BY MILKY WAY MAID
Here is the basic data about each of the president's birth dates and some notes on transits on election day or during the year they ran. In some cases I have made other notes about notable events or trivia but had to keep this short.
GEORGE WASHINGTON – Feb. 22, 1732, 10 am LMT in Wakefield, VA. Birth recorded in family Bible. Inauguration April 30, 1789 when Saturn transiting his eleventh house, not a traditional indicator of high office. Second Saturn return marked by moving the national capitol from New York to a swamp called the District of Columbia. Elected to second term in 1792.
JOHN ADAMS – Oct. 30, 1735, in Braintree, MA, time unknown. Elected in 1797 when Saturn contacting his Neptune in Gemini. Transiting Neptune was on his Scorpio Sun. Father of president number 6, John Quincy Adams, who was frankly a real disappointment.
THOMAS JEFFERSON – April 13, 1743 in Shadwell, VA, time unknown. Some give this red-haired president a Gemini ascendant, but Roy Whitney rectified his chart with a Virgo ascendant. Elected in 1800 just before his second Saturn return, and what is more, the solar eclipse that year fell on his birthday. Also Neptune fell on his natal Pluto. On reelection in 1804, Uranus opposed his Sun, and Jupiter conjuncted his natal Pluto.
JAMES MADISON – March 16, 1751 at midnight in Port Conway, VA. Birth time given in his biography. Birth chart has Saturn making a station conjunct the North Node in the first house. On election in 1808 Saturn transited his twelfth house (the presidency is kind of like a gilded cage or prison); also Neptune and Jupiter were on his busy Ascendant. Second Saturn return while in office, and reelected in 1812 with Saturn on his second house Mars, AND the solar eclipse that year was near his birthday.
JAMES MONROE – April 28, 1758 in Westmoreland, VA, time unknown. Elected in 1816 when Neptune transited his natal Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in Sagittarius. Also Saturn squared his sun and Pluto was on natal Uranus. Had second Saturn return soon after taking office. A solar eclipse on his natal Uranus marked his reelection; he was unopposed. Also Uranus and Neptune were conjunct in Sag, near that natal Jupiter-Pluto conjunction. Famed for Monroe Doctrine. Also gave ambiguous permission for military commander Andrew Jackson to seize Florida, giving him plausible deniability -- “sufficient for international denials”.
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS – July 11, 1767 in Quincy, MA, time unknown. Some sources say he was born at 9 am. At any rate, his election in 1824 was marked by eclipses on his birthday and also on his natal Moon. Had second Saturn return while in office in 1826. The 1824 election was extremely controversial when none of four candidates won a majority of the vote. One candidate, Henry Clay, threw his support to Adams and in return was appointed Secretary of State. Loser Andy Jackson denounced this as a “corrupt bargain” by the Eastern aristocracy.
ANDREW JACKSON – March 15, 1767, in Waxhaws area near border of North and South Carolina (Jackson claimed it was in South Carolina), time unknown but probably around 2 am per Grant Lewi and T Pat Davis. Was born three weeks after his father's death, so you see how the eighth house was strong in his life; orphaned by age 14. AKA Old Hickory, he was a ruthless military campaigner. Saturn transited his South Node when elected in 1828, opposing the eighth house cusp; his wife died before he took office. Saturn was on his Moon-Jupiter when reelected in 1832, with a solar eclipse falling on his South Node in Leo.
MARTIN VAN BUREN – Dec. 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, NY time unknown. A solar eclipse on his Saturn in Scorpio heralded his 1836 election. Also Saturn was transiting his natal Sun and Moon in Sagittarius. Now more known for his bald head and shaggy muttonchops sideburns.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON – Feb. 9, 1773 in Charles City Co., VA, time unknown. First president to die in office, supposedly a victim of the Tecumseh curse. There was a lunar eclipse near his birthday just before his inauguration. War hero and Indian fighter was nicknamed Tippecanoe after he defeated the native Americans there in 1811, but his success brought down the curse (allegedly). He was the last president born a British subject, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
JOHN TYLER – March 29, 1790 at 5:47 am LMT in Greenway, VA. Pluto on his midheaven in Aquarius opposed Jupiter when he inherited the presidency upon the death of Harrison. Eclipses contacted his natal Pluto-Jupiter opposition, and Mars transited his North Node in Scorpio at Harrison's death.
JAMES KNOX POLK – Nov. 2, 1795 at 12 noon as recorded in a diary, in Mecklenburg County, NC. Jupiter rising in Aquarius favors politics and other public careers. His election in 1844 marked by a Saturn station on his natal Jupiter. Also a solar eclipse the week of the election fell on his midheaven Sun and Venus. He is best known for winning western territory in a war with Mexico.
ZACHARY TAYLOR – Nov. 24, 1784 in Montebello, VA, time unknown. Saturn stationed on his birthday in year he was elected (1848). He was the second president to die in office, on July 9, 1850. A Pluto and Uranus conjunction was inconjunct his Sun. He, too, is thought to be a victim of the Tecumseh curse since he fought against the native Americans in the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War; he personally defended Fort Harrison against an attack led by Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief, during the War of 1812. Trivia: his daughter Sarah married Jefferson Davis, the future president of the Confederacy, against her father's wishes. Sarah died three months into the marriage of malaria.
MILLARD FILLMORE – Jan. 7, 1800 in Locke, Cayuga County, NY, time unknown. He became president on the sudden death of Taylor after only 31 days in office, marked by the Uranus and Pluto conjunction on his natal North Node. Possibly the most obscure president except for the manner of ascending to high office; also he holds the distinction of being the last member of the Whig party to hold this office. Maybe it has something to do with being lucky number thirteen?
FRANKLIN PIERCE – Nov. 23, 1804 in Hillsborough, NH, time unknown. His birth chart marked by a Pluto parallel to both Sun and Mercury. He was elected in 1852 when a solar eclipse contacted his North Node.
JAMES BUCHANAN – April 23, 1791 in Mercerville, PA, time unknown. He was elected in 1856 when Pluto contacted his natal Sun, and Saturn opposed his natal Moon. Also a solar eclipse that year fell on his South Node in Aries.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN – Feb. 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, KY, at about 7:15 am. as recorded in an aunt's diary. His Sun was on the Ascendant and his Moon in the eleventh house, and Uranus stationed in conjunction with his North Node. A peaceful man with Jupiter in Pisces, his legacy as a war president may be denoted by the prenatal solar eclipse on natal Mars in Libra – Libra being both a sign of war as well as peace. A solar eclipse after birth opposed his Mars, on April 14, 1809; eerily, he was shot on another April 14 in 1865, which in turn occurred after a lunar eclipse on his natal Mars contacted by a transiting Saturn. In addition, another solar eclipse after his death, on April 25, 1865 hit his natal south Node with Pluto also on the South Node, opposing Uranus. These eclipses repeated those of the year of birth.
ANDREW JOHNSON – Dec. 29, 1808 in Raleigh, NC late at night; estimated to be 11:55 pm LMT, as recorded in a diary. Mars rising in Libra squares his Sun and trines his Moon, and Uranus conjunct North Node sextiles his Sun in Capricorn. He was impeached on his second Saturn return but acquitted.
ULYSSES S. GRANT – April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, OH at about 6 am LMT. Birth data from his father. Civil War general demanded unconditional surrender but let General Lee keep his sword. At his election in 1868 Pluto sat on his Taurus Ascendant and trined Jupiter at his Midheaven. His reelection in 1872 marked by Saturn on his natal Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn in his eighth house, while Pluto still lingered on his Ascendant. The lunar eclipse in Taurus in November 1982 joined his Taurus ascendant and stellium. Later in life he knew he was dying of cancer, and doggedly finished his memoirs so his wife might have some income from the sale of copies.
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES – Oct. 4, 1822 in Delaware, OH at about 9:30 pm LMT according to his uncle and guardian. He was elected in 1876 when Saturn occupied his tenth house of career and high office.
JAMES GARFIELD – Nov. 19, 1831 in Orange, NJ at 2 am LMT, time is given by his mother. He was the fourth president to die in office. He was elected in 1880 when a lunar eclipse contacted his Midheaven. Also Saturn made a station in August of that year on his eighth house cusp, and Uranus contacted Saturn in his twelfth house. When he was assassinated in 1881, Pluto and Jupiter opposed his Sun, while Mars, Saturn and Neptune were on his eighth house cusp. His election day in 1880 showed the Sun, Moon and Mars contacting his natal Mars in Scorpio.
CHARLES ALAN ARTHUR – Oct. 5, 1829 in Fairfield, VA at 6:07 am LMT, born at sunrise. There was a solar eclipse a week before his birth; his Libra Sun opposed Pluto in Aries. In 1880, the election year, the south Node crossed his Midheaven. When he became president on the death of Garfield, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto all transited his eighth house.
GROVER CLEVELAND – March 18, 1837 in Caldwell, NJ at time unknown. There was a solar eclipse in 1884 on his North Node; was elected that year with transiting Saturn square his natal Pisces Sun. He was reelected in 1892 when Jupiter touched natal Pluto, a lunar eclipse on his natal Saturn, and a solar eclipse on his natal North Node. He had a second Saturn return in 1896 but he decided not to run again.
BENJAMIN HARRISON – Aug. 20, 1833 in North Bend, OH at 4:04 am LMT. Natally he had his Leo Sun opposite Uranus in Aquarius. Elected in 1888 which had eclipses in Leo and Aquarius, and Saturn on his natal Sun. In 1892, he ran for reelection but was defeated; if that wasn't bad enough his wife also died under his second Saturn return.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY – Jan. 29, 1843 in Niles, OH at 11:32 pm LMT per his mother. Libra ascendant with Mars in Scorpio. Was the last veteran of the Civil War to be elected. When he was elected in 1896, Saturn and Uranus were conjunct on his natal Mars. Annexed the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. He was shot in 1901 when Saturn hit his North Node in Capricorn, and Mars on natal Mars; the eclipse after his death also fell on his natal Mars. He lingered after being shot at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY appearance and finally died from gangrene. After being shot, he told those around him, “Be careful how you tell my wife”.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT – Oct. 27, 1858 in New York, NY at 7:45 pm LMT per family records. Sun-Mercury conjunction opposite Pluto, this reformer was deliberately buried politically in the vice-presidency. There was a lunar eclipse on his birthday a month after becoming president upon McKinley's death. On election day in 1900 Pluto contacted natal Jupiter just above his Ascendant. Also a lunar eclipse that year fell on his natal Venus-Jupiter opposition; reelected in 1904 with Pluto still on natal Jupiter and a solar eclipse on natal Neptune in his tenth house.
