Over the River and Through the Woods

I'm a Cancer and it's said we love to cook but I find it incredibly boring and tend to forget about things and they shrivel up in the pan. It would be fun to someday speculate on what Al and Priscilla's Birth Signs were as a way of celebrating Thanksgiving (My Mother called "John" "Al, we live in California and don't really have a sense of what the Pilgrims were all about). I think they must have been hardy Earth/Fire Sign stock.

And Pocohontas? Who knows.

And the Peace Pipe? That got the Native Americans into a lot of trouble.

And the guns? That won the Pale Faces a whole continent.

But, this is neither here nor there.

Instead, may I present to you (the reader who doesn't even exist) a break-down of that Thanksgiving Song we used to have to sing as kids according to Astrological Rulerships. (Thanks mostly to Rex Bills' Rulership Book)

Okay, ah one, ah two...

Over the river and through the woods

"over" = upper half of chart wheel, Saturn/Capricorn?

"River" = Moon/Cancer (Neptune, Pisces)

"Through" = H1-H7 Axis?

"Woods" = (Saturn, Capricorn, Neptune, Libra)

To Grandmother's house we go

"Grandmother" = Mom's Mom = H7 / Dad's Mom = H1

"Grandmother's House" = Mom's Mom = H10 / Dad's Mom = H4

We Go = H3 if by car, H9 if by plane, H4 if by boat, oh yeah, this is by sleigh, hmmm, H3?

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

"Horse" = Jupiter, H9, Sagittarius, Pisces

"Horse Knows" = Well, mostly Pisces, maybe with a little help from Gemini, H3, Mercury

"To Carry" = interesting use of words, "pulling" is one thing, "dragging is another, "carrying" has a H4 overtone

"The Sleigh" = (Moon)

Through white and drifted snow

"Through" = H1/H7?

"White" Moon, Neptune, Pisces (Venus Libra Aries)

"Drifted" = Neptune

"Snow" = Saturn, Capricorn (Neptune)

Over the river and through the woods

done

Oh how the wind does blow

"Oh" = Exclamatory Remarks that add Drama: Sun, Leo

"Wind" = mild = Mercury; strong = Uranus

"Blow" = Aries/H1?

It stings the toes and bites the nose

"Stings" = Mars

"Trees" = (Leo, Saturn Cancer Taurus Libra)

"Bites" = Mars

"Nose" = Scorpio, Mars, (Aries, Jupiter)

As over the ground we go

"Over" = already discussed above

"Ground" = Saturn, H4

"We Go" = already discussed abover

[Everybody now]

Everybody = Aquarius, H11

Repetition = Virgo? Definitely not Gemini, I'm ready to slit my throat from all this busy work

Over the river and through the woods
To Grandmother's house we go
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
Through white and drifted snow

Over the river and through the woods
Oh how the wind does blow
It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go

[Instrumental]

Instrumental = Venus

Over the river and through the woods

yeah, yeah, yeah

And through the barnyard gate

Through = H1/H7?

"Barnyard" = "Barns" = (Virgo Libra Saturn) Yards around a home = Cancer, H4, Front yards = Leo

"Gate" = Saturn, Capricorn (Uranus)

We seem to go extremely slow

"We" = Aquarius

"Seem" = Hmm, Appearances as Capricornian

"To Go" = Aries, Mars

"Extremely" = Jupiter

"Slow" Saturn, Capricorn

Impatience in General is so totally Sadge

It is so hard to wait

"Hard" = Saturn

"To Wait" = Saturn

Over the river and through the woods

yeah, yeah, yeah

Now Grandmother's cap I spy

"Now" = Aries, Virgo

"Cap" = Aries

"I spy" = Mercury (Moon Sun Aquarius) Spying = Pluto

Hooray for the fun

"Hooray" = Leo

"Fun" = Venus, H5

Is the pudding done?

"Pudding" = not mentioned in Bills, Moon and Neptune?

"To be Finished" = H4

Hooray for the pumpkin pie

"Pumpkin" = Cancer, H4

"Pie" = not mentioned, bakeries = Cancer, H4, Mars

Hooray for the fun

Is the pudding done?
Hooray for the pumpkin pie
Hooray!

