Another Stupid Exercise - Fruit Juices & the Signs

I can't help it, I just love matching Astrological Signs to everything around me.

The January 2007 issue of Shape Magazine contains a short article called "Drink to Good Health" (p.73). They tell you to reconsider the Fruit Juice which has recently come under disfavor for its concentration of sugars. I've matched the Three Juices described and the diseases its contents help cure with appropriate Signs. Sorry, I suppose I need 12 juices for each Sign of the Zodiac. I'll work on that...

Orange Juice for the Bladder.
LIBRAS / VENUSIANS
Contains Vitamin C, Folic Acid. Keeps away Kidney Stones. Boosts levels of Citrate, an acid neutralizers that dissolves the pesky critters.

Apple Juice for the Brain
ARIES / MARS
Contains Vitamin C & Potassium. May increase production of acetylcholine which makes you smart(er).

Pomegranate Juice for the Heart
LEO / SUN
Contains Anti-Oxidants like tannins and anthocyani(something, I can't read my writing). Prevents LDL, Bad Cholesterol.

The Major Lunar Standstills, Murders and Killer Weather

The City of Oakland in California has recently had a sudden & huge increase in Murders in the last couple of years. I checked to see if this is related to the Major Lunar Standstills that have been happening in 2005 and 2006. This is a phenomenon in the sky where the Moon hits its highest peak in the sky and then drops to its lowest point within a couple of weeks. The ancients are thought to have paid particular attention to them through their Megalith Structures. There seems to be no real idea about whether these affect people's behaviors but since the Moon is involved and the Moon can make a gal howl, I thought maybe.... Well, no dice.

So

City of Oakland, California
incorporated May 4, 1852

Oakland has a very uncomplicated chart. There's a huge stellium in Taurus: Pluto 1 Taurus; Uranus 5 Taurus; Mercury 8 Taurus; Saturn 9 Taurus; Sun 15 Taurus. Taurus is pretty mellow and low-key. Gertrude Stein was born in this town. Her description of it is the famous quote "There's no There there." These are aspected by Jupiter and Mars also in Fixed Signs. Unfortunately these two can be quite volatile; once you get the Bull charging you had better have a Matador ready to handle him.

The remaining planets aspect this stellium.

Jupiter in Scorpio (retro) opposes the Sun.

Mars at 12 Leo squares Sun, Saturn, Mercury, and Uranus.

Venus at 30 Gemini (Aries Point) sextiles Pluto.

Neptune sextiles everything except Pluto.

North Node at 10 Cancer sextile Mercury-Saturn.

Transits and Progressions this past year.

-t. Saturn c. Mars.
-Jupiter Return (in Scorpio) conjunct prog. Mars.
-T.Uranus c. Neptune in Aquarius and inconjunct n.Mars. This is good, Oakland has been also growing as a great Art Town and with all those Taurus planets should thrive in that field.
-Progressed Mars squaring natal Mars.
-Progressed Sun squaring the Nodes. Progressed Sun, oddly, is in Libra, the sign of Peace.

A lot of hits from Mars, Jupiter and Sun on a predominantly Fixed Chart. It will be interesting to see what happens when Pluto hits Chiron in early Capricorn in 2008. Hope this indicates a major reform in policing policies.

And, about the Major Lunar Standstills: they could have something vaguely to do with the harsh weather conditions in the last two years. The Indonesian Tsunuami occurred 3 months before the first Major Lunar Standstill in March 2005 and Hurricane Katrina, of course, happened at the end of August that year. There was also a huge earthquake in Pakistan along with other events.

Poisoned by their Pens

Pluto = Death and Sagittarius = Journalism. During Pluto's travels through Sagittarius it seems that more than the average amount of Journalists have died for exposing their Stories. Either they've been murdered in record numbers pursuing stories in the Middle East conflicts, or they suffered so much from the Controversy their stories created that they committed Suicide. I suppose this has always been the case, Journalists are an exciting group of people who want to expose the unknown. I happened to read the story about Gary Webb in the free weekly paper in Santa Cruz and wanted to see what I could find in his, and a few others' charts. It seems doubly tragic to lose a person because he pursued the Truth.

Pluto moved into Sagittarius in 1995. Saturn moved into Pisces at around the same time and squared Pluto. Saturn and Pluto are tough planets when working together. They are ruthless, ambitious, unrelenting and very realistic. Sagittarius and Pisces have Idealistic, maybe Unrealistic, Philosophical and Spiritual interests. I think the combination of the incompatible energies both accomplished great feats for the good of the many while unfortunately destroying the Individuals who accomplished them. By coincidence, all three of the reporters I'm looking at were killed while investigating Drug related stories. They involve the CIA and the Nicaraguan Contras, the neighborhoods of Dublin, or the past dalliances of the President of the U.S. Everybody's doin it. After the Saturn-Pluto opposition in Gemini (Twin-towers) and Sagittarius (Airplanes, Travel) in 2001 the Wars have taken our reporters' lives. Here's some casualties from the earlier part.

Gary Webb
b. August 31, 1955 Corona, CA.
Died of self-inflicted gunshot wound on Dec. 10, 2004.

Wrote a 3-part series for the San Jose Mercury News about how the CIA was involved with trafficking and distributing Nicaraguan Cocaine into Los Angeles. Was denounced by all the major Government and East Coast Newspapers and not backed by the Mercury News. Became unemployable at any major Newspaper. Published book, Dark Alliance.

Sun at 7 Virgo conjunct Venus and Mars in Virgo and Pluto in Leo. These planets were squared by Pluto during the entire mid-90's when his story came out.

Moon is probably in Aquarius, maybe squaring Saturn in Scorpio which is a strong indicator for depression, no resilience from rejection, but also an emotional drive and ambition for success. Saturn is squaring Jupiter in Leo.

North Node is at 24 Sagittarius (Journalism, International affairs, publishing) trined by natal Pluto (covert, powerful operations) at 27 Leo.

He also has a highly Idealistic, Humanitarian t-square of Uranus in Leo opposite Chiron in Aquarius squaring Neptune in Libra.

In 1995 when he probably began to work on his biggest story he was going through a Saturn Trine, the Uranus Opposition (which was conjunct Chiron), and then shortly after by the Neptune square when the story fell down the tubes. Progressed Venus was conjunct n. Neptune, t. Jupiter conjunct North Node, prog. Mars conjunct n. Mercury. He may have become overly enthusiastic and blown the story out of proportion with these aspects but his findings did lead to later truths about the CIA's involvements. He diligently accounted for all his Sources. I wonder if as a strong Virgo personality he didn't engage his editors enough in the publishing process. They are said to be mostly at fault for the arguments in the piece. Most of his planets were lined up in Leo and Virgo and the square from Pluto seems to have been his downfall.

On Dec. 10, 2004 Webb committed suicide. The transiting North Node was filling out the empty leg of his Idealistic t-square. His progressed Sun was conjunct Neptune and t.Pluto was conjunction his natal North Node, possibly even compounded by progressed Moon. Classic Noel Tyl wipeout. You want Saturn to be firmly placed during these times and Webb was not so lucky. T. Saturn was conjunct volatile Uranus in his natal chart.

Veronica Guerin
b. July 5, 1958 Dublin, IRE
Shot while driving in her car by Drug Dealers on June 26, 1996.

Cate Blanchett starred in a Movie about the life of this woman. Nurturing Cancer, realized that the Drug Dealers in certain neighborhoods were destroying the Children and began to report on them.

Sun 13 Cancer square Mars at 20 Aries. This is the only aspect to Guerin's Sun and Mars is strong in its own sign.

Moon in either Aquarius or Pisces perhaps conjunct Chiron in Aquarius and maybe opposite Pluto.

