Venus to Cross Sun During 2012, Too

by Milky Way Maid

The year 2012 is not only the culmination of the Mayan calendar's Long Count, it is not only marked by the Neptune-Pluto square (discussed in a previous entry on this column), it is also the year that Venus makes another trip across the Sun. AND we will also see a solar eclipse within weeks of that Venus transit, one that aligns with the Pleiades star cluster in the sign Taurus.

The ancient Mayans (not to mention astrologer Barbara Hand Clow) believe that the Pleiades was a gateway for the ancients to come to earth or conversely, for shamans of several cultures to expand their minds.

Venus does not cross the Sun but rarely. She makes her visits in pairs, spaced eight years apart. But these paired visits may occur 105-130 years apart. So we are rather privileged to be able to view her transits in this decade with all the high-power telescopes trained on her progress across the Sun.

Venus made a transit of the Sun in June 8, 2004, at 17 degrees Gemini. Venus will make her return trip on June 6, 2012 at 15 degrees Gemini. Astrologer Susan Custer interprets the Gemini transits as presaging advances in communications and shrinking the 'global village.' For example, the 1631 and 1639 transit was the year that mail service was first instituted, in Denmark and Sweden. In 1874, the Atlantic telegraph cable was completed. Magellan sailed around the globe during the Venus transits in the 1600s. You may read her article on the topic on her website, The Astrology Page dot com, at http://www.theastrologypage.com/Archives/transit_of_venus.htm

The Mayans revered Venus, some might say they feared her even more. But they built temples and other observatories aligned to key phases in her cycle. Kukulkan was deemed a manifestation of Venus. Kukulkan, according to some, symbolized the return of the Christ energy, a time to rebalance the spiritual and material values we hold.

Some transits of Venus have been accompanied by the most dreadful events. The 2004 transit marked the year of the gigantic tsunami that killed 275,000 people. Yet this event triggered a spontaneous outpouring of concern and donations for the relief of the survivors rendered homeless and jobless. A previous transit marked the year that the Spanish conquistadores subjugated Mexico.

The fact that this second leg of the series occurs in Gemini may hold out some hope that we may see an advance in communications or internet capability, similar to the Sagittarius transits in the 1600s.

Let's look at what else happened in 2004 for more clues. On Jan. 4, 2004, Spirit, a NASA Mars Rover, lands on that planet. (It ceased communicating all too soon but was fixed remotely and resumed its chatter on Feb. 6.) The Queen Mary 2 is christened on Jan. 8. (She embarks on her first Trans-Atlantic crossing on April 16.)

On Feb. 12, the city of San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples who wished to wed. Massachusetts legalizes same-sex marriage on May 17.
On March 15, the discovery of the farthest natural object in the solar system (so far) was announced with the naming of Sedna. On March 29, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO.

On April 1, Google introduced gmail.

On May 24, North Korea bans mobile phones. On May 26, the New York Times publishes a list of its journalistic failings, including flawed reporting about the buildup to the 2003 launch of the war in Iraq.

On June 11, the probe Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of Phoebe.
On June 21 and Sept. 29, the first privately funded space plane achieves space flight, SpaceShipOne. On June 24, New York state declares capital punishment to be unconstitutional.
On Dec. 8, the Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations. On Dec. 25, Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.
(Events listed above are from the HistoryOrb.com webpages.)

So we can see that 2004 was not just about gloom and doom and disaster, although some terrible hurricanes, earthquakes, and of course the Dec. 26 tsunami occurred. The year was also marked by private space travel, solar system discoveries and exploration, gmail, gay marriage rights, and the expansion of international working groups (NATO, the South American Community of Nations).

In 2012, we may see more ordinary people embark on space flights, the scientific conclusions of some of the 2004 landings may be released, gay marriage may once again go forward, and greater international cooperation.

Let us hope so, anyway.
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RE the solar eclipse of 2012, let me look in the ephemeris... NASA shows an Annular Solar Eclipse on May 20 – actually May 21 in Asia. Its path skirts the edges of the East China Sea, Japan, the Aleutian Islands, then to California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Texas. It is at zero degrees Gemini, reinforcing the Venus transit later in the same sign. BTW there is a conjunction of Saturn with the star Spica on May 11, the second of a series of contacts between them.

A chart cast for Washington D.C. on May 20, at 7 pm shows Mars high and conjunct the MC at 10 degrees Virgo. The Ascendant is 27 degrees Scorpio. Venus is setting and the Sun and Moon are just above the horizon in the West. Jupiter and Mercury are just below the horizon. Pluto is in the second house, Neptune in the third near the IC, Uranus in the fourth, Saturn in the eleventh. The MC and Mars trine Pluto. Venus is trine Saturn. Mercury is semisquare Uranus. Jupiter is sesquiquadrate Pluto.


NASA reference page on 2004 and 2012 Transits of Venus: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/transit/venus0412.html

NASA world map showing where we may view some or all of Venus' 2012 transit across the Sun: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/transit/venus/Map2012-1.GIF

NASA map of May 2012 track of Annular Solar Eclipse, http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html

My prior article on the Neptune-Pluto square in 2011 and 2012 is at: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/return-to-the-summer-of-love-the-uranus-pluto-square/

What Do The Stars Say About the 2011 Oscars?

by Milky Way Maid

The Academy Awards are scheduled to be handed out in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. Who will be the big winners, and are there any surprises in store?
To answer the last question first, there are always some surprises on Oscar night. A performer who had been thought to be a shoo-in, goes home empty-handed.
What does the chart look like? The awards show generally begins about 5 pm Pacific Time, still daylight, in fact, when the stars walk down the red carpet and wave to the adoring crowd.

So I will use that time for the chart. This renders an ascendant of zero degrees Virgo. Virgo is actually a strong sign in the natal chart of Los Angeles. A forgotten writer of an old article on Tinseltown pointed out that Virgo is very apt, and is reflected in the many technical trades that are behind every film ever completed.

At any rate, the Ascendant is inconjunct Uranus in the eighth house, with Jupiter only a few degrees away. The inconjunct sometimes denotes an upset of some kind. Events that transpire are not quite what the audience expected to see. The ascendant is also sesquiquadrate the Moon (public) in Capricorn. Moon in Capricorn is good for formal fashions, but is rather dour for a gala event like this. Yet the sesqui aspect denotes that the public will have a difficult time accepting these fashions. The Ascendant opposes Mars in Pisces in the seventh house (with the Sun and Mercury nearby), and also opposes Neptune in the sixth house of work and health. Neptune is films in general, and Mars nearby is health issues. Perhaps the mental health and speech therapy themes of the films Black Swan and The King's Speech will be highlighted that night. (Neptune also rules afflictions, and illnesses with unknown or mysterious causes.)

The Ascendant is sextile the South Node in Gemini at the cusp of the eleventh house – the eleventh house probably denotes the guild that conducts this awards ceremony. Does the South Node denote a repeat winner?

The Midheaven is 26 degrees Taurus, which happens to be conjunct the evil star Algol. Wonder if anyone is supposed to get their head chopped off in the special effects category?

The Midheaven is trine Venus in Capricorn in the fifth house of entertainment. It is sextile Uranus in the eighth house, and square Neptune in the sixth. Neptune, as we said, is film in general. Perhaps the fact that Neptune is in the sixth house will put more focus on the technical trades and skills that give form to the writers' and director's vision.

Transiting Saturn (honors, or the experts' pick) squares the Moon (the public). It seems that the public may not like who the honorees are this year. This is not the People's Choice awards, after all. This is who the members of the industry think that the public should see. This may apply to the most talked-about film of the year, The King's Speech. The public is accustomed to seeing stuttering played for laughs, like in A Fish Named Wanda. Here it is treated seriously and with sensitivity as the Queen helps her husband overcome stuttering so that he can fulfill his duty to deliver speeches.

