Notes on Natal and Solar Return Charts for Katharine Graham, former publisher of the Washington Post

By Milky Way Maid

(I started this article several weeks ago and finally hurried up to finish and post it now, in August. Well, now the movie is rather old news, but I thought it’d be fun to look at the main character, Mrs. Graham.)

I have been enjoying repeated viewings of the new film “The Post” starring Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradley. Probably because the film covered a pivotal year in the lives of Graham and the newspaper, I decided to run a natal chart for Graham plus a solar return chart for the year 1971, when the issues surrounding the hunt for and publishing of the Pentagon Papers determined whether the Washington Post would grow or shut down.

Lacking an exact time of birth, I ran a noon chart for Graham. Her birth data is on record as June 16, 1917 in New York, New York. I ran a Placidus chart.

NATAL CHART	ASPECT	SOLAR RETURN CHART
Mars-Mercury at 1-2 deg. Gemini	Conjunct Opposite	Venus at 5 deg. Gemini Neptune at 1 deg. Sagittarius
Sun at 24 Gemini (trine Uranus at 23 Aquarius)	Trine (conjunct)	Mars at 18 Aquarius
Jupiter at 27 Taurus	Conjunct Opposite Trine	Saturn  at 29 Taurus Jupiter at 28 Scorpio Pluto at 29 Virgo
Saturn at 29 Cancer	Sextile Trine Conjunct	Saturn  at 29 Taurus Jupiter at 28 Scorpio Juno at 26 Cancer
North Node at 10 Capricorn (opp. Venus at 8 Cancer)	Square Square	Uranus at 9 Libra

If you have read my article on late degrees, you will quickly recognize the placement of the planet Saturn in late Cancer as an indicator of a family business, inherited by the subject. In this case, Graham’s father Eugene Meyer owned the Washington Post and handed over the business to Graham’s husband, Philip Graham. Not until Philip’s untimely death did Katharine take over the business that really was rightfully her – and which in my opinion she was born to run.

[By the way, Eugene Meyer bought the newspaper in a bankruptcy auction in 1933. The presence of Jupiter in late Taurus might be a family signature of a benefit from a bankruptcy action, which winning the auction certainly was. ]

The film portrays Katharine as having great difficulty speaking up for herself until when amid the pressures not to publish the Pentagon Papers, she finally finds her own voice in time to order their publication. So it is a bit surprising to see an argumentative Mars-Mercury conjunction (in Gemini) in her natal chart!! Perhaps that energy was channeled into her early reporting career. The conjunction is opposed by Neptune, which makes me suspect that Neptune might be near her Ascendant. Neptune placed near the Ascendant can make one very quiet, nearly mute, especially in childhood.

• The solar return Venus and Neptune activate issues of expanding (Neptune) the financial support of a more aggressive and active journalistic presence (Mars conjunct Mercury).  
• Solar Return Mars trined Katharine’s Sun, making her dig in her heels in the legal fight to print the Pentagon Papers. This became more exact with the later controversy over the Watergate investigation.
• Solar Return Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto all aspected Katharine’s natal Jupiter, expanding the paper’s influence nationally and greatly raising its prominence. 
• Solar Return Saturn, Jupiter and Juno all aspected her natal Saturn, which also tended to give her the ambition (Saturn) to invest in and assign the many man-hours of investigative work to cover the stories that begged to be told. 
• And Solar Return Uranus helped throw light on those stories in unexpected way, helping the paper (and Katharine) grow into the major voice that it became in national news.

The movie “The Post” is not only a good film about journalism history; it also shows a pivotal slice of time in the personal and professional growth of one brave lady, Katharine Graham.

Retrograde Planets and Opportunities to Erase Karma

By Milky Way Maid  -- for June 12, 2018

Hello, Star-Children!! I’ve been reading and watching material on Vedic astrology and it is FASCINATING!! And even if you have no interest in converting from the Western system, there is much to be gained by listening to the better communicators about the Vedic system.

One of the more interesting astrologers on Youtube is someone who tapes sessions under the name Astrology KRS. As a side note, one of the things that caught my attention was one lesson on Mars retrograde conjunct Ketu (their name for the South Node).