North Node at 29 Libra showing a strong concern for Justice. NN is conjunct Jupiter in Libra (Journalism and Neptune (Drugs) in Scorpio (Dark Side of Society)). NN is also squaring Mercury in Leo. Uranus is about 10 degrees away from Mercury in Leo also. Strong concern of life path for Justice, Ideals, setting things right, especially through writing and communication.

When she was shot, Pluto had just entered Sagittarius and was trining Guerin's Mercury. She had many trines actually (p.Sun to n. Saturn; t.Chiron to n.Venus; t. Moon conjunct n.Jupiter-NN-Neptune, plus she was having a Venus Return) indicating a positive time in her life.

However, Neptune was squaring her Nodes and it was also her Neptune square. Of great volatility, T. Jupiter was opposing her n.Sun and squaring her n. Mars. This had been set off by the Partial Solar Eclipse that happened on April 17. The eclipse happened on her natal Mars while she was having a Mars Return. This could be a strong danger signal for her, especially to be careful while driving a car.

James Hatfield
b. Jan. 7, 1958
d. July 18, 2001 from Prescription Drug Overdose

James Hatfield is a more complex character than Webb or Guerin. He was a Hack writer who wrote a highly controversial biography of George W. Bush during the 1999 campaign in which he exposed how Bush's achievements were completely due to family connections and not due to his own credit. Of most interest was his exposure of Bush's cocaine possession charges on 1972. It's interesting to note that his Sun opposes Bush's Sun. The Bush Campaign made mincemeat of him which wasn't difficult to do as he had been convicted twice, once in 1988 for paying a hit man to kill his boss and the 2d time for embezzlement. His Publisher recalled his book, Fortunate Son, in October, 1999 due to his criminal past. It was republished by a Punk Publisher and there's a great Documentary out about this whole process called Horns & Halos.

While reading about him I found that there were a previous James Hadfield who lived in England and became famous for attempting to assassinate King George III on May 15, 1900, and was acquitted by reason of insanity. He was born in either 1771 or 1772 which means that he was probably going through his Saturn Return. The Modern Hatfield apparently was going through his Saturn Return when he tried to pay the hit man to kill his boss. Wow. Reincarnation? I think so.

Hatfield's chart is noticeable first for his Sun which is unaspected in Capricorn except for a Quintile to Pluto. He was probably uncompromisingly ambitious. The Second noticeable part of his chart is its bowl shape bounded by Venus-Chiron in Aquarius opposite Uranus in Leo maybe conjunct Moon in Leo. I guess this would be almost an addiction to excitement. One can see how he would be much more likely to fall into sensationalistic story telling. He had the same North Node-Neptune-Jupiter conjunction as Guerin because they were born in the same year but his North Node was in Scorpio rather than Libra.

When Hatfield's book was recalled in Oct. 1999 his progressed Mercury had just passed his natal Venus-Chiron. Transiting Pluto was conjunct his natal Mars. Interesting that progressed Venus had just come out of retrograde and was conjunct transiting Neptune and aspecting n. Pluto, Jupiter, Neptune. I suppose one could read this as a Glamour Trip to Hell. He was also going through his Neptune Square transit. The transiting Nodal Axis was hitting the opposition of his bowl shape as well.

The pressures that he had accumulated are very well documented in Horns & Halos. The Book wasn't selling well, he was publicly humiliated beyond compare, he had money problems and a drinking problem. He overdosed on Alcohol, Celexa and Lorazepam in a Motel Room. Transiting Chiron had joined transiting Pluto on his natal Mars. His progressed Sun had just switched signs and was at 2 Pisces and opposite his natal Pluto. The transiting South Node had just passed his n. Sun and progressed Mars was within conjunction by 5 degrees.

Russian Journalists have been getting knocked off left and right. Around 15 or 16 have perished due to "Medical Mysteries" since 2000. Anna Politkovskaya (Aug. 30, 1958, NYC, NY) was shot in the elevator of her apartment and Alexander Litvinenko (Dec. 4, 1962) was poisoned with the nuclear substance Polonium 210.

Whew! I need a live reporter. Anderson Cooper, keep that bullet proof vest on!

The Ability to Transform Others (in a Good Way)

Pluto rules Scorpio. It's Magnetic; Attracts; Powerful in an understated way. If it is strong in a person's chart it is thought to give them the ability to transform or bring about great changes in whatever areas are indicated. A recent article in the newspaper, "Trying to Explain 'a Brush with the Divine'" by Louis Sahagun, LA Times (published San Jose Mercury News on Dec. 16, 2006), listed Spiritual Leaders who have the ability to transform others in Healing Way. I thought I'd look at their Ascendant/Descendants to see if anything is indicated that will show exceptional abilities. I'm just going to assume that Pluto will be strong. All 4 charts are listed in the Newsmakers list at astrodatabank.com along with in-depth discussions of their charts.

The Pluto influence is very strong in the relationship patterns in all four of these great people. But, I don't know. Nobody ever gives em credit but it looks as if the Taurus Moon people are leading in this field. Something's to be said for the Venusians.

The Dalai Llama
b. July 6, 1935 4:38 am Tengster Village, Tibet (China)

Sun and Ascendant both in Cancer. Sun in H1 along with Pluto conjunct South Node. (Geronimo had Pluto conjunct South Node as well). Right here we have a strong magnetic quality, ability to transform. He has 4th house Mars squaring the Nodes and Pluto which heightens his powers but also lends a highly, disruptive influence. Although probably the greatest Religious Leader alive, he has been driven out of his homeland. (similar to Geronimo!). House 1 is a small house so Cancer rules the 2d house too emphasizing the Moon's rulership of his chart.

Descendant and H8 have Capricorn on cusps so Saturn rules both houses. North Node is only occupant of this house so his "Fate" during this lifetime is to give of himself to partners, to diplomacy.

The rulers of the Dalai Llamas' 1st and 7th houses are the Moon and Saturn. These are approaching conjunction to his MC and IC. Saturn is the natural leader of the 10th House so people will easily accept him as a Leader or Father Figure. What could be harsh, overly ambitious qualities of this aspects are strongly softened by the opposition from the Moon-Neptune conjunction in the 3th. He's a Communicator, his subject is Compassion and Kindness (Neptune). This opposition apex of a Kite to his Grand Trine pattern. His MC is Pisces, ruled by Neptune. The opposition is squared by Chiron (Healer, Teacher with unfixable Wound) in the 12t house (Neptune's House). This strong t-square on his MC-IC must somehow indicate his reincarnation as Buddhist Master.

What is exceptional here, maybe the thing that really sends the Dalai Llama's chart over the top with his incredible powers is his Mystic Rectangle involving Moon, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter. It is set into his chart to sextile the midpoint of the ASC and the Sun in a house shape. This means that his DESC is the empty leg. I wonder if this draws other people who come into contact with him. In my interpretation of Patricia Dunn's (ousted Hewlett Packard executive) chart I noticed that she had this shape exactly opposing Carly Fiorina's Sun (the CEO who she helped oust). Perhaps there is a super magnetic quality for people who fit into the empty leg of these types of charts.

Mata Amritanandamayi (Ammachi)
b. Sept. 27, 1953 9:10 am Quilon, India

Ammachi is known as "The Hugging Saint." She can heal people by hugging them.

Sun in Libra, Scorpio Ascendant, Taurus Moon (H7).

Pluto is strong because it rules Ammachi's chart. It is placed in the 10th house and squares both her Moon and her Ascendant. Her Moon also squares the ruler of its sign which is Venus. Venus is in Virgo conjunct Mars, also in H10. Perhaps this stellium of Pluto, Venus, Mars in H10 is highly magnetic.

Her chart is bowl shaped bounded by Saturn and Moon, all in upper half of chart so she's mostly an extrovert, she will show parenting due to the Saturn and Moon influence.

Grand Trine involving Libra Sun trine Moon in Taurus trine North Node in Aquarius in H3. Sun and Moon in signs ruled by Venus and working in harmony to help her to find her Fate through H3/Aquarius matters: Communications, Siblings, Neighbors.