OK, on to the performing categories. We will treat the categories, Best Actor, Best Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress, and Best Director.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: (favorite: Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech; some buzz for Melissa Leo for The Fighter)

Jacki Weaver of Animal Kingdom has weak aspects; Saturn is inconjunct Mars, and Pluto is inconjunct Mercury. Maybe this is the beginning of a period of career growth. Melissa Leo of The Fighter has weak aspects plus a very negative aspect in Venus square the Moon. (Whew, the public will NOT like her dress that night.)
The Italian-born Amy Adams of The Fighter has interesting contacts. Saturn is opposite the Moon, so I do not think she will get the award, but her Mercury is conjunct the show's ascendant. Will she make a presentation, or accept for another performer? Hailee Steinfeld, nominated for True Grit, has favorable Mercury sextile the Sun, Saturn inconjunct the ascendant, and most powerfully, Neptune trine the show ascendant. If anyone has a chance to spring an upset, it is young Hailee.
The favorite, Helena Bonham Carter, has very strong multiple contacts to the Oscar night chart. Her Sun-Mercury is square Mars, powerful Jupiter is trine Mars, Saturn sextile Venus, Pluto trine the Moon, and her North Node is near the show Midheaven. Strong aspects involving the North Node (personal growth and recognition) and Jupiter (ruler of actors) are awfully hard to beat. It's like she has four aces in poker.

SUPPORTING ACTOR: (favorite: Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech, tho there is a lot of buzz for Christian Bale for The Fighter)

The supporting actor category is very difficult because several nominees have strong contacts to the Oscar night chart. Christian Bale (The Fighter) has Saturn trine Neptune and Neptune square the Sun; Neptune rules film in general, so strong aspects involving Neptune are a positive. John Hawkes of Winter's Bone has Jupiter opposite the show's midheaven, Saturn trine the ascendant, and the North Node inconjunct Mars. The opposition to the MC is not the best place for Jupiter, but the Saturn trine is excellent.

Jeremy Renner (The Town) has a frustrating Sun square Saturn so he will probably not win. Mark Ruffalo (TKAAR) has Sun square Neptune, Mercury trine Mercury, and a powerful Jupiter opposite Mars; I like this set of aspects the best. Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech) has Venus square Neptune, Mars opposite Mars, Saturn (honors) conjunct Venus (recognition, compliments, gifts), Pluto trine Pluto and the North Node trine the North Node. This is a powerful set of aspects, especially the one with the North Node. I think it is between Misters Ruffalo and Rush, with the edge going to Mr. Ruffalo.

BEST ACTRESS: (favorite: Jennifer Portman for Black Swan, altho Annette Bening is getting some buzz, too)
Annette Bening (TKAAR) has Venus square Venus (possibly an anti-glamor look for the night), Pluto trine North Node, North Node sextile North Node, and Sun sextile Jupiter. I think these contacts to the North Nodes portend another phase to her career, possibly transitioning from a romantic lead to character parts. Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole) has only the Sun trine Neptune (a very glamorous look for the night), and North Node sextile Mars. This Mars aspect may mean that she starts taking more action roles, or initiates more film projects. I have no birth data on the favorite, Jennifer Portman, natch.
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) has only Jupiter inconjunct the North Node (favoring a change in her career path), and Pluto sextile the Moon (giving her greater appeal among the mass audience). Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine) has Mercury opposite Uranus, Mercury square the North Node, and Mars inconjunct Jupiter. All of those are strong contacts for giving a speech, and a funny one at that, plus expressing her unique style in the acting trade. But I think that Annette really has a strong hand here, with the double contacts to North Nodes, and a Sun-Jupiter aspect. Without knowing what Ms. Portman's birth data is, I would pick Annette to win.

BEST ACTOR: (favorite: slam dunk for Colin Firth, The King's Speech)
The first actor to be-nominated for Best Actor in a Spanish-speaking role is Javier Bardem for Biutiful. This actor has his Sun conjunct Mercury, and Neptune square Neptune. This is very intriguing, for not only might he have an opportunity to speak (Mercury), he he is undergoing a Neptune square, a lesser-known transit but one that may be key for an actor. Perhaps a door is opening to him now to crossover to Hollywood-financed films.
Jeff Bridges, last year's winner and nominated this year for True Grit, has Sun square Mercury, Moon square Mars, Jupiter inconjunct Oscar show Ascendant, and Neptune conjunct Saturn. The latter is the most powerful, I think; it can be interpreted as filmwork receives honors.

James Franco (127 Hours) has several minor aspects but most regretfully his Mercury is opposite Saturn; his desire to speak is frustrated.

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) has several interesting transits. His Sun is inconjunct Mercury, Venus is trine the North Node AND opposite Neptune, Mars opposes Mars, Jupiter trines lucky Jupiter, Saturn trines Mars, Neptune is inconjunct the midheaven, and Pluto is trine Neptune. Just being nominated was a huge stroke of luck for him, and it is just about inconceivable that he could beat shoo-in Colin Firth for the Oscar. But if any set of transits could do it, it is the Jupiter trine and the Venus-North Node-Neptune contact.

Last but not least, Colin Firth is nominated for The King's Speech. Co-stars Bonham (who played his Queen), and Geoffrey Rush are nominated in Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor categories. Firth has his Mercury trine the midheaven and Venus, creating a grand trine in earth signs. This is powerful stuff. Also Venus is inconjunct the Sun, Saturn (honors) is sextile Mercury (speech), Neptune is sextile Pluto and inconjunct Jupiter, and his North Node (personal and career growth) is trine the Moon (the public). Firth is the heavy favorite, so I am not risking anything here, but with that grand trine he is sure to take home the award. Slam dunk city.

BEST DIRECTOR: (favorite: David Fincher, The Social Network, altho this category is more open than most of the others)
The Best Director category is very difficult. Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) has his Moon square Uranus, possibly denoting being upset at not winning. Yet Jupiter is applying to his natal Venus, Jupiter squares Pluto, Neptune squares Neptune, and Jupiter has already passed his North Node. Joel and Ethan Coen are nominated for True Grit. Joel's Mars and Pluto are square the midheaven, Uranus opposes Venus, and Jupiter squares the North Node. While Ethan's Mercury opposes Mercury, Venus trines the Sun, Mars trines Venus, and a frustrating Saturn squares the Sun. Saturn is honors, but in this case squares usually deny them.

David Fincher (Social Network) has Mars trine Mars (would be better for an athletic event), Jupiter conjunct the Sun (very lucky), Neptune trine Mercury, Pluto opposite the Sun, and North Node trine Jupiter. Unfortunately I have no birth data on Tom Hooper (The King's Speech). I know, this is terrible; that makes two faves who I am flying in the dark about.

David O Russell (The Fighter) has Moon trine Mercury, Mars inconjunct Saturn, and a lucky Jupiter square Venus.

I think I have to pick the favorite, David Fincher, even though it is not a slam dunk. He is described as being a perfectionist, and with the ascendant of the Oscar show start time in Virgo, it would seem apropos.

Venus to Cross Sun During 2012, Too

by Milky Way Maid

The year 2012 is not only the culmination of the Mayan calendar's Long Count, it is not only marked by the Neptune-Pluto square (discussed in a previous entry on this column), it is also the year that Venus makes another trip across the Sun. AND we will also see a solar eclipse within weeks of that Venus transit, one that aligns with the Pleiades star cluster in the sign Taurus.

The ancient Mayans (not to mention astrologer Barbara Hand Clow) believe that the Pleiades was a gateway for the ancients to come to earth or conversely, for shamans of several cultures to expand their minds.

Venus does not cross the Sun but rarely. She makes her visits in pairs, spaced eight years apart. But these paired visits may occur 105-130 years apart. So we are rather privileged to be able to view her transits in this decade with all the high-power telescopes trained on her progress across the Sun.

Venus made a transit of the Sun in June 8, 2004, at 17 degrees Gemini. Venus will make her return trip on June 6, 2012 at 15 degrees Gemini. Astrologer Susan Custer interprets the Gemini transits as presaging advances in communications and shrinking the 'global village.'

For example, the 1631 and 1639 transit was the year that mail service was first instituted, in Denmark and Sweden. In 1874, the Atlantic telegraph cable was completed. Magellan sailed around the globe during the Venus transits in the 1600s. You may read her article on the topic on her website, The Astrology Page dot com, at http://www.theastrologypage.com/Archives/transit_of_venus.htm

The Mayans revered Venus, some might say they feared her even more. But they built temples and other observatories aligned to key phases in her cycle. Kukulkan was deemed a manifestation of Venus. Kukulkan, according to some, symbolized the return of the Christ energy, a time to rebalance the spiritual and material values we hold.

Some transits of Venus have been accompanied by the most dreadful events. The 2004 transit marked the year of the gigantic tsunami that killed 275,000 people. Yet this event triggered a spontaneous outpouring of concern and donations for the relief of the survivors rendered homeless and jobless. A previous transit marked the year that the Spanish conquistadores subjugated Mexico.

