Monthly Archives: February 2009

The Moon/Venus Dance

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The Moon conjuncts Venus nearly every month, but NASA reports that this encounter is somewhat unique:

(1) Venus is at maximum brightness: magnitude -4.6. The planet is twenty times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It is so luminous that it can actually shine through thin clouds and cast subtle shadows on the ground.

(2) As seen from North America, the Moon-Venus separation is only a little more than 1o. Stick up your thumb and hold it out at arm’s length. Venus and the Moon will fit comfortably behind the thumb-tip. Tight conjunctions like this are the most beautiful of all.

(3) Not only is the Moon a crescent, but so is Venus. A small telescope pointed at the glittering planet will reveal a slender 20%-illuminated disk.

The article goes on to explain why Venus is brightest when it’s in the crescent phase.  Because astrology views the planets from our perspective on Earth, I would argue that unlike the Moon, whose effect on humans is stronger when in the Full phase when it is opposite the Sun, Venus has a stronger effect when it is brightest.

Venus and the Moon both represent the Divine Feminine in astrological symbolism: Venus is the goddess of love and beauty; the bringer of artistic talents and a love of comfort and luxury.  The Moon is both the divine nurturing force and the inner child, requiring safety, security, and the expression of our deepest feelings.  When the Moon and Venus combine, our emotions and our sensibilities merge in a fountain of creativity and love for those around us.

Venus is particularly strong right now because it is slowing down in preparation for its retrograde turn next week.  We’ll be talking more about that over the next few days!

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Astrology and Islam don’t get along (now)

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…according to this article in the Saudi Gazette (thanks Elsa):

Belief in astrology and the casting of horoscopes are in clear opposition to the letter and spirit of Islam. It is really the empty soul, which has not tasted real Iman (belief) that seeks out these paths. Essentially these paths, represent a vain attempt to escape Qadr (predistination). The ignorant believe that if they know what is in store for them tomorrow, they can prepare for them today. In that way, they may avoid the bad and ensure the good. Yet, Allah’s messenger was told by Allah to say: ” I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah wills.”

Now I have no desire to bash someone else’s religion, and all scriptures are subject to interpretation.  We know that in the 8th and 9th centuries when sacred knowledge was stifled in the West by the Catholic Church it was the Arabic astrologers who rescued the sacred arts, translating the ancient Greek works into Arabic, and their wisdom,such as the Arabic Parts (including the widely used Part of Fortune), is taught to this very day ..

Astrology is banned by the major religions that seek to put power over individuals into the hands of a priestly class.  As we know, astrology has the potential to help us to recognize personality traits and inner conflicts which limit us and keep us from serving the Divinity of our choice in a fully conscious and present way, not to mention living a life of joy and fulfillment.

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The Astrological State of the Union

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President Obama gave what was effectively his first State of the Union address last night when he addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time.  The timing of the address is significant because planets in the astrological chart for the United States were being activated by the New Moon which occurred at 8:35 pm, shortly after President Obama began his address.

The New Moon occurs when the Sun and Moon conjunct in the sky.  There is a fusion of the conscious mind (Sun) and the subconscious instincts (Moon), and New Moons are therefore said to be good times for new beginnings.

Countries have birthcharts just like people do, and we call the study of places and events “mundane” astrology, after the Latin word “mundo” which means “world.”  The astrological chart for the United States (astrologers, I use the Sibley chart for reasons discussed here) contains a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter (the two benefics, or fortunate planets) to the Sun (the Spirit of the country) in the seventh house of partnership which signifies a strong sense of optimism and desire to form positive alliances.  This combination of beneficial influences, combined with an expansive and optimistic Sagittarius ascendant, bestows the idealism for which the United States is known.

However, the restrictive planet Saturn forms a square (a challenging aspect) to the Sun, suggesting periods of deflation will be required when the idealism and expansiveness becomes too great.  Hence we find periods of extreme economic boom times, followed by panic and deflation (more on this in a later post).

Last night’s New Moon formed a trine to that Seventh House Venus and Jupiter in the US chart, activating the desire to come together and feel optimistic again about the direction the country is taking.  Most polls show a nearly overwhelming rise in support for Obama’s plans to move the country forward.