Mother Teresa
b. August 26, 1910 2:25 pm Skopje, Yugoslavia

Sun in Virgo in 8th House (Scorpio's House) opposite Chiron.
Sagittarius rising. Chart Ruler Jupiter in Libra conjunct Libra MC and apex of a t-square to 1st & 7th House planets, Uranus opposite Neptune. It also opposes Ceres in a Grand Square configuration. Ceres represents nurturing qualities in a person.
Mercury rules Descendant. Pluto conjunct Desc. Neptune in also in the 7th House.
Mercury is in H9 in Virgo apex of a t-square to the ASC and DESC/9th house.

So, the Pluto influence is there and the repeated influences on the ASC/DESC pole. Virgo is strong here showing a desire to serve.

North Node conjunct Moon in Taurus. (Ammachi also has Taurus Moon).

Pope John Paul II
b. May 18, 1920 5:30 pm Wadowice, Poland

Sun in Taurus conjunct Moon in Gemini in H8 so there's the Scorpio Influence. Also, the North Node is in Scorpio in H1.

Venus rules the Sun Sign and also the entire Chart. It is in Taurus in the sign of its rulership and in the 7th house which it rules. So, Venus is very strong in this chart. It is conjunct Mercury and the South Node. It's interesting to contrast the Pope's 1st House NN with Mother Teresa's NN in H7. The difference between being the Pope and being a Nun. The Mercury-Venus-SN are squaring a conjunction of Neptune-Jupiter-MC in Leo.

Mars rules the DESC and is conjunct the Ascendant. Only aspect to a planet is a quintile to Uranus in Pisces.

Leo MC, like Ammachi. The MC is how people perceive you. I'd definintely rather hug a big cat than just about anything else. John Paul's loveability quotient was simply very high with Jupiter and Neptune in conjunction with his MC.s

Peace

Peace. Everyone claims desire for Peace. They want Peace as a final, end product. A Mass Produced Henry Ford kind of a Peace Product. Model T. Non-violence between societies. Peace of mind. Good Health. Prosperity so that Everyone can thrive. This is such a complex but such a simple thing to want at the same time, so much to read into a single word.

Look at how Peace fits into the Astrological Wheel. The Spiritual Lesson of Astrology is that everything happens in cycles; everything is just fucking spinning around; everything is in constant movement. When you get a bunch of planets and asteroids and Satellite Dishes and UFOs hovering over your head all day long, they exert some sort of pull. (Well, maybe not the UFOs, they're anti-gravity). Atoms spin around Nuclei in our cells. Children spin around their Parents in the Wal-Mart. The Moon spins around the Earth. The Earth the Sun. The Sun is apparently headed towards a Black Hole but before that happens the Poles will melt and shift and we'll all fall off or be buried in a volcano. But, something is also holding us together. And hopefully Noah is out there somewhere building his Ark all over again because it sounds like we're going to need it.

I'm very bitter this Christmas. I apologize for that. (I guess I'm apologizing to myself since no one reads this blog). Where's the Moon? I always forget to look these things up and usually it's so easy to explain things away this way. I don't have any Libra in my chart so I only get to fantasize about what it is. So, here goes.

Libra is the sign that most commonly represents Peace. That's such a farce. Mostly it represents Non-violence because it imbues an individual with Diplomatic skills. Either that, or it gives the individual the ability to rattle on and on pondering every aspect of a dispute until everybody else's butts hurt.

The appearance of Peace, the attempt to negotiate through Peace rather than kill others, that's Libra, it's probably the best the Human Race can come up with. Ghandi was a Libra Sun after all. But, words kill too. Even non-emotional words. Libra is only the 7th sign of 12 around the Zodiac. That's only halfway -- the Wheel is a Wheel and it's gonna keep spinning around even after it hits the 12th sign. And everyone has his own wheel, and every thing and every event and every country, every noun, every verb, every insect and plant in the world comes with its own Wheel. And with that its own set of consequences and interaction with other wheels. That makes for a lot of cogs for every wheel too.

Each sign is set to fix the problems and inadequacies of the sign before it. Once we make it to the 12th house, Pisces, the sign of full merging with the Universe, the Real Love that we all seek, the life cycle is completely destroyed and must re-birth through the power and energy of Aries, blind force. Aries is ruled by Mars, however, and Mars is the God of War. It rushes into situations without considering consequences. Libra tries to fix them through negotiations. Libra is actually more the reason for war than Aries. It's all that God Damned talkie talk. Problem with Libra is that it loses track of its own needs within the negotiations. It's a vain sign and finally everyone realizes that it simply wanted to people please in order to get what it wanted. Same old, same old. Send the negotiators in there, but the only ones who want to cooperate are the ones who are getting what they want.

What's really fancy about Libra is that it not only represents Peace more than the other signs, but it is followed by Scorpio. If Libra's words can't express the feelings (and Libra doesn't deal with emotion so there's a whole lot it can't express) then Scorpio rules Unspoken Words. Good Scorpios just present this as Society's Taboos and go ahead and fornicate under the table top at dinner with Aunt Gertrude still snoring in her chair. In the end, Unspoken Words do only an elite few any favors. Scorpio never represents peace. Pluto, Scorpio's ruler, is considered an upper octave of Mars energy. First there is Libra, Peace, Negotiations. Then there is Scorpio, Sex, Spying, Sabotage, Hidden Resentments, Selfish Motivations, Sabotage, all words forms that hiss. Still the Mars energy of only thinking about ones self, just understanding that one can get what one wants better if one is subversive. In a sense, Libra negotiations look good on the surface but they are very far from creating a state of Peace. Certainly, Scorpio can't seek Peace. There's a trend in astrology saying that Plutonians are Healers. That's just plain weird, except for Surgeons. Cutting into things seems to calm them down. Plutonians are power hungry, they simply want to have power. "Power corrupts. Absolute Power corrupts Absolutely." Scorpio lesson for the rest of us. Scorpios don't want to communicate, they don't even want to interact. They want to control from a hidden spot behind a bush. Not everyone wants to be in control so Scorpios are usually welcome in any gathering so this is not necessarily a bad thing. So, as sexy, alluring, talented, creative as they might be, never seek out a Scorpio for matters related to Peace.

Then comes Sagittarius. Sagittarius responds to the hidden motivations with either loveable candor (Jon Stewart) or open insults (Jon Stewart). Only Sagittarius can get away with this behavior though. Their behavior is definitely not something you should try at home on your own or you'll end up acting like Rush Limbaugh. This energy should come to the fore this year during the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in December. Media, Publishing, Opinions, Racism, Bigotry, it may show an uglier than usual side, it already has. Sagittarius represents organized Religion. Some people find peace within the Church walls. So, there's the possibility of Osama's Holy War. Opinions, opinions, opinions, Insults. God is this. God is that. God is Great. Death to America.

Not Peaceful.

Then comes Capricorn. Capricorn rules the top of the chart. Its the Goat that keeps climbing the hill. It gets to the top of the hill and looks for a trash can, an old rusty car, your head, it needs something else to climb on top of. God, I can understand how tree frogs can climb with their little suctions cup toes, but Goats do it with hooves. They're not even built for climbing. Scorpio has to yield Power, Capricorns have to yield Authority. Both are creative. Creative people are not peaceful, harmonious types overall. Sagg is stuck inbetween screaming its head off, keeping everyone happy with Idealistic Rants about how things ought to be, and taking bribes from both Scorpio and Cap.