The fact that this second leg of the series occurs in Gemini may hold out some hope that we may see an advance in communications or internet capability, similar to the Sagittarius transits in the 1600s.

Let's look at what else happened in 2004 for more clues. On Jan. 4, 2004, Spirit, a NASA Mars Rover, lands on that planet. (It ceased communicating all too soon but was fixed remotely and resumed its chatter on Feb. 6.) The Queen Mary 2 is christened on Jan. 8. (She embarks on her first Trans-Atlantic crossing on April 16.)
On Feb. 12, the city of San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples who wished to wed. Massachusetts legalizes same-sex marriage on May 17.
On March 15, the discovery of the farthest natural object in the solar system (so far) was announced with the naming of Sedna. On March 29, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO.
On April 1, Google introduced gmail.
On May 24, North Korea bans mobile phones. On May 26, the New York Times publishes a list of its journalistic failings, including flawed reporting about the buildup to the 2003 launch of the war in Iraq.
On June 11, the probe Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of Phoebe.
On June 21 and Sept. 29, the first privately funded space plane achieves space flight, SpaceShipOne. On June 24, New York state declares capital punishment to be unconstitutional.
On Dec. 8, the Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations. On Dec. 25, Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.
(Events listed above are from the HistoryOrb.com webpages.)

So we can see that 2004 was not just about gloom and doom and disaster, although some terrible hurricanes, earthquakes, and of course the Dec. 26 tsunami occurred. The year was also marked by private space travel, solar system discoveries and exploration, gmail, gay marriage rights, and the expansion of international working groups (NATO, the South American Community of Nations).

In 2012, we may see more ordinary people embark on space flights, the scientific conclusions of some of the 2004 landings may be released, gay marriage may once again go forward, and greater international cooperation.

Let us hope so, anyway.
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RE the solar eclipse of 2012, let me look in the ephemeris... NASA shows an Annular Solar Eclipse on May 20 – actually May 21 in Asia. Its path skirts the edges of the East China Sea, Japan, the Aleutian Islands, then to California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Texas. It is at zero degrees Gemini, reinforcing the Venus transit later in the same sign. BTW there is a conjunction of Saturn with the star Spica on May 11, the second of a series of contacts between them.

A chart cast for Washington D.C. on May 20, at 7 pm shows Mars high and conjunct the MC at 10 degrees Virgo. The Ascendant is 27 degrees Scorpio. Venus is setting and the Sun and Moon are just above the horizon in the West. Jupiter and Mercury are just below the horizon. Pluto is in the second house, Neptune in the third near the IC, Uranus in the fourth, Saturn in the eleventh. The MC and Mars trine Pluto. Venus is trine Saturn. Mercury is semisquare Uranus. Jupiter is sesquiquadrate Pluto.

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NASA reference page on 2004 and 2012 Transits of Venus: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/transit/venus0412.html

NASA world map showing where we may view some or all of Venus' 2012 transit across the Sun: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/transit/venus/Map2012-1.GIF

NASA map of May 2012 track of Annular Solar Eclipse, http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html

My prior article on the Neptune-Pluto square in 2011 and 2012 is at: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/return-to-the-summer-of-love-the-uranus-pluto-square/

Moon Will Make It a Grand Cross in Cardinal Signs in August, 2010

by Milky Way Maid

A Grand Cross is not the end of the world kind of aspect, but it a challenge. Fortunately, the cardinal signs rather like a challenge. As a personal reference, I once knew a first-degree Aries whose hobby was shopping and holding rummage sales. She often offered an item that was her personal challenge piece, by that I mean something that she challenged herself to sell. I recall one time it was a small Christmas tree, something so pathetic it was cute, in a Charlie Brown kind of way. She was eventually offered two dollars for it, and she had to force herself to not seem overly eager to take the money. So then once she sold that, she took on another challenge piece; I think it was a pair of black tiki god tumblers, the kind you sometimes get as a souvenir in theme restaurants.

Looking down the road at August, we find a Grand Cross forming in early degrees of the cardinal signs. On August 6, 2010 Uranus and Jupiter will be in Aries (at zero and three degrees, respectively); the Moon will be at three degrees of Cancer, opposing Pluto at three degrees of Capricorn, and then there is a trio of Mars, Saturn and Venus in Libra (at 5, 1 and zero degrees, respectively).

President Obama's natal Venus is at 2 degrees of Cancer, and in have natal Mars in an early degree of a cardinal sign, too. I will let you know how that plays out for me. I recall Saturn transits over that Mars which left me feeling extremely tired; had to make myself get plenty of sleep to cope with that one. Fortunately that was a short transit!

Possibly some of you know cardinal natives who are rather difficult to be around lately. Aries natives particularly did not like when Saturn first ventured into Libra, their opposite sign. Oh, do they hate when their way is blocked! Right now I have some Capricorn friends who have been going through some tough times; one has been dealing with a divorce and forced sale of his home, and another has been getting sporadic work. Please try to exercise your compassion muscles wherever you can.

Please also note that on Aug. 3, Jupiter squares Pluto, and the following day, Mars squares Pluto at three degrees Libra/Capricorn. Kaye Shinker of astrologicalinvesting dot com believes that the public (Moon) will be incensed that they have been hoodwinked by the Wall Street crooks. She feels that the scandals perpetrated by Bernie Madoff, Enron, Worldcom et al have been just the tip of the iceberg.

Astrologers all over cyberspace are weighing in with their predictions and interpretations. Maurice Fernandez says in his article, “Time of Radical Shift: A Look into the Coming Cycle” that “the situation heating up is like a piece of molten iron that can be beaten into a better form, personally and collectively.” Raye Mathis, writing in Venture Inward magazine, states that the cross is a time of great change when life is giving you a kick in the behind to force you to deal with the deep hole you have dug for yourself. She states that it is a time when one can re-create oneself and make deep inner changes.

What else might be affected by this Grand Cross? I have speculated that since Libra is the sign of marriage, and Jupiter rules law, and Uranus is the unusual or the shake-up, that same-sex marriage may be a burning issue this summer. Either same-sex marriage will become the law of the land or it will be outlawed. On a personal level, many of us may face trials in our marriages, and some may break up/separate (Uranus) or have a divorce finalized (Saturn).

Rather than sacrifice a long-term marriage that has been basically happy, it might be better to go off to separate retreats during this transit, to avoid saying terrible things that one cannot retract. Wait until after the transit has passed before making any final decisions on separating. Go to couples therapy afterward, or to a marriage enrichment weekend, to relearn how to reach each other emotionally.
Carl Jung described the cross as two pairs of opposites, which only meet at the center.

I am reminded of the sages of India, who point out that the only way to keep from getting unmercifully tossed off the spinning Wheel of life is to move toward the serene center, from which vantage point one may observe the maelstrom churning around you.

So again, try to keep the image of the spinning wheel of life in your mind's eye as all of us get tossed around this Grand Cross this summer. The center is the place to be. Whatever works for you to get tuned into your center is what you want to do plenty of. Some options: Meditation, craniosacral massage (or just using your still-point inducer), or going to a quiet nature preserve or a daily nature walk.

Avatar a shoo-in on Oscar night, but some surprises in store

by Milky Way Maid

I promised an Oscars column for the 2010 awards ceremony to be held in Los Angeles aka Tinseltown on March 7, 2010. Herewith are my predictions for the major categories. They are based on nominees' birthdates that I could locate. I was able to find dates of birth for all the acting and directing nominees, but few of the writers unless they were also directors. That means that I can only take a stab at the screenplay categories, so bear with me. I also located 4 of the 5 nominees' birthdates in the Best Animated Feature Film category. I also consulted online sources re who was favored in each category.

It is testimony to the fact that just being nominated is quite an honor. And as I counted up the contacts to each nominee's chart, it was rare to find few such contacts. Most had some good contacts, and there were few obvious signs of disappointment or loss. They all get to be in the spotlight, on the red carpet and on television (and broadcast to millions more around the world), and they all go to splendid post-awards parties. As far as I can see, few of them will cry any actual tears at not winning.

How did I approach this task? First, I looked at a chart for the probable start time for the awards ceremony, based on the time of last year's program. Place is obviously Los Angeles, or more specifically the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center. Then I checked the ephemeris for which aspects were exact that day. There are only a few but they are quite energetic and promise a good time for viewers.