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT – Sept. 15, 1857 in Cincinnati, OH at 8:10 pm LMT per family records. Pluto-Jupiter-Uranus stellium at his natal Taurus Ascendant. Born three days before a solar eclipse. Elected in 1908 with Jupiter in Virgo trining the Ascendant stellium and his Capricorn midheaven. Also there were solar eclipses and Uranus on his Capricorn midheaven. Lost reelection campaign in 1912 when Uranus crossed his midheaven. Altho he had been endorsed by Teddy Roosevelt in his first run for president as a true progressive, they later became bitter opponents in the 1912 election. Only president to also serve on the Supreme Court; Chief Justice 1921-1930. A big man who used to swim in the ocean; the joke was that no one else could use it while he was thus occupied.
WOODROW WILSON – Dec. 29, 1856 in Staunton, VA at 12:45 am LMT per record in family Bible. Rose to presidency in 1912 with both solar and lunar eclipses on his ascendant, plus Uranus on his natal Moon and Neptune on his ascendant. His second Saturn return in 1915 came just before his second marriage to Edith Galt. Won reelection in 1916 with a Saturn-Neptune conjunct in Leo opposing h is Moon. Eclipses on his midheaven and nadir in 1917. Suffered a stroke in 1919 amid shuttling back and forth to Paris to assist in treaty negotiations after defeat of Germany in WWI; Pluto was on his natal Saturn in Cancer.
WARREN GAMALIEL HARDING – Nov. 2, 1865 in Blooming Grove, OH at 2:30 pm LMT per his father. His natal sun in Scorpio opposed Pluto in Taurus. He was elected on his birthday in 1920, with a solar eclipse in the week following, and transiting North Node on his Sun. Died in 1923 with transiting Saturn near his eighth house North Node. There were also eclipses that year in Pisces with Uranus crossing his ascendant.
CALVIN COOLIDGE – July 4, 1872 in Plymouth, VT at 9 am LMT per his father. Became president on the death of Harding, with transiting Pluto in Cancer on his Sun, and the North Node on his ascendant. Reelected in 1924 with Pluto still on his natal Sun, and solar eclipses on his ascendant. A Virgo rising, he was described as looking as if he was “weaned on a pickle”.
HERBERT HOOVER – Aug. 10, 1874 in West Branch, IA at 11:15 pm LMT per Hoover. Taurus rising with Pluto just above the ascendant. Elected in 1928 with a solar eclipse on his ascendant, and Saturn trining his Sun. He was defeated in 1932 with Saturn approaching his midheaven.
FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT – Jan. 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, NY at 8:45 pm LMT, time from his father's diary. Elected the first of four times in 1932 with Jupiter on his Uranus and ascendant, and Saturn applying to his natal Sun. Also transiting South Node was near his Virgo ascendant. In 1936, a solar eclipse was on his midheaven Mars in Gemini, and on election day the Moon joined his natal Moon in the tenth house. In 1940, he had his second Saturn return, and Saturn and Jupiter hit a natal Neptune-Jupiter conjunction in Taurus. Reelected yet again in 1944 with Saturn on his Moon, and Uranus in the ninth house applying to his midheaven. Pluto also opposed his natal Sun, and Jupiter on his ascendant-Uranus. There was a solar eclipse near his birthday in 1944. His death of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945 was marked by Saturn on his Moon, Uranus approaching the midheaven, and Pluto opposing his Sun. Was practically worshipped as a saint by people who had never known any other president as adults. Stricken by polio at age 39, he regained some strength in his legs but never walked again.
HARRY S TRUMAN – May 9, 1884 in Lamar, MO at about 4 pm CST per Truman. Born two weeks after a solar eclipse. He ascended to the presidency with Saturn applying to his midheaven, Uranus conjunct natal Saturn, and North Node on his midheaven. Also a solar eclipse in 1945 found a stellium of Sun, Moon, Saturn, and North Node on his midheaven in Cancer. Reelected despite the predictions of all the pundits in 1948 with Pluto square his Sun. Also a solar eclipse fell the day after his birthday in 1948 with Saturn and Pluto squaring his Sun.
DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER – Oct. 14, 1890 in Denison, TX at 3:40 am CST per Eisenhower and his mother, given independently to researchers. Saturn is rising in Virgo. He was elected in 1952 with Saturn and Neptune conjunct natal Sun, and near his natal Moon-Uranus conjunction. On election day the Moon was in Gemini on his midheaven-North Node, with a Mars return. Reelected in 1956 with Jupiter in his first house, and Saturn on his third-house Venus.
JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY – May 29, 1917 in Brookline, MA at 3 pm EST, per his mother. The first president to be born in the twentieth century, this Gemini with Libra rising charmed his way into the White House in 1960 with Saturn on his North Node. Election day had the Moon on his South Node in Cancer, opposed to Saturn on his North Node. He took office with Saturn and Jupiter conjunct at his nadir. Also eclipses that year fell on his Moon, signifying the public.
LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON – Aug. 27, 1908 in Johnson City, TX at 5:11 am CST, per his mother's diary which said daybreak. Jupiter rose in Leo, followed by a stellium in Virgo. Ascended to presidency upon the death of JFK on Nov. 22, 1963, when Uranus and Pluto transited his Mars-Sun-Moon-Mercury stellium. Reelected in 1964 by a landslide with Uranus in Virgo, and Jupiter on his Taurus midheaven.
RICHARD MILHOUS NIXON – Jan. 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, CA at 9:35 pm PST per birth records. Ran in 1960 but was defeated by JFK, when Uranus opposed his Moon. Elected in 1968 after a political comeback, with Saturn on his North Node, and Pluto, Mars, and Jupiter on his ascendant. Reelected in 1972 with Saturn on his midheaven, and Uranus and Mars square his Sun. Only president to be forced to resign from office, when Saturn opposed his Sun. The Watergate scandal broke in 1973 with Saturn on his Pluto.
GERALD FORD – July 14, 1913 in Omaha, NE at 12:43 am CST, no source given. Adopted, his birth surname was King. He was never elected president in his own right, and the fact that Uranus is retrograde in his tenth house of career might have something to do with that. Became president in 1974 on the resignation of Nixon with Uranus square his Sun, and Saturn in Cancer applying to his Sun. He was defeated in the 1976 campaign with Jupiter on his ascendant and Mars opposed to his natal Mars.
JAMES EARL CARTER – Oct. 1, 1924 in Plains, GA at 7 am CST, per his mother. [Note: my source says CST even tho I know Georgia should be Eastern Time, not Central Time. No idea if this is just a typo.] A Libra native with Libra rising, he was known first for his enormous toothy grin. Elected president in 1976 just after an eclipse on his first house Saturn. Defeated in 1980 bid when Saturn-Jupiter-Moon transited his natal Sun, and Pluto crossed his ascendant. Also a solar eclipse that year fell on his natal Mars and South Node in Aquarius – and another eclipse hit his Neptune-Venus-North Node in Leo.
RONALD REAGAN – Feb. 6, 1911 in Dixon, IL at 2 pm CST per his mother. His wife Nancy Davis Reagan never accepted that time and reportedly had astrologer Joan Quigley rectify it to a Sagittarian ascendant. (A 2 pm chart puts Neptune rising in Cancer, appropriate for a film actor.) Elected in 1980, the oldest president ever, with Saturn and Jupiter in Libra. A solar eclipse in 1980 opposed his Aquarian Sun; on election day, the transiting South Node was exactly conjunct his Sun. Reelected in 1984 a few days before a full moon eclipse on his natal Moon in Taurus. In 1981, just two weeks after he took office, a solar eclipse hit his natal Sun – he narrowly survived an assassination attempt that year. Reagan has a natal Sun square Jupiter, both parallel; could this account for his extraordinary good luck and Teflon coating?
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH – June 12, 1924 in Milton, CT at 11:30 am EDT per his mother. Elected in 1988 with Jupiter in Gemini on his midheaven. A solar eclipse that year fell on his Virgo ascendant. Failed in a reelection bid in 1992 with Uranus and Neptune opposing his natal Venus-Pluto in Cancer.
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON – Aug. 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas at 8:51 am CST per his mother who cited birth records. On election day in 1992, Jupiter in Libra was on his ascendant with its stellium of Mars, Neptune and Venus. Also Saturn was in Aquarius opposing his Pluto and Mercury. A solar eclipse in 1992 fell on his midheaven in Cancer. Pluto was in opposite his Moon and square his Sun, possibly reflecting public concerns about the influence of his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton. On election day 1996, Venus and the North Node contacted his ascendant and stellium, and Uranus opposed his Saturn. Saturn and Pluto trined his natal Saturn, and a full moon eclipse in September fell across his ascendant. Finally, an October solar eclipse fell close to his natal Jupiter.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Obama Inauguration Chart
The day that has seemed inevitable since summer is finally upon us. President-elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office on January 20 as prescribed in the Constitution. Actually the original document set March 4 as the inauguration day, but us modern hurry-up types moved it forward. Looking back, it would be more favorable to have the date in March, as the Sun will trine the election date.
I was not going to write an article on the inauguration, but a fellow astrologer emailed me all aflutter because the chart featured a Mercury retrograde plus a void-of-course Moon. To me, Mercury retrograde signifies trying to undo all the destructive acts and executive orders of the previous occupant of the White House (who shall not be named here). Perhaps we can look forward to this former law professor, Obama, restoring much of the integrity of the original Constitution. As for the Moon being voc, I started one of my better jobs under that aspect, and had to learn to ignore it as one year after another rolled by.
