The violence wave reaches Chapel Hill

As Mars and Pluto opposed each other for the last time in a cycle that began last fall, a student at the University of North Carolina here in Chapel Hill where I live was murdered, the latest in a wave of violence that has increased the murder rate in Los Angeles by 27% for the year so far, and 30% in New Orleans. The UNC student, Eve Carson, was student body president and by all reports well-loved by students, faculty and even the political leadership of the Town who knew her in her role as Trustee. Her murder is being called a “random act of violence” by police, but my intuition tells me there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Murders are not unheard of in this quiet college town, but they tend to be concentrated in the areas where drug activity can be found and are usually the result of a drug deal gone bad, and a few years ago a high school student murdered his parents. We do not often see this type of seemingly random violence - the last time a townperson was murdered was 1995.

Violence seems to have spiked since the eclipse on February 6 when Mars was virtually stationary in preparation for the final opposition to Pluto. In 2007 there were five school shootings for the year, two of them in October and November as Mars began the opposition to Pluto; in 2008 so far there have been four and all between February 8 and 14th. There certainly appears to be a statistical correlation to Mars/Pluto, but I suspect that this is just be an eruption of the culture of stress and violence that is permeating the global consciousness.

With 1 in 100 people in the US behind bars and a steadily increasing crime rate, it is clear that Pluto in Capricorn will preside over the breakdown (Pluto) over our criminal justice system (Capricorn). Already US states cannot afford to continue feeding and housing prisoners and providing medical care at this level. Pluto governs over the breakdown and removal of systems that are no longer working, and clears away the debris. As it travels through Capricorn it will expose those areas of our culture that are disintegrating from within and complete the process so that something new will be rebuilt. The pinnacle of this process, of course, will occur in the period from 2010-2013 as Uranus in Aries makes a square to Pluto in Capricorn.

It seems very clear to me that the breakdown will need to be very nearly complete in order to transform to the degree that transformation is necessary. We have all experienced drastic changes in our life that were extremely uncomfortable, but which ended up to be the best thing that ever happened to us because of the transformation that occurred. We must not fear these changes but instead embrace them, because that is what will bring about the new age to come.

Obama’s Birthtime - settled by Astrodatabank

Astrodatabank has confirmed that the 1:06 pm birthtime for Obama that is floated around is a myth.

Date and place from media sources including Obama’s IL General Assembly webpage. Various times of birth have been circulated or posted. A time of 1:06 PM was provided by Fran McEvoy who told PT she couldn’t remember who gave it to her. She said that the person reportedly obtained the time from Obama and wished to remain anonymous. McEvoy adamantly denied that she heard it from Obama at a “shout-out” in NH as reported in the Andrew Mangino article in the NY Observer online of July 24, 2007. PT has received e-mails or seen postings listing 9:51 AM, 10:02 AM, 1:15 PM, 2:10 AM, 6:10 AM, “1-3 AM,” and “Virgo rising,” but these times have either been acknowledged to be speculation, rectification or otherwise not traceable to an original or reliable source.

This gives us an opportunity to stop arguing over which house Obama’s Pluto is in and keep an eye on the greater picture.

New Moon tomorrow! and a look ahead

We are still in the middle of the Aquarius stellium, with Chiron conjunct Mercury which is exacerbating the tendency of Mars in Cancer for hurt feelings. Fortunately, a conjunction of sweet Venus and romantic Neptune will soften the edges of any conflicts that come up, providing creative ways to move through difficulties and release old patterns as Neptune’s urge to dissolve and transcend does its magic.

The New Moon on March 7 is at 17 degrees Pisces, the sign of spiritual experience and creativity. With the Sun conjunct the Moon, there is a linking of the conscious mind to the unconscious instinctive urges, fusing in a celebration of the divine experience that is the realm of Pisces. New Moons are known to be auspicious times for new ventures, and this New Moon is tightly conjunct Uranus, god of radical change and innovation. A powerful influence to aid us as we walk down a completely new path! We also see the influence of Jupiter coming into play as it approaches a sextile (harmonious aspect) to Uranus which will be exact late in March. This Jupiter/Uranus combination brings with it an excitement and eagerness for change and a readiness to move into the next phase.