First, Venus enters Aries early that morning and then trines retrograde Mars in Leo at 11:15 am PT. Mars will not go direct till March 10, by the way, and I have found in sports events that at times the best athlete does not win under a Mars retrograde. (Witness the upset in the Super Bowl this year, as the underdog New Orleans Saints easily put away the Indianapolis Colts.)

The Moon in Sagittarius squares the Sun in Pisces in the morning, too. Lastly, Mercury conjuncts Jupiter, ruler of show business and doing everything big, in Pisces at 5:45 pm PT. I am giving great weight to the Mercury contacts, because Mercury represents not only the fact that a winner's name makes the NEWS, but also the fact his name is ANNOUNCED by the presenter, and he has to make an acceptance SPEECH. Speeches may run long, tho, because Jupiter can go on and on and on and on.

One problem is that I have no idea when each category will be announced, so I cannot try to match up nominees' charts to the ascendants and midheavens. But, cie la vie, as they say. We march forward and do the best we can anyway.

First, let's take an easy one.

BEST PICTURE: Avatar is a shoo-in. Why do I say that? Referring back to the Mercury conjunction to Jupiter which is exact that evening, I note that both planets often signify words or names that begin with the letter A. Avatar fits, and it has been the biggest, most talked-about film all winter.

BEST DIRECTOR: James Cameron has quite a commanding lead in number of contacts between his birth chart and the Oscars chart. He has several planets at 23, 24, 25 and 28 degrees of signs, which will all be contacted by the transiting Moon in late Sagittarius. His Mercury is inconjunct the North Node, tho, which may mean an upset in some category that his film is nominated in. Yet his North Node is sextile the powerful Mercury-Jupiter conjunction.

And yet there is no knock-out punch in his chart. I look to the second-most-talked about nominee in the directing category, his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. She has the North Node sextile her Moon, Uranus square her Mercury (good for an upset), North Node square her Venus, Mars conjunct transiting Saturn (engaging her competitive fires even tho she could lose), Mercury trine her Uranus (also good for an upset but also likely giving a humorous buzz to her words), and Pluto sextiles her North Node. The topper for me, tho is that her Saturn is inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. The inconjunct is a funny aspect; it could mean she was fated to win this night, or it could weaken her hand. The midheaven of the awards show chart is inconjunct Pluto, and because transiting Pluto makes an aspect to her chart, I give her a good shot to win in this category. (I could be wrong of course.)

A brief look at the other nominees: Quentin Tarantino's Venus is conjunct Neptune, lending glamor but not honors. There are a few other aspects but they are off by a degree or so. Lee Daniels' chart has Saturn squaring his Sun, which is an obvious block. The Sun does square his Jupiter, and the North Node opposes his Venus and sextiles his Mars. Those are OK for benefiting from being in the spotlight that night. Jason Reitman has some nice contacts but he is nominated in the screenplay category; let's save that discussion for later.

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: The heavy fave in this category is Jeff Bridges for his role in Crazy Heart. I see plenty of support for this win because of several contact: Saturn trines his Moon, Saturn has passed a trine to his Jupiter, the North Node trines his Saturn, and the exact transiting Venus-Mars trine is contacted by his natal Venus at 29 Capricorn. The best contact for giving an acceptance speech is that Mercury-Jupiter squares his Sun. I am sure that his speech will express his huge gratitude for recognition of his long career.

George Clooney has some great contacts to the Venus-Mars trine, but other contacts are off by a degree. Close but no cigar, but let me look at your beautiful eyes some more. Colin Firth has the North Node trine his Sun, Uranus trine the Moon, and Mercury-Jupiter sextile his Saturn. Morgan Freeman has Jupiter square his Sun, the North Node trine his Mercury, and Jupiter trine his Uranus, so if anyone could upset Bridges it just might be Freeman. Jeremy Renner has the Sun sextile his Sun, Venus trine Venus, and Venus and Mars almost trine his Jupiter. All very pleasant but nothing more, as he enjoys his nomination.

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Christopher Waltz is heavily favored for his role in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. His Sun is inconjunct the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction, his Mercury is inconjunct Neptune, but his Jupiter is trine the North Node and his North Node is trine Venus and Mars making a grand trine -- nothing to sneeze at. And yet I look twice at Woody Harrelson's chart contacts: his Sun is trine Mars and Venus, his Mercury (speech) is trine Mercury-Jupiter, his Venus is inconjunct the North Node, Saturn trines his Jupiter, and his Pluto is conjunct the ascendant if I have the start time of the awards show correct. I can easily see him making a charming, aw-shucks acceptance speech.

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Sandra Bullock is supposed to be a shoo-in for this Oscar, but she has some strange contacts. Her Venus opposes the Moon, so one wonders if she is going to wear some strange gown or suit. Her Mars is trine Neptune, which lends sexy glamour. Venus squares her North Node, bestowing an accolade on her career. However, the Mercury-Jupiter oppose her natal Pluto, not lucky Jupiter or Venus or Sun or Moon. It is possible that her acceptance speech is over-the-top (Pluto). Or perhaps she is just so overwhelmed by this honor at this point in her career that she breaks down or screams or something. But Pluto is a strange contact in this context.

Does anyone else have a shot? Helen Mirren, who shares the July 26 birth day with Sandra, has Saturn trining her Mars, the Moon squaring her Jupiter, and the Sun trining her Saturn, all formidable transits. Carey Mulligan has the Moon square her Moon and a couple minor contacts. Gabourey Sidibe, nominated for her acting debut, has some intriguing contacts like Neptune trine her Venus (she makes a glamorous appearance), Neptune trines her North Node (this is only the beginning of her career, folks, so keep an eye on her), and Neptune also trines her Pluto (zowie, mass appeal, I'd say).

But the best shot to upset is from perpetual acting machine Meryl Streep. Her Sun-Uranus conjunction is squared by Venus on one side and Saturn (honors) on the other. The North Node trines her Moon, and opposes her Venus. Her Jupiter sextiles Venus and opposes Mars. Venus is inconjunct her Saturn. But best of all, her Neptune is inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. Hmm, does she even have a mantel long enough for all her Oscars?

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Mo'nique is heavily favored to win this category for her role in Precious. However, I am not finding support in her chart for that. She only has a couple pleasant Moon contacts, plus others to transiting Pluto. Pluto could give her the control over her career that she seeks, if that is what her ambition is. But again, I see nothing contacting either natal or transiting Mercury where she would give an acceptance speech.

I am calling an upset win by Penelope Cruz for her role in Nine. Her Moon is conjunct Mars and trine Venus, her Mercury square Mars, her Venus squares the Moon, her Mars opposes Pluto, Saturn squares her Venus, but most importantly Jupiter is conjunct transiting Mercury-Jupiter. She may give a very loquacious speech, possibly with some of it in a foreign language (Spanish).

Vera Farmiga has very few contacts, altho her Pluto is contacted by transiting Saturn. That accounts for the nomination, which is quite an honor (Saturn) by itself. Maggie Gyllenhaal has her North Node inconjunct the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction. This could play into an upset, too, but there are no other major contacts besides Pluto opposite her Jupiter. Anna Kendrick has only a couple semi-sextiles. Her Neptune squares Venus, however, so I expect her to make a very glamorous appearance.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The odds makers are split between Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker, and Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino's Mercury is opposed by Saturn, however, and his Venus is conjunct mute Neptune. Also his Uranus is only semi-sextile Saturn, altho his North Node trines Uranus. So I do not see him making any speeches even tho the performers or technical crew in his film may take home an honor. So that leaves Mr. Boal by default, the only nominee in this category for which I could not find a date of birth.
The Coen brothers have mixed contacts. Ethan's Mercury is opposite the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, and the North Node trines them, so he might make a speech indeed. Joel's Uranus is trine Uranus so he might be very funny. Pete Docter is also nominated in Animated Feature. His Moon is probably conjunct the Sun, his Mercury trine the Moon, his Jupiter almost opposite Mercury-Jupiter and Uranus opposite Uranus. If he makes a speech tonight, he will surely remember to thank the women (Moon) in his life.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman is heavily favored to win this award for his film Up in the Air, which he also directed. His Mercury contacts are a little off, so either he will not make a speech or his remarks will seem awkward. His Uranus does trine the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction, tho, so he could make a very, very humorous speech. Perhaps he loses one award but wins a later one, and makes a joke about the earlier loss. The only other nominee for which I found a date of birth was Nick Hornby, nominated for An Education. His sun is sextile Neptune, so he will seem glamorous and cool. His Mercury is sextile the Sun, and the Moon squares his Jupiter; Neptune squares his Mars, a loss aspect.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Pete Docter is heavily favored to win this award for his film Up. His Moon is probably conjunct the Sun, his Mercury trine the Moon, his Jupiter almost opposite Mercury-Jupiter and Uranus opposite Uranus. If he makes a speech tonight, he will surely remember to thank the women (Moon) in his life.
Anyone else? Tomm Moore has an excellent shot to win for his film The Secret of Kells. The Sun is sextile Sun, Mars conjunct Pluto, his Uranus trine Mercury-Jupiter (funny speech), and his North Node square competitive Mars in Leo. Wes Anderson, nominated for Fantastic Mr Fox, has Mercury-Jupiter sextile his Sun, Pluto sextile his Moon, Venus and Mars sextile his Mercury while Saturn (honor) trines his Mercury (writing or humor), and Neptune inconjunct Jupiter. Henry Selick is nominated for Coraline; Mars sextiles his Moon, the North Node is conjunct his Venus, Mercury sextiles his Jupiter and the South Node is conjunct his Uranus (upsets, surprises). Anything can happen in this category.

