Man on a Wire - Philippe Petit

Someone requested that I take a look at the chart of Philippe Petit, the French American high wire artist who walked on a cable that was linked the Twin Towers in New York in 1974. This turns out to be quite a great story to look at just before a Leo Eclipse in order to get an idea of the positive influence that this energy can vibrate.

Petit performed his act on Aug. 7, 1974. That's a Leo Act. He is a Leo himself who was about to celebrate his 25th Birthday. He literally danced on top of the wire and at one point was lying down on it talking to a seagull. The economy right now has descended into a Recession same as it was back in 1974. Petit's daring seems to have distracted people's attention. It is interesting to see how this Leo energy brings Lyricism to Darkness and Loss. We need to remember the free spirit that can soar from our culture as well as the selfishness and greed. You just lost your house? Go dance in the sky.

The following quote describes this better than I can:

"New York was, is, unique, and at the time had the chemistry to receive the walk fully," Mr. Petit said, pointing to the "strike of garbage" and the crime level that could make a wire walk a welcome distraction. Nationally, of course, a besieged President Nixon would announce his resignation the next night. On the other hand, surely only in the 1970s could someone infiltrating the then-new World Trade Center have had help on the inside (care of an extravagantly mustachioed office worker on the 82nd floor).

--from www.nysun.com/arts/up-there-i-have-no-fear-philippe-petit-on-man/82261/

The Dance:

p. Aug. 7, 1974 slightly after 7:15 am for 45 minutes New York City, NY
Sun 15 Leo; ASC 29 Leo; Moon 3 Aries; MC 23 Taurus; NN 18 Sagittarius

The
Performer:

b. Aug. 13, 1949 somewhere in France
Sun 21 Leo; Moon Aries; NN 19 Aries

Right off we see that both Performer and Event shared the same fire Sun and Moons. They both also share a firey trine between their Suns and North Nodes.

Rex Bills doesn't give a rulership for Tightrope Walkers. Mars is given rulership for Wire. It also rules Daredevils. And it's interesting that Mars was in Virgo in the 1st House for the length of Petit's walk. Mars is very prominently placed in the chart otherwise. Its only aspect is an almost exact square to Neptune (H4, Sagittarius). Petit has the square between these two planets in his natal chart as well. Mars here is a singleton in Earth, which is kind of an odd placement considering the nature of the event which takes place completely off the earth. Mars was just crossing the Ascendant around 8 am when Petit was forced to dance off the wire by the police. Mars and Virgo represent Police, probably a good detail to know about for the
next event.

Back on July 11, 2007 I wrote a blog post about Larry Walters who rode a lawn chair tied to a bunch of balloons over Los Angeles back in 1982. He was an Aries born in 1949, same year as Philippe Petit. (Blog called "Up Up and Away"). Those Aries North Node people are some crazy amazing folks keeping the rest of us alive.

It's also interesting that Petit has a Fire Sun in Leo and Moon in Aries. You'd need that level of enthusiasm and risk taking in order to walk out onto a wire above the street in the kind of gusts that up at an elevation that high. I remember how windy it is up at the top of the Empire State Building. I had to go back inside. I have a very strong Saturn and don't handle scary challenges very well.

I had to see what Saturn was doing in the event chart for this walk. Saturn was in Libra tucked away from the angles in the 11th House (ruler of Skyscrapers). At 7:15 am, the beginning time o the walk, Saturn's sign, Capricorn, was intercepted in the 5th House of Risk. So Saturn didn't legitimately rule any of the Houses. Caution was thrown to the winds, so to
speak. It also sounds like the event was very well planned which is actually a Saturnian gift. Natally Petit has Mercury conjunct Saturn to the degree in Virgo which is sextiling Uranus. So he definitely has the precision of mind to engineer a feat like this. Don't do this on your own at home.

As a side note I'm going to point out an interesting coincidence. My first writing teacher was an Aries Sun with Leo Moon. She actually taught the class while sitting next to a collage she had made of a tight rope walker. She said this image most explained how she viewed her life. The only rule in the class was that we couldn't comment on or edit each other's work, we could only thank each other for creating it. I'm finding that Aries & Leo know how to face fear in the most realistic manner. They see it as just part of the process of committing an act rather than something that should just be ignored or overcome.

I was going to look at 25 year cycles as this was Petit's 25th Solar Return but the only thing I've found so far is something about Sardines and Anchovies and ocean temperatures. Petit would have been between his Second Jupiter Return at the end of Capricorn and his first Chiron opposition. That's pretty interesting imagery for Chiron since Chiron is considered a "Bridge" between Saturn and Uranus energies. But, the actually transits look way off from these Returns. Chiron was conjunct his North node and Neptune was conjunct his natal Chiron.

In the article linked to above someone asked Petit about why he went ahead and walked the Towers illegally. He said that he loved the "Joy of Trespassing." Trespassing is ruled by Uranus. Interesting that Uranus actually rules all thing Wireless (along with Mercury, Jupiter).

A new documentary has come out which is about Petit called Man on Wire. Here's a review from NPR. What a cool guy. Thanks to the person who suggested this subject.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92882451

Note: This post was mangled when I tried to delete a mistake I had made. (Eclipse on 3d house cusp?) There are some details, like the bolding, that I can't figure out how to erase. Hey, you need more boldness in your life on a Leo Eclipse, just as long as you don't get arrested.

CosmoGal's Reportage of L.A. Earthquake

In case you haven't seen it, here's a link to CosmoGal who was filming her predictions when the Earthquake struck in Los Angeles two days ago. I like her. She's well coifed, well manicured, and cusses like a Sailor.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-53202

(thanks to D for the link)

Earthquake Southern Calfiornia

The Los Angeles area experienced what is being called a 5.4 earthquake this morning. That's pretty dinky as earthquakes go but good practice for people who are new to California. Anyway, it's not the Big'Un ... yet.

This reminds me of the sleazeball landlord in Santa Cruz who filed an insurance claim for plumbing breakage after a 5.4. Truth is, the plumbing was already broken. The guy couldn't even rent the place before the quake. 5.4'ers are great for getting things fixed through the Insurance Company. Welcome to California.

Chino Hills Earthquake, 29 miles SE of Los Angeles, 5.4
July 29, 2008, Chino, CA 11:42 am PDT

Sun 8 Leo; Moon 1 Cancer; 18 Libra ASC; 20 Cancer MC; NN 19 Aquarius

It looks like there were a couple of serious looking oppositions hitting the angles about an hour before this Earthquake. They're not on the angles which I'd prefer to see.

• Mars at 18 Virgo opposing Uranus at 23 Pisces. That's what we like to see for an Earthquake. good old Shock and Rock. They're crossing the H6-12 Cusps.

• Moon at 1 Cancer (H9) is opposing Pluto (H3) at 29 Sagittarius. These are very widely squaring Uranus. That certainly adds to the tension. Especially with an Eclipse coming up at the end of the week.

• Also Venus at 21 Leo is opposing Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius still and they're still hanging out on the Nodal Axis.

• The Sun-Mercury conjunction in Leo is unaspected by Ptolomaic aspect and is angular in the 10th House. That's probably an irrelevant detail.
  
• Jupiter in Capricorn is conjunct the IC from H3 and is trining Saturn, which is ruler of the IC.

This has a lot of earthquake elements but doesn't really stand out until you look at the previous Earthquake that hit this area (according to the news right now, and hopefully I've copied the info correctly) back in 1987. The similarities are striking. They may be particular to this certain area.

• The Libra Ascendant is the same within a degree. The 1987 chart has a conjunction of ruler Venus to the Ascendant.

• The Angles of both charts are Cardinal. Moon is also Cardinal. In 1987 it is conjunct the IC in Capricorn. Today it was in Cancer just past conjunction with the MC.

• Mars is also in Virgo at 26 Virgo and is also in challenging aspect to Uranus at 24 Sagittarius. (Reminder: today's Mars is at 18 Virgo)

• Neptune-Chiron and the Nodal Axis in challenging aspect with each other. In 1987 Neptune 6 Capricorn was opposite Chiron 29 Gemini. This opposition squared the 3 Aries NN. Today Neptune, Chiron and NN are still in conjunction.

• Pluto is moving Rx between where Uranus in Sagittarius and Neptune in Capricorn were in 1987, so those degrees are being stirred up.

• Both charts have "almost" Grand Squares.

No singletons in either chart. No out-of-bounds planets in today's earthquake but the Moon out of bounds at 26 17'11" for the 1987 quake.

At this point I'm tired of waiting for this thing. Something's just gonna have to explode pretty soon and let the air out of the jets for once and for all. There won't be any electricity, I might be dead or pinned under a beam, all the transplants would go back to wherever they're from, there would be nothing more from Out the Comet's Ass. Sounds like a Mel Gibson movie that's been waiting for Mel Gibson for the last 30 years.

Whittier Narrows Earthquake 5.9
Oct. 1, 1987 Rosemead, CA 7:42 am PDT

Sun 8 Libra; Moon 24 Capricorn; ASC 19 Libra; MC 21 Cancer; NN 3 Aries

Panda Baby Boom in China

Four Mommie Pandas at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center gave birth this week-end to four Tiny Baby Panda Bears, So Cute. I've got my face all puckered up into Cutsey Cutsey Coo Face. Yahoo gave their Birth Times so how can I resist looking at the charts?.

This means that all the Newborns have an Earth Grand Trine between Jupiter in Capricorn, Mars in Virgo and Moon in Taurus. While the Moon stays in Taurus for all of their births, Mercury changes signs from Cancer to Leo. It is conjunct the Leo Sun the whole time and is unaspected by Ptolomaic aspect to other planets for most of the charts. Venus, of course, is conjunct the South Node in Leo opposing Neptune-Chiron-North Node in Aquarius. These babies will pull out all the stops on the Charm Factor.

I haven't looked too closely but there are some amazing comparisons between these Pandas' births and the Earthquake that happened in China on May 12, 2008. At least one of the Mothers was evacuated from the Panda Center which was very close to the Epicenter.

• There was a mutual reception between Venus and the Moon on these dates. Since the Moon shifts quickly most of the aspects aren't exact, but still I think it's interesting. Venus was at 15 Taurus and the Moon was in Leo. Degree, 24 Degrees?

• The Sun was also at 22 Taurus so there really is a strong connection here between the Earthquake Sun and the Babies' Moon.

• Even Mars is connected. It is opposing Uranus in the baby Panda's charts and the two planets were trining in the Earthquake Chart. Mars and Uranus are definitely connected with earthquakes. Also, Mars was at 1 Leo in the Earthquake Chart. This is right where the unaspected Sun-Mercury conjunction is for the Pandas.

All these babies are Leos born during a Taurus Moon while a Grand Trine was formed between Mars-Jupiter-Moon. That means, obviously, that they're very lovable and playful. With Leo Sun and Taurus Moon they are very generous and kind little souls, though, so that helps too. But they will be Fixed in their ways and stubborn at times.

