8.8 Earthquake in Chile

A massive earthquake has struck in Chile early this morning. The first report I heard was from FOX News which was saying that things didn't look too bad. Now we're starting to get the real story which seems a little closer to reality of what an 8.8 earthquake would cause. Right now the Moon is opposing Neptune and there is concern that a tsunami will hit Hawaii, Samoa and other Pacific Islands. The tsunami is due to hit in Hawaii at around 11:13am. I've looked at the chart for Hawaii set for that time and the Moon-Neptune opposition will be crossing over the IC/MC Axis. This aspect is in the 9.5 Valdivia Earthquake in Chile in 1960 as well which I look at (very quickly) down below. That earthquake caused a lot of damage through tsunamis. The charts of both earthquakes have Moon opposing Neptune crossing the H2-H8 axis. That can be destructive.

I send my condolences to all the people in Chile who are struggling right now and hope that the damage won't prove too bad. I also send my condolences to everyone along the coast right now. We had a tsunami warning when I was a kid and I still remember my Mother going down to the beach to sandbag her friends' houses. Fortunately nothing happened, maybe a beer party.

8.8 Earthquake in Chile
Feb. 27, 2010 3:34 am Talca (a town 65 miles from epicenter so angles in chart I'm using might be a little off)
main epicenter about 3 miles off shore

Sun 9 Pisces; Moon 19 Leo; ASC 20 Capricorn; MC 5 Libra; NN 19 Capricorn

This chart shows the Nodal Axis across the ASC/DESC axis which seems to be a pretty common signature in big earthquakes. Here it is 1 degree away from conjunction of the ASC/DESC Axis.

Cardinal Signs are prominent here because they rule the Angles. Saturn 3 Libra Rx rules the ASC and so is ruler of the chart. It is in conjunction with the Midheaven 5 Libra.

The 4th House is empty. The IC is 5 Aries. Ruler Mars is placed on an angle in the 7th House. Mars is a singleton as it is the only planet placed in an angular house.

The Moon rules the Descendant. It's placed in the 8th House (Public crisis). The Moon is at 19 Leo opposing Mercury-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius in the 2d House. This shows death and destruction. A Moon-Neptune opposition could show the huge tsunami that is feared to be crossing the entire Pacific Ocean.

The Moon in this chart is traveling fast at 15 degrees 08'

The Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square has just passed the angles in this chart so all 3 are placed pretty closely to the angles but from the Mutable houses. I was just noticing last night that the Saturn-Uranus opposition is once again within orb of opposition. Saturn and Pluto are still in square. Uranus and Pluto are not within orb of square right now.

Mars is Rx at 2 Leo trining Uranus from the 7th House showing strong disruptive influence.

Sun is conjunct Jupiter in Pisces (more tsunami problems)


9.5 Valdivia Earthquake of 1960
May 22, 1960 14:11 (Local Time) epicenter near Canete

Sun 2 Gemini; Moon 1 Taurus; ASC 14 Virgo; MC 21 Gemini; NN 22 Virgo

This chart has two Earth Grand Trines. (That's like 2 Dick Cheneys = disaster)
Venus 24 Taurus trines NN Virgo trines SAturn 18 Capricorn Rx
Moon 1 Taurus trines Pluto 4 Virgo trines Jupiter 3 Capricorn

Significant similarities between the two earthquakes are (quickly viewed):

Moon approaching Full Moon one sign away
Moon in H8 opposing Neptune in H2
Nodal Axis conjunct ASC/DESC Axis
Pluto in H12 just past conjunction with Ascendant
Mars in H7

Not only are we now moving into the most intense phase of the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square but Pluto is moving into conjunction with the NN.

Chile has a long list of extremely strong earthquakes so it would be great to study for earthquakes. List:
USGS List of earthquakes in Chile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Chile

PM 2.5 in Los Angeles

You think that driving on the L.A. freeways is bad for you? Just try breathing the air. Thought the smog problem was pretty much cleared up from when I was a kid but guess not.

Heard a unbelievable factoid about the effects of the bad air quality on the inhabitants of Los Angeles on an NPR radio show called "Forum" yesterday. The new head of the EPA in California, Jared Blumenfeld, said that 4 times as many people die every year from breathing the air in Los Angeles as those who die from car accidents.

Link to what I think is the show: http://castroller.com/podcasts/KqedsForum/1485439-Jared%20Blumenfeld

In certain sections of the freeways there are traffic jams almost all day long, and often people are driving 60 mph in the traffic jams. And at the same time people are shooting other people while driving 60 mph in the traffic jams. Now we know that you just have to invite your enemies to yoga class and ask them to do some deep breathing exercises without a gas mask.

The culprit for the air quality is the exhaust and dust from the vehicles. It's called Air Particulate PM 2.5.

Interesting that the chart for the incorporation date for Los Angeles has no planets in Air. Guess we can call it the City That Never Breathes.

On top of that, Mercury (breathing, air passages, cars) is in Aries which disposits to Mars (fire, cars, movement). Mars is in Cancer (lungs). Oh yeah, Mercury squares Mars.

Los Angeles Incorporated
Apr. 4, 1850 Los Angeles, CA

Sun 15 Aries; Moon Capricorn; NN 22 Leo

Who's Singing This Anthem?

I just turned 50 this year. In terms of Health Insurance of course that's bad news for premium hikes. It's bad for looking for a job as well. Why would an employer pay extra to cover me? I can't see. I think my ears are clogged. For some reason I'm depressed and can't stop eating French Fries. While I was still 49 years old my Doctor told me "You know, next year you get to start having bi-annual colonoscopies." I've been avoiding her like the plague, I have no interest in viewing my polyps on the big screen.

So, although my Health Insurance has been rising every year for probably the past 4 years as if I had just turned 50, I knew that this year would be special. It's my Chiron Return after all. Chiron? The Inspired Teacher who can pass all great healing knowledge on to his students but can't heal his own crap? Yay, Life is sticking that concept into my face right now. Passage under the Golden Arches leads to the Pearly Gates through my Anthem Healthcare Insurance I guess.

When the big white envelope came explaining "the changes to my plan" I didn't open it. To be honest I still haven't opened it. I probably won't open it. I know I can't pay it. It's still sitting on the passenger car seat under the Rex Bills Rulership book. I'm keeping it where my Polyps can best take a read. And even then I can't avoid it. Turns out the hikes were so extensive and so mercilessly high that the Government is intervening and the Media is attacking. I got to hear the announcement of what I assume is going to be a 39 percent rate hike from off the news.

So I've been paying attention a little. I've guffawed and cheered when California Assemblyman Dave Jones headed a hearing of my Health Insurance Company, Lovely Anthem, which used to be Blue Cross. Jones asked the President of my Health Insurance company why she has no shame. No shame? Women higher ups in the workplace routinely have no shame. Where've ya been Dave? The President of Anthem is a sweet faced woman with a endearing voice who never really has an answer for anything. Meanwhile she's channeling Bonnie and Clyde. Those charts that are showing low inflation rates in the U.S.? Where do the economists come up with those lies? I used to wonder the same thing while watching the Real Estate prices soar.

Like 700,000 other people I received the rate hike which will finally force me to discontinue the policy, maybe accept a much more inferior policy. Just as I reach the age when I will need it. After all the years that I've been paying into it while healthy.

I already tried a few years ago to switch to a lower paying policy and found that the benefits were so downgraded that financially they wouldn't make sense if I ever actually were to get sick. The Health Insurance Companies don't explain to you, for example, things like, the co-pay you have now will pay for prescription drugs after you've paid $100.00 on your current policy. With your new policy you will have a $1000 deductible plus some other weird thing I can't remember. And, because of the changeover at the time I saw how much the prescription drugs the Doctors had given me really cost. And I got scared. Really scared. (The Drugs didn't even work). Thing is, I don't have a clue how to talk to the sales people. They, on the other hand, are as slimy as used car dealers and know exactly how to sell me a swamp in a medical waste bin.