So there you have it: Avatar, James Cameron directly or indirectly winning for Avatar, possibly his ex winning for Best Director, Jeff Bridges for Best Actor, Bullock or Streep in Best Actress, Woody Harrelson for Best Supporting Actor, and Penelope Cruz for Best Supporting Actress. Screenplay awards: probably Jason Reitman and Mark Boal.

January 15, 2010 A Very Eventful Day in Astrology: Mercury Direct and a Solar Eclipse with Venus

by Milky Way Maid

I had to send out this bulletin because I hardly touched on the Annular Solar Eclipse of Jan. 15 in my regular weekly column. This will serve as the “What Will 2010 Bring to You?” article that I promised at the end of 2009. Not only does it kick off the first month of the new year and new decade, the eclipse is conjunct Venus, and the day also sees Mercury go direct. Talk about multi-tasking! There are portents affecting love, business (especially Big Business), government, transit, mail and email and all the other communications and tele-communications that tie our world together, and probably all the transfers of money that go on every second from one bank on one side of the world to another bank on the opposite side of the world. This is reiterated by the fact that the chart has Capricorn straddling the second and third houses in a chart set for Washington DC or even for a midwest location.

The eclipse is at 25 degrees 2 minutes CAPRICORN. It is the longest annular eclipse to occur this century with a duration of 11 minutes 08 seconds. The eclipse point is at one degree Capricorn, in the Vedic or sidereal system. The eclipse will begin at 05:14 Universal Time (UT) and end at 08:59 UT. This is about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and by some rules of thumb, that means that this eclipse's immediate effects will last nearly three months; its long-term effects may last nearly three years. And because Capricorn is a cardinal sign, you may actually start having 'events' in your life as much as six weeks ahead of the eclipse.

Those with planets conjunct the eclipse may feel a 'stop' signal in their lives. They may get a message from the Universe that they are not on the right track to getting what it is they want, or rather what is the best thing for them. Capricorn, as a very practical sign anyway, and at 25 degrees it is a very practical, here-and-now phase of that or any sign, and the conclusion I make is that this eclipse carries messages about what is actually working or going to work for you -- not what you wish would work, or what ought to work according to some textbook.

BTW according to another astrologer, the ascendant of the Federal Reserve is 24 degrees Capricorn. So we ought to keep an eye on any hints in the news about whether the role of this institution is in for a shakeup or alteration in any way. Has having a Federal Reserve actually worked for the United States?? Are we better off with it or without it? Those are questions that require a hard look and honest answers.

Much is being made of the fact that this eclipse contacts President Obama's Saturn exactly, which is positioned in the twelfth house. It is also widely conjunct his Jupiter a zero degrees Aquarius. In addition, the eclipse also contacts the 26 Capricorn Midheaven of the Jan. 2009 inauguration chart. He may have to deliver some bad-tasting medicine, you might say, to the American public. He may have to make some hard choices that he wished he did not have to make. And he may have to come clean about some sweetheart deals to Big Business or Big Banks in last year's bailout bills. These are all going to bring him down to the level of mere mortals instead of Chosen Ones, but hey, we are being called to deal with practical realities not textbook examples by this eclipse in practical Capricorn.

Mercury, which goes direct the same day, is conjunct Pluto in the second house and square Saturn in the eleventh house. Delays and misunderstandings may rule the day, so postpone signing contracts or holding important meetings or speeches. We are not saying you should stay home and hide under your blanket, but be aware this is a better day for bringing up matters for clarification rather than uttering final pronouncements.

And many of those matters will certainly be related to money and/or love, since Venus is standing at the side of the Sun-Moon wedding. Let you and your honey have a real heart-to-heart over what is really important to both of you. It is much more important, for example, to have a low-key date every week (say, at the local soda shop over a nice ice cream sundae) rather than a big, expensive vacation once a year. And maybe if you are able to meet each other at the soul level, all those other mis-communications will resolve themselves.

Readers may go to http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/ to view a nice animation of the eclipse path as it begins over the Congo basin of Africa, progresses to Nairobi, crosses the Indian Ocean to touch the southern tip of India, then goes on to Mandalay and China.

What does an eclipse in Capricorn and conjunct Venus portend? Most of the answer to that question will come from your natal chart and which house is affected, and whether there are any natal planets affected by conjunction or other aspects.

ARIES: The eclipse falls in your solar tenth house of career and reputation. Venus high in your chart certainly gives you a very good chance at earning more cash this year. The North Node is also very near the eclipse, and promises that the events that transpire in 2010 will be favorable to your soul development. Mercury and Pluto in your solar ninth house are incredibly favorable for publishing or telecom ventures. Do you have a book project in the works? This is a good year to promote your book using the internet, social media, word-of-mouth campaigns, and other mass communication media.
TAURUS: The eclipse falls in your solar ninth house of travel, college, publishing and law. Where have you failed to follow through on any of these issues? With Venus conjunct the eclipse, love or cash are somehow tied in with these areas. Do you have a book project? You may finally find a publisher who extends a handsome advance. Prospective college students may locate loans and grants. Legal cases may finally come to a conclusion where you are awarded a just sum in compensation. But you did not have the right information or contact info until now, and so you can finally move forward on commissioning the right attorney, writers' agent, or whatever to represent you in your ventures.
GEMINI: The eclipse falls in your solar eighth house of wills, estates, insurance, taxes, loans and debt. Geminis will have a great opportunity to clear their financial decks of the burden of debt. If you are deeply in debt, get the proper help you need and listen, it should not cost you anything. Look up your state online, and there will be state offices with a list of bona-fide counselors to help you learn to manage your finances. Go online also to find info on what you need to know in order to contest an insurance denial, or refile your taxes, or any of a million things related to these financial issues. The eighth house also covers generational matters, which means that families may see a new addition, elders may come to live with an adult child, and adult children may come boomeranging back to their parents' home.
CANCER: The eclipse falls in your solar seventh house of partnerships and marriage. You will have cleared up the communications difficulties with your prospective partner, and can now move forward with drawing up contracts specifying your division of responsibilities. You may have been stymied in finding a counselor or other help in ironing out any difficulties in your marriage, but now you finally locate a book, counselor, or program that works for you. You might look up the book, “The 5 Love Languages”, which is probably available at your library.
LEO: The eclipse falls in your solar sixth house of health and occupation, as well as hobbies. Here again, one's hobby or avocation may become a second source of income for you, if you are able to figure out how to communicate your skills to the public. Learning a few marketing skills would benefit you now. Perhaps you can share ad space with a related service company, or simply put an ad on Craigslist like everyone else. Guard your health, and control your intake of sweets (Venus rules sugar). You can greatly improve your health over the year to come if you are diligent about taking painless baby steps to improve your diet and exercise regimen.
VIRGO: The eclipse falls in your solar fifth house of children, sports and risk-taking. Venus smiles on you for 2010 if you are hazarding the stock market or other investments, or if you gamble on sports events, or take other calculated risks. Be very careful that you understand the game, tho. Venus may bring another child into the family, or at least a house guest who is quite charming and attractive. If you have been trying to conceive or adopt, you should finally find out what agency or clinic can be of the most help to you in achieving your goal. Virgo athletes may win scholarships.
LIBRA: The eclipse falls in your solar fourth house of house and family. Perhaps you finally manage to get your home loan adjusted in the mortgage relief program signed by Pres. Obama. Your home is very, very important to you Librans, and you have fought tooth and nail to save it all through this horrible mortgage crisis. Now at last some light shines at the end of the tunnel. You find out what info was missing from prior applications for relief, and your request sails through. Family matters brighten, and you are able to express the love that you really feel for one another. Perhaps you are able to live in some kind of extended family arrangement, possibly with one family living upstairs and one downstairs.
SCORPIO: The eclipse falls in your solar third house of siblings, neighbors, local schools, automobiles and transit, and your own community. You may be able to mend fences with estranged siblings (or with problem neighbors), and finally express the love that you feel for each other. Repairing and opening the lines of communication will be paramount in the following months and long-term.
SAGITTARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar second house of money and personal resources. This does not promise lottery wins, Sag, this is just a promising indicator that your efforts at work will continue to be recognized and compensated accordingly. But it also could indicate a change in jobs, with the new job paying more than your present position. Make sure you understand all the details of the compensation package, because employers are not throwing money at employees for nothing. Check out the manager's or president's record with the company or prior companies.
CAPRICORN: The eclipse falls in your solar first house of self and appearance. This eclipse affects you the most personally, not just in your material needs but also your innermost emotional needs for love and affection and acceptance. Capricorn often is treated as Mr. Mealticket because they are quite good at making money, but they really need to know that they are loved for themselves as well as for how well they provide for their wives and families. I think that this eclipse will bring you a special someone who does love you for yourself, although the communication part of the relationship may well need ironing out first.
AQUARIUS: The eclipse falls in your solar twelfth house of privacy and retreat and hospitals. This eclipse may bring you an opportunity to withdraw and concentrate on developing a special talent or project. Writers may finally get the chance to attend a writers workshop or retreat, or musicians may get invited to a Chautauqua music camp. And if any of you have unfortunate drug habits that you wish to be rid of, then a stay at a progressive detox facility may help you to finally shake off a self-destructive lifestyle.
PISCES: The eclipse falls in your solar eleventh house of hopes and wishes, as well as friends, groups and social and charitable organizations. You may join a charitable organization or one that provides grants or special events such as Make-A-Wish. OR you and your significant other may join a club together, hoping that the shared experiences will help keep you together.

