Pluto Gets to Work

Pluto in the Capricorn Season

Last December when the Sun met with Pluto euphoria was in the air and wishes were freshly minted with hope just in from the horizon. This year we're two Jupiter-Neptune conjunctions wiser and the cosmic digger is ready for serious business with Saturn intimately involved. Change has occurred if not exactly what some had anticipated. So far I've found this holiday season to be one of the weirdest I've ever been in. A magnetic distraction seems to have gripped society's psyche, although some are dutifully recalling the Baby Jesus and purchasing commodities as well as can be expected.

The Veil Dissolves
Jupiter Conjunct Neptune

So it came to pass. Collective illusions so diligently maintained have melted away revealing just how corrupt and ill-behaved our political officials really are. It's difficult to miss. An excellent study in how they operate. The stabbing, bribing, stealing, and most of all -- lying -- have aligned to expose the plutocracy in action with its unattractive appetite for power creating a depressing drama available in each and every home for the pleasure of the viewing audience. The pecking keys are certainly registering the alarm.

People are angry with the government. The battle is on. It always is, really. This one can be classified in the "war of necessity" category. The Saturn-Uranus-Pluto days are as good as here and it's getting time to consolidate and mobilize. The disease in the system demands a cure. The promised unity does appear to be happening after all but not quite for the reasons predicted.

This is the initial breakdown phase of Pluto in Capricorn dealing with group finances versus personal. The current administration was designated to facilitate the demolition before reconstruction can begin. Everything they touch is turning to disaster, magically illustrated by the 29 Scorpio Moon of the inuagural chart.

A Monster in the Halls

The first big Plutonian monster came in the form of the insurance care bill now under attempted construction. If Pluto-Saturn succeeds, the bill goes. The insurance companies represent the established order. Simple.

This drama was played out for the people to recognize the technique of their political office holders. The spin has spun out of control and now the truth is emerging from the wreckage, just the thing they thought they could forever cover up. "The truth will out," it's said, and I tend to believe it. "You lie" covers a lot of yous.

The punishment of Saturn-Pluto can seem brutal and everyone is due to get some of it, for virtually none of us is innocent. It's amazing to feel the rage surfacing and there's going to be a lot more, especially when Uranus gets its revolutionary fire. Group movement like this comes from within the body politic and not much can stop it. Pocket picking will arouse almost anyone. Price gouging has its pitfalls. Money issues have hair triggers.

So the breakdown is upon us. It's far from reform. There's nothing to reform. What's happening now is a panicked attempt to medicate the sickness with impotent measures, trying to keep the entity functioning. The system needs a doctor. And I don't think its covered in a plan.

I've actually been impressed with some of the bloggers lately. Their wits are being sharpened and probably being refined and tooled for the battles ahead. Some of the unsatisfying personal infighting is turning into fine debate. It could get stimulating.

So on this Jupiter-Neptune celebration of religious saviors, aside from the gifts generously offered by the magi, human creatures have engaging challenges ahead that are garnering attention. I'm interested in following the story.
Painting: Suspended Power: Charles Sheeler

The Pleasures of Pessimism

Life in Saturn-Pluto Times

"The mind seems to be wired for negative thoughts. Common wisdom says that pessimism is a problem. The anti-pessimists warn: “don’t think like that or you’ll doom yourself to failure.” But common wisdom can be wrong, and pessimism can be helpful – if it is done correctly."
Dr. Shawn Smith

I ran across a fascinating article in my paper yesterday and I thought it would be a good time to update you on some research I've been doing.

A 4-year-old boy who was hit in the head by a foul ball at a minor league baseball game in September spoke his first words since the accident this week, a major breakthrough in his recovery from an injury that nearly killed him.
~Luke Holko told his mother he wanted "more" crackers during snack time Tuesday night.
The boy can also say "no."
Matt Leingang: Associated Press

What's so interesting about this is the negative nature of his first words. I recently learned that experiments in the lab have pointed to human brain wiring being that which leans toward the negative. News and television certainly bear this out. My theory is that it has to do with survival need and feeling insecure in a perceived threatening world spurs humans to become extra aware of potential danger, feeling uneasy about relaxing too much into paradisiacal thoughts. The psychologist above concurs.

Pessimism seems to be hardwired into us. We are masters at spotting flaws, dark clouds, and dangers. Imagine standing in front of a beautiful stained glass window. It is a wonderful creation of color and form... and in the corner of this beautiful window is a broken piece of glass. Most likely, your eye will immediately gravitate toward the flaw. With effort, you might ignore the missing piece and enjoy the artwork, but there is little chance you will miss the imperfection. Most minds will want to focus on it.

Why does pessimism come so easily? Why, when faced with something as lovely as stained glass or a new home, must the mind inventory every blemish? The answer might lie in the adaptive, positive effects of negative thinking. Evolutionary psychology teaches that widespread psychological traits are adaptations that help us cope with the environment. Pessimism may be an adaptation that promotes survival.
The Power of Pessimism

Here's the fact. Optimism and pessimism are equally valuable in moderation. Some people deal with an unpleasant present by looking forward to a rosier future. Others protect themselves against disappointment by expecting less. Personal preference.

Now that Saturn and Pluto will be aligned as the current educators it could well be that some of the negative aspects of experience are up for consideration. Venus and Jupiter conjunct in Cancer in the United States chart does indicate an upbeat positive emotional nature, but the opposition to sometimes-menacing Pluto in stern Capricorn is sure to affect this "have a nice day" mentality. The "it's all good" philosophy. The stigma around thinking negatively is silly. Guilt can be better placed. If positivists are firm in their views, the negative won't harm them. And vice versa. They provide a perfect balance, well appreciated by Saturn in Libra.

Since 1993 anti-depressant use in the country has skyrocketed 50%. Obesity is epidemic and heart disease is our No.1 killer, the heart being the seat of happiness. All of this points to an underlying depression that if acknowledged and worked with could lead to a sincerely better mood in time. Events lately are leading to a confrontation with this somber side of reality and the case for a little pessimistic thinking could be sensible, especially when Pluto opposes Jupiter. It doesn't eliminate happiness. It doesn't want to. It might make serious thought desirable and even pleasurable. Here is an interesting article about the value of negative thinking....

A study conducted by professor Joseph Forgas at the University of New South Wales showed that bad moods can actually turn out good for you, as it makes people less gullible by increasing their ability to judge and also is a big memory boost.
The study proved that people who were experiencing bad moods were more critical and paid more attention to the surrounding environment than happier people, who were more likely to believe everything that they were told.

“Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, cooperation, and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking paying greater attention to the external world,” Forgas wrote. “Our research suggests that sadness … promotes information processing strategies best suited to dealing with more demanding situations.”

To conduct this study, the team actually conducted several experiments that began by inducing happier or unhappier moods to the subjects, by recalling a past event or by watching movies. In one of the experiments, they were asked to analyze the truth (or lack of it) behind urban myths and rumors; the result was that those in sadder moods were less likely to believe what they were told and showed an increase of analytic ability. The sadder people were also less likely to make rash decisions or those based on racial or religious beliefs and made fewer mistakes when recalling a past event.

“Positive mood is not universally desirable: people in negative mood are less prone to judgmental errors, are more resistant to eyewitness distortions and are better at producing high-quality, effective persuasive messages,” Forgas wrote.

It’s been known for quite a while now that a good mood can increase work capacity, concentration and creativity, but not so much effort has been put into understanding what happens to you when you are feeling unhappy.

Mars Retrograde in Leo

Saturn will be spending the next several months tight with Pluto, and Mars in the ebullient often joyous sign of Leo will be in an extended retrograde, a perfect time to see what ails our collective spirit. Just when Mars leaves Leo for Virgo, Saturn will be back in Virgo and possibly, with good analysis, some answers will present themselves.

The Skeleton of Reality

A fantastic idea I have to cope in these difficult times is to accept the reasonable naysayers since their influence is increasing and will probably be on the rise even more for awhile. It's helpful. The more hopeful can use their services to get through the hard times.

Jupiter in Pisces next year continues the magic carpet roller coaster ride and the negativists can teach you how to better handle the crashes when they inevitably come. A certain amount of naivete about human nature has its charms, but savvy comes in handy, too, especially when Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto get together for a party.

I'm an optimist on and off, yet I feel less of a need to be either way at this point. It does what it does. I do what I do. I'm okay with negative experiences since they're so numerous and inevitable. I'm used to them. I'm joyous enough, being an experienced opportunist. I've discovered that there's always something else. I have eggs in multi baskets.
Cage free.

War and Illusion

Uranus 22 Pisces
Jupiter conjunct Neptune

The United States has Neptune in the 22nd degree of Virgo. The current president has Mars at 22 Virgo. Together they square US Mars in Gemini. It's no wonder that Uranus stationing at 22 Pisces in opposition to this point has brought to consciousness the conceptions, or should I say misconceptions, about violent combat, killing humans, and the justification, even glorification, used by people to absolve the guilt they naturally and fortunately feel about such actions. The spiritual necessity is also an argument used by Mars and Neptune.

When Jupiter last conjoined Neptune, the human population was entertained with a speech about global unity and peace next to the great pyramids of Egypt. It was an uplifting theatrical event for many viewers.
Now that the final conjunction is upon us, the identical individual spoke to the same planetary inhabitants about the goodness of war.
This has caused confusion in the collective psyche, not the fault of the speaker, really, since the times indicate a review of the dilemma, especially now that Saturn is in Libra with its urge toward balancing war and peace.

The shocking nature (Uranus) of the last two speeches, generously woven with war propaganda, has disturbed the collective and brought forth the desire to shove it under the Persian rug. That might not be a wise idea since two wars being waged by the country, one soon to be raging further, is cause for concern. The opportunity to discover magnified awareness is here, considering Uranus, the nation's natal Saturn return ahead, and Mars retrograde in Libra by progression also in line to be crossed by Saturn. A good time for intelligent application of logic.

It's interesting that the latest external war is a civil one and the Mars progression along with the coming cardinal transits indicate a civil battle of our own, but I'll get back to that in a moment.

The peace speech was terribly problematic for many reasons. It was arrogant, presumptuous, deceptive, historically invalid, cloying, contemptuous, and perhaps slightly too rushed considering it was a declaration of permanent war without consultation with those required to enact it on the ground.
It's the attitude of the country. Fun and games. Haphazard and cavalier. The speaker merely elucidated the underlying patterns of thought.

The idea that wars are justified is a big problem for humanity. The nihilistic view of inevitable war is depressing and not a good rationalization for the current one.
The philosophy of war is useful in the classroom, but on the battlefield, it's too late to ponder the right and wrong. Reason becomes pure mission. It's true that war leads to peace and back to war, but this law of physics is not a good argument when real people are being killed and immediate response is called for. Generals, soldiers, preachers, philosophers, and so on, all have specific jobs and in terms of real battlegrounds, it works best when they know exactly what the tasks are.

