lobbying group Americans for Prosperity, a nonprofit group that was created and largely financed by the Koch brothers, the billionaire brothers who own Koch Industries, an energy conglomerate.  The Koch brothers have become a major player in the American political field, with secret (Pluto) tentacles of support behind a wide variety of tea party and other grassroots organizations that appear to be fighting for liberty and freedom (Uranus) for all Americans.  These are buzzwords that appeal to the American pursuit of happiness and all that, but are actually geared towards consolidating power (Pluto) and money (Capricorn) into the hands of a monied few.

Using these effective buzzwords, Americans allow themselves to be convinced to vote against their economic self interest over and over again. The consolidation of money and the power that comes with it is expected under Pluto in Capricorn, but Pluto can destroy as well as consolidate.  The square from Uranus which will be affecting us over the next three years has the potential to wake up she sheeple to fight (Aries) for their individual rights (Uranus).  But as with everything else in life, we have the choice to wake up when the alarm sounds, or to remain asleep. (Click the link below to view the entire image.)

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Saturn Rx in Libra: Facebook relationship news

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facebook astrology

In Libra, Saturn likes to codify relationships.  Saturn after all is the planet of structure and form, and Libra is the sign of relationships and connections. Saturn turned retrograde a few weeks ago, so it is now appearing to move backwards from our point of view here on Planet Earth, turning our attention back to areas of life that need tweaking and realignment so that they can be most effective.

So it’s not surprising that Facebook took this opportunity to adjust its definition of relationships, adding  ”civil unions” to the list of relationship status options.

And for those seeking relationships, a new app makes it easier to pounce on the newly single.  Meet the Breakup Notifier, your new friend in the dating world, which will tell you when your chosen crush breaks up with their significant other.

Wherever Saturn travels, he demands that we face the reality of the world in which we live, and in the sign of Libra he creates challenges for relationships, but also urges commitment and defined alliances.  It’s comforting to know that Facebook is our ally on the path to relationship success!

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Uranus in Pisces and “Ubiquitous Computing”

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Ubiquitous computingI read an article the other day that mentioned  ”ubiquitous computing” which resonates so clearly of the mutual reception between Uranus in Pisces and Neptune in Aquarius that I had to do a little more research.  We call this “mutual reception” because both Uranus and Neptune are in the signs that is ruled by the other – Uranus in Pisces, ruled by Neptune, and Neptune in Aquarius, ruled by Uranus.  Mutual reception intensifies the strength of the astrological influence, which in this case combines the blurring of the boundaries that Neptune/Pisces inspires with the technological detachment of Uranus/Aquarius. (See these links for other articles on the subject.)

Neptune entered Aquarius in 1998, and Uranus entered Pisces in 2002.  Both planets change signs this year, but there’s no disputing the fact that the mutual reception between these two planets have created the sense that computing and living with electronic screens is absolutely ubiquitous.

Although the actual expression “ubiquitous computing” was first coined in 1988, we could argue that the idea became a reality with the release of the Iphone.  In an interesting astrological timing, Steve Jobs announced in 2003, with Uranus having just entered Pisces, that cellphones would become important instruments for computer access, and subsequently announced the Iphone launch in 2007.

The notion of “ubiquitous computing” has become a field of study in itself,  Financial giant Citi’s representative said, ”Ubiquitous computing is about embedding computing into our daily lives, it is social, cross platform, cross device, cross OS by default. Today, email is ubiquitous and social graph-based apps are also ubiquitous. “ According to Wikipedia 27 countries currently host research centers in the field.

Now that Uranus is moving into Aries and Neptune into Pisces, it will be interesting to see what the field of computing will bring us.  Warfare (Aries) through technology (Uranus), certainly, but I suspect we are on a New Frontier (Aries) as well.  Neptune moving into Pisces will offer its own challenges, which we will be discussing this week here at Astrological Musings.

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The Leo Full Moon on the star Regulus, February 18

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Full Moon Leo RegulusThe Full Moon that occurred early this morning occured at the 29th degree of the sign of Leo.  The 29th degree, sometimes called the “critical” or “anaretic” degree, is associated with the endings of cycles and new beginnings.  The word “anaretic” derives from “anareta,” which in medieval astrology signified the planet of death in the natal horoscope.  This is likely what has given the 29th degree such a bad rap in traditional astrology, although endings are actually the harbinger of new beginnings and not to be feared.

In any case, the fixed star Regulus is at the 29th degree of Leo, so this Full Moon is in an exact conjunction.  Regulus is one of the four Royal Stars of ancient Persia and called the “Lion’s Heart,” which is perfect for its placement in the sign of Leo, but will be less perfect when Regulus moves into Virgo this year.

At any rate, this Full Moon includes an alignment of three planet in Aquarius: the Sun, Mars and Neptune.  This is a rather challenging combination that can confuse (Neptune) the direction of our motivation and drive (Mars), especially since the Moon in the Full Moon chart is in opposition to these planets and takes us more deeply into our emotions.  We just have to ride the wave rather than try to control it.  Something is ending now, and we are the witnesses.