In addition you may try looking at which house is touched by this eclipse in your NATAL chart. Use the list that follows here. My thanks to Kaye Shinker for this list.

1.The appearance you present to the world -- personality/persona, image, appearance.
2. The income you acquire one dollar at a time
3. The vehicles in your life, siblings and neighbors, community, local schools, how-to.
4. The home, your house, where you start and finish your day. Family matters too.
5. Entertainment and your ability to take a risk; children, games and sports, stock market.
6. The actual work you accomplish; hobbies, health.
7. Your partnerships: business, and otherwise
8. Insurance and taxes, loans, debts.
9. Travel and higher education
10. Career, reputation, honors and rank.
11. Earnings and dividends resulting from career; friends, charities, organizations, all groups
12. Chronic problems, enemies, retreats, hospitals.

Then, one may take note of which planets are near or are aspecting the eclipse point. If the eclipse contacts your Sun, you may experience a milestone and find new ways to make money. Your work increases your income, and you find intelligent ways to set aside the extra money you have earned. If the eclipse contacts the Moon, you may take great risks with your money, and it may actually pay off. Income can be volatile. And the biggest impact on your life is that you may move to a new home.

Eclipses that contact Mercury improve your chances for success in schooling and other intellectually demanding programs. You may be in transit a lot, either driving on the road or piling up the frequent-flyer miles. Eclipses that contact Venus improve your chances of winning money, prizes, and other bonuses during the years following the eclipse. Business partnerships formed now can be very successful, and you enjoy the pleasures that money can bring you. Eclipses that contact your Mars may bring a desire to take risks, so be careful. It is great for buckling down to outline your goals and taking steps to achieve them!

Eclipses that contact Jupiter increase your income and returns on investments, but also you may decide to spend on capital improvements, hopefully ones that will increase your income in years to come. Eclipses that contact Saturn help you learn to drive a good bargain, and thrift becomes an ingrained habit. There is nothing wrong with buying on sale, after all. You tally up your accounts and analyze where your best profits are coming from.

Eclipses that contact Uranus may bring sudden opportunities in whatever house is affected. It may be a business or travel opportunity, for example, but it may carry some risk which you need to research how to manage successfully. But it will probably be worth taking that risk.

Eclipses that contact Neptune revitalizes your creativity; your avocation may become your vocation. Your hobby may become your business if you can finally figure out how to present it to the paying public. Eclipses that contact Pluto serve to close a chapter of your life. Maybe you need to scale down possessions in order to move into a smaller place; Pluto will give you the strength to consign items to the trash or the Goodwill box. You may have a household or a business where you have to prune the payroll; Pluto will give your the strength to make these hard decisions.

And a final note: If you have a relationship that is troubled, or that you wish to resume, you might try the 40-day prayer. It is a very simple ritual that requires only that you repeat the following words at least once a day: “(name of other person), I am praying to you. Thank you, (name) for everything you have done for me. I am sorry for anything I have done to you.” Many stories of reunions or phone calls out of the blue could be related here.

What Do the Stars Say About the 2009 Kentucky Derby??

by Milky Way Maid

Recently I posted an article predicting the first-round results for the March Madness college basketball tournament. I did pretty well considering I don't even follow basketball! It looks like I hit about 60 percent, which is about what all the other sports handicappers can accomplish.
But now the first Saturday in May beckons, with the most exciting two minutes of sports. The most exciting two minutes of ANY sport!! Millions who never watch any other horse race watch the Kentucky Derby.

Aspects referred to in the notes are between the horse's natal chart and the transits for the race, or vice versa. Interpretations are based on a finish-line race time of about 6:10 pm Eastern Time in Louisville, Kentucky. I have read that Churchill Downs is adding a race earlier in the day, so I do not know if that will affect the time that the Derby is actually run. If so, that can definitely affect my interpretations and choices.

So without too much further ado, here are my readings of the prospects for the 20 entrants of the Run for the Roses. They are more or less in alphabetical order. Actually, I have 21, because as of this writing, we do not know if Quality Road's second quarter crack (an injury to the hoof) will cause his owners to scratch him from the race.

Advice: A February foal, he has some very bad aspects. Both the transiting Moon squares his Mars, and transiting Mars squares his Moon. This usually produces a horse who tries to go to the front and won't relax. This is not the best style for trying to win the Derby. I would not even put him in my exotic bets. He also has Mars squaring the Neptune-Jupiter conjunction, which ordinarily would not be a bad thing.

Papa Clem: This is the other entry with the same bad aspect. Mars squares the Moon, which usually produces a rush to the front and nothing left in the stretch run. However, Papa Clem also has his Sun conjunct transiting Jupiter, which is extraordinarily lucky and could give him enough gas to get to the finish line. His aspects are mixed, shall we say. It will all depend on whether his jockey can control the pace of the race in the early going.

Chocolate Candy: He has a couple good aspects, but nothing major. Mars is squares Jupiter, which usually produces a good effort. And Saturn is trine Mars, for a disciplined and controlled effort, or perhaps a good jockey ride.

Desert Party: His Sun is squaring the nodes, and I am not sure what to make of that because I have never seen that before. Jupiter is also exactly sextile Saturn, which is sometimes a positive indicator. I read that he and his stablemate are blossoming in Kentucky and training well.

Dunkirk: His Sun is near the North Node, inconjunct Pluto. Plus Saturn is trine Mars, probably indicating a good job by the jockey. These aspects are fairly minor and do not have a strong aspect to his Mars or Sun or back them up. I do not see him making an impact on Saturday.

Flying Private: He has only a sextile between his natal and transiting Mars. This is a fairly minor aspect.

Friesan Fire: Mars is three degrees from an exact trine to Jupiter, which is a minor plus. It is also a couple days after his birthday, which usually produces a feeling of well-being in both people and animals.

General Quarters: He has only one strong aspect and that is an opposition between Sun and Saturn. I have not seen this in past Derbys, so I have little to go on. It is either very good or very bad; good, when Saturn awards honors (meaning he wins the roses), and bad when Saturn denies a thing.