The New Moon also incorporates an applying conjunction between Mercury and Neptune which is exact on the 8th, enhancing the imaginative quality of this lunation. This Mercury/Neptune conjunction is part of the Aquarius stellium that includes Chiron which continues to press our buttons if we don’t surrender to the Neptunian flow and Chiron’s call to face the daemon within. When Venus enters Pisces on March 12 and forms a sextile to Pluto on March 13, any resistance we are harboring will be lubricated and we will find it easier to make the necessary inner adjustments. On the 14th when Mercury leaves the Aquarius stellium to enter Pisces, the link to Chiron will be broken and the sensitivity of the early part of the month will ease. Mars also forms a sextile to Saturn on that day, and the days from March 12-16 or so will be a great time to get things done and follow your plan for success as the energy of Mars works harmoniously with Saturn’s urge for achievement.

The astrological use of mythology

I continue to be blown away by the new crop of astrologers who have grown up in the craft with so many tools at their disposal and made good use of them. Chris Brennan, a recent graduate of Kepler College, is one of these and he has a new article up on his site questioning the use of mythology in astrological counseling. He writes:

While the planets themselves were named after the gods of the Greek pantheon centuries before horoscopic astrology came out of Alexandria, nowhere in any of the Hellenistic astrological texts is there made a direct correlation between the mythology of the gods and the significations of the corresponding planetary bodies that bare their names. The connection between the names of the celestial bodies and their corresponding myths in an interpretive astrological context does not appear to have been made in the western astrological tradition until sometime in the 20th century, and thus it is a relatively new innovation with respect to the history of horoscopic astrology as a whole. As a relatively recent development in the western tradition, this method of chart delineation should be reexamined within the context of ancient and contemporary astrological system alike in order to determine the applicability of mythology to the astrological construct as a whole, from both a theoretical and a practical standpoint.

Chris traces the use of mythological concepts in modern astrology to the work of Liz Greene, who of course has been a major influence in shaping my own transformational approach. Dr. Greene is a Jungian analyst who incorporates the use of archetypal language in her astrological interpretations, as do many other psychological astrologers. Chris adds,

Perhaps the archetypes or concepts inside of that consciousness are available for all of humanity to draw upon and they are somehow intertwined with the thoughts of the cosmic mind, as expressed by the movements of the celestial bodies. The archetypes are somewhat general in character though, because they are essentially broad, undirected concepts, of a universal nature and they are not as specifically focused because they occur everywhere in our world and not just through the specific language of astrology.

I have to say, though, that for me the use of the mythological archetypes goes beyond providing a methodology to explain the workings of the planets in our lives. To me the planets ARE living gods, each of whom have something to teach us. The Greek mythological sources are imperfect in their corrolation to the astrological symbolism of the planets, but an understanding of the nature of these gods is invaluable in processing the psychospiritual systems of the chart and the unfolding planetary cycles that we face day after day. What god are we working with? What does he or she come to teach? What gifts does this god seek from us? Understanding the chart in this manner opens up a new world of meaning to the client in a way that allows us to interact more significantly with the chart and our unfolding planetary cycles as well.

Mars/Pluto and nasty campaigning

Democratic primary goes even more negative as Mars opposes Pluto.

Republicans for Hillary

As a culture-watcher I found it fascinating that in Ohio Republicans were voting for Hillary Clinton in order to shore up a big win for John McCain in November.

“I voted for Hillary,” said Republican Eric Klieber, 56, of Cleveland Heights. “John McCain has a better chance of beating her than Barack Obama. . . . If the Democratic race was decided, I’m sure a lot of them would vote for the candidate less likely to win.”

Clinton was the defector’s choice in Cincinnati, too. In Hyde Park, an affluent neighborhood, a volunteer for Clinton said a number of Republicans told her they voted for Clinton in hopes of seating a Republican in the White House in November.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Brenda Weaver said, while passing out campaign literature outside a church. “I say, ‘Way to go, more votes for her!’ “

John McClelland, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party, said he was unfazed by the anecdotes, “as long as they turn around and vote Republican in the fall.” But some Republicans might have switched for good.

In Strongsville, middle-aged couple Lucy and Pete See - longtime Republicans - both voted for Clinton.

“I like that she has more experience in foreign affairs,” Pete See said. “The Republican candidate was older than me.”

Lucy See said she voted for Clinton as well. “I want to be part of making history,” she said.

Evidently some of the Republican voters were following instructions given by Rush Limbaugh to vote for Hillary in order to weaken the Democrats. Heavily Republican Clermont county ran out of Democratic ballots due to the huge number of crossover voters:

Joy Mysonhimer, a poll worker in Miami Township, Clermont County, said that in her 40 years of working, she had never experienced anything like the shortage of Democratic ballots.

“An awful lot of Republicans went Democrat, and that had not been anticipated,” she said. “They should have anticipated this.”