Capricorn rules all that is conventionally acceptable in society. Status Quo. It has listened to all of Sagg's whining and complaining and wants everything to conform and shut up. But it does want to fix problems. It does want to organize and lay plans. Just make sure Capricorn's plans are your plans. In a same vein, it is completely intolerant and unaccepting of anything that doesn't fit within its narrow margins. "I climbed up that tree with a stiff body and four hooves, why can't you?" Nothing starts a War quicker than that kind of attitude. You can't run around calling all the tree frogs failures and fools. And Capricorn is full of fears that the same rejection will be done to it. It's ruled by Saturn and Saturn equals Karma. In offices, everyone threatens everyone else into conforming by, well, all kinds of creepy means, but often with a saying that goes "What goes around, comes around." Capricorn is the God planet. Virgos and Pisces like to play Martyr but Capricorn likes to play God. Mel Gibson is a Capricorn. In his head he owns all of Malibu, for example. It's interesting, though, that he and Kramer have become the Poster Boys for Bigotry in the U.S. It's also interesting that Martin Luther King was also a Capricorn which I'm at a loss to explain.

Then comes Aquarius. Aquarius loves weirdos, eccentrics. It loves them all. But, in the same sense its love becomes meaningless and cumbersome. There is too much tension between how much can be expressed on an individual basis and how much can be expressed on a group basis and whether or not that's sincere or loving or just politically correct. Aquarius needs to experiment with this and compromises most needs for security and comfort. Not everyone can handle that. It's total bullshit most of the time as a matter of fact, although a little sure is nice. Maybe Aquarius comes closest to Peace. But, if you've ever walked down Market Street in San Francisco at 7 am on Sunday Morning you see what happens when Aquarius is left to fend for itself. Pisces is what happens.

Pisces. The Great Mystics. What could a poor little empathetic Pisces do to wreck everyone's Peace? The lost people diving through dumpsters on Sunday Morning, feeding off the greedy Taurus, Cancer, Scorpios' meals from the night before. The relatives no one wants to know about anymore. Once I was walking down a street in San Francisco kind of angry about a problem I was having with a friend and a street person turned around and yelled out my thoughts to me as I passed by. Pisces. Amazing, but not peaceful. Not anywhere near. If they get hungry they lie and cheat and steal. And then their functional versions make good livings for themselves as social workers in incompetant institutions trying to fix all the problems in the world. Well, if only they wouldn't burn out after a year from the stress. Pisces rules bureaucracy.

The Wheel passes down below the Horizon at this point to Aries. The bottom 6 signs are not at all concerned with Peace. Aries = personal drive. Taurus = physical comfort. Gemini = Communication and trickery. Cancer = Caring, but possessive caring. Leo = Ego. Virgo = Nitpicking.

So, Peace. What is Peace? It's a thing that is around us at all times in the Trees, in the Flowers, in the Children's innocent sleeping faces. Yet so elusive. Whether to talk about what is wrong, bomb another country, throw stones through large corporations windows, get high, stay straight, blame another, blame one's self, give up one's physical culture in order to pray all day. It's not simple. But it ought to be simple. It's a permanent condition that can be eroded in one conversation where one word is twisted.

I can watch Anderson Cooper show me bombs going off in Iraq and I know that I would rather not have that happen. But, I know that I'm not at Peace. I can only imagine that I would be more at peace if Anderson Cooper is straight and lonely and wants me.

I think that there are simple Acts of Kindness but even those are called into question by people who feel bound in someway to return a feeling that they can't reciprocate.

In the end, Peace is simply a word written on a Christmas Card or a Bumper Sticker. We can only experience it as a reminder to be at Peace. We must learn to enjoy the challenge of taking on Change and Decay and Defeat with Grace and to not Despair or lose Hope or lose our Hearts and Souls.

It takes the whole wheel of signs to achieve this movement, and the movement is good and cleansing, but the changes and adjustments necessary to learn new things seems to defeat the purpose.

In conclusion, all I can do is to wish you Prosperity. Bread and Circus. Permanent Healthy Prosperity with great Financial advisors, endless Religious Retreats and Psychotherapists although I think they're all useless for both you and your dog, no Pollution, no Global Warming, Osama died naturally of a failed kidney, and magical nonviolent, non-subversive, coercive, overt, relief from whomever and whatever else around causes you grief. I can offer you a picture of a Dove, a Picasso rendering of a Dove even, but I can't promise from my heart there will always have an Olive Branch in its beak.

Longest Day of the Year

Western Astrology is based on the Solar Ingresses, or the time each Season when the Sun transits into a Cardinal Sign. The Cardinal Signs represent beginnings in the overall astrological cycle. The Capricorn Ingress doesn't seem to be talked about much maybe because it's the last of the beginnings on the wheel, the beginning of the end, so to speak. Many astrologers make predictions off of these Charts for the following three months, or Quarter Year. The Ingress Chart for GMT is for 22-23 minutes after Midnight on December 22. In the U.S. most astrologers use the Washington Chart. This Quarter it looks like Britain might enjoy staying at home with the TV focused on media scandals and on hibernating in general. The Americans, however, will be gambling and speculating and eating until they spew -- when in Rome do as the Romans do.

First off, an old hippie couple in San Francisco has declared December 22 something like "National Orgasm Day." They are asking that everyone hunker down and Make Love in the name of Peace. Our Ingress chart shows 5 planets in the 5th House of Fun. Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and Pluto are in Sagittarius and the Sun is just into Capricorn. The Sun rules the Chart (Leo Rising) and Mars rules the MC and both are in the 5th House. Sagittarius is intercepted in the 5th house as well. Mars and Jupiter are squaring Uranus which is in the 8th house. Wild, Kinky Sex is certainly on the Agenda. But 5th and 8th house being Resource Houses, it looks like a lot of madcap speculation. Sun in Capricorn conjunct Pluto is a bit more serious and ambitions and they are trined by Saturn in Leo which is on the 2d house Cusp, so business start-ups might start popping like crazy. Anything having to do with Luxury, Snobbism, Ambition and Excess, especially if they make money, will receive extra attention. 5th house and Leo rule Gold so I wonder what will happen to the price of that. Hopefully, Children, also ruled by the 5th house, will receive some extra attention as well. Maybe many will be conceived between tonight and tomorrow. What's that make 9 months down the line? A Bunch of Leos and Virgos? With Moon conjunct Venus in Capricorn, they will be very reserved, elegant little kids.

Capricorn Ingress 2006
December 21, 2006 7:22-23 pm Washington, DC

Girls Gone Wild

What if Jon Benet had been allowed to grow up? This week we have a Major Scandal in the Beauty Pageant World. Apparently Miss USA and Miss Teen USA have been holed up in New York with nothing to do except party on the table tops of all the bars. They've gone wild! Booze! Cocaine! Madonna-Brittany kissing scenes!

And Donald Trump forgave them. He gave Miss USA a Drug Test (how humiliating in the first place) and she failed it. Then kicked her out of Trump Towers for sneaking men into her room. First ya tell her she's the most beautiful woman in the World 2006, then you tell her she can't have any. How mean.

And now, he's forgiven her... This is the "You're Fired" Guy.

Man, she's lucky. What's her sign?

Course, only a Sagg can get away with this. Not only is Tara Conner a Sagg but she's got five planets (Saturn, Mercury, Uranus, Venus, Sun) in Sagittarius. And her Sagg Sun is conjunct her Neptune in Capricorn. Of course, she's gonna fail (Neptune,Saturn) a drug (Neptune, Sagg) test (Saturn). And her chart was set off by the equal amount of Planets in Sagittarius last week, not the least of which was Pluto-Sun on her natal Sun.

Hey Tara, 2d Chances to put back on yer underpantses. I wonder if Jupiter in Sagittarius is going to be like this all year.

Problem is, now she's got Miss Teen USA into trouble. She might even be a little bit of trouble herself.

