By Milky Way Maid
Yet another in my continuing series of Halloween columns, in which I foolishly try to suggest costumes for the current holiday. A few famous names follow each sign below.
ARIES - March 20-April 19 - Buddy Ebsen, Ann Miller – There is nothing in the sign Aries this year, but that does not mean you could not adopt a costume as a fiery Aries-type. How about Annie Oakley, Molly Brown (survivor of the Titanic), or Sacajawea? Leo is your fifth house sign, house of fun and parties, so dressing up as any of the famous Hollywood gods and goddesses may appeal to you. Yet another option presents itself in dressing as your alter-ego opposite sign Libra, which is experiencing a Saturn transit. See Libra paragraph for ideas along that line.
TAURUS - April 20-May 20 - Fred Astaire, Margot Fonteyn, Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn – The Moon and Juno are in Virgo, your solar fifth house of fun and parties. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West.
GEMINI - May 21-June 20 - Isadora Duncan, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson - Gemini – dress up as Siamese twins with your partner. Go as a reporter with a fake mike or notepad. Dress up as a letter of the alphabet. You get the idea. Then again, maybe your idea of fun is going to a writers' workshop and scribbling away all night. Saturn is still in the sign Libra (your solar fifth house of fun and parties), so the obvious selection of costume is first of all, the goddess Justice with blindfold and scales. This is especially appropriate because Saturn is exalted in Libra. Second, the Grim Reaper and Crone are also Saturn figures. Saturn also rules science, so this suggests dressing as figures from science, like Albert Einstein, Alfred Nobel, Madame Curie, etc.
CANCER - June 21-July 22 - Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, Twyla Tharp – Cancers always tend to dress up as Mother Earth types. But this year Vesta as well as Sun, Mercury, and Venus are in Scorpio, in your solar fifth house of parties and fun. Vesta is the sense of privacy, so you may dress as the person in the shower with a curtain drawn. Vesta is the sacred Vestal Virgin, who keeps the flame alive in the temple. You might therefore carry a lamp, torch, or candle, or decorate your home (if you are hosting a party) with lots of candles. I also suggest a candle ceremony or ritual for all your guests to participate in, perhaps something to request a positive resolution of the challenges to the planet earth, or asking for a safe home for all those facing foreclosures, etc. and sending a ring of positive energy out towards the whole globe. Seek online for suggested rituals.
LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - Leonide Massine, Mata Hari – Leos, or Leo rising, have Sag in their solar fifth house of parties and fun. This year Pallas is there at 9 degrees of Sag. Pallas is quite an intriguing archetype, a strong and capable yet compassionate woman. You might dress up as any number of characters from history, such as Susan B Anthony, Boedicca, or as Pallas Athena herself in armor and Greek gown. You might go as archetypal characters or craftswomen like the weaver, or any of the Muses.
VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 - Gene Kelly, Agnes deMille, Lola Falana, Mitzi Gaynor – The Moon and Juno are in Virgo this Halloween. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West. Also you may check out your solar fifth house of fun and parties, Capricorn, where Ceres as well as Pluto are found. Ceres is the 'gardening angel' and the farmer. Or you may choose to just host a buffet for friends, relatives, and local children, and that is a great expression of this energy to provide a healthful alternative to candy etc for everyone.
LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - Rita Hayworth, Ben Vereen, Fayard Nicholas, Arthur Duncan, Juliet Prowse – Saturn is still in the sign Libra, so the obvious selection of costume is first of all, the goddess Justice with blindfold and scales. This is especially appropriate because Saturn is exalted in Libra. Second, the Grim Reaper and Crone are also Saturn figures. Saturn also rules science, so this suggests dressing as figures from science, like Albert Einstein, Alfred Nobel, Madame Curie, etc. In your solar fifth house of fun and parties is found Neptune, which suggests dressing as the drunk, the gambler, the prostitute, or a representation of any other vice. How about going as a lottery ticket?
SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Eleanor Powell, Savion Glover, Anne Reinking – Vesta is in Scorpio this Halloween; Vesta as well as Sun, Mercury, and Venus are in Scorpio. Vesta is the sense of privacy, so you may dress as the person in the shower with a curtain drawn. Vesta is the sacred Vestal Virgin, who keeps the flame alive in the temple. You might therefore carry a lamp, torch, or candle, or decorate your home (if you are hosting a party) with lots of candles. I also suggest a candle ceremony or ritual for all your guests to participate in, perhaps something to request a positive resolution of the challenges to the planet earth, or asking for a safe home for all those facing foreclosures, etc. and sending a ring of positive energy out towards the whole globe. Seek online for suggested rituals. Jupiter and Uranus are in Pisces, your solar fifth house of fun and parties; this suggests adopting a costume of a famous inventor (Uranus). Tom Edison, A G Bell, or George Washington Carver.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Hermes Pan, Sammy Davis, Jr., June Taylor – The asteroid Pallas Athena is in Sag this year. Pallas is quite an intriguing archetype, a strong and capable yet compassionate woman. You might dress up as any number of characters from history, such as Susan B Anthony, Boedicca, or as Pallas Athena herself in armor and Greek gown. You might go as archetypal characters or craftswomen like the weaver, or any of the Muses. Alternatively, Aries is in your solar fifth house of fun and parties, so you might dress up as a fiery, pioneer type. How about Annie Oakley, Molly Brown (survivor of the Titanic), or Sacajawea?
CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - George Balanchine, Moira Shearer, Debbie Allen, Gwen Verdon – Ceres and Pluto are in Capricorn this year. Ceres is the 'gardening angel' and the farmer. Or you may choose to just host a buffet for friends, relatives, and local children, and that is a great expression of this energy to provide a healthful alternative to candy etc for everyone. Pluto suggests costumes as underworld types, like Scarface, Al Capone, and the like. Your solar fifth house of fun and parties is Taurus, which receives no transits but is always up for a party. You may dress up as a musician or actually perform for the other guests. How about dressing as Amadeus Mozart, Franz Lizst, a Beatle, one of the Kiss members, or as a musical instrument?
AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines – Neptune is in your sign this year, as it will be for some time. Neptune suggests dressing as the drunk, the gambler, the bootlegger, the prostitute, or a representation of any other vice. How about going as a lottery ticket? Alternatively, you may choose a character based on your solar fifth house (which rules fun and parties) sign Gemini. Gemini – dress up as Siamese twins with your partner. Go as a reporter with a fake mike or notepad. Dress up as a letter of the alphabet. You get the idea. Then again, maybe your idea of fun is going to a writers' workshop and scribbling away all night.
PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Tommy Tune, Cyd Charisse, Rudolf Nureyev – Jupiter and Uranus are in Pisces this year. this suggests adopting a costume of a famous inventor (Uranus). Tom Edison, A G Bell, or George Washington Carver. Alternatively, you may elect to dress as an alter ego (seventh house) personage. That means Virgo, and this year both the Moon and Juno are transiting. Juno is the archetypal wife, especially the wronged wife. You may dress as a famous Mrs who happens to be in the news, perhaps Mrs. Obama who as First Lady is the most important national symbol of beauty and class in this country. The Moon represents all women in general, of course, but also any Hollywood goddess who has become a symbol of what femininity is supposed to be. How about Reese Witherspoon, or Charlize Theron? You may prefer someone from Hollywood's golden age, like Garbo, Dietrich, Monroe, or Mae West.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Condor and Eagle Fly Together, Fulfilling Ancient Prophecy
by Milky Way Maid
Over the course of this year, four meetings at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering will culminate in the passing of the chief's bundle from a North American Indian to a South American Indian. It will be the first time that a South American holds the title and bundle of chief in the North American tradition.
This is said to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy that one day, the Condor (South American Indian) and Eagle (North American Indian) will fly together.
The Condor is represented by Don Valerio Cohaila (aka Freddy), a Peruvian Indian, and the Eagle is represented by Leonard Crowdog, chief of the Lakota nation (Sioux).
What is the meaning of this event? The prophecy states that there will come “a time when the Condor and Eagle fly together, then it will be a sign that the children of Mother Earth are re-awakening.”
The children of Mother Earth are represented at these shamanic gatherings by those who uphold many other spiritual traditions from around the world. Other attendees include practitioners and members of groups such as the Oneida, a Hmong shaman, a Norse staff carrier, and (North American) shamanic teachers.
Other Andean teachers and healers also attended; among them are Juan Gabriel Apaza, who calls on the spirits of the the mountains, animals and all of nature to connect North and South, and Mary Rutherford, a teacher of the Andean tradition.
The shamanic gatherings take place at Beaver Creek Reserve in Fall Creek, WI. The article about this event was so scanty on hard facts that I cannot tell when the last gathering was, not even what month it was. But since the latest ceremony was the second of four to take place over the span of a year, it seems reasonable to guess that they take place on the equinoxes and solstices.
The article appeared in the August 2010 issue of Essential Wellness. One may surf over to the MidwestShamanicGathering.com site to find out more and register with them.
Over the course of this year, four meetings at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering will culminate in the passing of the chief's bundle from a North American Indian to a South American Indian. It will be the first time that a South American holds the title and bundle of chief in the North American tradition.
This is said to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy that one day, the Condor (South American Indian) and Eagle (North American Indian) will fly together.
The Condor is represented by Don Valerio Cohaila (aka Freddy), a Peruvian Indian, and the Eagle is represented by Leonard Crowdog, chief of the Lakota nation (Sioux).
What is the meaning of this event? The prophecy states that there will come “a time when the Condor and Eagle fly together, then it will be a sign that the children of Mother Earth are re-awakening.”
The children of Mother Earth are represented at these shamanic gatherings by those who uphold many other spiritual traditions from around the world. Other attendees include practitioners and members of groups such as the Oneida, a Hmong shaman, a Norse staff carrier, and (North American) shamanic teachers.
Other Andean teachers and healers also attended; among them are Juan Gabriel Apaza, who calls on the spirits of the the mountains, animals and all of nature to connect North and South, and Mary Rutherford, a teacher of the Andean tradition.
The shamanic gatherings take place at Beaver Creek Reserve in Fall Creek, WI. The article about this event was so scanty on hard facts that I cannot tell when the last gathering was, not even what month it was. But since the latest ceremony was the second of four to take place over the span of a year, it seems reasonable to guess that they take place on the equinoxes and solstices.
The article appeared in the August 2010 issue of Essential Wellness. One may surf over to the MidwestShamanicGathering.com site to find out more and register with them.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Chinese Astronomy Recorded Comets and More
by Milky Way Maid
I was astonished when I attended a museum showing of Chinese astronomical artifacts, which toured a couple years ago to the Midwest.
One exhibit displayed a chart of the many different types of comets – 27 in all, according to an ancient chart. Their close observations noted not only the size and shape of the tail, but any discernible differences in the core of the comet. You can view this chart online at here. Thank you to the University of Maine for that.
Comets were called 'broom stars' (tui xing), named after their tails, which they duly noted always pointed away from the sun. They had no idea what the cause of that orientation was, but they made copious notes of that and other details. The Chinese are believed to have made the first observation of the legendary Halley's comet in 240 BC. On its return in 530 BC, they noted that “In September, it was one degree to the northwest of Xiatai (a star in Ursa Major).”
According to the folks at China.org, the Chinese noted in addition to comets, the lunar and solar eclipses (the ones visible in their region), novas, and more. They invented astronomical clocks, and a type of armillary showing the relative positions of the planets. [The Greeks and the Arabs also had armillaries.] Yet astrology as we know it today or even in medieval times was not part of Chinese astronomy.
The Chinese focused more on the constellations, creating one of the earliest star maps ever found. They gave their own distinctive names to our familiar constellations; for example, the Big Dipper was called The Plow. The North Star was Bei Ji. Another constellation was called the Winnowing Basket.
You can read a general overview of Chinese astronomy at http://www.china.org.cn/e-gudai/6.htm
Both the Chinese and the Greeks were fascinated by comets; the Greeks called them “bearded stars,” or aster pogonias. The ones with longer tails were called aster kometas, from which we get the name comet. The Greeks knew that comets were not planets, but were unable to determine their true nature.
However both the Greeks and Chinese read omens into the appearance of a comet. The Greeks tended to link drought and high winds with the appearance of comets, an idea that persisted into the Middle Ages when comets became heralds of disaster. The medieval people believed that comets were a “fiery corruption of the air” that brought earthquakes, disease, famine, etc.
The Chinese read into the appearance of comets something of karmic retribution. They believed that if an emperor was unjust, or had governed badly, that the heavens would make their displeasure known, with the appearance of a “guest star” (another name for a nova) or with other unpredicted changes in the sky.
This widespread folk belief may have been manipulated by parties hungry for power. On at least one occasion, the onset of an multiple-planet conjunction was used by one army to infer that the heavens were displeased with the current regime, and successfully overthrew it.
So keep an eye on the sky if you want to hold on to your throne!
I was astonished when I attended a museum showing of Chinese astronomical artifacts, which toured a couple years ago to the Midwest.
One exhibit displayed a chart of the many different types of comets – 27 in all, according to an ancient chart. Their close observations noted not only the size and shape of the tail, but any discernible differences in the core of the comet. You can view this chart online at here. Thank you to the University of Maine for that.
Comets were called 'broom stars' (tui xing), named after their tails, which they duly noted always pointed away from the sun. They had no idea what the cause of that orientation was, but they made copious notes of that and other details. The Chinese are believed to have made the first observation of the legendary Halley's comet in 240 BC. On its return in 530 BC, they noted that “In September, it was one degree to the northwest of Xiatai (a star in Ursa Major).”
According to the folks at China.org, the Chinese noted in addition to comets, the lunar and solar eclipses (the ones visible in their region), novas, and more. They invented astronomical clocks, and a type of armillary showing the relative positions of the planets. [The Greeks and the Arabs also had armillaries.] Yet astrology as we know it today or even in medieval times was not part of Chinese astronomy.
The Chinese focused more on the constellations, creating one of the earliest star maps ever found. They gave their own distinctive names to our familiar constellations; for example, the Big Dipper was called The Plow. The North Star was Bei Ji. Another constellation was called the Winnowing Basket.
You can read a general overview of Chinese astronomy at http://www.china.org.cn/e-gudai/6.htm
Both the Chinese and the Greeks were fascinated by comets; the Greeks called them “bearded stars,” or aster pogonias. The ones with longer tails were called aster kometas, from which we get the name comet. The Greeks knew that comets were not planets, but were unable to determine their true nature.
However both the Greeks and Chinese read omens into the appearance of a comet. The Greeks tended to link drought and high winds with the appearance of comets, an idea that persisted into the Middle Ages when comets became heralds of disaster. The medieval people believed that comets were a “fiery corruption of the air” that brought earthquakes, disease, famine, etc.
The Chinese read into the appearance of comets something of karmic retribution. They believed that if an emperor was unjust, or had governed badly, that the heavens would make their displeasure known, with the appearance of a “guest star” (another name for a nova) or with other unpredicted changes in the sky.
This widespread folk belief may have been manipulated by parties hungry for power. On at least one occasion, the onset of an multiple-planet conjunction was used by one army to infer that the heavens were displeased with the current regime, and successfully overthrew it.
So keep an eye on the sky if you want to hold on to your throne!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
There's something weird about (Saturn moon) Rhea, alright
by Milky Way Maid
Scientists suspected there might be a ring of debris around Saturn's moon Rhea. But when the Cassini spacecraft flew by and took pictures, it found nothing. Hmmm.
From the article in the Monitor: "There are very strong and interesting and unexplained electromagnetic effects going on around Rhea," said Matthew Tiscareno from Cornell University, who led the imaging campaign. "But we're making a pretty strong case that it's not because of solid material orbiting the moon….For the amount of dust that you need to account for [the earlier] observations, if it were there, we would have seen it."
Full story is at http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/0729/What-s-that-weird-thing-around-Saturn-s-second-largest-moon
Scientists suspected there might be a ring of debris around Saturn's moon Rhea. But when the Cassini spacecraft flew by and took pictures, it found nothing. Hmmm.
From the article in the Monitor: "There are very strong and interesting and unexplained electromagnetic effects going on around Rhea," said Matthew Tiscareno from Cornell University, who led the imaging campaign. "But we're making a pretty strong case that it's not because of solid material orbiting the moon….For the amount of dust that you need to account for [the earlier] observations, if it were there, we would have seen it."
Full story is at http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/0729/What-s-that-weird-thing-around-Saturn-s-second-largest-moon
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Chicken-Soup Sign Cancer: The Crab, The Scarab, Other Shelled Critters, and The Crib
by Milky Way Maid
It may crush native Cancerians' sensitive feelings to learn that the the brightest star in the constellation Cancer, Lucida, is only a fourth magnitude star. It takes a sharp eye, or a telescope, to track the passage of Cancer across the summer sky. Come to think of it, four is both the magnitude of its star and the house of the zodiac which it rules. So there may be a certain apropos quality to the number four here.
Yet dim as it was, the Egyptians used Lucida to mark the summer solstice from about 2000 BC to 1000 BC. The Egyptians did not call it the Crab, they called it the Scarab, or actually Scarabaeus. The Scarab is the sacred beetle that rolls a ball of dung around, a ball in which it has laid its eggs for the next generation. Other Egyptian sources may have called it the Stars of the Water, or the Two Turtles, according to Rupert Gleadow in The Origin of the Zodiac. (Egypt does have river turtles, which are hard shelled critters just as crabs are.)
By the time the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes wrote of this constellation, it was called the Crab. He described it as being made up of two asses and a crib. The crib portion lies near the top, between the two asses, and is named Praesepe which is Latin for "the manger". The nebula in Cancer is known as the Beehive, flanked by the two donkeys, Asellus Australis (the southern donkey) and Asellus Borealis (the northern donkey).
The image of the manger and asses was transformed into one of a Nativity scene, a manger where the baby Jesus was laid, during the Christian era.
The Cancer native might not like to show their feelings outwardly. They retreat inside their shells, or cocoon inside their homes, and watch TV or surf the web. They may sublimate them into eating or overeating. They may become toxic people who poison the atmosphere around them with their unexpressed/suppressed, unprocessed feelings.
And yet they can be the most understanding and supportive friends and parents, who soothe your brow and offer chicken soup (either literal or metaphorical). They do not generally try to solve your problems for you, though they often offer the best advice you ever got.
They are the homemakers and hoteliers and restaurateurs of the world. They know just what will make a place feel like home, and they know how to make a cold impersonal hotel room liveable when THEY are travelling. They pack a few family pictures along, and maybe a special pillow, and some tea bags, and they'll be alright.
All too often Cancer is short-changed when one is evaluating the special skills of each sign. His or her executive ability is too often unrecognized. After all, one of the biggest skills a successful homemaker has is time management. What else? Well, there's people skills, akin to personnel management or supervisory experience. Often they set budgets and weekly menus. They actually do so many tasks that there is not enough space in this column to list them all, and I don't want to give myself a headache trying to do so.