This election season continues to look more and more bizarre, which will fit in nicely with the upcoming opposition of Uranus and Saturn on election day. The conjunction of transiting Pluto to the Midheaven in the US chart is just about exact, and transformation and power struggles are par for the astrological course.

Astrology and MI5

Secret papers just released tell the story of Louis deWohl, an astrologer and flamboyant character who was hired by the British secret service to cast horoscopes for Hitler and other Nazi leaders under the auspices of the “Psychological Research Bureau.” John and Susan Townley were ahead of the curve on this one, posting this article back in 2006.

It has long been rumored that British intelligence utilized the help of an astrologer, mostly from legends disseminated by deWohl himself. Most authorities agree that deWohl was never a real astrologer, but instead served to assist the British government in convincing the US to enter World War II. His biography is riddled with rumor and falsehoods, including a stint as a Hollywood screenwriter and an intimate association with Hitler’s astrologers.

It’s unfortunate that the exposure of the real use of astrology by the military features such a fraudulent practitioner of the art. For more information on deWohl, see this excellent article from the UK Skyscript site.

Mars back into Cancer tomorrow

Mars, which had retrograded back into Gemini where warfare tends to be more verbal than physical, moves back into Cancer tomorrow. Mars has been in Cancer, where it is typically more hypersensitive and touchy, on and off since last November. Mars will make the final opposition to Pluto on March 6 and then move on to greener pastures.

While Mars is in Cancer, emotions are heightened and there is much more sensitivity evident in the world around us. Mars is said to be in its fall in Cancer and has difficulty expressing its warlike nature directly. Often anger and irritations tend to be suppressed and burst out inappropriately or with frustration.

Mars in Cancer also increases our drive to nurture, often through food, and to protect those less fortunate than ourselves, so we are likely to see a big push toward philanthropy over the next few months and perhaps an increased desire to feed the hungry. Sometimes our own frustration can masquerade as our frustration with the fates of others around us, and as with all water signs it can be somewhat difficult to know whose emotions are whose under this influence. Cancer’s main concern is with emotional security, and Mars in Cancer wants to erect solid boundaries with which to secure the heart.

Mars will not be interacting much with other planets until it opposes Jupiter in late April, so it will be acting pretty independently where it will stay out of trouble for the most part.

Nerd Signs - the Y2K Compliant Horoscope

Thanks as always to Elsa’s Top Ten for providing a link to this wonderful article:

zodiac version 2.0

Thousands of years ago, people in primitive cultures looked upwards and imagined patterns and signs in the stars that bespeckled the night sky, much the same way that stock traders and market analysts do with economic data today. They imagined the stars were arranged in the shapes of animals and people: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius, formed the zodiac that encircled the heavens.

The heavens may seem a permanent and unchanging creation, but over a span of thousands of years, the positions of the stars do change and the circumstances and infuences that affect our daily lives have changed even more. By the later part of the twentieth century, the movement towards universal deregulation led to an increasing pace of mergers, buyouts, and divestitures, often leaving zodiacal consumers uncertain of what their sign would be the next day or what level of support they could count upon.

At its peak, this celestial merger-mania was on the verge of dividing the cosmos between the signs of Microsoft and AT&T, leaving little room for individuality and variety in horoscopes. Cosmic consolidation to a mere two sun signs would be devastating for those who depend on their daily astrological forecast to plan their lives, predict romantic possibilities, and make investment and career decisions. Some analysts warned that if half the world’s population were to receive unexpected checks all on the same day, the resulting chaos in the international banking system would be catastrophic–or at the very least result in inconveniently long lines at teller windows and ATMs.

After the initial “boom” times of celestial merger-mania, the need to curtail expenses led to many stars that had previously held high-level positions in major constellations being laid off. The likelihood that some of the less profitable star signs might be discontinued entirely–with a corresponding loss of support for people born during corresponding times of the year–was the last straw that caused the government to intervene.

To deal with growing consumer concerns and zodiacal vulnerability to possible future extragalactic competition, the US Justice Department and the FCSC (Federal Celestial Sphere Commission) worked out a plan to return the zodiac to its original complement of twelve signs, updated to be more relevant to the daily lives of people in the new millennium:

Cisco, the Router (February 19th ~ March 20th)

The router serves to bridge the gap between two worlds, a “gatekeeper” between our day-to-day earthly plane and the higher realm of the spirit or between the local intranet and the campus backbone or internet.