Hold Me Back: His Sun is conjunct the descendant, which may indicate a third or fourth place finish. Mars squares the Venus-Mars conjunction, which produces a stubborn effort to hang on. It is also opposite Pluto, which generally means he goes all out. He also has his North Node closest to the exact sextile to the Derby's North Node, which has been an inconsistent indicator of a winner.

I Want Revenge: His Sun is conjunct the Mars-Venus conjunction, which will give him boundless energy. Whether it will be enough to get the distance, and overcome his hoof problems, is still open to debate. Plus a Saturn-South Node conjunction which is favorable.

Join in the Dance: Sun near Venus, just like I Want Revenge, with whom he shares a birthday. Also Saturn conjoins the South Node, a sign of good fortune.

Mr. Hot Stuff: Mars trines the North Node, which says to me that just being in the Derby may be the high point of his career. Trines do not generally produce victories; oppositions and squares produce victories.

Mine that Bird: He has the same birthday as Musket Man, so see those notes. He is however, the less capable entry, so even great transits will not help him win this thing.

Musket Man: Mixed transits. A square between Mars and Saturn indicates he will find traffic problems and be blocked. Jupiter opposes his Sun, which is quite energizing and lucky. And lastly, Saturn is conjunct the South Node, indicating a reward for hard work. He will be lucky to hit the board, but I do not see a win for him.

Pioneer of the Nile: A Sun-Saturn trine plus a Mars-Sun sextile are pretty minor aspects for a major race. I like this horse but a win does not seem to be in the cards. Or stars.

Quality Road: His Sun is near Venus, but Venus is not a factor in sports events; it is only because Venus and Mars are nearly conjunct that it is a factor this year. QR's birthday is only a few days apart form I Want Revenge's, but he has a closer contact. His Mars is also more closely square Saturn, which may indicate traffic problems. (Revenge's Mars-Saturn aspect is much looser, so it should not be a factor Saturday.)

Regal Ransom: This is Desert Party's stablemate. His Mars squares the Ascendant for the race. Mars trines Uranus, which might produce an upset or surprise if he does better than expected. He also has a Jupiter-Sun opposition, which gives a huge boost to one's fortunes and energies.

Square Eddie: He has a Sun-Saturn trine, indicating a disciplined effort and or a good ride by the jockey. Mars trines Jupiter, for abundant physical energy. Mars squares Uranus exactly, which gives concern for injury. I personally don't think he has been prepped adequately for this race, and hope that he does not suffer a career-ending injury because of it.

Summer Bird: Mars is trine the Jupiter-Neptune transiting conjunction. Gives good energy and luck. He could also make some dumb mistake (Neptune) that costs him all chance.

West Side Bernie: His Sun is past the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, so either he will improve or the second in the last prep race was the high point of the spring career. Mars is conjunct Mercury, which probably will produce a fast pace and a good time but is usually a minor aspect. His Sun is trine the ascendant for the race, producing a favorable effort. There is a Sun-Moon opposition, which tells me that the public will not be fond of him at all, and will probably let the odds rise on him. Saturn is widely trine Mars, but only exact aspects tend to figure in winning efforts.

Win Willy: Sun is widely conjunct Mars, but if it were closer like I Want Revenge's, it would produce a much stronger effect. Mars and Jupiter widely trine, which is also helpful. He just does not have strong personal energy aspects that will support a win.

To sum up, the horses with strong negative factors are: Advice, Papa Clem, Square Eddie, Musket Man and Mine that Bird.

Horse with minor positive factors are: West Side Bernie, Pioneer of the Nile, Flying Private, Mr. Hot Stuff, and Summer Bird.

Horses with strong indicators for a good athletic effort are: Chocolate Candy, Musket Man (altho he probably will not be able to win), Regal Ransom, Desert Party, Quality Road, I Want Revenge and Join in the Dance, Papa Clem, Friesan Fire, Hold Me Back (a possible third or fourth), and possibly General Quarters. Dunkirk is still a question mark, with his Sun near the North Node and also inconjunct Pluto; these are unusual aspects and hard to interpret. They can be highly favorable, but his lack of proper foundation for this race will be difficult to overcome. He will do well to make the superfecta.

Of the last group those with what I feel or suspect may be strongest indicators of a win are Hold Me Back, I Want Revenge, Quality Road, Musket Man, Desert Party, and possibly General Quarters. Even Papa Clem has positive factors that might overcome the negative indicators.

This has been a very hard Derby to interpret, with few of the major aspects that have indicated past winners. I have seen among past winners a transiting Jupiter conjunct Sun, a Sun square or opposite Mars or Jupiter, a Saturn opposite Jupiter, and the exact sextile between natal and transiting North Nodes, and similar aspects involving athletic planets Mars and Jupiter.

Those aspects have not presented themselves this year, except for Hold Me Back, whose birthday is the closest to the date of the North Node exactly sextile the transiting North Node for Derby Day. I am undecided about declaring him the winner, because his Sun is weakly placed at the descendant. But definitely include him in your exacta and trifecta tickets, because he has the kind of running style that people like to see in the Derby.

And if you have been following the pundits who noticed that a gray has won every four years for the last several series, the only grays entered in this year's edition are Dunkirk, General Quarters, and Win Willy.

Predicting 2009 March Madness Results with Astrology

by Milky Way Maid
Herewith are my predictions for the first round of matchups in the college basketball championships known as March Madness. Sports Astrology is a very specialized skill and craft, and wading into these waters is a real temptation for the astrology gods to laugh in your face. But anyway, here goes.

I will be using the scheduled tipoff time as the time for the chart. The favored team is the sign on the ascendant, and the opponent is the sign opposite, in the seventh house. Turn the chart if you need to do so, to visualize the chart of the opponent. There is a real difficulty with games that take a couple hours to play, like basketball and football, because the chart can change dramatically when the signs change over. Like I said, here goes.

Texas vs Minnesota. The pundits say an upset could happen here, and the stars concur. Texas has Libra rising with its ruler in the first house of its opponent, Minnesota-Aries. Also Aries' ruler Mars is sextile Pluto. It looks like Minnesota will dominate its opponent. Advantage: Minnesota.

Duke vs Binghamton. Duke has Scorpio rising and is square the nodes. Bing has Taurus on its
ascendant, with its ruler Venus retrograde and square the Moon. That does not help Bing much
astrologically. And Duke's co-rulers, Mars and Pluto, are sextile. Advantage: Duke.

Villanova vs American Univ. Libra rising again for Villanova, with a square to the Moon, and opposite Venus but in the sixth house this time. Descendant (American) is Aries with a retrograde Venus in its 12th house. Somehow American will shoot itself in the foot even tho the later quarters of the game may proceed better than the earlier quarters. A tricky call but Advantage: Villanova.

UCLA vs VCU. UCLA is Scorpio rising, square Jupiter in the 3rd house. Sextile Saturn at the top of the chart, which is promising. Descendant (VCU) is Taurus with ruler Venus retrograde in the chart's fifth house and square the Moon. I think the elevated Saturn is too much for VCU to overcome. Advantage: UCLA.

California vs Maryland. Cal has Scorpio rising, trining the Sun in the fourth house. Co-rulers sextile each other in the second and third houses. Descendant (Maryland) is Taurus with ruler Venus retrograde. However Taurus also sextiles the Sun in its eleventh house of friends and groups. Perhaps a fan continent will help them stay focused on doing their best. However, even tho most of the Scorpio charts will have the favored team winning, Maryland gets some help from the stars. Advantage: Maryland.

LSU vs Butler. Hmm, finally a Cancer ascendant for the favored team. This chart has a square to Venus in the tenth, and a sextile to Saturn in the third. Mixed results. The descendant (Butler) has Moon and Pluto in its twelfth house, and a trine to retrograde Saturn. This is a hard call, but the heavy affliction in the Butler twelfth house will shoot down its hopes. Advantage: LSU.

Memphis vs Cal State. Ascendant Virgo (Memphis) trines the Moon, and is conjunct Saturn in the first house. Saturn is honors here. The descendant (Cal St) is Pisces with Mercury, Uranus and Sun in its first house. Also Mars Neptune in its twelfth house, which is not quite so deadly as having Pluto or Saturn there. Perhaps they will be hurt by injuries. Still they look strong with that stellium in their first house. Advantage: Memphis.