With Neptune involved, the country revels in the mythical warrior and savior role which she had in WWII, despite the atrocities she committed. But the current war doesn't fall into that category and no amount of rhetoric can really alter that. It's fascinating that the escalation was so perfectly timed with this call to arms, and the upcoming trial of the 9/11 suspects adds to this oddly perfect timing. We're about to be treated to the burning towers again in another attempt to sell the mushroom cloud phantasmagoria if all goes as planned. But could this be the chance to turn away from this age old game that doesn't seem to be working well right now? Could this be by the grace of fortune some of the reasoning behind this bizarre scenario? A peace prize for the propagation of war? Could the dissolution apply to this endeavor as well? Maybe there will be some peace ahead. Who can tell?

A good first step for this Neptune-Mars nation would be a closer gaze at the harsh reality of the murderous act sans romance. The identification of evil is in the realm of religion, not for politicians. War and religion have never been a good mix. To put a metaphysical face on a war for profit and regional domination could in itself almost be placed in that evil realm if one were inclined to make that judgement. The job of judge and executioner is held for select humans, not just anyone at whim. To label anyone as evil is not an act to be taken lightly when ending the life of another by force is the result of the labeling. Attempted spiritual rationalization of killing will ultimately not work, I don't think.

Mars retrograde in Leo
The Return of the Axis of Evil

In perfect synchronization, Mars is now retrograde in warrior-king Leo. The annoying superiority, the American birthright to exceptionalism, is beginning to wear on the country's psyche. Now the brown man has taken up the white man's burden of civilizing the primitive peoples of the planet. Civilizing in a most uncivilized way, I hasten to add. The courage of the Sun King Warrior has its place in fairy tales, and maybe even occasionally in the real world, but honest protection of benevolent elements is probably rare with armies of humans on a kill.

The least liked part of the declaration for me was the statement about this country's moral authority. That's ludicrous and the talk fully becomes ridiculous at this point. The monologue can't be taken seriously, another stroke of fortune, and history must be having a good chuckle. To say that we've killed for moral reasons and to secure the safety of the planet is largely false. Queries at ancient burial grounds will verify my position. And to apply that great moral obligation to the current wars doesn't have credibility. The assumption of moral superiority is one of our biggest problems, I feel, in all areas of living. It's a difficult thing to judge.

But all things happen for reasons of sequence and orchestration. The rage building up around the country will come in handy. The disillusionment of the Jupiter Neptune conjunction along with the bipolar trip from hope to despair and back again, and forth again, and back and forth ..... is prep for the cardinal years, as dizzying as it can be. The aggravation might be just the right thing.

Reality and/or Disillusionment

I'm a silver lining expert. I've yet to encounter another human creature who can find something good in any situation more easily than I can. But I'm relinquishing that need temporarily while Uranus finishes up in Pisces. This final Jupiter-Neptune conjunction has dropped the shoe but I find it a relief. Now there's a little less to fear. You can sweep up the pieces of illusion, melt it all down, and form it into a nice new shape to your liking. Illusions are plastic. Might as well do it now before Aries gets here. A last minute sculpted masterpiece. Mars in Leo also knows about this.

Pisces is a perfect time to float in the vast sea of confusion and even futility, basking in the moment in view of an unknown future that you get tired of looking at. The dreamer brings chaos and foggy roads to be navigated before clear direction is encountered in Aries. The cardinal entities are progressive in the sense that they bring action. Forward motion. One knows what to do, both personally and collectively, just as one doesn't know what to do right now. It's not the time to do. It's the time to be.

I'll go out on a limb and say that we're not likely to perish as a species. Events will lead people ahead to logical conclusions and new puzzles. I think it's a time of letting circumstance guide outside the strengths and weaknesses of particular humans. It's going to happen anyway. Leadership is always intact in some respect. It's required. It's everywhere.

Aries and Capricorn mean battles with the system and the group can safely count on that. Civil discord is scheduled and the breaking apart is really revving up now. Citizens against the government and vice versa. People against big business. Corporations having trouble with the government and the consumers. Party against party. Conflict within the parties. Factions within factions. Separations and a diminishing desire to be like others. Aries. You can see the beginning of interesting arguments among the blogs, all favored by Saturn in Libra, differences to be actualized further with Uranus in Aries when independence and the fight for individual identity arise within the confines of relationship.
I, myself, am quarrelsome, but I find my desire for hands on conflict diminishing somewhat, possibly due to advancing age and electrochemical change.

Likewise

Mars loves himself. He's a lean mean bad machine in hot pursuit of all that he desires. He knows what he wants and rarely fails to retrieve it when the dynamic currents are in full force. He wastes no time and the exit is always in view, ahead of the crowd, his own man.
Thrust is his pleasure like a spring seed cracking the earth, moving into life with zest, zeal, and verve. He loves his potency and when in the form of a she, he simply enthralls.

Like

There is no savor
more sweet, more salt

Than to be glad to be
what, woman.

and who, myself
I am
Denise Levertov

Venus loves herself. She revels in her bodily rhythms. She thrills to the touch of her skin and the scent of her hair. She feels the sensations deep inside her belly when she curls her toes and strokes her feet. She learns early on the pleasures of her vagina and she glows with pride when the first buds of her developing breasts appear. She dances easily and celebrates her beauty, fascinated with every step of becoming and being a woman.

The Moon Weeps, Venus Plans

Pluto Opposite Venus
South Node in Cancer
New Moon in Scorpio

I was taught that Scorpio governs female power and Leo that of the male. I've noticed male chauvinism in Leo men more than occasionally and I've witnessed bonding together of Scorpio women perhaps in memory of ancient eras when women ruled. There's an interesting glut of astrological aspects now concerning these two elements and I'd like to share with you some of my observations.

The Sun in Scorpio is shining on the reproductive function, Pluto opposite Venus in Cancer, along with Venus in Scorpio, is bringing buried feelings to the surface concerning women's value, the south node in Cancer is illuminating emotional hurts, a new moon in Scorpio is on the way, and Mars starting the long retrograde in Leo is factoring in the male principle with some gusto. That's quite a bit.

The trigger was pulled with the passage of the House health care bill, and then came pain hard and unexpected, although surreal as well, I felt.
While not forgetting the despicable character of our politicians, generally, nor that of a society which condones this sort of thing, then chooses them again, an opportunity has presented itself and the contributions of women in America could rate some notice.

Chiron just went direct opening an old wound reminding us of the not-healing part. I wrote earlier about the circuitous path of evolution and sometimes a perceived backward motion is really not regressive in the end. I don't think effort is futile most of the time but results appear and disappear in an illusory unpredictable way. It's hard to figure out. Whoever would have thought that women's reproductive rights would rage on through so suddenly? Only those paying attention.

First, the Sun in Cancer in the USA birth chart already indicates a destiny intimately involved with the integration of the feminine and masculine forces of nature. It's female territory, the sun passing through. Or was. Forget the amendment and the health care bill. They're nothing in light of the broader issues.

The wound was opened for inspection, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Let's take a look at the chart of the passage of the bill on November 7 at 11:07 PM. (corrected from original posting).

The moon is at exactly 26 degrees of Cancer, ruling women and pregnancy. The fire quickly ignited with Leo rising and Mars on the ascendant.

The Pluto-Venus opposition is shown by the Taurus midheaven and the Scorpio nadir. The ruler of the MC, Venus, is back down on the nadir along with the Sun and Mercury just in the moon's 4th house. All repeating the theme of Pluto opposite Venus in Cancer, and again, square Leo. The Scorpio sun rules the Leo ascendant so there's little chance of escaping this exchange.

Saturn in the second explains the restriction of funds and also squares USA Venus illustrating some serious sensations coming to and from women engaged in society. Getting down to business, especially with Pluto in Capricorn. Big business.
The Aquarius stellium in the 7th shows the propensity toward political equality and the ruling Uranus in the 8th covers a lot of territory in the psychological and physical realms, with insurance issues, and so on.

The grand water trine of Uranus to the 4th house Scorpio planets and moon in Cancer is interesting. Freedom from sexual oppression is associated with Uranus in the 8th, but that also requires a movement away from sharply defined sexual identifications, adding more ambiguity. Uranus removes old boundaries and women might be ready to travel to new frontiers, foregoing habitual reactions and self-images that no longer fit, especially when Jupiter and Uranus come to square American Venus rather soon. Liberation is the word, I believe.

The moon and south node in Cancer in the 12th, however, indicates that it comes with hurt and the start of the phase was marked by profound pain. The 12th house Cancer brings to the legislature karmic patterns and ancient moon memories. Can people and their laws make corrections?

Thus the passageway opens for questioning of women's influence on society, a depressed one trying to figure out how to care for its members in tight circumstances becoming increasingly unforgiving. Capricorn says you're on your own, Cancer says it will protect and nurture you. The south node in Cancer shows movement away from the strictly nurturing role, and with Capricorn involved, there's the dilemma of home and the world, the neverending one for women mapping out great careers in contemporary society.

But now that jobs are becoming scarce how will this effect their upward mobility in a society where, unfortunately, they continue to be thwarted by conservative tradition? We all agree that the status quo is scheduled for an unquo but that's going to take time, and obviously, a lot of effort. I think a key element is not to despair when reality strikes and progress made appears to slip back. It's normal. To be expected.

All the while, many months of breast beating Mars in Leo will be sounding its trumpet for warrior king activity and the usual male dominance. But their wars are going badly. Pluto is a force to be reckoned with and so I say, "women be wise."

Uranus involved suggests that women neither imitate men, nor band together too much, but instead find expression for their unique talents and identities. It used to be that mass movement was the ticket to feminist advancement but maybe now many can more or less go it alone, unless repression really revs up. Less complaint, more action and movement. Opportunities for women in society are probably greater than is commonly perceived.

Pluto offers endings and it could be that the dwarf opposite Venus would be cutting back on the traditional biological role for women, especially in a tight economy. Birth rates go down in such times (they already are), but now less population on an ongoing basis would help humanity in general. The epidemic of pregnancies among the movie stars could have been symbolic of the primal objection to this impending reality, as my quirky theory maker says. It also thinks this amendment and even the bill came up for just this poke. Good job done. A diminution would free women for other jobs in society and they can't get full power until they are completely integrated in the workplace and in politics.

Women carry the seed to birth of new life, and thereby receive protection, and I think Pluto opposite Venus is trying to do just that in a wider application. Creating conditions for a reformation of the lunar role preceding that of the solar when Pluto opposes USA sun in several years. Perhaps the feminine principle in all of society is receiving this protection setting the stage for an unusual phase possibly, maybe, eventually, without the uncontrolled resentment of the male who after all is half of the equation. Parthenogenesis has not yet taken hold in the human species.

In the Interim

While the question of how to care for squirmy American bodies is debated, it's good to remember that it's going to take time for things to sort themselves out. Some correct mechanism is in charge no matter how confusing it gets, so it will be right.

Pluto opposite Venus is pointing people in the direction of satisfying experiences, if they want them. Wholesome food and healthy pleasures can do wonders in the effort against disease. As far as cost goes, it's also a good time to study what can be done in a personal way.

A physician wrote a letter to my paper about a fellow without insurance who came to him with a boil that needed lancing. The Doc did the job and charged him $60. He told us that had the patient used insurance, the cost would have been $1200.

People might not be aware of the fact that every doctor, hospital, and situation is unique. If you are uninsured you can bargain with them, reducing the prices dramatically, especially the hospitals. Some people are timid about doing this but thousands of dollars can be saved. I was astonished to read the fractions that people ended up with when they made the effort. You have to do the work going through the bills item by item, but it's worth it, and you'd be amazed by the number of mistakes you might find. It's a big boost in solving the problem and the psychological effect results in a vastly improved relationship with the system. I highly recommend this form of creative financing.