Mars, as you know, is retrograde this summer from June 26 to August 27, in the same sign as the South Node. This is a very dangerous time to be in large groups such as at concerts, ball games, festivals, etc. due to an increased chance of fights breaking out (we are seeing some of this already with fights at sporting events or taverns). Mars is very frustrated and looking for a fight; with the South Node nearby, the result can be a personal loss ranging from loss of a job or driver’s license, to serious injury or even death. Note also that the eclipses this summer are on the Leo-Aquarius axis, too. KRS says that this summer is also not a favorable period for surgery, either.

Now for my main reason for writing an article this week. This has to do with a karmic opportunity while  Jupiter and Saturn are both retrograde this summer. Jupiter (I see you checking your ephemeris) is retrograde from March 8 to July 10, and Saturn is retrograde from April 17 to Sept. 6.

According to KRS, these planets watch our actions far more closely while they are retrograde – with the goal of cleaning up our Karmic records a bit. Jupiter especially wants to reclaim his kingdom and kick out the bums who began squatting in the palace while he was away! And Saturn likewise would like us to live by the rules he set out for us – things like, “Be nice. Share. Help others. Hold the door open. Pay it forward.”

Now, if you are gifted with an opportunity to help someone, ESPECIALLY if it is someone you normally would not give the time of day to, then you really must stoop to help that person. In terms of the caste system of India, a Brahmin would normally have nothing to do with someone of a lower caste, especially an untouchable. But even a Brahmin is obligated to help an untouchable during such a retrograde, in hopes of erasing some old, bad Karma. This is especially true if the recipient of one’s good deed is handicapped or poor, elderly or seriously ill.

Even in our supposedly open Western society, too many of us are locked into our social classes and often treat those of lower status like dirt.  We are all likely to run into at least one opportunity to help someone who really needs some assistance. It may be something as simple as helping a handicapped person across the street. It may be something like listening to someone who just needs to talk. Maybe a few “random acts of kindness” are called for (which are a lovely habit to have, no matter if the planets are retrograde or not!!) And keep this in mind during political discussions in the nation’s capital over cutting Social Security or Medicare!!

Saturn and Jupiter are watching us much more closely while they are retrograde. They would like to erase a bad mark or two from your grade book of Life, so watch for them to toss out some ideas for Extra Credit, lol! Saturn is in charge of the grade book, and Jupiter is waiting to hand out rewards for Good Samaritan-ism. So let’s treat this like the wonderful gift that it is and be on our best behavior, people!!

Hello Again, from Milky Way Maid

Dear Readers,
I put all articles in draft mode several months ago because I expected to have another activity on a Google site, and did not want any confusion or conflict between them.... Well, it appears that the new site or social platform might not ever get off the ground, so enough about that.
But today I have restored many of the articles by republishing them. So you can revisit or review the popular articles like the ones about Late Degrees, or Prince William, or Pope Francis... Enjoy!!
I cannot believe it has been about two and a half years since I wrote a regular column as Milky Way Maid!!!! How time really does fly. I had no real reason for stopping, I just seemed to have burned out.
I have recently gotten my interest piqued by Vedic astrology. So it may be that I will eventually convert over to being a Vedic astrologer myself, so that I can offer not only keen insights into personality and persona, but also curative activities to balance out your planetary energies.
In the meantime, since I hate to leave you without anything, I do want you to please visit Alphee's website for an interesting article on a corrected birth time for Donald Trump.
You will have to go to this page where he lumps all his articles together and scroll down to the pertinent title --- http://www.alphee.com/articles/
TITLE IS: Donald Trump’s Rectified Birth Time
So please read and see what you think about it.
Bye for now, Milky Way Maid

Transiting Mars and Saturn Conjunct in First House Scorpio, A Personal Narrative

By Milky Way Maid

Experiencing a Mars and Saturn conjunction this year was a first-ever event for me. My ascendant is Scorpio, which is just where the conjunction was to occur. I thought maybe there was some chance of an accident, but I did not feel particularly fearful. 

First let's get some details out of the way. 