First there was a set of girl twins who were born to a Mommy whose name translates to "Magic Luck." The first was born at 5:24pm and has Sagittarius Rising with Pluto conjunct the Ascendant. She's got other Scorpio aspects. I think this girl is a people pleaser. She will have very good taste. Her little Sister will be more serious but very wise. She was born at 6:16 pm and has Capricorn Rising, but with Jupiter in the first house which will keep up her weight (sometimes Capricorn can be too skinny and we don't want that).

At 7:51 pm a Panda whose name translates to "Success" gave birth to a Boy with 2 Aquarius Rising. This Baby has the Neptune-Venus plus Nodal Axis running across the 1st-7th House. Very photogenic.

At 6:55 am on Sunday, July 27 (this morning) another baby was born. This one has 12 Leo Rising with Venus 18 Leo opposing Neptune along the Nodal Axis. She will be quite a Looker and always very well groomed. She will enjoy arranging the Eucalyptus leaves in her environment. Eucalyptus leaves? Eu, Do I have them mixed up with Koalas?

Notice that the last two Babies have Fixed Sign Ascendants which hooks them into the Earthquake Charts as well.

Wish Marilyn Were Here to Sing Happy Birthday for this One

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is 100 years old today. According to Wikipedia it was created in order to fight a Prostitute Slave Ring on July 26, 1908. Pretty interesting that it has a 5 Cancer North Node that's conjunct Venus on the same degree. The Cancer as White Knight image (then he locks the Maiden up in the Kitchen bound up in an apron). The Moon and Neptune, also feminine, are also in Cancer. There is also a conjunction of Mars to Jupiter in Leo. Very noble, very valiant.

Somehow I get the feeling that the following date is wrong but it turns out that the Central Intelligence Agency was also started on the same day 39 years later. That's just past a Nodal Return. This chart, July 26, 1947 (Langley, Virginia) was also just past the Mercury and Venus return in Cancer as well. They are conjunct the FBI's Neptune. Don't know how that would work for maintaining smooth communications.

The CIA has a 1 Gemini North Node instead of a Cancer North Node which fits its more Mental and Communicative needs.

The two agency's have a Neptune Square. That could allow for some misperceptions. CIA's Neptune in Libra squares the FBI's Cancer Neptune-Uranus in Capricorn opposition. That's great for remote spying.

Other comparisons are interesting and show a strong policing vibe that works in agreement.

The CIA Mars-Uranus conjunction is conjunct the FBI's natal Pluto in Gemini.

And, Best of Best, The Saturn's of the FBI trine each other. And the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of 1947 was conjunct the FBI's Mars in Leo. To Protect and to Serve and to Control, Control, Control. Mars in Leo can have a strong sense of honor. It would be interesting to compare these dates historically with how the FBI began to treat people, especially during the McCarthy era.

The Midnight Sun, August 1, 2008 Solar Eclipse

In the comments section someone asked me to look at the Chart of the August 1, 2008 eclipse and say something. I'm without SolarFire right now which means that my wings have been severely clipped. I'm having trouble looking up the chart in pretty much every way. My introduction to Eclipses was that 1999 thang which froze a Grand Square on my Mercury. I had been going to astrology groups for months and hearing everyone talk about it in California Speak. Which means that nobody said much but let me know that the vibe was bad. So, Eclipses aren't really my thing I guess. Here goes with some weird stuff. It looks like the basic thing to notice is that the Eclipse is a New Moon at 10 Leo and if you have anything prominent in your chart at 10 Fixed the vibe is bad (not really, only if you have a natal Grand Square, almost always these things are mixed bags). So, go ahead, freak yourself out. I suspect that on a Personal Level Solar Eclipses work at a person's Heart Strings and Lunar Eclipses pluck away at their Subconsciousnesses. Whatever planet this thing lands on in your chart is going to get stirred up. If you were cooking a pot of soup, you wouldn't mind the stirring, so maybe you should think of life in that way. I'm a willful person who likes to evolve from the inside out so change from the outside in is unbelievably unpleasant for me. You might enjoy the ride, though. Look for trines and poo to ease the load.

I'm having trouble finding a chart set to UTC time already so I was going to look at the Eclipse according to Greenwich Time but I suspect that there's an hour difference. Geez, I better find my SolarFire program this week-end or else. For some reason people look at Eclipse charts according to where they are. But Eclipses don't come to you. You either go to them or you don't even know they're happening because you don't ever look up at the sky. I have 3 planets in Leo and even I know I'm not the Center of everyone else's universe. What's the matter with the astrologers. This particular Eclipse begins over Canada and rides up over the Arctic and down into Russia and then ends in China. It culminates over a point just as it hits mainland Russia at 10:21:08 UT. The Path begins in Canada at 8:04:06, UTC, then an umbra (whatever the hell that is) begins at 9:21:07 UT, passes over the North, across to Russia and ends in China 11:21:28 UT. How's that for some Torch Passing for the Olympics? Pretty interesting that this Eclipse is becoming known as "The China Olympic Total Solar Eclipse." So, there's a space of a few hours on August 1 when the Eclipse will be viewable at its peak from these locations.

Sorry to steal the Chinese People's Thunder but I immediately thought of something negative: How interesting that this is said to probably be the Summer that the Polar Ice cap completely melts during the Summer. And Lo-Behold, a Firey Leo Solar Eclipse is here to make it all possible. The Sun rules Leo and the Sun melts things. Interesting metaphor here I guess regarding Man's ability to create through the use of Fire. Somebody should have told Prometheus to tell Man how to control the Flames a little bit better.

Here's a link to a NASA Map which shows the Eclipse's passage over what's left of the Glaciers: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2008/TSE2008iau/TSE2008-fig02.GIF. The Eclipse is sort of a little bit like George Bush viewing the Hurricane Katrina victims from Air Force One. One last pass of Pluto in Sagittarius, the sign which most Polar Bears are born under, and they're done for. So unbelievably sad.

I looked at the Chart. At least I hope I looked at the right chart. This one has 10 Leo Sun and Moon. Try as I might I can't say what is the correct time for the Ascendant. 10:21 UT is the time of Culmination. It is interesting to look at astrolocality charts to see where tensions in this chart may show up in the World. With Neptune conjunct the North Node in this chart it seems that Water, WAter all around might be a theme. The Lunar Eclipse on Aguust 16 (only partial) that's coming up will be conjunct this. Don't shoot any Albatrosses during the next couple of years (read Coleridge's Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner for info on what happens). This might be the peak of the weather flooding hell or it might just be when the flood gates break. Sorry to the Chinese and NBC who just want to have a good Olympics.

Here's the Date for the Time of Culmination over Russia.

August 1, 2008 4:21 pm local time (10:21 UT) Nadym, Russia

Sun 10 Leo; Moon 10 Leo; ASC 18 Scorpio; MC 29 Virgo; NN 19 Aquarius

This chart is specific to the town of Nadym, Russia so don't if it applies to the rest of the World. I'm sure that the Eclipse could not give one hoot about what is Universal Time though.

I'm going to point out some specifics of this chart and if it applies to you and yours, Blessed Be.

First of all, what an awesome chart for Entertainment and the Arts. This is going to be the Best Olympics Ever. Leo rules Games after all. Here we have Venus 25 Leo opposing Neptune 23 Aquarius. The U.S. is gonna whip everyone's Ass, that's all I'm saying here. Go Bears!!! Wait, I didn't go to that school. There's an interesting twist to the Uranus-Neptune mutual reception in this chart as both planets are Singletons. Neptune is Singleton Air and Uranus is Singleton Water. In terms of the Arts that pretty nice. In terms of the planet it looks kind of like a good time to get on a rocket ship and get the Hell out of here.

Jupiter is also a Singleton in this Chart as it's the only planet in Cardinal Signs. It is trining Mars 19 Virgo and is also trining Saturn 8 Virgo. Mars-Jupiter is great for competition and athletics. This might be a good signature overall for Politics as Jupiter and Saturn working together are great political forces on the social level. Interesting situation for a Presidential Election. Trines are awesome, Trines are Great but man they can cause problems if they make people lax or unrealistic. At any rate, we won't have many outer planet trines coming up for the next few years so this Eclipse is going to have to hold us all on its lonesome for quite a while.

So, then there's one last aspect in this chart I'll look at. That's Mars 19 Virgo opposite Uranus 23 Pisces. Every chart I've looked at has had this opposition passing over an angle during the time of Eclipse. At the time of culmination it has just passed over the IC/MC axis. Uranus is in the 3d House and Mars in the 9th. That's great for Scientific Innovations, for exciting experiences. It could also show earthquakes and Volcanos, especially with Uranus making its first widely orbed square to Pluto. Socially it might indicate Rebellion. Will be interesting to see what happens to the media, newspapers, internet. Would be interesting to follow the News to see if events of this Summer experience follow up events first when Mars transits forward and hits whatever angle it has just past. And then if Uranus follows later. I've noticed that both planets tend to hit suddenly and within a week of exact orb. Astrologers should check to see if this applies to their local are (Mars-Uranus opposition just past an angle in the Eclipse chart set for their area). Then check an ephemeris for dates when Mars and Uranus will hit the angles.

Cool map from NASA showing path of the Eclipse with Local Times:
http://www.worldtimezone.com/time-solar-eclipse24.php

I own Bernadette Brady's book The Eagle and the Lark and have read parts of her Chapter on using Eclipses for Prediction. She uses them to watch cycles through time. Each Eclipse belongs to a 19 year Saros Cycle which Brady gives an interpretation for. Unfortunately the book is in storage so I can't look at it. Brady has a website and forum. Maybe cool place to check out right about now.

This Eclipse belongs to Saros Cycle 126 which began on Mar. 10, 1179 and will end on May 3, 2459. The last Eclipse of this cycle was on July 22, 1990 so if one is old one can think back to that time and try to compare to this time. NASA lists all the Eclipses for this Cycle here: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2008/TSE2008tab/TSE2008-Table17.pdf.

Good article about the Eclipse here: http://www.astrologycom.com/eclipse.html.

I checked Wikipedia for information about Nadym, Russia. Nadym is in Northern Russia close to the beautiful Gulf of Ob (I'm not kidding, that's its name) which is maybe in or near Mongolia. It's an Oil Town (Pisces Sun Town, I'm not kidding, only a Pisces would look at the shores of the Gulf of Ob and say "how beautiful") that's probably getting a little boost in its Tourist industry right now. And it's going through its Jupiter Return and will soon celebrate a Nodal Return that is in a Grand Trine with Saturn and Pluto in its chart. Saturn and Pluto are trining its natal Venus-Jupiter trine. Nadym has been around for a really long time but was incorporated (or whatever you call it in Russian) on:

Nadym, Russia
March 9, 1972 Nadym,Russia

Sorry I erased the chart and can't provide more info.