Natally, Katie Blair is stuck with Uranus-Saturn-Neptune in Capricorn squaring her North Node in Pisces. That's a disruptive combination in a pushy sign that's messing with a fairly delicate life plan. Aries Sun, Libra Moon, she'll go along with just about anything. She's as pretty as Miss USA but I wouldn't take her with me to Vegas. And the Sun-Pluto conjunction were also squaring her Nodes last week. Her Life Path is a bit more complicated than Miss USA's it seems. If she makes a mess, she's got to clean it up. For some reason, the MADD mothers are on her case. Miss USA has been absolved but Miss Teen USA has the furies at her back, the MADD mommies, no co-dependent behavior from women who have lost their children to drunk drivers.

This is too much. I need a beer.

Tara Conner, Miss USA 2006
Dec. 18, 1985 Russell Springs, KY

Katie Blair, Miss Teen USA 2006
Apr. 2, 1988 Billings, Montana

It's a Wiki Wiki World

I use Wikipedia every day so it's really difficult to believe that it has been around for only 6 years next month. It is a Free Encyclopedia available to anyone on the Internet which can be edited by anyone on the Internet. A truly revolutionary advance in civilization that brings huge stores of knowledge to anyone with access to a computer.

Wikipedia started as an afterthought of Nupedia, an Encyclopedia that was edited only by experts in its field. Nupedia was eventually merged into Wikipedia as it became too cumbersome and time consuming to manage.

The Founder of Wikipedia is Jimmy Wales who, along with his Editor Larry Sanger, started the company with funding provided by Wales' company Bomis. I'm not sure what Bomis does, some kind of nebulous website thing that seems maybe to make part of its money off of porn (tee hee).

Jimmy "Jimbo" Wales
b. Aug. 7, 1966 Huntsville, Alabama

Sun 15 Leo, Moon in either Aries or Taurus

Larry Sanger
b. July 16, 1968 Bellevue, Washington

Sun 25 Cancer, Moon in Aries

The similarities between Wales and Sanger's charts is striking.

Both men were born (maybe) with Moon in Aries and Mars in Cancer. This is a mutual reception between Moon and Mars. (Bill Gates also has Moon in Aries.) I suppose that the Moon-Mars combination is great for an entrepreneur of Start-Up companies. Could also explain the almost immediate clash of egos that Wales and Sanger appear to have gotten into with each other. Their Wikipedia autobiographies sound almost like Divorce Documents. They seem like very creative, emotionally volatile men.

Both men were born with the Pluto-Uranus conjunction in Virgo of the mid-60s. This is the same conjunction that happened when Gutenberg began to print his Bible thanks to the invention of moveable type (Sept. 30, 1452, Mainz, Germany) and is associated with revolutionary, world changing ideas, especially in technology. Suddenly many people could read the Bible, not just the Royalty.

Both men have their Pluto-Uranus conjunctions at apex of a small triangle shape to planets sextiling from either side. Sextiles will show special talents, with the Uranus-Pluto conjunction at the midpoint of the trine, its powers can manifest.

Also interesting that both men lack planets in Air Signs. Air is the element symbolizing Intellectual Ability. Lack of an element could show either a thirst for or lack of the skills associated with it. How interesting that they worked together to form a huge Encyclopedia, the basis of information and knowledge and all things intellectual.

Jimmy Wales' Uranus-Pluto conjunction is exact at 18 Virgo sextiling Neptune at 20 Scorpio and Mars-Jupiter-Venus in Cancer. It is also opposite his Pluto-Uranus conjunction. When Nupedia was started in March, 2000 his Progressed Sun and Mercury were exactly conjunct his natal Pluto-Uranus conjunction; t. Uranus was at 20 Aquarius opposing his natal Leo Sun; t. NN was conjunct natal Mercury 1 Leo; t. Pluto and Saturn were inconjunct and both in aspect to his natal Sun, Pluto with a Trine and Saturn with a Square. This is a mouthful of transits. It's interesting that Wales' Mercury (communications) is conjunct where Uranus-Pluto was when the Gutenberg Bible was created.

When Wikipedia was started, on January 15, 2001, the transiting North Node had passed over Wales' entire stellium of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, & Mars in Cancer. The Saturn-Jupiter conjunction of May, 2000 had happened right on his North Node in Taurus.

Larry Sanger's chart shows a more problematic set of aspects. There seems to be a bit of a disagreement between the two men as to how much credit he should be given. He left Wales' company in 2002 and claims that the initial idea for Wikipedia was his. Wales claims that since he was an employee, he can't take as much credit. Sanger's chart has a Yod with Saturn at the apex inconjunct Neptune and Uranus on either leg. This is the Finger of God that forces a person to always compromise, adjust to circumstances that never really resolve. The person has to always seek for solutions where others may be handed the answers on a silver platter. Sanger teaches philosophy. It's a good outlet for him. Also Sun-Venus square Saturn. He has Chiron, North Node, Moon and Saturn in Aries. He will fight for what is rightfully his.

January 15 is supposedly known among techies as Wikipedia Day. Wikipedia was "born" on January 15, 2001. A Capricorn that survived the Saturn-Pluto opposition in its first year. Who knew? This is why I can't do predictions. I'm not sure of the "birth town." Bomis is in St. Petersburg, FL but the server is in San Diego, CA.

Wikipedia's first article was entered on January 16, 2001 21:08 UTC, created by Eiffel.demon.com.uk. If I've got the time set correctly this chart is perfect. Virgo Rising and Gemini MC, both ruled by Mercury the planet of thoughts and communications. Scorpio the sign of Research is on the 3d house cusp of communications. It's ruler Pluto is conjunct the IC at the exact bottom of the chart which shows the depth and power of its influence. Neptune-Mercury-Uranus are all in Aquarius, the sign of technology and revolution and squaring Mars in Scorpio in the 3d house of research/communications. Saturn and Jupiter are in conjunction in the 9th house of higher knowledge, education, international affairs. Sun is in Capricorn in the 5th house. That's simply a dynamic combination, blends serious concerns with an element of fun and pizazz.

Stupid Exercise - Dog Breeds and the Signs

The latest issue of Scientific American has an article explaining why Dogs should be used to test for Cancer treatments in people. This is disgusting to me. Actually it reminds me of the video that was played over and over again of the Dogs that Al Quaida experimented on with nerve gas.

But I couldn't help comparing the Breeds discussed with the Astrological Signs that their illnesses might represent. So, I'm pretty disgusting too. But, unlike the Astrological Signs for which I have preferences, I would like to pet all these dogs. Well, maybe the Rottweiler the least. Wonder what kind of Cancers Pit Bulls are prone to.

Collie: Nasal Cancer
SCORPIO, although I don't normally associate Collies with Scorpios

Golden Retriever: Lymphoma
PISCES, maybe TAURUS

Rottweiler: Bone Cancer
CAPRICORN

Chow Chow: Stomach Cancer
CANCER; VIRGO

Boxer: Brain Cancer
ARIES

Scottish Terrier: Bladder Cancer
LIBRA

Black Elk

"I was born in the Moon of the Popping Trees on the Little Powder River in the Winter when the Four Crows were Killed."

This is "birth info" as given by the great Oglala Lakota Medicine Man, Black Elk. In White Man's tongue, much less poetic, this translates to December, 1863, Little Powder River, Wyoming.

"Black Elk Speaks" are the memories of his life and the sufferings and losses of his people under the White Man as told to John Neidhardt in 1932. The text is available on the Internet at http://blackelkspeaks.unl.edu/.

Here are the planetary placements for December, 1863.

North Node 28 to 25 Scorpio
Pluto 11 Taurus, Retro, Stationing
Neptune 4 Aries, Retrograde, Stationing, goes Direct on Dec. 15
Uranus 24-23 Gemini, Retrograde
Saturn 16 - 18 Libra
Jupiter 15 - 20 Scorpio
Mars 19 Scorpio to 9 Sagittarius
Venus 21 Libra to 24 Scorpio
Mercury 8 Sagittarius to 26 Capricorn
Moon: New Moon Dec. 10-12; Full Moon Dec. 25, 28
Sun changes from Sagittarius to Capricorn on Dec.22-23.
Chiron 7 Pisces

(There was a Partial Lunar Eclipse called "Gordon's Eclipse" which is related somehow to a Famous Historical Event. I don't know what this event was. Date of Eclipse Nov. 25, 1863. 3 Sagg Sun / 3 Gemini Moon.)