The Mars-Saturn conjunction was on August 25, 2014, at 17 degrees Scorpio. The exact time was 3:30 pm Eastern. Coincidentally, there was a New Moon that day: 2 degrees 19' of Virgo at 10:13 am. Mars and Saturn sextiled Mercury earlier in the day. Also, four days later (Aug. 29) the Sun opposed Neptune which was at 6 degrees Pisces. 

None of these points were conjunct any natal planets, but 17 degrees Scorpio closely opposes my natal Sun and applies to my natal North Node – the latter seems to be rather auspicious. The New Moon was sextile my natal Ascendant and trine natal Mars. So the outlook seemed to be on the whole pretty positive, even if I had trouble guessing what kind of event might take place. 

ALSO- 17 degrees Scorpio is exactly square my natal Chiron in Aquarius. Chiron in Aquarius has accounted for some arthritis in the knees and other ailments and injuries in that area. This time around, the square to Chiron seems to indicate a surgical intervention of some kind, but I thought some other transiting aspects referred to a series of injections to the knees that started in August. Turns out, I was in for some other surgeries besides those injections, even though they were all quite minor. Minor, yes, but for me it was very unusual to have such a cluster of medical interventions. 

Online articles on transiting Mars conjunct Saturn said things like “go on a diet,” or “much energy spent putting out annoying brush fires.” I have been trying to lose weight, but have been stuck on a plateau for several months; we will see if this transit brings any success. But the latter stuff about brush fires is true. I have had several things happen, one of the most annoying was a package that went astray and difficulty getting anyone to look into it. 

Consulting my trusty copy of “Transits In Reverse” yields many valuable nuggets, such as: “You may run into all kinds of frustrating irritations . . . and will be doubly frustrated because you'll have little chance to vent any resulting anger,” be careful of sharp tools, “not a day for risky ventures or investments,” low energy, a lack of stamina.

But nowhere did I run into mention of what actually happened that month. I had two minor surgeries which are notable because of a near-total lack of any previous surgical interventions other than assorted biopsies.

It is also interesting to note that the areas where the surgeries were performed are those ruled by Scorpio: the reproductive organs and the colon or excretory system. In both cases the items removed were negative for cancer, so that would tie in with the positive contacts to my natal chart. 

The list of Progressions also produced some hits to the 17th degree: Progressed Sun was at 14 Cancer, Progressed Mercury was at 17 Cancer, Progressed Ceres at 18 Gemini, Progressed Vesta and Progressed Part of Fortune at 15 and 16 Aries (in the sixth house of health). That is quite a list! 

Looking ahead, transiting Mars will conjunct natal Saturn in Sagittarius about the end of September or beginning of October, so I will have to keep an eye peeled for what transpires at that time. At any rate, Mars has already moved out of my Ascendant sign Scorpio, and Saturn will follow around Christmas of this year. So YAY, I will be glad of that. A second Saturn return does not come till 2016, so I will not worry about that right now. 

I would like to note once again that regarding good aspects for diets or weight loss, one of the most remarkable in my experience was a transiting Sun-Saturn conjunction for the day that I began a rather physically-demanding job. I believe I lost about 30 pounds in the first two months on that job. Of course I regained them much later, but that's how it goes.

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LATE DEGREES – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2008/08/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they.html
POPE FRANCIS – I finally posted a little article on the new Pope Francis and also a kind of book review on a book that accidentally talks about ancient astronomy. The article on Pope Francis is here: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/a-look-at-the-new-pope-franciss-astro-charts/ And the article on the best book that both is and is not about ancient astronomy is here: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/the-best-book-about-ancient-astronomy-that-isnt-about-astrology-per-se/
COOL WEBSITES – In no particular order of importance: Check out Astrology.com – free lessons online. Watch astronomic animations at http://shadowandsubstance.com/. Go to http://www.solarsystemscope.com/ for a view of our solar system and nearby stars. This guy called the correct winner of the 2012 election, and he puts out a monthly column: http://www.howardbeckmanvedicastrologer.com/wordpress/

Ripped from the Headlines: Jupiter in Leo 2014

By Milky Way Maid

Now that Jupiter is firmly in Leo, it is fun to see ways in which Jove (and Venus too) are beaming their positive rays on that sign.