Depending on exactly when Barack Obama takes the actual oath of office Tuesday, the Moon will either be void-of-course in Scorpio or just entering Sagittarius. Even tho Mercury is retrograde, Mercury is strong because it is Cazimi (within 17 minutes of the Sun), both in Aquarius. In the strange reasoning of the ancients, Cazimi is MUCH better than combust (within 8 degrees of the Sun) (combust supposedly weakens the affected planet). Cazimi is a very favorable aspect to have for any enterprise that you want to succeed – assuming of course that there is anything else in the chart to support it. Mercury is also exalted in Aquarius, while unfortunately the Sun is in its detriment in Aquarius. (This is another argument in favor of the March 4 inaugural date.)
The Moon will be sextile the conjunction – if Obama takes the oath at or after 12:30 pm Eastern, the Moon will be Sagittarius, and not void-of-course. (PS – The Moon is in its fall in Scorpio, but unaffected by either detriment, fall, rulership or exaltation in Sagittarius). These planets are applying to aspects to Jupiter at 3 degrees Aquarius, Vesta at 3 degrees Taurus, and Pallas Athena at 4 degrees Gemini.
Pallas Athena in Gemini is a very good placement for her; in Gemini she is very adept and very career-oriented. Placed in the second house of banking, personal finances and income, this would seem to bode well for government management of the nation's fiscal problems.
One major concern, however, is that Venus is at 17 degrees of Pisces (17 degrees 47 minutes, which is rounded up to 18 on the chart graphic) – even tho Venus is exalted in Pisces. Seventeen degrees is a critical degree, which normally very promising for good things to come. But a prominent local astrologer declared that if VENUS hits a critical degree, it means lost money. Venus also happens to represent the dollar itself, so it will be interesting, to say the least, if the US dollar suffers another slide in value on the global exchange rate. Venus is also applying to a conjunction with Uranus, and the two of them oppose Saturn in the fifth house of speculation – and the stock market. Even though historically the stock market has gone up under Democratic presidents (contrary to the “common knowledge”), the Wall Streeters may be bit wary of Obama until they see what he actually proposes to do.
Note that Venus is sextile Mars, which happens to also be in its exaltation in Capricorn.
None of the outer planets are in strong placements for them. Transiting Uranus at 20 Pisces is square the U.S. natal Mars at 20 Gemini. A Mars-Uranus square is never comfortable; Uranus is in the chart's eleventh house of advisors (cabinet?) and Mars in the ninth house of foreign relations and also legal entities, such as possibly the US Supreme Court. Could Obama get in a legal battle with Supreme Court rulings? Could some of his advisors get in legal trouble and have to step down?
Pluto at 2 degrees Capricorn is opposite the US natal Venus at 2 degrees Cancer. Pluto is also in the ninth house, ruling law, publishing, religion and higher education. In the inauguration chart, Pluto is semi-sextile Sun-Mercury, trine Vesta in Taurus, and inconjunct Pallas Athena in Gemini in the second house. I am wondering if Vesta in the twelfth house means folks will go back to hiding their money in mattresses, perhaps to hide it from eighth house taxes.
I have also dug up the chart for George Washington's inauguration: April 30, 1789, 1:04 pm (LMT) in New York City, because some astrologers like to use this chart as a basis for comparison to new presidential charts or to transiting eclipses, etc. The George Washington chart has 2 degrees Virgo on the Ascendant, and 27 Taurus at Midheaven. RE indicators of was in the Washington chart, peaceful Pisces is on the seventh house (house of open enemies, among other things) cusp, a peaceful sign; also both traditional and modern rulers of Pisces (Jupiter and Neptune) are separating from hard aspects to the Ascendant ruler, Mercury.
Obama's inauguration chart has Scorpio on the Descendant. Ruler Mars is sextile Venus, ruler of the Ascendant. Pluto, the modern ruler, is not in any of the classical aspects to Venus. So this is good news for those who voted with the goal of getting someone in who will put an end to the bloodletting in Iraq.
The George Washington inaugural chart sets the tone for all our chief executives. George was sworn in in New York City on April 30, 1789, about 1:04 pm LMT according to a chart published in the 1984 special issue of the NCGR Journal. The chart has 2 degrees Virgo rising and 27 Taurus at the Midheaven. I do not have LMT on my program, so I had to jigger the time to get that ascendant degree.
Comparing the two charts yields these contacts: Obama Sun-Mercury opposes the GW Uranus in Leo. Obama Moon conjuncts the GW North Node in Scorpio. Obama Venus trines the GW Moon in Cancer. Obama Jupiter squares GW Venus in Taurus. Obama Saturn opposes GW Saturn, and Obama Uranus conjuncts GW Saturn. Obama Neptune sextiles GW Mercury. Obama Pluto trines GW Venus in Taurus.
The Moon contacts express the public's hope wish or hope that Obama will move the country forward towards its destiny (North Node) again, and that he will uphold the underlying American values (Venus). I suspect that the Pluto to Venus contact presages some revamping (Pluto) of the the nation's banking or financial system, and that the Jupiter square to Venus merely reflects the serious economic situation we face. Sun-Mercury should denote the inspiration (Uranus) he gives in his speeches and just by his positive demeanor.
It is interesting that the current Saturn-Uranus opposition ties into the GW Saturn; again, this reflects the serious problems we face and possibly a real change in the structures (Saturn) of our government and/or of our society. Mercury-Neptune contacts generally mean fuzzy or confused thinking; this may merely indicate that he will not get into too many specifics in the inaugural address, but stick to expressing ideals (Neptune) in an effort to inspire and soothe (Neptune) the American people.
In addition, Obama's Vesta is conjunct the GW Venus at 2-3 degrees Taurus, and Obama's Ceres at 13 degrees Virgo is inconjunct the GW Mars in Aries. I think that these reinforce his intention to deal with the monetary or fiscal crisis in this country and the matter of winding down the war in Iraq.
One could go on and play around with progressions to the GW or to Obama's birth chart, or add a ring for Obama's natal planets. I have to keep this article to a reasonable length. But I give you the data and charts for the inaugurals so that the more advanced readership can play with them.
Best wishes to all Americans and hoping for better times ahead.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Milky Way Astrology Looks at The Year 2009 in Short; Plus a Brief Snapshot of 2009 for the Signs
By Milky Way Maid
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Probably lots of you expect 2009 to be a real bear of a year, judging from the events of the past four months. But 2008 was a whole different set of transits by Pluto and Mars and Saturn et al (everybody's bogey men) ... plus Jupiter, too. For the most part, all of them have completed the heavy work of that cycle.
First, Pluto. He is the main culprit in the Wall Street meltdown last fall. While Pluto dipped a toe into the next sign, Capricorn, the first six months of 2008, he rushed back into Sagittarius to finish up the cleanup job he had begun back in Nov. 1995. Remember back then when Pluto in Scorpio had brought us (among other things) the AIDS scourge, and we all thought that it would spread to everyone, not just gays, and we would all die horrible lingering deaths? Pluto was delivering to all of us the consequences of our actions, on a mass scale. It is too easy to blame gay people, when the cause was really our 1970's promiscuity.
Now Pluto has delivered the coup de grace to those with a Sagittarian Achilles heel: Religious and spiritual leaders, athletes, actors and other performers, lucky gamblers and speculators in the stock market. Recall all those scandals splashed all over the news about wayward priests, athletes on steroids and other drugs, actors winding up dead or in-and-out of rehab, and now those wizards of high finance? The wolves of Wall Street are the last ones in line for their comeuppance. They sucked the money out of banks with fraudulent loans and Ponzi investment schemes. They told us to go ahead and write loans that would never be repaid, and sold the risk to other suckers. Now they are all going down, and we are left hoping to God that they do not take innocent bystanders down with them.
But Pluto is moving into Capricorn for good in 2009 (it actually re-entered Capricorn around Thanksgiving this year). That means the end of all the Sag high-flyer bloodletting and we can try to mop up the mess they left behind. But wait, what is Pluto going to do next? I'm afraid we have not seen the last of the corporate scandals. But instead of the investors/speculators being the source of the scandals, it will be the execs themselves, and especially the top tier of Chief Executives who make the rounds of major corporations, milking them to death and escaping with the proceeds. The dark underbelly of Big Business will become public knowledge. We will also probably see scandals about the other main Capricorn sphere of influence, Big Government. Where is government really getting all the money that is allocated in the annual budgets? Does that money really come from taxes? Does that money really exist?
But on to Mars. Mars enters Capricorn on Dec. 27, keeping company with Pluto like a pair of hit-men on the loose. One holds you while the other beats you up. Mars, according to astrologer Barbara Koval, is the money made from fees and taxes. “Mars rules other people's money or value that is shared or used without having full control. Mars is a loan. Mars is debt...Mars always represents those transactions that are represented as 'cuts'.”
By cuts she means any fee that is charged for doing the transaction, whether it is a sales tax or a service charge or a commission. These cuts really 'cut' into one's profits and can make the difference between making or losing money on a deal. Mars enters the business sign Capricorn just as credit card companies are raising rates and fees and lowering limits for cardholders. Oh, you don't want to accept their ratejacking, you say? Fine, just terminate the card and so long, buddy. BTW Mars enters Aquarius in February, so watch out for raised fees for your telecom and internet carrier or the end of unlimited texting.
Saturn is still in Virgo, so we have not seen the end of lower yield due to drought, etc., or of higher prices in the grocery store. Saturn will not be done with this cycle till November 2009. While there is light at the end of the tunnel, millions around the world could starve before we get out of the tunnel. The positive spin: Meantime, we may have to eat meat the way that the Orientals do, as a condiment to a dish rather than a separate course. This may be a healthier way of eating, in the end. Virgo is the most health-conscious sign, and Saturn gives us the discipline to both manage our food budget and eat less.