Black Elk says he began to hear voices around the time that he turned 5 years old in the Summer. He had a Great Vision while sick when he was 9 years old and he took on his powers as a Medicine Man in his 18th summer (Nodal Return?) at the mouth of the the Tongue River in a Horse Dancing Ritual. "A man who has a vision is not able to use the power of it until after has performed the vision on earth for the people to see."

In June, "Moon of Making Fat", 1882, Black Elk cured a little boy and became renowned for his Medicine. Unfortunately, the White people were taking over the land and in his 23d Summer (1886), he left and traveled across the country and to Europe for 3 years, performing ceremonies with Buffalo Bill's Wild West tour.

His life, however, was defined by the White Man's takeover of the land in their pursuit of "The Gold Metal" which could be found in the Black Hills.

Battle of Little Big Horn, also known as Custer's Last Stand: June 25-26, 1876 beginning 3pm, Eastern Montana. Black Elk's first Battle, Jupiter Return. The Lakotas were triumphant. This was led by the two great Warriors, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

Crazy Horse was killed Sep. 5, 1877 (Age 14). (Half Saturn Return)
Sitting Bull was killed Dec. 15, 1890 (Age 27). (Close to Saturn Return)

The Massacre at Wounded Knee happened on Dec. 29, 1890. This is thought of the last battle of the Lakota tribes. (Age 27) Close to Saturn Return. Black Elk describes the horrors of this war, the bodies of women and children lying scattered over the ground.

Married 1892 to Katie War Bonnett who became a Catholic and had three children with her.

Black Elk became Catholic, changed name to Nicholas Black Elk and remarried in 1905 to Anna Brings White, she had two children from a previous marriage and they had 3 more children.

Jupiter-Pluto Conjunctions

There will be a conjunction between Jupiter and Pluto next year. If 29 Sagittarius is a key spot in your chart, mark your Calendars for December 11 - 14, 2007 when the aspect is exact and then head for the bomb shelter. The planets conjunct roughly every 12-13 years and this will be a quick one lasting only a few days. Since Jupiter rules Sagittarius its influence should be stronger than Pluto's this time around. It looks like the conjunctions in Cancer coincided with World War I and the Spanish Flu Epidemic (which killed more people than WWI) and then The Great Depression. That was a bad sign for Jupiter-Pluto. The first conjunction that occurred in Leo coincided with World War II, the second with the Korean War. The conjunction in Virgo with Vietnam and the assassinations of Martin Luther King in April and Bobby Kennedy in June. Libra with Israel. The one in Scorpio? There was a Civil War in Rwanda in April-July 1994; that's too early.

It's not all bad. Pluto was discovered in 1930 during a long Jupiter-Pluto conjunction. Must be the work of Jupiter's expansive qualities.

Bob Marks describes Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions in natal charts as signatures for taking on a different lifestyle than one was raised with. (www.bobmarksastrologer.com, check Astrology Lessons.)

Here's a list of past Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions. I'm sorry if I've missed some of the Retrograde Hit Dates, I tend to be a bit sketchy sometimes but you'll get a general idea:

1994 - Scorpio
Dec. 1 - 4, 1994
29 Scorpio

1981 - Libra
Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, 1981
25 Libra
(also conjunct Saturn and squaring the NN at 26 Cancer)

1968 - Virgo
Oct. 10 - Oct. 14, 1968
24 Virgo

1955 - Leo
Oct. 31 - Nov. 7, 1955
29 Leo
MULTIPLE HITS DUE TO JUPITER RETROGRADE
Feb. 5 - Feb. 12, 1956
28 Leo
June 14 - 19, 1956
27 Leo

1943 - Leo
Jul. 29 - Aug. 1, 1943
7 Leo (conjunct Sun)

1930 - Cancer
Oct. 20 - Nov. 8, 1930
21 Cancer
AND DUE TO BOTH JUPITER AND PLUTO RETROGRADES:
May 26 - May 30, 1930
20 Cancer

1918 - Cancer
Aug. 11 - Aug. 15, 1918
7 Cancer
AND DUE TO RETROGRADES MET AGAIN WITHIN 2 DEGREES (close enough)
Feb. 19 - Mar. 14, 1919
4-5 Cancer

1906 - Gemini
Jun. 25 - Jun 28, 1906
23 Gemini

Jack Kevorkian

Jack Kevorkian has spent the last 8 years in prison in Michigan for illegal assisting in a Euthanasia in 1998. He had assisted at maybe 100 euthanasias before that starting around 1990. Kevorkian is set to be released for parole on June 1, 2007. His lawyer says he has left than a year to live. He is 78 years old, 113 lbs. and suffers from Hepatitis C and Diabetes. Why don't they let him out now? They can keep a person alive on a ventilator for years in the most inhumane conditions possible (your toes curl under from lack of use: one detail of what happens as you're lying there), but they won't let a person die quietly and with dignity who is suffering unbearably and has no desire to continue.

I worship the side of Dr. Kevorkian that has gone against the grain and released innocent people from their suffering. I honor the fact that from a legal stand-point euthanasia is a complex subject for which there is no easy answer. After reading about Kevorkian I also recognize that he's pretty odd, maybe not the most sterling leader for confronting such a complex issue.

Jack Kevorkian, another complex Gemini.
b. May 26, 1928 Pontiac, MI

Kevorkian's chart is not very complex aspect-wise, but most of the planets are exceptionally placed either in the sign that they rule or by aspect. Mercury, Mars, and Venus are in their own signs, for example. Having that many planets in their own signs is rare. Saturn is Peregrine and Pluto is a Singleton in Water. Saturn is also the handle of a bucket shaped chart. This guy likes to have control and to play God, or, at least, of "Father Time." He would have a very realistic, practical viewpoint of suffering.

An obsession with Death would be indicated by Pluto, Saturn, 8th house (I don't have his birth time so no house information). Kevorkian has Saturn Retrograde at 17 Sagittarius inconjunct Pluto at 16 Cancer. An inconjunct indicates "adjustments" of some kind, can often indicate health issues. Sue Tompkins also adds Chiron to her list as ruling Euthanasia as it indicates "Conscious acceptance of death." (www.melaniereinhart.com). While Kevorkian has been in jail, Pluto has been passing over his natal Saturn. The two planets also were in opposition to each other for an entire year and then inconjunct each other for another year, making three passes through retrogrades. They are now trining each other, trines can show release. Chiron in Kevorkian's chart is at 8 Taurus.

I found another interesting article on Out-of-Bound planets written by Pamela Welch (www. mandela.be/declination/). She writes that Kevorkian's Mercury is out of bounds and that Mercury symbolizes Physicians and Healing. The God Mercury put people to sleep with his wand and was often the messenger of death in Roman Mythology. Mercury in Kevorkian's chart is in its own sign, Gemini, and sextiles a lovely Jupiter-Neptune trine from either side. He had tried to make a Hollywood Movie and paints (Dude must have a wicked 12th house). Kevorkian has Sun conjunct North Node in Gemini as well so his Ego and Life Purpose are in line with his out-of-bounds Mercury.

Kevorkian will be released shortly after his Birthday on June 1, 2007. In Astro Terms "Birthday" means "Solar Return." Not only will he be having a Solar Return but he will be having a Mercury and Mars Return as well. As both Mercury and Mars are in their own signs in his chart this is doubly significant. Venus will be conjunct his natal Pluto and Jupiter, which will be conjunct his Natal Saturn setting off the inconjunct between those two natal planets. The never-ending Saturn-Neptune opposition will be joined by Chiron in Aquarius on Neptune's end by wide conjunction. In his next Solar Return, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron will all Stationing Retrograde.