Promise and the Gun

The American Dream

It's worth taking time to study this proposed health care reform before being trapped. I don't know where it's headed, but there are serious implications regarding your body and your money. It's important to pay attention to some details, if not for yourself, at least for your children and their children.

"So, it looks like no specific penalties are outlined in the bill, but the 2.5% is designed as a tax and so would fall under IRS rules for non-compliance.

The Republicans are crowing about this but the Democrats seem to have made a "Stupak class" blunder by not shielding people from serious penalties as was done in the Senate.

Letter from Joint Committee on Taxation describing IRS code Sec. 7201 & 7203

I just talked to committee staff and got a confirmation that the letter above is indeed from the committee.
There are, no doubt, many hidden surprises in this bill as well as the odious abortion provisions. The real surprise will come when the rates are announced for those not currently covered."
Michael Collins: from The Agonist

Pluto in Capricorn is really moving in. People would not be buying insurance under this law and would be pressed to avoid filing tax returns for fear of discovery. The penalty is unaffordable for many. Disaster is a possibility but some of you are familiar with Pluto. Can you count how much you would pay for chasing these people over and above your outrageous premiums?
Does the government pursue the plutocratic tax evaders? Is it suddenly going to transform into an ethical being? Taxation would be fine if good care were involved, but left to the insurance companies I have some doubts. I have yet to see how this is going to take care of the health of the American people. Karmic debts need to be paid, however, as well as insurance premiums.

This is taxation without representation once again. Or more accurately, taxation by our representatives. And for nothing. If the money could be collected it might help, but the cost of doing that would erase the gains. The only health reform that's viable is major reduction of costs, and that isn't being addressed, not with profit as the prime motivator. The forced bondage will cause people to avoid treatment altogether, thus negating the gains made by subsidizing some of the uninsured. And how hard will acquiring these subsidies be? I hate to guess. It's a Gordian knot. There's a better way to care for people.
So do the people allow the iron fist to close in further or can they start nipping now? Fate will tell, I suppose.

"Women be Wise," the title of the old blues song goes. I'd add men. I would hazard a wild guess that 250 years account for something. But I'm often wrong.

Truth and Ethics in America

It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.
Henry David Thoreau

A Gothic Horror

We need a cosmic bypass to get around this monster trying to get its incisors into the collective hide. Apparently the empire is in such dire straits that the plutocracy is now turning on its own underlings to extract money by force. This is worse than taxation.

As I feared the recent election sent the party in power into overdrive, while the opposition sees ripening fields developing. Never mind that these crops are on the way to destitution.

Survival is beckoning. Pluto works on the gut and the attempted passage of the extortion device termed as "health care" heralds a visceral disagreement between the people and the keepers of the wealth. The commoners sense the scam. They're getting slightly jaded now. This is another one of their famous heists but things are going wrong. The thing is losing its grip and pushing the rhythm, revealing some clumsiness.

The United States' government is unwell. What company is going to cover that catastrophe? Just the idea of siphoning another mother lode from the workers into the plutocracy's coffers reveals how demented their mental process has become. I think power -- power over the vulnerable -- takes its toll in psychological well-being, or maybe the mental disturbance is a prerequisite.

And exercising power over the vulnerable is exactly how insurance companies operate. Their obligation is to their investors and that's who they must satisfy. And they do. At your expense. Your valuable sickness.

Health is the primary aspect of a well functioning productive system, which ours isn't. I'll explain some of the problems with this legislation, both practical and metaphysical.

First of all, the people can't afford it. A for-profit business is naturally going to keep prices as high as the market allows which is the reasoning behind a true government program. In a situation of abundant wealth the people could pay for and even might prefer privatized health care, but not here at this time. Collection would cause a headache of astronomical proportions, probably with no antidote. You can't imagine.

Many of you have insurance you can afford and it's sometimes hard to comprehend the plight of those who aren't poverty stricken, but just don't have the means to add thousands of dollars to their yearly expenses, especially with no jobs or with stagnant wages. People are losing a lot and their lives are in disarray, a bad time to take on this burden.

People still won't be insured. The public plan isn't good enough. And you will be paying the price of going after everyone instead of taking care of them.
Using the threat of fines and imprisonment as a means to force the population into purchasing a commercial product isn't a healthy attitude toward money and business.

Another problem is the belief in illness this arrangement perpetuates. We're told that health is exorbitantly costly to maintain and people buy that concept, feeling that pricey procedures and medicines are necessary. The country is not taught about wellness and little is done to encourage the state of health, something your potential caretakers don't want any part of, unless, of course, it's profitable. Hospitals exist on how many beds they fill, and things in a consumer's world can be overpriced. Competition for the fanciest technology bypasses many of the basics of healing. Placing your body on the alter of the system often creates more sickness. So many of their interferences are unnecessary.

And for me, the metaphysical reality is appealing. There are people among us who don't need insurance. They live well with their bodies and cure themselves. Some have a contract with circumstance that insures them against catastrophe and it's hard for many to accept that but it's real. Some take beautiful care of their physical selves and these selves respond in kind. They do better outside the system What would forcing them into a brutal organization do? These people hold the protoplasm for real heath and well-being. Of course there aren't many, but by disturbing them I think we run the risk as a collective of destroying our best chance at evolving toward a healthy society. Precious like.

Pluto doesn't tread lightly and the transit to USA Venus is going to the depths of her assets, her pursuit of the good things in life, her sensuality, her sexuality, her comfort and well being, and with Cancer, the seed of her insecurity.

Venus deals in pleasure. Exactly opposite is the pain and delicious intensity of Pluto now, but could we not learn our lessons with a reasonable amount of this, skirting total financial agony? Wouldn't illness be mitigated by loving ourselves including choosing who and what we want to be bonded to? Americans prefer freedom.
The sick and needy can be cared for. They already are. This bill has been causing nothing but pain so far and that, I'm afraid, is what would be ahead if passed. Fine kettle of fish for something called "health care".

Manufacturing a flourishing system would require some patience and discipline in avoiding desperation. And now we have the slow coming expertise of Saturn and Capricorn to utilize.
And time.

It's Official

It's Arts Week in Denver and the town is buzzing with creative events. Just in time with Saturn newly in Libra squaring the Capricorn business establishment. The city has Venus at 29 Sagittarius square Neptune at 29 Pisces so the place almost overflows with galleries, studios, theaters, and beautifully kept parks. The arts districts started with First Friday artwalks, then added third Fridays, then second, and now they're just artfully employed all the time. Personal studios grow like mushrooms.

Recently I was walking in one of my favorite neighborhoods when I got stopped in my tracks. I had wandered into some gorgeous music wafting from an Indian restaurant, quiet on a Sunday night. After I listened for awhile, I crossed the street and encountered more delectable sounds spilling from Chipotle. I rounded the corner and from inside Starbuck's, Frank Sinatra was singing One For My Baby, a song I love. Then came an old gospel tune, Peace in the Valley. I absorbed it all and started to think, "Is it just Venus in Libra or is it a coming trend?"

The next night I went downtown and the same thing happened. More exquisite music, including classical sounds in front of MacDonald's.
But last weekend topped it all. In the heart of the city on the pedestrian mall, workers were peacefully hand wrapping the trees in little gold and silver lights, while people sauntered by and pedicabs quietly wheeled through. It was wild to look up and see simian type creatures in the trees at night, even though they say now that we really haven't descended from the great apes. They looked comfortable.

Libra oversees this graceful part of experience and it would be wonderful if the arts took a swing upward and beauty in general increased in the marketplace. Libra-Capricorn creates the potential for that arrangement, and my town does have her moon in elegant Capricorn. I will contribute my share. Saturn is on my Mars in Libra after all square my own Capricorn Midheaven.

The Democrats Have Been Slipped a Mickey

Fair is Fair
Saturn in Libra

As paradise purged completely of Republicans fritters away before glazed Democratic eyes, reality is rearing its interesting head. They're not doing so good. There does seem to be a basic plus-minus balance as Saturn in Libra likes to point out seeking its goal of neutrality.

They actually seemed to believe that the ancient Republican Party was dead, never to be resurrected, while the dashing newcomer led the Good Party into permanent dominance, locking the miscreants into humiliation and imprisonment, unfortunately with progressively mounting glee.

Circumstance is proving otherwise. The intelligence of the system is always at work, no matter how dull humans pretend to be sometimes.

It's inconceivable to me how anyone with even a morsel of intelligence could actually believe that one-half of their fellow countrypeople would be left out of decision-making. Or that they'd really want that. What good does hating half the country do? Just in case a decision really has to be made, Libra notwithstanding.

The truth is, Pluto in Capricorn means restriction. The broad government programs of the Depression can't be created this time along with the staggering expense of two losing wars. The Democrats' high hopes of bailing out the system won't work. The lessons of restraint have to be learned and the more money is spent, the harder that education is. Increasingly, programs will have to be trimmed. The Republicans' aversion to reform and progress is also a hindrance, so neither party is well positioned to succeed currently. They're without a bubble.

I developed an unusual habit recently ... listening to conservative talk radio (not the sick and famous), along with a particular local nonpartisan show that's quite revealing. Ordinary people. I want to know what they're thinking, and it's surprising.

The right used to complain about liberals furiously, but their attention is turning elsewhere, although still concerned about socialism. The common Republicans are mostly talking about government spending and trying to figure out what to do. But then the moderates have always done that. I don't think they see Obama as important. They don't express much hatred, not even the more conservative.
The federal government in general as it stands now is not trusted. The issue that has united collective thinking is the bank bailouts. People of both parties are angry about the dominance of big business from what I hear them say.

The block politicians are after is the Independent one and it's growing. Republicans tell me they used to be "that way" but now they don't know. It coordinates with the Uranus in Aries years ahead when solutions to fit individual problems will be the ones pursued, breaking out of preordained patterns and shifting the puzzle parts in new directions. The 2010 elections are going to be very interesting as things get unpredictable and alignments get out of whack. Or in.

So I think the failure of both parties is a good thing as balance swings in to keep the group from passing out in delirium. The mickey will wear off so Democrats can come to their senses and face the fact that they aren't the ones to fix it quick and keep their omnipotence intact. They're getting knocked about like the Republicans did, while the people scratch their heads and wonder who's going to take care of business. It might very well take an interesting twist in the next few years as the elected ones get used to the changing reality and the partisan breakdown.

Now is a time voters are feeling the urge to disengage from rigid programmed loyalties, with the help of Uranus breaking boundaries in every direction with more to come. They're moving toward policy and maybe less personality attachment, Uranus being unsentimental

Maybe the next Jupiter-Neptune conjunction coupled with the wild Sagittarius season will, in time, lead to a reality potion to replace the mickey the overworked Democrats unwittingly swallowed. Soaring hopes might increase again, but a reasonable amount of that intoxicant would work well as the bread of reality gets a taste, and both political parties accept their limitations.

Where's Daddy?

Out in the workshop? Upstairs? At work? Killing people in a faraway desert? In Ithaca? Who's going to take care of me?