Jupiter moves into Aquarius in January, too. It resides there until January 2010. Jupiter often creates a glut of something so that prices fall. This is good news for consumers who are getting shell-shocked by rocketing prices in other goods and service. However, a great deal on a giant screen TV or new computer is fine, but you cannot put that on the dinner table and it does not help pay the mortgage or rent. All those shiny TVs that went unsold at Christmas are just sitting there, and vendors will be desperate to sell. I suppose if the price gets low enough, you might be able to build a little hut out of a truckload of them.
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.
ARIES - March 20-April 19 > Whatever sphere of work you are in, I cannot imagine you sitting on the sidelines. Aries will see a problem that needs to be solved, and by golly will get up and do something about it. You're the leader, and people will follow you if you add a smidgen of charm and common sense.
Jupiter moving into your solar eleventh house of friends suggests that your network of social contacts and clubs will be a source of assistance if you should need help. Neighbors and relatives can also be a source of valuable professional insights, due to the influence of asteroid Pallas Athena in your solar third house. Pluto and Mars in your solar tenth house of career could mean layoffs and cutbacks at work. Pluto there can also mean that you move forward on plans for your own business. The South Node in Leo in your solar fifth house can mean you fall back on experience in child care, entertainment or the arts for extra money.
The only worrisome note is Saturn in your solar sixth house of health (and also work). Saturn can weaken one's health, altho Arians are some of the hardiest people around. But Saturn also gives you the discipline to stick to your regimen of exercise and healthy food (asteroid Ceres is in Virgo, too). Avoid all the junk food and read labels!
TAURUS - April 20-May 20 > The asteroid Pallas Athena has moved into your solar second house of money; maybe you have already gotten a new financial advisor (possibly a Gemini), and just maybe that new advisor is yourself! New Year's eve will probably not find you partying the night away. You are in the mood for some classics, maybe the symphony or ballet, maybe some classic movies on the Turner network. The other possibility is baking up a storm with the kids so that you have plenty of bread and sweets into the new year.
Legal or contract issues could come to a head in 2009, due to the influence of Pluto in your solar ninth house. Taureans with planets in latter degrees of the sign could see a positive outcome due to the presence of Mercury and Jupiter at the end of Capricorn as we usher in 2009. (No guarantees, of course. Seek some experienced legal advice for best results.)
Jupiter will enter Aquarius, your solar tenth house of career in January, and I bet you will breathe a sigh of relief when its effects take hold. Taureans can have a lazy streak, true, but they really appreciate doing a hard job and getting the satisfaction of seeing results from their efforts. Jupiter may indicate that the job pays well, or it may mean that you are involved in a counseling, political or performing role. Jupiter rules law and lawyers and judges, but also performers of every kind like actors of stage or screen. Jove also rules kings, government and politics, publishing and counselors (lawyers, social workers, consultants, professional advisors of all kinds). Your career will be more fulfilling even if the paycheck is not as large as your old one.
The asteroid Vesta has moved into your sign, and will visit you till April. It will be interesting to see how this affects you. Will you get involved in a home security business? Will you renounce the world and become a monk? Vesta in Taurus is conflicted between desire and duty; you may also seek your own Holy Grail to answer the question of what is the meaning of your life.
GEMINI - May 21-June 20 > Many Geminis have become the go-to person in their department or in their field. Possibly this is due to the effects of the asteroid Pallas Athena moving into their sign. Geminis absorb lots of data quickly and easily and are quite happy to inform others about all the little angles and shortcuts. One caution: you may try to start too many projects at once, so focus a bit.
Your house is solid, possibly old-fashioned, and may be furnished either with antiques or lots of shiny metal thingies. You're a bit of a neat freak when it comes to your home. You might have started a vegetable garden to grow some of your food. Geminis love miniatures, by the way, so I bet you have cherry tomatoes and baby eggplant, etc in your plans for the next garden. You have become much more health conscious about your diet, and have dropped your favorite junk foods one by one.
You may be in the process of winding up some family estate matters or working out a new tax strategy. Jupiter will be leaving your solar eighth house of estates and moving into Aquarius shortly, which is your solar ninth house. The ninth house rules publishing, religion, higher education, and law. Any one or all of these fields may be activated in 2009 by the the presence of Jupiter. If you have any plans to publish (or self-publish), now is the time to get that draft finished and polished it. If you have some ambitions to run for office or teach at a local college, rev up your network of contacts.
CANCER - June 21-July 22> Cancer is one of the cardinal signs, so it is just as much an executive or go-getter as Capricorn or Aries. So often Cancer is stereotyped as a home-and-family sign, and of course those things are important to us all. But you are also concerned with your career and community. Saturn in your solar third house of neighborhood may mean that you have taken a position of responsibility in local government or with a community organization.
At the same time, you might find that you want some time to yourself. Perhaps a friend has a little getaway in the woods where you like to go to restore your soul. Perhaps you go on an organized retreat (or are the one who organizes it), or join a club that delves into spiritual matters. You could find any or all of those activities inviting and fulfilling this year.
January may be especially difficult for you because both Mars and Pluto occupy your solar seventh house of partners and the public. If you work in a position where you are in contact with the general public, do not be shocked if you are the target of verbal abuse or worse. Mars, fortunately, will move on. These planets will also affect your marital relationship; you may have to get family counseling to deal with the economic and other pressures affecting your marriage.
LEO - July 23-Aug. 22> Jupiter will move into your solar seventh house of partners, Aquarius, in January to visit for the year. Your spouse may be more helpful and generous than usual. Unmarried Leos may get married to a very attractive person with a good career and connections.
The asteroid Vesta is moving into Taurus, your solar tenth house of career, till April. Vesta in Taurus is in conflict between desire and duty. You may have to make some sacrifice of personal time in order to meet public or career commitments. This will be a difficult winter and spring for you, but at least it is not a long-term situation.
Ceres, the asteroid of nurturing and agriculture, is in your solar second house of money and resources. It is possible that you earn some money by nursing or child care or truck gardening. Ceres helps you find places to park your money where it will earn some steady growth. You are becoming more efficient with your resources, and are learning to curb that Leo habit of excessive spending.
The problematic area is your solar sixth house of health and work (the job that you do because it is just a job). Pluto and Mars are there this January. Mars will move on but Pluto is there for the long-term. These suggest layoffs and cutbacks at work, or serious, chronic health issues. Don't let the stress of the current economy make you eat too much or drink too much. Remember, we love ya, Leo.
VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22> The asteroid Ceres and Saturn in your sign emphasizes your urge to nurture and nurse others. Some Virgoes focus instead on home cleaning or sales prep.
Jupiter moves into Aquarius in your solar sixth house of health and mundane work. Perhaps you can snag a job in the healthcare field. Your own health and energies should be excellent this year, altho Jupiter tempts everyone to overdo when it comes to food and drink.
The asteroid Pallas Athena is in your solar tenth house of career. Pallas here lightens the load of responsibility; you feel more comfortable with exercising authority and with yourself. BTW, Vesta in your solar ninth house may give you an opportunity to travel with a purpose. This is not just a pleasure jaunt, it is something related to work or career, or possibly self-enrichment. (Examples: a professional seminar, an Elder Hostel tour, a health spa)
Uranus in the solar seventh house of partners can be problematic. Uranus has been there for four years already, so you must be familiar with the situation. Maybe your spouse is not there for you, or travels for his job. You either have a close rapport, to the point of being psychic, or you feel like strangers with nothing in common. Your spouse may express Uranus with a career as a computer geek, electrician, psychologist, chemist, or even astrologer.
LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22> First off, I have to raise a warning about the entrance of Pluto (accompanied by his little troublemaker pal Mars) into Capricorn, your solar fourth house. This is sure a sign of impending trouble for a home, so it might be prudent to have regular safety inspections and also have a bug man check for termites and other pests. While it is theoretically possible that you might marry into the ranks of the uber-rich (which is another manifestation of Pluto in the fourth), it is more likely that your home is vulnerable to the passage of time.
Jupiter enters your solar fifth house of love affairs and entertainment and children. You could have a fabulous streak of luck at the casino, but it is more likely that you will have more beaux than you can accommodate, or that you will find fulfillment in creative expression. If you can play an instrument, see if you can offer your skills in a weekly visit to a nursing home or in teaching youngsters. Venus and Neptune are already there, and they both also enjoy music and the arts.
Uranus is in your solar sixth house, and has been there for the past four years. It might be good to have your primary physician review all your medications to see if some are duplicating or negating the effect of another. Try to make a point of setting regular hours so you get adequate sleep, too.
The asteroid Pallas Athena is in your solar ninth house of higher education (among other things) is a great placement if you are interested in teaching or lecturing. Perhaps you only make up the visuals for others' lectures (think Power Point), or organize day-long seminars on a topic of interest. Sounds like fun.
SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21> Rah for you, Scorpio, you may one of the lucky ones who gains a new home this year. I say that because Jupiter enters your solar fourth house, Aquarius. If you already have your family home, then it may signify an addition to the family or a guest. You might host a student visitor from abroad, and that might provide an interesting source of information about how people live in other lands. Jupiter will join Venus, Neptune and the North Node, as well as Chiron.
Uranus in the solar fifth house, Pisces, has been giving you a quirky sense of humor for four years already. You may also have learned to enjoy using the computer more, and it really has opened another world to you. It is possible that the transiting sextile between Uranus and Pluto (entering Capricorn in the third house of communications) signifies that you are finally able to grasp how to use computers to communicate with masses of people, instead of just emailing your friends individually. No, I do not mean for you to start spamming. But I think that you will find some online platform for your writings so that you begin to reach many more people than before.
The asteroid Vesta moves into Taurus and your solar seventh house. This is such a self-sacrificing sign for Vesta to be, and I am not sure that it is too healthy for you. Vesta makes you live thru others and deny your own needs for others, and we all know how frustrating that can be over the long term. Fortunately Vesta will only be here till April.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21> I am sure you will be quite glad to see Pluto leave your Sun Sign for good! But now it enters your solar second house of money and finances, and that could be a whole new jar of pickles. Of course it is remotely possible that you strike oil, or inherit billions from a long-lost Rockefeller. But it is more likely that you invest your funds with a large firm, in bonds, or in your own business. Pluto joins Mars, the Sun, Juno, Mercury and Jupiter already visiting Capricorn.