Another interesting aspect about Kevorkian's natal chart is that he was born between 2 solar eclipses that happened within a month of each other. This happens only once every 300 years. (The next time will be in 2195.) On May 19, 1928 (Taurus New Moon) there was a tiny solar eclipse in the far South (near the South Pole) and on June 17, 1928 (Gemini New Moon) there was a small partial eclipse in the far North (near the Norht Pole, literally lasted 00 minutes, 00 seconds according to NASA!!). This last eclipse is also significant because it was the beginning of Saros Cycle 155. There was a Lunar Eclipse on June 3, 1928. The significance of this I can't say but it must contribute to what set him apart from so many. The First Solar Eclipse would have happened on Kevorkian's Venus, squaring his Neptune. The Second Solar Eclipse would have happened on his Mercury, very significant in his chart as mentioned earlier.

extra note: Len Cutler, who developed the Atomic Clock, (I looked at his chart earlier), was born January, 1928. I can see the "adjustment" qualities of the Saturn-Pluto inconjunct in both charts.

Super Cute

Here's a blog full of Bunny Pictures. http://cutestthingever.typepad.com/cutestthingever/bunnies/index.html

So Cute. Was trying to look at Jack Kevorkian's chart and just couldn't handle his story. He's a bit "borderline" for me today.

Anyway, good pictures, good subject. I don't know what rules Bunnies but it's a very special sign.

Duad Chart

Duads come from Hindu Astrology and are similar to Decanates in Astrology except that they break up each sign into the entire Zodiac rather than just by Element. They often show relationships between family members kind of like DNA. An Australian Astrologer, Alice McDermott, is writing a book on Duads as they relate to Western Astrology. Here's a link to the New Zarathu Astrology Forum thread where Alice explains Dwads: http://pub48.bravenet.com/forum/4095425731/show/550033.

I'm not sure about the finer delineations of the degrees between the signs. Am not sure if the cut-off points are 0 - 2.49 degrees or 2.5 degrees, for example.

00.0 - 02.5 Ari Tau Gem Can Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis
02.5 - 05.0 Tau Gem Can Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari
05.0 - 07.5 Gem Can Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau
07.5 - 10.0 Can Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem
10.0 - 12.5 Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem Can
12.5 - 15.0 Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem Can Leo
15.0 - 17.5 Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem Can Leo Vir
17.5 - 20.0 Sco Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem Can Leo Vir Lib
20.0 - 22.5 Sag Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem Can Leo Vir Lib Sco
22.5 - 25.0 Cap Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem Can Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag
25.0 - 27.5 Aqu Pis Ari Tau Gem Can Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap
27.5 - 30.0 Pis Ari Tau Gem Can Leo Vir Lib Sco Sag Cap Aqu

Fashion's "Triumvirate"

Audrey, Jackie and Grace. Michael Kors calls them the "Triumvirate" of the Fashion World. An Associated Press Article by Samantha Critchell claims that their beauty will probably never be matched.

I decided to look up their charts to perhaps check out their Ascendants and Venuses and got distracted by the fact that they were all born in 1929. This started to look like an outer planet phenomenon. So, 1929. Bad year for finances, good year for birthing Helen of Troy.

Audrey Hepburn b. May 4, 1929 3:00 am Ixelles, Belgium

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis b. July 28, 1929 2:30 pm Southampton, NY

Grace Kelly b. Nov. 12, 1929 5:31 am Philadelphia, PA

All Three had Sun in a Fixed Sign: Audrey: Taurus, Jackie: Leo, Grace: Scorpio

All Three had Ascendants in a Fixed Sign: Audrey: Aquarius, Jackie: Scorpio, Grace: Scorpio

As for their Moons, these even have similarities: Audrey had Moon in Pisces in H1; Grace had Moon in Pisces in H5; Jackie had Moon in Aries in H5.

I figure I need instead to look at the outer planet transits during 1929. Perhaps this planetary combination could be repeated and repeated and repeated in Laboratory Experiments. It seems maybe there was an excellent formula going down.

The North Node was traveling through Taurus in 1929. Taurus, of course, is a Fixed Sign and it's ruled by Venus the planet of feminine beauty. Both Jackie and Grace had NN conjunct Chiron. Audrey had a stellium in Taurus. Jupiter and Sun conjunct NN with Sun conjunct Chiron. Venus rules both Beauty and Money. What's good for the Fashion World is not always good for the Financial World apparently. But it is interesting that the Market peeked out out this time and wasn't matched in value until the mid-1940's.

Also, during this year there was a square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Cancer that both Audrey and Jackie had, it had moved out of orb by the time Grace was born in November. But these two planets ruled all three of the women's Charts. Uranus and Pluto would have passed over their Neptunes during the late 50's, early to mid 60's when they achieved their fame and Neptune is set very prominently in their charts. Pluto, Uranus and even Jupiter later went into conjunction in Virgo in the later 60's. Virgo is the sign of the Virgin and also seems to account for the simple, understated elegance of these women. (The Hippies of this time all mostly had both Pluto and Uranus in Leo and were expressing the Virgo energy in the exact opposite way, a reaction against all tradition.)

In addition to the Fixed Emphasis (stability, unchanging), Neptune seems to have really sealed the deal for them. It passed from Leo to Virgo during 1929 so it was at 29 Leo when Audrey was born and in early Virgo when both Jackie and Grace were born. Neptune was placed Angular in all 3 of the Women's charts, in H10 for Jackie and Grace and on the Descendant of Audrey's chart. Neptune rules Glamour, elusiveness, and also Film.

As for their Venus aspects, all three have Venus in aspect to Saturn which may account for the Timeless quality of their appearance. Refined, elegant, serious.

Audrey: Venus in Aries, H1, square Pluto and Mars in H5; Trine Saturn.

Jackie: Venus in Gemini, H8, sextile Moon, square Mars, opposite Saturn

Grace: Venus in Libra, H12, conjunct ASC, sextile Saturn.

Watergate Redux

Will this Scandal never end? A recent Los Angeles Times article, reprinted in my local paper, describes how Woodward and Bernstein, the reporters who wrote "All the President's Men" hated each other. Alicia C. Shepard, the writer of the article, describes the character assessments that the filmmaker, Alan J. Pakula made as he was prepping to film "All the President's Men." In an interview with Nora Ephron, who ended up marrying Carl Bernstein, he says: "Underneath all the arguments and fights -- way down they hated each other. The qualities that they needed (to report Watergate) -- they didn't like."

Here are comments from the article to which I will attach my astrological reasons for the tension. I don't have Bernstein's birth time so without his Rising Sign or Moon don't have much to go on concerning his chart. Certainly can't do a composite chart. Both men had Leo North Nodes so, while they were both working together to upset the Throne, they also needed to compete for the Limelight themselves. Too many Lions in the Pride. Ego City. Not so bad in the long run since the Aquarius South Node unveiled the corrupt Presidency and restored the power of the collective will and Democractic process.

Bob Woodward
b. March 26, 1943 6:35pm Geneva, IL

Sun in Aries, Moon in Sagittarius, Libra Rising, North Node in Leo conjunct Chiron opposite SN in Aquarius.

Carl Bernstein
b. Feb. 14, 1944 (no time boohoo) Washington, DC

Sun in Aquarius, Moon in either Libra or Scorpio, North Node in Leo c. Pluto opposite Mercury-South Node in Aquarius.

You'd certainly expect, just from this information, for both of these men to get along, especially if Bernstein's Moon were in Libra. They would both be vibrant, idealistic, forward thinkers who hang out at the same parties. The problem may have been that they were too much alike. Working relationships require much different compatibilities I suppose.