N. Carolina vs Radford. I know, I know, it will not prove anything to pick NC because it is ranked Number One. But anyway, we proceed. NC has Leo rising, opposite Jupiter at the descendant, and trine Venus. Aquarius is Radford, with Jupiter, Mars and Neptune in its first house. Jupiter is inconjunct Saturn and sextile Venus. Mars-Neptune is very unfavorable, with Jupiter magnifying things. Loss of key players to injuries, perhaps. Advantage: North Carolina.

BYU vs Texas A&M. BYU has Cancer rising, trining Mercury-Uranus in the ninth house. Sparkling play, favorable press. Descendant TX A&M is Capricorn, with ruler Saturn in its ninth house. Moon-Pluto in its twelfth; Pluto there is bad. North Node in its first house. Hmm, tough call. Texas may show potential for next year, but might not get too far this year. Advantage: Texas.

Gonzaga vs Akron. Gonzaga has Virgo rising here, with no aspects, although Saturn is in its first house and ruler Muercury in the seventh. Akron is Pisces, with Mars-Neptune in its twelfth house (bad). Probable injuries. But Mercury, Uranus and Sun are in its first house. A tough call but I am going with Akron to overcome its obstacles. Advantage: Akron.

U Conn vs Chattanooga. Leo is U Conn, with an opposition to Neptune in the seventh house. Also an inconjunct to Uranus in the eighth. Hmm, inconjuncts change things around, and Uranus sometimes denotes an upset. Chattanooga is Aquarius, with Mars-Neptune in its first house (bad). Jupiter in its twelfth. Loss of key players probably, and harsh officiating may go against them. Advantage: U Conn.

Illinois vs Western Kentucky. The Illini have Libra rising with ruler, retrograde Venus, opposing them. Also a square to heavyweight Pluto. Western KY has Aries rising and its ruler Mars sextile Pluto. Having the opponents' ruler in your first house is usually a sign that it has its opponent's number. Advantage: Western Kentucky.

Purdue vs Northern Iowa. Purdue has Cancer rising, opposing the Moon at the descendant. Square to Venus in the tenth. Iowa has the ruler of the opponent in its first house, a great indicator of dominance. I call for Iowa to pull an upset.

Clemson vs Michigan. Clemson is Virgo rising, opposing Sun and Uranus at the descendant. Saturn in the twelfth is bad because it could be done in by penalties. Michigan is Pisces, with the Sun in its first house. Again, Mars and Neptune in its twelfth mean losses, possible lost players due to injuries. A very tough call on this game. Advantage: Michigan.

Washington vs Mississippi State. Washington is Leo rising, trine a retrograde Venus. Its ruler the Sun is high in the ninth house. Miss is Aquarius with Jupiter and Neptune in its first house, a mixed bag. North Node in its twelfth house. Hmm. Washington has the advantage, I'd say.

Oklahoma vs Morgan State. The Okies have Libra rising trine Neptune in the fourth house. Morgan is Aries with Mars in the fifth house sextile Pluto in the third. Morgan has ruler Mars in better aspect, while the Okies have ruler Venus in retrograde and square the Moon. Advantage: Morgan State.

Louisville vs Morehead. Louisville is Libra rising, trine Jupiter in the fourth house, a great boon. Morehead has Aries rising, and in this chart Venus is in its twelfth house not in its first. So I see no upset here. Advantage: Louisville.

Oklahoma State vs Tennessee. OK has Cancer rising and trine the Sun and Uranus in the ninth house -- sparkling play again. Tenn has Capricorn as its ascendant, with its ruler Saturn inconjunct Jupiter. The Moon in its twelfth house just means the crowd will not be rooting for it. Very tough to call this matchup. I think the score will be very close. I will just go with the favorite -- Oklahoma.

Ohio State vs Siena. Ohio has Scorpio rising, with a trine to Mercury Uranus in the fourth house, and square to Jupiter in the third house. A lot of press attention for this game, I think. Plus a sextile to Saturn in the tenth house, very auspicious. Siena is Taurus with a trine to Saturn. Ruler Venus is retrograde and in the eleventh house (its fifth). Just because there are more aspects to Ohio, I will go with them.

Pittsburgh vs ETSU. Pittsburgh is Leo rising opposing Neptune at the descendant. A minor aspect to Venus. ETSU is Aquarius with Neptune in its twelfth house, which is not good -- fouls, missed opportunities, crossed signals, etc. Big advantage to Pittsburgh.

Utah vs Arizona. Utah is Libra rising, oppsosing Venus at descendant, sextile the South Node, a minor aspect to Neptune. Arizona is Aries, with its opponents' ruler Venus under control in its first house. Sun, Mercury and Uranus in its twelfth -- chance of lots of lost balls, interceptions, etc. But unheralded Arizona can steal this game.

Xavier vs Portland. Xavier has Virgo rising, conjunct Saturn in the first. Ruler Mercury conjunct Uranus in the seventh house -- not good. Portland is Pisces, Mercury and Uranus in its first house. Mars and Neptune in its twelfth house. Hurt by injuries etc. but I think they can bottle up Xavier. Advantage: Portland.

Wake Forest vs Cleveland State. Wake is Scorpio rising, square Jupiter at the bottom of the chart. Cleveland is Taurus with ruler Venus retrograde in its eleventh -- lots of friends come to root for them. Because Wake's co-rulers are sextile, I give them the advantage. Advantage: Wake Forest.

Florida State vs Wisconsin. Florida has Libra rising, again its ruler is retrograde and at the
descendent. Wisconsin is Aries, with ruler Mars sextile heavyweight Pluto. I see Wisconsin bottling up Florida pretty well. Advantage: Wisconsin.

Kansas vs North Dakota State. Kansas has Cancer rising, square Venus in the tenth house. Its ruler the Moon is in the seventh house, a bad placement. ND is Capricorn rising, with ruler Saturn at its Midheaven. I see North Dakota all over Kansas like chocolate sauce on an ice cream sundae. Advantage: North Dakota State.

West Virginia vs. Daytona. WV has Leo rising, trine venus in the ninth house. Nice national press. Ruler the Sun is in the ninth house also, with Mercury and Uranus near. Daytona has Aquarius rising, with Jupiter, Neptune in its first house. Jupiter is such a great boon, even with Neptune there. They might just benefit from blind luck. The crowd will not like them, tho (Moon in its twelfth house). Advantage: Daytona.

Boston College vs Southern Cal. Boston has Libra rising, opposing the sun at the descendant. It also has a square to Pluto in the fourth house which challenges but also pushes you to do better than your best. So-Cal has Aries rising, with the Sun on its ascendant, and opponent's ruler Venus in its first house -- a bright omen. Mercury and Uranus are in its twelfth house, which may denote lost balls, interceptions, muffed handoffs. Nevertheless, it has ruler Mars sextile Pluto going for it, which is hard to ignore. Advantage: Southern Cal.

Michigan State vs Robert Morris. Mich has the last degree of Libra rising, and a square to the Moon. It also has a trine to Neptune, which could mean inspiring play. Morris has Aries rising with Venus in its twelfth house. The game's first minutes could be of a different quality than the rest of the game. Mich's ascendant will change rapidly to Scorpio, with its co-rulers in sextile aspect. Advantage: Michigan State.

Marquette vs Utah State. Marquette has Scorpio rising, with no aspects. However as we have noted several times, its co-rulers are in sextile (favorable) aspect. Utah has Taurus as its rising sign, with its ruler Venus retrograde in its eleventh, friends and fans. Advantage: Marquette.

Syracuse vs Stephen F Austin. Syracuse has Cancer rising, squaring Venus in the tenth house which is favorable. Also a trine to Mars in the ninth house, which sextiles Pluto. Austin has Capricorn rising, and Pluto in its twelfth house -- very bad! The Moon is in its first, but it is hard to see anyone overcoming a Pluto affliction. This may be tough but I am going with Syracuse.

Missouri vs Cornell. Missouri also has Cancer rising, this time with Mercury and Uranus in the ninth house. Opposing Moon at the descendant. Very mixed. Cornell has capricorn rising, Pluto in its twelfth again, although ruler Saturn is in its ninth house. The elevated Saturn for Cornell is good, the opponent's ruler (Moon) in its first house is good. I may catch heck for this but -- Advantage: Cornell.

Arizona State vs Temple. Arizona has Leo rising with Venus trine in the ninth house -- adoring press. Conjunct the South Node above the horizon. Hmm. Temple has Aquarius with Jupiter in its first house, a hard placement to beat. They'll just be durn lucky, is all. Advantage: Temple.