This much Fun has got to be Jupiter thing.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Source for the lyrics plus a picture of horse, sleigh, snow, and drunk uncles with whip:

http://www.links2love.com/christmas_songs_over_river.htm

Women's Preventative Health In the Dog House

According to two different groups of experts this week it is recommended that women no longer take as many early detection exams for breast cancer and cervical cancer.

Although Breast Cancer deaths among women age 40-49 is said to have been reduced by 40 percent since 1990 (my numbers may be wrong, heard a mammogram expert on Larry King) some committee has stated that women in this age group should only consider taking yearly mammograms at the request of their doctors rather than by following a set guideline. Pap tests recommendations have also been reduced for women in their 20s and upwards. USNews.com story here.

(http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/11/20/new-pap-test-guidelines-start-later-have-fewer.html)

Is this the Saturn-Pluto square deciding where to make the budget cuts?

Pluto rules Cancers, at least in part. It also rules Research and reproductive organs. As a water sign it rules Women. It also rules Insurance which is probably the great motivation behind all of this. Interesting that we had a New Moon in 25 Scorpio on Sunday (Nov. 16 1:45 am NY,NY) just before the announcements.

Don' t know if New Moon charts are read as predictive indicators for upcoming weeks/month, but in this case, the Sun-Moon conjunction at 25 degrees Scorpio and was squaring Neptune 24 Aquarius and trining Uranus 23 Pisces.

Astrology-wise, this is troubling. The young Pluto in Scorpio women are just coming of age and they might be more susceptible to these illnesses than the Pluto in Libra women (who I imagine would be more prone to having crises involving kidneys and lower back).

MoveOn.Org Petition for Rape Victims

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is trying to oppose allowing trials for rape victims (U.S. side) who are working overseas in the Wars. I've been hearing about more and more of these stories. Apparently the guys know that there's some clause in the law that disallows trial for rape in overseas cases. I've written about the Jamie Leigh Jones case. She's the woman who was gang raped and held in a storage box while working for a contractor.

If anyone out there wants to, MoveOn.org is currently providing an online petition to oppose this extreme flaw in the Judicial System. I suppose this kind of legal action is considered bad for business if the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is opposing it.

If interested in finding more about Jamie Leigh Jones' case and others, please read here. Bring out your inner Lilith and sign the thing.

Rape in a chart can be shown by negative aspects to Mars, Pluto and Venus. Since rape is a crime which often goes unpunished there may be a Moon and Neptunian element. Also, some of the centaurs will show up in negative aspects, especially to Mars (= men). Chiron and Nessus are often the most prominent of these.

Thank you.

About Scorpio

Read this. Don't know how long it will be posted on his website but Michael Lutin's poem about Scorpio says it all. Or, at least, it says all that's fit to say in public...






http://www.michaellutin.com/dailyfix.htm

Super Cool Women Cops

There sure are some exceptional stories about heroic women Police officers in the news these days. Lisa Campbell, a police specialist, and Allison Jacobs, a police officer, are credited with cracking the 20 year old Jaycee Dugard case. Now, there's another story of Police officer Kimberly Munley, in Texas who is credited with taking down the Fort Hood Shooter, Nidal Hasan. I just read that she is still in the hospital and has gone through a second surgery today. And she Twitters... Munley was working with a partner, Sgt. Mark Todd, who also deserves credit.

I suppose this might be part of the Pluto-Saturn-Uranus t-square moving on to the Cardinal Points. These points correspond with the beginnings of Seasons and as such symbolize new beginnings. These 3 planets working together will indicate use of force. That doesn't mean that all use of force is bad. Women haven't been allowed to work as police officers for very long in the United States. I read somewhere that they've only been accepted on most forces for the last 20 years. So, Pluto's transit in Scorpio is probably responsible for creating this new feminine image in the U.S. Sure would like to see the birth dates. Kimberly Munley is 34 years old (Pluto in Libra, 10-12 degrees).

Edit: 11/26/09

I've thought of some other influences that may have contributed.

First of all, the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction in Aquarius would be a big influence. From what I've noticed, women with strong Jupiter and Uranus influence in their charts do much better in a "man's world." Also, this influence would be demanding equality among all people. And it's a very positive aspect emotionally.