Within the mind bending, body wrenching whirls of the Hellthcare storm are some perplexing puzzles. All year the south node transiting Cancer is around to remind people of the problem of insecurity. Interesting that last Thursday, in the throes of the commotion, the node hit USA Mercury starting its journey across the four needy planets. Pluto is coming in from the other end, and Daddy waits opposite to see how the family fares.

Could it be that the government won't be there for the ordinary as hoped? The tendency might be to perceive the authorities as enemies, but that's also an exaggeration, and chancy, considering that one needs a ruling body.

Is the government trying to help or hurt its charges? Certainly Thursday made the confusion of that question apparent. I think people might not ever figure that out, and so, could ideally be more self reliant. A by-pass at zero cost.

But alternatively.....

Maybe the force of the system pulling people in would influence them to have more stake in fixing it. Pluto in Capricorn is bound to put the squeeze on and could conceivably create a more interested populace, should they get stuck. It could work many ways.

The ruling elites do take care of countless details that allow the ever hungry masses to survive in their large aggregates, unable to suck out their own oil or cut down their trees for dwellings anymore. Their food must be wrapped in plastic and labeled with colorful machine manufactured pictures. Their bodies require automobiles. The governments takes care of shipping most of their goods -- tea from China, cocktail umbrellas from Taiwan, elephant tusks from Africa -- all life's necessities. They pave their roads and mastermind their wars. People depend on them and trust is required to avoid the insanity of terror. All of it hums along until something strikes. Now that economic hard times have arrived, people are naturally worried about how they'll be cared for.

Who's responsible for whom? It seems like parents should be the ones since they made us, but they pass off the job to the authorities, who often are derelict in their fatherly duties. Do they care? Should they?

With whom do we sign the contract that says we'll be seen safely from our births to our deaths? Is it signed in blood or will a peacock's quill dipped in turquoise ink do the job?

Due to the limitations of my artist's budget along with my dislike of the medical industry, I work with my body as it heals itself, and I create and maintain the conditions for it to do that the best I can. I think often about the large task of care-taking, and the necessity of assuming that job myself when life requires it. And the freedom that approach provides. It's interesting how circumstance will bend to that arrangement. Will is plastic, I think.

But who can tell? Maybe the government will kick in and be a good parent. With four planets in Cancer the country could use one. Maybe Pluto in Capricorn has one.

Enter Uranus in Aries.

The puzzle of where Father is always baffles, but some answers might pop up while Pluto, the researcher, goes into the authorities' territory (Capricorn) with ruling Saturn about, and then the biggest Daddy of them all comes in sideways .... Uranus. The daddy of the heavens, and not known for possessing a sympathetic nature. That's a lot of daddy.

At 0 Capricorn, the commoners are being slapped into submission. It can be rough. But the system will eventually get down and get it too. It wants it. Whatever trouble comes riding in would enter anyway, so it really doesn't matter who does what to whom, although a pound of flesh to the pending care-takers of our bodies is pricey. It's no one's fault, deals are two-sided, or more, but raging at the system is sometimes helpful. Standing up to the $^%#F967! It's natural to get mad at a bad dad. If you can locate him.

Twists, Turns, and Dips on the Garden Path

People who like to avoid uncomfortable realities are, of course, free to do that. We need reminders of ideal worlds. But coming up soon I think choices will have to be made by those who sincerely want change to a better society.
First the trouble must be seen and Saturn-Pluto with the miner's lantern is taking off on a downward journey for a thorough investigation. Interested parties will have a lot to observe. An uncompromising view could be enlightening and at best, might lead the way to influential action.

Some prefer the surface pretties, and I agree, they can be wonderfully pleasant. Others feel great relief when they discover Pluto's secrets, as dark, mysterious, and disturbing as they might be.
The top 1% of the American population is now in control of 90% of the country's wealth and is still sucking more. This is a problem. A big one. Our nations are led by criminals. People don't trust life so they've selected these hard corrosive humans to protect them. The trouble is, the leaders have become a threat in and of themselves, and the real dangers have become obtuse and unrecognizable.

Speaking of gardens, within Hades lie the Elysian Fields, and the primrose path lovers could find a garden they never imagined if they were brave enough to go down, pay the boatman, and cross the river leaving behind whatever is hindering access to the deepest treasures available.

I associate Scorpio with honesty, a very strange phenomenon that can't be explained and often can't be deciphered, especially in ourselves. Yet humans crave it, and of course, fear it. We have a million reasons to cover up the naked truth and most of the time that's necessary, but in this Scorpio season with Saturn coming to square Pluto, a fine opportunity has come to strip the pretense. If people are afraid that removing the facade might be too much for others, it probably wouldn't be if we trusted them and gave them the benefit of our overwhelming doubt. And thankfully, Saturn in Libra infuses the ugly realities with grace and beauty as they slowly reveal themselves, along with providing useful equilibrium. A good combination.

Our financial systems are based on trust (Scorpio) and betrayal ensures downfall. Boy howdy, do insurance companies know this. Your Public Option has been a game from the beginning and a fantastic example of the marketing manipulation that defines modern day politics. And who started it? Everyone. And what is it? No one knows. It really isn't real. Yet it's become the cornerstone of existence and the sole object of hope's pin.

This thing has has turned into a magnificent gift from the universe and here you are on your knees. By the time it's played with and pulled apart there'll be nothing left of the mighty toy. Then you can get up off your knees, hopefully before they'll have to be replaced. Knees aren't designed to take that kind of wear and at $80,000 a pop, I can't afford your replacement surgeries.

It's interesting as I listen to ordinary Americans around the country. Their question is, "What exactly is it?" And a great question it is.
"Does this bill mean it would be illegal not to buy insurance?"
I can answer that.
"Yes."

So Pluto, Saturn, and Venus are playing magic tricks with a commodity beyond the senses, unknown to everyone, yet desired by almost all, more and more as it becomes out of reach. If only they knew where to grasp. Honesty and trust are peeking in and out, waiting for buyers. What on earth does this Public Option represent? What we can't have? What we shouldn't have? What we really don't want after all? What we really don't need. How much do we have to pay for what we desire and who possesses it? And what in heaven's name do we truly want? People will be all right no matter what, and desperation is often misplaced. Don't let Pluto and Saturn fool you. Even they aren't getting along. And somewhere intelligence hums.

Perhaps it's on the primrose path. But I do have a question for the followers of light, love, and harmony. Are we going to continue to talk about peace while scattering body parts all over the Middle East and Asia nonstop? Are you going to continue on the garden path sidestepping or leaping over the dead bodies? Are you going to try and try to be "positive" so people will like you? Central Lockup is going to burst at the seams soon with the trapped negatives rounded up and incarcerated. Things need to be discussed in depth and at length with an eye toward knowledge and even justice. The fact of the matter is, whodunnit is not that much of a mystery.

The hardest kernel of dishonesty to face is the belief that the 1% are the guilty ones, and that you are completely innocent. It's not even some Senator or a member of a bad political party who dunnit. The whole collective is in on it. We all created this monster called the Public Option in the season of spooks and goblins. A symbol of our confusion and delusion. Now they can't decide whether to opt in or out. Kind of like a belly button. It's genuine madness. I might join you on the garden path if this keeps up.

Anxiety Medicine: Take When Needed

Crisis in the 29th Degree

Virgo is the sign of worry and at the critical 29th degree, you have plenty. Alongside that is the Scorpio season adding emphasis to all things Plutonian. Some people are anxious about the future. Virgo affects the nervous system.

I have a theory about the 29th degree of Pisces, the start of the invasion of Iraq. It seems that when planets transit this mutable point (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), an unpleasant reminder of the USA's disastrous war effort comes back, and certainly yesterday was no exception with the major bombing in Baghdad. Saturn square the war's Sun says something about ego. Operation Iraqi Freedom is long over. I think this lump is hanging around, kind of in suspension. This persistent stain at 29 Virgo. "Why won't it go somewhere?" one might ask. "Who did what wrong? Why can't I get it out? Who's in charge? What's happening?"

Disease and Symbolism

Disease is necessary to the maintenance of living systems. All the cures mankind creates only reroute illness in its assumption of new forms. Sickness strengthens weakness so the organism can survive. It also leads the conscious mind to an understanding of the psyche and the emotional patterns and harmful behaviors beneath the surface contributing to life's hardships.

Some say that widespread illnesses started with the domestication of animals and the clustering of humans in large groups. Metaphysically, communicable diseases represent group belonging dilemmas, protection, freedom of thought ... things like that. Why do we take on someone else's illness? Why do we give it to others? What are we trying to share? How much should we share and where must we draw the line?
The diseases of the era teach humanity what needs correction in the collective body alongside the clearing process and maintenance of the species' vitality. The latest, the swine flu, was declared especially important on this 29th degree. Could the animals be trying to communicate something? I noticed where people are reluctant to even mention the creature connected with this one, preferring the letters and numbers. Not like the avian flu which rolled off many tongues with joy. Granted. Pigs aren't pretty.

"Before we can begin to glimpse the deeper spiritual reality behind swine flu, we need to take a moment to try and understand what the pig symbolizes. I think most people are familiar with the negative aspects of the pig symbolism: gluttony and greed, for example. Not as many are familiar with the strengths of pig symbolism, like forward movement, digging deep, and uprooting useless things."
Dr. Antonia M:The Spiritual Reality Behind Swine Flu

Dr. M. makes a lot of sense. It's no mistake that the piggy banks revealed the full range of their gluttony at this time, too, all in the prep for Pluto opposite USA Venus and Jupiter. The people are getting hints and starting to exercise frugality, but those at the top are going to be late coming to the game. Don't worry about that one. She makes a good point about the pig uprooting useless things. An excellent example of Pluto to Venus.

I also got to thinking about our relationship with animals and the horrific practices we're engaged in now in an attempt to feed this voracious human population. Perhaps it's the animals trying to balance things out, and ideally, we could develop a fair relationship with the so-called lower citizens of our kingdom. It seems hominids still have to learn how to eat.

~"Beneath the skin of this surface layer there is the issue of human beings' destructive habit of overconsumption. We over consume just about everything. Now, where meat is concerned, our overconsumption creates imbalances on many fronts: our health and the ecology, for example. The meat industry's negative impact on the environment (not to mention our bodies with the pesticides and hormones) is significantly greater than all our anti-green habits.

~It’s no coincidence that swine flu is manifesting now along side global economic turbulence. The pig, or I should say a healthy pig, is a symbol of prosperity and abundance. A pig with the flu is trying to tell us something about our economic health.
The pig is a social animal. So it’s not just a message for world leaders. We as a community have to be responsible for our own economic balance, for balance in our lifestyles."

The question remains, "Is any of this impacting the collective subconscious in a measurable way? Or is the knowledge already there just now surfacing through the swine flu?" I think everyone gets the connection each time they hear the word, and it's going to be mentioned quite frequently up ahead, you can be sure.

"To an extent, Pig medicine path is also about boundaries. I think the presence of swine flu is a reminder that we have allowed our space to be invaded—mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, politically, financially. That’s what viruses do. They invade your space."