Rulerships and Keywords: Feminine. Receptive. Watery. Parts of body: stomach, breasts, nutrition, digestion, uterus. Bakeries, boats, buildings, lakes, ocean, pools, plumbing or sinks. Country, home, mom, apple pie. All water creatures but especially the tortoise, blue topaz, lychnis, green jasper, euchite, agate, chalcedony, amber, the lotus flower. The Greeks, at least according to a list by Manilius*, assigned Mercury (Hermes) to rule over Cancer. The Greeks assigned it the herbs comfrey and mandragora oficinalis.
*The full Manilius list, as recounted by Plato, is as follows: Pallas rules the woolly Ram, and Venus guards the Bull,/ Apollo has the handsome Twins, and Mercury the Crab,/ Jove, with the Mother of the Gods, himself is Leo's lord;/ The Virgin with her Ear of Corn to Ceres falls; the Scales/ to Vulcan's smithy; while to Mars the warlike Scorpion cleaves;/ The Hunter's human part Diana rules, but what's of horse/ Is ruled by Vesta, with the straitened stars of Capricorn;/ Aquarius is Juno's sign, as opposite to Jove,/ And Neptune owns the pair of Fish that in the heavens move.
It is interesting that under this regime, Libra is given to Vulcan the smithy, since it is the only man-made object among these constellations. Pallas seems apropos to Aries, since she sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus her father, and was usually clad in full armor. Venus to Taurus, and Mars to Scorpio, and Neptune to Pisces, are as we have it now, and I can understand Apollo for the Twins (His chariot is pulled by TWO horses) although Apollo's sister was Pallas Athena. Jupiter as ruler of Leo seems odd but then again Leo is the kingly sign. It's really kind of cute that they assign Ceres to Virgo; it seems so obvious. Diana also seems an obvious choice for Sag, tho we have no idea what they were thinking of by assigning Vesta to to either Sag or Capricorn. What does Vesta have to do with goats or horses or any livestock?? Tis a puzzlement indeed. And what about this Mercury rulership over Cancer? Well, Cancer's many 'hands' make her a multi-tasking demon. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.
It may crush native Cancerians' sensitive feelings to learn that the the brightest star in the constellation Cancer, Lucida, is only a fourth magnitude star. It takes a sharp eye, or a telescope, to track the passage of Cancer across the summer sky. Come to think of it, four is both the magnitude of its star and the house of the zodiac which it rules. So there may be a certain apropos quality to the number four here.
Yet dim as it was, the Egyptians used Lucida to mark the summer solstice from about 2000 BC to 1000 BC. The Egyptians did not call it the Crab, they called it the Scarab, or actually Scarabaeus. The Scarab is the sacred beetle that rolls a ball of dung around, a ball in which it has laid its eggs for the next generation. Other Egyptian sources may have called it the Stars of the Water, or the Two Turtles, according to Rupert Gleadow in The Origin of the Zodiac. (Egypt does have river turtles, which are hard shelled critters just as crabs are.)
By the time the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes wrote of this constellation, it was called the Crab. He described it as being made up of two asses and a crib. The crib portion lies near the top, between the two asses, and is named Praesepe which is Latin for "the manger". The nebula in Cancer is known as the Beehive, flanked by the two donkeys, Asellus Australis (the southern donkey) and Asellus Borealis (the northern donkey).
The image of the manger and asses was transformed into one of a Nativity scene, a manger where the baby Jesus was laid, during the Christian era.
The Cancer native might not like to show their feelings outwardly. They retreat inside their shells, or cocoon inside their homes, and watch TV or surf the web. They may sublimate them into eating or overeating. They may become toxic people who poison the atmosphere around them with their unexpressed/suppressed, unprocessed feelings.
And yet they can be the most understanding and supportive friends and parents, who soothe your brow and offer chicken soup (either literal or metaphorical). They do not generally try to solve your problems for you, though they often offer the best advice you ever got.
They are the homemakers and hoteliers and restaurateurs of the world. They know just what will make a place feel like home, and they know how to make a cold impersonal hotel room liveable when THEY are travelling. They pack a few family pictures along, and maybe a special pillow, and some tea bags, and they'll be alright.
All too often Cancer is short-changed when one is evaluating the special skills of each sign. His or her executive ability is too often unrecognized. After all, one of the biggest skills a successful homemaker has is time management. What else? Well, there's people skills, akin to personnel management or supervisory experience. Often they set budgets and weekly menus. They actually do so many tasks that there is not enough space in this column to list them all, and I don't want to give myself a headache trying to do so.
Rulerships and Keywords: Feminine. Receptive. Watery. Parts of body: stomach, breasts, nutrition, digestion, uterus. Bakeries, boats, buildings, lakes, ocean, pools, plumbing or sinks. Country, home, mom, apple pie. All water creatures but especially the tortoise, blue topaz, lychnis, green jasper, euchite, agate, chalcedony, amber, the lotus flower. The Greeks, at least according to a list by Manilius*, assigned Mercury (Hermes) to rule over Cancer. The Greeks assigned it the herbs comfrey and mandragora oficinalis.
*The full Manilius list, as recounted by Plato, is as follows: Pallas rules the woolly Ram, and Venus guards the Bull,/ Apollo has the handsome Twins, and Mercury the Crab,/ Jove, with the Mother of the Gods, himself is Leo's lord;/ The Virgin with her Ear of Corn to Ceres falls; the Scales/ to Vulcan's smithy; while to Mars the warlike Scorpion cleaves;/ The Hunter's human part Diana rules, but what's of horse/ Is ruled by Vesta, with the straitened stars of Capricorn;/ Aquarius is Juno's sign, as opposite to Jove,/ And Neptune owns the pair of Fish that in the heavens move.
It is interesting that under this regime, Libra is given to Vulcan the smithy, since it is the only man-made object among these constellations. Pallas seems apropos to Aries, since she sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus her father, and was usually clad in full armor. Venus to Taurus, and Mars to Scorpio, and Neptune to Pisces, are as we have it now, and I can understand Apollo for the Twins (His chariot is pulled by TWO horses) although Apollo's sister was Pallas Athena. Jupiter as ruler of Leo seems odd but then again Leo is the kingly sign. It's really kind of cute that they assign Ceres to Virgo; it seems so obvious. Diana also seems an obvious choice for Sag, tho we have no idea what they were thinking of by assigning Vesta to to either Sag or Capricorn. What does Vesta have to do with goats or horses or any livestock?? Tis a puzzlement indeed. And what about this Mercury rulership over Cancer? Well, Cancer's many 'hands' make her a multi-tasking demon. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Book Review: “Occult America” follows hidden thread of spiritual seeking throughout American history
by Milky Way Maid
A new book by Mitch Horowitz, "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation," reveals a previously ignored thread in American history, the progress of the personal spiritual search. Horowitz writes that “The arcane philosophies grouped under the name of occultism represent an unheralded thought movement in America's national life, one that not only placed horoscopes into nearly every daily newspaper, but that transformed a young nation into the launching pad for the revolutions in alternative spirituality that spanned the globe in the 20th century.”
The medieval church had succeeded in squeezing every type of nature worship, astrology and cosmology and related arts, into a dark basement with Satanists and black magic purveyors. But during the Renaissance, church reforms allowed studies of Greek and Roman pantheons, culture, and science; later they discovered old Egyptian texts. Europeans became fascinated with the idea of a subculture of adepts in all the hidden arts or crafts. In spite of astrologers being forced out of respectable colleges during the so-called Enlightenment, European royalty “maintained discreet ties to occult societies and impresarios.”
Across the sea, a new nation became home for religious refugees from Germany and elsewhere. In 1694, and group of Germans were led by Johannes Kelpius to Pennsylvania, where they could practice the arts of astrology, alchemy, numerology, and mystical Christianity. They were followed soon after by the Quakers. Upper New York state was quite a hotbed of religious fervor, giving rise to the Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Spiritualism, Mesmerism, and assorted other 'cults'.
Nowadays it is an open secret that many of the Founding Fathers were members of the Freemasons. Their occult symbols still decorate our paper money, and it is said that their geometry is hidden in the layout of the national capitol in Washington, D.C.
The mid-1800's produced another spurt of spiritual self-discovery in Transcendentalism, shepherded by intellectuals like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Their brand of religiousity was separate from organized religion; in fact they insisted that the only true place of communion was within, not in a church. Transcendentalists drew upon terms from 'Hindoo' texts as well as Hermetic principles.
During the same period, Spiritualism was born and flourished in a phenomenon that has not been matched. A craze for seances, table rapping, and mediumship could never satisfy the incredible yearning for communication with those who have passed on. And I might add, that it is a yearning that is still being actively taken advantage of in the modern media.
Fortunately other, more intellectual, threads of occult wisdom balanced them out. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky created the Theosophical Society, the intellectual equal of Emerson and Thoreau. Blavatsky came to America in 1873, and two years later founded her Society in New York City. It was dedicated to reintroducing Hindu and Buddhist ideas not only here but in India, to which the Society moved within a few years of its founding in the States. Its influence was enormous but in surprising ways. A young Mohandas Gandhi came into contact with her followers while he was still studying in London in 1889. Gandhi credited the Theosophists with bringing him back to Hinduism.
Another thread of American spiritual activism is called New Thought. Founded by a New England clockmaker named Phineas Quimby, it focused on mental healing, sometimes with the aid of Mesmerism. Quimby treated a young lady named Mary Baker Eddy, who drew upon her experiences to found the Christian Science church. You may find related elements in Norman Vincent Peale's power of positive thinking, Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Dale Carnegie, (How to Win Friends...), and for that matter in Wayne Dyer (You'll See It When You Believe It), Norman Cousins (humor therapy) and The Secret.
The modern landscape is littered with both successful and moribund belief systems, but at least we have all had a chance to try them out for ourselves. And how many bookstores, not to mention talk shows, would have been boarded up if not for sales of myriad titles on how to fix your own head. The unfortunate result, in my opinion, is that Americans have settled for philosophy a la carte, or to put it another way, believe whatever you want to believe. We are too lazy for rigorous mental exercise, and probably won't even read someone's book if he/she is not also an entertaining speaker. That is our loss. America has been truly blessed with some gifted and wise people, and we would do well to dig out their old books and learn from them.
A new book by Mitch Horowitz, "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation," reveals a previously ignored thread in American history, the progress of the personal spiritual search. Horowitz writes that “The arcane philosophies grouped under the name of occultism represent an unheralded thought movement in America's national life, one that not only placed horoscopes into nearly every daily newspaper, but that transformed a young nation into the launching pad for the revolutions in alternative spirituality that spanned the globe in the 20th century.”
The medieval church had succeeded in squeezing every type of nature worship, astrology and cosmology and related arts, into a dark basement with Satanists and black magic purveyors. But during the Renaissance, church reforms allowed studies of Greek and Roman pantheons, culture, and science; later they discovered old Egyptian texts. Europeans became fascinated with the idea of a subculture of adepts in all the hidden arts or crafts. In spite of astrologers being forced out of respectable colleges during the so-called Enlightenment, European royalty “maintained discreet ties to occult societies and impresarios.”
Across the sea, a new nation became home for religious refugees from Germany and elsewhere. In 1694, and group of Germans were led by Johannes Kelpius to Pennsylvania, where they could practice the arts of astrology, alchemy, numerology, and mystical Christianity. They were followed soon after by the Quakers. Upper New York state was quite a hotbed of religious fervor, giving rise to the Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Spiritualism, Mesmerism, and assorted other 'cults'.
Nowadays it is an open secret that many of the Founding Fathers were members of the Freemasons. Their occult symbols still decorate our paper money, and it is said that their geometry is hidden in the layout of the national capitol in Washington, D.C.
The mid-1800's produced another spurt of spiritual self-discovery in Transcendentalism, shepherded by intellectuals like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Their brand of religiousity was separate from organized religion; in fact they insisted that the only true place of communion was within, not in a church. Transcendentalists drew upon terms from 'Hindoo' texts as well as Hermetic principles.
During the same period, Spiritualism was born and flourished in a phenomenon that has not been matched. A craze for seances, table rapping, and mediumship could never satisfy the incredible yearning for communication with those who have passed on. And I might add, that it is a yearning that is still being actively taken advantage of in the modern media.
Fortunately other, more intellectual, threads of occult wisdom balanced them out. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky created the Theosophical Society, the intellectual equal of Emerson and Thoreau. Blavatsky came to America in 1873, and two years later founded her Society in New York City. It was dedicated to reintroducing Hindu and Buddhist ideas not only here but in India, to which the Society moved within a few years of its founding in the States. Its influence was enormous but in surprising ways. A young Mohandas Gandhi came into contact with her followers while he was still studying in London in 1889. Gandhi credited the Theosophists with bringing him back to Hinduism.
Another thread of American spiritual activism is called New Thought. Founded by a New England clockmaker named Phineas Quimby, it focused on mental healing, sometimes with the aid of Mesmerism. Quimby treated a young lady named Mary Baker Eddy, who drew upon her experiences to found the Christian Science church. You may find related elements in Norman Vincent Peale's power of positive thinking, Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Dale Carnegie, (How to Win Friends...), and for that matter in Wayne Dyer (You'll See It When You Believe It), Norman Cousins (humor therapy) and The Secret.
The modern landscape is littered with both successful and moribund belief systems, but at least we have all had a chance to try them out for ourselves. And how many bookstores, not to mention talk shows, would have been boarded up if not for sales of myriad titles on how to fix your own head. The unfortunate result, in my opinion, is that Americans have settled for philosophy a la carte, or to put it another way, believe whatever you want to believe. We are too lazy for rigorous mental exercise, and probably won't even read someone's book if he/she is not also an entertaining speaker. That is our loss. America has been truly blessed with some gifted and wise people, and we would do well to dig out their old books and learn from them.
Moon Will Make It a Grand Cross in Cardinal Signs in August, 2010
by Milky Way Maid
A Grand Cross is not the end of the world kind of aspect, but it a challenge. Fortunately, the cardinal signs rather like a challenge. As a personal reference, I once knew a first-degree Aries whose hobby was shopping and holding rummage sales. She often offered an item that was her personal challenge piece, by that I mean something that she challenged herself to sell. I recall one time it was a small Christmas tree, something so pathetic it was cute, in a Charlie Brown kind of way. She was eventually offered two dollars for it, and she had to force herself to not seem overly eager to take the money. So then once she sold that, she took on another challenge piece; I think it was a pair of black tiki god tumblers, the kind you sometimes get as a souvenir in theme restaurants.
Looking down the road at August, we find a Grand Cross forming in early degrees of the cardinal signs. On August 6, 2010 Uranus and Jupiter will be in Aries (at zero and three degrees, respectively); the Moon will be at three degrees of Cancer, opposing Pluto at three degrees of Capricorn, and then there is a trio of Mars, Saturn and Venus in Libra (at 5, 1 and zero degrees, respectively).
President Obama's natal Venus is at 2 degrees of Cancer, and in have natal Mars in an early degree of a cardinal sign, too. I will let you know how that plays out for me. I recall Saturn transits over that Mars which left me feeling extremely tired; had to make myself get plenty of sleep to cope with that one. Fortunately that was a short transit!
Possibly some of you know cardinal natives who are rather difficult to be around lately. Aries natives particularly did not like when Saturn first ventured into Libra, their opposite sign. Oh, do they hate when their way is blocked! Right now I have some Capricorn friends who have been going through some tough times; one has been dealing with a divorce and forced sale of his home, and another has been getting sporadic work. Please try to exercise your compassion muscles wherever you can.
Please also note that on Aug. 3, Jupiter squares Pluto, and the following day, Mars squares Pluto at three degrees Libra/Capricorn. Kaye Shinker of astrologicalinvesting dot com believes that the public (Moon) will be incensed that they have been hoodwinked by the Wall Street crooks. She feels that the scandals perpetrated by Bernie Madoff, Enron, Worldcom et al have been just the tip of the iceberg.
Astrologers all over cyberspace are weighing in with their predictions and interpretations. Maurice Fernandez says in his article, “Time of Radical Shift: A Look into the Coming Cycle” that “the situation heating up is like a piece of molten iron that can be beaten into a better form, personally and collectively.” Raye Mathis, writing in Venture Inward magazine, states that the cross is a time of great change when life is giving you a kick in the behind to force you to deal with the deep hole you have dug for yourself. She states that it is a time when one can re-create oneself and make deep inner changes.
What else might be affected by this Grand Cross? I have speculated that since Libra is the sign of marriage, and Jupiter rules law, and Uranus is the unusual or the shake-up, that same-sex marriage may be a burning issue this summer. Either same-sex marriage will become the law of the land or it will be outlawed. On a personal level, many of us may face trials in our marriages, and some may break up/separate (Uranus) or have a divorce finalized (Saturn).
Rather than sacrifice a long-term marriage that has been basically happy, it might be better to go off to separate retreats during this transit, to avoid saying terrible things that one cannot retract. Wait until after the transit has passed before making any final decisions on separating. Go to couples therapy afterward, or to a marriage enrichment weekend, to relearn how to reach each other emotionally.
Carl Jung described the cross as two pairs of opposites, which only meet at the center.
I am reminded of the sages of India, who point out that the only way to keep from getting unmercifully tossed off the spinning Wheel of life is to move toward the serene center, from which vantage point one may observe the maelstrom churning around you.
So again, try to keep the image of the spinning wheel of life in your mind's eye as all of us get tossed around this Grand Cross this summer. The center is the place to be. Whatever works for you to get tuned into your center is what you want to do plenty of. Some options: Meditation, craniosacral massage (or just using your still-point inducer), or going to a quiet nature preserve or a daily nature walk.
A Grand Cross is not the end of the world kind of aspect, but it a challenge. Fortunately, the cardinal signs rather like a challenge. As a personal reference, I once knew a first-degree Aries whose hobby was shopping and holding rummage sales. She often offered an item that was her personal challenge piece, by that I mean something that she challenged herself to sell. I recall one time it was a small Christmas tree, something so pathetic it was cute, in a Charlie Brown kind of way. She was eventually offered two dollars for it, and she had to force herself to not seem overly eager to take the money. So then once she sold that, she took on another challenge piece; I think it was a pair of black tiki god tumblers, the kind you sometimes get as a souvenir in theme restaurants.
Looking down the road at August, we find a Grand Cross forming in early degrees of the cardinal signs. On August 6, 2010 Uranus and Jupiter will be in Aries (at zero and three degrees, respectively); the Moon will be at three degrees of Cancer, opposing Pluto at three degrees of Capricorn, and then there is a trio of Mars, Saturn and Venus in Libra (at 5, 1 and zero degrees, respectively).