So back to the astrology of my Liege Lords of the Insurance Companies.

Yahoo article about the hearings and the dopey President of Anthem telling Dave Jones that she can't remember how much she made last year. Linky: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100224/ap_on_bi_ge/us_anthem_blue_cross_rate_hike.

My Insurance Company, interestingly enough, is headed by two women. Once again we see the extreme callousness of women in power. Also the stupidity. Hate to say it, and this probably isn't true, but a white guy in the insurance industry facing a major recession that will last for years will probably at least be looking for some sort of placatory number crunching thing. Women just let things fall apart. The women managers from Texas I've worked for have been extra special about this. And I suspect it's almost guaranteed that a company has less than 7 years to live if it takes one of these sleezeballs on. But, what do I know?

Anthem's President is someone named Leslie Margolin. Nice Name. As I said she has a nice face, the kind of face that doesn't think real clearly. The type of face that doesn't know how much she made last year. Leslie knows exactly how much it will cost to treat me for heart attack, breast cancer, diabetes, bad breath, whatever. I bet she could tell us right now how much, to the penny, my colonoscopy will cost. And I can also guarantee you that she has included in fine print somewhere that I can't understand how to write the policy so that I'm under insured for the treatments anyway. And she can probably speak in a really sweet, whispery yet level headed tone about the whole thing while I scream my friggin head off.

I don't have Leslie's birth date. She probably has forgotten what it is anyway. So I must move on to Leslie's boss. My Insurance company, Anthem, has a parent company, Wellpoint, which is run by CEO Angela Braly. Turns out Braly's a Cancer Sun same as me. Shit.

Angela Braly
b. July 1, 1961 Dallas, TX

Sun 10 Cancer; Moon Aquarius or Pisces; NN 30 Leo

Braly has a conjunction of Mars-Pluto in Virgo over the cusp with her Leo North Node. Mars-Pluto has an iron will. She uses Public health in order to show off in the world. And, as I said, this means that she's adjusting her own oxygen mask, not yours. And the plane probably is crashing anyway.

Angela's chart sort of reminds me of Janet Reno's chart who was also a Cancer Sun with a Mars-Pluto conjunction (in Leo, though). Janet did some weird stuff involving force of will, boy o boy. Remember that compound in Texas? She gassed the kids. Then there was Easter at Elian Gonzalez' house. The Military stormed little Elian's house with subatomic machine guns and a video camera and so we got to watch a bunch of soldiers in full uniform hauling Elian off at gunpoint with a look of total terror on his face. Enough to make me want to spew my Easter Eggs.

Man, you know, I have a Cancer Sun with a Mars-Pluto conjunction. Thank God I'm not in charge.

Uranus in Leo is also conjunct the North Node in Angela's chart. And Lilith is also conjunct Uranus-NN. I've said it before and it bears repeating: Lilith is always there. What does this mean? Angela thinks she's going to ride her own pony off into the wide open sunset, Anthem/Wellpoint customers can just die for all she cares. (That's Texas talk, isn't it? Brassy Tacky?) When asked at her personal hearing, Angela knew exactly how much she made last year. Something like 2M plus another 8M in stock. Angela's got a conjunction of Sun to Mercury Rx in Cancer. She had lots of lessons early on in life about retaining memory of information. Cancer has a long memory.

It's fun to watch Angela's progressed Sun right now. She's been in the middle of a major life changing set of contact progressions over a long period of time. This could account for her rise. It will account for her fall. Her Sun has been passing over Lilith and Uranus in Leo. That evokes a rise in leadership skills that involves riding a really wild pony. Now Angela's progressed Sun is about 2 or 3 degrees (years) away from touching her North Node at 29 Leo. That's the Regulus degree. Regulus had a great rise and Regulus can have a great Fall. Someone who is too full of himself (the way Leo can be) can really crash, boom bang. After that Angela's progressed Sun will hit her Mars in Virgo and then her Pluto in Virgo. The change from Leo to Virgo can be a very refining experience. It can also mean a major change from Major to Minor, as they say in the song. This is a change that I think I would really like to see for someone like Angela right now. I've been through it myself. Actually, while weaving in and out of major Neptune transits at the same time, which adds a bit to the loser part.

Since Sun passing over Uranus-Mars-Pluto like this can indicate death or murder, I wonder if anyone would care to make follow ups of all us 700,000 Anthem customers out here in California in about 10 years to see if we have a higher than average death rate. That's about how long it will take for Angela's Sun progression to complete its nasty travels. This Sun-Mars-Pluto aspect is like that guy in the sweat lodge in Sedona. It's also in the chart of the CEO who was responsible for Bhopal chemical spill. It's sort of always inadvertent, done from a distance. Legal, yet sociopathic.

So, I decided to look up the planetary aspects for the legislation in Europe which led to adoption of Universal Health Care in Europe to see why the U.S. Government is having so much trouble pushing this thing through. The short answer is the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square. This shows a huge collective manifestation of people who really just want to get in each others' faces.

That's neither here nor there. If anyone were to read this blog they would know that politics isn't really my thing.

Europe's adoption of Human Rights legislation which enacted Universal Health care in Europe and all other Industrialized countries except the U.S. is called "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

According to Wikipedia Germany was first to try to adopt health care in 1883. Otto von Bismark tried to enact socialist reform. Wasn't he shot, or something? Interesting that this was around the time of the big Outer Planet conjunction of Neptune to Pluto in Taurus (They were both still in Taurus but not within orb of a conjunction). Trying to interpret this aspect is pretty difficult. Taurus rules money and values surrounding money and the material world. Neptune is naturally empathic and Pluto represents deepest motivations. We probably don't ever do anything unless Pluto is there to motivate us.

The Health care stuff didn't work for Europe until Pluto hit Leo all those many years later. That's a whole quarter of a rotation of the wheel later for the planet with the longest orbit. The passage seems to have happened only after the home front was completely decimated by the Pluto in Cancer transit, i.e. 2 WW's. Some things are only born out of desperation I guess.
According to Wikipedia:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (Article 25 = Right to Healthcare)
signed by the United Nations General Assembly
Dec. 10, 1948 (at night) Palais de Chaillot, Paris France

Sun 19 Sagittarius; Moon Aries; NN 3 Taurus Rx
(Ascendant could be anything from Gemini to Virgo)

One can see the strength of this date for signing on to a great humanitarian deed. The Sagittarius Sun is great for starters. Sagittarians are spend thrifts. They also have a strong social ethic and are broad minded. The Moon in Aries shows the needs of the Individual. In this chart the dispositors of these two major planets are in conjunction in Capricorn (Government). Two different Grand Trines seem to further bind this energy together. The Mars-Jupiter conjunction is in an Earth Grand Trine with Saturn in Virgo and NN in Taurus. Then the Sun and Moon are possibly (can't be sure because don't have Moon's exact placement) are possible in a Fire Grand Trine with Pluto 17 Leo (Human Will).

What stand out most of all here is Uranus. Uranus represents the power of the collective group. Uranus likes to think about the future in ways that will benefit everyone. Uranus is unaspected at 29 Gemini and is out of bounds at 23" 53.'

There are no singletons in this chart but 3 planets are out of bounds. Well, if that's what it takes, that's what it takes. Along with Uranus, Mercury and Mars are out of bounds.