I agree, but it's not necessarily the invasion, I don't think, although protection is important to maintain. It's also what happens once they're in. Invasion seems to come with the territory.
This fits the boundary making of Saturn, especially when the planets leave Pisces. Contrary to these times, unity and global whatever might not be the prescription then.
This is definitely food for thought and in terms of the 29th degree of fear, it can serve to relax the mind about the reasons for disasters and at the same time give clues about how to accept their inevitability, resting in the knowledge that you've survived everything so far.

The moment also puts the Hellth Care debacle into perspective. It's not going to solve much in the big picture and the big one is much more interesting, I find. It's stimulating to ponder the possibilities beyond appearances, and far beyond the personalities on the main stage. In some ways, the slaughter in Iraq reminds me of our animal killing, along with our other wars for commodities, and I'm convinced that all these phenomena are tied together occurring simultaneously as they did at 29 Virgo. The wisdom of the pig is as great, but no greater than ours. It's time to share, it looks like. And take our medicine.

An Informative Preface

It's a good time to take a moment and a satisfying breath, while considering the development of some reasoning power as Saturn crosses into Libra. Before I post my next article I'm linking you to some interesting discussions of the health care predicament.

On second thought ... to hell with it. I'm taking a break in the stacks, leaving you with my favorite quote on the matter from Physicians for a National Health Program:

"What is the worst that could happen?

The second worst is that the final bill could be defeated and everyone would walk away with yet another failed attempt at reform. (Everyone would understand that very soon we would have to return to start over since the status quo is totally unacceptable.)

The very worst is that this bill could pass and everyone would walk away insisting that we have successfully reformed health care when all we have done is to establish an unnecessary and unethical ten-year long experiment that will cause financial hardship, physical suffering and even death – adverse outcomes that could be prevented with reform based on policy evidence rather than markets."

The Source

After dispensing I can't remember how many billions to help out the banks that were failing due to corruption, we're now getting the results. They've continued exactly as before, actually getting more profitable. And soon the next wave of housing troubles will be foreclosing in. Then who knows what? If I were a soothsayer I would say, but I'm not. I'm banking on some unknown trust fund.

Whose fault is it? This country has been dirty dealing from the beginning and everyone pays the piper. Such is the way of Pluto coming to USA Venus and Jupiter in an avalanche, a volcano of sensation. Pluto, the great magician, is just getting down to business, and he has a plan. The bankers are the symbols of collective untamed desire, tricks, nefarious deals, and all the underhanded means of accruing wealth that have been going on forever in all strata of society.

Pluto also guides people to sources of riches invisible to those overfilling the material vaults. There are tests for the interested. The trials often demand loss, at first, to make room. Our bills due are strange things and money is odd. "In God We Trust," our money says. Well I do sometimes.

Bonuses, bottom lines, profits, losses, assets, liabilities, billions, trillions -- what are they, really? How much is enough? If an individual knows that does it matter how much anyone else has?
It's weird. When people steal from me I always figure they need it more than I do, and that they carry some suffering I wouldn't want. And I walked into it. Being able to eliminate, to take it or leave it, the freedom to be with or without, could be the greatest of riches. Who or what truly takes care of us? Beneath the ravaging, the earth still renews and provides.

I think the sun, the moon, and the stars beamed down to humanity through gold and silver as a reminder of other sources of wealth. It's almost too much.

Suckers and Thieves

Uranus, Neptune, and the Body Politic

The dissonance of the Nobel Prize is minor compared to that of the ersatz health care reform. For several years I've heard the crowd's agonized scream (loud, too) about the domination, corruption, and overall evil of today's business corporations. And now their hearts are bursting with joy - warmth spilling on the floors, walls, and ceilings - as the government attempts to force them into bondage to one of the biggest corporate conglomerates of them all -- the insurance companies. Now that's dissonance in lieu of labeling it insanity, if I were frank.

Pluto, Scorpio, and the eighth house ... insurance companies. It does make sense doesn't it? The insurance industry and the medical establishment (Capricorn) are two of the largest financial contributors to politicians' campaigns and law-making. The office holders won't defy them. Not now. Pluto at zero Capricorn is too early for the system to falter and the squeeze is just starting. They also need your votes and everything they're doing is geared to that goal. It's what's called being played. You.

There never was going to be a public plan and if there is one, I'd expect a fake. The president told you that in the beginning. It's easy to read between his lines. You already got suckered into bailing out Wall Street and look what happened. Profits are soaring and even though your little funds might be growing, when the sell-off comes you'll be left holding the bag. An empty one.
The plutocracy is trying to save their organization, (Why not? With Pluto in Capricorn) or make a mighty profit on its downfall, and they are well known for their ruthlessness. The public is well known for its naivete.
But along with the dissonance of the Uranus-Neptune mutual reception is the other possibility -- the chance to gain an out of the ordinary awareness.

Forcing the entire nation to buy a commercial product tells the story perfectly. The profits dangling before the sellers are driving them nuts, not to mention all the kickbacks for the dealers.

Raising the cost of living this much for a sliding economy shedding jobs with no end in sight is cruel and unusual punishment. Well, Pluto in Capricorn can be like that. People would not be able to pay for these forced contracts and the amount of money trying to collect could be staggering. Who pays for it? You.

Say there's some "public option" now that they've given divinity to the phrase prodding you to believe it's a glorious gift of mercy. Just wait till you try and get it. The cost of administering such a plan would be astronomical. Who pays for it? You. And who qualifies? Not you, most likely.

A large part of doctors' payroll is spent trying to collect from insurance companies who play a hard game. With so many added clients, doctors will have to increase their staffs and raise their fees. Who pays for it? You.

A plan to regulate the companies is being discussed. The cost would be, well a lot, trying to monitor their actions. Who pays for it? You.

You can pay to hand your body to a business. Or you can pay the penalty. Pay the government for being alive. You have options.

All this in a failed economy that even the escalated wars might not remedy. It could, theoretically, make you sick, raising the expenditure that much more.

A problem with one party rule is the desperation with which the ruling party fights to keep its power. The frustration of the outsiders fuels the conflict and the fine art of cooperation and compromise remains pretty much out of reach. Funny how this bill is barreling through just before the midterms, and even funnier is how it wouldn't take effect until 2013, just after the current president hopes to get re-elected, just in case it doesn't do too well. A more balanced legislature after the next election would help.

Saturn in Libra square Capricorn holds potential for good debate and law-making. Excellent possibilities. Would that some of it would be dispensed. It takes taking time. And honestly entertaining the thought that your opponent might be right. And respecting facts. And keeping personal feelings within control and functional. The square deal. And not terrifically sentimental. Logical. Above the belt.

Saturn is approaching the critical 29th degree and the Virgo fix would like to be applied. But what fix exactly? It's good to keep in mind that Saturn returns to Virgo next spring for a last ditch something or other. With so much Pisces around chaos seems to be the way to go. So the fix is really unknown at present. I'll try and fix something by spring.

Anyway, it's maddening. If I were you, I'd be discerning and pay strict attention. Watch thy money. Heal thyself as much as possible. If I were me, I'd pay strict attention. I'm glad I'm not a thief.

The Veil Gets Thinner

Neptune, Uranus, and Cognitive Dissonance

"Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The 'ideas' or 'cognitions' in question may include attitudes and beliefs, the awareness of one's behavior, and facts. The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors."

Like so many others, when the winner of this year's Nobel Prize was announced I did a double take. I thought it was a hoax. Then I realized it was the perfect sham. Well done.
When NPR read the two top news headlines of the day, they were, "Obama Wins Nobel Prize for Peace," and "Obama Meets With Military Advisor to Discuss Escalation of War in Afghanistan."
That's pretty dissonant. The scramble to justify the award tells the whole tale. But within the lapse of sanity is the opportunity to understand more of what's happening to the collective mind.

I won't go into the many details of why this is so ludicrous, but I will relate the event to current astrological configurations at work. My first instinct told me it had something to do with the Uranus-Neptune mutual reception, and yes, they are both stationing at 22/23 degrees and when they go direct, Jupiter will conjoin Neptune again for a continuing look at the mental breakdown of society, the delusions of hero worship, and the bipolar journey between hope and despair that is marking the path to the cardinal transits ahead. It's no mistake that yet another "speech" is scheduled on the next conjunction. Probably the end-all be-all speech of all time. But it's all in the game. As much as people want to continue the fantasy, it will probably go soon. Pluto, Uranus, and Saturn are not the stuff of Hallmark cards.

Uranus is unsentimental insight and dry intellect. Neptune is emotional flooding often divergent from reality. The two have been bumping and grinding for years affecting humanity's perceptions. With this station people are sensing the discord and starting to doubt the authenticity of the peacemaker's words, especially with two wars going, one heating up further with expressed excitement. People are trapped. Anyone but Bush has become no one but Obama. There is underlying panic since they don't know whether or not to trust him. They might never know. The smartest thing if one is interested in psychological growth is to recognize the flaws, both in ourselves and out there, considering that the exacting perfectionist Saturn is coming to town, not to overlook the years of Pluto in Capricorn. A stellar opportunity for self improvement.

Let's take a look at Obama's chart to see why he fits this puzzle so perfectly.

An outstanding connection is the elevated Neptune (illusions) in the 9th house of religion square Jupiter (religion) in the 12th (spirituality), and the Sun (leadership). The strong emotional nature of Neptune in Scorpio indicates a dominant desire to be a religious leader. He fashions himself as a sort of global guru, jetting around his kingdom in luxury (Leo), being entertained lavishly by royalty worldwide. Unfortunately, Saturn retrograde in the 12th delays spiritual attainment until later in life, and even though he might achieve that one day, he's not ready now. At this point he lacks Saturnian substance and cannot be taken seriously. He's the American Idol. A magazine cover figure, a playboy among the ultra wealthy, complete with photo shoots at exotic sacred sites. So this is another opportunity for the nation to understand herself and why she got into this particular predicament.

Adding to the illusion is transiting Neptune in his first house soon to oppose his chart ruler, Uranus. He is the Grand Illusion Incarnate clouding the clear view continuously. "Let me be clear," he pleads over and over. Increasing insecurity is nudging people to question the wisdom of following blindly. The award makes no sense and the attempt to prove otherwise has proven to be difficult if not impossible. It really is absurd. That's the good part.

Mercury square Neptune also inflated by Jupiter points to the mesmerizing use of words. Evasions, persuasions, and even departures from fact. This repeats our own country's Mars in Gemini square Neptune providing another opportunity to see. Can we ever be honest? Can we cease being trite?

A further factor is the moon at the foundation of his chart square Pluto, a deep point of insecurity and need. Pluto rules his 10th house and the parental axis is highlighted in all that he does. He demands that we the people give him the attention he never got. It can be inexhaustible and exhausting. Even The Prize won't do it.

This repeats our own Pluto opposite Cancerian Venus going on now and is again repeated in the 29 Scorpio moon (the public) of the inaugural chart square the executive. With the Plutonian factor there's an element of bondage, but freedom from that is a valuable goal. By the time this winds down I expect the citizens to recognize the problem somewhat so they can move forward and take a serious look at leadership, possibly a more conscious one, when Pluto opposes USA Sun square Saturn.

Then there's the looming hidden Saturn retrograde in Capricorn in the 12th. Here's where the so-called honor of this prestigious award gets interesting.