I noticed an article in a recent copy of the Wall Street Journal that detailed how two companies were returning bountiful profits for investors. What companies were they? Two movie studios – MGM and Lion's Gate!!!

How perfect is that? MGM's trademark is the iconic Leo the Lion roaring a greeting at the start of each film, and Lion's Gate, well that one is obvious, too, with the name of the animal that represents the sign Leo.

MGM has seen huge box-office receipts on the strength of films like the James Bond thriller “Skyfall” and “The Hobbit- An Unexpected Journey.” Each one brought in over one billion dollars, and continues to sell tickets overseas. MGM also has the TV show “21 Jump Street” and a deep catalog of films in its library to sell copies in international channels and digital services, according to the WSJ.

This is a major turnaround since it was forced to file bankruptcy in 2010. 

MGM was born on April 17, 1924. I was surprised to see so much cardinal energy in their chart. The Sun is at 27 degrees Aries, square Mars at 25 degrees Capricorn (a strong placement for that planet), opposite Saturn exalted in Libra (29 degrees), and trine its North Node at 29 degrees Leo, a perfect placement for an entertainment business.

Not only is the T-square a strong driver for the chart, the planets involved are also in the very late degrees of the signs. Let's see, what did I write about late degrees of these signs? 

The Sun in a late degree of Aries denotes someone that is a pioneer in some way, and MGM was very much a pioneer. It had not only the most glamourous collection of stars (with names like Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, the Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy musicals, Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and many more), it also boasted several firsts. While it was one of the last studios to adopt sound, it was the first to make a complete film in Technicolor with sound (The Viking), as well experimenting with it for portions of Ben-Hur and a few other films. They also virtually owned the big-budget musical segment of the film industry. 

Mars in late Capricorn has high energy, which would have made for an excellent athlete in an individual chart. Any planet in late Capricorn is powerful for building a business, especially a business that survives the death of the founder. And indeed, the fact that this company is 90 years old and still going strong is a testament to a strong Mars here.

Saturn in late Libra: Saturn in Libra is exalted anyway, meaning that it is strong, and the energies of that planet find ease in expressing itself in a positive way. Venus-ruled Libra is known for famous dancers and other entertainers. Famous dancers with a planet in late Libra include Ben Vereen, Fayard Nicholas, Arthur Duncan, and Juliet Prowse. Libra looks for the beautiful and tends to shun the gritty side of life. This was the philosophy of co-founder Louis B. Mayer, who preferred the glorious color and musical spectaculars like Show Boat, the Andy Hardy films, The Ten Commandments, An American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) and Brigadoon.

And having the North Node at 29 degrees Leo would be an obvious boon for any company in the entertainment industry, and for major growth and even dominance in the minds of the public. It did not hurt that its Stable of Stars included The King, Clark Gable! MGM gets a boost from both Jupiter and Venus transiting Leo, contacting the natal Neptune (glamour) at 17 degrees and the North Node at 29 degrees.

MGM emerged from bankruptcy in December 2010, when Pluto at 4 degrees Capricorn passed the square to natal Moon at 3 Libra and natal Ceres at 3 Aries. During the lean years, Neptune was opposing its natal place in Leo; now that Neptune is transiting Pisces, that transit no longer depresses box-office receipts. 

Lion's Gate profits have rested on properties like the “Hunger Games” franchise (with two more in the works). Lion's Gate's birth date is listed as July 3, 1997.

The Lion's Gate natal chart also has a strong cardinal component, with Sun at 11 degrees Cancer, the Moon at zero degrees Cancer, Mercury at 21 degrees Cancer, Mars at 6 degrees Libra, Saturn at 19 degrees Aries, and Neptune (glamour) at 29 degrees Capricorn. Neptune is the only planet at a strong late degree, and promises that the company will survive through thick and thin. 

Transits that have lifted its fortunes: the main one is the progressed Moon (now at 9 degrees Aquarius) has recently conjuncted natal Uranus at 7 degrees Aquarius; this would account for lucking onto the Hunger Games franchise, with its strange, even bizarre public appeal. The other is that progressed Sun at 28 Cancer opposes natal Neptune, added a high gloss of glamour to its offerings. 