Jupiter moves into Aquarius, your solar third house, January 5. It will stay there for the full year. Jupiter here could prompt a local publishing venture, maybe a fundraiser cookbook for a school. If you are in the field of education, you could get a promotion to an administrative post, or even run for a school board position. Jupiter rules politics, higher education, publishing and printing, religion, and law.
Uranus has been in Pisces, your solar fourth house of home and family, for four years already. Your home might be unusual, either very old or very newfangled with all kinds of electronic gadgets. You may even live in a houseboat, so you can take off when you need a change of scene. Uranus can denote an estrangement from family, which is unfortunate, but some families just do not respect each other as individuals.
Vesta in the solar sixth house may bring a job that has intrinsic rewards but little in the way of material rewards. You may even do a job for free just because you feel it needs to be done. You might be paid, but have to buy supplies out of your own pocket. Better save your change in a jar to cover those expenses.
CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19> Pluto enters your Sun sign and you could refresh your dress and hairstyle, even revamp your image and career. Of course it is remotely possible that you suddenly enter a high-ranking job that comes with lots of power and perks, a kingship for example, or at least a baronetcy. But is more likely that you purge everything that no longer has meaning for you. In fact, “purge” may be the right word for what is going on inside. Everything that is out of sync with your true values is going to go out the window, so get ready.
Jupiter enters your solar second house of money; how nice for you. It may not mean that you suddenly make a lot more money; it can mean that you are spending more than your income. It can also mean that your source of money, your job, is protected for now, at least.
Uranus has been in Aquarius in your solar third house of communications for four years already. Besides denoting electronic gadgets and computers and wireless, it also rules foreign languages. (Uranus is foreign, and the third house is language.) You may benefit from studying a second or third language in order to gain or keep employment.
The asteroid Vesta moving into your solar fifth house of children and enjoyments can inhibit having or enjoying your own children. Maybe you pursue a high-powered career in order to provide for them, but suppressing your own creative urges can lead to illness. BTW, you may also like to camp or hike, and these might be ideal occasions to take the family with you.
Ceres and Saturn in your solar ninth house of higher education denotes that you go back to school to get promotions or other advancements in your career. Try taking a literature or philosophy class for personal enrichment.
AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17> Jupiter enters your Sun sign this January and while that can give a real boost to your mood and personality, it can also add to your waistline. Use restraint and stay away from buffet restaurants. Venus and Neptune are also in your sign and can increase your attraction to sweets and alcohol, so be on the mettle when it comes to controlling your appetites.
Uranus in your solar second house of money can be very frustrating because often it means that your income is not in a steady, predictable stream. You may be a temp worker, live on commissions or royalties, or are prone to seasonal layoffs. Uranus is also foreign sources of money, so perhaps you have gotten a stipend to go study in a foreign country.
You are very attached to your home this winter and spring, or you might take in relatives or other guests just so you can spend more time at home.
Pallas Athena will be in your solar fifth house of amusements for awhile, so your taste for fun may turn to mental games like chess, bridge or Sudoku rather than tennis. Joining a club can help you gain mastery over any of these games quicker.
An interest in natural foods and in reincarnation are both possible results of Ceres and Saturn in your solar eighth house.
PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19>Uranus has been in your first house of self for four years. You are funny, witty, multi-talented, but also some people see you as unusual, maybe even unreliable. Vesta in your solar third house may mean you are a good student, but do not enjoy teaching. Yet teaching may be the only job that opens up for you, so learn to make the best of it and enjoy your students.
The asteroid Pallas Athena has moved into your solar fourth house, and may have prompted you to start a home business. Yet you are quite restless, and may change your own home several times during this transit.
I see Saturn in your solar seventh as a needed source of stability in your life. Learn to appreciate the steadiness of your partner's presence, even if he/she is not the most demonstrative of persons. Also try to avoid arguments with friends early in the year (transiting Mars in your solar eleventh house). You really do not want to alienate friends who have already helped you a great deal.
So that is it, folks. That was my mini reading on the year 2009 for all the signs. In many cases, it just covers the influences at the beginning of the year or the first half. So do not despair if you did not like the thumbnail sketch of 2009 for your sign. Happy 2009 to all.
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Probably lots of you expect 2009 to be a real bear of a year, judging from the events of the past four months. But 2008 was a whole different set of transits by Pluto and Mars and Saturn et al (everybody's bogey men) ... plus Jupiter, too. For the most part, all of them have completed the heavy work of that cycle.
First, Pluto. He is the main culprit in the Wall Street meltdown last fall. While Pluto dipped a toe into the next sign, Capricorn, the first six months of 2008, he rushed back into Sagittarius to finish up the cleanup job he had begun back in Nov. 1995. Remember back then when Pluto in Scorpio had brought us (among other things) the AIDS scourge, and we all thought that it would spread to everyone, not just gays, and we would all die horrible lingering deaths? Pluto was delivering to all of us the consequences of our actions, on a mass scale. It is too easy to blame gay people, when the cause was really our 1970's promiscuity.
Now Pluto has delivered the coup de grace to those with a Sagittarian Achilles heel: Religious and spiritual leaders, athletes, actors and other performers, lucky gamblers and speculators in the stock market. Recall all those scandals splashed all over the news about wayward priests, athletes on steroids and other drugs, actors winding up dead or in-and-out of rehab, and now those wizards of high finance? The wolves of Wall Street are the last ones in line for their comeuppance. They sucked the money out of banks with fraudulent loans and Ponzi investment schemes. They told us to go ahead and write loans that would never be repaid, and sold the risk to other suckers. Now they are all going down, and we are left hoping to God that they do not take innocent bystanders down with them.
But Pluto is moving into Capricorn for good in 2009 (it actually re-entered Capricorn around Thanksgiving this year). That means the end of all the Sag high-flyer bloodletting and we can try to mop up the mess they left behind. But wait, what is Pluto going to do next? I'm afraid we have not seen the last of the corporate scandals. But instead of the investors/speculators being the source of the scandals, it will be the execs themselves, and especially the top tier of Chief Executives who make the rounds of major corporations, milking them to death and escaping with the proceeds. The dark underbelly of Big Business will become public knowledge. We will also probably see scandals about the other main Capricorn sphere of influence, Big Government. Where is government really getting all the money that is allocated in the annual budgets? Does that money really come from taxes? Does that money really exist?
But on to Mars. Mars enters Capricorn on Dec. 27, keeping company with Pluto like a pair of hit-men on the loose. One holds you while the other beats you up. Mars, according to astrologer Barbara Koval, is the money made from fees and taxes. “Mars rules other people's money or value that is shared or used without having full control. Mars is a loan. Mars is debt...Mars always represents those transactions that are represented as 'cuts'.”
By cuts she means any fee that is charged for doing the transaction, whether it is a sales tax or a service charge or a commission. These cuts really 'cut' into one's profits and can make the difference between making or losing money on a deal. Mars enters the business sign Capricorn just as credit card companies are raising rates and fees and lowering limits for cardholders. Oh, you don't want to accept their ratejacking, you say? Fine, just terminate the card and so long, buddy. BTW Mars enters Aquarius in February, so watch out for raised fees for your telecom and internet carrier or the end of unlimited texting.
Saturn is still in Virgo, so we have not seen the end of lower yield due to drought, etc., or of higher prices in the grocery store. Saturn will not be done with this cycle till November 2009. While there is light at the end of the tunnel, millions around the world could starve before we get out of the tunnel. The positive spin: Meantime, we may have to eat meat the way that the Orientals do, as a condiment to a dish rather than a separate course. This may be a healthier way of eating, in the end. Virgo is the most health-conscious sign, and Saturn gives us the discipline to both manage our food budget and eat less.
Jupiter moves into Aquarius in January, too. It resides there until January 2010. Jupiter often creates a glut of something so that prices fall. This is good news for consumers who are getting shell-shocked by rocketing prices in other goods and service. However, a great deal on a giant screen TV or new computer is fine, but you cannot put that on the dinner table and it does not help pay the mortgage or rent. All those shiny TVs that went unsold at Christmas are just sitting there, and vendors will be desperate to sell. I suppose if the price gets low enough, you might be able to build a little hut out of a truckload of them.
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.
ARIES - March 20-April 19 > Whatever sphere of work you are in, I cannot imagine you sitting on the sidelines. Aries will see a problem that needs to be solved, and by golly will get up and do something about it. You're the leader, and people will follow you if you add a smidgen of charm and common sense.
Jupiter moving into your solar eleventh house of friends suggests that your network of social contacts and clubs will be a source of assistance if you should need help. Neighbors and relatives can also be a source of valuable professional insights, due to the influence of asteroid Pallas Athena in your solar third house. Pluto and Mars in your solar tenth house of career could mean layoffs and cutbacks at work. Pluto there can also mean that you move forward on plans for your own business. The South Node in Leo in your solar fifth house can mean you fall back on experience in child care, entertainment or the arts for extra money.
The only worrisome note is Saturn in your solar sixth house of health (and also work). Saturn can weaken one's health, altho Arians are some of the hardiest people around. But Saturn also gives you the discipline to stick to your regimen of exercise and healthy food (asteroid Ceres is in Virgo, too). Avoid all the junk food and read labels!
TAURUS - April 20-May 20 > The asteroid Pallas Athena has moved into your solar second house of money; maybe you have already gotten a new financial advisor (possibly a Gemini), and just maybe that new advisor is yourself! New Year's eve will probably not find you partying the night away. You are in the mood for some classics, maybe the symphony or ballet, maybe some classic movies on the Turner network. The other possibility is baking up a storm with the kids so that you have plenty of bread and sweets into the new year.
Legal or contract issues could come to a head in 2009, due to the influence of Pluto in your solar ninth house. Taureans with planets in latter degrees of the sign could see a positive outcome due to the presence of Mercury and Jupiter at the end of Capricorn as we usher in 2009. (No guarantees, of course. Seek some experienced legal advice for best results.)