Then, there's the double Venus transit that we're going through. I've written about it but have forgotten what it's called. Anyway, it's the Venus Synodic Cycle that comes in pairs 8 years apart. We're in the middle of it. I've written about it here (http://outthecometsass.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html -- it's called "Venus and the Crazy 8") and before that although I can't locate the entry. First was in 2004. Last will be in 2012.

2 Mass Shootings Last Week

Last week there were two mass shootings within two days. The first one, on Thursday, a Military Psychiatrist specializing in treatment of PTSD victims of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars gunned down a bunch of his comrades at Fort Hood in Texas. The story is complicated by the fact that the shooter was of Arab descent and has been showing signs of loyalties to his heritage rather than his nation. The military and the media is questioning whether or not this was a terrorist attack. Nobody is questioning whether or not modern psychiatrists know what the hell they are doing. Shouldn't they have been the first to question this guy's sympathies with suicide bombers?

My first thought after hearing of the shooting was that the psychiatrist had heard so many PTSD stories that he just lost his mind, kind reminded me of that old episode of Night Gallery episode about the dying Sineater. The Sineater's profession was to sit by the corpse of people who paid him to eat a meal. By doing this he absorbed the sins they had committed during their lifetimes and so releasing their souls to go on to Heaven. Complicated part of the story is that the Sineater is about to die and he wants his Son to take over his profession. The Son, of course, must not only take over his father's awful profession but also must eat all the sins that his Father now contains within his soul. And that's a whole boat load of sins. The last scene is a gory close up of the Son's face as he gorges himself with food and panic. (Wonder if that's when my anorexia started).

Anyway, that's what the story first reminded me of. I completely doubted that the Army Shrink would be a terrorist. Then I looked at his chart. He doesn't have an obvious chart for a mass shooter except that I would expect a Virgo Sun/Scorpio Moon to be a really good aim with a rifle. Well, there's also a Mars-South Node conjunction.

The Shooter/Shrink, Major Hasan, is just past his Pluto square. That can be a difficult passage in a person's life regarding all things Pluto, things concerning one's feelings of power and impotence. Hasan's has been especially difficult as transiting Saturn has been passing over his natal Pluto at the same time while Uranus opposes this past year. Uranus, Pluto, and Saturn working together will certainly bring out a vulnerability to PTSD. Saturn (fear of failure, bitterness) and Pluto (resentment, revenge) can bring depression and Uranus can bring shock, weird and erratic behavior. The orb is considered kind of wide, about 5 or 6 degrees. But, in my opinion, Pluto transits have a long aftereffect, especially when they've been accompanied by other heavy transits and progressions.

Hasan's progressed Mars has been hanging out on top of his natal Pluto and transiting Saturn. That can certainly inflame feelings of rage that seem to come from out of nowhere.

After looking at the shooter's chart I immediately felt that he had not been acting alone. Maybe it's just difficult for me to understand why someone with Middle Eastern heritage would take a job like this in the first place.

Something interesting is that Hasan has a natal Venus-Jupiter conjunction, just like James Arthur Ray, the guy who recently led 3 people to their deaths in a Sweat Lodge in Sedona. (I wrote about this in my blog entry, 1957 problems). Hasan's natal Venus is at the end of Libra conjunct Jupiter in Scorpio. Not only was he going through his Venus Return during the shooting but Venus is squaring transiting Nodal axis. Not the usual transit for a shooting but it stands out.
Hasan's Progressed Venus has been passing through the sign of Scorpio for all of his life and it is now in conjunction with his Neptune at the end of Scorpio. I think it might be a notable connection that the Juipter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction was conjunct the Ascendant at the time of the shooting. At some point Venus has passed over his natal Moon in Scorpio.

I definitely am thinking that this is a frustrated guy thing especially with the Virgo Sun and Middle Age thing. Plus, he's probably been on meds (p.Venus on Neptune) and those things have a repeated history of creating shoot-em-ups. There's this weird conundrum is that the psychiatric profession urges people with traumatic disorders to "get help." And then the truth is they don't have treatments for the trauma.

I wonder if the military or the psychiatric profession is going to do anything to make amends to his patients. In addition to the victims who were slaughtered last Thursday, these people have had insult added to injury.