A caveat to those interested in investing in the company now: progressed Mars is applying to an opposition to natal Saturn. That seems to me to be a negative for financials, especially in regard to handling debts and commissions. In the short term, Jupiter in Leo will contact the natal Venus at 6 Leo, and sextile natal Mars at 6 Libra; that should prop up the business in the short term; once Jupiter leaves Leo though, public appeal will probably deflate in short order.

Your Milky Way Horoscope AUG. 17-23, 2014

By Milky Way Maid

Dear Readers-- Please visit the website of the National Blood Clot Alliance at StopTheClot.org to learn more about blood clots and when you might need to see a doctor about it.

Venus at 7 degrees Leo is conjunct Jupiter at 1:21 am Monday. Zowie, the greater and the lesser benefics conjoin in the wee hours of Monday! Be sure to have an application or request on file wherever you need a break-- at an employer, with the bank loan officer, at your lawyer's if you need a case dismissed, etc. Propose to the love of your life.

Mercury at 6 degrees Virgo opposes Neptune in Pisces at 11:42 pm Monday. A very bad transit for doing any sort of sales, signing contracts, and the like. You must go over any important paperwork with a fine-toothed comb, correcting errors. And even if you are making every effort to do these things while under the transit, you will look at the same paper later and find still more errors. Be cautious when dealing with sales people, who often say anything in order to make the sale and get their commission. Scammers excel under this transit, as they practically hypnotize their victims with emotionally-loaded words repeated like a chant. We may be fearful (Neptune) when reading headlines or when dealing with inoffensive clerks and other service people. On another level, we may speak about ideals and the Perfect World that we hope one day all humanity will live in – a place that we might remain cynically about as we notice all the vice and chicanery that goes on in the Real World. We can only make the world a little bit better, or a lot worse, so make your decision and hold to it the best you can.

Mercury at 11 degrees Virgo trines Pluto in Capricorn at 3:19 pm Thursday. A fine transit that favors having a productive chat with your mentor or a wise elder. Take your Uncle Jake out for a late lunch or a stop at the watering hole. Pluto helps Mercury to focus on details, whether in examining a crime scene, a ledger, legal transcripts, or the latest mystery novel. We might waste this transit in wondering about the hidden agendas of whomever, but you can really get a lot done with Pluto wanting to check off everything on the to-do list.

The Sun enters Virgo at 12:46 am Saturday. Virgo natives are generally lifetime students, always looking to feed their minds with a class, a lecture, or stimulating discussion. Analytical to a fault, they often miss the forest for the trees. Cool, emotionally reserved, often shy, humble, very willing to serve humanity with their talents, good with detail, health-oriented, keeps a balanced checkbook, and a perpetual dieter. This is not the person you go to if you need someone to be self-sacrificing, although they may loan you a garden tool or a book. Famous people with Sun in Virgo include: Leonard Bernstein, Henry Ford II, Greta Garbo, Cardinal Richelieu, Andy Roddick, violinist Itzhak Perlman, Mary Cunningham Agee, Peter Ueberroth, Jeff Foxworthy, Patsy Cline, Arnold Palmer, D H Lawrence, Ben Savage, William Howard Taft, and LBJ.

Please visit my twin site on Blogger if you would like these articles translated into Spanish, French, German, Japanese or any other language. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/

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LATE DEGREES – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2008/08/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they.html

POPE FRANCIS – I finally posted a little article on the new Pope Francis and also a kind of book review on a book that accidentally talks about ancient astronomy. The article on Pope Francis is here: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/a-look-at-the-new-pope-franciss-astro-charts/ And the article on the best book that both is and is not about ancient astronomy is here: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/the-best-book-about-ancient-astronomy-that-isnt-about-astrology-per-se/

COOL WEBSITES – In no particular order of importance: Check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online. Watch astronomic animations at http://shadowandsubstance.com/. Go to http://www.solarsystemscope.com/ for a view of our solar system and nearby stars. This guy called the correct winner of the 2012 election, and he puts out a monthly column: http://www.howardbeckmanvedicastrologer.com/wordpress/