The Full Moon is accompanied by the challenging square between Jupiter and Pluto that I mentioned in yesterday’s post about the Day of Rage in the middle east.  The battle for supremacy that is driven by the face-off between Jupiter and Pluto combined with the Full Moon  and Regulus suggests the ending of a regime and the destruction of an era.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Libya and Bahrain which seem to be the most intensive battlegrounds at the moment.  We have more control over how we allow this energy to unfold in our own lives.  The Leo Full Moon is a time to celebrate the Self and allow our own inner divinity to shine and to be recognized, without falling over into the realm of ego-driven self-absorption.

The effect of the Full Moon will linger for two or three days and provide us with an opportunity to find that nobility and strength in our own hearts and allow it to infuse us with grace and power in the absence of ego and greed.

For daily planetary news, visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

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“Day of Rage” across the middle east

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astrology of protestsAs I wrote a few weeks ago, Jupiter re-entering Aries in January set off a firestorm of anger across the middle east and north Africa.  At the time I wrote:

I can’t help but think this is a good thing, even though like all difficult planetary cycles it won’t be comfortable and is certain to be accompanied by bloodshed.  But balance must be achieved, and it’s the job of Uranus (and Jupiter, to a lesser extent) to emancipate the oppressed and when in a square to Pluto in Capricorn, to destroy (Pluto)  the old structures (Capricorn) that are already rotted and decayed.

Uranus enters Aries in the later part of March, but Jupiter will move ever close to a square to Pluto that culminates in mid-February.  Jupiter brings confidence and demands to be heard – Jupiter after all was the King of all of the gods on Mt. Olympus.  Jupiter refuses to take a back seat to the Lord of the Underworld, no matter how much destruction will ensue.

Today Jupiter is two degrees away from that challenging square to Pluto, and sure enough, unrest is spreading like wildfire as protesters take to the streets all over the world.

  • In Libya, protesters have encountered resistance against their “Day of Rage” against the Qaddafi regime which has left at least four dead.
  • In Iraq, blood has flowed in anti-government protests in southern Iraq and in Kurdistan.
  • In Yemen, protests continued for a seventh day and become more violent.
  • At least three protesters in Bahrain have been killed and at least 60 are missing in anti-discrimination demonstrations there.

This fever is likely to continue as long as Jupiter (in fiery Aries) is in a challenging square to Pluto in Capricorn, representing the power (Pluto) of government, (Capricorn), an aspect that won’t culminate until February 24th.  At that point Mars will have moved into Pisces and tempers will cool for a few weeks, giving us a respite before Uranus enters Aries.

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Indian Court rules that astrology is a science

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vedic astrologyHere’s why I love India:

The judgment will be met with relief in India, where engagements are decided, wedding and election dates are chosen on the basis of detailed charts drawn up by revered astrologers. A day deemed “auspicious” by an astrologer can lead to thousands of weddings and traffic gridlock.
For years it has been dismissed by the world’s scientists, but according to the Bombay High Court astrologers are officially their colleagues.
The ruling was made in a case brought by a campaign group, Janhit Manch, which sought a ruling against practitioners of “tantric” black magic and “fake” astrologers. Their “work” should be prohibited by India’s Drugs and Megical Remedies Act (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 which bans false claims in advertisements.
The judges rejected the application, however, relying on an affidavit by Dr R Ramakrishna, a government deputy drug controller, who said: “The Act does not cover astrology and related sciences. Astrology is a trusted science and is being practised for over 4000 years.”
This article goes on to deride astrology because of the failure of one astrologer to make accurate predictions.  Just because astrology is a science, doesn’t mean that it can predict the future any more than other scientific fields can.
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Controversy abounds over new planet Tyche

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From Space.com:

A duo of planetary astronomers has grabbed media attention by claiming a planet four times the size of Jupiter may be lurking in the outer solar system. They call the planet Tyche.

Many astronomers, however, say it probably isn’t there.

The claim by John Matese and Daniel Whitmire of the University of Lousiana-Lafayette is not new: They have been making a case for Tyche since 1999, suggesting that the giant planet’s presence in a far-flung region of solar system called the Oort cloud would explain the unusual orbital paths of some comets that originate there.

The Independent is more optimistic:

The hunt is on for a gas giant up to four times the mass of Jupiter thought to be lurking in the outer Oort Cloud, the most remote region of the solar system. The orbit of Tyche (pronounced ty-kee), would be 15,000 times farther from the Sun than the Earth’s, and 375 times farther than Pluto’s, which is why it hasn’t been seen so far.

But scientists now believe the proof of its existence has already been gathered by a Nasa space telescope, Wise, and is just waiting to be analysed.

If the International Astonomers Union does decide that there is a new planet, it may not get to keep the name Tyche.  You may remember the new planet Eris was originally called Xena by its discoverer, Mike Brown, and the planet Uranus was originally called Herschel after its discoverer.  The name Tyche could be wishful thinking – she was a goddess of good fortune and seen to preside over world affairs.