With this placement the individual wants to be accepted by the wealthy establishment and now he's apparently attained that wish. Unhappily for him, he actually hasn't. Again, too soon. Saturn in Capricorn especially has to earn recognition through extensive sustained effort. They're playing with him. Puppies everywhere. He might awaken from his fairy tale, he might not. He might do well. It matters not. What matters is how society uses this bounty of knowledge.

So in the end I think the award was not really an honor, but more of a humiliation and exposure of the superficiality of our culture. A cosmic mockery, both of the recipient and of the traditional institution as Pluto in Capricorn reveals the errors of the status quo. We suddenly believe we are redeemed after wreaking economic havoc on the world with still no attempt to fix it? After invading a virtually unarmed country and now stepping up a war for profit in another poor country? Dangerously meddling in South America? With instant milk we're cradled in the breast of comfort again?
The most beneficial aspect, I think, is the reaction of outrage as a preliminary step to acquiring strength and energy for the cardinal years. It seems like every event is creating rage and division these days. Exactly as it should be, in my view. Saturn, Uranus, Pluto, Aries, and Capricorn are not exactly a historic walk in an impressionistic flower garden.

What Can We Do?

Proceed with the weaning. The prize itself is unimportant, and so is the man ultimately. Some tremble in anticipation of the future, some welcome falling axes and opportunities to triumph, pushing on to greater achievements. Taking a good look at what's behind the thinning veil appeals to me since the invitation to advance comes with it. And banking on our real assets.
Photo:enypniastes eximia:sea cucumber

Multidimensional Evolution

Several days ago I noticed the waxing moon beside Jupiter in the night sky, ancient, steady, and beautiful. I like contemplating the systems of the universe in their perfection including life on earth. People might not like the eruptions, disruptions, and general discomforts of experience but one thing leads to another in a sequence that ultimately works.

All creatures feel fear. Those of us in the animal kingdom are destined to live a natural life and die successfully with all the facets that make up the challenges of surviving. The demands of sustaining the body and the fear of predators are part of the situation.
It isn't about politicians, nor anyone for that matter. Nor is it about a sudden shift in collective consciousness. It isn't even about good versus bad. It's simply about systems doing what they must in order to continue. The earth changes in a steady rhythm and all living things adjust. I think this is what might be called evolution.

Evolution can go in many directions. Sometimes it moves forward and sometimes it retrogrades seemingly undoing progress. Humans can't perceive the overall stages being caught inside the mechanism.

The biggest mistake this so called advanced creature makes is assuming s*he is solely responsible for the changes on the planet and the development of social and political organization. This is, of course, inaccurate. Human systems are an infinitesimal part of universal ones and governance so far is beyond our comprehension, intelligent as we might think we are as a species. What people might perceive as wrong now will turn out to be right in the end. It has to.

I've come to the conclusion that there is an intrinsic intelligence in systems that oversees their proper functioning. Even their demise is nourishment for new ones better adapted to changing conditions. Now the cosmic plumber and drainage specialist, Pluto, has arrived to clear the passageway for the next dimension awaiting this doing breathing organism. It's wise to remember that the time preceding a planetary return is an ending. The wrap.

The Weaning

233 years ago Pluto was concluding its transit of Capricorn when the newborn American country separated from her mother, and now that Pluto is returning, the urge to do it again has surfaced, steadily gaining strength. The weaning procedure is in motion with the moon's south node in Cancer and Pluto just beginning the revealing journey opposite the four USA Cancer planets. Accompanying the initiation is a pervading sense of insecurity, not surprisingly. But I also feel an accompanying confidence, necessary to prevail in tougher times, an aspect of Capricorn.

With the economy shrinking, the earth heating, wars threatening, and the absence of leadership becoming more apparent every day, one can see that no one knows what to do. This is favorable, as the country begins her weaning in earnest. There'll be no sudden radical shift, I don't think, but likely a gradual motion, forward, backward, and sideways, as systems struggle to continue, just like the planets. The planets give us a great clue as they move in their multi directional paths. Magnetic forces keep them all in order as they probably will do for us. The magnetism of Pluto together with the structure of Capricorn indicates that they will.

Bush and Obama - the same coin.
People had hoped to leave the past behind and go on with a reborn country free from the previous pain but circumstance has taught otherwise. The former president and the present one are linked for good reason.

On November 2, 2004, Saturn was retrograde at 27 Cancer, exactly opposite USA Pluto. The Moon was in Cancer as well. Naturally, Bush was re-elected with this backward clinging configuration. He also has natal Saturn in Cancer in the 12th at 26, the ultimate in a lesson born of the parental axis. He represented the Cancer parent. Security was the basis of his administration.

Obama has Saturn in Capricorn in the 12th at 25 conjunct US Pluto, the fatherly figure, just as problematic for this dependent country that rejects maturity so soundly. Responsibility is his main point, but he, himself, is not exhibiting the trait. 12th house Saturns often indicate failure in mundane reality, and this is the ticket to the country's recognition of her own overall failures coming into focus with Pluto's return. You can see the start of defeat and humiliation, a necessary part of improvement.

The ideal solution to this puzzle is for independence to develop when the citizens stop waiting for someone to bail them out. The opposite of the Great Depression with Pluto in Cancer. The weakness of leadership, the inability of these parents to make it all better, only facilitate this growing up endeavor. All creatures have to leave the nest or den eventually. So this is why the people are slowly becoming more aware of the incompetent leadership they have. It ideally leads them to fend for themselves adequately, if not well. Anyone elected now would be in the same position.

We're in good shape, really, as the view of the current one comes into sharper focus. In fact it was recently pointed out that "he lies."

That cry was like a shot heard round the world, the quintessential example of the Saturn-Uranus opposition which was exact that night. An entire history of tradition was shattered in one shocking moment and I expect it will trigger an extended series of breaks with authority. The shot is still ringing.

It's as true as can be. Maybe the time has come for the children to peek out from behind the shield of fabrication. Take the recovery, for example. The people are being told the recession is over. Even if recovery is underway it will be so slow as to be imperceptible. The fact is, we're probably headed for a long period of harder times, and yet the people seem to be getting ready to acknowledge that fact. So the deceptions of the rulers might be growing less useful since the people need to pay their bills. If the parental figures can't do the job, something else will have to be done. Around the country, individuals are voicing genuine dissatisfaction with government and the weakness so obvious now is designed to eventually transfer strength and power to the country at large whatever path that takes. The system is top heavy. It has to adjust. It's physics. Dynamics.

Jupiter conjunct Uranus in Pisces

As fact and reality weave their way into daily life, Jupiter soon enters Pisces to meet up with Uranus in a grand finale before the two go on to Aries and the next Saturn-Uranus opposition. Disappointment with leadership is rising. Hope isn't always the remedy. Sometimes it is, sometimes not. It's always around, anyway.

Surrendering to what is, is a relief. The effort to shore up delusions can be exhausting and Pisces dissolves burdens if you let it. Giving in and up momentarily can lead to surprising satisfaction and a release of long held tension and breath. And giving up the idea that the good parent will be coming around the bend to save the day could pave the way for substantial administrators taking care of our country's business. Conceivably. Eventually.

The earth always warms before an ice age and that's probably what's happening now. Land masses move and water sources shift in dramatic ways during these events, and more quietly other times. Wildlife leaves when water and food sources dry up, but returns when conditions change. They die out when the time comes. The ecosystems are in continual flux and probably man's poisons are no greater than natural ones. Antidotes are always there, a requirement for system maintenance. Europe, once a part of a huge super continent, is now moving back to merge with Africa again. So the system we tiny creatures are a part of runs on its own with or without our said mastery. Apparently we're wanted so the earth will do with us what it will as it continues to evolve. Animals know what to do and so do we animals.

It's the same with our social and political systems. They adjust to changing circumstance and evolve accordingly, so the years ahead are probably going to take care of the collective and keep it thriving, speaking of parents. Human disasters are part of the system's way of surviving. The struggles are universal to all living things. And there's not much you can do. Except to do your best.

Beggars and Choosers

Seems like humans are always begging for something from someone - God, the government, the boss, Jupiter .... If only they knew who was in charge.

I guess with Pluto in Capricorn we're about to find out who cares and who doesn't, just how much mercy will be extended, and exactly how much we're on our own.

The people just spent millions and millions and millions of dollars hiring the current government and now they're on their knees begging for care and for Wall Street to stop stealing all their money. Where can they go for help? A quandary it is.

There's a lot to cover besides everyone's illness, and outer space is extending the populace a little preliminary course in realism, not greeted with joy considering the country's elevated Neptune. This Neptune is about to be crossed by Saturn, and fantasy will have to share the area with practicality for a little while. Fair's fair.

It's true that Pluto makes experience seem like a life or death situation, but it really isn't that fateful in the long run. And the long run is what we're in for considering the four Cancer planets. The wave of panic is really unnecessary other than to provide the temporary thrill of fear so many favor. I wish them an enjoyable frenzy.

The way I see it ... the public is a hyped up rag doll with its arms being pulled out by both parties vying for power and elections approaching. It's all in the game, and as usual, the people are playing their subservient role masterfully.

Rushing like a runaway truck on I81 is not good for your health. Expecting the government to suddenly turn benevolent borders on foolish. And obsessing with the phrase "public option" is idly filling time. Most people don't know what it really is and yet their lives depend on it suddenly. It could just as well be " pubic borazzmatazz." Such is the madness of Pluto, not to forget the 29 Scorpio moon of the inauguration. Group phrases provide something to get your tongue around, but probably won't pay your medical bills. And neither might their insurance plans. But it's more than nothing. I think.

Probably the best thing would be no health care until there could be good health care, if such a thing could materialize in that foggy place called the future. But if the forces demand a deal, you can expect the establishment to win at this stage of the game, if you think there's a contest. You can cry and beg all you want to, but as long as you keep paying for these people to do what they do, and voting for them, they will do it.

And so the team arrives at the Virgo-Pisces axis again. Are we healthy? Not particularly. Can we get healthy? Maybe some of us. Who's going to pay for it? Good question. Who's responsible for whom? Good question.

Sickness is big and remains a puzzle no matter what. When healing became controlled by profit people got entangled and now it's bigger than the sickness. A chicken for a cure got out of hand.

The fact is, you can get health care now. You won't expire without the public option, Pluto notwithstanding. You can enjoy what you have. You can eat well, exercise, and control exposure to painful stress in many cases. You can go to a naturopath. You can get poked by an acupuncturist at a very reasonable rate. You can clean the house and do some long awaited repairs with the end of Saturn in Virgo. In fact, you can organize your life. You can learn to like yourself despite the world's injustices. All things Virgo create health in a human and now is the perfect time to get it. It's your body. Baby.

Soon sickness will be prohibitive. Heh! That'll do it.
So it was designed all along.

A Closer Look With Thee

For all you serious astrology enthusiasts I have a treat. Remember the chart of the last presidential inauguration?
At first look, things were reported as good, if not excellent. The administration was going to do well, with love from the citizens and harmony in Congress. Change had arrived and hopes would be fulfilled.
If you'd like, come take another look at the chart with me to see why the administration is running into a bit of difficulty.