Astrologers use a forecasting technique in which the birthchart is progressed through time, revealing the evolving moods and character of the individual or nation.  Last night’s New Moon fell exactly on the Sun in the US progressed chart, so this is clearly a new start for the mood of the nation.  However, the US progressed Moon has been facing off against the progressed Sun since just after the election, and therefore also opposed last night’s New Moon.   The Moon represents our desire for security, and this dynamic shows resistance to any new plans, and a desire to adhere to the status quo.

Both the Sun and the Moon in the US progressed chart form a challenging aspect (a square) to Uranus, the planet of shock and awe.  Radical change is desired by the Sun squaring Uranus, but the Moon tends to retreat into a nest of safety when challenged by change.  This dynamic is mirrored in the opposition in the sky between Saturn (conservative values, the established order) and Uranus.

Clearly the US is experiencing a pull between these two forces. Uranus in the sky is completing a square to the US Mars, one of the forces that has generated such a tremendous desire for change at all costs.  But now we have Saturn is forming a square to the US Mars, putting the brakes on any efforts to move ahead with these plans for change.  With Saturn we are two steps forward, one step back, and sometimes we find ourselves taking three steps back instead.  However, transiting Chiron is forming a trine to the US Mars, which is giving us as a nation an opportunity to heal from the inside out while we formulate a new direction.

Transiting Pluto begins a challenging cycle to Venus in the US chart in a few weeks, which could go several ways.  Pluto creates endings and new beginnings, but can also intensify alliances and transform relationships.  We could see people within the country coming together in order to wage a battle with the nation’s enemies.  We could see a continued splintering within the country.  It’s really our choice – at all times, we have free will.

Jupiter events create opportunities and good luck, and there is no shortage of these opportunities for the United States this year.  Jupiter will retrograde later in the year which expands its influence since it will spend even more time forming harmonious aspects to Mars in the US chart (energy,confidence, and the ability to defend itself) and progressed Venus (the way relationships are formed, the kinds of alliances that we make as a country, the way we work together).  There is potential for healing as well this year, as Jupiter harmonizes with the US Chiron.

The United States is at an astrological crossroads.  The US progressed Mars turned retrograde last year, and is searching for a new direction.  Pluto, god of transformation, has been challenging the US Midheaven, the point of public perception.  The qualities that gave the US its power over the past 400 years will not work for the next 400, and the nation will have to adapt.  Economic systems are changing and becoming much more tenuous and fluid as they go global.  Traditional social systems are weakening and require a new way of looking at the way humans form families and cultural groups.  As a people we must become more lithe and limber so that we can adapt to the changing collective, or we will not survive the 21st century.  This is not a time to look back and long for the conservative values of the 1950s – those days are over.  There is a new day dawning, and we will have to be ready for it.

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Comet Lulin and the Pisces New Moon

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The Moon enters Pisces this morning at 8 am EST, turning our attention to matters beyond the sphere of the ordinary mundane world.  Under the Pisces influence we seek comfort – whether spiritual or from less divine sources such as drugs, alcohol or television.  The connection to the Divine is stronger under the Pisces influence since the boundaries of material reality become more permeable, and this also heightens our creativity.

The Moon forms a nice aspect to Pluto that will begin to make itself known in the late morning and will culminate at 1:30 pm, paving the way for the New Moon.  New Moons occur when the Sun (conscious mind) conjoins the Moon (instinctive emotions), and begins a new lunar cycle.  New Moons are therefore thought to be excellent times to begin new projects or start a new endeavor and the energy of this New Moon, with the excitement of the Aquarius stellium, offers abundant opportunities for heightened creativity and divine inspiration.

Comet Lulin comes closer to earth tonight than it will be during its entire visit but it will be visible over the next few days, coinciding with the effect of the New Moon.  News reports say that the comet’s atmosphere is shedding 800 gallons of water every second, “enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in less than 15 minutes.”  This water connection is very interesting considering the fact that the Comet arrives at the time of the New Moon in the watery sign of Pisces and at a time when there are no other planets in water except for Uranus which is a very dry planet.  The strong Aquarian influence right now is also very dry, and this green Comet with all of its water symbology is an interesting visitor at this time.

Here is a chart of the path of Comet Lulin from Sky and Telescope, and it appears (please correct if me I’m wrong!) that Lulin is aligned with Saturn today and will align with the fixed star Regulus on the 28th.  Saturn is about the established social order, and Regulus is the star of Kings and world leaders so again, the symbology is interesting.