Keith Barry, Baby Merlin

I just read an interesting entry on Jonah Lehrer's blog (The Frontal Cortex) called "The Cognitive Neuroscience of Magic." Lehrer links to a TED Blog Lecture given in 2004 by Irish Magician/Illusionist Keith Barry which is really incredible. Keith Barry blindfolds himself and drives a strange woman down the street in a car. Really expensive car. I wouldn't have risked it myself. Barry's stage performance is equally interesting. (Link: http://blog.ted.com/2008/07/brain_magic_kei.php)

According to this interview:
http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles/modules/sections/index.php?artid=53&op=viewarticle

Barry says that he's a Skeptic. He also gives his Birth information. There's no way in Hell this is going to be his real birth date but here it is. NOTE: HAHA, it wasn't Barry's birth info but that's because I transposed the Birth Date. I, an American, gave Barry, an Irishman, a birth date of Feb. 10. A commentor was kind enough to correct my stupidity and say that Barry's real birth date is not 2/10 but 10/2. That's October 2 for those of us who are 8 hours behind.

Keith Barry
Oct. 2, 1976 Waterford, Southern Ireland

Sun 10 Libra; Moon Aquarius or Capricorn; NN4 Scorpio

Boy, Libra's are great Illusionists and/or Psychics. John Edwards and Silvia Browne are both Libras. So are most of my ex-therapists. I still have trouble not believing that John Edwards isn't psychic. He's just too cool. But, then again, I live in California and anybody who can speak that fast seems really smart to me.

There's plenty of Scorpio emphasis in this chart. Sun is conjunct Pluto. And the North Node is in Scorpio, Pluto's Sign. It is conjunct Mars in Libra on one side and Uranus and Venus in Scorpio on the other side. That's good for a little dip into the Occult. Progressed Sun has been passing over this stellium and is just finishing up. It was following Pluto's path (transit) which would have passed over the stellium when Barry was a kid. What an exciting, magnetic set of transits to go through as a kid. I personally would have gone a little crazy with that, lots of depth and spectacle on the psychic realm at such an early age. Barry certainly would have understood that things are not what they seem at a very early age. This would also have given him the focus to work hard and create a career for himself. He worked his way through College and has a Chemistry degree.

Mars here conjunct the North Node (very widely). I've wondered about this before so I'll wonder again if a strong Mars especially in a Man's chart is a sign of early success.

Mercury is in Virgo, gives an analytical mind, very perfectionistic.

Barry has a nice outer planet Small Triangle. Saturn (Career) in Leo (Showman) trines Pluto (Career) in Libra (Diplomacy, Pleasure) with both sextiling Neptune (Illusion) in Sagittarius (Search for Truth) in the middle.

Thanks for the Commentor who pointed out my goof.

Fish Pedicures

This is so Neptunian.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Nibbling-fish-perform-pedicures/ss/events/lf/072108fishpedicure/im:/080721/480/1f880fd57e7c4a48a5aa48387427cb98/

Pregnant Man Gives Birth

The Ex-Pregnant Man, transexual Thomas Beatty, is now properly deflated from having given birth to a little girl in June. He was in labor for 40 hours, eek. He generously gives his daughter Susan's proper birth information so I took a look. Link down below.

Susan Beatty, 1st child born to a legally transgendered male
b. June 29, 2008 8:55pm Bend, Oregon

Sun 9 Cancer; ASC 10 Capricorn; Moon 28 Taurus; MC 9 Scorpio; NN 20 Aquarius

I don't read Baby's charts unless I'm in a really stupid mood because I like to let them have free will for as long as possible. I'm going to look at Susan's chart from an odd angle which is in no way disrespectful because I tend to like animals more than people most of the time.

I do want to point out that Susan is a product of modern Science. She is a Cancer Sun. I remembered that Dolly the Sheep, 1st cloned sheep was also born with a Cancer Sun. Their charts share many similarities and I'm very surprised by what they have in common. With the Science/Innovation theme to both births I would have expected a very prominent Uranus. But here there's a very notable Jupiter which is in Capricorn opposite the Sun in both charts (10 degree orb for Susan so many Astrologers wouldn't count it). Capricorn represents one of the Parents, usually the Father. Susan was born to her Father, like the Goddess Athena. (Her Pallas Athene is in the 4th House in Taurus squaring her Nodal Axis). Dolly didn't have a Father really. Both were a product of artificial insemination. Athena just popped out of Zeus' head. Zeus is actually the Greek version of Jupiter which is the Roman Name. The Sun in Cancer, of course, disposits to the Moon which represents the Mother.

The Nodal Axis in these charts is interesting. Chiron is conjunct the North Node in both Charts. The North Node in Air would show that both Souls are faced with the challenge of dealing with their lives on a Mental/Intellectual Plain. Susan's Chiron 21 Aquarius conjunct NN 20 Aquarius. Dolly's 13 Libra NN conjunct Chiron 9 Libra.

With Chiron the Healer/Teacher in strong aspect their births through new conditions is certainly a product of Modern Medicine/Science. The South Nodes are both in Fire Signs. Saturn is conjunct Dolly's South Node. Paternity is certainly a big deal in both lives. This brings a theme of the Doctor/Scientist's role in the parenting process perhaps through Chiron? Chiron was a Centaur, half human, half horse and represents the Bridge between Saturn and Uranus.

Both also share a Saturn-Pluto trine. That could definitely signify man-made design as both planets want to control their lives.

It's interesting that Dolly was born when Pluto was on the 1st degree of Sagittarius and Susan was born while Pluto was on the last degree of Sagittarius. This brings in the Jupiter theme once again of Expansion into new realms of thought. A product of Academic Broadmindedness?

Dolly the Sheep, 1st clone
July 5, 1996 Edinburgh, Scotland

Sun 14 Cancer; Moon Pisces; NN 13 Libra

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24069295-5016689,00.html

Time for a Heart Attack?

The Most Common Time of Day to Have a Heart Attack according to Doctors is early morning just as we are waking up. This equals the time between 6am and Noon with the first 3 hours of waking the worst. The Heart is ruled by the Sun. This means that the time that one is most likely to have a Heart Attack is when the Sun is Rising over the Ascendant and moving into the 12th House. Pretty interesting considering that 1st House rules the Physical Body and 12th House rules Chronic Illness.

The times, of course, don't often apply that perfectly. Where I was born the Sun would have risen over the Ascendant a couple of hours earlier (maybe due to Daylight Savings time?).

This is also significant because as you can read from the quote below, Dreaming and Functioning of the Circulatory System are key processes that have to do with waking up. These correspond with the Sun moving through the 12th House (Dreaming) and then the 11th House (Circulatory System, opposes 5th House that rules the Heart). At any rate, this means that Heart Attacks are associated with the Sun moving through the Upper Left Hand corner of the Wheel.

Of course, the individual predisposition for Heart Attack is also a tiny little part to factor in.


Article is here:


http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080723/hl_time/whenareyoumostlikelytohaveaheartattack

A group from Harvard estimated this risk and evaluated that on average, the
extra risk of having a myocardial
infarction, or heart attack, between 6 a.m. and noon is about 40%. But if
you calculate only the first three hours after waking, this relative risk is
threefold.

The cardiovascular system follows a daily pattern that is oscillatory in
nature: most cardiovascular functions exhibit circadian changes
(circadian is from the Latin circa and diem, meaning "about
one day"). Now, a heart attack depends on the imbalance between increased
myocardial oxygen demand (i.e., a greater need for oxygen in your heart) and
decreased myocardial oxygen supply - or both. And unfortunately, some functions
in the first hours of the day require more myocardial oxygen support: waking and
commencing physical activities, the peak of the adrenal hormone cortisol [which
boosts blood-pressure and blood-sugar levels] and a further increase in blood
pressure and heart rate due to catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline),
which show a peak when you wake up. All those factors lead to an increase of
oxygen consumption but at the same time contribute to the constriction of
vessels. So you have reduced vessel size and reduced blood flow to the coronary
vessels.

You have to remember that blood coagulation is important in the genesis of
what we call thrombi, the blood clots that can block the blood vessels
and cut off supply to the heart. When we wake up, platelets, the particles in
the blood that make thrombi, are particularly adhesive to the vessels. Usually
we have an endogenous system - it's called fibrinolysis - to dissolve the
thrombi. But in the morning, the activity of our fibrinolytic system is reduced.
So we have a greater tendency to make thrombi that can occlude the coronary
vessels. This contributes to further reduction of coronary blood flow. Thus, at
the same time that you need more blood flow, you have less.

All these changes, however, probably are not so harmful in healthy people.
But for a person with a plaque in the coronary vessel, if these changes occur at
the same time and peak at the same time, the final result is a higher risk of
heart attack during that specific window of morning hours.

Why is the risk also higher during the last part of sleep? Usually, during
the night, the cardiovascular system is "sleeping," which is characterized by
low blood pressure and heart rate. But the last stage of sleep - REM, or rapid
eye movement, sleep [when we believe most dreaming occurs] - is a risk period
for cardiovascular emergencies because when you dream, you have a dramatic
increase of activity of the autonomic nervous system - even more than when you
are awake. Probably each of us can remember waking up in the morning sometimes
feeling very tired. That's because during that stage of dreams, we were running
or facing some danger. Your heart was running, so it was consuming oxygen. And
for similar reasons to those when you're awake, that activity is risky if you
don't have a good vessel system.

Drunkest Driver Ever

34-year old Stanley Kobierowski was so drunk last night that he crashed into a message board on the highway in Providence, Rhode Island. Yeah, Stanley was drunk and he was driving and he got caught. And that's not even what this story is about. Stanley Kobierowski was so drunk he now has the Distinction of having the Highest Blood Alcohol level ever recorded in the State of Rhode Island. He logged in at 6 times the legal amount for driving. At .491 percent Blood Alcohol the alcohol in Stan's blood was only .008 percent away from being a Lethal Dose. And he got up out of the car and started walking toward the kindly Police Officers who pulled over to help him. If only that damn sign hadn't gotten in his way.

Well, for one, Rhode Island is a very small state. Those guys obviously can't hold their booze. According to www.drugrecognition.com/Alco.htm, the highest Blood Alcohol of a live person ever recorded was .74 percent. The Idiot lived to tell about that one and Stanley will walk away from this one, this time at any rate. Anything above .4 percent Blood Alcohol is considered comatose. Any behavior below that percentage is how I act every day.

Would the Event chart for Stanley's arrest show this amazing situation? Sure it does, in hindsight, at any rate.

According to an unreliable source on the Internet I found time of arrest at 12:00 am, July 22, 2008, Providence, Rhode Island. That doesn't sound right. It must have been later. What's Last Call in Rhode Island?

We'll look at it anyway and Thar she blows. The Pisces Moon was conjunct the 12th House cusp and Uranus. That's Blood, Alcohol & Jail time all wrapped up into one pretty little package. They oppose Mars and Saturn in Virgo on the 6th House cusp. That's the cops. As I said, Stanley with a near fatal Blood Alcohol level got up out of the car to, I don't know, say Hello, explain his way out of the ticket, take a leak...