"Bob's sucking up to people." -- Bob: In 1974 t.Saturn square t.Pluto on his Libra ASC-Cancer MC. Venus in H7 at apex to a t-square to Pluto opposite Mars. Libra Risers are charmers, like President Clinton, and Pluto-Mars-Venus can imbue a volatile sexuality. Multiple Neptune aspects can give a person ability to appear extremely empathetic to others, sometimes a bit parasitic.

"Carl knew he needed (that quality) but despised it in Bob." -- Carl: Sun trine Saturn, perhaps Moon in a Grand Trine, stodgy, forthright. His chart doesn't show as many of the charm factors that Woodward's does. If he has Scorpio Moon instead of Libra, he misses out on the Diplomacy factor.

"Bob needed Carl because Carl was pushy." -- Bob: Libra (passive) Rising, Aries (aggressive) on the Descendant. These guys drive their partners nuts with wanting to go along and follow and then suddenly getting angry and resentful that the partner is calling all the shots. Carl: Mars c. Uranus in Gemini, Pluto c. NN. Determined, Aggressive, Quick, not relying on Charms to get what he wants. Wish I had his Rising Sign, Scorpio? Aries?.

"Bob can formulate, and Carl can draw conclusions." -- Bob: Cardinal sign Sun trine Pluto. A Starter with strong creative urges. T-square between Mars-Pluto-Venus very creative. Carl: Fixed Sign Sun trine Saturn, Mercury in Aquarius. Determination, Closer.

Woodward is described as "stubborn and bullheaded" with no "instinct for writing." Mercury in Pisces opposite Neptune could be a bit spacey and unfocused. Bullheaded sounds like Taurus, ruler of his chart is Venus and it's in Taurus squaring Mars-Pluto. Once you go beyond the Libra Rising he's surprisingly willful. Bernstein had Mercury on his South Node so writing would come naturally to him. Opposite Pluto, however, gives a penetrating mind, that enjoys a good power play, but not always the best straightforward communications.

"Bob thought Carl was 'Hype,' no follow-through. All talk. Bull---- artist. Irresponsible." Two Grand Trines can make a boy lazy. Mercury trine Neptune trine Uranus. Sun opposite Jupiter. In the end he just wants to Peace Out.

Carl saw Bob as a "a machine. He's a reporter doll. Give him a story, any story, and he runs with it. A drone, No humor. No surprises. All Stability. White bread. Mr. Perfect. No Soul." Libra Rising in Grand Trine with Mars trine Saturn. Military, automatic. Geez, Bernstein must have Scorpio Rising.

"Woodward moved logically. His unfounded fear of being fired and his need to belong fueled his workaholic lifestyle." Chiron c. North Node, otherwise unaspected. Chart ruler Venus at apex of a t-square to Mars-Pluto opposition. At the time t. Neptune and North Node were conjunct his Moon and opposite his Saturn, he was probably pretty confused. Multiple Neptune aspects could mean that he couldn't get facts straight. The Neptune-NN transit was opposite Bernstein's Mars-Uranus conjunction showing that he was dealing with that energy in his relationships.

Interesting that in 1974 Woodward's Progressed Sun was conjunct his n. Venus. And Bernstein's progressed Venus was conjunct his n. Sun. Both married around this time. What a relief to see contacts between these two energies that don't involve suicide. I think that Bernstein's marriage to Nora Ephron didn't end well, though. Don't know what happened to Woodward's.

Morihei Ueshiba "O Sensei"

Today is the Gemini Full Moon, the Sun is in Sagittarius. Quite by accident, or because I had just looked at Geronimo's chart (Gemini Sun, Sagittarius Moon), I picked up a book from a library shelf called "Invincible Warrior" by John Stevens. It's the biography of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of the Martial Art of Aikido. Morihei happens to have been born on or close to the Gemini Full Moon which is the opposite of Geronimo's Full Moon (within about 3-4 degrees). So I thought I would mention his chart now. I can't do it full justice but feel compelled to make this entry while the Moon is Full. Apparently this is a very good time to battle things out.

Morihei Ueshiba
b. Dec. 14, 1883 Tanabe, Japan

Morihei's Sun is at 22 Sagittarius, Moon is at 22 Gemini in the noontime chart. "O Sensei" means "The Great Teacher." One of the classic Sagittarius keywords.

North Node is at 3 Scorpio. Astrotheme gave a Libra NN same as Geronimo which may or may not be correct, it certainly fits his style of fighting which advocates non-violence. Aikido literally means "The Art of Peace." I simply can't make the chart roll off the silicon chip with anything but a Scorpio NN.

Morihei was born premature but quickly became known for both his physical strength and speed. Sun in Sagittarius trine Mars in Leo and square Uranus in Virgo certainly shows strength and vitality. He trained from the time he was a young man to develop endurance and strength, toughening his skin by pouring cold water on himself and ramming his head against hard objects (Aries Rising?). He was born well off and pursued a few different lives (army, family, settling a new town) before his Great Spiritual Awakening at Age 42. He had practised the Martial Arts and followed various Religions, Onoto-kyo among them, before this and had had his first mystical experience in 1903 during a fire ceremony before entering the Army.

But, His first great vision came in 1942 when he would have been experiencing his Uranus Opposition. Uranus is the most aspected planet in his chart and one his teachers, Nao Deguchi, was an Aquarius. His Uranus is at 28 Virgo squaring his Sun and Mercury at 2 Capricorn on one side and is maybe opposing his Moon (so possibly apex of a t-square with Major planets). It is also trining his Pluto-Chiron conjunction at 30 Taurus and his Saturn at 6 Gemini. His progressed Sun at this time was also well into Aquarius, amplifying the Uranian energy. The Old Schools and Governments of Japan had been broken down due to Wars and Famines and many new trends in thinking and spirituality were developed which centered around returning to the common man, to the land through agriculture and farming. Early on these were considered rebellious and anti-government but by Morihei's time were being developed into whole new and better ways of thinking.

Morihei had 3 Visions which contributed to the development of Aikido. The first Vision came after he defeated a naval officer's attacks with a bokken (don't know what that is). He fought unarmed and didn't hurt his opponent. "The secret of Aikido is not in how you move your feet, it is how you move your mind. I'm not teaching you martial techniques. I'm teaching you non-violence."

Mind Control was an important aspect of his art which is probably typical of all Martial Arts. In Morihei's Chart Mercury is in Capricorn at the apex of a Yod to Pluto-Chiron in Taurus on one leg and Jupiter in Leo on the other leg. It is also Quindecile Neptune in Taurus and squaring Uranus. The linear, deep thinking of the Capricorn Mercury would have been challenged by the vague subconscious motivations of the inconjuncts from Pluto-Chiron and Jupiter plus the obsessive unclear pictures that the Quindecile from Neptune would have provoked. They somehow prodded him to understand his opponents through mind control (PLuto), illusion (Neptune), games (Jupiter). Pluto had been opposing his Mercury for several years before he had this vision. He could take on several men at once and beat them all. "The secret of Aikido is not in how you move your feet, it is how you move your mind. I'm not teaching you martial techniques. I'm teaching you non-violence."

Interestingly, Morihei had Mercury and Venus in Capricorn which is the opposite sign of Geronimo's placements of those planets. He also had Varuna in Capricorn. Both his progressed Mercury and t.Jupiter were conjunct Varuna when he had this first vision.

His 2d vision came in December, 1940 at 2 am while he was in Tokyo. Libra may have been Rising. The North Node was at 10 Libra as well.

His 3d vision came in 1942. He called this the "Great Spirit of Peace." This would have been a Saturn Return. His progressed Sun would have been opposite his natal Mars which is very unexpected as Mars is the planet of violence and aggression. Japanese thinking can be very contrary to what seems to be reality to Western Mind. Morihei himself, Leo Mars that he was, supposedly had a short temper.