I wonder if Barack Obama knows about all of this planetary symbolism going on as he prepares to give his first State of the Union address?

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“Heart Pill to Banish Bad Memories”

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Chiron and Neptune have been within range of a conjunction since early 2008, but the conjunction won’t be exact until next summer.  Still, the Wounded Healer and the Mystic Escapist are definitely dancing together, which may be how we ended up with this:

Scientists believe a common heart medicine may be able to banish fearful memories from the mind.


The Dutch investigators believe beta-blocker drugs could help people suffering from the emotional after-effects of traumatic experiences.Tieve the drug alters how memories are recalled after carrying out the study of 60 people, Nature Neuroscience reports.
But British experts questioned the ethics of tampering with the mind.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said he was concerned about the “fundamentally pharmacological” approach to people with problems such as phobias and anxiety. He said the procedure might also alter good memories and warned against an “accelerated Alzheimer’s” approach….
Experiments on animals has shown beta blockers can interfere with how the brain makes sense of frightening events.
She told Nature Neuroscience: “Millions of people suffer from emotional disorders and the relapse of fear, even after successful treatment.
“Our findings may have important implications for the understanding and treatment of persistent and self-perpetuating memories in individuals suffering from emotional disorders.”
But Professor Neil Burgess of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience said the research merely demonstrates that the beta blockers reduce a person’s startle response, breaking the association of the spider to these unconscious responses.
And Dr Daniel Sokol, lecturer in Medical Ethics at St George’s, University of London, saidmemories were important, for people to learn from their mistakes for example [emphasis added].

“Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories. It may perhaps be beneficial in some cases, but before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense of humanity.”

read more here…

I’ve written on this subject before, particularly here and here.  The fascinating thing about reading an astrological chart is that you can see the difficult traumas and abuse right there in the chart, meaning that individual was born with a predisposition to these events.  Rather than “bad karma,” this is, I believe, a conscious choice on the part of the soul to work through difficult challenges and emerge a stronger and more incredible human.  I believe this because it has been my own personal experience.

Working through bad memories is what Chiron is all about, and Neptune has the tendency either to want to sublimate bad memories through escapism, or to embrace it as part of the spirituality of life.  If we take the first path, we will end up with an unresolved life and without the benefits of having worked through the pain of our past. Chiron has been in Aquarius for several years now, and we have seen an associated explosion of modalities that utilize energy (Aquarius) healing (Chiron).   With Chiron and Neptune both in Aquarius, sign of technological advancement as well as energy, it’s not surprising that some are turning to pharmaceuticals for an easy way out.

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The Comet Cometh – the astrology of Lulin’s approach

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photo from Spaceweather.

Comet Lulin will make its closest approach to Earth on February 24.  Joseph Mina wrote in the comments a few days ago, “ interesting how Comet Lulin, whose orbital movement is opposite (clockwise) the planets, will conjunct Saturn during the current Saturn/Uranus opposition. Wonder what message this “uranian type” cosmic messenger has to share?”

(See earlier article here.)  This Comet is particularly Uranian because its orbit is in the opposite direction from other planetary bodies.  It does not appear to have a regular visitation pattern, and coming during this intense Aquarian time perhaps it brings a message of surprises that come out of nowhere to completely change our world.

Comet Lulin is making its visitation on the day of the New Moon when six planets are in Aquarius and the New Moon is in Pisces.  Pisces is the sign of transcendence, where ordinary reality becomes blurred and we become open to higher powers, divine beings, and creative inspiration.  Combined with the sudden electrical surprises of Uranus and Aquarius, the transcendence of Pisces creates an openness to the spiritual realms that can be quite intense.

The comet will be traveling through Virgo when it is visible, and it will be very close to Saturn so it will set off the opposition of Saturn and Uranus.  The New Moon also forms a sextile to Pluto, so there is a transformational element at work here.  The symbology of the Comet, a temporary visitor to the Universe in the midst of this planetary festival, suggests to me a dramatic turn of events that gets our attention!

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More on the Aquarius lineup

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This image is from a work called Theologue from Alex Grey.  Aquarius has an electromagnetic energy component as portrayed in this painting.   The subtitle of the work is “The Union of Human Consciousness: Weaving the fabric of space and time in which the Self and surroundings are embedded.”