Jupiter will enter Aquarius, your solar tenth house of career in January, and I bet you will breathe a sigh of relief when its effects take hold. Taureans can have a lazy streak, true, but they really appreciate doing a hard job and getting the satisfaction of seeing results from their efforts. Jupiter may indicate that the job pays well, or it may mean that you are involved in a counseling, political or performing role. Jupiter rules law and lawyers and judges, but also performers of every kind like actors of stage or screen. Jove also rules kings, government and politics, publishing and counselors (lawyers, social workers, consultants, professional advisors of all kinds). Your career will be more fulfilling even if the paycheck is not as large as your old one.
The asteroid Vesta has moved into your sign, and will visit you till April. It will be interesting to see how this affects you. Will you get involved in a home security business? Will you renounce the world and become a monk? Vesta in Taurus is conflicted between desire and duty; you may also seek your own Holy Grail to answer the question of what is the meaning of your life.
GEMINI - May 21-June 20 > Many Geminis have become the go-to person in their department or in their field. Possibly this is due to the effects of the asteroid Pallas Athena moving into their sign. Geminis absorb lots of data quickly and easily and are quite happy to inform others about all the little angles and shortcuts. One caution: you may try to start too many projects at once, so focus a bit.
Your house is solid, possibly old-fashioned, and may be furnished either with antiques or lots of shiny metal thingies. You're a bit of a neat freak when it comes to your home. You might have started a vegetable garden to grow some of your food. Geminis love miniatures, by the way, so I bet you have cherry tomatoes and baby eggplant, etc in your plans for the next garden. You have become much more health conscious about your diet, and have dropped your favorite junk foods one by one.
You may be in the process of winding up some family estate matters or working out a new tax strategy. Jupiter will be leaving your solar eighth house of estates and moving into Aquarius shortly, which is your solar ninth house. The ninth house rules publishing, religion, higher education, and law. Any one or all of these fields may be activated in 2009 by the the presence of Jupiter. If you have any plans to publish (or self-publish), now is the time to get that draft finished and polished it. If you have some ambitions to run for office or teach at a local college, rev up your network of contacts.
CANCER - June 21-July 22> Cancer is one of the cardinal signs, so it is just as much an executive or go-getter as Capricorn or Aries. So often Cancer is stereotyped as a home-and-family sign, and of course those things are important to us all. But you are also concerned with your career and community. Saturn in your solar third house of neighborhood may mean that you have taken a position of responsibility in local government or with a community organization.
At the same time, you might find that you want some time to yourself. Perhaps a friend has a little getaway in the woods where you like to go to restore your soul. Perhaps you go on an organized retreat (or are the one who organizes it), or join a club that delves into spiritual matters. You could find any or all of those activities inviting and fulfilling this year.
January may be especially difficult for you because both Mars and Pluto occupy your solar seventh house of partners and the public. If you work in a position where you are in contact with the general public, do not be shocked if you are the target of verbal abuse or worse. Mars, fortunately, will move on. These planets will also affect your marital relationship; you may have to get family counseling to deal with the economic and other pressures affecting your marriage.
LEO - July 23-Aug. 22> Jupiter will move into your solar seventh house of partners, Aquarius, in January to visit for the year. Your spouse may be more helpful and generous than usual. Unmarried Leos may get married to a very attractive person with a good career and connections.
The asteroid Vesta is moving into Taurus, your solar tenth house of career, till April. Vesta in Taurus is in conflict between desire and duty. You may have to make some sacrifice of personal time in order to meet public or career commitments. This will be a difficult winter and spring for you, but at least it is not a long-term situation.
Ceres, the asteroid of nurturing and agriculture, is in your solar second house of money and resources. It is possible that you earn some money by nursing or child care or truck gardening. Ceres helps you find places to park your money where it will earn some steady growth. You are becoming more efficient with your resources, and are learning to curb that Leo habit of excessive spending.
The problematic area is your solar sixth house of health and work (the job that you do because it is just a job). Pluto and Mars are there this January. Mars will move on but Pluto is there for the long-term. These suggest layoffs and cutbacks at work, or serious, chronic health issues. Don't let the stress of the current economy make you eat too much or drink too much. Remember, we love ya, Leo.
VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22> The asteroid Ceres and Saturn in your sign emphasizes your urge to nurture and nurse others. Some Virgoes focus instead on home cleaning or sales prep.
Jupiter moves into Aquarius in your solar sixth house of health and mundane work. Perhaps you can snag a job in the healthcare field. Your own health and energies should be excellent this year, altho Jupiter tempts everyone to overdo when it comes to food and drink.
The asteroid Pallas Athena is in your solar tenth house of career. Pallas here lightens the load of responsibility; you feel more comfortable with exercising authority and with yourself. BTW, Vesta in your solar ninth house may give you an opportunity to travel with a purpose. This is not just a pleasure jaunt, it is something related to work or career, or possibly self-enrichment. (Examples: a professional seminar, an Elder Hostel tour, a health spa)
Uranus in the solar seventh house of partners can be problematic. Uranus has been there for four years already, so you must be familiar with the situation. Maybe your spouse is not there for you, or travels for his job. You either have a close rapport, to the point of being psychic, or you feel like strangers with nothing in common. Your spouse may express Uranus with a career as a computer geek, electrician, psychologist, chemist, or even astrologer.
LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22> First off, I have to raise a warning about the entrance of Pluto (accompanied by his little troublemaker pal Mars) into Capricorn, your solar fourth house. This is sure a sign of impending trouble for a home, so it might be prudent to have regular safety inspections and also have a bug man check for termites and other pests. While it is theoretically possible that you might marry into the ranks of the uber-rich (which is another manifestation of Pluto in the fourth), it is more likely that your home is vulnerable to the passage of time.
Jupiter enters your solar fifth house of love affairs and entertainment and children. You could have a fabulous streak of luck at the casino, but it is more likely that you will have more beaux than you can accommodate, or that you will find fulfillment in creative expression. If you can play an instrument, see if you can offer your skills in a weekly visit to a nursing home or in teaching youngsters. Venus and Neptune are already there, and they both also enjoy music and the arts.
Uranus is in your solar sixth house, and has been there for the past four years. It might be good to have your primary physician review all your medications to see if some are duplicating or negating the effect of another. Try to make a point of setting regular hours so you get adequate sleep, too.
The asteroid Pallas Athena is in your solar ninth house of higher education (among other things) is a great placement if you are interested in teaching or lecturing. Perhaps you only make up the visuals for others' lectures (think Power Point), or organize day-long seminars on a topic of interest. Sounds like fun.
SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21> Rah for you, Scorpio, you may one of the lucky ones who gains a new home this year. I say that because Jupiter enters your solar fourth house, Aquarius. If you already have your family home, then it may signify an addition to the family or a guest. You might host a student visitor from abroad, and that might provide an interesting source of information about how people live in other lands. Jupiter will join Venus, Neptune and the North Node, as well as Chiron.
Uranus in the solar fifth house, Pisces, has been giving you a quirky sense of humor for four years already. You may also have learned to enjoy using the computer more, and it really has opened another world to you. It is possible that the transiting sextile between Uranus and Pluto (entering Capricorn in the third house of communications) signifies that you are finally able to grasp how to use computers to communicate with masses of people, instead of just emailing your friends individually. No, I do not mean for you to start spamming. But I think that you will find some online platform for your writings so that you begin to reach many more people than before.
The asteroid Vesta moves into Taurus and your solar seventh house. This is such a self-sacrificing sign for Vesta to be, and I am not sure that it is too healthy for you. Vesta makes you live thru others and deny your own needs for others, and we all know how frustrating that can be over the long term. Fortunately Vesta will only be here till April.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21> I am sure you will be quite glad to see Pluto leave your Sun Sign for good! But now it enters your solar second house of money and finances, and that could be a whole new jar of pickles. Of course it is remotely possible that you strike oil, or inherit billions from a long-lost Rockefeller. But it is more likely that you invest your funds with a large firm, in bonds, or in your own business. Pluto joins Mars, the Sun, Juno, Mercury and Jupiter already visiting Capricorn.
Jupiter moves into Aquarius, your solar third house, January 5. It will stay there for the full year. Jupiter here could prompt a local publishing venture, maybe a fundraiser cookbook for a school. If you are in the field of education, you could get a promotion to an administrative post, or even run for a school board position. Jupiter rules politics, higher education, publishing and printing, religion, and law.
Uranus has been in Pisces, your solar fourth house of home and family, for four years already. Your home might be unusual, either very old or very newfangled with all kinds of electronic gadgets. You may even live in a houseboat, so you can take off when you need a change of scene. Uranus can denote an estrangement from family, which is unfortunate, but some families just do not respect each other as individuals.
Vesta in the solar sixth house may bring a job that has intrinsic rewards but little in the way of material rewards. You may even do a job for free just because you feel it needs to be done. You might be paid, but have to buy supplies out of your own pocket. Better save your change in a jar to cover those expenses.
CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19> Pluto enters your Sun sign and you could refresh your dress and hairstyle, even revamp your image and career. Of course it is remotely possible that you suddenly enter a high-ranking job that comes with lots of power and perks, a kingship for example, or at least a baronetcy. But is more likely that you purge everything that no longer has meaning for you. In fact, “purge” may be the right word for what is going on inside. Everything that is out of sync with your true values is going to go out the window, so get ready.
Jupiter enters your solar second house of money; how nice for you. It may not mean that you suddenly make a lot more money; it can mean that you are spending more than your income. It can also mean that your source of money, your job, is protected for now, at least.
Uranus has been in Aquarius in your solar third house of communications for four years already. Besides denoting electronic gadgets and computers and wireless, it also rules foreign languages. (Uranus is foreign, and the third house is language.) You may benefit from studying a second or third language in order to gain or keep employment.
The asteroid Vesta moving into your solar fifth house of children and enjoyments can inhibit having or enjoying your own children. Maybe you pursue a high-powered career in order to provide for them, but suppressing your own creative urges can lead to illness. BTW, you may also like to camp or hike, and these might be ideal occasions to take the family with you.