Hasan started working in psychiatry in 2001 and his mid-Virgo degree Sun would have been squared by the Saturn-Pluto opposition that centered on the Twin Towers attacks. (I sort of remember Michael Lutin pointing out that tense Saturn-Pluto contacts are very often related to the Middle East conflicts). What bad timing for a guy of Arab descent to be entering the Military. That's a bummer job, even for a Virgo Sun/Scorpio Moon workaholic.

The second shooter was a frustrated mentally ill guy whose life has been in free fall. He went to an old workplace and started shooting. He is born only a year apart from Hasan. It's interesting to me that both men were born within a year of each other and in the same Month. Both share a Pisces North Node and a Virgo South Node. They both committed their crimes at their workplaces (Virgo). And they will both probably be considered victims (Pisces) in the end through their mental illness. Pisces also rules drugs so it sure would be interesting to know if pharmaceuticals were somehow to blame. It definitely looks like the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square transit is really hurting these guys (and their victims and their victims' families and friends and coworkers).

Rodriguez' chart is classic for a shooter. Sun conjunct Uranus and Jupiter squaring Mars.

Last Thursday and Friday it's interesting to notice that the Moon was Out-of-Bounds and moving very fast. Plus it was passing over the Gemini-Cancer cusp which is an Aries Point and opposing Pluto and squaring Saturn. That's one busy Moon.

In addition, the Sun was conjunct Mercury in Scorpio and squaring Mars in Leo. Scorpio as a sign is related to all taboo behaviors, murder included. This square was vaguely angular over the Descendant and Midheaven cusps for both shootings.

It's also interesting that the attacks occurred while the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction was in the 1st house of both event charts. In Hasan's case this reads out in literal terms as Religion-Wounded Healer-the Unexplained/Terrorism/BadReactionstoPsychMeds.

In the case of Jason Rodriquez' attack, Capricorn was rising and this conjunction was not a prominently placed but still angular in the 1st house. Mars was on the Descendant.

According to Wikipedia,

Major Nidal Malik Hasan

b. Sept. 6, 1970 Arlington, VA

Sun Virgo; Moon Scorpio; NN Pisces

Shooting: Nov. 5, 2009 1:34 pm Fort Hood, Texas

Sun 14 Scorpio (H9); Moon 23 Gemini (H4); ASC 20 Aquarius; MC 3 Sagittarius; NN 25 Capricorn


Jason Rodriquez
b. Sept. 28, 1969 (Place?)

Sun 6 Libra; Moon Aries or Taurus; NN 21 Pisces

Work related shooting
Nov. 6, 2009 11:45 am Orlando, Florida

Sun 15 Scorpio; Moon 6 Cancer; ASC 22 Capricorn; MC 9 Scorpio; NN 25 Capricorn

Patrick Henry

War is about getting one's way. To be honest I sort of think that Peace is about getting one's way as well. We're never at peace unless everyone around us reminds us of ourselves.

So enough about Peace and War. That was for the portion of the folks born in the Neptune in Libra generation and that was the group of kids that came before me. What I keep hearing in my own little Neptune in Scorpio mind-ears lately are the words of Patrick Henry, one of the great forefathers of the United States of America. Henry was a lawyer who managed to pass the Bar after spending six weeks glancing over a couple of books. Now, if you can do that, you can say that you do indeed have remarkable powers of persuasion and you are certainly going to excel as a lawyer. So I looked up Henry's chart and, no doi, the dude was a Gemini. Shut up if you're a Gemini. No. I said shut up, I haven't finished my thought and I know how excited you guys get. That doesn't necessarily mean that you are equal to the guy who managed to get passed the first resolution of the revolution (Stamps Act whatever that was) . There has to be a lot more going on in the chart. And Henry's chart is incredible.

If you don't know, Patrick Henry was the guy who became famous for saying "Give me Liberty, or Give me Death." And, from looking at his chart, I have to admit that probably no one else could have meant it more.