Last night I gave a talk at a meeting of our local NCGR Chapter, the Network of Triangle Astrologers, and George Ward, one of my colleagues who works at the bookstore where the meeting was held, said that at the Expo last weekend they sold twice as many books as they usually sell at that show.  He attributed this dramatic increase to the Aquarius stellium which continues to send out intensive energy alerting more and more people to the fact that our world is changing at a dramatic rate.

As we’ve discussed in this column over the past few months, Aquarius has the double rulership of Saturn and Uranus, and those two planets are opposing each other in the sky right now, an aspect that will be in effect over the next year or so.  Aquarius is the revolutionary thinker – the brilliant mind that puts aside conventional wisdom in order to create something entirely new.  Aquarius and Uranus is the inventor, the futurist and the economist; the revolutionary who strives for social justice and the cruel tyrant who chooses to eliminate those who don’t fit the idealistic Aquarian view.  Adolf Hitler’s chart shows Uranus on the ascendant, opposing the Sun on the descendant – his way of creating Utopia on earth was to murder all those that didn’t fit his view of the ideal future.  I mention this only to remind us that Aquarius and Uranus, its modern ruler, are not all about peace and harmony.

From a spiritual perspective, Aquarius embodies both the power to create form of Saturn and the power to break free from form of Uranus.  There is therefore a constant evolution embodied in the Aquarian archetype.

Between February 15th when Mercury entered Aquarius and the 18th, when the Sun moved into Pisces, there were six planets lined up in Aquarius:  Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Chiron, Neptune, Sun.  PLUS the North Node of the Moon.  Now the Sun has moved out of the configuration, but the Moon will join the Aquarian lineup on the 22nd (depending on your timezone) and for a few days the electrical energy may intensify once again.

I believe the last time (and please let me know if this is incorrect!) there was such a lineup in Aquarius was February 4th and 5th of 1962 when seven planets lined up in Aquarius and served as the harbinger of the Uranus-Pluto conjunction which began later that year.

This Aquarian energy is a powerful force for change – for invention, for technology, for downloading information about our Brave New World.  It can also be overwhelming for some of us, particularly since Chiron is in Aquarius and about to conjunct Neptune.  The electrical force is a power to be reckoned with and may require additional effort in order to balance and normalize our lives.

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Saturn and Uranus in prose

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Over at Raging Universe, JM has an interesting (as always) post on the opposition of Saturn to Uranus using Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum as a foundation:

Life begins with a wiggle as the tail-whipping sperm cell pushes his way past the egg’s boundary with a force impossible to comprehend. In a sense, the walls close in when the human grows in the womb, squirming and kicking, then it’s thrust through a small chamber with such strength as to squeeze the head of the fetus into a monstrous object, finding liberation at birth only to be entrapped again within the confines of the body now having to learn to survive on its own with all its unending demands. We’re stuck maintaining the rebellious body and its desire to make more bodies forever. Captives of time and space.

The nucleus of a cell also remains trapped until the moment of division when it immediately becomes confined again. Humans can’t live without these cells and their strict boundaries, yet they seek freedom and revolution throughout life, setting the stage for the Saturn-Uranus configuration so prevalent in the years ahead. Pressure builds, as in Poe’s story, until the moment of release comes, and the new space entered becomes the next cell — the next enclosure stimulating the desire for escape. Sometimes I think that the moment of liberation is so sublime that humans intentionally, if subconsciously, create mini-prisons lifelong in order to wiggle out and experience the sensation of freedom. Even coming home at the end of the day and getting out of restrictive street clothing is such a moment. The digestive process is one of tightening and loosening in perfect rhythm, as what comes in must come out.

With Saturn-Uranus, both actions are inevitable. Increasing clamps and escapes coming on and off. Where is the source of release? Everyone knows the next cell is ahead, also with its built-in exits as the story unfolds. There is no one Grand Liberator as there is no Grand Inquisitor. The dynamic between the two entities continues all through the 16 years of Pluto in Capricorn, and is followed by further study in these phenomena when Pluto transits Aquarius.

So the question of fate versus free will is bound to be pondered with predestined Saturn and unpredictable Uranus. For those who cling to order, Uranian urges might prove to be unnerving, while those who resist restriction will find Saturn’s heavy hand hard to bear, especially when the same old thing keeps turning around and around like the circular passage of time. How much freedom one finds is equal to how much one needs. Collectively we are only as free as the dissident confined to his jail cell, or the child sold into slavery, but also as free as the farmer fleeing the tornado or the human released from disease.