But that's not all. Neptune (addiction), Chiron (wounding) and the North Node (Signage) are all still in conjunction and unaspected (by Ptolomaic aspect, there's an inconjunct between Chiron and Mercury).

Mercury does rule Cars and Highways. Mercury was in the Water Sign of Cancer just right at the bottom of the Chart. Any time after 12:00 am would have put Mercury in the 3d House. Best he got off the road before then. And, as Luck would have it, Jupiter the planet of Luck was right at the top of the Chart at the Capricorn Midheaven. Jupiter is Luck and Capricorn is Time. And when it's not your Time, it's just not your Time. And also if Stanley was born in 1974 he might have Jupiter in Pisces natally which might have been conjunct the Moon-Uranus conjunction in the 12th House. That's highly unlikely but they say that Jupiter in the 12th House is like having an Angel on your shoulder.

Why Is Carl Icahn Such a B?

This is a guy I don't get. Carl Icahn. He makes Zillions of Dollars by wrecking companies. If he were to chose to take out evil Companies that harm people I would think he was a hero. But he doesn't. He picks Companies he can make money off of. Essentially, he looks for a weakness in the Corporate World and then picks it to shreds. So, essentially he's a Buzzard and a Bottom Fisher. He's a wrecking ball for businesses kind of in the same manner that Osama bin Laden is.

Now Icahn's going after Yahoo. He's bought a bunch of shares and tried to intimidate Yahoo into selling to Microsoft. On Monday he's settled for a membership on Yahoo's Board of Directors. According to the show I heard on NPR last night, when Icahn comes on the Board of your Company he's there to wreck the company. He will get Microsoft to buy Yahoo and to destroy it. He calls himself an Activist. But he's no Robin Hood Activist. He's just a Greedy Mother Fucker who's showing off "because he can".

Carl Icahn
b. Feb. 16, 1936 Rockaway Beach, NY

Sun 27 Aquarius; Moon Scorpio or Sagittarius; NN 11 Capricorn

Icahn's Sun is in Aquarius which can be a very emotionally detached sign. Aquarius sees things from a distance. If Icahn's Sun is in Sagittarius one can see someone who's sights are set very far into the distance. Also someone who is very independent and believes very strongly in his own opinions. If Icahn's Moon is in Scorpio then there's a deep emotional motivation that he's working through. Scorpio would make him more of a Strategist, lone wolf type of character. It's pretty interesting how the Capricorn North Node seems to funnel these energies into the Corporate World. Capricorn rules God and the Devil. Capricorn rules the Corporate World. Capricorn rules Ambition. Capricorn can push a person to be successful so that even a person with no real skills can become a great success. I suppose as an ex philosophy major in college and chess player, Icahn sees himself as being a constructive disturbance, sort of a Psychic Demolition Derby Queen. Only thing is he's not working on the spiritual realm. He's simply been given the gifts to know how to manipulate things at that level. (jerk)

Icahn's Sun is unaspected by Ptolomaic Aspect. So his Ego is big. I'm sure he keeps trying to reassure himself that he means well because most Aquarius Suns do. Deep down he probably wonders why he doesn't give a shit and is probably insecure about it, but mostly he probably just doesn't give a shit. (For years my Uncle was completely broken up over the money he lost on TWA).

Icahn was born during heavy outer planet activity. As I said before his Sun is doing its own thing out in Aquarius. But his inner planets are busy hooking up the outer planets who in turn are hooking up with each other. He'd be good at Demo because he'd know exactly where to reach in and pull the plug, like a set of dominoes. For one, the Inners are in Outer Planetary Signs. For Two, they are in aspect to Outer Planets themselves. Mars in Pisces opposes Neptune and squares Jupiter. Mercury in Aquarius and Venus in Capricorn both oppose Pluto.

Icahn was born during an Saturn-Neptune opposition between Pisces (Saturn) and Virgo (Virgo) which shows that he understands the martyr complex. He was born into the Depression and he's very aware of that. Weird way of showing it that's for sure. It seems that every time Uranus trips off this opposition he pulls some new extra obnoxious stunts. In 1968 he started his own Corporate Raider business (Uranus in Virgo). in 1985 he launched his famous hostile takeover of TWA (Uranus in Sagittarius). Now with Uranus in Pisces, 2008, he's taking over Yahoo.

Icahn also has a wide square between Uranus in Taurus and Pluto in Cancer that expands out into a t-square with Mercury in Aquarius. And he has another big t-square with apex Jupiter in Sagittarius squaring Mars in Pisces opposing Neptune in Virgo. That explains how he attaches such a Circus to everything he does. Also explains his aggressive manipulative strategies. Mars and Jupiter together explains his interest in thoroughbred horses.

So the Money thing. Why's he so good at it? Without looking at his full chart I can't say. For one, he's got Jupiter in its own lucky happy go lucky sign of Sagittarius. And then, just from looking at his planets it seems that he's just got a sense of how the World works on a very big level and a hunter's desire to kill at that level. The Inner Planets are in the Outer most signs and the Outer Planets are in heavy aspects with each other.

The biggee, Pluto, in Icahn's chart aspects every planet except Neptune. So power and financial investments, other people's money, and working behind the scenes is a big part of his life. Pluto opposes the two planets that rule the Markets, Mercury and Venus, so power plays in the Markets are automatic for him. Icahn has Pluto squares Uranus, so he likes to rebel, stir things up, move the furniture around, turn CEO's into his pawns.

I began to wonder about the Centaurs in his chart. I do remember that they often show up in the charts of rapists. Rapist, Corporate Raider, what's the difference? As I said before this is no Robin Hood, but he does have a following. Turns out Nessus is the big Astro rapist indicator so that's a no-go.

But, the interpretations for Pholus are actually very interesting with relation to Icahn's chart. Eric Francis assigns the phrase "Small cause, big effect." Transits of Pholus are very prominent in key times in Icahn's career.

Natally Pholus is conjunct Icahn's North Node in Capricorn (within a degree). It was conjunct his natal Sun in 1968 when he started Corporate Raiding. In 1985 (TWA takeover) it was conjunct Icahn's natal Uranus along with prog. Mars. Right now it is in Sagittarius and could be conjunct his Moon (so don't know about that one).

Here's Astrodienst's description of Pholus. Pretty interesting description compared with Icahn's personality. Remember that Icahn has a Saturn-Neptune opposition in his chart that seems to activate in the financial when touched by t.Uranus. Pholus is to Saturn-Neptune what Chiron is to Saturn-Uranus:

The outer extremes of Pholus' path cross the orbits of both Saturn and Neptune. Just as Chiron is considered an astrological key to Saturn and Uranus, so Pholus is a key to Neptune. His average distance from the Sun is a little greater than that of Uranus, a complete revolution takes 92 years. In myth, Pholus guards the centaurs' vines, the wine from these being the actual cause for the battle between Hercules and the Centaurs. Like Chiron, Pholus becomes embroiled in the battle by chance, and dies due to a tragic coincidence - while curiously inspecting one of Hercules' poisoned arrows, he is mortally wounded.

According to first astrological observations, Pholus gives unusual ability in a particular area, or unexpected results, due to a gift for experiment. Pholus' transits over the main axes of a chart, often mark radical and unexpected change, hinted at by his sudden and unexpected death in the myth.

The Wikipedia article is interesting as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholus_(astrology).

I don't have time to look at Jerry Yang's chart. I do remember that he's somewhere close to going through his Neptune square which is a drag. But, hehehe, Icahn's about to have t. Neptune pass on to his Sun. That's gonna be like trying to do business while an unbelievably beautiful woman wiggling her veils in front of his face. Wish I could be a fly on the wall in that room.

According to Wikipedia, Icahn's opposing Barack Obama. Warren Buffett is supporting Obama. I wonder what kind of a relationship those two have, Icahn and Buffett, that is.

Salmonella on the Jalapeno's!!

The FDA has found Salmonella on a Jalapeno Pepper! This is a follow-up on the Salmonella case in which I totally admit that I missed it. Mars has been so prominently placed on the Nodes opposite Neptune and Chiron. Mars is Hot! You would have thunk it would be obvious...

Okay, I didn't see it. But there it is on the Horary question where I asked "What's causing the Salmonella Outbreak?" I suppose that Mars rules Peppers. Mars rules Aries, hot, hot, hot. Mars was in Leo, a Fire sign. Double hot. Mars ruled the 6th House (health, diet) and the Moon (food) which was in the 6th House. We're burning up. Where's the beer? Mars was also conjunct the South Node widely opposing the North Node-Neptune-Chiron on the IC. The angles really make it obvious. Actually, a very in your face kind of clue.

I think also that Pluto trining Mars-Saturn might somehow indicate Salmonella. It might actually just indicate getting the runs. For what it's worth, the Sun, Mercury and Venus were all in Aries on April 10, 2008 when the outbreak was first noticed. Mars was in Cancer. The Moon was in Gemini. I still don't know what rules Tomatoes. I bet there's a great old book out there somewhere that gives rulerships for food.

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20080721/488409c0_3ca6_1552620080721-1210310611

It took the FDA 14 weeks to make this head way. Perhaps the Saturn-Pluto-Mars aspect is simply clogging up the research. Tomatoes are still suspect but have been mostly exonerated.

Announcement made July 21, 2008. Sun in Cancer. Moon in Pisces opposite Saturn-Mars in Virgo. Victory for the Health Department. I seem to remember that I made a little comment about how one should "eat" the Jalapenos in order to burn the Salmonella out the system. ((Hehehehe))

I think the Feds say they found one pepper with the dread SaintPaul Salmonella down in Texas.

Tomorrow's Stock Market

Tomorrow's Opening Bell at the Stock Market looks a little crazy. I wonder if this indicates what type of day it will be. Don't take anything that's written here seriously. Go read Ray Merriman's column at StarIQ.com. I'm just playing around to see if I can read the Market Daily Charts. I also just saw the Batman movie and it was a little too hardcore "boy" for my delicate girly sensitivies. The movie is very dark and during almost the entire last half all I could think about was worrying about how there will be a run on the banks and how we'll all be cooking soups with nails soon.

Mars will be conjunct the Ascendant at 13 Virgo. That's aggressive but discerning. It will be opposing a Pisces Moon and is still conjunct Saturn which will have just risen up into the 12th House. That's emotional but in two different ways, volatile and repressed at the same time. Mars will be ruling the 8th House of Investments (which will be empty). Mars-Moon oppositions on the Ascendant-Descendant line are definitely volatile. But the Saturn and multiple Pisces influences (Saturn in H12, Moon disposits to Neptune, Neptune ruling Desc) could indicate a waiting game. These could indicate feelings of loss & depression. Volatile waiting game, for sure, but the Mercury ruled Virgo influence could show constant analytical attention by the powers that be.