Ceres and Saturn in your solar ninth house of higher education denotes that you go back to school to get promotions or other advancements in your career. Try taking a literature or philosophy class for personal enrichment.
AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17> Jupiter enters your Sun sign this January and while that can give a real boost to your mood and personality, it can also add to your waistline. Use restraint and stay away from buffet restaurants. Venus and Neptune are also in your sign and can increase your attraction to sweets and alcohol, so be on the mettle when it comes to controlling your appetites.
Uranus in your solar second house of money can be very frustrating because often it means that your income is not in a steady, predictable stream. You may be a temp worker, live on commissions or royalties, or are prone to seasonal layoffs. Uranus is also foreign sources of money, so perhaps you have gotten a stipend to go study in a foreign country.
You are very attached to your home this winter and spring, or you might take in relatives or other guests just so you can spend more time at home.
Pallas Athena will be in your solar fifth house of amusements for awhile, so your taste for fun may turn to mental games like chess, bridge or Sudoku rather than tennis. Joining a club can help you gain mastery over any of these games quicker.
An interest in natural foods and in reincarnation are both possible results of Ceres and Saturn in your solar eighth house.
PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19>Uranus has been in your first house of self for four years. You are funny, witty, multi-talented, but also some people see you as unusual, maybe even unreliable. Vesta in your solar third house may mean you are a good student, but do not enjoy teaching. Yet teaching may be the only job that opens up for you, so learn to make the best of it and enjoy your students.
The asteroid Pallas Athena has moved into your solar fourth house, and may have prompted you to start a home business. Yet you are quite restless, and may change your own home several times during this transit.
I see Saturn in your solar seventh as a needed source of stability in your life. Learn to appreciate the steadiness of your partner's presence, even if he/she is not the most demonstrative of persons. Also try to avoid arguments with friends early in the year (transiting Mars in your solar eleventh house). You really do not want to alienate friends who have already helped you a great deal.
So that is it, folks. That was my mini reading on the year 2009 for all the signs. In many cases, it just covers the influences at the beginning of the year or the first half. So do not despair if you did not like the thumbnail sketch of 2009 for your sign. Happy 2009 to all.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Economic Forecast for the Christmas Shopping Season
Having spent several years tracking the behavior of Christmas shoppers by the timing of Mercury stations, retrogrades and direct motion, I find that all that history is not applicable to the upcoming Christmas shopping season. Mercury is not retrograde any part of the holiday season proper; in fact, the last retrograde was Sept. 25 thru Oct. 15, ending right about the time all heck broke loose in the stock market.
Nevertheless, I will plunge onward with a stab at the behavior of shoppers this holiday season by looking at the flavors, so to speak, of the personal planets during these last few weeks of the year.
Let’s start with Mercury. Mercury is not getting any boost from a direct station during this time frame, as I mentioned above. It entered serious and spiritual Scorpio on Nov. 5, and then quickly enters happy-go-lucky Sagittarius on Nov. 24. This puts shoppers in a more optimistic mood in time for the kickoff of the official holiday shopping season. Sag is a free spender, but is also notorious for buying multiples of something, so stores that offer two for one or buy X number and get one free should do well with that.
Sag rules publishing -- so books sales should do reasonably well -- and law, religion and higher education. Perhaps grandparents will chip in something to their grandchildrens’ college funds rather than spend it on something that is disposable.
Venus and Jupiter, the two benefics, will be in serious-minded Capricorn (Venus from Nov. 13 till Dec. 8 when it slips into Aquarius). These two planets also be accompanied by the asteroid Juno, the wife or she-who-must-be-obeyed. Jupiter trines Saturn (plus asteroid Ceres) in earth sign Virgo and Vesta in the other earth sign Taurus (at least till Dec. 6). This earth trinity focuses on the practical, the durable, and on what you can produce yourself. Some may choose to exchange home-made gifts (Cappy and Taurus) or services/lessons (Virgo)with each other. Others may keep an eye to hard goods and supplies for making one’s own whatever, or things needed to start a sideline that brings in a second income stream.
An example: a plow attachment for one’s pickup truck so one can solicit local contracts to clear parking lots. Another example: spouting one’s own herbs in containers on the windowsill, to save on expensive store-bought seasoning. One might also turn a hand to making at least some of one’s own clothing or doing your own repairs, so that could mean buying your first sewing machine and lessons. More men may elect to change their own car’s oil and other basic maintenance rather than go in to the shop for everything.
Another note to keep in mind as you read the reports on how merchants are doing -- my thoughts are that shoppers will tend to cling to old reliable merchants that have been around awhile because of this heavy Capricorn and earth-sign influence. So stores like JC Penney, or even Sears and Abercrombie & Fitch, could see more shoppers who want to know that the store will still be there after Dec. 26 to accept exchanges. (I mention Penney’s because Bill Meridian mentioned that chain as due for an upswing over the next six months in a recent column.)
Vesta in Taurus trine Ceres in Virgo also will keep the accent on putting out a bountiful spread for holiday dinners. Taurus always likes to feed people anyway, and Virgo will bring healthful versions of old favorites, with less fat, omitting the GMO ingredients, and substituting organic as much as possible.
When Venus enters altruistic Aquarius on Dec. 6, the public may turn more to charitable giving than to spending still more on “stuff”. And families may schedule more group activities like attending city tree-lighting ceremonies or helping out with food banks. Aquarius may also give a late kick on sales of electronic items such as computers, printers, phones and software.
Mars enters the season in Scorpio. Mars in this position is quite the vulture shopper, as I call them. They shop where there are distressed sellers, and so those stores such as Mervyns that are liquidating their inventory in holiday sales before closing will be quite popular. Mars will enter Sagittarius on Nov. 17, where it will later be joined by Mercury. These two planets in the stock-up sign Sag will have a ball clearing out the shelves of vendors who offer deals on multiples -- the aforementioned “buy two, get one free” kind of thing.
Again, I do not see any burst of pent-up shopping desire, or any even necessarily any insistence on mark-downs. But the emphasis is on getting value for one’s dollar and buying items that will be used for a while. I see less buying of electronics gadgets and silly stuff, except for that rather late spike when Venus enters Aquarius. Vendors like Best Buy and Radio Shack will not be too pleased with that, and will have to work very hard to get shoppers attention in the immediate post-Thanksgiving week.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season, and I hope that your dreams have not all been shelved for another year.
Saturn's Aurora and Moon Enceladus in the News
Saturn’s Moon did Cosmic Flop
Saturn's moon Enceladus might have rolled over on its side sometime in the past, a suggestion that would account for a strange finding made by the Cassini spacecraft.
Why is there a hot spot only at the south pole?
There is a way to possibly confirm that the moon flipped. Its former leading hemisphere should have had more impact craters than the trailing hemisphere. If it flipped 90 degrees, the pattern of craters now present would reveal as much. Read the whole story at:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060531_saturn_moon.html
Saturn’s Aurora Dazzles with Mysterious Light
"We've never seen an aurora like this elsewhere," said Tom Stallard, an RCUK Academic Fellow working with Cassini data at the University of Leicester. "It's not just a ring of aurorae like those we've seen at Jupiter or Earth. This one covers an enormous area across the pole. Our current ideas on what forms Saturn's aurorae predict that this region should be empty, so finding such a bright one here is a fantastic surprise."
Saturn's main aurora, which is caused by the solar wind, changes size dramatically as the wind varies.
The newly observed aurora at Saturn, however, doesn't fit into previously identified categories…Read the whole story at:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060531_saturn_moon.html
Saturn's moon Enceladus might have rolled over on its side sometime in the past, a suggestion that would account for a strange finding made by the Cassini spacecraft.
Why is there a hot spot only at the south pole?
There is a way to possibly confirm that the moon flipped. Its former leading hemisphere should have had more impact craters than the trailing hemisphere. If it flipped 90 degrees, the pattern of craters now present would reveal as much. Read the whole story at:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060531_saturn_moon.html
Saturn’s Aurora Dazzles with Mysterious Light
"We've never seen an aurora like this elsewhere," said Tom Stallard, an RCUK Academic Fellow working with Cassini data at the University of Leicester. "It's not just a ring of aurorae like those we've seen at Jupiter or Earth. This one covers an enormous area across the pole. Our current ideas on what forms Saturn's aurorae predict that this region should be empty, so finding such a bright one here is a fantastic surprise."
Saturn's main aurora, which is caused by the solar wind, changes size dramatically as the wind varies.
The newly observed aurora at Saturn, however, doesn't fit into previously identified categories…Read the whole story at:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060531_saturn_moon.html
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Congrats to Obama the Princeling on his Election Victory.
My heartiest congratulations to the new president-elect, Barack Obama, and best wishes for the new administration. Maybe you read my article about the princely and royal points activated in his birth chart. You can read that article here -- http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2008/07/mystery-of-barack-obama-horoscope-what.html
Also I wanted to note that there was a Neptune station the Sunday before the election. At first I thought that I was not too keen about this station. But then it was further activated by a sextile to Venus, exact on the Wednesday after the election (7:56 am eastern time).
I interpret a Venus sextile to Neptune as very idealistic and hopeful. So which campaign offered themes more aligned with hope and ideals? Um, would you say that the Obama campaign iterated strong vibrations of hope and idealism? I would say so too.
Also I wanted to note that there was a Neptune station the Sunday before the election. At first I thought that I was not too keen about this station. But then it was further activated by a sextile to Venus, exact on the Wednesday after the election (7:56 am eastern time).
I interpret a Venus sextile to Neptune as very idealistic and hopeful. So which campaign offered themes more aligned with hope and ideals? Um, would you say that the Obama campaign iterated strong vibrations of hope and idealism? I would say so too.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
What’s Happening With The Stock Market????
Amazing downturn these last few weeks on Wall Street. It goes down when the bailout bill does not pass. Then it goes down when the amended bailout does pass. Then it goes down some more for who knows what reason. From a high in the 14,000 range, it has fallen to below 9,000. What is going on astrologically?