This tells me that rather than some magical times of liberation, there could be a more inclusive understanding of what freedom really is. It only functions in contrast to enclosure. If one wants one, one must have the other. In the end, maybe the structure will continue to define the boundaries society lives within, sometimes terribly oppressive, sometimes less so, while some savor the moments of breakthrough as they come. People can learn to live with or without the panic that often accompanies sudden tightening, and remember that loosening is not permanent. Perhaps the real liberation will arrive with knowledge and acceptance of limitations knowing the ability to maneuver is always there. “I know” are the keywords of Aquarius. One can wiggle out of most of what is, eventually, while wiggling into the next place within the larger structure. Close in and push. Open and release. Press and pull. In and out. Yin and yang. The Grand Squeeze that gets the creature through the passageway from birth to death.

The ultimate achievement is locating the oppressor, the intention of Pluto’s search through Capricorn, mistakenly thought to be the person outside or some perceived figure(s) of divine control. Once the jailor is pinpointed, some liberation can truly be enacted, the natural confinements of living notwithstanding.

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Musings on the financial crisis and the Life Path

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I did readings all day yesterday at the Body, Mind Spirit expo in Raleigh yesterday, and while there was a noticeable lack of vendors at the show, the attendance numbers were way up.  It was interesting to see what kind of experiences people were having, but I did notice an underlying theme: people’s lives are being changed, whether they ask for it or not.  We would expect that people who come for readings are in a time of crisis of some sort, but this feels different than the usual assortment of life experiences.

These changes and transformations are occurring at a much deeper level and have to do with the big question:  What is my life path?  One querent was laid off and was trying to figure out what to do next, forced to evaluate how he wanted to shape his life.  One, having “found out” that her marriage was over after staying home to raise her young children, was facing beginning a new career that would have more meaning for her.

This, I believe, is a function of Pluto now traveling through Capricorn.  I know that I have experienced this myself – how to incorporate my real estate business, lucrative but exhausting, into a life that has a strong spiritual foundation as well as an active and wonderful astrological consulting practice?  These are big questions – we think of Capricorn as ruling career, but it’s really more than that.  Capricorn, Saturn, the Midheaven and the Tenth House are all concerned with how we express ourselves through a Life Path – a work that feeds our soul and aids our spiritual development.  This can be our career, but not always.  If you’re a waitress, but your soul longs to act on the stage, then waitressing is your sixth house job and acting would be your Midheaven path.

We saw this deepening of intention when Pluto made a conjunction to the Galactic Center a year or so ago, and a growing realization among individuals that a deeper attention to our lives was required.  Pluto’s focus in Capricorn, and the associated problems of the global economy, has forced many of us to take a harder look at our lives and the work that we are doing, and evaluate whether or not it is satisfying at the soul level.  It’s easy to say “times are too hard, I just need to get a job.”  But it’s important to remember that we are co-creating our reality at every moment, and if we ask the wrong questions we’ll get the wrong answers.

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Matthew is back! And with weightloss tips yet.

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For the most astrological fun you can have with your clothes on, catch up on Matthew’s reposts at Matthew the Astrologer including what appears to be the entire Zodiac’s Guide to compatibility.  Who could forget such classic moments as these:

Love is a Battlefield: Aries goes to war for love and concocts strategies for taking over Love Island..

Should I stay or should I go? A game show where Geminis get to compete for money on these important questions.

Overture, Curtain Lights! The 12-screen Multiplex of Love for Leo.

Leo in love

As if these tasty morsels were not enough, Matthew reveals his attraction for the new and improved (size 12) Jessica Simpson and his own fitness secrets (surfing the net while lifting a slice of pizza), along with tips on losing weight with astrology such as timing the start of your diet with Mars.  And then he endears himself to all women with these words:

Perhaps the single most important thing to keep in mind is this: On the one hand, the fashion industry has dictated for about the last fifty years or so that “underfed” is a good look. On the other hand, biology has dictated for about the last million years that having a little “excess” weight is an attractive thing. It indicates good health, a plentiful supply of resources, and the means to bear and raise children (in the area of extra boob and bum matter).

And besides, if most straight males are honest with you about it, they’d prefer a woman with a little excess weight over one who’s underweight. Unless of course you’re trying to catch a man who takes all his advice from fashion magazines.. in which case, your relationship may have much larger problems than just your dress size.

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