President Obama's natal Venus is at 2 degrees of Cancer, and in have natal Mars in an early degree of a cardinal sign, too. I will let you know how that plays out for me. I recall Saturn transits over that Mars which left me feeling extremely tired; had to make myself get plenty of sleep to cope with that one. Fortunately that was a short transit!
Possibly some of you know cardinal natives who are rather difficult to be around lately. Aries natives particularly did not like when Saturn first ventured into Libra, their opposite sign. Oh, do they hate when their way is blocked! Right now I have some Capricorn friends who have been going through some tough times; one has been dealing with a divorce and forced sale of his home, and another has been getting sporadic work. Please try to exercise your compassion muscles wherever you can.
Please also note that on Aug. 3, Jupiter squares Pluto, and the following day, Mars squares Pluto at three degrees Libra/Capricorn. Kaye Shinker of astrologicalinvesting dot com believes that the public (Moon) will be incensed that they have been hoodwinked by the Wall Street crooks. She feels that the scandals perpetrated by Bernie Madoff, Enron, Worldcom et al have been just the tip of the iceberg.
Astrologers all over cyberspace are weighing in with their predictions and interpretations. Maurice Fernandez says in his article, “Time of Radical Shift: A Look into the Coming Cycle” that “the situation heating up is like a piece of molten iron that can be beaten into a better form, personally and collectively.” Raye Mathis, writing in Venture Inward magazine, states that the cross is a time of great change when life is giving you a kick in the behind to force you to deal with the deep hole you have dug for yourself. She states that it is a time when one can re-create oneself and make deep inner changes.
What else might be affected by this Grand Cross? I have speculated that since Libra is the sign of marriage, and Jupiter rules law, and Uranus is the unusual or the shake-up, that same-sex marriage may be a burning issue this summer. Either same-sex marriage will become the law of the land or it will be outlawed. On a personal level, many of us may face trials in our marriages, and some may break up/separate (Uranus) or have a divorce finalized (Saturn).
Rather than sacrifice a long-term marriage that has been basically happy, it might be better to go off to separate retreats during this transit, to avoid saying terrible things that one cannot retract. Wait until after the transit has passed before making any final decisions on separating. Go to couples therapy afterward, or to a marriage enrichment weekend, to relearn how to reach each other emotionally.
Carl Jung described the cross as two pairs of opposites, which only meet at the center.
I am reminded of the sages of India, who point out that the only way to keep from getting unmercifully tossed off the spinning Wheel of life is to move toward the serene center, from which vantage point one may observe the maelstrom churning around you.
So again, try to keep the image of the spinning wheel of life in your mind's eye as all of us get tossed around this Grand Cross this summer. The center is the place to be. Whatever works for you to get tuned into your center is what you want to do plenty of. Some options: Meditation, craniosacral massage (or just using your still-point inducer), or going to a quiet nature preserve or a daily nature walk.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Mars' spiral ice caps finally explained
by Milky Way Maid
NASA has finally explained the puzzling fact of spiral formations in the polar ice caps of the planet Mars. These swirls were first discovered when Mariner 9 relayed images of the Martian poles almost 40 years ago. Now data from the Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter has been analyzed to reveal that it was most likely the wind that powered these designs.
According to the NASA news release:
June 16, 2010: Almost 40 years ago, NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft relayed to Earth the first video images of Mars' northern polar ice cap, revealing a strange pattern of spiral swirls that has puzzled scientists ever since. Using new data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), researchers have finally uncovered the secrets of the troughs that snake through the ice cap like a spiraled maze.
Jack Holt of the University of Texas and his graduate student Isaac Smith used radar data from MRO's Shallow Subsurface Radar to crack the case. Examining the details of this new data set has laid open the ice cap's internal structure, revealing clues to the massive ice troughs' formation.
Apparently, the wind did it.
"Radar cross sections reveal layers of ice deposited throughout the ice cap's history," says Holt. "The size and shape of those layers indicate that wind has played a key role in creating and shaping the spiral troughs."
You can read the whole article at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/16jun_martianspirals/
NASA has finally explained the puzzling fact of spiral formations in the polar ice caps of the planet Mars. These swirls were first discovered when Mariner 9 relayed images of the Martian poles almost 40 years ago. Now data from the Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter has been analyzed to reveal that it was most likely the wind that powered these designs.
According to the NASA news release:
June 16, 2010: Almost 40 years ago, NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft relayed to Earth the first video images of Mars' northern polar ice cap, revealing a strange pattern of spiral swirls that has puzzled scientists ever since. Using new data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), researchers have finally uncovered the secrets of the troughs that snake through the ice cap like a spiraled maze.
Jack Holt of the University of Texas and his graduate student Isaac Smith used radar data from MRO's Shallow Subsurface Radar to crack the case. Examining the details of this new data set has laid open the ice cap's internal structure, revealing clues to the massive ice troughs' formation.
Apparently, the wind did it.
"Radar cross sections reveal layers of ice deposited throughout the ice cap's history," says Holt. "The size and shape of those layers indicate that wind has played a key role in creating and shaping the spiral troughs."
You can read the whole article at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/16jun_martianspirals/
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Zodiac Signs and the Twelve Tribes of Israel; also the Babylonian Zodiac
by Milky Way Maid
If you doubted that the ancient Jewish people were ever astrologers, then this will give you something to think about. The twelve signs of the zodiac can be correlated with the twelve tribes of Israel. Check out the following list as derived from lines in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 49.
Aries- Gad, 'a troop shall press upon him; but he shall press upon their heel,' is Aries the Ram. Aries, being the first sign of the zodiac, 'presses upon their heel' in the circular zodiac. Gad is described as “a warrior, chief of his army,” very apt for the sign ruled by warlike Mars.
Taurus- Issachar, 'a gelded donkey lying down in the cattle pens'. Personally, I am not sure how a donkey equates to a bull. But both are beasts of burden.
Gemini- Simeon and Levi, 'the brethren,' are Gemini, the Twins. (Note: Others place them in Pisces, as the two fishes.)
Cancer- Benjamin, 'ravening as a wolf, devouring his prey by morning, dividing the spoil at night,' is Cancer the Crab. Cancer may viewed here as either food-oriented, acquisitive, or both.
Leo- Judah, 'the lion's whelp,' is obviously Leo the Lion.
Virgo- Virgo is 'veiled,' and is correlated with Dinah, Jacob's daughter, who is described in Genesis 30:21.
Libra- Asher, 'the weigher of bread,' is Libra, the Scales or Balance.
Scorpio- Dan, 'a serpent in the way,' is Scorpio, who is variously pictured as a Scorpion, Snake, and Eagle. Llewellyn quotes Pike in regards to this sign: “Dan, bearing as his device a Scorpion, he compares to the Cerastes or horned Serpent, synonymous in astrological language with the vulture or pouncing eagle; and which bird was often substituted on the flag of Dan, in place of the venomous scorpion, on account of the terror which that reptile inspired, as the symbol of Typhon and his malign influences; wherefore the Eagle, as its paranatellon, that is, rising and setting at the same time with it, was naturally used in its stead.”
Sagittarius- Joseph, 'whose bow abides in strength,' is of course the sign of the archer Sagittarius.
Capricorn- Nephtali, 'a hind let loose,' is Capricorn the Goat.
Aquarius- Reuben, 'boiling over with water,' is Aquarius, who holds a vase or cup and pours out the waters of the New Age.
Pisces- Zebulon, 'who shall dwell at the beach of the sea,' is Pisces, the two Fishes. How many beachfront parks are named Zebulon? Oodles, that's how many.
The Llewellyn website, among others, has an article on the subject at http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/472 Llewellyn lists various correlations, some of which are based in descriptions in Deuteronomy rather than Genesis. But I rather prefer the list I have copied out and given to you readers above. For one thing, it logically gives two names for the Twins.
While I am at it I may as well tell you that the Babylonians had a list of 18 zodiac signs. Most of the 12 Greek constellations that make up the Zodiac that we know today, can be found in a “Babylonian star-list from the 7th century, known as the MUL.APIN, but which is thought by scholars to have been compiled around 1000 BCE. The list consists of 17 or 18 ecliptic constellations through which the Moon was seen to pass.” The Zodiacal constellations found in Greek astrology are among them, although six have different names. In The Origins of the Zodiac, Rupert Gleadow lists them as follows:
Zappu, meaning tuft of hair = Pleiades
Gud-an-na, meaning bull of heaven = Hyades
Sib-zi-an-na, meaning faithful shepherd of heaven = Orion
Sugi, meaning charioteer = Perseus
Gamlu, meaning scimitar = Auriga
Mas-tab-ba-gal-gal, meaning great twins = Gemini
Al-lul, meaning crab(?) = Praesepe
Ur-gu-la, meaning lion or lioness = Leo
Ab-sin, meaning furrow = Virgo
Zibanitu, meaning horn or scales = Libra
Gir-tab, meaning scorpion = Scorpio
Pa-bil-sag, meaning unknown = Sagittarius
Suhur-mas, meaning goat-fish = Capricorn
Gu-la, meaning giant(?) = Aquarius
Zibbati, meaning tails = Pisces
Sim-mah, meaning great swallow = southern fish
Anunitum, meaning a goddess = northern fish
Hunga or agru, meaning hireling = Aries
I might note that dividing the solar year by 18 signs gives roughly twenty days per sign. Gee, where have I seen a period of twenty days before? In the Mayan calendar system, which used a system of 20 days overlaid by another system of 13 in order to reconcile the solar and lunar years. Very interesting.
If you doubted that the ancient Jewish people were ever astrologers, then this will give you something to think about. The twelve signs of the zodiac can be correlated with the twelve tribes of Israel. Check out the following list as derived from lines in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 49.
Aries- Gad, 'a troop shall press upon him; but he shall press upon their heel,' is Aries the Ram. Aries, being the first sign of the zodiac, 'presses upon their heel' in the circular zodiac. Gad is described as “a warrior, chief of his army,” very apt for the sign ruled by warlike Mars.
Taurus- Issachar, 'a gelded donkey lying down in the cattle pens'. Personally, I am not sure how a donkey equates to a bull. But both are beasts of burden.
Gemini- Simeon and Levi, 'the brethren,' are Gemini, the Twins. (Note: Others place them in Pisces, as the two fishes.)
Cancer- Benjamin, 'ravening as a wolf, devouring his prey by morning, dividing the spoil at night,' is Cancer the Crab. Cancer may viewed here as either food-oriented, acquisitive, or both.
Leo- Judah, 'the lion's whelp,' is obviously Leo the Lion.
Virgo- Virgo is 'veiled,' and is correlated with Dinah, Jacob's daughter, who is described in Genesis 30:21.
Libra- Asher, 'the weigher of bread,' is Libra, the Scales or Balance.
Scorpio- Dan, 'a serpent in the way,' is Scorpio, who is variously pictured as a Scorpion, Snake, and Eagle. Llewellyn quotes Pike in regards to this sign: “Dan, bearing as his device a Scorpion, he compares to the Cerastes or horned Serpent, synonymous in astrological language with the vulture or pouncing eagle; and which bird was often substituted on the flag of Dan, in place of the venomous scorpion, on account of the terror which that reptile inspired, as the symbol of Typhon and his malign influences; wherefore the Eagle, as its paranatellon, that is, rising and setting at the same time with it, was naturally used in its stead.”
Sagittarius- Joseph, 'whose bow abides in strength,' is of course the sign of the archer Sagittarius.
Capricorn- Nephtali, 'a hind let loose,' is Capricorn the Goat.
Aquarius- Reuben, 'boiling over with water,' is Aquarius, who holds a vase or cup and pours out the waters of the New Age.
Pisces- Zebulon, 'who shall dwell at the beach of the sea,' is Pisces, the two Fishes. How many beachfront parks are named Zebulon? Oodles, that's how many.
The Llewellyn website, among others, has an article on the subject at http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/472 Llewellyn lists various correlations, some of which are based in descriptions in Deuteronomy rather than Genesis. But I rather prefer the list I have copied out and given to you readers above. For one thing, it logically gives two names for the Twins.
While I am at it I may as well tell you that the Babylonians had a list of 18 zodiac signs. Most of the 12 Greek constellations that make up the Zodiac that we know today, can be found in a “Babylonian star-list from the 7th century, known as the MUL.APIN, but which is thought by scholars to have been compiled around 1000 BCE. The list consists of 17 or 18 ecliptic constellations through which the Moon was seen to pass.” The Zodiacal constellations found in Greek astrology are among them, although six have different names. In The Origins of the Zodiac, Rupert Gleadow lists them as follows:
Zappu, meaning tuft of hair = Pleiades
Gud-an-na, meaning bull of heaven = Hyades
Sib-zi-an-na, meaning faithful shepherd of heaven = Orion
Sugi, meaning charioteer = Perseus
Gamlu, meaning scimitar = Auriga
Mas-tab-ba-gal-gal, meaning great twins = Gemini
Al-lul, meaning crab(?) = Praesepe
Ur-gu-la, meaning lion or lioness = Leo
Ab-sin, meaning furrow = Virgo
Zibanitu, meaning horn or scales = Libra
Gir-tab, meaning scorpion = Scorpio
Pa-bil-sag, meaning unknown = Sagittarius
Suhur-mas, meaning goat-fish = Capricorn
Gu-la, meaning giant(?) = Aquarius
Zibbati, meaning tails = Pisces
Sim-mah, meaning great swallow = southern fish
Anunitum, meaning a goddess = northern fish
Hunga or agru, meaning hireling = Aries
I might note that dividing the solar year by 18 signs gives roughly twenty days per sign. Gee, where have I seen a period of twenty days before? In the Mayan calendar system, which used a system of 20 days overlaid by another system of 13 in order to reconcile the solar and lunar years. Very interesting.
Monday, May 31, 2010
by Milky Way Maid
Some weeks seem to belong to Venus, but this week belongs to Mercury.
Mercury at 27 degrees Taurus trines Saturn in Virgo at 7:14 pm on Tuesday. People with contacts to this aspect will be able to reason, concentrate, organize, and control themselves. You respect experience and can benefit from seeking advice from someone older or respected in a given field. On the other hand, Mercury is so close to Algol; don't talk yourself into jumping off a cliff with all the other lemmings.
Mercury in Taurus squares Neptune in Aquarius early Wednesday at 6:39 am. This is Mercury's last aspect before entering Gemini. Mercury is lost here, with fuzzy Neptune making him unsure of his facts, and unable to read his map. On the other hand, your sensitivity and intuition may be keen. If you feel a bit spacey, try a spritz of rosemary or peppermint to clear your head. Artists should by all means concentrate on their muse; the rest of us may have to scribble into our journals all the amazing thoughts that drift thru our heads.
Mercury enters its home sign of Gemini on Thursday at 1:41 am. Mercury here is much, much faster than in Taurus. Where before you may have had bosses hem and haw over what to do, while they consider the data, now they will snap out decisions in rapid-fire fashion. The downside of Mercury here is that there can be a whole lot of talking without any real communication, often getting bogged down in collecting trivia and rumor. But when a Gemini is able to focus, he/she can communicate with a great variety of people, and do so clearly and logically. They can also direct people to sources of information.
Jupiter enters Aries Sunday at 2:28 am. Have faith in your own path, and your leadership abilities will emerge. I once knew a first-degree Aries who rounded up neighbors for a block rummage every year; this was just one of her projects. Do you have anything in Aries that will be contacted by the Jupiter transit? If so, be prepared to get your ideas off the ground.
Mars enters Virgo Monday at 2:11 am. The downside of Mars in this sign is that Virgo always wants to be right all the time, and acknowledged as such. Virgo may also be too quick to criticize and judge; focus less on errors than on shaping students or staff to a desired quality level. The upside of Mars here is that Virgo is so good at assisting others to straighten out their lives, whether by showing them how to balance a checkbook, or resolving credit card addictions, or creating a schedule for personal progress. You'd have to check your intolerance of imperfection at the door, however.
A New Moon at 21 degrees, 24 minutes of Gemini arrives at 7:15 am Saturday. Start a newsletter, blog, or journal to capture every insight and factoid that crosses your mind. Resolve to improve personal communications with less talk and more of a personal connection.
Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.
ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in Aries from 1:50 am Sunday till midday Tuesday. Not only does the Moon enter your sign Sunday, but so does ultra-lucky Jupiter. In addition, Moon conjunct Uranus provides inspiration. Mars enters your solar sixth house early Monday also, giving you more physical work to do, but also putting an accent on guarding your health. Squares to Pluto and Ceres in Capricorn motivate you with a challenge. How dare anyone tell you that you can't! The inconjunct from Jupiter to Mars on Monday gives you an opportunity to learn 'how-to' from a Virgo or Gemini type. A Mercury-Jupiter-Uranus sextile Thursday has you exploring exotic nooks in your own hometown.
TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Jupiter enters your solar twelfth house on Sunday; someone close to you may be very lucky this year, or you may enjoy doing charity work at a hospital or attend retreats. The Moon is in Taurus from 11:41 am Tuesday till Thursday evening. Try not to 'lose your head' on Tuesday evening. A Mercury-Neptune square Wednesday morn makes for a fuzzy-headed commute; pay attention or miss your off-ramp. Mercury enters your second house of money on Thursday; yay, you may suddenly have two or more sources of income. Make hay while the sun shines, as they say.
GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Mars squares your sign when it enters Virgo early Monday; there is an increased chance of arguments at home, but otherwise it just adds male energy and fire there. Fire up the grill, or add some cheery red accents in the living room, or start a family-only contest. The Moon is in Gemini from 6:11 pm Thursday till Saturday evening. Best day is probably Thursday night when a sextile to Jupiter makes you buoyant and lucky. A Mercury-Mars square on Friday morning favors debate; keep it constructive for best results. A Moon-Saturn square Saturday evening makes you feel put-upon, but use that disciplined energy to get a tough chore done.
CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Jupiter enters your solar tenth house of career on Sunday. Wow, and coupled with your ambition, it's 'look out, world, the Crab is on the move.' You can not only advance your own career, but also foster the development of proteges. The Moon is in Cancer from 9:50 pm Saturday through the weekend. Saturday night looks very exciting with a Moon square Jupiter-Uranus, though I can't promise you will hit a jackpot or anything.
LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - Jupiter enters your solar ninth house of law, publishing, higher education and religion on Sunday. You may win a scholarship, get that manuscript approved or printed, win a legal decision, or embark on private study of comparative religions. On Wednesday, a Mercury-Neptune square can lead you to garble your speech in public appearances or interviews; make sure to rehearse answers.
VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Jupiter enters your solar eighth house of pooled funds, etc on Sunday. The year may bring a legacy, insurance (especially if it is free or at a bargain price), or your spouse may come into some funds. Best days this week are probably with Moon in Taurus, midday Tues-Thur. evening. Your Saturn is trine the Moon Thursday afternoon, helping you plow thru work efficiently. You may also find a mentor-type among your list of lawyer or professor contacts.
LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - Jupiter enters your solar seventh house of partners, marriage and the public on Sunday. Singles may get married or engaged this year, and people in any walk of life may get their turn in the spotlight. Best days this week come with moon in compatible Gemini Thur-Sat. A Moon-Mercury conjunction on Thursday pm puts emotion behind your words, and you are very persuasive. The New Moon in Gemini on Sat. puts the accent on your solar ninth house of law, publishing, college and religion. A square to Saturn Sat. puts you in a serious frame of mind, possibly with an idealistic bent.
SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Jupiter enters your solar sixth house of health and work on Sunday. You may land a good-paying job which you are glad to take even if it seems to utilize a lesser talent of yours. And with Jupiter, it can mean that your health (mental health included) is very good and your powers of recuperation strong; it can also bring the attention of doctors or exhaustion from overdoing. A Mercury-Neptune square Wednesday morn makes for a fuzzy-headed commute; pay attention or miss your off-ramp.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Jupiter enters your solar fifth house on Sunday. Oh, the luckiest place to have old Jove. Reap profits in speculations, enjoy a long list of suitors, attend the highest level of cultural events and concerts. Best days this week have Moon in compatible Aries Sun. to mid-Tues. On Monday your spouse may introduce you to sympathetic lawyer, publisher or publisher.
CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Jupiter enters your solar fourth house on Sunday. You may enlarge your home, host foreign travelers or students, or add to your family. Best days this week likely are the ones with Moon in Taurus, midday Tues-Thur. evening. Watch your wallet when Mercury in your solar fifth house squares Neptune in your second house on Wed; money can slip through your fingers while trying to impress a date or if speculating in stocks. Virgo's Saturn is trine the Moon in Taurus on Thursday afternoon, helping you plow thru work. You may also find a mentor-type among your list of lawyer or professor contacts.
AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Jupiter enters your solar third house on Sunday. Your circle of acquaintances grow, especially if you go back to school. Sharing knowledge and stimulating your intellect bring enjoyment and rewards. Best days this week come with moon in compatible Gemini Thur-Sat. A Moon-Mercury conjunction on Thursday pm puts emotion behind your words, and you are very persuasive especially with romantic partners. The New Moon in Gemini on Sat. puts the accent on your solar fifth house of romance, fun, the arts, and children.
PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Jupiter enters your solar second house of money on Sunday. This placement favors making lots of money especially if you work in a Jupiter-ruled field like law or medicine. Sometimes Jupiter merely protects your job in the face of cutbacks, when the economy is down. Mars enters your opposite sign early Monday; your significant other is either combative, or really hot-looking. You prefer the latter. On Saturday night, a Moon-Neptune trine touches your fourth house of home, luring you to poolside with or without a pool party to host.
Some weeks seem to belong to Venus, but this week belongs to Mercury.
Mercury at 27 degrees Taurus trines Saturn in Virgo at 7:14 pm on Tuesday. People with contacts to this aspect will be able to reason, concentrate, organize, and control themselves. You respect experience and can benefit from seeking advice from someone older or respected in a given field. On the other hand, Mercury is so close to Algol; don't talk yourself into jumping off a cliff with all the other lemmings.
Mercury in Taurus squares Neptune in Aquarius early Wednesday at 6:39 am. This is Mercury's last aspect before entering Gemini. Mercury is lost here, with fuzzy Neptune making him unsure of his facts, and unable to read his map. On the other hand, your sensitivity and intuition may be keen. If you feel a bit spacey, try a spritz of rosemary or peppermint to clear your head. Artists should by all means concentrate on their muse; the rest of us may have to scribble into our journals all the amazing thoughts that drift thru our heads.
Mercury enters its home sign of Gemini on Thursday at 1:41 am. Mercury here is much, much faster than in Taurus. Where before you may have had bosses hem and haw over what to do, while they consider the data, now they will snap out decisions in rapid-fire fashion. The downside of Mercury here is that there can be a whole lot of talking without any real communication, often getting bogged down in collecting trivia and rumor. But when a Gemini is able to focus, he/she can communicate with a great variety of people, and do so clearly and logically. They can also direct people to sources of information.
Jupiter enters Aries Sunday at 2:28 am. Have faith in your own path, and your leadership abilities will emerge. I once knew a first-degree Aries who rounded up neighbors for a block rummage every year; this was just one of her projects. Do you have anything in Aries that will be contacted by the Jupiter transit? If so, be prepared to get your ideas off the ground.
Mars enters Virgo Monday at 2:11 am. The downside of Mars in this sign is that Virgo always wants to be right all the time, and acknowledged as such. Virgo may also be too quick to criticize and judge; focus less on errors than on shaping students or staff to a desired quality level. The upside of Mars here is that Virgo is so good at assisting others to straighten out their lives, whether by showing them how to balance a checkbook, or resolving credit card addictions, or creating a schedule for personal progress. You'd have to check your intolerance of imperfection at the door, however.
A New Moon at 21 degrees, 24 minutes of Gemini arrives at 7:15 am Saturday. Start a newsletter, blog, or journal to capture every insight and factoid that crosses your mind. Resolve to improve personal communications with less talk and more of a personal connection.
Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also the sign of their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. Also note: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.
ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in Aries from 1:50 am Sunday till midday Tuesday. Not only does the Moon enter your sign Sunday, but so does ultra-lucky Jupiter. In addition, Moon conjunct Uranus provides inspiration. Mars enters your solar sixth house early Monday also, giving you more physical work to do, but also putting an accent on guarding your health. Squares to Pluto and Ceres in Capricorn motivate you with a challenge. How dare anyone tell you that you can't! The inconjunct from Jupiter to Mars on Monday gives you an opportunity to learn 'how-to' from a Virgo or Gemini type. A Mercury-Jupiter-Uranus sextile Thursday has you exploring exotic nooks in your own hometown.
TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – Jupiter enters your solar twelfth house on Sunday; someone close to you may be very lucky this year, or you may enjoy doing charity work at a hospital or attend retreats. The Moon is in Taurus from 11:41 am Tuesday till Thursday evening. Try not to 'lose your head' on Tuesday evening. A Mercury-Neptune square Wednesday morn makes for a fuzzy-headed commute; pay attention or miss your off-ramp. Mercury enters your second house of money on Thursday; yay, you may suddenly have two or more sources of income. Make hay while the sun shines, as they say.
GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Mars squares your sign when it enters Virgo early Monday; there is an increased chance of arguments at home, but otherwise it just adds male energy and fire there. Fire up the grill, or add some cheery red accents in the living room, or start a family-only contest. The Moon is in Gemini from 6:11 pm Thursday till Saturday evening. Best day is probably Thursday night when a sextile to Jupiter makes you buoyant and lucky. A Mercury-Mars square on Friday morning favors debate; keep it constructive for best results. A Moon-Saturn square Saturday evening makes you feel put-upon, but use that disciplined energy to get a tough chore done.
CANCER - June 21-July 22 – Jupiter enters your solar tenth house of career on Sunday. Wow, and coupled with your ambition, it's 'look out, world, the Crab is on the move.' You can not only advance your own career, but also foster the development of proteges. The Moon is in Cancer from 9:50 pm Saturday through the weekend. Saturday night looks very exciting with a Moon square Jupiter-Uranus, though I can't promise you will hit a jackpot or anything.
LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 - Jupiter enters your solar ninth house of law, publishing, higher education and religion on Sunday. You may win a scholarship, get that manuscript approved or printed, win a legal decision, or embark on private study of comparative religions. On Wednesday, a Mercury-Neptune square can lead you to garble your speech in public appearances or interviews; make sure to rehearse answers.
VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Jupiter enters your solar eighth house of pooled funds, etc on Sunday. The year may bring a legacy, insurance (especially if it is free or at a bargain price), or your spouse may come into some funds. Best days this week are probably with Moon in Taurus, midday Tues-Thur. evening. Your Saturn is trine the Moon Thursday afternoon, helping you plow thru work efficiently. You may also find a mentor-type among your list of lawyer or professor contacts.
LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 - Jupiter enters your solar seventh house of partners, marriage and the public on Sunday. Singles may get married or engaged this year, and people in any walk of life may get their turn in the spotlight. Best days this week come with moon in compatible Gemini Thur-Sat. A Moon-Mercury conjunction on Thursday pm puts emotion behind your words, and you are very persuasive. The New Moon in Gemini on Sat. puts the accent on your solar ninth house of law, publishing, college and religion. A square to Saturn Sat. puts you in a serious frame of mind, possibly with an idealistic bent.
SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 - Jupiter enters your solar sixth house of health and work on Sunday. You may land a good-paying job which you are glad to take even if it seems to utilize a lesser talent of yours. And with Jupiter, it can mean that your health (mental health included) is very good and your powers of recuperation strong; it can also bring the attention of doctors or exhaustion from overdoing. A Mercury-Neptune square Wednesday morn makes for a fuzzy-headed commute; pay attention or miss your off-ramp.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 - Jupiter enters your solar fifth house on Sunday. Oh, the luckiest place to have old Jove. Reap profits in speculations, enjoy a long list of suitors, attend the highest level of cultural events and concerts. Best days this week have Moon in compatible Aries Sun. to mid-Tues. On Monday your spouse may introduce you to sympathetic lawyer, publisher or publisher.
CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 - Jupiter enters your solar fourth house on Sunday. You may enlarge your home, host foreign travelers or students, or add to your family. Best days this week likely are the ones with Moon in Taurus, midday Tues-Thur. evening. Watch your wallet when Mercury in your solar fifth house squares Neptune in your second house on Wed; money can slip through your fingers while trying to impress a date or if speculating in stocks. Virgo's Saturn is trine the Moon in Taurus on Thursday afternoon, helping you plow thru work. You may also find a mentor-type among your list of lawyer or professor contacts.
AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 - Jupiter enters your solar third house on Sunday. Your circle of acquaintances grow, especially if you go back to school. Sharing knowledge and stimulating your intellect bring enjoyment and rewards. Best days this week come with moon in compatible Gemini Thur-Sat. A Moon-Mercury conjunction on Thursday pm puts emotion behind your words, and you are very persuasive especially with romantic partners. The New Moon in Gemini on Sat. puts the accent on your solar fifth house of romance, fun, the arts, and children.
PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 - Jupiter enters your solar second house of money on Sunday. This placement favors making lots of money especially if you work in a Jupiter-ruled field like law or medicine. Sometimes Jupiter merely protects your job in the face of cutbacks, when the economy is down. Mars enters your opposite sign early Monday; your significant other is either combative, or really hot-looking. You prefer the latter. On Saturday night, a Moon-Neptune trine touches your fourth house of home, luring you to poolside with or without a pool party to host.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Is the Taurus Bull Really an Auroch?
By Milky Way Maid
Recently I picked up an old novel called Sarum, about the long overview of southern British history centered on the cathedral town of Salisbury. One of the episodes in the more ancient segment was the hunting of an auroch.
An auroch was, according to bestuff.com, "The aurochs or urus (Bos primigenius) was a very large type of cattle that was prevalent in Europe until its extinction in 1627." It stood about two meters high at the shoulder; this was the height of a rare skeleton found in a Danish bog in 1905. The last of the breed died in Poland in 1627. The closest descendants of the auroch include the gaur, the bantang, the zebu, and Spanish fighting cattle. The horns were very distinctive, sweeping forward and up.
The description of the horns matches the traditional images of a Taurus bull, doesn't it?
The auroch is believed to be the ancestor of all domesticated cattle, which are much smaller in size. Attempts to breed a new aurochs from cattle with atavistic characteristics have not been a complete success. A herd was created, but the horns pointed to the sides like with a Texas longhorn, or a water buffalo. Also the colors were not accurate. The bulls were almost always black, and the cows were a reddish color. The recreated herd had more color variety.
The aurochs have been identified as the breed depicted in cave paintings from all over the world. Aurochs ranged from Britain, across Europe and into parts of China. A somewhat different variety was found in India.
Paste the URLs below to read more about this giant breed of cattle.
http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/speciesinfo/aurochs.htm
Recently I picked up an old novel called Sarum, about the long overview of southern British history centered on the cathedral town of Salisbury. One of the episodes in the more ancient segment was the hunting of an auroch.
An auroch was, according to bestuff.com, "The aurochs or urus (Bos primigenius) was a very large type of cattle that was prevalent in Europe until its extinction in 1627." It stood about two meters high at the shoulder; this was the height of a rare skeleton found in a Danish bog in 1905. The last of the breed died in Poland in 1627. The closest descendants of the auroch include the gaur, the bantang, the zebu, and Spanish fighting cattle. The horns were very distinctive, sweeping forward and up.
The description of the horns matches the traditional images of a Taurus bull, doesn't it?
The auroch is believed to be the ancestor of all domesticated cattle, which are much smaller in size. Attempts to breed a new aurochs from cattle with atavistic characteristics have not been a complete success. A herd was created, but the horns pointed to the sides like with a Texas longhorn, or a water buffalo. Also the colors were not accurate. The bulls were almost always black, and the cows were a reddish color. The recreated herd had more color variety.
The aurochs have been identified as the breed depicted in cave paintings from all over the world. Aurochs ranged from Britain, across Europe and into parts of China. A somewhat different variety was found in India.
Paste the URLs below to read more about this giant breed of cattle.
http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/speciesinfo/aurochs.htm
Friday, May 21, 2010
Jupiter Robbed of Belt in Broad Daylight; Planetary Police Have No Suspects
by Milky Way Maid, from actual news sources!
In what may have been a prank, the planet Jupiter's Southern Equatorial Belt (SEB) was 'disappeared' suddenly this week. The announcement of the missing belt was made by the British Astronomical Association's Jupiter Section on May 20.
There were no known witnesses, and no suspects are in custody. Jupiter himself, who is known as quite a jovial fellow, expressed no alarm at the loss of his belt, even though it is certain to cause untold embarrassment if his pants fall down.
“Oh, this sort of thing has happened many times before. The belt shows up again sooner or later, and no one is the worse for wear,” he said. “The last time was three years ago, and Saturn later returned it saying he needed it while his rings were invisible and he felt quite naked.”
Saturn denied taking the belt in this latest episode.
The Jupiter Section verified that the belt has had a checkered past, disappearing in 1973, 1989, 1993, and 2007. Astronomers remain mystified at the repeated disappearances.
However, it is my belief that these repeated thefts hint at a habitual kleptomaniac, and this perp may be in need of intensive therapy if apprehended.
Full story may be read at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/20may_loststripe/
In what may have been a prank, the planet Jupiter's Southern Equatorial Belt (SEB) was 'disappeared' suddenly this week. The announcement of the missing belt was made by the British Astronomical Association's Jupiter Section on May 20.
There were no known witnesses, and no suspects are in custody. Jupiter himself, who is known as quite a jovial fellow, expressed no alarm at the loss of his belt, even though it is certain to cause untold embarrassment if his pants fall down.
“Oh, this sort of thing has happened many times before. The belt shows up again sooner or later, and no one is the worse for wear,” he said. “The last time was three years ago, and Saturn later returned it saying he needed it while his rings were invisible and he felt quite naked.”
Saturn denied taking the belt in this latest episode.
The Jupiter Section verified that the belt has had a checkered past, disappearing in 1973, 1989, 1993, and 2007. Astronomers remain mystified at the repeated disappearances.
However, it is my belief that these repeated thefts hint at a habitual kleptomaniac, and this perp may be in need of intensive therapy if apprehended.
Full story may be read at http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/20may_loststripe/
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Venus Can Also Mean 'Lost Money'
by Milky Way Maid
Venus, aka the lesser benefic, is often portrayed as the bestower of gifts, door prizes, compliments, flowers, sometimes cash, and other smallish 'feel-good' surprises. However, some transits of Venus can denote lost money. I am going to delineate one specific transit that can mean lost money, and that is when it contacts the critical degrees.
I was first put on the trail of this interpretation by a very experienced and locally-popular astrologer who was fond of using critical degrees for many of her forecasts. She maintained that the transit of Venus over critical degrees can denote losing money, especially if it contacted or made angles to other planets in your chart. For example, when the stock market crash began in September of 2008, both Mars and Venus were at 13 degrees Libra (a cardinal sign) and square Jupiter at 12 Capricorn (another cardinal sign). Jupiter magnified the effect of the other planets at the same degree. Neptune was also at a critical degree at 22 Aquarius, which possibly underscored the evaporation of material assets.
First, let me list the critical degrees. You may have heard of some of them before, such as zero degrees of the cardinal signs since they are world points. I list them all below.
THE CRITICAL DEGREES ARE:
Zero, 13 and 26 degrees of Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
8 and 22 degrees of Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
4 and 17 degrees of Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
Below is a list of dates in 2010 when Venus will contact a critical degree. Please check with your software to verify that these contacts are accurate for your locality. Eight degrees Scorpio is really gonna get hit at the end of the year because Venus goes retrograde; it will grind over 8 degrees Scorpio three times. So Scorpios, tighten your belts and keep your eyes peeled for scam artists and other slick characters.
JAN. 5, 13 degrees Capricorn. Jan. 15 at 26 degrees Capricorn. Jan. 25 at 8 Aquarius.
FEB. 5 at 22 Aquarius. Feb. 14 at 4 Pisces. Feb. 25 at 17 Pisces.
MARCH 7 at zero Aries. March 18 at 13 Aries. March 28 at 26 Aries.
APRIL 7 at 8 Taurus. April 18 at 22 Taurus. April 28 at 4 Gemini.
MAY 9 at 17 Gemini. May 20 at zero Cancer. May 31 at 13 Cancer.
JUNE 11 at 26 Cancer. June 21 at 8 Leo.
JULY 3 at 22 Leo. July 14 at 4 Virgo. July 26 at 17 Virgo.
AUG. 7 at zero Libra. Aug. 20 at 13 Libra.
SEPT. 3 at 26 Libra. Sept. 20 at 8 Scorpio.
OCT. 23-24 at 8 Scorpio (Venus is retrograde Oct. 8 to Nov. 18, 2010).
DEC 14 at 8 Scorpio. Dec. 30 at 22 Scorpio.
Venus, aka the lesser benefic, is often portrayed as the bestower of gifts, door prizes, compliments, flowers, sometimes cash, and other smallish 'feel-good' surprises. However, some transits of Venus can denote lost money. I am going to delineate one specific transit that can mean lost money, and that is when it contacts the critical degrees.