For one thing, the period of Mercury retrograde has not helped us to deal with the mortgage crisis, the foreclosure crisis, the credit crunch, or any of the other negative news. Mercury is finally going direct this Wednesday, Oct. 15. It will be none too soon. But of course Mercury goes retrograde three times a year, so we cannot lay everything at his dainty winged feet. He’s only the messenger, after all.
I like to go back to fundamentals as laid out by Barbara Koval, especially in her book, Time & Money: The Astrology of Wealth. Let’s look first at her chart for the birth of the New York Stock Exchange: founding on May 17, 1792, New York, NY, about 10 am Eastern. Ten degrees Leo rising, with Uranus at 15 degrees Leo, and 29 degrees Aries at the Midheaven. Mars at 18 Virgo and the North Node at zero degrees Libra in the second house; Jupiter and Neptune at 22 and 27 degrees Libra in the third; Pluto at 23 degrees Aquarius in the seventh; Moon and Saturn at 19 and 26 degrees Aries in the ninth house; Venus at 5 degrees Mercury retrograde at 23 degrees and the Sun at 27 degrees Taurus in the tenth.
Drat! Wouldn’t you know that Mercury would be retrograde in the birth chart of the major stock exchange of this country? Would that account for the continual cycles of boom and bust that this country has suffered?
Koval says that transiting Pluto was square the stock market ascendant when the market dropped 500 points in 1987. Currently, Pluto is trining the stock market Midheaven -- clearly, trines are not always nicey-nicey. But look at planets and points at late degrees in the stock market chart -- the MC at 29 Aries, Saturn at 26 Aries, Sun at 27 Taurus,
Neptune at 27 Libra.
What did I say in my article about planets in late degrees about these signs?? Late Taurus points promise financial ups and downs. Uff da. Late Aries points are signs of those who gain fame and fortune by being pioneers -- and certainly, it is very possible even now to get to the top with a lot of hard work if you have a new, innovative product. Libra, what the heck is Libra doing here? Well, let’s see, Neptune here rules the eighth house of pooled resources, which describes the pooling of funds in the market thru buying stocks. It also presaged the enormous growth in the stock market when pooled mutual funds and pension money became popular vehicles for investment.
Sun, Mercury and Venus in Taurus have given it lasting influence in growing wealth and assets, and denote its connection to banking. But Mars in the second house, Moon in Aries, and an angular Pluto put an accent on debt and also on speculation rather than investment. What is disturbing with this chart is that the ruler of the tenth house is in the second -- which Koval takes to mean that the banks are in control of wealth here. Then she says: “If the banks fail, so does the system.” Uh oh.
Koval also frequently defines Uranus not as shocks to the system or upsets and so forth; she defines it as foreign funds. And Uranus moving through Pisces in this chart’s eighth house of pooled resources is pretty accurate in describing the ocean of foreign investment in our markets; it’s the major reason Wall Street has kept afloat these past several years. It does not seem like the Chinese or Europeans will pull out immediately.
Uranus will not exit the eighth house till it reaches 2 degrees 53 minutes of Aries.
Transiting Saturn is also closing in on the chart’s natal Mars at 18 Virgo in the second house. Not a good sign. Transiting Neptune is approaching natal Pluto, the wipeout planet, at 23 Aquarius. This is not a good sign either. Possibly one of the reasons that drops in the market often occur in the fall, is that the transiting Sun passes over the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. Jupiter magnifies everything it touches, and here it magnifies the evaporation (Neptune) of money.
Contacts of transiting Sun to other transiting planets tends to bring a bit of a high to the market. Right now, the transiting planets feature Saturn in Virgo, the retrograde Mercury in Libra, Ceres also in Libra, then Mars (debt) and Venus (cash) in Scorpio (which should bring a mild uptick), and Pluto in Sag. The Sun does not contact a strong upward force till it meets up with Jupiter in Capricorn in January.
It may shock you to know that the Dow had not broken the 3,000 mark by 1990. Is a Dow at five times that level -- flirting with the 15,000 range -- even supportable? Was it ever supportable? Or was it just a Neptune dream, the Neptune that drives the market upward based on nothing but hope and faith in tomorrow?
It would be crushing if all the market growth fueled by the technological advances of the 1990s, the invention of mutual funds and index funds, the advent of cheap do-it-yourself trading services, and access to international investment markets were wiped away in one fell swoop by the presto-chango, now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t transit of Pluto -- the wipeout planet, the one who makes you a millionaire and then a pauper just so you don’t get a big head. Pluto is like the gold in the film “Treasure of Sierra Madre”. Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston and Tim Holt work like dogs to dig out the ore from the high sierras, and in the end the wind blows it all back to the mountains from which it came.
Cie la vie. Ciao, Fortune. Hello, bankruptcy.
[I really should not end on such a low note. Markets go up, markets go down, they go up again. That's how it is. Unfortunately, markets are getting more volatile due to computer programmed trades and instant transmission of trading information. But stop a minute and recall how the 500-point drop of 1987 was soon erased and the market sought new highs. Things will turn around again. But we all need to be vigilant that we buy well-run companies with no accounting funny-stuff.]
For one thing, the period of Mercury retrograde has not helped us to deal with the mortgage crisis, the foreclosure crisis, the credit crunch, or any of the other negative news. Mercury is finally going direct this Wednesday, Oct. 15. It will be none too soon. But of course Mercury goes retrograde three times a year, so we cannot lay everything at his dainty winged feet. He’s only the messenger, after all.
I like to go back to fundamentals as laid out by Barbara Koval, especially in her book, Time & Money: The Astrology of Wealth. Let’s look first at her chart for the birth of the New York Stock Exchange: founding on May 17, 1792, New York, NY, about 10 am Eastern. Ten degrees Leo rising, with Uranus at 15 degrees Leo, and 29 degrees Aries at the Midheaven. Mars at 18 Virgo and the North Node at zero degrees Libra in the second house; Jupiter and Neptune at 22 and 27 degrees Libra in the third; Pluto at 23 degrees Aquarius in the seventh; Moon and Saturn at 19 and 26 degrees Aries in the ninth house; Venus at 5 degrees Mercury retrograde at 23 degrees and the Sun at 27 degrees Taurus in the tenth.
Drat! Wouldn’t you know that Mercury would be retrograde in the birth chart of the major stock exchange of this country? Would that account for the continual cycles of boom and bust that this country has suffered?
Koval says that transiting Pluto was square the stock market ascendant when the market dropped 500 points in 1987. Currently, Pluto is trining the stock market Midheaven -- clearly, trines are not always nicey-nicey. But look at planets and points at late degrees in the stock market chart -- the MC at 29 Aries, Saturn at 26 Aries, Sun at 27 Taurus,
Neptune at 27 Libra.
What did I say in my article about planets in late degrees about these signs?? Late Taurus points promise financial ups and downs. Uff da. Late Aries points are signs of those who gain fame and fortune by being pioneers -- and certainly, it is very possible even now to get to the top with a lot of hard work if you have a new, innovative product. Libra, what the heck is Libra doing here? Well, let’s see, Neptune here rules the eighth house of pooled resources, which describes the pooling of funds in the market thru buying stocks. It also presaged the enormous growth in the stock market when pooled mutual funds and pension money became popular vehicles for investment.
Sun, Mercury and Venus in Taurus have given it lasting influence in growing wealth and assets, and denote its connection to banking. But Mars in the second house, Moon in Aries, and an angular Pluto put an accent on debt and also on speculation rather than investment. What is disturbing with this chart is that the ruler of the tenth house is in the second -- which Koval takes to mean that the banks are in control of wealth here. Then she says: “If the banks fail, so does the system.” Uh oh.
Koval also frequently defines Uranus not as shocks to the system or upsets and so forth; she defines it as foreign funds. And Uranus moving through Pisces in this chart’s eighth house of pooled resources is pretty accurate in describing the ocean of foreign investment in our markets; it’s the major reason Wall Street has kept afloat these past several years. It does not seem like the Chinese or Europeans will pull out immediately.
Uranus will not exit the eighth house till it reaches 2 degrees 53 minutes of Aries.
Transiting Saturn is also closing in on the chart’s natal Mars at 18 Virgo in the second house. Not a good sign. Transiting Neptune is approaching natal Pluto, the wipeout planet, at 23 Aquarius. This is not a good sign either. Possibly one of the reasons that drops in the market often occur in the fall, is that the transiting Sun passes over the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. Jupiter magnifies everything it touches, and here it magnifies the evaporation (Neptune) of money.
Contacts of transiting Sun to other transiting planets tends to bring a bit of a high to the market. Right now, the transiting planets feature Saturn in Virgo, the retrograde Mercury in Libra, Ceres also in Libra, then Mars (debt) and Venus (cash) in Scorpio (which should bring a mild uptick), and Pluto in Sag. The Sun does not contact a strong upward force till it meets up with Jupiter in Capricorn in January.
It may shock you to know that the Dow had not broken the 3,000 mark by 1990. Is a Dow at five times that level -- flirting with the 15,000 range -- even supportable? Was it ever supportable? Or was it just a Neptune dream, the Neptune that drives the market upward based on nothing but hope and faith in tomorrow?
It would be crushing if all the market growth fueled by the technological advances of the 1990s, the invention of mutual funds and index funds, the advent of cheap do-it-yourself trading services, and access to international investment markets were wiped away in one fell swoop by the presto-chango, now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t transit of Pluto -- the wipeout planet, the one who makes you a millionaire and then a pauper just so you don’t get a big head. Pluto is like the gold in the film “Treasure of Sierra Madre”. Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston and Tim Holt work like dogs to dig out the ore from the high sierras, and in the end the wind blows it all back to the mountains from which it came.
Cie la vie. Ciao, Fortune. Hello, bankruptcy.
[I really should not end on such a low note. Markets go up, markets go down, they go up again. That's how it is. Unfortunately, markets are getting more volatile due to computer programmed trades and instant transmission of trading information. But stop a minute and recall how the 500-point drop of 1987 was soon erased and the market sought new highs. Things will turn around again. But we all need to be vigilant that we buy well-run companies with no accounting funny-stuff.]
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