So, sad to say, the t-square aspect of Saturn-Uranus-Pluto that we are currently in the middle of which reflects the energies of the early 1930s was the extreme stressor that, in the past, led to letting things boil to an awful head years later. Unless there's some way to look around the problems of this t-square through signs that sextile and trine it I don't see much progress. People seem to be wanting to argue right now.

'Round Midnight at Camp Guantanamo

As if it's not bad enough that Camp Guantanamo is known through out the world for carrying out gruesome tortures of its prisoners. These are prisoners who were caught and never tried and have simply been held down in Cuba in cages. But, according to an article in this week's Harper's Magazine called "The Guantanamo 'Suicides'," writer Scott Horton says that within Camp Guantanamo there is a little building called "Camp No" where, out of curiosity, guards go to see if they can hear prisoners scream. There is a cell called Alpha Block where the highly suspect are held. And sometimes the guards stand in their towers at night and watch an unmarked white van called "The Paddy Wagon" transport prisoners from "Alpha Block" to "Camp No" and back. And on the night of June 9, 2006 a prison guard watched prisoners get transported to Camp No one by one. And right before Midnight the Paddy Wagon came back and went straight to the Hospital. And then all the lights in the camp went on. And then the Sargeant Major Seargent of the camp told everyone that the prisoners had committed suicide by stuffing rags down their own throats while their hands and feet were bound. Only Houdini could have done that. Then the Major Sargent Major told the press that the 3 prisoners had hung themselves. All three were due to be released within weeks. Why, after detention of 3 to 5 years would they do that?

The remains of all three were returned to their families with their throats removed. Venus was at 14 degrees Taurus that night. Taurus rules the throat. Venus was prominently placed within this chart because she was in a sign of her own rulership and because she was a singleton in Earth. How to interpret? Good day to go for the jugular.

3 Prisoners Probably Tortured to Death at Camp Guantanamo, Cover Up by Military claims Suicide

June 9, 2006 NN 1 Aries
transport to Camp No begins around 6 pm
Transport back to Camp G. by 11:00 pm.
Times of death thought to be around 10:30 pm
Lights On 11:30 pm

Sun 20 Gemini; Moon 29 Scorpio; NN 1 Aries
Ascendant for 6:30 pm is 5 Sagittarius; Ascendant for 10:30 is 1 Aquarius;
MC 9 Virgo for 6:30 pm; MC 14 Scorpio for 10:30 pm;

This chart shows a conjunction of Mars to Saturn in Leo on this date. Mars = Warriors and Saturn = Authority. Mars and Saturn working together strongly represent the Military. Interesting that the story is coming out to the public during a long Mars Rx Return on that spot.

At 10:30 pm the Mars-Saturn conjunction was on the Descendant so that aptly describes a use of Military Force. At that time Jupiter was tightly conjunct the Midheaven in Scorpio and Venus was conjunct the IC to the degree. As Scorpio rules Death and Murder (and Suicide) and the IC rules end of life, pretty interesting configurations for 3 prisoners who were strangled to death. (I'm assuming that they were strangled and didn't commit suicide, that's only an assumption). This opposition was the axis of a Kite configuration including Mercury in Cancer and Uranus in Pisces.

There are signatures to show that emotions could have been out of control on this date.
The Moon was out of bounds at the end of Scorpio, 27 to 29 degrees. The Moon was also approaching Full (Gibbous).
Mercury was out of bounds in Cancer (and a singleton so not flowing with the rest of the chart, like Venus).
With both Moon (feelings) and Mercury (thinking) flailing so high in the sky there was very little room for rational thinking.
Another possible influence, this event occurred between two Eclipse Sets which showed strong Sun-Moon-Mars-Nodal Axis aspects. This is a violent combination. (Dates: Total Solar: Mar. 29, 2006 5:15 am EST (NY, NY). Partial Lunar: Sept. 7, 2006 1:42 EST NY, NY).

I don't know what rules Gagging to death, suppose it's the Venus-IC in Taurus opposing Jupiter-MC in Scorpio (murdered by authority figures).

The cover up could have occurred because at this point there were two big outer planet mutual receptions between Jupiter and Pluto and between Uranus and Neptune. Big political maneuvers that contrast against the out-of-bounds Moon and Mercury which show personal feelings and thoughts (or lack of). There were also two Grand Trines which perhaps was making the military feel lucky, like they could get away with this.

NN 1 Aries Rx trine Moon 29 Scorpio trine Mars 4 Leo-Saturn (military use of force)
and
Uranus 15 Pisces trine Mercury 11 Cancer trine Jupiter 10 Scorpio Rx-MC 14 Scorpio.

This last Grand Trine is actually a Kite with Axis Jupiter-MC in Scorpio opposing Venus-IC in Taurus. I've already discussed possible significant of these planets regarding death by strangulation. (in addition to death by force: Mars-Saturn conjunct Descendant).

I'll list the prisoners below and the birth dates given for them on Wikipedia. These dates don't match up with other dates given on Wikipedia and the ages mentioned in the article so I'll try to avoid talking about the charts. It's very interesting to see the mutual big transits of the Nodal Axes to the natal charts among other things. Two of the men died as Pluto was passing over their natal Neptunes in Sagittarius. That could certainly indicate death while being held in custody. It looks as if Al-Salami's death could have been an accident. Perhaps he was the first to go and the other two were killed because they had witnessed the event. I said I wouldn't say anything...

If the dates are accurate, it looks like this was a bad day for Earth signs at Gitmo. There was a square of Pluto 26 Sagittarius (Galactic Center) to the Nodal Axis which was on the Aries Points. (We are heading into another big one this Summer so watch out). And, as I said, this event occurred between two Eclipses which had signatures for violence through Mars (and Pluto)contact with Sun-Moon-Nodes.

Mani Shaman Al-Utaybi
b. May 16, 1981 Al Qarara, Saudi Arabia

Sun 26 Taurus; Moon Libra or Scorpio; NN 6 Leo

t. Mars-SAturn 4-8 Leo conjunct n. NN 6 Leo
t. SN c. n.Jupiter-Saturn 1-4 Libra

Yasser Talal Al Zahrani

b. Sept. 22, 1984 Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
Sun 30 Virgo Moon Leo NN 1 Gemini

t. Moon c. n. SN 1 Sagittarius
t. SN c. N. Sun 30 Virgo
squaring
t. Pluto 26 Sagittarius conjunct natal Mars 22 Sagittarius-Neptune 29 Sagittarius-Jupiter 4 Capricorn

Salah Ahmed Al-Salami
b. Jan. 12, 1970 Yemen (I used Sanaa' the capitol)
Sun 22 Capricorn; Moon Pisces or Aries; NN 15 Pisces

Going through Jupiter return in Scorpio. t. Uranus conjunct natal NN 15 Pisces conjunct natal Mars 21 Pisces, possibly Moon.
T. NN 1 Libra possibly conjunct natal Moon-Chiron opposing n.Pluto 28 Virgo.

Twin Train Crashes

Messing around on Internet while avoiding discplined work I found two matching stories. Perhaps the charts can be used to study train crashes in the future. There was a train derailment in California near Bakersfield which let off toxic fumes. Homes had to be evacuated. This occurred yesterday (Saturday) at 9:30 pm PST. While across the country in Florida (in Melbourne?) a train struck and killed 3 teenage girls as their male friend watched. This occurred around 6:30 pm EST. Since there is a 3 hour Time Zone distance this means that the crashes happened at close to the same time. However, I've pulled up both charts and they have different Ascendants. The Florida crash has a Virgo Rising and the California derailment has a Libra Rising. I looked at the chart for the California derailment first and was struck by how there seemed to be something connected with women in the chart. Couldn't figure out from the information given if there was anything to it. As there were 3 female victims in Florida there seems to be something to that.