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Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. NOTE: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 - Ruler Mars is kind of quiet this week, although he does get an emotional boost on Thursday morning; you can use this transit to fuel working toward physical or career goals. Best day may be Thursday when the Moon is in compatible Cancer; you can get lots of jobs done around the house in the morn and and talk to a career advisor in the afternoon. Friday and Saturday are fun days, favoring fun, games, sports and spending time with the kids.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in Taurus on Sunday till early evening. It is hard to get yourself motivated Sunday, but that's all right, I know you worked hard all week. Ruler Venus is especially nice to you this week, first when she links arms with Jupiter Monday and then when she links up with the Moon on Saturday night. While the placement may favor your family members rather than yourself, go ahead and buy a lottery ticket because you just never know!

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – The Moon is in Gemini from 6:41 pm Monday till early Wednesday. Venus joins Jupiter in your solar third house on Monday morn, when you stock up on reading material at your fave bookstore. Friday is favorable for anything from errands, shopping to a day trip to a casino or touring play. A relative may benefit from the Moon-Venus-Jupiter transits Saturday, so it might pay to be nearby when they win the pot of gold.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – The Moon is in Cancer from 4:45 am Wednesday till Friday afternoon. You enjoy the early show at the cinema after work, and then catch a late dinner out. Your energy is high Thursday morning so plan to plow through your to-do list. Someone might upset you at lunch hour, but make an effort to let it roll off your back. Saturn helps you keep up the tempo at work all afternoon.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Tuesday night favors good times with chatty, energetic friends. The Moon is in Leo from 4:49 pm Friday through the weekend. Friday has no exact aspects so follow your own lead. The Moon conjoins Venus and then Jupiter on Saturday, making it undoubtedly the best day of the week if not the month!

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Ruler Mercury cannot find someone who understands on Monday morning. On Monday night, ruler Mercury is in great danger of being scammed; don't sign contracts or legal papers without the advice of your attorney. Monday night is favorable however for exchanging a few sweet nothings with your mate. On Thursday afternoon, ruler Mercury helps you analyze the spreadsheet, the ledger, the corporate report, or the mystery novel you just picked up.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Ruler Venus is especially nice to you this week, first when she links arms with Jupiter Monday and then when she links up with the Moon on Saturday night. While the placement may favor your friends or a local non-profit more than it does yourself, buy your lottery ticket anyway, because you just never know.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Ruler Mars is kind of quiet this week, although he does get an emotional boost on Thursday morning; you can use this transit to fuel working toward physical or career goals. Your other ruler, Pluto, helps you delve down for the story behind the story in the spreadsheets or other papers you have to analyze for work, or the mystery novel you just picked up, on Thursday afternoon.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Ruler Jupiter turns his attention to lovely lady Venus this week on both Monday and Saturday. He has a soft spot for her, and can never say no when she asks so sweetly for any favor. So be careful who you visit this week, and if it is someone that you are normally generous with anyway, all well and good. If not, then set limits or perhaps offer some kind of “matching grant” if she can put some of her own funds towards her goal.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Ruling planet Saturn gets assistance Thursday afternoon to help you express the fact you really do care about loved ones and want the best for them. Pallas Athena's entry into your solar career house this month tends to bring a significant person into the company you work at, someone who is extremely competent, will move the company forward, and sees a place for you in the future.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – Ruler Uranus helps you express your individuality in a way that others approve of early Tuesday. Ruler Uranus gets a keen insight midday Thursday, although your mind may resist it as being inconsistent with what you think you know about the Real World.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – Ruler Neptune is just asking to get scammed this Monday, so this is one of those times when I just tell Pisceans to stay under the covers all day and don't even peek. Best day may be Wednesday when you take the kids to the movies for the early evening show and laugh at all the jokes that go over their heads.

Your Milky Way Horoscope AUG. 10-16, 2014

By Milky Way Maid

Dear Readers-- Please visit the website of the National Blood Clot Alliance at StopTheClot.org to learn more about blood clots and when you might need to see a doctor about it.