Venus still rules the 2d House of Banking which is still empty. She is placed in Leo up in the 11th House which ought to be a positive placement for her. She's unaspected except for a sextile to the Gemini MC. That's a "Trend is Your Friend" aspect for sure. People who play the trends are making money. Bankers might be making the trends right now. The Sun and Mercury will both be in the 11th House as well trining Uranus in the 7th House. So go pick an Aquarian's Mind if you're an elevated soul, or their pocket if you're hungry.

The Neptune-Chiron-North Node conjunction in Pisces conjunction will still be unaspected in the 6th House which emphasizes the Neptunian influences, like the Oil and Gas Industries. People who are in Jail right now might be better off financially than the the rest of us. Interesting that the new Batman movie came out this week-end on Full Moon July 18 and is breaking records at the box office. I just sat through it specifically to experience the happy ending and I swear to God I saw some subliminal messages flashing right at the end of the movie meant to make people happy. That would be so Neptune.

Mercury is the chart ruler and is showing strong mental influences right now with the trine to Uranus and the opposition to Jupiter.

Pluto is in the 4th House. That just sucks for a couple more weeks. Pluto prunes and it's hacking away at us at all things 4th Housian like Security, Real Estate, Emotions. Jupiter rules the IC which might show a bounce and panic mode, and lucky breaks (?). Cant' remember when Jupiter will station direct. Either way it hang around on the 5th House cusp at Opening Bell for a longer while than usual. Normally I'd imagine that to be a good thing but it's in Capricorn which is putting a damper on its Jovial Fun Loving Self. Well, a little Saturnian responsibility never hurt anybody, (except me who it totally depresses).

Addition to Evelyn McHale Suicide Story

In last night's blog entry I wondered why everyone else in New York City didn't jump off the roof of a building at 10:40am on May 1, 1947 the way that Evelyn McHale did. The Stars just seemed set up to guide people into a magnificent demise.

Then I realized that, at Age 23, McHale was perhaps going through a Jupiter in Scorpio Return which would have honed down the citizens of the Big Apple to only tragedians with Jupiter in Scorpio. Jupiter stands out in this chart as it was Retrograde and a singleton in Water, element of emotions and feelings. Scorpio is the sign of Death, Obsession, Passion, Deep Feelings, Confrontation and Sexuality. (also of Sexual Diseases and one wonders if... well, never mind). McHale was going through emotional turmoil in her love life, we do know that. So this hones the problem down to Jupiter in Scorpios, probably the ones who are suffering their first love affairs.

What does separate out McHale from the others is her extreme physical beauty. You can't have an event chart, after all, without at least one natal chart and one set of genes (and that's only the minimum requirement). With Neptune opposing Venus over the IC/MC lines and Saturn conjunct Pluto in Leo in the 1st House trining Venus and Mars in Aries, the woman who jumped off the Empire State Building at 10:40am had to be exceptionally beautiful and of an extremely dramatic personality. New Yorkers might have a good sense of the Dramatic but in the looks department .... well, let's just say that keeps many New Yorkers safe from experiencing what ailed Evelyn McHale.

Then I googled May 1, 1947 to see what else happened on this date and was really amazed how there really was a lot of activity and it can all be tied in to the theme of "things flying through space." List from www.brainyhistory.com/days/may-1.html.

1. Cleveland Indians abandon League Park to play all games at Municipal Stadium. Okay this means nothing to me. Guys throwing Balls through the air though ...it's a stretch... moving on.

2. Change of Leadership in the CIA. Rear Admiral Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, USN, becomes 3rd director of the CIA. This is cool. The CIA changed Directors while the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Leo (power, government changes, spying, Directors of Big Government Agencies) was trining Venus and Mars in Aries (military). Hillenkoetter was from the Navy, the guy he replaced was from the Air Force.

Uranus and the North Node were in Gemini, interesting time for the CIA as it's associated with Intelligence Gathering. Hillenkoetter was interesting because he is known on Wikipedia at least for wanting to expose the cover-up by the Government of UFO's. He started the "National Investigations Commission for Aerial Phenomena" and was a member of Majestic-12. This really matches the Uranus in Gemini theme as Uranus wants to take "it" as far out there as it can. --And if you can't go to it, you must think it is coming to you. Uranus represents communal good will, after all. People have been getting probed by The Grays ever since.

Hillenkoetter was also close to his Solar Return.
b. May 8, 1897 St. Louis, MO

Sun 19 Taurus; Moon Cancer or Leo; NN 10 Aquarius

Hillenkoetter's chart was lit up like a pin-ball machine with regards to the aspects. He was going through his Chiron Return in Scorpio. This squares his n.Nodal Axis (Aquarius to Leo). And Pluto was conjunct his natal South Node. One can only assume that he himself was personally probed.

Hillenkoetter's chart was also strongly affected by the Jupiter in Scorpio as Jupiter at 25 Scorpio Rx was very close to his natal conjunction of Uranus 28 Scorpio-Saturn 29 Scorpio. This conjunction is opposed by natal Mercury 5 Gemini and squared by n.Jupiter 1 Virgo. Talk about a truth seeking person. I wonder if this guy was the original influence for Muldaur on the X-Files. At any rate, the North Node was at 3 Gemini conjunct his Mercury on this date.

Oh, and he also had a conjunction of Pluto 13 Gemini to Neptune 18 Gemini which Uranus had just passed over (was at 20 Gemini). This is so arfing exciting! I wonder if I've read the chart right.

3. Radar for commercial & private airplanes 1st demonstrated. Pretty interesting. I'd think that this would be another manifestation of the Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Leo. Commercialization. Plus Neptune was in Libra which meant that "higher forms of knowing" that had been developed during Wartime (WWII) were now being used in peacetime purposes. Jupiter in Scorpio is prominent as singleton in Water. Both Uranus and the North Node were in Gemini (not in conjunction) which is great for intelligence gathering and radio communications.

Evelyn McHale Suicide

Jason Kottke ran a photo on his blog of a woman who was photographed just moments after falling to her death from off of the Empire State Building in 1947. As strange as this sounds the photograph is so beautiful (and the fact that the time and date of the incident are listed) I had to look at the astrology. She landed on a limousine which is completely smashed in but she seems to just be lying there. (http://www.kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide)

Because of the beauty of the woman in her death and the fact that she was photographed I was very interested in knowing how Neptune is placed in the chart. Once again, apologize that I still can't just add the chart so people can see for themselves. I guess I'm writing this just as there is a Full Moon crossing the Ascendant/Descendant Axis -- creepy -- I don't know the victim's birth date.

Evelyn McHale, Suicide

May 1, 1947 10:40 am New York City (she fell onto a limousine parked by the Empire State Building)

Sun 11 Taurus; 23 Cancer Rising; Moon 28 Virgo; MC 6 Aries; NN 3 Gemini

I suppose one would expect a strong vertical emphasis in the chart since Ms. McHale jumped off the Empire State Building which was probably the World's tallest building at the time. Venus (women) is conjunct the Aries Midheaven opposing Neptune which is conjunct the IC (endings/beginnings) in Libra. I suppose this accounts for the beautiful landing. Kottke shows some prints that Andy Warhol made from the photograph.

There are many indicators showing a tragic Death at this moment. I wonder how on earth everyone else in New York on that day managed to survive.

• Neptune conjunct the IC opposing both Venus and Mars on the Angles. Venus and Mars rule the IC and MC.
  

• Saturn and Pluto (tragedy, depression, destruction) in Leo (drama) in the 1st House trines Mars (violence) and Venus (Love relationship gone wrong, Ms. McHale had just broken up with her boyfriend).

• Sun squares Pluto (death and also Fame) and opposes Chiron in Scorpio.

• Jupiter Rx in Scorpio is a singleton in Water. Is a dark placement for Jupiter. Jupiter w/Pluto could indicate fame in death. Ms. McHale was 23 years old so she may have been going through a Jupiter Return. (one of my 1st blog entries was about Denice Denton who had Jupiter in Scorpio and committed Suicide by jumping from a high rise).
  

• Uranus, ruler of the 8th House (Death) indicates a sudden shocking event. Uranus itself is conjunct the 12th House cusp to the degree.

• Most of the planets are on the left side of the chart.

• Moon (woman, emotion) rules the Chart. Is placed in the 3d House (landing on automobile).

Ben Bernanke Comes Clean About Pluto in Capricorn

Today Ben Bernanke came right out and said it. The Economy is tanking on a number of different levels. Many different fundamentals are going screwy at the same time. Food, Energy, Credit, Housing, Spending, etc. Bernanke called the challenges "significant."

That's Pluto messing with an Aries Point I guess.

Meanwhile, the Shrub got up on his podium right beforehand and told everyone that things are fundamentally fine. That means that he's not going to do a damn thing to fix it or to help it. He could at least take the high road and excuse himself from office.

Pluto in Capricorn seems to indicate that core of the crisis in things Capricorn, like Government leadership. Since my Parents divorced during the Pluto ingress into Libra (relationships) along with half the couples where I grew up I have no problem with seeing how all the Divorces helped spur a major depressing shift back in the 70's.

There's definitely a discrepancy between how the populace votes and how the elected people vote. And this is what happens when the powerful get too powerful. One thing for certain, Bush hasn't been right about anything yet so he's not going to start now.

Ray Merriman pointed out in his talks at UAC that the U.S. suffers a major financial crisis when Pluto passes into Cardinal Signs. The Great Depression was Pluto in Cancer. When Pluto passed into Libra 1973-4 there was also a big Recession. Now Pluto is moving in Capricorn. I guess this sort of shows how Western Astrology works even though the placements of the planets are set up according to the Aries Points/Ingress Spots/Seasons. We are placed in the Universe, probably how the Astronomers and Vedic Astrologers see us. But we also are placed on Earth and are dealing with our existence here which seems to be existing on its own clock simulaneously.

Born On 3 Different Days?

Astrologers argue endlessly about different birth times. Maybe they're all correct. Found an interesting article from HubbleSite.org called "What's My Age? Mystery Star Cluster Has 3 Different Birthdays." Scientists are trying to understand how the Stars in a certain cluster seem to have been born at 3 different times.

Imagine having three clocks in your house, each chiming at a different time. Astronomers have found the equivalent of three out-of-sync "clocks" in the ancient open star cluster NGC 6791. The dilemma may fundamentally challenge the way astronomers estimate cluster ages, researchers said.

Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to study the dimmest stars in the cluster, astronomers uncovered three different age groups. Two of the populations are burned-out stars called white dwarfs. One group of these low-wattage stellar remnants appears to be 6 billion years old, another appears to be 4 billion years old. The ages are out of sync with those of the cluster's normal stars, which are 8 billion years old.