Big aspects that could be pertinent:

Sun 3 Pisces apex to a Yod, Mars 3 Leo Rx sextile Saturn 4 Libra
Saturn 4 Libra square Pluto 5 Capricorn
Moon 20-23 Taurus squaring Mercury-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius
Huge stellium in Aquarius-Pisces: Lilith 16 Aqu-Mercury17 Aqu; Neptune 27 Aqu-Chiron 27 Aqu-Sun 3 Pisces-Jupiter 8 Pisces- Venus 13 Pisces-Uranus 26 Pisces

The derailment shows Pluto and NN in H3 (trains). Stellium is mostly in H5.
The victims being hit shows the stellium hanging over the Descendant cusp. Sun-Venus-Jupiter, etc. That shows the girls, of course, as well as their poor friends who had to witness their deaths. I don't know if drugs were involved, a very Pisces/Neptune rulership, but apparently the girls were taking photos of each other. Photography is ruled by Neptune, Pisces.

Oddly I don't see a connection between Mars and Uranus which is generally the first thing I normally look for in accidents. Have a lot to learn.

Train derails, emits toxic fumes
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 9:30 pm Keene, California

Train strikes 3 teenage girls, male friend watches
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 6:30 pm Melbourne, FL
(http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/725713)

Fast!!!

Just had to look up the charts of the U.S. Women's Downhill skiers Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso. They are "ripping up the slopes" (is that how they say it?). The newscaster noted that the two women have been competing with each other since they were about 9 years old. It sure would be interesting to look at their composite charts and relationship charts, etc.

It certainly looks as if their relationship has brought out exceptional sides as both women are cleaning up medals at the game. Vonn won a Gold and Mancuso has won 2 Silvers. Interesting that both women were born in the same year, 1982. Take note, Pluto and Saturn in Scorpio, great aspect for Women's downhill skiers. Pluto had just moved into the sign. Both women have it placed at 2 Scorpio.

Lindsey Vonn
b. Oct. 18, 1984 St. Paul, MN 30 Taurus

Sun 26 Libra; Moon Cancer or Leo; NN 11 Gemini
(Mars 10 Capricorn)
(Jupiter 7 Capricorn)

Julia Mancuso
b. Mar 9, 1984 Reno, NV

Sun 20 Pisces; Moon Taurus or Gemini; NN 11 Gemini
Mars 24 Scorpio (c. Saturn!)
Jupiter 10 Capricorn

I also have noticed that the two great male speed skaters on the U.S. team were born in the same year as each other, but 2 years earlier than the Women skiers. Interesting coincidence. Take another note: Saturn conjunct Pluto in Libra, great aspect for male Speed Skaters. Scorpio plays in here as well. Both men have Jupiter in Scorpio within a degree of each other.

Moon placements for 3 of these Athletes is close to the Taurus/Gemini cusp. That seems like an interesting coincidence. What's extraordinary is that this means that possibly 3 out of 4 of these exceptionally fast people has an opposition of Moon to a natal Uranus in Sagittarius (Lightning).

Shani Davis
b. Aug. 13, 1982 Chicago, IL

Sun 21 Leo; Moon Taurus or Gemini; NN 12 Cancer Rx
Mars 6 Scorpio (conjunct Jupiter 4 Scorpio)

Apolo Ohno
b. May 22, 1982 Federal Way, Washington

Sun 2 Gemini; Moon Taurus or Gemini; NN 16 Cancer

Mars 2 Libra
Jupiter 4 Scorpio

Record Olympian Swimmer Michael Phelps was born in 1985 which means that he has both Saturn and Pluto in Scorpio.

Joe the Bomber

Well, Sarah Palin's got her Tea Party going. It started with a happy go-lucky Sadge guy in Ohio called "Joe the Plumber." Joe was complaining about how taxes are killing the middle class small business owners. The white guys don't want to pay taxes anymore. Even Tim Geitner doesn't pay his taxes.

Guess the problem hasn't gone away. Yesterday a guy named Joe Stack set his house on fire and flew his plane into a 7-story office building in Austin, Texas that housed the Internal Revenue Service. Joe, apparently, was really angry with the IRS. Maybe he had just been caught, who knows. I was just reading the other day that suicide rates for middle aged white people are escalating as well so maybe this just hooks into that.

Austin, Texas airplane crash into IRS building
Feb. 18, 2010, Austin TX Shortly before 10:00 am
Plane departed Georgetown Municipal Airport 9:40 am CST

Joe torched the whole side of the building; killed a 67 year old man named Vernon Hunter; and injured 13 other people. Joe is not being called "Joe the Bomber." He is being called a "Kamikaze Tax Rebel."

I found a birth date for him on the Internet somewhere and also on a forum at astro.com of Aug. 31, 1956 (Place?).

This birth date gives Joe a Virgo Sun and a Cancer Moon. That's definitely a low-key and mellow set of signs you'd expect to show up at a Tea Party.

That's probably not the correct date but is pretty interesting considering that Joe is now being called the "Kamikaze Tax Rebel." Those Virgos like to express themselves through the workplace environment after all.

If he's a Virgo Sun I was wondering if Joe's progressed Sun would have recently moved into Scorpio, sign of Sex, Death, (Suicide) and, uh, Taxes. Talk about Kamikaze Tax Rebel signatures... And, Oh yeah, Joe had it bad. His progressed Sun right now would be at 1 Scorpio. It had just moved into Scorpio this year. Progressed Sun changing signs shows a major shift in how a person's ego expresses itself. Usually the Virgos are overjoyed that all that Libra diplomacy and middle man shit is out of the way and now they can get some of the good old Plutonian confidence and power.

Joe's progressed Sun is under extreme stress in his prog. chart. It is conjunct Neptune to the degree at 1 Scorpio. That adds the terrorist element. A number of other planets were at the beginnings of their signs so had just changed signs. It would be no wonder if he felt he had to start something new at this point in his life.

Scorpio is ruled by Pluto which is the upper octave energy of Mars. As such, Pluto often can't express itself through words. Joe's last words were how violence is the only answer. Neptune is related to terrorism. Joe's natal Mars is Rx in Pisces (ruled by Neptune). It had come out of Rx around 1996. (I wonder if the current Mars Rx in Leo played into motivations for this act.) I also wonder if the guy was having a bad reaction to anti-depressants (Neptune) but we'll never hear about that because Pfizer's got lobbyists.

This chart also shows a lot of middle degree mutable planets which would have been activated by the Saturn-Pluto opposition back in 2001-2002. So, if this is Joe's chart, it would be very interesting that he pulled the same "Airplane flying into building stunt" just as we're in the middle of the Saturn-Pluto square transit that is currently in transit.

I send my condolences to the victims of this crime.

story of early childhood:

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/suicide-pilot-joe-stack-had-history-of-shutting-326300.html

Born Colorado, 2d of 5 kids
Father died of heart attack 1962
Mother moved family to Pennsylvania where she was from
Put Joe in Hershey Boarding School at Age 7 with his 5 year old brother. Shot herself months later.
First Marriage lasted 18 years, divorced 1999
No kids.
Second marriage, one step-daughter

Drew Barrymore Upstaged!

Now I know that 2012 will bring the Apocalypse because I never could have dreamed this in my wildest imagination.

Looking at her chart I can't think of a single aspect for why Drew Barrymore should be overshadowed by a couple of knitters. But, perhaps it's Pluto?

Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne are celebrating the publishing of one of their awesome Mason-Dixon knitting books and have re-enacted the documentary, Grey Gardens, which was re-enacted by Drew Barrymore in a movie.

Pluto is transiting Drew's 7th House. This video shows the ferocity of one's competition during a transit like this. You inspire others, but they turn around and totally "one up" you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNzkxE8gcbg

It's very very very funny.