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A Valentine’s Day astrology forecast for my readers

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Valentines day astrologyToday has the potential to be filled with passion and love with Venus still within range of a conjunction to Pluto.  Venus rules our relationships with others and the way that we connect with each other, and Venus is in the exceedingly practical sign of Capricorn right now.   In Capricorn, Venus has the discipline to remember to send flowers, and to organize a beautiful date for the loved one.

Pluto is the planet of intensity and depth, and in combination with Pluto there is often an overwhelming desire to connect more deeply than ever before.  There is a great deal of all kinds of passion floating about, so if there is anger between you and your loved one it is likely to find an outlet under this influence.  This is particularly true because Venus is approaching a challenging aspect to Saturn, the planet of tests and delays.

There will be a lot of romance in the air anyway, though, because the Moon is approaching a conjunction to Neptune that heightens our ability to love and to see the best in those around us.  Neptune is creative and artistic, and inspires us with a sense of longing for a divine connection.  Under this influence we can find the spiritual partnership that underlies the day to day reality of marriage or living together.  Because four planets are in Aquarius now, we also have a greater ability to create interesting new ways to spend Valentine’s Day.

This Aquarian influence offers a positive effect to those of us without partners for whom Valentine’s Day is often an isolating experience.  Aquarius celebrates the individual and the community, and enhances our experience that no matter what our relationship status we are really autonomous beings.

The Moon has just moved into Cancer, the sign of the family and of nurturing those we love.  The Moon will oppose Pluto this morning (EST) and later today it will oppose Venus.  This sets up an astrological environment where we will be predisposed to feel that our own emotional needs (the Moon) are not being met by our loved ones (Venus/Pluto) and we may also feel a bit lonely and isolated (Saturn).  If this occurs, remember it’s the planetary weather and not necessarily your Valentinee!

However you spend Valentine’s Day, I hope you will all be MY valentine as I cherish you all beyond measure.

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The astrology of Mubarak’s resignation

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Tem Tarriktar of The Mountain Astrologer posted a chart of the resignation on Facebook yesterday which you can read here with all of the associated comments.  A link to the actual announcement on Egyptian TV was posted which includes a time stamp of 6:02 pm Cairo time so that is the chart that I have used.  Another commenter reports that Al Jazeera’s live blog of the events in Egypt reveals that Mubarak actually turned over the reins to the vice-president Thursday night, but I am using the formal announcement to the public as the time for this chart.

?astrology of Mubarak resignationAny event is a snapshot of a moment in time, and the astrological chart for that moment sets the tone for how that event will unfold.  This is called “mundane” astrology.  There are some extremely interesting things about this chart.  First of all, the Moon is angular at the Midheaven, suggesting that the people (represented by the Moon) have taken over the government.  There is a lot of talk right now about this being a military coup, and we see this represented by a tight conjunction of the Sun (the leadership of the country) to Mars (the military).

Neptune is angular on the descendant, the cusp of the seventh house.  Since Neptune is associated with mass hysteria and deception as well as ideals and the descendant involves relations with other nations, but also alliances that are forged within the country itself.  In this fever for revolution, no one really knows who their allies are and we are likely to see this become a big issue in the weeks to come.

This difficulty in creating strong alliances (Neptune) that will support the people (the Moon) is reflected in the challenging square from Neptune to the Moon in the chart, and both planets are angular so they are particularly powerful.  The fever of revolution has occurred, but then the question “who is  in charge” will not be easily answered.  We see this theme repeated in the conjunction of Venus to Pluto which does not bode well for existing alliances and suggests a great deal of mistrust, both internally within Egypt and looking to traditional allies of the country.

Mubarak had stated repeatedly that he would not resign, but his resignation occurred while transiting Mars (action) opposed Pluto (endings and transformation) in the Egypt chart, stirring up a wave of resentment and rage that could not be denied, as Mars/Pluto contacts often do.  We also see transiting Saturn enforcing the law in a square to the progressed Midheaven (government) in the Egypt chart, reminding Mubarak that the handwriting was on the wall and there was no more room for illusion.

Update: Jamie Funk added these comments which are extremely useful to the conversation:

Moon and MC both on fixed star Algol, the leader lost his head, symbolically. You also mentioned to importance of Sun conjunct Mars and the military involvement. This conjunction was opposite Pluto in the chart for Egypt as you mentioned, and there was more Mars involvement in the chart. Jupiter was square the Egypt Mars, and the AntiVertex in the resignation chart was conjunct the Egypt Mars. I think the country still has a difficult road ahead, Uranus will be square that Mars through this year.

Then I asked Jamie to comment on the fact that Regulus is rising in the resignation chart. Regulus rising. This star is a military star, Mars-Jupiter in nature. It’s fast acting, bold, courageous and associated with military men and coups. The Full Moon next week is on Regulus, and we had the New Moon last week on Mars. The fixed stars really do shine in charts of rulers and nations. That what astrologer wrote for, the interpretation work so well in this area. Egypt is an ancient nation, and Mubarak was a Pharaoh.

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