I was first put on the trail of this interpretation by a very experienced and locally-popular astrologer who was fond of using critical degrees for many of her forecasts. She maintained that the transit of Venus over critical degrees can denote losing money, especially if it contacted or made angles to other planets in your chart. For example, when the stock market crash began in September of 2008, both Mars and Venus were at 13 degrees Libra (a cardinal sign) and square Jupiter at 12 Capricorn (another cardinal sign). Jupiter magnified the effect of the other planets at the same degree. Neptune was also at a critical degree at 22 Aquarius, which possibly underscored the evaporation of material assets.
First, let me list the critical degrees. You may have heard of some of them before, such as zero degrees of the cardinal signs since they are world points. I list them all below.
THE CRITICAL DEGREES ARE:
Zero, 13 and 26 degrees of Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
8 and 22 degrees of Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
4 and 17 degrees of Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
Below is a list of dates in 2010 when Venus will contact a critical degree. Please check with your software to verify that these contacts are accurate for your locality. Eight degrees Scorpio is really gonna get hit at the end of the year because Venus goes retrograde; it will grind over 8 degrees Scorpio three times. So Scorpios, tighten your belts and keep your eyes peeled for scam artists and other slick characters.
JAN. 5, 13 degrees Capricorn. Jan. 15 at 26 degrees Capricorn. Jan. 25 at 8 Aquarius.
FEB. 5 at 22 Aquarius. Feb. 14 at 4 Pisces. Feb. 25 at 17 Pisces.
MARCH 7 at zero Aries. March 18 at 13 Aries. March 28 at 26 Aries.
APRIL 7 at 8 Taurus. April 18 at 22 Taurus. April 28 at 4 Gemini.
MAY 9 at 17 Gemini. May 20 at zero Cancer. May 31 at 13 Cancer.
JUNE 11 at 26 Cancer. June 21 at 8 Leo.
JULY 3 at 22 Leo. July 14 at 4 Virgo. July 26 at 17 Virgo.
AUG. 7 at zero Libra. Aug. 20 at 13 Libra.
SEPT. 3 at 26 Libra. Sept. 20 at 8 Scorpio.
OCT. 23-24 at 8 Scorpio (Venus is retrograde Oct. 8 to Nov. 18, 2010).
DEC 14 at 8 Scorpio. Dec. 30 at 22 Scorpio.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Avatar a shoo-in on Oscar night, but some surprises in store
by Milky Way Maid
I promised an Oscars column for the 2010 awards ceremony to be held in Los Angeles aka Tinseltown on March 7, 2010. Herewith are my predictions for the major categories. They are based on nominees' birthdates that I could locate. I was able to find dates of birth for all the acting and directing nominees, but few of the writers unless they were also directors. That means that I can only take a stab at the screenplay categories, so bear with me. I also located 4 of the 5 nominees' birthdates in the Best Animated Feature Film category. I also consulted online sources re who was favored in each category.
It is testimony to the fact that just being nominated is quite an honor. And as I counted up the contacts to each nominee's chart, it was rare to find few such contacts. Most had some good contacts, and there were few obvious signs of disappointment or loss. They all get to be in the spotlight, on the red carpet and on television (and broadcast to millions more around the world), and they all go to splendid post-awards parties. As far as I can see, few of them will cry any actual tears at not winning.
How did I approach this task? First, I looked at a chart for the probable start time for the awards ceremony, based on the time of last year's program. Place is obviously Los Angeles, or more specifically the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center. Then I checked the ephemeris for which aspects were exact that day. There are only a few but they are quite energetic and promise a good time for viewers.
First, Venus enters Aries early that morning and then trines retrograde Mars in Leo at 11:15 am PT. Mars will not go direct till March 10, by the way, and I have found in sports events that at times the best athlete does not win under a Mars retrograde. (Witness the upset in the Super Bowl this year, as the underdog New Orleans Saints easily put away the Indianapolis Colts.)
The Moon in Sagittarius squares the Sun in Pisces in the morning, too. Lastly, Mercury conjuncts Jupiter, ruler of show business and doing everything big, in Pisces at 5:45 pm PT. I am giving great weight to the Mercury contacts, because Mercury represents not only the fact that a winner's name makes the NEWS, but also the fact his name is ANNOUNCED by the presenter, and he has to make an acceptance SPEECH. Speeches may run long, tho, because Jupiter can go on and on and on and on.
One problem is that I have no idea when each category will be announced, so I cannot try to match up nominees' charts to the ascendants and midheavens. But, cie la vie, as they say. We march forward and do the best we can anyway.
First, let's take an easy one.
BEST PICTURE: Avatar is a shoo-in. Why do I say that? Referring back to the Mercury conjunction to Jupiter which is exact that evening, I note that both planets often signify words or names that begin with the letter A. Avatar fits, and it has been the biggest, most talked-about film all winter.
BEST DIRECTOR: James Cameron has quite a commanding lead in number of contacts between his birth chart and the Oscars chart. He has several planets at 23, 24, 25 and 28 degrees of signs, which will all be contacted by the transiting Moon in late Sagittarius. His Mercury is inconjunct the North Node, tho, which may mean an upset in some category that his film is nominated in. Yet his North Node is sextile the powerful Mercury-Jupiter conjunction.
And yet there is no knock-out punch in his chart. I look to the second-most-talked about nominee in the directing category, his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. She has the North Node sextile her Moon, Uranus square her Mercury (good for an upset), North Node square her Venus, Mars conjunct transiting Saturn (engaging her competitive fires even tho she could lose), Mercury trine her Uranus (also good for an upset but also likely giving a humorous buzz to her words), and Pluto sextiles her North Node. The topper for me, tho is that her Saturn is inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. The inconjunct is a funny aspect; it could mean she was fated to win this night, or it could weaken her hand. The midheaven of the awards show chart is inconjunct Pluto, and because transiting Pluto makes an aspect to her chart, I give her a good shot to win in this category. (I could be wrong of course.)
A brief look at the other nominees: Quentin Tarantino's Venus is conjunct Neptune, lending glamor but not honors. There are a few other aspects but they are off by a degree or so. Lee Daniels' chart has Saturn squaring his Sun, which is an obvious block. The Sun does square his Jupiter, and the North Node opposes his Venus and sextiles his Mars. Those are OK for benefiting from being in the spotlight that night. Jason Reitman has some nice contacts but he is nominated in the screenplay category; let's save that discussion for later.
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: The heavy fave in this category is Jeff Bridges for his role in Crazy Heart. I see plenty of support for this win because of several contact: Saturn trines his Moon, Saturn has passed a trine to his Jupiter, the North Node trines his Saturn, and the exact transiting Venus-Mars trine is contacted by his natal Venus at 29 Capricorn. The best contact for giving an acceptance speech is that Mercury-Jupiter squares his Sun. I am sure that his speech will express his huge gratitude for recognition of his long career.
George Clooney has some great contacts to the Venus-Mars trine, but other contacts are off by a degree. Close but no cigar, but let me look at your beautiful eyes some more. Colin Firth has the North Node trine his Sun, Uranus trine the Moon, and Mercury-Jupiter sextile his Saturn. Morgan Freeman has Jupiter square his Sun, the North Node trine his Mercury, and Jupiter trine his Uranus, so if anyone could upset Bridges it just might be Freeman. Jeremy Renner has the Sun sextile his Sun, Venus trine Venus, and Venus and Mars almost trine his Jupiter. All very pleasant but nothing more, as he enjoys his nomination.
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Christopher Waltz is heavily favored for his role in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. His Sun is inconjunct the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction, his Mercury is inconjunct Neptune, but his Jupiter is trine the North Node and his North Node is trine Venus and Mars making a grand trine -- nothing to sneeze at. And yet I look twice at Woody Harrelson's chart contacts: his Sun is trine Mars and Venus, his Mercury (speech) is trine Mercury-Jupiter, his Venus is inconjunct the North Node, Saturn trines his Jupiter, and his Pluto is conjunct the ascendant if I have the start time of the awards show correct. I can easily see him making a charming, aw-shucks acceptance speech.
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Sandra Bullock is supposed to be a shoo-in for this Oscar, but she has some strange contacts. Her Venus opposes the Moon, so one wonders if she is going to wear some strange gown or suit. Her Mars is trine Neptune, which lends sexy glamour. Venus squares her North Node, bestowing an accolade on her career. However, the Mercury-Jupiter oppose her natal Pluto, not lucky Jupiter or Venus or Sun or Moon. It is possible that her acceptance speech is over-the-top (Pluto). Or perhaps she is just so overwhelmed by this honor at this point in her career that she breaks down or screams or something. But Pluto is a strange contact in this context.
Does anyone else have a shot? Helen Mirren, who shares the July 26 birth day with Sandra, has Saturn trining her Mars, the Moon squaring her Jupiter, and the Sun trining her Saturn, all formidable transits. Carey Mulligan has the Moon square her Moon and a couple minor contacts. Gabourey Sidibe, nominated for her acting debut, has some intriguing contacts like Neptune trine her Venus (she makes a glamorous appearance), Neptune trines her North Node (this is only the beginning of her career, folks, so keep an eye on her), and Neptune also trines her Pluto (zowie, mass appeal, I'd say).
But the best shot to upset is from perpetual acting machine Meryl Streep. Her Sun-Uranus conjunction is squared by Venus on one side and Saturn (honors) on the other. The North Node trines her Moon, and opposes her Venus. Her Jupiter sextiles Venus and opposes Mars. Venus is inconjunct her Saturn. But best of all, her Neptune is inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. Hmm, does she even have a mantel long enough for all her Oscars?
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Mo'nique is heavily favored to win this category for her role in Precious. However, I am not finding support in her chart for that. She only has a couple pleasant Moon contacts, plus others to transiting Pluto. Pluto could give her the control over her career that she seeks, if that is what her ambition is. But again, I see nothing contacting either natal or transiting Mercury where she would give an acceptance speech.
I am calling an upset win by Penelope Cruz for her role in Nine. Her Moon is conjunct Mars and trine Venus, her Mercury square Mars, her Venus squares the Moon, her Mars opposes Pluto, Saturn squares her Venus, but most importantly Jupiter is conjunct transiting Mercury-Jupiter. She may give a very loquacious speech, possibly with some of it in a foreign language (Spanish).
Vera Farmiga has very few contacts, altho her Pluto is contacted by transiting Saturn. That accounts for the nomination, which is quite an honor (Saturn) by itself. Maggie Gyllenhaal has her North Node inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. This could play into an upset, too, but there are no other major contacts besides Pluto opposite her Jupiter. Anna Kendrick has only a couple semi-sextiles. Her Neptune squares Venus, however, so I expect her to make a very glamorous appearance.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The odds makers are split between Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker, and Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino's Mercury is opposed by Saturn, however, and his Venus is conjunct mute Neptune. Also his Uranus is only semi-sextile Saturn, altho his North Node trines Uranus. So I do not see him making any speeches even tho the performers or technical crew in his film may take home an honor. So that leaves Mr. Boal by default, the only nominee in this category for which I could not find a date of birth.
The Coen brothers have mixed contacts. Ethan's Mercury is opposite the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, and the North Node trines them, so he might make a speech indeed. Joel's Uranus is trine Uranus so he might be very funny. Pete Docter is also nominated in Animated Feature. His Moon is probably conjunct the Sun, his Mercury trine the Moon, his Jupiter almost opposite Mercury-Jupiter and Uranus opposite Uranus. If he makes a speech tonight, he will surely remember to thank the women (Moon) in his life.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman is heavily favored to win this award for his film Up in the Air, which he also directed. His Mercury contacts are a little off, so either he will not make a speech or his remarks will seem awkward. His Uranus does trine the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, tho, so he could make a very, very humorous speech. Perhaps he loses one award but wins a later one, and makes a joke about the earlier loss. The only other nominee for which I found a date of birth was Nick Hornby, nominated for An Education. His sun is sextile Neptune, so he will seem glamorous and cool. His Mercury is sextile the Sun, and the Moon squares his Jupiter; Neptune squares his Mars, a loss aspect.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Pete Docter is heavily favored to win this award for his film Up. His Moon is probably conjunct the Sun, his Mercury trine the Moon, his Jupiter almost opposite Mercury-Jupiter and Uranus opposite Uranus. If he makes a speech tonight, he will surely remember to thank the women (Moon) in his life.
Anyone else? Tomm Moore has an excellent shot to win for his film The Secret of Kells. The Sun is sextile Sun, Mars conjunct Pluto, his Uranus trine Mercury-Jupiter (funny speech), and his North Node square competitive Mars in Leo. Wes Anderson, nominated for Fantastic Mr Fox, has Mercury-Jupiter sextile his Sun, Pluto sextile his Moon, Venus and Mars sextile his Mercury while Saturn (honor) trines his Mercury (writing or humor), and Neptune inconjunct Jupiter. Henry Selick is nominated for Coraline; Mars sextiles his Moon, the North Node is conjunct his Venus, Mercury sextiles his Jupiter and the South Node is conjunct his Uranus (upsets, surprises). Anything can happen in this category.
So there you have it: Avatar, James Cameron directly or indirectly winning for Avatar, possibly his ex winning for Best Director, Jeff Bridges for Best Actor, Bullock or Streep in Best Actress, Woody Harrelson for Best Supporting Actor, and Penelope Cruz for Best Supporting Actress. Screenplay awards: probably Jason Reitman and Mark Boal.
I promised an Oscars column for the 2010 awards ceremony to be held in Los Angeles aka Tinseltown on March 7, 2010. Herewith are my predictions for the major categories. They are based on nominees' birthdates that I could locate. I was able to find dates of birth for all the acting and directing nominees, but few of the writers unless they were also directors. That means that I can only take a stab at the screenplay categories, so bear with me. I also located 4 of the 5 nominees' birthdates in the Best Animated Feature Film category. I also consulted online sources re who was favored in each category.
It is testimony to the fact that just being nominated is quite an honor. And as I counted up the contacts to each nominee's chart, it was rare to find few such contacts. Most had some good contacts, and there were few obvious signs of disappointment or loss. They all get to be in the spotlight, on the red carpet and on television (and broadcast to millions more around the world), and they all go to splendid post-awards parties. As far as I can see, few of them will cry any actual tears at not winning.
How did I approach this task? First, I looked at a chart for the probable start time for the awards ceremony, based on the time of last year's program. Place is obviously Los Angeles, or more specifically the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center. Then I checked the ephemeris for which aspects were exact that day. There are only a few but they are quite energetic and promise a good time for viewers.
First, Venus enters Aries early that morning and then trines retrograde Mars in Leo at 11:15 am PT. Mars will not go direct till March 10, by the way, and I have found in sports events that at times the best athlete does not win under a Mars retrograde. (Witness the upset in the Super Bowl this year, as the underdog New Orleans Saints easily put away the Indianapolis Colts.)
The Moon in Sagittarius squares the Sun in Pisces in the morning, too. Lastly, Mercury conjuncts Jupiter, ruler of show business and doing everything big, in Pisces at 5:45 pm PT. I am giving great weight to the Mercury contacts, because Mercury represents not only the fact that a winner's name makes the NEWS, but also the fact his name is ANNOUNCED by the presenter, and he has to make an acceptance SPEECH. Speeches may run long, tho, because Jupiter can go on and on and on and on.
One problem is that I have no idea when each category will be announced, so I cannot try to match up nominees' charts to the ascendants and midheavens. But, cie la vie, as they say. We march forward and do the best we can anyway.
First, let's take an easy one.
BEST PICTURE: Avatar is a shoo-in. Why do I say that? Referring back to the Mercury conjunction to Jupiter which is exact that evening, I note that both planets often signify words or names that begin with the letter A. Avatar fits, and it has been the biggest, most talked-about film all winter.
BEST DIRECTOR: James Cameron has quite a commanding lead in number of contacts between his birth chart and the Oscars chart. He has several planets at 23, 24, 25 and 28 degrees of signs, which will all be contacted by the transiting Moon in late Sagittarius. His Mercury is inconjunct the North Node, tho, which may mean an upset in some category that his film is nominated in. Yet his North Node is sextile the powerful Mercury-Jupiter conjunction.
And yet there is no knock-out punch in his chart. I look to the second-most-talked about nominee in the directing category, his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. She has the North Node sextile her Moon, Uranus square her Mercury (good for an upset), North Node square her Venus, Mars conjunct transiting Saturn (engaging her competitive fires even tho she could lose), Mercury trine her Uranus (also good for an upset but also likely giving a humorous buzz to her words), and Pluto sextiles her North Node. The topper for me, tho is that her Saturn is inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. The inconjunct is a funny aspect; it could mean she was fated to win this night, or it could weaken her hand. The midheaven of the awards show chart is inconjunct Pluto, and because transiting Pluto makes an aspect to her chart, I give her a good shot to win in this category. (I could be wrong of course.)
A brief look at the other nominees: Quentin Tarantino's Venus is conjunct Neptune, lending glamor but not honors. There are a few other aspects but they are off by a degree or so. Lee Daniels' chart has Saturn squaring his Sun, which is an obvious block. The Sun does square his Jupiter, and the North Node opposes his Venus and sextiles his Mars. Those are OK for benefiting from being in the spotlight that night. Jason Reitman has some nice contacts but he is nominated in the screenplay category; let's save that discussion for later.
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: The heavy fave in this category is Jeff Bridges for his role in Crazy Heart. I see plenty of support for this win because of several contact: Saturn trines his Moon, Saturn has passed a trine to his Jupiter, the North Node trines his Saturn, and the exact transiting Venus-Mars trine is contacted by his natal Venus at 29 Capricorn. The best contact for giving an acceptance speech is that Mercury-Jupiter squares his Sun. I am sure that his speech will express his huge gratitude for recognition of his long career.
George Clooney has some great contacts to the Venus-Mars trine, but other contacts are off by a degree. Close but no cigar, but let me look at your beautiful eyes some more. Colin Firth has the North Node trine his Sun, Uranus trine the Moon, and Mercury-Jupiter sextile his Saturn. Morgan Freeman has Jupiter square his Sun, the North Node trine his Mercury, and Jupiter trine his Uranus, so if anyone could upset Bridges it just might be Freeman. Jeremy Renner has the Sun sextile his Sun, Venus trine Venus, and Venus and Mars almost trine his Jupiter. All very pleasant but nothing more, as he enjoys his nomination.
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Christopher Waltz is heavily favored for his role in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. His Sun is inconjunct the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction, his Mercury is inconjunct Neptune, but his Jupiter is trine the North Node and his North Node is trine Venus and Mars making a grand trine -- nothing to sneeze at. And yet I look twice at Woody Harrelson's chart contacts: his Sun is trine Mars and Venus, his Mercury (speech) is trine Mercury-Jupiter, his Venus is inconjunct the North Node, Saturn trines his Jupiter, and his Pluto is conjunct the ascendant if I have the start time of the awards show correct. I can easily see him making a charming, aw-shucks acceptance speech.