Gnarly Session at Mavericks

No, I'm not talking about freaky Sarah Palin...she calls herself a Maverick. But, that's not the side of Ur-anus I'm referring to here.

I'm talking about what happened in Half Moon Bay (California) this past week-end. Every Winter about 2 dozen surfers are invited to ride the gigamongous waves that form while crashing into the megabobulous rocks and cliffs. You can read about it here on the Contest Website: http://www.maverickssurf.com/wave/index.php. The San Jose Mercury News wrote about this week-end's contest in an article written by Mark Conley "Ultimate Mavericks: South African Bertish emerges from the epic surf with a victory." There are actually some really great articles written by surfers with all the amazing surf lingo which I recommend looking for.

Turns out one of the 50 foot waves hit the shore and injured a bunch of spectators.

So, "Mavericks" are ruled by Uranus and Aquarius. Saturday was a special day in that regard. There was a new Moon in Aquarius which was in conjunction with Chiron, the Wounded Teacher/Healer and Neptune, the Lord of the Sea.

The Winner of the Competition was a South African surfer named Chris Bertish. He had only a couple of days to get to California. According to the contest website the contest is held every year in the Winter but with only a moment's notice in order to wait for the Weather Report to state when the biggest waves will occur.

Bertish has a really amazing chart to study when considering the danger involved in this contest. Astrologers but Astrologers really need to follow him because, from the looks of it, people who read the waves know themselves better than people who read the Stars.

Right now the transiting Saturn-Pluto square is right on top of Bertish's natal Saturn-Pluto opposition. This is a great transit for embracing the demons, that's for sure.

Bertish has a natal conjunction of Mercury-Saturn at 5-10 Cancer that squares natal Pluto 5 Libra. Right now Saturn is on his Pluto and Pluto is opposing his Saturn! It helps I guess that he's going through an extended Mars in Leo Return. Leo rules Bravery.

Piled onto those planets, the aspect may fan out into a t-square. Bertish's natal Moon may be in Aries (daredevil) opposing natal Pluto! This shows a person with an iron will who has ruthless determination. Who the Hell else is going to be able to hold on to his board like that?

Burdish has a natal Sun-Uranus square aspect which is a classic aspect for a Maverick. He likes excitement and shock.

And, thankfully, he also has a lot of luck: Sun trine Jupiter; Jupiter rules NN; Jupiter squares NN. Mars trine NN and the current long Mars Rx Return in his sign can help dealing with impulse and daring.

Pretty interesting to see how signatures for caution are factored into his chart showing balance: he has Mercury conjunct Saturn which shows a cautious mind. There are no planets out of bounds in his chart and no defined chart shape. I wonder if that could mean that he naturally approaches each event as something new and as yet unformed. On the other hand he has Mars singleton in Fixed and no earth in his chart which could both show daredevil tendencies.

And he has Venus in conjunction with one of the Nodes. I think it really helps to think of one self in relation to the wave at all times in this vocation. Three time champion Darryl (Flea) Virostko also has this combination, different sign, that's why it stands out to me. Both men may also have an Aries Moon.

Chris Bertish
b. July 11, 1974

Sun 19 Cancer; Moon Pisces or Aries; NN 18 Sagittarius Rx.

Who Loves Ya Baby?

There's still 35 minutes left of Valentine's Day on my Time Zone. So here's a song. So many greats have sung this. Satchmo. Iz.

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.

written by Bob Thiele b. July 27, 1922
and
George David Weiss b. Apr. 9, 1921 NYC, NY

Reservoirs and Dams in California and the Upcoming Big One

I bet the insurance companies have decided to completely pull out of California as it is. My Health Insurance is going up something like 30 or 40 percent. A post on the bitch who took over my insurance company is on the way.

But on to more pressing things, like the crumbling infrastructure in California. The Big Un is on its way. And the Dams and Reservoirs are crumbling all over the Salmon. Wonder if fear of earthquakes is the only motivating force in California for fixing the water problem.

California is plowing towards her Neptune Return in Pisces. Since California is a Virgo Sun, the opposing sign, this could be a real situation. Neptune rules Pisces and Pisces doesn't like boundaries. And Pisces likes Water. Actually, Pisces likes vapor best. California's got Neptune singleton in Water in her natal chart so all things Neptunian about this place will really stand out. That could mean loads of gushing water. People growing gills. More likely it means that we'll continue as a Welfare State, the bureaucracy and corruption and gangs will take over completely, and Marijuana will continue to be our biggest grossing product. These are things ruled by Pisces. On the good side, Pisces has pizazz. Pisces represents escapism and Pisces usually brings in the big bucks because of that. Steve Jobs has been one of our greatest blessings and he's a Double Pisces.

Neptune says: Just make it pretty or I will disappear. Be nice. Just stick some parsley on top of these dams, California. The floods will come and wash away the stuff that needs to be rebuilt. Everyone will sigh and say that things happen for a reason. So Neptune.

Since there's been a 3 year drought and the water levels in the reservoirs have been low I suppose that someone somewhere could have been walking around during this time with a can of spackle patching up some of the exposed walls or something. There's an article in the San Jose Mercury News about how half the Reservoirs and Dams that serve the San Jose area would probably not be able to withstand a 6.0 to 7.0 earthquake. Can someone at least keep this newspaper going? Paul Rogers has written an article called "Safety limits aging dams: Five of 10 reservoirs can't be filled to capacity; costly seismic studies required by state."

On page A16 there's a nice picture of the local San Jose area showing where the local dams and reservoirs are. Trust me, you don't want to be driving down 101 around Morgan Hill when the big un hits until you keep oars in your car.

In the article there's a list of the dams that have been determined to be seismic problems and the ones that apparently don't show a problem.

So, I thought I would use some bone head astrobabble and try to figure out if the charts show vulnerability from the big Earthquake Infrastructure Crumbling transit that's in the Sky right now. That is the early Cardinal Sign t-square of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto.

There's a great list on Wikipedia of Dams and Reservoirs in California here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reservoirs_and_dams_in_California

There are ten reservoirs in the San Jose, CA area. 5 have been determined to need seismic retrofits. 5 are said to be able to survive between a 6.6 and a 7.2 earthquake.

It looks like Dams and Reservoirs were built in the area clustered within two different time periods in the 19th Century. One set was built in the 1930s and one set in the 1950s so they are all more than fifty years old. The ones built in the 1930s, of course, are 20 years older and so are more vulnerable. They were also all opened in 1935 and 1936 so were probably being built in the early 1930s during the last Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square in Cardinal Signs.

Turns out that 4 out of 5 on the list needing retrofits were built in the early 1930s. Those photos of Haiti? That could be the Silicon Valley. Two of the reservoirs that are deemed ok were opened in 1935 as well.

The Anderson Dam is closest to Morgan Hill according to the map and it was built in 1950. It is on the loser list. Obviously they didn't hire any Virgos to work on that project. (Actually, there's a really crazy story about the guy who built all the dams and aquaducts down in Los Angeles. Not only did he divert all the water from the farmlands up in the Central Valley, but he was responsible for completely flooding half of the Valley going all the way down to L.A. His name was Mulholland. He was a Virgo. Go figure).

I found an official opening date for the Almaden Reservoir, Jan. 1, 1936 (nearest to Los Gatos). This damn has Sun 11 Capricorn conjunct NN 13 NN squaring an Aries Moon. Astrologically, that makes it pretty vulnerable to the big t-square transit. I don't know how wide people like to keep their orbs but with that Sun-NN conjunction in Capricorn it looks like Pluto's beginning to lick its butt. And that's not good. Transiting Jupiter is hitting its Saturn which is very widely opposing Neptune. Let's hope that "Jupiter" equals "Luck" in this case, and not "Over optimism" or "Overflowing."