Persons born under the sign of the router feel an enhanced connection to planes other than the physical and can help bring enlightenment to others by filtering and guiding packets of spirituality to the people around them. The vulnerability of Ciscons (people born under the sign of Cisco) is that they may unwisely pick up evil packets from the other side as well and be subject to their influence and even fall victim to Denial-of-Spirituality (DoS) attacks coming from the darker planes of existence.

EDO, the RAM (March 21st ~ April 19th)

Quick to learn new things and energetic in taking on new tasks, people born under the sign of the RAM tend to lose interest in old or boring tasks if their excitement level is not frequently refreshed.

Possessed of a deep committment to fairness in their dealings with others, they strive to maintain parity in all their interactions and will immediately detect imbalance or error.

Hayes, the Modem (April 20th ~ May 20th)

Children born under this sign often appear aloof and uninterested to the casual aquaintance, but it’s more accurate to say that one just has to make sure to get their attention first.

Because of this tendency towards shyness, they may find it difficult to negotiate a true connection with others and often experience compatibility problems until they’re absolutely sure that those they deal with fully come up to their standards and the tone of their interactions is to their liking. But once such a connection is made, you can be sure they will be determined to hang on, at least until they drop you.

Control-ALT-Delete, the Reset Button (May 21st ~ June 20th)

Those born under the Control-Alt-Delete sign are capable of quick, on-the-fly decisions and immediate actions, sometimes followed by almost-but-not-quite immediate regrets. Impatient and possessed of highly active imaginations, emotions, and wit, they are always ready and eager to start a new project or restart a current one in a whole different way.

The Control-Alt-Delete-born are very tactile in nature, responding quickly and enthusiastically to being touched, but once they get started, it’s difficult or even hazardous to try to interrupt or stop them before they feel that they’re finished.

Pink Pearl, the Eraser (June 21st ~ July 22nd)

Despite being cautious and careful in their actions and decisions, people born under the sign of the Pink Pearl Eraser find themselves always having to clean up after the mistakes and messes of others and often wind up feeling crummy as a result.

When given enough care and attention, children of the Eraser are able to remain flexible and understanding despite the wear-and-tear of daily life; if left neglected too long, however, their attitude often becomes hard and brittle.

Pentium, the CPU (July 23rd ~ August 22nd)

Pentiums are fast thinkers and highly analytical, though in their haste, they’re also given to skipping over details and making small math errors, particularly where fractions are concerned. They’re also strongly emotional and if not given enough room to cool off, tend to get hotheaded and unstable. Never get on the wrong side of someone born under the sign of Pentium, because if you do, they’ll get prickly and easily bent out-of-shape.

Pentiums always expect to be the center of attention and are natural leaders, automatically assuming that they are in charge and that everything will go through them.

DeepRock, the Water Cooler (August 23rd ~ September 23rd)

People born under this sign are cool and easy-going, not easily pressed into quick decisions or fast action, especially on Monday mornings, Friday afternoons, or during the week.

Water Coolers are good listeners and willing to lend a sympathetic ear, at least as long as your problems make for sufficiently juicy gossip.

Keuffel and Esser, the Slide Rule (September 24th ~ October 22nd)

People born under the sign of the Slide Rule have a particular talent for extending themselves to handle new problems and situations. They are able to look at problems, both small and large, and immediately keep the basic details in proportion.

Elegant and dependable, Slide Rules are known for keeping their cool and never letting on that they’re being pulled too far until they reach their limit and abruptly fall apart.

Weller, the Soldering Iron (October 23rd ~ November 21st)

Those born under the sign of the Soldering Iron are both passionate and focused, capable of directing their intense firey passions towards a single goal. Others may see the intensity of their inner fire, be drawn to it, and wind up getting burned, because once a Wellerian has gotten heated up and is focused on a goal, he or she may be unaware of or uninterested in anything else.

To be happy, the Wellerian has to have someone close in his or her life who has extra energy to be drawn upon when needed, otherwise those born under this sign may become cold, withdrawn, and ineffective.

Custom Imprinted With Your Company Logo, the Pocket Protector (November 22nd ~ December 21st)

Children of the Pocket Protector are very security-oriented and careful to protect others, sometimes even at their own expense. Friends and family may accuse the Pocket Protector People in their lives of being “unadventurous” or “not spontaneous enough,” but those born under the Custom Imprinted With Your Company Logo sign must strive to trust their own wisdom and hold to their chosen course, values, and priorities and not be swayed by those around them who might be more rash and less thorough in their thinking.