Venus enters Leo at 3:24 am Tuesday. Venus in Leo has a flair for dramatic style and fashion impact, putting together outfits that would be comfortable on the street or on the runway. Leo has a high need for approval, and when Venus is here, he may withhold those sunny rays if he fears being ignored or judged harshly. But a confident Leo-Venus sheds his warm and gregarious rays on all and sundry, who are mostly charmed by him. Famous people with Venus in Leo include: poet Percy Shelley, author Leo Tolstoy, golfer Arnold Palmer, Merv Griffin, actress Greta Garbo, playwright G B Shaw, Leonard Bernstein, author Truman Capote, and architect Eero Saarinen. 

 

Mars at 11 degrees Scorpio sextiles Pluto in Capricorn at 5:25 am Friday. Mars energy is able to dig deep for a second effort, whether at sports or career goals, or at playing detective in a frustrating mystery. It's good for any type of investigative or forensic work, such as science, criminology, medicine, accounting, or journalism. 

 

Mercury enters its second home-sign Virgo at 12:44 pm Friday. What is the difference between Mercury in Gemini and Mercury in Virgo? In Gemini, the fleet one is endlessly busy with facts and figures, phone calls and short trips (such as with merchandising or sales). The fleet one in Virgo is more service-oriented; it is the librarian who looks up a fact for you, the nurse who follows the protocol for carrying out the doctor's orders, the secretary who makes your appointments, and the teacher who tries to make you write a good paragraph. Virgos have a problem with trying to attain perfection and rejecting everything with the slightest flaw. Now look, Virg, we mere mortals cannot be expected to produce perfection all the time because we are after all merely human!!! So get over it! Famous people with Mercury in Virgo include: president LBJ, Dag Hammarskjold, comedienne Lucille Ball, pianist Vladimir Horowitz, golfer Ben Hogan, actress Geraldine Chaplin and Pope Paul VI. 

 

I am considering dropping the weekly horoscope format in favor of regular articles on transits or people in the news. I have written the weekly horoscope for about 7 years now, and it is getting harder and harder to stay motivated to continue. Thank you to all the readers over the last 7 years, and stay tuned for a changeover to a slightly different format.

Please visit my twin site on Blogger if you would like these articles translated into Spanish, French, German, Japanese or any other language. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/

----------------------------------------------------

LATE DEGREES – see my popular article on late degrees of all the signs. Link: http://milky-way-astrology.blogspot.com/2008/08/planets-in-late-degrees-what-do-they.html

POPE FRANCIS – I finally posted a little article on the new Pope Francis and also a kind of book review on a book that accidentally talks about ancient astronomy. The article on Pope Francis is here: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/a-look-at-the-new-pope-franciss-astro-charts/ And the article on the best book that both is and is not about ancient astronomy is here: http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/the-best-book-about-ancient-astronomy-that-isnt-about-astrology-per-se/

COOL WEBSITES – In no particular order of importance: Check out Astrology.com -- free lessons online. Watch astronomic animations at http://shadowandsubstance.com/. Go to http://www.solarsystemscope.com/ for a view of our solar system and nearby stars. This guy called the correct winner of the 2012 election, and he puts out a monthly column: http://www.howardbeckmanvedicastrologer.com/wordpress/

This guy writes a cool weekly astrology newsletter and sells astro books: Dave at www.astroamerica.com.

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Readers can follow not only their Sun sign horoscope but also their Ascendant for further clues to how your week will develop. NOTE: some aspects are exact on a weekend but may find opportunity for expression on the Friday or Monday nearest the exact aspect. Times given are in Eastern Standard or Eastern Daylight Savings Time depending on the season.

ARIES - March 20-April 19 – The Moon is in Aries from 9 am Wednesday till midday Friday. Wednesday may be your best day when the Moon in your sign trines Venus at midday and Jove in the evening; be generous and loving with children and romantic Others. Midday Thursday may upset you if you let it, or you may get a flash of insight; Uranus is like that. The evening favors romance. Make time for creative writing Friday.