This damn also has Sun trine Neptune 17 Virgo natally. Saturn 7 Pisces. Uranus 2 Taurus. Jupiter 12 Sagittarius.

It's really difficult to find opening dates for these dams. I suppose I'd have to read a lot and right now I'm panicking about other stuff. The Coyote Dam is built right on a fault line. It also is a great place to go fishing. So, of course, that will be the first one to flood. It was opened in 1936 and is closest to Morgan Hill. Basically, from the looks of the map that the two dams near Morgan Hill (Anderson and Coyote) will turn into HWY 101 into the Grand Rapids for a day if there's a big earthquake on the Calaveras fault.

It's very interesting to compare the Outer planet placements with the dates. Apparently placement of Outer Planets in Cardinal Signs is a time when Dams will be built. The voters passed a bill in 1934 okaying the building of the 1930s dams. Jupiter was in Libra (Cardinal). Uranus was in Aries. Pluto was in Cancer. Jupiter moved on (about one sign per year) after that but Uranus and Pluto both remained in their Cardinal Signs. In the 1950s when the next wave came through Uranus was in Cancer and Neptune was in Libra. Jupiter was in Cancer in 1955 and in Libra in 1957. Maybe the engineers should recheck the Vasona Dam one more time, who knows. Can't get any more precise dates for opening without working really hard so this is what I've got.

The Losers on the List:

Alamaden built opened 1/1/1936
Anderson opened 1950
Calero opened 1935
Coyote opened 1936
Guadalupe opened 1935

The ones that hopefully are okay.:

Chesbro opened 1955
Lexington construction began Spring 1952, completed Fall 1953
Stevens Creek opened 1935
Uvas oppened 1957
Vasona opened completed 1934
Guadalupe opened 1935

3.8 Earthquake in Illinois

ADDING NOTE: This earthquake was probably a result of the extreme weather that is dumping snow all over the East Coast. Maybe that's a Pluto-Moon conjunction thing in the 1st House? Just a guess. Where's the Weather Astrologers?

I think that President Lincoln rolled over in his grave or something on Wednesday because Illinois suffered an earthquake, a small one, dinky, as a matter of fact. As a matter of fact, this earthquake happened on a day which was celebrating both a Solar and Lunar Return for this great President. I got a request to look at the chart so I'll list here what I found.

The earthquake was very small but strangely was widely felt in about 3 nearby states (I can't remember exactly which ones or how many). I've only been looking at earthquakes that are larger. And I mostly am looking at California/West Coast earthquakes and we don't even get the most devastating ones, er, at least not yet, the Oregon Coast/No.California coast is due for a huge one, actually.

3.8 Illinois Earthquake
Feb. 10, 2010 3:59:33am (LT) 9:59:33 UTC closest to Pingree Grove, IL

Sun 22 Aquarius; Moon 12 Capricorn; ASC 25 Sagittarius; MC 19 Libra; NN 20 Capricorn

The widely orbed Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square which is coagulating in the skies right now was connected with the angles.

Saturn was in House 9 which means that it had just passed over the Midheaven.

Uranus had just passed over the IC (rules land, environment) and was in the 3d house. Uranus (shock, sudden events, earthquakes) was unaspected to other planets indicating that he could not find a proper vent for his energies and so would tend to act out. He was, however, squaring the Sagittarius ASC to the degree. Uranus is one of the few planets that likes to act when in exact aspect (my opinion).

Pluto was very prominent in this chart placed in the 1st House and in conjunction with the Moon which in turn was in conjunction with the North node. Pluto and Moon are both water planets so perhaps this is why so many people could feel the earthquake. Also, the earthquake woke them up out of their sleep. We usually get rush hour earthquakes in California it seems. If you've ever seen the Sun set over the Ocean it's easy to understand what all that hullabaloo is about -- the earth goes crazy as well over the beauty.

At any rate, the Nodal Axis is very prominent as well. North Node in first house squaring the IC/Midheaven Axis and in conjunction with the Moon in a Cardinal Sign. I'm increasingly thinking that Cardinal Signs tend to be prominent in earthquakes, possibly because they represent the Solstices and Equinoxes and the beginnings of the Seasons, and the Poles of the Earth.

So Uranus often will rule or be on an angle directly in a big earthquake. It wasn't any of these. Mars ruled the IC from H8 and was opposing Mercury 1 Aquarius in H1. Perhaps inner planets are more prominent in smaller earthquakes? I know that Mercury likes to rule angles in earthquakes.

Mars in this chart is Singleton which gives it extra oompf. It is also Retrograde. It is also apex of a Yod (from H8) to a sextile of Pluto and Jupiter. Both these planets are related to H1. Jupiter rules that house, and thus the entire chart. Pluto is placed in that house. Yods will show some sort of inherited problem in families. At least that's how I understand Karen Hammaker Zondag's interpretation on it in her book. So, perhaps Lincoln really was rolling over.

Guess this is more interpretation than anyone could ever possibly slog through. Sorry that Abe wasn't around to write it.

I tried to look at the chart in order to understand why it would hit at this area. Uranus usually shows uniqueness and unusual events so I suppose it's prominence in the chart could be the reason. We are heading into the Summer when the t-square will be close to exact. And for this chart Saturn and Pluto are within pretty tight orb of a stressful square while Uranus is not aspecting anything. If you know anything about Uranians you know that they need to feel connected to huge networks at all times or they get a little freaky. Venus is ruling the Midheaven which can how the event comes across. She is conjunct Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius in the 2d house of this chart.

Explosion at Connecticut Power Plant

A power plant that was currently under construction in Middletown, CT exploded on Sunday killing 5 people and injuring 12. I send my condolences to the families, friends and employees of those who were lost or injured.

The employees were, as I understand, purging the gas lines a procedure which is said to be very dangerous. The Power Plant hadn't been opened yet.

The Chart shows Mars in Fire Sign Leo conjunct the IC, or bottom of the chart. Mars is prominent in this chart because he is conjunct the angle with very tight orb, is in Retrograde Motion, and is Lead Planet of the Locomotive Chart Shape. Mars represents triggers, ignitions, sparks. A Quote from today's Wall St. Journal article "Blast Probe looks at Gas-Line Clearing" says that ignition for the explosion could come from something as simple as a light switch. Mars here is in inconjunct aspect to an exact conjunction of Neptune to Chiron. Neptune rules Natural Gas. Neptune and Chiron are also placed on an angle in the 10th House. The involvement with the inconjunct shows literally a need for "adjustment." Chiron shows a flaw. The conjunction in Aquarius shows influence related to electricity, circuitry, sudden shocking events. This Mars-Neptune, etc. inconjunct is involved in two different Yods. Mars is apex to a Yod of the Neptune-Pluto sextile. Neptune is apex to a Yod of the Mars-Saturn sextile.

Today's Wall St. Times article quotes rep. Rosa De Lauro (D, Conn.) as saying that there seem to be similarities with an explosion which happened in June in North Carolina in a ConAgra food processing plant for "Slim Jims." I don't have a lot of time right now so I'll list some similarities for the two charts.

Neptune conjunct Chiron in Aquarius, 26-27 degrees
Sun in H10, in Air Signs (on same degrees)
Moon out-of-bounds
Mars in Fixed Signs: Mars 7 Taurus in June, Mars 7 Leo Rx in February
Uranus in H8 (Death) of Slim Jim explosion. Pluto in H8 of CT explosion
I can't find any indicators to show that this would be a workplace disaster in the CT Power Plant chart.

ASC for both charts at ends of Fixed Signs (30 Taurus, CT and 29 Leo, NC) showing stressful square aspect from Neptune-Chiron at end of Aquarius. The Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron in Aquarius conjunction over the past 1/2 year has certainly done an amazing job of showing us where the infrastructure is weakest.