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Sandra Bullock is supposed to be a shoo-in for this Oscar, but she has some strange contacts. Her Venus opposes the Moon, so one wonders if she is going to wear some strange gown or suit. Her Mars is trine Neptune, which lends sexy glamour. Venus squares her North Node, bestowing an accolade on her career. However, the Mercury-Jupiter oppose her natal Pluto, not lucky Jupiter or Venus or Sun or Moon. It is possible that her acceptance speech is over-the-top (Pluto). Or perhaps she is just so overwhelmed by this honor at this point in her career that she breaks down or screams or something. But Pluto is a strange contact in this context.
Does anyone else have a shot? Helen Mirren, who shares the July 26 birth day with Sandra, has Saturn trining her Mars, the Moon squaring her Jupiter, and the Sun trining her Saturn, all formidable transits. Carey Mulligan has the Moon square her Moon and a couple minor contacts. Gabourey Sidibe, nominated for her acting debut, has some intriguing contacts like Neptune trine her Venus (she makes a glamorous appearance), Neptune trines her North Node (this is only the beginning of her career, folks, so keep an eye on her), and Neptune also trines her Pluto (zowie, mass appeal, I'd say).
But the best shot to upset is from perpetual acting machine Meryl Streep. Her Sun-Uranus conjunction is squared by Venus on one side and Saturn (honors) on the other. The North Node trines her Moon, and opposes her Venus. Her Jupiter sextiles Venus and opposes Mars. Venus is inconjunct her Saturn. But best of all, her Neptune is inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. Hmm, does she even have a mantel long enough for all her Oscars?
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Mo'nique is heavily favored to win this category for her role in Precious. However, I am not finding support in her chart for that. She only has a couple pleasant Moon contacts, plus others to transiting Pluto. Pluto could give her the control over her career that she seeks, if that is what her ambition is. But again, I see nothing contacting either natal or transiting Mercury where she would give an acceptance speech.
I am calling an upset win by Penelope Cruz for her role in Nine. Her Moon is conjunct Mars and trine Venus, her Mercury square Mars, her Venus squares the Moon, her Mars opposes Pluto, Saturn squares her Venus, but most importantly Jupiter is conjunct transiting Mercury-Jupiter. She may give a very loquacious speech, possibly with some of it in a foreign language (Spanish).
Vera Farmiga has very few contacts, altho her Pluto is contacted by transiting Saturn. That accounts for the nomination, which is quite an honor (Saturn) by itself. Maggie Gyllenhaal has her North Node inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. This could play into an upset, too, but there are no other major contacts besides Pluto opposite her Jupiter. Anna Kendrick has only a couple semi-sextiles. Her Neptune squares Venus, however, so I expect her to make a very glamorous appearance.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The odds makers are split between Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker, and Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino's Mercury is opposed by Saturn, however, and his Venus is conjunct mute Neptune. Also his Uranus is only semi-sextile Saturn, altho his North Node trines Uranus. So I do not see him making any speeches even tho the performers or technical crew in his film may take home an honor. So that leaves Mr. Boal by default, the only nominee in this category for which I could not find a date of birth.
The Coen brothers have mixed contacts. Ethan's Mercury is opposite the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, and the North Node trines them, so he might make a speech indeed. Joel's Uranus is trine Uranus so he might be very funny. Pete Docter is also nominated in Animated Feature. His Moon is probably conjunct the Sun, his Mercury trine the Moon, his Jupiter almost opposite Mercury-Jupiter and Uranus opposite Uranus. If he makes a speech tonight, he will surely remember to thank the women (Moon) in his life.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman is heavily favored to win this award for his film Up in the Air, which he also directed. His Mercury contacts are a little off, so either he will not make a speech or his remarks will seem awkward. His Uranus does trine the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, tho, so he could make a very, very humorous speech. Perhaps he loses one award but wins a later one, and makes a joke about the earlier loss. The only other nominee for which I found a date of birth was Nick Hornby, nominated for An Education. His sun is sextile Neptune, so he will seem glamorous and cool. His Mercury is sextile the Sun, and the Moon squares his Jupiter; Neptune squares his Mars, a loss aspect.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Pete Docter is heavily favored to win this award for his film Up. His Moon is probably conjunct the Sun, his Mercury trine the Moon, his Jupiter almost opposite Mercury-Jupiter and Uranus opposite Uranus. If he makes a speech tonight, he will surely remember to thank the women (Moon) in his life.
Anyone else? Tomm Moore has an excellent shot to win for his film The Secret of Kells. The Sun is sextile Sun, Mars conjunct Pluto, his Uranus trine Mercury-Jupiter (funny speech), and his North Node square competitive Mars in Leo. Wes Anderson, nominated for Fantastic Mr Fox, has Mercury-Jupiter sextile his Sun, Pluto sextile his Moon, Venus and Mars sextile his Mercury while Saturn (honor) trines his Mercury (writing or humor), and Neptune inconjunct Jupiter. Henry Selick is nominated for Coraline; Mars sextiles his Moon, the North Node is conjunct his Venus, Mercury sextiles his Jupiter and the South Node is conjunct his Uranus (upsets, surprises). Anything can happen in this category.
So there you have it: Avatar, James Cameron directly or indirectly winning for Avatar, possibly his ex winning for Best Director, Jeff Bridges for Best Actor, Bullock or Streep in Best Actress, Woody Harrelson for Best Supporting Actor, and Penelope Cruz for Best Supporting Actress. Screenplay awards: probably Jason Reitman and Mark Boal.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Retrogrades and Going Backwards -- Venus and Mars, plus a little Mercury
by Milky Way Maid
Lately I have been getting hints to pay attention to retrogrades. This past weekend I watched a DVD of a 2007 film titled “The Dark Backward”; it was nothing about astrology, of course, just a weird comedy about a guy who grows a third arm on his back and tries to boost his career as a stand-up comic with it. Then there was a chapter in a book, “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King” (about the biggest poker stakes games in Vegas ever played) called The Last Lesson of Professor Backward. Then I finally pick up my copy of Dell Horoscope, the April issue, and find an article on planet retrogrades.
Aha, I say to myself, this must be what all those hints are about. I knew of course that Mars is currently retrograding. Mars had its retrograde station on Sunday, Dec. 20, at 8:27 am ET, at 19 degrees 42 minutes of proud Leo. This was right after an exciting Venus square Uranus on Saturday, so I imagine there were a lot of nascent romances that failed to get off the ground after an interesting start that Saturday. BUT fear not, things could revive again once Mars is direct and reaches that 19 degree point.
ALSO, romances that DID start while Mars was retrograde can fizzle once Mars goes direct. (This all depends on aspects in effect at first meeting.)
Anyway, Mars goes back to the beginning of Leo and turns direct Wed., March 10 at 12:09 pm ET, at about zero degrees 18 minutes of Leo. It will not reach the retrograde degree until mid-May! BTW the critical degrees of fixed signs are 8 and 22 degrees; Mars contacted that point the first couple days of February (in retrograde motion) and will grind over that point again April 18-21. It will hit 22 Leo on May 22-24. So if you have natal planets at those degrees, keep an eye peeled for what transpires. Leo rules show business, actors, casinos, gamblers, and celebs in general.
This fall Venus will go retrograde for six weeks, from Oct. 8-Nov. 18, going direct the same day that Jupiter goes direct in Pisces. Venus goes retro at 13 degrees Scorpio, a sign she is not really comfortable in, and goes direct in her home sign Libra at 27 degrees. Venus wants to put her relationships on an equal footing, in a loving, positive, and socially-recognized level. It has nothing to do with what others think of her, it has to do with being a grownup and taking responsibility for the health and well-being of the relationship. As a friend recently wrote in a blog, the primary consideration in the relationship has to be the relationship itself, not the well-being of either party. You do whatever is needed to feed and nurture the relationship, and you do it willingly.
The late degree of Libra also strongly suggests that many relationships will turn into marriages or at least committed live-in arrangements. Weddings to desirable 'catches' can occur under these late degrees.
Mercury goes retro for about 9 weeks of the year, for three weeks at a time. Dates when old Merc goes retro are/were: (Dec. 2009) till Jan 15 at 5 degrees Capricorn, April 18 at 12 degrees Taurus till May 11 at 2 degrees Taurus, Aug. 20 at 19 degrees Virgo till Sept. 12 at 5 degrees Virgo, and Dec.10 at almost 6 degrees Capricorn till Dec.19 at 19 degrees Sag.
I see Mercury retrogrades as positive periods when one can catch up and re-examine the data to catch errors. Good for catching errors in bank statements, etc. or spreadsheets at work. It's a lot of extra work to fix the errors but it has to be done. One also stands a good chance of finding out the real story behind the official story, so investigative work is favored, too.
Shoppers like it because prices are discounted, tho they have to look over the goods carefully for flaws or to make sure it will fit. And some of us love to take vacations when Mercury is retrograde because we know we will be coming back home!
Lately I have been getting hints to pay attention to retrogrades. This past weekend I watched a DVD of a 2007 film titled “The Dark Backward”; it was nothing about astrology, of course, just a weird comedy about a guy who grows a third arm on his back and tries to boost his career as a stand-up comic with it. Then there was a chapter in a book, “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King” (about the biggest poker stakes games in Vegas ever played) called The Last Lesson of Professor Backward. Then I finally pick up my copy of Dell Horoscope, the April issue, and find an article on planet retrogrades.
Aha, I say to myself, this must be what all those hints are about. I knew of course that Mars is currently retrograding. Mars had its retrograde station on Sunday, Dec. 20, at 8:27 am ET, at 19 degrees 42 minutes of proud Leo. This was right after an exciting Venus square Uranus on Saturday, so I imagine there were a lot of nascent romances that failed to get off the ground after an interesting start that Saturday. BUT fear not, things could revive again once Mars is direct and reaches that 19 degree point.
ALSO, romances that DID start while Mars was retrograde can fizzle once Mars goes direct. (This all depends on aspects in effect at first meeting.)
Anyway, Mars goes back to the beginning of Leo and turns direct Wed., March 10 at 12:09 pm ET, at about zero degrees 18 minutes of Leo. It will not reach the retrograde degree until mid-May! BTW the critical degrees of fixed signs are 8 and 22 degrees; Mars contacted that point the first couple days of February (in retrograde motion) and will grind over that point again April 18-21. It will hit 22 Leo on May 22-24. So if you have natal planets at those degrees, keep an eye peeled for what transpires. Leo rules show business, actors, casinos, gamblers, and celebs in general.
This fall Venus will go retrograde for six weeks, from Oct. 8-Nov. 18, going direct the same day that Jupiter goes direct in Pisces. Venus goes retro at 13 degrees Scorpio, a sign she is not really comfortable in, and goes direct in her home sign Libra at 27 degrees. Venus wants to put her relationships on an equal footing, in a loving, positive, and socially-recognized level. It has nothing to do with what others think of her, it has to do with being a grownup and taking responsibility for the health and well-being of the relationship. As a friend recently wrote in a blog, the primary consideration in the relationship has to be the relationship itself, not the well-being of either party. You do whatever is needed to feed and nurture the relationship, and you do it willingly.
The late degree of Libra also strongly suggests that many relationships will turn into marriages or at least committed live-in arrangements. Weddings to desirable 'catches' can occur under these late degrees.
Mercury goes retro for about 9 weeks of the year, for three weeks at a time. Dates when old Merc goes retro are/were: (Dec. 2009) till Jan 15 at 5 degrees Capricorn, April 18 at 12 degrees Taurus till May 11 at 2 degrees Taurus, Aug. 20 at 19 degrees Virgo till Sept. 12 at 5 degrees Virgo, and Dec.10 at almost 6 degrees Capricorn till Dec.19 at 19 degrees Sag.
I see Mercury retrogrades as positive periods when one can catch up and re-examine the data to catch errors. Good for catching errors in bank statements, etc. or spreadsheets at work. It's a lot of extra work to fix the errors but it has to be done. One also stands a good chance of finding out the real story behind the official story, so investigative work is favored, too.
Shoppers like it because prices are discounted, tho they have to look over the goods carefully for flaws or to make sure it will fit. And some of us love to take vacations when Mercury is retrograde because we know we will be coming back home!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saints to Upset Colts in 2010 Super Bowl? Sports astrology looks at the Quarterbacks
by Milky Way Maid
A few words about the sports astrology of today's Super Bowl between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints in Miami, Florida.
COLTS qb Payton Manning: SU= 3 Ari. MO= mid Cap. ME= 25 Pis. VE= 11 Pis. MA= 2 Can. JU= 29 Ari. SA=26 Can. UR= 6 Sco. NE= 14 Sag. PL = 10 Lib ret. NN= 13 Sco.
Manning's natal Sun in Aries is trine Mars in Leo, opposite Saturn in Libra. That opposition can be very frustrating for him and make him feel that nothing he does is right, or like he just cannot get going. The Pluto square is also problematic. Moon is possibly near the transiting North Node. His Mars a 2 degrees Cancer is just not connected to this game chart. His Jupiter at 29 Aries makes no exact aspects to this game chart, either, though we have wide trines to the Leo ascendant and to Mercury in Capricorn. I do not see this game as his finest hour. I could be wrong, because Saturn can also be honors as well as frustration and failure, but he will have to reach down deep for everything he's got to pull off a win.
SAINTS qb Drew Brees: SU= 24 Cap. MO= 12 Leo. ME= 9 Cap. VE= 7 Sag. MA= 25 Cap. JU= 5 Leo. SA= 13 Vir ret. UR= 20 Sco. NE= 19 Sag. PL= 19 Lib NN= 18.42 Vir.
Now let's look at Drew Brees. His sun is at 24 Capricorn (conjunct his natal Mars at 25 Capricorn, giving him a double dose of this vibration), inconjunct the Leo ascendant and conjunct Mercury, near the North Node, and sextile Uranus. The inconjunct to the ascendant is a bit worrying, but it may mean that he engineers the upset due to the fact that the Saints are underdogs in this Super Bowl. The Saints have never won a Super Bowl and this can be the year that they finally add that to their resume.
Brees' Moon is at 12 Leo, exactly trine the kickoff moon at 12 Sag. His Jupiter is at 5 Leo, conjunct the transiting Mars at 6 Leo, retrograde. A Mars-Jupiter conjunction or square is extremely powerful in a sports chart, giving one a supercharged athletic effort that carries one beyond the expected performance level. His Jupiter is also inconjunct transiting Jupiter, sextile Saturn, and inconjunct Pluto.
I cannot say definitely if this is positive or negative, because it can go either way. BUT I do think that it is possible his performance this day will be a fateful one, and will determine the success of his team. Given the other highly positive indicators already cited, I think that it is very possible the Saints pull off the upset and send the Colts packing.
A few words about the sports astrology of today's Super Bowl between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints in Miami, Florida.
COLTS qb Payton Manning: SU= 3 Ari. MO= mid Cap. ME= 25 Pis. VE= 11 Pis. MA= 2 Can. JU= 29 Ari. SA=26 Can. UR= 6 Sco. NE= 14 Sag. PL = 10 Lib ret. NN= 13 Sco.
Manning's natal Sun in Aries is trine Mars in Leo, opposite Saturn in Libra. That opposition can be very frustrating for him and make him feel that nothing he does is right, or like he just cannot get going. The Pluto square is also problematic. Moon is possibly near the transiting North Node. His Mars a 2 degrees Cancer is just not connected to this game chart. His Jupiter at 29 Aries makes no exact aspects to this game chart, either, though we have wide trines to the Leo ascendant and to Mercury in Capricorn. I do not see this game as his finest hour. I could be wrong, because Saturn can also be honors as well as frustration and failure, but he will have to reach down deep for everything he's got to pull off a win.
SAINTS qb Drew Brees: SU= 24 Cap. MO= 12 Leo. ME= 9 Cap. VE= 7 Sag. MA= 25 Cap. JU= 5 Leo. SA= 13 Vir ret. UR= 20 Sco. NE= 19 Sag. PL= 19 Lib NN= 18.42 Vir.
Now let's look at Drew Brees. His sun is at 24 Capricorn (conjunct his natal Mars at 25 Capricorn, giving him a double dose of this vibration), inconjunct the Leo ascendant and conjunct Mercury, near the North Node, and sextile Uranus. The inconjunct to the ascendant is a bit worrying, but it may mean that he engineers the upset due to the fact that the Saints are underdogs in this Super Bowl. The Saints have never won a Super Bowl and this can be the year that they finally add that to their resume.
Brees' Moon is at 12 Leo, exactly trine the kickoff moon at 12 Sag. His Jupiter is at 5 Leo, conjunct the transiting Mars at 6 Leo, retrograde. A Mars-Jupiter conjunction or square is extremely powerful in a sports chart, giving one a supercharged athletic effort that carries one beyond the expected performance level. His Jupiter is also inconjunct transiting Jupiter, sextile Saturn, and inconjunct Pluto.
I cannot say definitely if this is positive or negative, because it can go either way. BUT I do think that it is possible his performance this day will be a fateful one, and will determine the success of his team. Given the other highly positive indicators already cited, I think that it is very possible the Saints pull off the upset and send the Colts packing.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Astrology for a Loving Valentine's Day in 2010
by Milky Way Maid
This year, Valentine's Day features a very romantic Moon-Venus conjunction in dreamy Pisces, with Jupiter very close by. The Moon-Venus conjunction is exact at 2:56 pm central time, according to my software. Jupiter tempts all of you to spend a great deal more than you can really afford, so be cautious in planning this event. Really, cheese and a bottle of wine on a living-room picnic blanket is just as romantic as a very expensive splurge at a four-star restaurant. Find some romantic film on DVD and you are all set.
The Moon-Venus conjunction is inconjunct Mars in Leo on one side, and Saturn in Libra on the other side. This forms a Yod. Those who are unattached may walk out somewhere and meet someone who is just fated to meet them. Don't fight it, love can happen in one glance, at first sight, and last till the day you die. It does happen like that sometimes. Mars is sexy, and Saturn is well, restrained. The inconjuncts mean that one has to control feelings of jealousy and anger, refrain from critical comments, deal with emotional insecurity and tight budgets, deal with the seesaw of love-hate emotions, and most of all balance their ambitions with their human need to connect with a genuine human being. Be very tender and gentle with each other this day if you are to navigate all the shoals in this emotional sea.
The Sun is conjunct wishful Neptune at 26 degrees Aquarius that day. This is one reason I suggest the movie night. Neptune is wishing and hoping that all the bad news would just go away, and I guess for one night you can just push the headlines out of sight. But PLEASE do not load up the credit card with charges just for this one occasion because you cannot count on the economy improving in the immediate future.