"The age discrepancy is a problem because stars in an open cluster should be the same age. They form at the same time within a large cloud of interstellar dust and gas. So we were really puzzled about what was going on," explained astronomer Luigi Bedin, who works at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md.

http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/25/full/

Miss USA -- Oopsy Daisy

The Stock Market hasn't plummeted yet this morning and the Feds are going to try to restrain Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from doing the same, but .... nothing could hold Miss USA up in the Miss Universe Contest last night. This is the 2d year in a row that Miss USA tripped during the Contest while walking the Evening Gown event. This sounds like a Political Conspiracy. Our Girls don't fall! I had to look at the Astrology as best I am able.

Rex Bills says that Bodily Falls are ruled by Saturn and Capricorn but the Girls' charts don't show any problems from that planet. Bills doesn't list "tripping" which is what Miss USA did on her hem. Bills also doesn't list "Klutz" as you can well imagine. Klumsiness is again attributed to Saturn. Well, if you look as beautiful as these girls do you've got no where to go in life but down. That's Saturnian. I've met a couple of beauty contestants and believe me they are the most ambitious people on Earth. They take these competitions very seriously. That's Saturn.

What I did notice is that that both women have North Node and Mars pretty close together in their charts. Mars just gives you that need to rush in and assert yourself, especially through physical body and force. These girls probably have strength galore and don't have to ask the guys to open their ketchup bottles for them. But Mars is not your classical version of feminine behavior. If these girls were boys they would have crashed a few little red cars by now with all their need for coolness and speed. These women were born to crash in their ball gowns I guess.

Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008, has Mars at 12 Leo and North Node (destiny) at 1 Leo. That's too far apart for a conjunction but Leo's magnificent influence might allow for a bigger orb, just because. And USA 2008 has 4 planets in Aries trining the Mars and NN which might produce a translation of light effect.

A more telling aspect might be Stewart's progressed Sun which is conjunct a tight natal conjunction of Mercury to Pluto in her chart. And her prog. Mercury is moving Rx backwards on top of that. Competition would have been a problem for her. Pluto is the upper octave energy of Mars and they both are fiercely competitive but Pluto does it on a much more subtle level. P.Mercury Rx just sort of pulls stunts on your thinking that make you see the world in a different light, either upside down, or from an ant's eye view as in this case.

Rachel Smith, last year's Miss USA 2007, has a genuine conjunction of Mars to North Node in Taurus: Mars 25 Taurus conjunct NN 20 Taurus. Her progressed Sun just happened to be progressing over that at the time of her contest last year. That's reckless. And this opposes Saturn in Scorpio on the other end which makes her a shoe in for a fall. Natal Sun opposite Pluto could also indicate a conspiracy or power "trip" as it were. It seems that some psychological sabotage might part of the competition. The other ladies were giving her the evil eye, I'm sure.

I would like to see the footage of when Miss USA 2007 tacked the crown on to Miss USA 2008. It's a miracle if she didn't hack her head off accidentally with it. Crowns are ruled by Leo, Sun, Venus, Jupiter. I think these girls had contacts of those planets in their charts, they have won the USA title after all.

The Girl who won Miss Universe 2008, Miss Argentina Dayana Mendoza, comes from the country with the cheapest Gasoline in the World. Much easier to walk straight in your Ball Gown if you can afford to work the energy out by crashing in your car first I guess.

Crystle Stewart, Miss USA 2008
b. Sept. 20, 1981 Houston, Texas

Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2007
b. Apr. 18, 1985 Panama

Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008
b. June 1, 1986 Caracas, Venezuela

Monday's Stock Market

I looked at the Horoscope for Opening Bell for tomorrow's Stock Market. Why not? It's so looking like a downhill slalom at this point.

Straight to the heart of the matter we see that the houses of Banking and of Investments are empty. Money? What Money? Since we've all been gnashing our teeth all week-end over Fannie and Freddie and IndyMac that seems odd. The rulers of these houses, Venus and Mars are doing completely different things in this chart.

Venus rules the 2d house via Libra which is on the cusp. That's the Banking Planet ruling the Banking House, wrong sign but oh well. Venus in the chart is in Cancer in the 11th House unaspected. Unaspected means that Venus isn't relating to the rest of the planets. As she rules the Banking Industry and Money that could be alarming. Cancer rules Housing, Real Estate, Security. 11th House is a Resources House, the resource is friends. The Sun of the NYSE is always in the 11th House (Groups, Committees, Hopes, Wishes) at opening bell so this is an important component of U.S. Stocks. This shows an intense (unaspected) focus on Banking (Venus), Real Estate security (Cancer) and the Stock Market that might be a little stuck right now.

Mars rules the 8th House of Investments, Insurance, Taxes. Mars is aggressive. Well, it's good to see a fighting spirit in this area. Mars also co-rules the Chart as it is conjunct the Virgo Rising on the same degree. Mars does not like to be stuck. That sounds courageous except that Mars is conjunct Saturn (frustration). That's like trying to drive with the parking brake on. Like Venus, Mars is stuck.

Too bad Mars is also squaring the Moon. That's very volatile. The Moon is out-of-bounds and placed in the 4th House which is her own house. This places emphasis on all things Cancerian/4th Housian. Which means, if you don't grow a shell on your back you won't have a house to live in. The Moon is in Sagittarius. This might mean that the media makes everybody a little crazy; or wise, as the case may be. Or it might mean that my Sagg Boyfriend Ben Bernanke will come to the rescue and stop the cascading Dow Jones with his bare hands.

Too bad Pluto is also in the 4th House of this chart. That sort of puts a backed up sewer problem in all things 4th housian. Pluto wants to churn. Churning is a term in Stock Market land where the brokers convince the investors to sell all their stocks and then get them to buy more stocks all over again. They make commissions this way. By this time next month Pluto will be in the 3d house and we'll be glued to the TV becoming experts on all kinds of Olympic sports that we've never heard of. hehehe, right?

Vitality looks good as far as the Sun goes. It is also in Cancer and is strongly aspecting two positive planets, an opposition to Jupiter and a trine to Uranus. It's ruling the 12th House, however, which is only great for people who are on vacation.

Mercury rules both the Ascendant and the Midheaven and is placed in the 10th house of Government opposing Pluto. This shows that the Government is aware of the problem and may intervene in some way. They are trying to rewrite rules to gain control of the greedy banks who pull these stunts. Maybe it just means that we're all sitting back and telling ourselves that they're doing something.

Which brings us to the planet of denial, Neptune. Neptune is still conjunct the North Node and Chiron. They won't be making any major aspects to other planets from the 6th house. 6th House is labor, health, analysis, details, etc. Don't jump out any Windows at any rate or you'll miss the Olympics next month.

IndyMac Bank Closure

A Pasadena Mortgage Company called IndyMac closed its door to depositors yesterday. The Feds will reopen it on Monday and customers with more than 100,000 deposited may have a problem getting their leftover money out. I've read that IndyMac was the largest Savings & Loan Company in Los Angeles and was the 7th largest in the United States. This is the 2d or 3d largest bank closure ever. (sorry I didn't keep links for this info).

IndyMac was founded in 1985 as Countrywide Mortgage Investment. A Date I found for this is July 16, 1985, incorporated in Maryland. The Company was reincorporated in Delaware on Mar. 6, 1987. (http://sec.edgar-online.com/1994/03/30/00/0000898430-94-000225/Section2.asp)

IndyMac was a spin off in 1997. I can't find any dates for the spin-off.

IndyMac was closed on Friday, July 11, 2008, Pasadena, California.

Sorry, I don't have any computer programs loaded right now so my planetary information is going to be spotty. What jumped out at first were the Jupiter Cycles. All these years began with Jupiter in Capricorn. Countrywide, however, would have an Aquarius Jupiter if incorporated in July, 1985. The current Neptune-NN-Chiron conjunction would be conjunct this Jupiter.

The July 16, 1985 Baltimore, Maryland date has Sun conjunct Mars by one degree. A 9am chart has a Moon at 7 Cancer which means that the Bank was born during an applying Cancer New Moon. (I don't know exactly what time to use for an incorporation date.) The Chart looks very good for a Mortgage lending Company with the (almost) New Moon in Cancer, sign of Real Estate and Taurus North Node. Very security conscious. The Sun-Mars conjunction in Cancer is volatile.

Neptune in the "birth date" was at 2 Capricorn. Pluto has just come very close to touching that spot. As Noel Tyl describes it that's "Ego Wipe-Out." The description applies even to Banks.

The Progressions stand out. Once again there's a prog. Mercury Rx situation here. Mercury went Rx at some point and has returned to 21 Leo of the Incorporation Date. This stands out because it's involved in a Grand Square in the natal chart where it opposes Jupiter and squares Saturn in Scorpio and the Nodes. The Transiting Nodal Axis is hammering natal Jupiter within 2 degree conjunction and is accompanied by Chiron-Neptune in Aquarius. Neptune dissolves everything it touches, Chiron can't heal its wound. So, of course, at the base we see a Nodal square by transit over a natal Grand Square. And Neptune is there. And Chiron too. And ugh.

Progressed Venus (ruler of Money) is at 8 Cancer. This would be conjunct the 9 am Moon. And the progressed Moon for this chart would be conjunct the Taurus North Node. That would be a double whammy Moon-Venus aspect. Interesting for a natal chart strong in Cancer and Taurus leading aspects.

I don't have a date for 1997 when Countrywide was spun off into IndyMac. What a stupid name for a bank.

The FDIC supposedly has a list of about 80 or 90 banks that are in trouble but they keep telling us not to worry. So far about 5 banks have failed this year. There were actually quite a few back in 2002 as well.

I looked back at the Summer Solstice Chart to see if this is part of the Country's bigger picture. Jupiter rules this chart through the Sagittarius Rising and Jupiter is in the 1st House conjunct the Moon in Capricorn. That's supposed to be lucky isn't it? Well, Jupiter in Capricorn apparently sucks, it doesn't know whether it's expanding or contracting but certainly would like to make a splash in the world. People are supposed to feel happy about receiving their Rebate Check. I just don't know where that money is coming from. It's sort of like having the mafia hand you a wad of bills and tell you everything is good. This chart had the Pluto-ASC opposition to Sun-Venus. I think that's what I noticed first when I looked at this chart. There's a strong power push here to try to help people that just doesn't feel quite right.

The Neptune-NN-Chiron conjunction (Dissolving-Wounding-Direction things are going) is in the 2d House of Banking. Saturn rules the House and Aquarius is intercepted (astrodienst default house). Saturn rules caution, fear, recession. It might also rule "Rebates". Aquarius and Leo intercepted might mean that the big emotional supports (risk taking and hope) that keep the economy running are not find much expression right now. At least those are my thoughts in hind sight.

Mars and Saturn and the South Node are in the 8th House of Loans, Insurance, Investments. Mars is at the apex of a Yod to a Moon-Uranus sextile. That's a pretty hysterical combination and with Mars at the helm could be pretty destructive. Yods are called the Finger of God because they try to combine elements that don't work together into a cohesive whole, something only God can do. In this case the Yod is extra challenging because Mars is placed on the Nodal Axis opposing Neptune-Chiron.