Middletown Power Plant Explosion
Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010 11:15 am (LT) Middletown, CT

Sun 19 Aquarius (H10); ASC 30 Taurus; Moon 9 Sagittarius (H7); NN 20 Capricorn; MC 7 Aquarius

Slim Jim Plant Explosion
June 9, 2009 11:27 am (LT) Garner, NC

Sun 19 Gemini (H10); ASC 29 Leo; Moon 10 Capricorn (H5); NN 3 Aquarius; MC 24 Taurus.

The Toyota Recall

The World's Biggest Automaker, Toyota, seemed for a while to be escaping the problems that this recession has had on automakers worldwide. That is until last May (2009) when they posted a drop in sales and had to ask for a loan from the Japanese Government to continue. The drop in sales may have been from the aggressive sales campaigns that the U.S. car companies used to unload their inventory.

Now Toyota is struggling with massive recalls for many of its cars in both Europe and the U.S. The company which is known for introducing reliable quality control is suddenly messing up? Is this a conspiracy from competitors? Wow. Maybe the Japanese are performing the ancient art of self-flagellation out of some sort of PTSD reverb of Little Boy? Wait no, I've got my civilizations mixed up as usual. The Pope does self-flagellation, not the Japanese. The Japanese do Hari-Kari. We all do PTSD, Thank God we've got something in common... (OMG!)

In January 2010 there was a major recall in Europe and the UK due to problems with the Accelerators. That seems like a Mars Retrograde issue to me.

In January 2010 (and earlier in 2009) also there have been huge recalls in the U.S. due to brake problems. Brake problems could be due to the Mars Retrograde as well. Also, Saturn rules anything that has to stop and wait and right now Saturn is squaring Pluto. At the beginning of January The Sun-Venus-Saturn were in conjunction in Libra. Venus and Saturn were in mutual reception. And, of course, they were connected with a square between the Sun and Pluto. The two power trippers of the zodiac.

I couldn't find an actual incorporation date for Toyota although it probably exists. It seems the company was founded in 1937 just as Saturn was moving into Aries. So, obviously the company is being affected by the current square of Saturn-Pluto in Libra-Capricorn. Interesting that Saturn in Aries means that Saturn is in the sign ruled by Mars and a common phrase used to describe Mars and Saturn working together is "driving with the brakes on." Don't know who made up that term.

Toyota was created as a spin off company by a Son-Father team in the early-mid 1930s.

5.9 Earthquake Again off Eureka Coast

A second major earthquake in a month's time hit the Northern California Coast yesterday. I believe it was about 45 miles offshore of Eureka. That area has a major, I mean huge, 9.0 or so earthquake every 300 or 400 years. I wrote about the last one which is thought to have occurred back in 1700.

Am just going to put down a list of observations:

5.9 Earthquake off Eureka Coast
Feb. 4, 2010 12:20 Pm epicenter 40.418 N , 124.919 W I set chart for Eureka.

Sun 16 Aquarius (H10 conjunct MC); Moon 2 Scorpio (H6); ASC 8 Gemini; MC 14 Aquarius; NN 20 Capricorn (H8)

Uranus rules H10; Mercury rules the chart, H1 and also the IC; Jupiter rules H7

Chart shows a huge stellium on an angle in the 10th House in the sign of Aquarius (with Jupiter in Pisces).

Uranus is placed off an angle but in the 11th House which is its natural house rulership.

Sun trine Moon from H10 to H6.

The Sun disposits to Uranus and is angular in conjunction with the Midheaven.

Moon disposits to Pluto and is off an angle in the 6th House.

Chart Ruler Mercury is conjunct the North Node over the 8th/9th House cusp.

North Node is in a Cardinal Sign and an Earth Sign.

Mars is conjunct the IC from the 3d house. It is prominent in the chart because it is conjunct an angle, is Retrograde, is a singleton in Fire, is the Lead Planet in a Locomotive Chart Shape.

Rulerships:

Sun in Detriment
Moon in Fall
Saturn in Exhaltation
Uranus and Pluto in Acc. Dignity
Uranus and Neptune in Mutual Reception
There are no final dispositors

Shaun White

With the 2010 Winter Olympics coming up I thought I would take a look at the chart of snowboarder Shaun White. I don't know anything about snowboarding except that watching these guys absolutely takes my breath away. Hope his parents don't have Saturn strong in their charts. Many of these young snowboarders even knit their own hats, even the guys. And the hats are as awesome as their crazy antics.

This has been a fun chart to take a look at. I think I've learned a couple of things. It would be great to have a birth time to look at, especially for an athlete because that's where you look to understand how a person relates to his physical body and that's where we'd find the answer to Shaun's flaming red hair. Well, that and the Midheaven, and probably a few other spots. Dude's got a lot of hair...

Shaun White
b. Sept. 3, 1986 Carlsbad, CA

Sun 11 Virgo; Moon Leo or Virgo; NN 23 Aries Rx; Mercury 10 Virgo; Mars 15 Capricorn

Shaun may have been born during a New Moon in Virgo. Impossible to say without a birth time. The Moon travels really fast through the signs and anything that moves really fast is going to be important to look at in this guy's chart. New Moons are said to show a person who can start a new phase of some sort. Ego (Sun) and Subconscious (Moon) are having a meeting of the minds when these kids are born.

When I think of Virgo Athletes I'm reminded of Lance Armstrong, of course. Perfection, analytical, precision, dedicated, earthy, edge. Interesting that both athletes have taken on sports in which their feet are attached to their "vehicle". Wonder if that's a typical Virgo thing. Feet are ruled by Virgo's opposite sign which is Pisces. Often one has to master one's self by mastering one's opposite self? Sort of a symbolic version of the Charioteer and his Chariot. (Yeah, I know that in Tarot the Chariot card represents Cancer, so maybe Virgo represents the Whip).

Either way, White's Virgo Sun is conjunct its dispositor, Mercury, which makes its energy all the more strong. White's Sun is trining Mars which represents the physical body. This positive connection between the two planets that show physical vitality and physical coordination. Both Mercury and Mars in the signs of their exaltation. Pretty interesting word to use in order to describe a guy who literally flies and flips miles up into the air in loop d'loops.

Mars is also the ruler of daredevils and it rules White's North Node which shows one's destiny. Mars represents youthfulness, vitality, fearlessness, going one's own path. But, he can't do what he needs to do unless he can balance this with the opposite end of the Nodal Axis. And, Balance is represented here literally as Libra is the sign that rules his South Node and his SN is in conjunction with its dispositor, Venus.

So, what's weird with this guy is that he sort of goes beyond balance which relies on his own multiple centers of gravity. He even seems to defy gravity, or at least he seems to be able to find multiple points of gravity. What I think may help to account for this is the fact that his Sun is conjunct and trine Mercury and Mars which are both in exaltation and in the signs of their rulership. He has no planets placed in Fall or Detriment. And his chart has no final dispositors. The planets related to coordination are perfectly placed here.

So, what rules Gravity? I immediately think of Saturn but of the planets the Sun and Jupiter are said to have the strongest magnetic fields. White has these two planets in opposition to each other (wide 10 degree orb though). This opposition again shows another balancing act that the self is constantly juggling.

So, where does all that drive and focus come from? Pluto is in Scorpio as with everyone in White's generation. But in Shaun's chart it is a singleton in Fixed Signs which amps up his ability to concentrate and focus on one thing. The Pluto might also be the reason why he's standing out this year as the Sex God of the U.S. Olympic team.