Quake, the Video Game (December 22nd ~ January 19th)

Energetic, imaginitive, and often heavily armed, Quakers keep finding themselves abruptly plunged into the midst of chaos and crossfire, and solving or blowing up the current batch of problems and crises may turn out to be only the harbinger of a new, more challenging level of bigger problems and crises.

Able to don many different hats or “skins” to cope with this wide array of problems, the child of the video game often still finds himself or herself really looking for an even bigger gun with which to take out opponents.

Tux, the Penguin (January 20th ~ February 18th)

Free and independent-thinking, those born under the sign of Tux the Penguin are quick with thoughts and ideas, even if the rest of the world might not understand the thoughts and ideas in question. Rather than express feelings and problems with loud and aggressive warning and error messages that are apparent to anyone, their inner settings may only be visible to those who know them and have learned where and how to probe for them.

When it comes to romantic relationships, many people assume that those born under this sign would be incompatible or too complex, or that they simply wouldn’t serve their needs, but with proper care and patience–and a certain amount of tweaking and experimentation–those born under the sign of Tux, the Penguin, are compatible with many platforms and star signs.

The Unnatural Enquirer, © 2001 Trygve Lode (trygve@trygve.com)

And don’t miss the archives of this hilarious site here.

Obama’s announcement chart

To me, the jury is still out on the void moon (the moon is said to be void after it makes the last aspect to another planet before entering the next sign), but today I received an email from a reader quoting a newsgroup post that said

“Please help me with the astrology of Obama’s campaign. He announced his run on Feb 10, 2007, 10:13am CST, Springfield IL. Asc 8TAU42. Source - BBC covered the event live with a local time ticker which froze at the moment of the announcement. I was watching.

At first glance there are serious problems. A voided waning Moon in Scorpio - void in the classical and modern sense. In fact, it is very seriously void, with the next ptolemaic being a square to radix Mercury 14 degrees later.

The V/C tables that I consulted indicate that the moon was not void of course until the following day, but looking at the chart of the event it certainly does appear that the moon had made its last aspect before passing out of Scorpio.

Astrological lore instructs us not to enter into any ventures when the moon is void of course. Astroprofile, a great resource for all kinds of data, says “It is a time of the minutes or hours of chaos, disruption, nothing works right…times when we make bad decisions.”

It’s interesting then that Obama, with an announcement chart that includes a void of course moon, has shot from last place into a strong lead in the presidential campaign. Perhaps what the void of course moon has done, rather than doom him to a bad decision, is to offer up results that have broken all of the rules of political campaigns.

There are a surprising number of exact (1 degree orb or less) aspects between the Obama announcement chart and the US Sibley chart:

• Neptune in the US chart exactly trines the Midheaven in the announcement chart, perhaps explaining the “mania” in “Obamania.”
• The Moon in the announcement chart exactly trines the US Mercury, suggesting that the emotional motivations of Obama’s candidacy (Moon) are in harmony with what the people of the US are thinking (Mercury).
• The Sun in the announcement chart makes an exact trine to the US Mars, suggesting that the essence of Obama’s candidacy (Sun) has the capability to energize (Mars) the American people.
• Pluto in the announcement chart makes a sextile to the Moon in the US chart that suggests that Obama will transform (Pluto) the way Americans feel about their country (Moon).
• Jupiter in the announcement chart make an exact sextile to Saturn in the US chart, indicating that Obama’s candidacy expands the optimism (Jupiter) of the established power structures in the country (Saturn).
• Mercury in the announcement chart exactly squares Uranus in the US, explaining the way Obama’s oratory (Mercury) creates a radical urge for change (Uranus).
• Neptune in the announcement chart forms an exact sextile to Chiron in the US chart, identifying the mystical fervor (Neptune) that Obama’s candidacy has inspired, and the hope that the nation can be healed (Chiron).

Perhaps Obama will lose, but there is no question that his candidacy has had a profound effect although not in the way that anyone could have predicted. And perhaps that is the lesson of the void of course moon!

Update 3/1: Sally McDonald, one of the web’s experts in mundane astrology (I am merely a dabbler; my specialty is people rather than events), writes that the Moon in the announcement chart makes it easier for Obama’s natal Saturn and Uranus to work together effectively and harmonize the structure that Saturn creates with the urge to overturn the status quo of Uranus. She adds that the the Moon and Mercury in Obama’s chart, which form a sextile in the chart, both are inconjunct (30 degrees) his Venus at 1 degree Cancer which is being opposed right now by Pluto, forming a perfect Yod in his chart. The Yod is the “finger of fate” aspect that indicates an important destiny of some sort. The transit of Pluto is clarifying that destiny and bringing it into fruition.