Most directly affected by the Yod are the signs Pisces, Leo and Libra. Those with Scorpio ascendants will have the point of the Yod in their romantic fifth house. Those with Virgo ascendants will have the point of the Yod in their seventh house of partners. But anyone with any of those signs on their ascendant, midheaven, or fifth or seventh houses will likely feel the fated effect of this Yod. And I am not saying that it will necessarily be a fun or be an obviously romantic first meeting, a' la Hollywood films. You will have to overcome a lot of emotional obstacles in order to connect on the soul level, but it will be worth it.
Aries: Aries, like all the cardinal signs, are very stressed right now. I am sure they wish they could afford to splurge more on this occasion. That's all right, it is better to figure out what to do this evening on the spur of the moment. Maybe there is a sliver of a New Moon showing, and you can drive out somewhere in the country to get a better view of the crescent with Venus and Jupiter nearby. That's very romantic. Mars is in Aries' fifth house so he is either interested in something athletic or something very sexy.
Taurus: Taurus has practical earth sign Virgo in its fifth house. A homemade dinner is probably your best bet, since Taurus is generally a very good cook. Second choice is a dinner at some restaurant with a brick oven, a natural foods menu, or pristine white tablecloths. The place should also have soft music, possibly played by a classical trio or quartet. Words are just as important as good food here. Taurus rules music, so reciting the lyrics of meaningful songs can be a very romantic turn-on for him or her. Alternatively, a concert or dancing may substitute or supplement the night out.
Gemini: Geez, Gemmy, having Saturn in your fifth house sure sounds like a drag. Well, how can we turn that into a plus? Wandering through antique shops would fit the bill, and can be quite romantic, too. Especially if you luck onto a nice settee for two, or a tin print of a loving couple. Saturn can also be satisfied by sticking to the classics, such as by attending a symphony concert or a ballet dress rehearsal. Roaming through the local art museum can be fun, too.
Cancer: Cancerians are very stressed right now, as are all the cardinal signs. Please go out of your way to treat them to something they really enjoy. You may spend the evening at home, where they are most comfortable, or at a fave local restaurant (a seafood place?) that is very homey, with white tablecloths and generous portions. Cuddling on a couch afterwards in front of a romantic movie with candles is just about a foregone conclusion. Cuddling is important, holding hands is important. Feeling cherished is important. Being able to reminisce over the time that you first met, helps.
Leo: Leo loves to make a splash and a big occasion like Valentine's Day is no exception. He may buy you the biggest bottle of perfume rather than the most expensive, but it is the thought that counts. And certainly he will take you to the best restaurant in town, and splurge on the lobster or some other extravagance. Don't complain about the cost; don't look at the prices or you might faint. DO NOT spoil his fun by complaining about the expense! Do wear your nicest outfit and some discreet diamonds, and just have fun enjoying the evening. You are worth every penny to him, so live up to his high regard for you.
Virgo: Now Virgo, on the other hand, does not believe in ostentation. A healthy dinner at home is probably their first choice. He or she may even wish to spend part of the evening in a service capacity at a nursing home or shelter. Fine, humor him/her. Then go out for dancing or a swim or reading romantic poetry to each other. Yum. “Drink to me only with thine eyes, and I will pledge with mine,” and so forth. Words are their first aphrodisiac, so fill up. Virgoes have Pluto in their fifth house, which lends itself to discussions of how the human race will continue to evolve on the ascending spiral (see Hawthorne for that theme).
Libra: Libra may be the most depressed and stressed sign in the zodiac right now, so be gentle with him or her. A few flowers will help, even if they are not roses. A single perfect orchid can be the perfect gift right now. Quantity in anything is less preferred than perfection in the one single orchid or dinner or bottle of wine. If you can swing going somewhere that has perfect sunsets, then go. By all means, go. Tell him or her that he/she is like the gold that is being tempered by fire, and becoming ever more perfect and pure. Libra has Mercury and the Sun-Neptune conjunction in their fifth house, lending itself to conversation and also to watching romantic movies.
Scorpio: Scorpio has the Moon-Venus-Jupiter stellium in its fifth house. Wow, what an embarrassment of riches. You may go to a casino night and win big, or just enjoy your family together. It is very, very lucky so make a stop to pick out a lottery ticket or something. Venus rules music and gems as well as love, so if you are ready to pop the question and present an engagement ring, there is no better time to do so. Go all out, Scorpio, because you never, ever do things by halves.
Sagittarius: Early Sag natives will have the Moon-Venus-Jupiter stellium in their solar fourth house of home, so home in front of the fireplace is definitely the place for them on this occasion. They love stoking the fire, or cooking over a grill. Even toasting a few marshmallows will fill the need for a flame somewhere. Have lots of candles lit at the dinner table. If you are in a warm clime, sitting out on a patio with a glowing Mexican clay stove for warmth can be very romantic, too.
Capricorn: Capricorn is under a great deal of stress right now and may believe that they are better off alone. Silly boy! It can be hard to get under Cappy's shell but they can be pure mush inside. Soften them up with gentle touches, recognize their moods and feelings, and they may be eating out of your hands, well not quickly, but eventually. Stick up for love, because they are too prone to get hard and cynical about it in this crazy mixed-up, pragmatic world. Do not admit to ever being on unemployment, and account for periods when you did not work with projects like writing a book or volunteering for the Peace Corps. Respect family, especially family history, so be up on your own family tree; entertain him with stories about great-great-grandpa who came to this country in steerage and started a business.
Aquarius: Aquarians have gotten this image that they are so completely cerebral, but this is not true. OK, they may not get all moon-eyed over romantic stuff, but that does not mean they are not sentimental. Give him or her the goopiest card you can find, NOT the joke card or the funny card. Trust me on this. Buy him or her some candy, and as you hand it over, say “Sweets for the sweet.” Corny, yes, but they will be pleased.
Pisces: Pisces does not care how much you spend on special occasions like Valentine's Day or birthdays, but she sure does want you to care enough to make that day special. Even if you can only afford to have a picnic, or go to that old hot dog stand you frequented when you first dated, it will mean so much to her that you remembered the day. Buy a card, and maybe a single flower if you cannot afford a bouquet of roses, and tell her you wish you could give her a hundred more. Watch out for the fact that Jupiter in Pisces will make her prone to overspend; good for movie night, tho, so find a nice romantic flick.
This year, Valentine's Day features a very romantic Moon-Venus conjunction in dreamy Pisces, with Jupiter very close by. The Moon-Venus conjunction is exact at 2:56 pm central time, according to my software. Jupiter tempts all of you to spend a great deal more than you can really afford, so be cautious in planning this event. Really, cheese and a bottle of wine on a living-room picnic blanket is just as romantic as a very expensive splurge at a four-star restaurant. Find some romantic film on DVD and you are all set.
The Moon-Venus conjunction is inconjunct Mars in Leo on one side, and Saturn in Libra on the other side. This forms a Yod. Those who are unattached may walk out somewhere and meet someone who is just fated to meet them. Don't fight it, love can happen in one glance, at first sight, and last till the day you die. It does happen like that sometimes. Mars is sexy, and Saturn is well, restrained. The inconjuncts mean that one has to control feelings of jealousy and anger, refrain from critical comments, deal with emotional insecurity and tight budgets, deal with the seesaw of love-hate emotions, and most of all balance their ambitions with their human need to connect with a genuine human being. Be very tender and gentle with each other this day if you are to navigate all the shoals in this emotional sea.
The Sun is conjunct wishful Neptune at 26 degrees Aquarius that day. This is one reason I suggest the movie night. Neptune is wishing and hoping that all the bad news would just go away, and I guess for one night you can just push the headlines out of sight. But PLEASE do not load up the credit card with charges just for this one occasion because you cannot count on the economy improving in the immediate future.
Most directly affected by the Yod are the signs Pisces, Leo and Libra. Those with Scorpio ascendants will have the point of the Yod in their romantic fifth house. Those with Virgo ascendants will have the point of the Yod in their seventh house of partners. But anyone with any of those signs on their ascendant, midheaven, or fifth or seventh houses will likely feel the fated effect of this Yod. And I am not saying that it will necessarily be a fun or be an obviously romantic first meeting, a' la Hollywood films. You will have to overcome a lot of emotional obstacles in order to connect on the soul level, but it will be worth it.
Aries: Aries, like all the cardinal signs, are very stressed right now. I am sure they wish they could afford to splurge more on this occasion. That's all right, it is better to figure out what to do this evening on the spur of the moment. Maybe there is a sliver of a New Moon showing, and you can drive out somewhere in the country to get a better view of the crescent with Venus and Jupiter nearby. That's very romantic. Mars is in Aries' fifth house so he is either interested in something athletic or something very sexy.
Taurus: Taurus has practical earth sign Virgo in its fifth house. A homemade dinner is probably your best bet, since Taurus is generally a very good cook. Second choice is a dinner at some restaurant with a brick oven, a natural foods menu, or pristine white tablecloths. The place should also have soft music, possibly played by a classical trio or quartet. Words are just as important as good food here. Taurus rules music, so reciting the lyrics of meaningful songs can be a very romantic turn-on for him or her. Alternatively, a concert or dancing may substitute or supplement the night out.
Gemini: Geez, Gemmy, having Saturn in your fifth house sure sounds like a drag. Well, how can we turn that into a plus? Wandering through antique shops would fit the bill, and can be quite romantic, too. Especially if you luck onto a nice settee for two, or a tin print of a loving couple. Saturn can also be satisfied by sticking to the classics, such as by attending a symphony concert or a ballet dress rehearsal. Roaming through the local art museum can be fun, too.
Cancer: Cancerians are very stressed right now, as are all the cardinal signs. Please go out of your way to treat them to something they really enjoy. You may spend the evening at home, where they are most comfortable, or at a fave local restaurant (a seafood place?) that is very homey, with white tablecloths and generous portions. Cuddling on a couch afterwards in front of a romantic movie with candles is just about a foregone conclusion. Cuddling is important, holding hands is important. Feeling cherished is important. Being able to reminisce over the time that you first met, helps.
Leo: Leo loves to make a splash and a big occasion like Valentine's Day is no exception. He may buy you the biggest bottle of perfume rather than the most expensive, but it is the thought that counts. And certainly he will take you to the best restaurant in town, and splurge on the lobster or some other extravagance. Don't complain about the cost; don't look at the prices or you might faint. DO NOT spoil his fun by complaining about the expense! Do wear your nicest outfit and some discreet diamonds, and just have fun enjoying the evening. You are worth every penny to him, so live up to his high regard for you.
Virgo: Now Virgo, on the other hand, does not believe in ostentation. A healthy dinner at home is probably their first choice. He or she may even wish to spend part of the evening in a service capacity at a nursing home or shelter. Fine, humor him/her. Then go out for dancing or a swim or reading romantic poetry to each other. Yum. “Drink to me only with thine eyes, and I will pledge with mine,” and so forth. Words are their first aphrodisiac, so fill up. Virgoes have Pluto in their fifth house, which lends itself to discussions of how the human race will continue to evolve on the ascending spiral (see Hawthorne for that theme).
Libra: Libra may be the most depressed and stressed sign in the zodiac right now, so be gentle with him or her. A few flowers will help, even if they are not roses. A single perfect orchid can be the perfect gift right now. Quantity in anything is less preferred than perfection in the one single orchid or dinner or bottle of wine. If you can swing going somewhere that has perfect sunsets, then go. By all means, go. Tell him or her that he/she is like the gold that is being tempered by fire, and becoming ever more perfect and pure. Libra has Mercury and the Sun-Neptune conjunction in their fifth house, lending itself to conversation and also to watching romantic movies.
Scorpio: Scorpio has the Moon-Venus-Jupiter stellium in its fifth house. Wow, what an embarrassment of riches. You may go to a casino night and win big, or just enjoy your family together. It is very, very lucky so make a stop to pick out a lottery ticket or something. Venus rules music and gems as well as love, so if you are ready to pop the question and present an engagement ring, there is no better time to do so. Go all out, Scorpio, because you never, ever do things by halves.
Sagittarius: Early Sag natives will have the Moon-Venus-Jupiter stellium in their solar fourth house of home, so home in front of the fireplace is definitely the place for them on this occasion. They love stoking the fire, or cooking over a grill. Even toasting a few marshmallows will fill the need for a flame somewhere. Have lots of candles lit at the dinner table. If you are in a warm clime, sitting out on a patio with a glowing Mexican clay stove for warmth can be very romantic, too.
Capricorn: Capricorn is under a great deal of stress right now and may believe that they are better off alone. Silly boy! It can be hard to get under Cappy's shell but they can be pure mush inside. Soften them up with gentle touches, recognize their moods and feelings, and they may be eating out of your hands, well not quickly, but eventually. Stick up for love, because they are too prone to get hard and cynical about it in this crazy mixed-up, pragmatic world. Do not admit to ever being on unemployment, and account for periods when you did not work with projects like writing a book or volunteering for the Peace Corps. Respect family, especially family history, so be up on your own family tree; entertain him with stories about great-great-grandpa who came to this country in steerage and started a business.
Aquarius: Aquarians have gotten this image that they are so completely cerebral, but this is not true. OK, they may not get all moon-eyed over romantic stuff, but that does not mean they are not sentimental. Give him or her the goopiest card you can find, NOT the joke card or the funny card. Trust me on this. Buy him or her some candy, and as you hand it over, say “Sweets for the sweet.” Corny, yes, but they will be pleased.
Pisces: Pisces does not care how much you spend on special occasions like Valentine's Day or birthdays, but she sure does want you to care enough to make that day special. Even if you can only afford to have a picnic, or go to that old hot dog stand you frequented when you first dated, it will mean so much to her that you remembered the day. Buy a card, and maybe a single flower if you cannot afford a bouquet of roses, and tell her you wish you could give her a hundred more. Watch out for the fact that Jupiter in Pisces will make her prone to overspend; good for movie night, tho, so find a nice romantic flick.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
January 15, 2010 A Very Eventful Day in Astrology: Mercury Direct and a Solar Eclipse with Venus
by Milky Way Maid
I had to send out this bulletin because I hardly touched on the Annular Solar Eclipse of Jan. 15 in my regular weekly column. This will serve as the “What Will 2010 Bring to You?” article that I promised at the end of 2009. Not only does it kick off the first month of the new year and new decade, the eclipse is conjunct Venus, and the day also sees Mercury go direct. Talk about multi-tasking! There are portents affecting love, business (especially Big Business), government, transit, mail and email and all the other communications and tele-communications that tie our world together, and probably all the transfers of money that go on every second from one bank on one side of the world to another bank on the opposite side of the world. This is reiterated by the fact that the chart has Capricorn straddling the second and third houses in a chart set for Washington DC or even for a midwest location.
The eclipse is at 25 degrees 2 minutes CAPRICORN. It is the longest annular eclipse to occur this century with a duration of 11 minutes 08 seconds. The eclipse point is at one degree Capricorn, in the Vedic or sidereal system. The eclipse will begin at 05:14 Universal Time (UT) and end at 08:59 UT. This is about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and by some rules of thumb, that means that this eclipse's immediate effects will last nearly three months; its long-term effects may last nearly three years. And because Capricorn is a cardinal sign, you may actually start having 'events' in your life as much as six weeks ahead of the eclipse.
Those with planets conjunct the eclipse may feel a 'stop' signal in their lives. They may get a message from the Universe that they are not on the right track to getting what it is they want, or rather what is the best thing for them. Capricorn, as a very practical sign anyway, and at 25 degrees it is a very practical, here-and-now phase of that or any sign, and the conclusion I make is that this eclipse carries messages about what is actually working or going to work for you -- not what you wish would work, or what ought to work according to some textbook.
BTW according to another astrologer, the ascendant of the Federal Reserve is 24 degrees Capricorn. So we ought to keep an eye on any hints in the news about whether the role of this institution is in for a shakeup or alteration in any way. Has having a Federal Reserve actually worked for the United States?? Are we better off with it or without it? Those are questions that require a hard look and honest answers.
Much is being made of the fact that this eclipse contacts President Obama's Saturn exactly, which is positioned in the twelfth house. It is also widely conjunct his Jupiter a zero degrees Aquarius. In addition, the eclipse also contacts the 26 Capricorn Midheaven of the Jan. 2009 inauguration chart. He may have to deliver some bad-tasting medicine, you might say, to the American public. He may have to make some hard choices that he wished he did not have to make. And he may have to come clean about some sweetheart deals to Big Business or Big Banks in last year's bailout bills. These are all going to bring him down to the level of mere mortals instead of Chosen Ones, but hey, we are being called to deal with practical realities not textbook examples by this eclipse in practical Capricorn.
Mercury, which goes direct the same day, is conjunct Pluto in the second house and square Saturn in the eleventh house. Delays and misunderstandings may rule the day, so postpone signing contracts or holding important meetings or speeches. We are not saying you should stay home and hide under your blanket, but be aware this is a better day for bringing up matters for clarification rather than uttering final pronouncements.
And many of those matters will certainly be related to money and/or love, since Venus is standing at the side of the Sun-Moon wedding. Let you and your honey have a real heart-to-heart over what is really important to both of you. It is much more important, for example, to have a low-key date every week (say, at the local soda shop over a nice ice cream sundae) rather than a big, expensive vacation once a year. And maybe if you are able to meet each other at the soul level, all those other mis-communications will resolve themselves.
Readers may go to http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ to view a nice animation of the eclipse path as it begins over the Congo basin of Africa, progresses to Nairobi, crosses the Indian Ocean to touch the southern tip of India, then goes on to Mandalay and China.
What does an eclipse in Capricorn and conjunct Venus portend? Most of the answer to that question will come from your natal chart and which house is affected, and whether there are any natal planets affected by conjunction or other aspects.
ARIES: The eclipse falls in your solar tenth house of career and reputation. Venus high in your chart certainly gives you a very good chance at earning more cash this year. The North Node is also very near the eclipse, and promises that the events that transpire in 2010 will be favorable to your soul development. Mercury and Pluto in your solar ninth house are incredibly favorable for publishing or telecom ventures. Do you have a book project in the works? This is a good year to promote your book using the internet, social media, word-of-mouth campaigns, and other mass communication media.
TAURUS: The eclipse falls in your solar ninth house of travel, college, publishing and law. Where have you failed to follow through on any of these issues? With Venus conjunct the eclipse, love or cash are somehow tied in with these areas. Do you have a book project? You may finally find a publisher who extends a handsome advance. Prospective college students may locate loans and grants. Legal cases may finally come to a conclusion where you are awarded a just sum in compensation. But you did not have the right information or contact info until now, and so you can finally move forward on commissioning the right attorney, writers' agent, or whatever to represent you in your ventures.