Good Luck, Shaun! I know there must be some snowboarder lingo for saying that but I'm too old a fart to know what it is. Dude, totally tubular, gnarly session, uh oh, wrong generation, wrong sport, wrong me.

Wiki'd a list here of snowboarder terms. "Asspass" really caught my eye (http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/snowboarddictionary.asp). That's when you fall down and you're riding on your ass so fast down the slope that people can barely see you. Can relate.

Dress the Baby in Black

The new crop of babies with the Saturn square Pluto in Capricorn? There's this bizarre and interesting wave in baby wear amongst the knitters which expresses that transit (well, it's a transit for us, it's a birth chart for them).

Parents are swathing their newborns these days in blacks and grays. And it's cool. It's kind of like they're being born into Hobbit Land or something. Tolkien was a Capricorn, wasn't he?

I think Babies are blind, after all, so they don't care. They may stay that way with a boring childhood like this. I'm all for giving up the pastels at any rate. Anything to hide the barf, that's all I'm saying.

The luxury yarns are finer than they've ever been and that's what baby wants. Mom doesn't seem to mind the handwashing they require. Rest assured, these babies won't grow up screaming about their allergies the way us drip-dry generationers did. Try a combo of 40 percent lambswool, 35 percent baby llama, 15 percent angora and 10 percent cashmere. But, beware, not washable.

No really, it's cozy, especially after all the clown suits and bunny feet of the Pluto in Sagittarius age. Examples:

Look at this one from designer Gudrun Johnston:

http://shetlandtrader.blogspot.com/2009/12/well-im-back-home-in-new-england-and.html

Look too innocent? Check out this one. Check out the little booties, so cute:

http://shetlandtrader.blogspot.com/2010/01/squam-art-workshops.html

Then there's Jared Flood who is practically sending the kid back into the womb with this one:

http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2009/07/tweed-baby-blanket-pattern-now.html

Tweed? Do you know how much these kids are gonna crave Brooks Brothers?:

and oops another one, even grayer and softer:

http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2010/01/travel-companion-giant-swatch.html

And designer Wendy Bernard is designing a blanket for her sister's baby who is going to have a nursery in Black and White:

http://www.knitandtonic.net/knitandtonic/2010/01/raven-and-pear.html

Okay, Okay, I've got 3 planets in Leo and don't mind a little color so I will always remember the Sadge phase with affection. Having been raised by designer architect types I promise you these kids are going to grow up compensating by owning so much stock in "Hello Kitty, Inc." I think I'll go buy some right now. Googy googy goo.

Punxsutawney Phil Sees the Dark Side

The Economists aren't the only ones with gloomy reports. This morning Phil predicted continuing stormy weather for the next six weeks. Well, what can I say? That's great news for Knitters. Mohair is really coming back with a vengeance.

Americans would rather ask just about anybody but an Astrologer for a prediction. Today Phil's gaze went straight to his shadow. The Pluto transit is hitting him hard this year too I guess. And in the true manner of Pluto, I'm jealous. Phil is a better soothsayer than I am.

Wikipedia is so great. Most of Phil's predictions have been recorded. For those who are curious, it turns out he has been correct 39 percent of the time. I thought that was pretty good. Speaking from an amateur astrologer's perspective, it's great (don't tell anyone I said that). The experts say it's not good enough. How come nobody ever complains when the Weatherman is wrong?

Groundhogs are born in the Months of April and May. That means they are all Aries and Tauruses.

Ice House Detroit

A Detroit Photographer and an Architect are using the Pluto transit of Capricorn to make lemons out of lemonade. There are currently about 20,000 abandoned homes in the city of Detroit. Gregory Holm and Matthew Radune are bringing attention to the housing crisis in that city by literally freezing one of them over the Winter Months this year.

Check out Gregory Holm's photographs of the House; they are incredibly beautiful. Their blog is available here:

http://icehousedetroit.blogspot.com

Pluto and Uranus are the planets of Crisis. Right now they are representing the two planets that also rule Ice, Saturn and Neptune, through the signs that they are in. They are also in a challenging square aspect with each other and with Saturn.

The odd sign out in this set-up is the sign of Cancer which rules Home, Land, Real Estate, and the Common Public.

On February 7 the two artists will reveal the location of the house they are freezing in order to bring much needed attention to the impoverished area.

How incredible is Art?

Quickly looked up Detroit's chart(s). Had no idea the City was so old. Boy, they could really stand to plant a couple of trees. They could use a couple of reminders that things can grow. Maybe in the Spring after the house has thawed... The City was founded by a French Pisces named Sieur de Cadillac (well, his real name was Antoine de la Motle, or something like that, just got excited about the Cadillac/Michigan connection which I never knew about).

Both charts share a Mars in Cancer, that's not always good for peaceful living environments. Detroit has been going through a crisis for much longer than the current Recession.

Right now the Founding Chart is having a Jupiter Return which can be a very positive sign. Jupiter in the natal chart really stands out at 7 Pisces because its unaspected, therefore doesn't flow with the other planets in the chart. That's really good for the Arts. The Incorporation chart has Pluto at close to the same spot in Pisces. That can indicate a time of Success, a sort of spark of excitement at least. Pluto is placed in a pretty stressful position in both charts (Conjunct NN in Founding Chart, and placed at apex of a Thor's Hammer to Saturn-Uranus square Mars in the Inc. Chart, wow you can really see the Auto industry described in that aspect).

Gotta look at Saturn to see if anything enduring and solid can come of it. The Detroit Incorporation Chart is approaching a Saturn Return in Libra. Saturn is well placed in the sign of Libra but, as I said is involved in that Thor's Hammer aspect (which I admit I don't have a solid interpretation for). Saturn-Uranus-Pluto are mirrored in the current big outer transit in the sky right now so this will affect the city.

Detroit Founding
July 24, 1701

Sun 2 Leo; Moon Aquarius or Pisces; NN 18 Leo


Detroit Incorporated

Sept. 13, 1806
Sun 21 Virgo; Moon Virgo or Libra; NN 24 Sagittarius

Bad Shot - U.S. Missile Test Failure

Vandenberg Airforce Base has reported that a target practice missile that was launched this afternoon from Central California and missed its target in the Pacific Ocean.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100201/ap_on_re_us/us_missile_defense_test

The boo boo occurred Sunday afternoon and I can't tell if that's Marshall Islands' time or California time. Completely different charts.

Anyway, for the record, if anyone wants to look at a chart of a screw-up which is probably a good thing to study, this is the information I've got so far. I suppose the Sun-Mars Rx is a big issue in a chart that describes a missile intercept. A failed attempt might be indicated by Saturn, planet of over-achievement on the IC or bottom of the chart, especially since it's squaring Pluto on the Descendant.

A Sun-Mars Rx opposition might show a problem with the trigger but they say the reason for the mistake is said to be a problem with the radar. The Sun is conjunct Lilith. Don't know what that means really.

No mention of where the two missiles landed which really creeps me out.

Uranus is very close to the Midheaven in the launch time for the Marshall Islands, with Pluto on the Descendant and Saturn down in the 4th House. The planets are moved forward into the mutable houses if the Chart is used for the California time zone. Saturn is conjunct the IC in this chart.

Mercury rules the Marshall Island Launch Chart. Mercury is conjunct NN in Capricorn (H7). This brings in the Saturnian element again. In this chart the Moon is opposing Chiron-Neptune. Chiron, of course, can indicate all kinds of mistakes and things that don't work out.

Moon rules the Vandenberg Airforce Base launch chart. She is opposing Jupiter in Pisces for the California time zone chart.

Target missile launched from Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.

The Killer Missile that screwed up launched was launched from Central California somewhere, I used Vandenberg Airforce Base which I think is in Lompoc. It was launched shortly after the Target missile.

January 31, 2010 3:40 pm