On a really weird note, John McCain's financial advisor, Phil Gramm, told everyone to stop whining. He did this just as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac share prices were dropping astronomical amounts. The Mars-Saturn conjunction was on his Virgo North Node to the Degree so he decided to shoot straight from the hip. He's an old guy and he knows that the real estate market blimped up to unbelievable levels really really fast. House prices increased probably 200 percent in 5 years. Maybe more. It's also very close to Gramm's own Birthday so I guess it's ok for the Birthday Boy to act like a turd. Maybe he was drunk.

Phil Gramm
b. July 8, 1942 Fort Benning, Georgia

Swear Words

I've found a cure for nagging bronchial coughs that won't go away!

Cussing and swearing.

Maybe it's only my Gemini Rising but most of the posts I've written this week I haven't published due to the extreme vocabulary that I was enjoying. Either the Irish owe me a dual citizenship at this point or I've got a serious case of Tourette's. All I can tell you is that the pruning of the posts is going to take a long time.

At any rate, every time I wrote a nasty my chest relaxed and the cough that I've had for 5 weeks now is pretty much gone. The last Mercury Retrograde passed over my Ascendant 3 times and hit me in the Bronchials the way it always does. So I got the cough which just wouldn't leave. Had no clue what the necessary cure was until now.

I had bronchial asthma when I was a kid and I would go through phases of swearing really badly at times. I wonder if I was just "self-medicating." Either way it really does relax the lungs to cuss like a Sailor.

California's Run Out of Firemen - Saturn in Virgo

California the Virgo is getting her first taste of Saturn in Virgo as it approaches her Sun. Weeks of raging fires that are supposed to come from lightening that nobody sees have led to a completely exhausted crew of Firemen.

Headlines from the San Jose Mercury News yesterday sure do have Saturn in Virgo written all over them:

"Not Enough Crews to Fight Fires."

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_9848630

Saturn brings a constriction or lack or loss. Also exhaustion. Virgo represents the Service Jobs, like Policing and Fire Fighting. Members from the National Guard are going through quickie training to help out and I even heard that firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are coming over to help out. California has a Virgo Sun so seems to be feeling the approach of Saturn already. All my Astro charts are unavailable currently.

Here's a bit from the article. Somebody was calling these guys crybabies and whiners???? John McCain's financial advisor just called the country a bunch of whiners. That's nuts considering how many small time investors are once again losing their savings. That sounds more like Capricorn talk.:

Field experts scattered throughout the state sound similar concerns, suggesting the entire system is overwhelmed. Reports say fires are "minimally staffed," and injuries are "directly related to heat illness and fatigue."

"These professionals are not prone to excuse-making. They don't want to be seen as crybabies," said retired fire Capt. Mike Morales, who has been tracking the response on his Fresno-based blog firefighter blog.blogspot.com. "But there are too many fires and not enough resources."

(Article on Chapparal landscape like California's and the Fire/Flood Cycles that develop as a result. I'd like to look at this later, hopefully.: http://www.coastal.ca.gov/fire/ucsbfire.html)

Last time Saturn was in Virgo was around 1978-1980. All I remember from that time was that I couldn't learn to do the Hustle. Actually that was while Saturn was still in Leo. Saturn in Virgo wasn't nice. I do know that was the era when the fundings for the public schools were cut.

The Saturn-Uranus Opposition on Election Day

I've been listening to astrologers say Wow the Saturn-Uranus opposition will be exact on Election Day and ignoring it. Nobody has really said what they think it will mean. At this point nobody really knows what anything means except that many people are forecasting Gloom & Doom. My computer is back in the shop and I'm racing the library computer to write this just to keep myself from blowing up the idiot computer store that didn't reinstall Windows properly. But, Windows is a defective product. That's how Bill Gates made his zillions. Build a defective product and The World will buy it.

I know people have been talking about the Saturn-Uranus opposition in terms of the fact that the transit will go exact on Election Day. And I figure that people have been discussing this in terms of how it hits the U.S. Chart which will be strongly affected by this transit. Turns out the tightest aspect in the U.S. chart (July 4, 1776 date) is a Mars-Neptune square and this is what Saturn-Uranus will hit on Election Day.

Transiting Saturn 19 Virgo opposite t.Uranus 19 Pisces

U.S. Mars 22 Gemini square U.S. Neptune 23 Virgo

That's pretty close.

The U.S.: Mars in Gemini to Neptune in Virgo square. That explains why the U.S. Media is as deceptive as the Government, but more fun to watch. Kind of weird that we're known for talking loudly, guess the Mars is dominant here. At any rate, that's a real Bread & Circus aspect. Build it and they will come... Like all things on the planet, there's a good side and a bad side to the aspect. And God knows if the U.S. doesn't figure out some new Dream to build on we're going to Hell in a Hand Basket. Pluto's been out in Sagittarius tickling that square with threats and Al Gore. Ideas anyone? GE just sold its lightbulb division. Time for a new Edison.

T. Saturn will be on the U.S. Neptune in Virgo. That's Depression. Cant' See the Forest for the Trees Depression. Bad Hygiene Depression. If I've told you once, I'll tell you a million times, watch your hands. Mars will be out in Gemini challenging this Depression, probably frantically trying to wash its hands of this Depression, with all kinds of Geminian ideas of how to fix things. And since Mercury will be squaring Uranus, it's higher octave, the U.S. might be really trying to bring about some Innovation. (Mars in Gemini definitely is going to want a new type of car, painted red with plenty of rpm's, whatever they are.) With the t-square, though, we might have to go through a phase of "Build It and It will Fall Apart." Humor will be needed. Sagg Rising Humor, not Gemini Rising humor, by the way.

So, then I looked at John McCain's chart and Barack Obama's charts to see where the Saturn-Uranus opposition will be placed and what it's hitting, bam, bam, bam.

In Obama's chart, Uranus has been in his first House. That's why he's all about being the Maverick. Uranus also rules his Chart. This will be opposed by Saturn in the 7th. I'm reading some negative interps into that which I don't want to say. Overall, I think the time is right for him as long as he doesn't forget about the Country. And Neptunians, they do tend to forget...

Thing about Obama's chart that I really don't like is the Sun-Neptune square which is deceptive and the fact that Neptune is hitting his Ascendant right now which is going to emphasize. We've already had 8 years of leaders going through heavy Neptune transits and it's been pretty disastrous. If Obama finds a healthy, sincere, upbeat, honest group of people to run the country it will be a miracle. He has to get over the fact that with Neptune and Uranus in the 1st house, he is the one he wants to be his own miracle. And it's not really about him. It's about the Country. The whole Country. Not just White Ivy Leaguers and Blacks.

Then there's John McCain. This guy has close to a Grand Square in his natal chart. What do you expect for a War Hero anyway? The Saturn-Uranus opposition is going to be laid over the Saturn-Neptune opposition. This is receiving squares from natal Jupiter and Chiron which are not opposing each other so the Grand Square thing isn't exact. If he's pacing himself well right now while Saturn is trampling his natal Sun he'll be fine. Saturn can wear you down. Republican masseuses and nutritionists round the country should be coddling this man. Yes, Cindy, you can give him up for that. I didn't say fondling.

I don't have the dates available for when John McCain was taken POW in Vietnam but do know that this Saturn-Uranus opposition is opposing itself from sometime in the 60s. So, he could be taken Hostage again. Is there any difference between a Vietnamese Prisoner of War camp and the White House? The oppositions I'm talking about are layered over his chart very close to the 6th-12th house axis, 12th house = prison.

The Birdman of Alcatraz

I love it when I start obsessing over a person and then discover that their charts reflect some current transits in the sky. Yesterday something tripped off my memory and I was thinking about one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, Birdman of Alcatraz. Scary child. I think my sense of what true Justice is aged about 9,000 years after watching that movie. And, you have to admit the acting was great.

As I write this "the Birdman" would be celebrating his Saturn Return in Virgo and would be due to celebrate his Jupiter Return in Capricorn this year as well. Pluto is passing back and forth over his South Node. I haven't got a clue how to interpret this, but I can go off in my imagination here. I have no idea whether reincarnation happens but this would certainly seem like a portal opening in time for the same kind of soul to re-enter.

Robert Stroud, Birdman of Alcatraz
b. Jan 28, 1890 Seattle, Washington (time from Astrotheme 10:00 pm)

Sun 10 Aquarius; ASC 5 Libra; Moon 26 Taurus; MC 6 Cancer; NN 2 Cancer

The Birdman, Robert Franklin Stroud, was a murderer. Just as he was approaching his first Nodal Return (t.Pluto c. n. North Node too) he killed a guy who had abused his girlfriend. Apparently he was hanging out with the wrong crowd and considering his natal chart had a Mars in Scorpio - Moon in Taurus opposition, it was only a matter of time when his temper would be tested beyond what it could handle.

After entering into jail, Stroud couldn't handle the abuse from the guards and was attacking them as well. Eventually he ended up on Death Row for killing a guard. And, Lucky Guy, his Mother and others were on the outside fighting to get him off. His Mother actually contacted the President, can't remember which one. He was born during the Pluto-Neptune conjunction in Gemini of the 1880s and this conjunction was featured prominentally in Stroud's natal chart. If the Astrotheme birth time is correct, it was conjunct his Sun and involved in a Grand Trine with a Libra Ascendant and a conjunction of Sun-Venus-Mercury Rx in Aquarius. At the time of the murder, his progressed Sun and Venus were conjunct at 29 Aquarius and squaring his natal Moon-Pluto. They then would have passed over into Pisces, sign which rules Imprisonment.

Birdman was sentenced to 12 years for committing his first crime and then had a few problems with guards in jail. He attacked the first one, then killed the second one and was moved around and eventually put into Solitary confinement on Death Row where his only contact with life was with birds that hung out in the barred window of his cell. He made cages for the birds and learned so much about them he wrote books on them. His Mother kept fighting on his behalf to keep him off of death row. Hollywood found him and made a movie about him.

The story is really really strange. The Astrology makes sense when you think of the strangeness because Stroud was an Aquarian. Whether or not he actually did have a Libra Rising in trine with his other planets, a Grand Air Trine for a guy who understands Birds really well just makes a whole lot of sense. The self-containment of the Grand Trine aspect actually found a constructive outlet in jail. It also brought the good luck connected with having constant attention for his incarceration. The whole Neptune-Pluto in Gemini generation certainly would understand the story of a guy who writes books while isolated in a jail.