The Leo-Capricorn Quincunx

Leo and the sun represent autocratic rule with charisma, warmth, and ego as the path to arousing people's obedience. It can be oppressive and dictatorial sometimes. An outstanding figure leading the way marks this approach. Capricorn and Saturn rely on a system with management and division of labor, with cool, more aloof executive control. It can be democratic and just, or it, too, can be oppressive. Together they can create the best in political leadership, but sometimes there's a conflict between the two styles when they appear together in a chart.

At first look, the spectacular Aquarius stellium in the 10th house stands out indicating great popularity and good fortune. However, Sun-Jupiter in Aquarius is not always so benevolent. Aquarius is a fixed sign that can be dictatorial and Sun-Jupiter can be grandiose and demanding. Neptune can equal confusion and deceit as well as inspirational leadership, and the north node offers much but is often hard to access. The potential is great in this stellium, but a further look at the chart complicates matters.

Sun-Jupiter in the 10th leans toward the solar type of governance, the 10th being how it appears to the public. But behind the front layer, entirely different forces can be at work. The Moon at 29 Scorpio, as potent as it is, could dominate much of the chart with magnetic emotional strength, enough to hold down the airy hopes for happiness somewhat.

This moon could be the ultimate in transition, or it could be a tangle of manipulation and power games. Because it doesn't appear to be time yet for radical reform, it seems likely that some of the troublesome tendencies might emerge. In the 7th house of relationships and open enemies, the moon points to personal difficulties, which can be extreme at times under the influence of Scorpio. The enemies are just as much internal as without. The moon as significator of the public can also mean differences between the people and the executive, with the square to the 10th house stellium.

Here's where it starts to get interesting. There is no planet below the horizon but Saturn and this gives particular gravity to the heavy, exacting, sometimes dour entity. It's in a grand earth trine which is excellent for practical work, but just how much gets accomplished could be in question.
Saturn is in opposition to Venus-Uranus in Pisces in the 11th house, and if you use this as the significator of Congress, you can see the chaotic potential with the legislative body opposing the executive Saturn and dissolving what it does. Uranus also disposits the Aquarian stellium showing further frittering of executive intentions.

It's as if the stellium is bound in the administrative office behind the opposition. The ruling Uranus of the 10th house planets opposing the ruler of the 10th means that the administration is in a tug of war with itself, a perfect symbol of the times as the entire system struggles to evolve.

Using the technique of beginning and ending planets, the arrangement is enhanced even more. The chart starts with solid Saturn in Virgo set to get organized and right to work, but it ends with Uranus in Pisces, possibly undoing what's been done. Of course, it starts all over again with Saturn, so something gets accomplished in the cycle by happenstance.

Of further interest is the repeat of the quincunx. Capricorn Saturn, the ruler of the Capricorn 10th, is in the Leo 5th house. This Saturn forms a mutual reception with the sun, ruler of 5th, in the Capricorn 10th. Saturn is also quincunx Neptune from the 5th to the 10th. The ruler of intercepted Virgo in the 5th, Mercury, is right back up there in the 10th. And lastly, the south node is in Leo.

So you can see the repeats, and when there are this many, I pay attention.

Saturn in the 5th darkens the solar light, and even though the main figure is a Leonine star-power type, there are barriers to the expression of this quality as it butts against the system. The flare is dimming now as the south node leaves Leo. The conflict between the theatrical approach to leadership versus the Saturnian cold executive one is on, and now that the node is leaving with the north entering Capricorn and Pluto turning, some more cooling could come.

The heat and charm can be effective in melting the ossified walls of the establishment but only to a point. The dampening effect of the Saturn 5th is useful ballast as the superficial celebrity approach to administration is ideally replaced with a more substantial one including some humility, important to Saturn in Virgo.

Then there's the south node in the 4th, alone with Saturn in the lower chart. The node there can act as an undertow, pulling the planets in the 10th from full actualization. The ruler of that 4th is the 29 Scorpio moon, so the chart is undermined by dense emotional dilemmas hard to get to and potentially keeping the administration from the success it would like to achieve. On the other hand, the tense energy could stimulate accomplishment, but with Pluto opposite USA Venus, emotional troubles - personal frustrations - look to be problematic for the next year or so. Whether you like or dislike someone is moot in ways, as people might discover.

Pluto to Venus is an important passage for the United States, and the Scorpio 7th moon is an exact repeat of the basics ... Venus (7th), Cancer (moon), and Pluto (Scorpio).
Why are we in such relationship and economic pain? Why can't we get along? Why do we have to keep killing people (Pluto) around the world to get what we want (Venus)? Why can't we engage in fair exchange? It's keeping us from getting healthy and the battle now concerning health care is symbolic of the personal struggles undermining well-being. Our economic decline is symbolic of a worldwide inequity when it comes to trade. So where does the cure start?

Blaming anyone is an exercise in uselessness when you see the reality in the chart. It would happen anyway. The troubles are needed for directional purposes and to arouse real desire for change. The partisan hatred will continue to make progress difficult and the Pluto transit to emotionally immature Venus in Cancer will likely reveal the country's fundamental unhappiness, ideally to bring about change in the people, themselves, to reflect in the leadership later on. One solution is to keep some of the hate in privacy, out of circulation. The child expresses feelings without restraint, but the adult learns discipline in public for the greater good of the whole.

Saturn will be making a beautiful trine in Libra to the Aquarian stellium for the next few years and there is potential in that aspect, but Pluto and Mars in Capricorn, hitherto not bothered, will be getting the squares. Still, the trine should ease some of the discomfort.

With the north node entering Capricorn, a partial solution to the problems would be a more sober, cool, and calculated approach with shared responsibility. The dramatic players would do well to heed the Saturn 5th and tone down the antics in the spotlight. It's happening anyway. But circumstance is going to complicate matters when Mars goes retrograde in Leo. The plan for the charismatic single person spearheading courageous change could successfully be replaced with that of a reasonable attempt at just keeping the thing from completely falling apart at this point with Uranus in Pisces and Jupiter coming. The overall undoing of Pisces is an ongoing situation and it might need to find realization before it departs. Success might be an acceptance of failure in many ways, with tangible success following when the time ripens. There's one good thing about reasonable expectations. You won't be especially disappointed.

Panic in Needle Park

That was the title of a movie I saw once about a ragged group of junkies who procured their fixes in a Brooklyn Park. The supply suddenly dried up and the film was an interesting view of the ways in which they survived.
Neptune equates with drugs and illusions, and the feeling now reminds me a little bit of that movie. The Hope & Change altered state has ended and people are suffering withdrawal with the accompanying panic that it might not return. The high was so expansive that the comedown was bound to be of similar great dimension, but there's more Jupiter-Neptune ahead with the chance to adjust to reality in stages.

Anyone occupying the White House now would have been subject to this climate, and most likely would have handled it equally. It's not at all personal.

It was a thrill for some to revel in the new administration's magical powers and for awhile, it was relatively harmless. But the people are changing surprisingly fast and are preparing for future challenges, including an evaluation of their leadership sans the Hope & Change.

I've been listening to my local radio shows and oddly, the general public seems to be a little bit ahead of the blogosphere on this one. They like the president, but they have serious doubts about his chances of fixing the problems.

The diminishing hope is exactly on schedule, since expectations have to be cleared occasionally. The bare bones approach in Capricorn wants to do what's within capability with a guarantee of success.

People adjust to sudden sobriety in a variety of ways. Some are angry and blame anything. Others welcome the change and see the seeds of genuine optimism provided to replace the drug. Some couldn't care less. Most are a little worried, but have confidence that things will work out.

It can be difficult to comprehend the urges politicians have in their hunger for power, and Saturn-Pluto is the epitome of ambition. The panic they're experiencing now is loss of public support, without which, they lose their seat in the ring of power. They're nervous. Both parties are frowned upon out there. They seem to be showing their weakness. And Pluto is coming in.

All the politicians are bought (hired) by these corporations, and just like any business, they have to do what they're ordered to do by their bosses. But things are getting out of control. Or have gotten. With Pluto soon turning direct and heading for full Capricorn territory, the story is just beginning.

Alas, the bystanders are foregoing the fairy tale as Jupiter and Neptune separate, not the support of the president, of course. They still like him. Next year, as Jupiter and Uranus complete their work in Pisces, the initial panic should turn into acceptance and a new enthusiasm for reality. And the dealers will be out of work.

The Pitfalls of Prophecy

Eclipse at 29 Cancer

July 22nd they warned! Or heralded.

As you can see, nothing happened. Oh, some will insist that it's too subtle to perceive, and that's probably true, but most are looking for tangible signs. People have been acting as prophets since time immemorial, and whether they are shrieking on the street corner or pontificating on a book tour, I feel secure knowing that most everyone takes them in stride. These everyones always have an ear cocked just in case, but so far we've managed fairly well without benefit of prophetic services. Mostly people are seeking drama in a rather routine mundane existence. Not a whole lot happens, yet everything does.

Eclipses are one of many small events that make up human activity as it relates to the solar system. When things actually do happen they quickly drift into the semi-remembered land of the past. Even the ones that make history drift into the long continuum over time. Those hoping for cataclysmic events and sudden shifts are generally due for a letdown.

What drives these proclamations? Ego, of course. And that's what this eclipse is all about. The Sun (ego) in Cancer is kind of like a permanent eclipse and this moment exaggerated the condition. The result has been an agitated attempt to bolster the frightened entity, often leading to childish tantrums and screams for attention. The public nursery school at full tilt. Even the dogs were whining and shouting in the park yesterday, something they never do. Fierce protection of territory can also occur under Cancer's influence, and the difficult truth of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction - that world peace, harmony, and happiness are not here just now - is disheartening to some.

The personal reigns supreme with Cancer and we're just getting started. This particular eclipse is a lead-in to the next year and a half of the south node in Cancer offering a chance to stop and talk with the squirmy child and teach it reason, logic, and self control a-la the north node in Capricorn. It's also looks like a diminishing of overblown idol worship with the south leaving Leo and the darkening of the solar so perfectly timed.

On the other hand, some with less than outstanding egos had a chance to stick out a little more while the shiny ones got shadowed. It all evens out. The ordinarily overlooked can't take too much of the spotlight, but their contribution in rare moments is probably remembered in that expansive land of the past. Who can tell in this unpredictable world? They might even step out from the shadows a little bit more as time goes on and the Leo south node leaves the superdupers in the gold dust. It will be a fascinating Mars retrograde in Leo coming up, I guarantee that.

So the prophets cry. Even when catastrophes do occur, or merely unfortunate, upsetting, or slightly miserable events, they give way to the broader, deeper movement of humanity, which no one can perceive. Light and dark live side by side, kindly symbolized by the sun and moon. Granted they don't like to share the sky, they both have their slots, but overall, they get along. This eclipse was another fateful meeting of the two enhanced by the Cancer energy and south node in Leo just about to cross over. An eclipse of the sun is a temporary moon type darkness, usually with the attendant insecurity. A sort of cosmic dimmer. It makes me squint whether I'm looking at it or not.

As I mentioned earlier, the next years are scheduled to break habitual dependent behaviors in some and this event has been a harbinger of these potential movements. Leaving so-called secure caves for exposure to the outside can be daunting, but sometimes the urge to get out gets the best of you. You might see the cardinal signs leading the way. The fixed will probably require bulldozers.
There's real work to be done in society and the rewards of achievement and recognition beckon. Along with that journey out is the development of a viable ego that includes benefits for society as well as yourself.