GEMINI: The eclipse falls in your solar eighth house of wills, estates, insurance, taxes, loans and debt. Geminis will have a great opportunity to clear their financial decks of the burden of debt. If you are deeply in debt, get the proper help you need and listen, it should not cost you anything. Look up your state online, and there will be state offices with a list of bona-fide counselors to help you learn to manage your finances. Go online also to find info on what you need to know in order to contest an insurance denial, or refile your taxes, or any of a million things related to these financial issues. The eighth house also covers generational matters, which means that families may see a new addition, elders may come to live with an adult child, and adult children may come boomeranging back to their parents' home.
CANCER: The eclipse falls in your solar seventh house of partnerships and marriage. You will have cleared up the communications difficulties with your prospective partner, and can now move forward with drawing up contracts specifying your division of responsibilities. You may have been stymied in finding a counselor or other help in ironing out any difficulties in your marriage, but now you finally locate a book, counselor, or program that works for you. You might look up the book, “The 5 Love Languages”, which is probably available at your library.
LEO: The eclipse falls in your solar sixth house of health and occupation, as well as hobbies. Here again, one's hobby or avocation may become a second source of income for you, if you are able to figure out how to communicate your skills to the public. Learning a few marketing skills would benefit you now. Perhaps you can share ad space with a related service company, or simply put an ad on Craigslist like everyone else. Guard your health, and control your intake of sweets (Venus rules sugar). You can greatly improve your health over the year to come if you are diligent about taking painless baby steps to improve your diet and exercise regimen.
VIRGO: The eclipse falls in your solar fifth house of children, sports and risk-taking. Venus smiles on you for 2010 if you are hazarding the stock market or other investments, or if you gamble on sports events, or take other calculated risks. Be very careful that you understand the game, tho. Venus may bring another child into the family, or at least a house guest who is quite charming and attractive. If you have been trying to conceive or adopt, you should finally find out what agency or clinic can be of the most help to you in achieving your goal. Virgo athletes may win scholarships.
LIBRA: The eclipse falls in your solar fourth house of house and family. Perhaps you finally manage to get your home loan adjusted in the mortgage relief program signed by Pres. Obama. Your home is very, very important to you Librans, and you have fought tooth and nail to save it all through this horrible mortgage crisis. Now at last some light shines at the end of the tunnel. You find out what info was missing from prior applications for relief, and your request sails through. Family matters brighten, and you are able to express the love that you really feel for one another. Perhaps you are able to live in some kind of extended family arrangement, possibly with one family living upstairs and one downstairs.
SCORPIO: The eclipse falls in your solar third house of siblings, neighbors, local schools, automobiles and transit, and your own community. You may be able to mend fences with estranged siblings (or with problem neighbors), and finally express the love that you feel for each other. Repairing and opening the lines of communication will be paramount in the following months and long-term.
SAGITTARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar second house of money and personal resources. This does not promise lottery wins, Sag, this is just a promising indicator that your efforts at work will continue to be recognized and compensated accordingly. But it also could indicate a change in jobs, with the new job paying more than your present position. Make sure you understand all the details of the compensation package, because employers are not throwing money at employees for nothing. Check out the manager's or president's record with the company or prior companies.
CAPRICORN: The eclipse falls in your solar first house of self and appearance. This eclipse affects you the most personally, not just in your material needs but also your innermost emotional needs for love and affection and acceptance. Capricorn often is treated as Mr. Mealticket because they are quite good at making money, but they really need to know that they are loved for themselves as well as for how well they provide for their wives and families. I think that this eclipse will bring you a special someone who does love you for yourself, although the communication part of the relationship may well need ironing out first.
AQUARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar twelfth house of privacy and retreat and hospitals. This eclipse may bring you an opportunity to withdraw and concentrate on developing a special talent or project. Writers may finally get the chance to attend a writers workshop or retreat, or musicians may get invited to a Chautauqua music camp. And if any of you have unfortunate drug habits that you wish to be rid of, then a stay at a progressive detox facility may help you to finally shake off a self-destructive lifestyle.
PISCES: The eclipse falls in your solar eleventh house of hopes and wishes, as well as friends, groups and social and charitable organizations. You may join a charitable organization or one that provides grants or special events such as Make-A-Wish. OR you and your significant other may join a club together, hoping that the shared experiences will help keep you together.
In addition you may try looking at which house is touched by this eclipse in your NATAL chart. Use the list that follows here. My thanks to Kaye Shinker for this list.
1.The appearance you present to the world -- personality/persona, image, appearance.
2. The income you acquire one dollar at a time
3. The vehicles in your life, siblings and neighbors, community, local schools, how-to.
4. The home, your house, where you start and finish your day. Family matters too.
5. Entertainment and your ability to take a risk; children, games and sports, stock market.
6. The actual work you accomplish; hobbies, health.
7. Your partnerships: business, and otherwise
8. Insurance and taxes, loans, debts.
9. Travel and higher education
10. Career, reputation, honors and rank.
11. Earnings and dividends resulting from career; friends, charities, organizations, all groups
12. Chronic problems, enemies, retreats, hospitals.
Then, one may take note of which planets are near or are aspecting the eclipse point. If the eclipse contacts your Sun, you may experience a milestone and find new ways to make money. Your work increases your income, and you find intelligent ways to set aside the extra money you have earned. If the eclipse contacts the Moon, you may take great risks with your money, and it may actually pay off. Income can be volatile. And the biggest impact on your life is that you may move to a new home.
Eclipses that contact Mercury improve your chances for success in schooling and other intellectually demanding programs. You may be in transit a lot, either driving on the road or piling up the frequent-flyer miles. Eclipses that contact Venus improve your chances of winning money, prizes, and other bonuses during the years following the eclipse. Business partnerships formed now can be very successful, and you enjoy the pleasures that money can bring you. Eclipses that contact your Mars may bring a desire to take risks, so be careful. It is great for buckling down to outline your goals and taking steps to achieve them!
Eclipses that contact Jupiter increase your income and returns on investments, but also you may decide to spend on capital improvements, hopefully ones that will increase your income in years to come. Eclipses that contact Saturn help you learn to drive a good bargain, and thrift becomes an ingrained habit. There is nothing wrong with buying on sale, after all. You tally up your accounts and analyze where your best profits are coming from.
Eclipses that contact Uranus may bring sudden opportunities in whatever house is affected. It may be a business or travel opportunity, for example, but it may carry some risk which you need to research how to manage successfully. But it will probably be worth taking that risk.
Eclipses that contact Neptune revitalizes your creativity; your avocation may become your vocation. Your hobby may become your business if you can finally figure out how to present it to the paying public. Eclipses that contact Pluto serve to close a chapter of your life. Maybe you need to scale down possessions in order to move into a smaller place; Pluto will give you the strength to consign items to the trash or the Goodwill box. You may have a household or a business where you have to prune the payroll; Pluto will give your the strength to make these hard decisions.
And a final note: If you have a relationship that is troubled, or that you wish to resume, you might try the 40-day prayer. It is a very simple ritual that requires only that you repeat the following words at least once a day: “(name of other person), I am praying to you. Thank you, (name) for everything you have done for me. I am sorry for anything I have done to you.” Many stories of reunions or phone calls out of the blue could be related here.
I had to send out this bulletin because I hardly touched on the Annular Solar Eclipse of Jan. 15 in my regular weekly column. This will serve as the “What Will 2010 Bring to You?” article that I promised at the end of 2009. Not only does it kick off the first month of the new year and new decade, the eclipse is conjunct Venus, and the day also sees Mercury go direct. Talk about multi-tasking! There are portents affecting love, business (especially Big Business), government, transit, mail and email and all the other communications and tele-communications that tie our world together, and probably all the transfers of money that go on every second from one bank on one side of the world to another bank on the opposite side of the world. This is reiterated by the fact that the chart has Capricorn straddling the second and third houses in a chart set for Washington DC or even for a midwest location.
The eclipse is at 25 degrees 2 minutes CAPRICORN. It is the longest annular eclipse to occur this century with a duration of 11 minutes 08 seconds. The eclipse point is at one degree Capricorn, in the Vedic or sidereal system. The eclipse will begin at 05:14 Universal Time (UT) and end at 08:59 UT. This is about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and by some rules of thumb, that means that this eclipse's immediate effects will last nearly three months; its long-term effects may last nearly three years. And because Capricorn is a cardinal sign, you may actually start having 'events' in your life as much as six weeks ahead of the eclipse.
Those with planets conjunct the eclipse may feel a 'stop' signal in their lives. They may get a message from the Universe that they are not on the right track to getting what it is they want, or rather what is the best thing for them. Capricorn, as a very practical sign anyway, and at 25 degrees it is a very practical, here-and-now phase of that or any sign, and the conclusion I make is that this eclipse carries messages about what is actually working or going to work for you -- not what you wish would work, or what ought to work according to some textbook.
BTW according to another astrologer, the ascendant of the Federal Reserve is 24 degrees Capricorn. So we ought to keep an eye on any hints in the news about whether the role of this institution is in for a shakeup or alteration in any way. Has having a Federal Reserve actually worked for the United States?? Are we better off with it or without it? Those are questions that require a hard look and honest answers.
Much is being made of the fact that this eclipse contacts President Obama's Saturn exactly, which is positioned in the twelfth house. It is also widely conjunct his Jupiter a zero degrees Aquarius. In addition, the eclipse also contacts the 26 Capricorn Midheaven of the Jan. 2009 inauguration chart. He may have to deliver some bad-tasting medicine, you might say, to the American public. He may have to make some hard choices that he wished he did not have to make. And he may have to come clean about some sweetheart deals to Big Business or Big Banks in last year's bailout bills. These are all going to bring him down to the level of mere mortals instead of Chosen Ones, but hey, we are being called to deal with practical realities not textbook examples by this eclipse in practical Capricorn.
Mercury, which goes direct the same day, is conjunct Pluto in the second house and square Saturn in the eleventh house. Delays and misunderstandings may rule the day, so postpone signing contracts or holding important meetings or speeches. We are not saying you should stay home and hide under your blanket, but be aware this is a better day for bringing up matters for clarification rather than uttering final pronouncements.
And many of those matters will certainly be related to money and/or love, since Venus is standing at the side of the Sun-Moon wedding. Let you and your honey have a real heart-to-heart over what is really important to both of you. It is much more important, for example, to have a low-key date every week (say, at the local soda shop over a nice ice cream sundae) rather than a big, expensive vacation once a year. And maybe if you are able to meet each other at the soul level, all those other mis-communications will resolve themselves.
Readers may go to http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ to view a nice animation of the eclipse path as it begins over the Congo basin of Africa, progresses to Nairobi, crosses the Indian Ocean to touch the southern tip of India, then goes on to Mandalay and China.
What does an eclipse in Capricorn and conjunct Venus portend? Most of the answer to that question will come from your natal chart and which house is affected, and whether there are any natal planets affected by conjunction or other aspects.
ARIES: The eclipse falls in your solar tenth house of career and reputation. Venus high in your chart certainly gives you a very good chance at earning more cash this year. The North Node is also very near the eclipse, and promises that the events that transpire in 2010 will be favorable to your soul development. Mercury and Pluto in your solar ninth house are incredibly favorable for publishing or telecom ventures. Do you have a book project in the works? This is a good year to promote your book using the internet, social media, word-of-mouth campaigns, and other mass communication media.
TAURUS: The eclipse falls in your solar ninth house of travel, college, publishing and law. Where have you failed to follow through on any of these issues? With Venus conjunct the eclipse, love or cash are somehow tied in with these areas. Do you have a book project? You may finally find a publisher who extends a handsome advance. Prospective college students may locate loans and grants. Legal cases may finally come to a conclusion where you are awarded a just sum in compensation. But you did not have the right information or contact info until now, and so you can finally move forward on commissioning the right attorney, writers' agent, or whatever to represent you in your ventures.
GEMINI: The eclipse falls in your solar eighth house of wills, estates, insurance, taxes, loans and debt. Geminis will have a great opportunity to clear their financial decks of the burden of debt. If you are deeply in debt, get the proper help you need and listen, it should not cost you anything. Look up your state online, and there will be state offices with a list of bona-fide counselors to help you learn to manage your finances. Go online also to find info on what you need to know in order to contest an insurance denial, or refile your taxes, or any of a million things related to these financial issues. The eighth house also covers generational matters, which means that families may see a new addition, elders may come to live with an adult child, and adult children may come boomeranging back to their parents' home.
CANCER: The eclipse falls in your solar seventh house of partnerships and marriage. You will have cleared up the communications difficulties with your prospective partner, and can now move forward with drawing up contracts specifying your division of responsibilities. You may have been stymied in finding a counselor or other help in ironing out any difficulties in your marriage, but now you finally locate a book, counselor, or program that works for you. You might look up the book, “The 5 Love Languages”, which is probably available at your library.
LEO: The eclipse falls in your solar sixth house of health and occupation, as well as hobbies. Here again, one's hobby or avocation may become a second source of income for you, if you are able to figure out how to communicate your skills to the public. Learning a few marketing skills would benefit you now. Perhaps you can share ad space with a related service company, or simply put an ad on Craigslist like everyone else. Guard your health, and control your intake of sweets (Venus rules sugar). You can greatly improve your health over the year to come if you are diligent about taking painless baby steps to improve your diet and exercise regimen.
VIRGO: The eclipse falls in your solar fifth house of children, sports and risk-taking. Venus smiles on you for 2010 if you are hazarding the stock market or other investments, or if you gamble on sports events, or take other calculated risks. Be very careful that you understand the game, tho. Venus may bring another child into the family, or at least a house guest who is quite charming and attractive. If you have been trying to conceive or adopt, you should finally find out what agency or clinic can be of the most help to you in achieving your goal. Virgo athletes may win scholarships.
LIBRA: The eclipse falls in your solar fourth house of house and family. Perhaps you finally manage to get your home loan adjusted in the mortgage relief program signed by Pres. Obama. Your home is very, very important to you Librans, and you have fought tooth and nail to save it all through this horrible mortgage crisis. Now at last some light shines at the end of the tunnel. You find out what info was missing from prior applications for relief, and your request sails through. Family matters brighten, and you are able to express the love that you really feel for one another. Perhaps you are able to live in some kind of extended family arrangement, possibly with one family living upstairs and one downstairs.
SCORPIO: The eclipse falls in your solar third house of siblings, neighbors, local schools, automobiles and transit, and your own community. You may be able to mend fences with estranged siblings (or with problem neighbors), and finally express the love that you feel for each other. Repairing and opening the lines of communication will be paramount in the following months and long-term.
SAGITTARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar second house of money and personal resources. This does not promise lottery wins, Sag, this is just a promising indicator that your efforts at work will continue to be recognized and compensated accordingly. But it also could indicate a change in jobs, with the new job paying more than your present position. Make sure you understand all the details of the compensation package, because employers are not throwing money at employees for nothing. Check out the manager's or president's record with the company or prior companies.
CAPRICORN: The eclipse falls in your solar first house of self and appearance. This eclipse affects you the most personally, not just in your material needs but also your innermost emotional needs for love and affection and acceptance. Capricorn often is treated as Mr. Mealticket because they are quite good at making money, but they really need to know that they are loved for themselves as well as for how well they provide for their wives and families. I think that this eclipse will bring you a special someone who does love you for yourself, although the communication part of the relationship may well need ironing out first.
AQUARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar twelfth house of privacy and retreat and hospitals. This eclipse may bring you an opportunity to withdraw and concentrate on developing a special talent or project. Writers may finally get the chance to attend a writers workshop or retreat, or musicians may get invited to a Chautauqua music camp. And if any of you have unfortunate drug habits that you wish to be rid of, then a stay at a progressive detox facility may help you to finally shake off a self-destructive lifestyle.
PISCES: The eclipse falls in your solar eleventh house of hopes and wishes, as well as friends, groups and social and charitable organizations. You may join a charitable organization or one that provides grants or special events such as Make-A-Wish. OR you and your significant other may join a club together, hoping that the shared experiences will help keep you together.
In addition you may try looking at which house is touched by this eclipse in your NATAL chart. Use the list that follows here. My thanks to Kaye Shinker for this list.
1.The appearance you present to the world -- personality/persona, image, appearance.
2. The income you acquire one dollar at a time
3. The vehicles in your life, siblings and neighbors, community, local schools, how-to.
4. The home, your house, where you start and finish your day. Family matters too.
5. Entertainment and your ability to take a risk; children, games and sports, stock market.
6. The actual work you accomplish; hobbies, health.
7. Your partnerships: business, and otherwise
8. Insurance and taxes, loans, debts.
9. Travel and higher education
10. Career, reputation, honors and rank.
11. Earnings and dividends resulting from career; friends, charities, organizations, all groups
12. Chronic problems, enemies, retreats, hospitals.
Then, one may take note of which planets are near or are aspecting the eclipse point. If the eclipse contacts your Sun, you may experience a milestone and find new ways to make money. Your work increases your income, and you find intelligent ways to set aside the extra money you have earned. If the eclipse contacts the Moon, you may take great risks with your money, and it may actually pay off. Income can be volatile. And the biggest impact on your life is that you may move to a new home.
Eclipses that contact Mercury improve your chances for success in schooling and other intellectually demanding programs. You may be in transit a lot, either driving on the road or piling up the frequent-flyer miles. Eclipses that contact Venus improve your chances of winning money, prizes, and other bonuses during the years following the eclipse. Business partnerships formed now can be very successful, and you enjoy the pleasures that money can bring you. Eclipses that contact your Mars may bring a desire to take risks, so be careful. It is great for buckling down to outline your goals and taking steps to achieve them!
Eclipses that contact Jupiter increase your income and returns on investments, but also you may decide to spend on capital improvements, hopefully ones that will increase your income in years to come. Eclipses that contact Saturn help you learn to drive a good bargain, and thrift becomes an ingrained habit. There is nothing wrong with buying on sale, after all. You tally up your accounts and analyze where your best profits are coming from.
Eclipses that contact Uranus may bring sudden opportunities in whatever house is affected. It may be a business or travel opportunity, for example, but it may carry some risk which you need to research how to manage successfully. But it will probably be worth taking that risk.
Eclipses that contact Neptune revitalizes your creativity; your avocation may become your vocation. Your hobby may become your business if you can finally figure out how to present it to the paying public. Eclipses that contact Pluto serve to close a chapter of your life. Maybe you need to scale down possessions in order to move into a smaller place; Pluto will give you the strength to consign items to the trash or the Goodwill box. You may have a household or a business where you have to prune the payroll; Pluto will give your the strength to make these hard decisions.
And a final note: If you have a relationship that is troubled, or that you wish to resume, you might try the 40-day prayer. It is a very simple ritual that requires only that you repeat the following words at least once a day: “(name of other person), I am praying to you. Thank you, (name) for everything you have done for me. I am sorry for anything I have done to you.” Many stories of reunions or phone calls out of the blue could be related here.
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