Stroud murdered his Girlfriend's abuser, Jan. 18, 1909 in Cordova, Alaska. The Astrolocality lines show an interesting set-up as his Moon-Neptune-Pluto MC lines run through Alaska where he committed his first murder. The island of Alcatraz, where he found his connection with birds and eventually his Fame was closest to his Nodal Axis MC line. And surprisingly, his Nodal Axis is located in his natal chart at 2 Cancer-Capricorn and his Midheaven-IC Axis (assuming chart time is correct) at 6 Cancer-Capricorn. He became famous on this line at any rate in part for the place (IC, Cancer) where he lived. The circumstances were unusual, but as I said, he was Sun-Venus-Mercury in Aquarius. He also may have had a 1st house Uranus which strengthens the tendency for unusual circumstances.

One major anger management problem indicated in Stroud's chart is his Moon - Mars in Scorpio opposition. Mars squares his natal Sun-Mercury in Aquarius. That all makes for a flash temper. If he has a Libra Rising his story seems classic for the problems of that Rising Sign. He was trying to help his lover and instead buried himself into one catastrophic interaction after another until it finally finds redemption in going inward. I've just looked at a study of U.S. Presidents who have a predominance of Libra Risings. One can certainly see this same kind of struggle in taking on that job. Just remember back to Bill Clinton's days.

There are a lot of unbelievable interesting transits that connect to Stroud's natal chart, namely through Neptune, Chiron and Mars. It's interesting that the first murder was committed while Neptune was conjunct his natal Chiron-Lilith conjunction in Cancer. How about going to jail (Neptune) while defending your prostitute (Lilith) girlfriend's (Lilith, Cancer) problems? Of course, the progressed Sun-Venus conjunction squaring natal Moon-Pluto-Neptune didn't help. Nor did the Pluto-North Node conjunction (within orb of his Nodal Return). This murder would have held extra relevance for Stroud as it happened on Jan. 18, 1909 and so probably was linked into his Solar Return chart for the year.

The Birdman movie debuted July 3, 1962. This is an interesting Solar Return year for Stroud as there was a huge line-up of planets in Aquarius on his Sun that year. T. Pluto was just approaching his 12th House cusp opposing Jupiter-Chiron on his 6th House cusp (assuming Astrotheme chart time is correct). Jupiter-Pluto aspects are known to bring fame when working together in a chart. What better way to become famous than as being some kind of Francis of Assisi of the Federal Jail System in a Major Motion Picture? That's so many Neptunian/Pisces themes it makes my head spin.

Stroud died in 1963. Pluto was exactly conjunct the 12th house cusp of the Astrotheme chart.

Running Out of Resources

If you don't know what Gallium is then you only have a few more years to find out according to the article "Reflection: The Death of Gallium" by Robert Silverberg. Gallium is an element that's used in electronics equipment. Other elements, obscure ones, but also Zinc and Copper are available only in short supply here on Earth. I wonder if it will get to the point that people will be melting down Rembrandt's remaining copper etching plates in order to make Ipods.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0806/ref.shtml.

Is this why NASA is scurrying up to Mars so frantically? I mean, do you really give a shit if there's ice on Mars? What are they really doing? Mining in Space? (and bringing back all the new versions of AIDS and SARS to go with it).

Resources are Houses 2, 5, 8, 11. I assume that Mining is a 4th House thing. Neptune's in Aquarius and that's the only Outer Planetary contacts with Resource Signs or Planets we earthlings have for a while. Hmmm, the Cancer cusp (H4) is the empty leg of the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square that's coming up? That could be good for going on a long mining excursion.

They're also going to make the Astronauts drink their own sewer water because bringing toilets up to the Space Station is just too damn much trouble. Heeheheee, that makes me laugh so fucking hard. I'm so glad I don't have a kid who wants to grow up to be an astronaut. I tell you, things are just getting so out of hand. teehehe.

(link from Kottke.org)

Isaac Cline and the Galveston Hurricane, Sept. 8, 1900

We're having another Heat Wave here in California this week. Half the State is on fire and it's only June. Usually the really bad fire season starts in the Fall. I think we're literally running out of Fire Men because they're so exhausted.

So, I've picked up another book in the Library bookstore (which I haven't read yet, just can't resist looking at the astrology). It's called Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. Larson is writing post Hurricane Katrina and has found a great angle from which to tell the story of this parallel but even more devastating Hurricane story. It's about the chief meteorologist, Isaac Cline, who kept denying that Galveston was due for a huge Hurricane. Apparently Cline had a major turning point moment on Sept. 8, 1900 when the ocean and the winds blew his pregnant wife away and devastated his town. FEMA trailors didn't even exist in those days. I read somewhere that they threatened to shoot any man who wouldn't help bury the rotting bodies and so the men all got stinking drunk in order to tolerate the carnage.

I had to look at Cline's chart. I mean, we all do stupid things but this guy got caught and on a big level. The book says that it is a story of great human arrogance being wiped out by the great forces of Nature. Yeah, whatever. In the end, the storm still would have hit. It's just a little disconcerting because people were expecting the storm, except the Weatherman.

Isaac Cline - hope I have correct birth date, found only one source and Wikipedia disagrees with the year
b. Oct. 13, 1861 Monroe Country, Tennessee (I used Nashville for town).

Sun 21 Libra; Moon Aquarius or Pisces; NN 9 Capricorn

I'm tending to associate Chiron with these kinds of intense moments where a person really has to question himself. Am tired of using the words "wounding" and "healer" for Chiron, but they certainly would apply here. Cline's Chiron is in Aquarius trining his Libra Sun so it is strongly aspected in his chart and works in shocking, inconsistent ways. Chiron may also be conjunct Cline's Moon in Aquarius but without a birth time, who knows? Either way, I'd expect the guy to be very intelligent and cerebral with the Air emphasis. If he had a Pisces Moon, then that's another story, he should have just become a poet. His Sun is also trining Uranus in Gemini. With all this air influence I can see how he would enjoy watching the clouds and the lightning. I might even expect him to be pretty intuitive as a forecaster.

So, what went wrong?

You always want Neptune to be strong too in a forecaster's chart, but in positive aspect. In Cline's chart Neptune is on the last degree of Pisces in Retrograde. This means that it is placed in its own sign and is also on the Aries Point. He came before the public as, well, the guy who didn't know. Well, Neptunian issues are really complicated that way... And this is the spot where the Astrological Wheel both ends and begins.

So, what went wrong?

The Outer Planets are figured very strongly with each other in Cline's chart showing perhaps that his life was to be connected with major events of his generation. Maybe it's unfortunate that Neptune isn't included, bound into the circuitry with these planets. Cline had a natal conjunction of Jupiter 17 Virgo conjunct Saturn 18 Virgo. This is a social aspect and shows that he may have been good with adminrataive duties and policies. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction trines Pluto at 10 Taurus and squares Uranus at 17 Gemini Rx. I read that as just meaning that he was part of a generation that could really change the world. People can learn from your mistakes after all...

Here's what went wrong.... (my opinion, of course, take it for what it's worth)

The interesting influence to me is Cline's Progressed Mercury. Cline's natal Mercury was in Scorpio at 14 degrees. It was opposing Pluto which emphasizes the Plutonian side. His thinking was very sharp and shrewd and based on gut instinct generally. Too much Confidence in one's thinking can be a problem with this placement. He is said to have come across as a bit of a snob.

But Cline's Mercury was even more Plutonian due to the fact that his Secondary Progressed Mercury never left Scorpio. It went Rx just before entering Sagittarius. And, if I've calculated correctly, it was conjunct its natal position within a degree when the storm hit. That would indicate a turning point in the old cognition center of the horoscope (my opinion). This indicates that he was due for a change in his thinking. But, man o man, this was punishment. Pluto doesn't make it easy.

This is a Plutonian Mercury more than any Plutonian Mercury seen before on Earth. It seems to be a major trigger for why he would have to experience such a Crisis. Cline experienced the event on more layers than anyone else around him. He was the expert who was supposed to know more than anyone and protect them and he completely failed. He lost everything including his wife. His children I guess were saved. He lost his house and possessions. He lost his credibility but one wonders what happened on his insides. When they say that Scorpio is a deep sign, they aren't kidding. Other people don't have to exist on these levels all at once. (I seem to remember that the guy who got fired for the Katrina fiasco was a Scorpio Sun, don't remember his name)

The Astrology for the Day of the Galveston Hurricane was pretty nasty. Just as the Storm hit the town around 9 pm there was a Full Moon: Sun in Virgo opposite Moon in Pisces. These two were within wide orb of a square to the Nodes (Sagittarius North Node conjunct Uranus and Jupiter). They were also involved in a wide Grand Square to Uranus in Sagittarius and Pluto 18 Gemini.

A t-square between Sun and Moon squared by apex Pluto seems to bring big Crises. But, Pluto was close to the South Node and Uranus and Jupiter were conjunct the Sagittarius North Node. This could be expected to be huge. Hurricanes seem to follow astrology more clearly than earthquakes.

At 9 pm, Aries was Rising. Ruler Mars was a singleton in Water in the Sign of Cancer and in the 4th House approaching the IC representing turbulence in the home, environment. Guess the strong Mars to Cancer aspects translates out into "One if by Land; Armaggedon if by Sea?" No planets were Retrograde this day, Nature was just coming at em full force. Interesting how most of the planets were in Mutable Signs. There was absolutely nothing in place astrowise to put the breaks on at that point.

Pluto as I already said was squaring the Sun and Moon (event chart). It was placed in the 2d House (does that seem common in these devastating natural disasters) of the 9 pm chart and ruled the 8th House of Death and Destruction and really really big Insurance company crises. This square was layered right over Cline's chart. Pluto was conjunct his natal Uranus and the Sun & Mercury were conjunct his natal Jupiter-Saturn (reputation???) in Virgo.

(mmm, do we have a transit of these planets coming up?)

There were a couple of other big Progressions for Cline that might indicate that he was somehow due for a big change in his life as p.Sun and p.Mars were on the verge of changing signs. His Progressed Sun was at 30 Scorpio exactly conjunct his natal Venus. I know that Scorpio rules Death and Venus rules the Wife, but this is just a little too creepy for me because his pregnant wife didn't survive. I certainly never would allow that into a forecast myself. Cline's progressed Mars was also at 30 Libra about to move into Scorpio. I'd have to read the book to know how that turned out for him. Who can read all these books? This one looks extra interesting I have to admit. I'm very curious about what happens when prog. Mars moves over the Libra-Scorpio cusp. Oh wow, I've just flipped to page 267. Turns out they struck oil in Texas on Jan 10, 1901, just 4 months after this storm. (Beaumont, Texas).

This is what it says on the inside book jacket, which sounds very similar to the conditions today:

That August, a strange, prolonged heat wave gripped the nation and killed scores of people in New York and Chicago. Odd things seemed to happen everywhere: A plague of crickets engulfed Waco. The Bering Glacier began to shrink. Rain fell on Galveston with greater intensity than anyone could remember. Far away, in Africa, immense thunderstorms blossomed over the city of Dakar, and great currents of wind converged. A wave of atmospheric turbulence slipped from the coast of western Africa. Most such waves faded quickly. This one did not.