TAURUS - April 20-May 20 – The Moon is in Taurus from 11:58 am Friday till next Sunday night. Friday night favors a late night at the movies with friends. Saturday favors a breakfast meeting with your mentor or influential folks. The rest of the day may be like a tug-of-war tho. Vesta and Ceres are in your solar seventh house of partners now; Ceres likes to see their mate as an underdog in some way, and rush to defend them. Vesta may be denied the rewards of the married state; possibly the spouse is always in transit, or even in confinement.

GEMINI - May 21-June 20 – Your ruler moves into your solar fourth house of Virgo; on interesting possibility is that you may host an exchange student, or at least play host to your children's little friends. It should be a busy month with lots of people stopping in at your house. Venus in your solar third house may mean short trips to scenic areas, or even an offer to take you along on a relative's vacation.

CANCER - June 21-July 22 – OK, Jupiter has been out of your sign for about a month now, and you should have noticed that you have stopped gaining weight. And if you were following a diet plan pretty closely with no changes in your weight, you may finally see the needle on the scale start to go down. Yay, give yourself some credit, and reward yourself with a movie night out or a new plant for the house or garden. Juno enters your sign this month, the most natural placement for that asteroid. You may be called upon to extra supportive of your partner, either in a health crisis or in his/her career.

LEO - July 23-Aug. 22 – Venus enters your sign this week, which is kind of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you may be too hung up on whether people like you, but on the other hand, if you just radiate all the love and talent in your soul, people just can't help but love you! Best day of the week may be Thursday when Moon and Uranus in Aries and Sun in your sign make a lovely trine; let your uniqueness find a means of expression, or you'll bust.

VIRGO - Aug. 23-Sept. 22 – Mercury enters your sign this week, which tends to increase the tempo of your life in at least one sector. You may have lots of visitors or calls, or have extra duties at work such as intake, training or interviewing.

LIBRA - Sept. 23-Oct. 22 – Venus's entry into your solar eleventh house adds a sweet note to the presence of Jupiter already there; your boon companions (Jupiter) may be joined by very dear friends, both old and new. Some of them may be artists or musicians, possibly those you have met in art classes you were in. Pallas enters your sign this week; Pallas helps you to negotiate agreements with coworkers or any kind of partners. You may be less objective, but better able to see the other person's point of view.

SCORPIO - Oct. 23-Nov. 21 – Ceres enters your sign this week, Scorp, joining Vesta which is already in progress! Ceres in Scorpio helps you recuperate and regenerate yourself, so if you have been facing a few health challenges this is a great aid in getting you back up to speed. Vesta in your sign may likewise bring a regeneration of your personality; others will probably be very glad to see the old you back in full glory! Both asteroids tend to help bring out latent psychic abilities, so pay close attention to your inner senses.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov. 22-Dec. 21 – Mercury enters your solar tenth house of career on Friday; you could act as spokesperson for the company or tour the company plants all over the country. Venus enters your home territory, the solar ninth house, on Tuesday where it joins Jupiter; I think you could see a financial settlement proposed in a legal matter, and I think you should probably take it (your attorney may feel otherwise) because that Venus offer will not be an option forever.

CAPRICORN - Dec. 22-Jan. 19 – Best days are Wednesday and Saturday morning-- Wednesday because cardinal-sign colleague Aries enjoys lovely trines and so home life is harmonious and mutually satisfying. Saturday morning because you may be consulted as the wise mentor you are by a young person, possibly one of your own children or grandchildren. Mercury's entry into compatible Virgo on Friday also increases your comfort zone, just knowing that somebody is taking care of the details lets you relax a tiny bit.

AQUARIUS - Jan. 20-Feb. 17 – The Moon is in Aquarius Sunday till Monday morning. Sunday's Full Moon at 18 degrees 2' Aquarius at 2:09 pm is challenged by a frustrating square to Saturn; even the politest requests might be refused so don't be too discouraged.

PISCES - Feb. 18-March 19 – The Moon is in Pisces from 8:55 am Monday till Wednesday morning. The Moon trines Saturn midday Tuesday, helping you to achieve goals for the week. Saturn also may render a verdict in whatever pending legal issue is at hand. Mercury's entry to your solar seventh house makes your partner more talkative, you may even have a hard time getting a word in edgewise.