Patrick Henry
b. May 29, 1736 Studley, Hanover County, VA

Sun 9 Gemini; Moon Capr?/Aquarius; NN 4 Libra Rx

For one, Henry's Gemini Sun was conjunct Saturn in Gemini. The Stamps Act (whatever that was) was passed on his 29th Birthday. How's that for some Saturn Return Action? This guy could discipline (Saturn) his actions (Sun and Mars) through his words (Gemini). Plus, the Sun-Saturn conjunction was squaring firey Mars (Actions, Energy) so he would have not only been battling the forces of authority in others, he was battling the forces of his own authority. I've talked before about Mars-Saturn aspects. Sometimes they are called "driving with the brakes on". I've said that they are often people who feel the barriers and walls and excert the force to push through them for good or bad. Henry was not only against the King of England but he was against the Federalists who came into power. When invited to become Secretary of State (I think it was Sec of State, I may be wrong, it's on Wiki but I'm trying to read notes from a month ago) he refused because it would mean aligning with people who were against his ideals of real Freedom.

Henry also didn't sign the Declaration of Independence. When a Gemini isn't included in the ink signing party so he can show off his manual dexterity you know he's got some higher ideals. The higher ideals thing comes through strikingly in this chart, there's a long list and I'm including as much as possible.

Henry's Mercury is out-of-bounds at 19 Gemini. This means that his communication skills are exceptional in some way.

His higher ideals come from all over the place. His Mercury is conjunct a Neptune opposition of Uranus from the signs Gemini to Sagittarius. He could speak on behalf of society's highest aims. (They also may not have been totally realistic). The Uranus in Sagittarius (a group of people born within roughly a 7 year time frame because Uranus transits through a sign about every 7 years) could be expected to speak out on behalf of Liberty and Freedom. Uranus rules Hope, Wishes, the Community, Brotherhood. Jupiter debates Higher Ideals in Philosophy, Religion and Education.

To double up on this energy, in the year that Henry was born, Uranus was in mutual reception with Jupiter. Henry's Moon was probably in Aquarius and so disposits to Uranus. This means that his emotional needs are related to the Uranian concept of equality and freedom. So, in a sense, the higher ideals of human rights and freedoms expresses his inner emotional needs (assuming that he has Aquarius Moon, not that one should underestimate a Capricorn Moon like Abraham Lincoln for example, need a birth time to be positive).

Furthermore the ruling planets that most have to do with Revolution are singletons in Henry's chart. Mars, Uranus and Pluto are all singletons. Venus may also be a singleton if Moon is in Aquarius.

Pluto in Cardinal (and lead planet of a Locomotive shaped chart). Pluto is also apex of a Thor's Hammer to the Sun-Mars square in his chart. I wonder if Thor's Hammer comes up in the charts of Politicians who are very concerned with basic human rights. I'm thinking about Hillary Clinton and John Edwards (and maybe also connected with marriages that suffer from extracurricular activity). Pluto, of course, is related to extremes, crises, and Death. You can see it working in Henry's famous line.

The day that Patrick Henry gave his famous speech:
Mar. 23, 1775 St. John's Church, Richmond, VA

The Sun was conjunct Mercury 4-5 degrees Aries and opposing Saturn 6 Libra. Not only does this mirror the natal Sun-Saturn conjunction in Henry's chart, but this opposition is layered over his natal Nodal Axis (Events having to do with Destiny).

On this day Henry was going through a Mars Opposition (widely by about 10 degrees over the transiting Nodal Axis (Destiny again). This was squaring his natal Sun-Saturn conjunction in Gemini. (natal Mars 11 Pisces).

The Moon was conjunct his natal Uranus in Sagittarius setting off anything having to do with expressing Opinions (Sagittarius) to the Masses (Uranus, Moon). (Liberty) Plus, Henry was picking up the trends (Uranian concept) of his times. Uranus was on its last degree in the sign of Taurus just about to go into Gemini and so was approaching conjunction with natal Sun-Saturn. He was giving an ultimatum on behalf of all things Uranian.

And he was going through his Pluto square. Transiting Pluto at 27 Capricorn was squaring natal Pluto at 26 Libra Rx. Nothing works better than a subtle "Over my dead body." (When well timed, that's where the Sun-Saturn comes in because Saturn gives a good sense of timing).

Extra note: progressed Saturn in Patrick Henry's chart seems to have moved very fast through his early life. It progressed 4 degrees. That seems very slow but in progression terms that's fast movement. Considering the prominence of Saturn Henry's chart and life actions I wonder if this is an indicator of a person who climbs to the top quickly in life. Obviously he didn't care about blind ambition but in building a genuine system that promotes quality of life.