So who has her hands clasping the light? Who's better than whom? Who makes these decisions? Some insist that the forces of evil in the universe must be eradicated. Conquered. Snuffed out. That's a tall order. Light doesn't kill the dark, really. Life is comparison and contrast. And who says that light isn't "evil"?

Deep in the ocean beneath the surface light there are hot spots known as thermal vents where unusual biological forms exist. There are giant worms who thrive way way down in the depths, and to them, light would be evil. They even have blood in their strange bodies very similar to ours. Together these forms live in a dark world that astonishes the imagination. In the ocean, and on the earth's surface, and probably in the heavens, you can witness horrors committed by the inhabitants, but it's all part of the chain that perpetuates the ecosystems. The octopus isn't such a nice guy.

Many nefarious acts are committed under cover of dark. But so are they done in the light. Evil was at home in paradise from the getgo.The forces of evil have a magical way of twisting and winding through everyone, and even though some seem to hold more, the quickest route to eradication, if you choose that road, is inside yourself. Lingering on others' "darkness" can even cause you to miss your own, the most important piece of the evil pie. You aren't going to be successful conquering it out there. I'll stake my silver on that claim.

The United States is in somewhat permanent eclipse with her Cancer stellium and her fear is spelled out in her astronomical military expenditure. We were born or live here for reasons connected to this destiny. The north node in Leo indicates a solid gold ego somewhere down the line but the process is a long one as the relationship is developed between these two great luminaries and people learn to love themselves with solar pride, while understanding that the other human levels of expression will have their time as well, including calamities, war, disease, and all manifestations of earthly existence. You live beside what you perceive as wrong while doing what's within your capabilities to make a better world if you want one. Neither side has any intention of going away and neither side wins. They share the universe and they teach. Your own fear of evil frequently is just a signal that you need more confidence. The night must be laughing to see little humans try to self-righteously use the dark as a weapon, mislabeling so consistently. The storm clouds too. And the worms in the vents. And, of course, the fantasy novelists. The fearfulness of the moon is a perfect complement to the confidence of the sun. Dark and Light are a match made in heaven.

It's another eclipse. One of so many. The Sun and Moon chuckle, sharing the joke.

Sustenance

Pluto in Capricorn Opposite Venus in cancer

"Taurus is generation, Scorpio is regeneration. The association of Scorpio with loss and death shows that the people are required to sacrifice personal desires in order to satisfy the demands of the society of which they are an integral part. Taurus represents food, possessions, and all that individuals incorporate in order to renew their bodies, while Scorpio represents the renunciation of pleasures, which enables an individual to become absorbed into a larger corporate body. Vegetables and animals must die before they are consumed by people. Analogously, people must slay their own greed and selfishness if they are to nourish the collective human organism. Pluto oversees this process of reduction to basic components in order for the pulverized material to be assimilated by the greater whole."
The Divine Astrologer: Marcia Moore and Mark Douglas

Pluto opposite Venus is the Taurus-Scorpio configuration, and as you can probably tell, in this country there is an imbalance. Unbalanced incorporation. If using the Sibly chart for the United States, the pattern is particularly prevalent. It's written in the nodal axis -- south node in the Taurean 2nd house, north node in the Plutonian 8th -- with Pluto repeating the pattern positioned in the 2nd, further emphasized by an opposition to Mercury, the planet of commerce, in the 8th. People are pirouetting on pins and needles awaiting the next few years as Pluto opposes Venus and Jupiter. Changes in economic behavior are anticipated and citizens are already responding.

On September 11, 2001, as you recall, the Trade Towers of America were destroyed and I took that to mean that her trade policies and economic habits were going down in some way eventually, and would have to be rebuilt.

On that day, the north node was in Cancer at 3 degrees, on US Venus. Mars was conjunct the south in Capricorn, indicating the demolition of the structure by explosion and fire.

Now the nodes are returning to the 3rd degree along with Pluto and an experience looks to be in store. The nation's material security is taking centerstage and in November of 2010, the south node will be on Venus exactly opposite Pluto at 3 degrees. With transiting Venus on a long retrograde in Scorpio at the time, the Taurus-Scorpio theme will be emphasized even more.

"Taurus and Scorpio are the two money signs. The former stands for individual resources, privately owned property, and income, while the latter stands for collective resources, public property, taxes, and investments. Earthy Taurus rules real estate and land, while fluid Scorpio has suzerainty over the ever fluctuating stock market."

The country was founded on principles of successful business and perpetual expansion. The development of the colonies was sponsored by companies who demanded a profit, and the colonists did anything they could in the new inhospitable land. They formed treaties with the Native Americans, then broke the agreements, settling on the Indians' revered hunting grounds, claiming their food supply. When they discovered the work load was too big they imported slaves. These practices turned into a similar foreign policy advocating plunder around the world, and now the growth of financial conglomerates (Pluto), unnaturally fast and too consolidated, threatens the organism as it snuffs out necessary cells in the form of small enterprise (Taurus). Rapid growth becomes a worshipped and followed deity, virtually impossible to reject.

Things in nature grow bigger, but forces of decay complement the procedure and prune when needed, so the environment matches the organisms and they can sustain a balanced system. Uncontrolled growth now is overcoming the smaller aggregates and necessary divisions, so I'm expecting the whole organism to speak as the corporate mass, headed by giant banks, comes to the showdown. Both are likely to survive, but ideally in a semblance of balance. Some big businesses share markets with small ones successfully, both benefiting through the arrangement.

It's pretty well established that the long period of expansion has now become one of contraction, and the excess is Pluto's job to remove. Unfortunately, some of the players in the game are reluctant to embrace the reality of "smaller" and are now growing yet larger in a wild overreaction. Government spending could also end up in this category. How they compromise with reality should prove interesting, especially with dry, controlling Saturn in Libra there at first between the two. Of course, Uranus in Aries is unpredictable, but it should provide the spark for action, both good and bad. Following Libra, Saturn goes into Scorpio forming a mutual reception with Pluto in Capricorn, which sounds interesting, and tense, with the thing turning in on itself. Some very serious business, I'd wager, with extremes meeting constraints head on. A real bind.

A concern is insurance companies (Pluto). How much will they dictate the way life is lived? How much constriction in general is required before the system adjusts? Where will the squeeze be? Who will apply the pressure? How tight will it get?

Taurus is "mine." Scorpio is "ours." What's yours is yours, what's mine is mine, and what we share is decided upon mutually with loyalty to the agreements. From the start, the country has broken trust. Taxation, with its creation of common shared resources, is like the devil magnified. Growth (Taurus) becomes excessive (Pluto), and destroys (Pluto) nature (Taurus). I find it interesting that the inauguration of the president is done on the Taurus-Scorpio axis. The cosmic entities are aligned with our education it seems. Or else they want our money.

I think with Venus conjunct Jupiter and Pluto in Capricorn, the country has both an overindulgent nature and a frugal one. Circumstance determines and the people are moving surprisingly fast by spending more sensibly and saving for the first time in years. This presents a problem in the short term as consumer spending shrinks, but eventually markets and correct finances find each other. It looks like the populace is quick to react which is good for survival. Upheavals can be expected when Pluto is involved, but the intensity varies.
The question of war for profit is a thorny one...

"The Taurean avidity to accumulate material goods can lead to Scorpionic jealously and covetousness on the part of the have-nots of the world. Most wars, inquisitions, and persecutions have been thinly deprived efforts to deprive people of their property. War strips away possessions through taxes, bombing, and deliberate destruction of homes and belongings, even to the point of doing away with man's first and foremost possession -- his body."

Governments are in business, largely dealing in war supplies and drugs. This Plutonian arrangement leads to a world of high crime, creating fear among the people, but they'd be afraid anyway. In and around the sordid dealings are commodities exchanges that are relatively clean and equitable. You choose. Both are always available. Attacking the criminal and the crime achieves little without consulting the source in human nature. In the meantime, watering your crops works fairly well, along with discovering whom to trust.

I imagine that in order to go on to the next 250 year cycle, the US budget will have to be brought under control. It appears to be going further out right now, and when real contraction comes, things will change as promised, not necessarily in paradisiacal fashion. The stimulation and government programming could encounter difficulty, since restraint and severity are needed at this juncture in history. Elimination of financial waste.
Failure is good. It paves the way for success.

A further part of release is psychological and with the south node transiting Cancer along with the Pluto opposition, the attachment to the past (Cancer), and all its myriad resentments (Pluto) could influence the situation even more, if that's possible. The past is bobbing up again. The square to Libra is concerned with justice, Pluto with revenge, and some would like the previous leaders to be punished severely, and event unlikely to occur. Too many present leaders are implicated and too many business deals are still in operation. This links to the non-victim stance I always champion...

If you've been the victim of a crime, but the perpetrator won't be punished officially, then clutching to the hope is discouraging and stoking the resentment hurts yourself. The criminal has won again by retaining power over you as you spend energy, time, and money pushing for the impossible. You are in bondage. Pluto. You're doubly stripped, and imprisoned in sensations that effect your peace of mind, and probably your health. The best revenge is repairing the damage and learning how you got there in the first place and how to avoid it in the future. If things don't improve fast enough, the obsessive quality of the blame could increase, until the country realizes that the current administration is part of the problem and that's where any logical repair will take place.

You really can't do much about everyone you hate vehemently, be they the rulers, the wealthy, the evil people in charge, or whomever is perceived to be stealing your goods at the moment. They're always there. And justice has an uncanny way of working on its own. My favorite stroke of revenge is improvement of my character. Show them you've done well. Feeling fine without you.

Another aspect of Cancer-Capricorn is housing and urban environments. In the cities where Taurean nature is demolished, Plutonian underworld activities often dominate. In city planning the trend toward bringing back nature with parks, bike paths, and the like, probably increases the public's well-being. It's interesting to see how some natural preserves become havens for Plutonian dealing, and others become a cost-free way to enjoy an afternoon of paradise. One never knows.

At the same time, new housing communities are being designed and constructed outside cities with renewable energy, their own food production, and maybe even eventually their own manufacturing base to an extent. Small industry again. Small sustainable units, the ideal in the age of contraction. The tribal village of Cancer becomes the successful business venture of Capricorn easing the strain on society as a whole.

The real question comes when individuals ask, "How much am I willing to forego for the benefit of the whole?"
Until now, the collective decision was to satisfy desires unchecked, and thus, the corporate structure has flourished in order to feed human want. The avarice of the corporation mirrors that of the individual. Pluto oversees self-mastery concerning desires and Capricorn brings the discipline to achieve it. A stellar opportunity.

So as you can tell, the direct motion of Pluto coming soon is of great importance to the American people. The opportunity offered, considering Venus and Jupiter and their benefic characteristics, is worth considering, although everything comes with a price. Taurus-Scorpio. Pluto-Venus. Commodities, finance, and survival itself. But most of all, the key to a good life is being able to honestly experience pleasure and then the two main sensations of the body, pleasure and pain, operate in balance, with grasp and release in rhythmical order. Overstuffing only on very special occasions, divvying up if possible, and all the while "slaying greed and selfishness." Well, maybe just a trimming will do.

America on the Cardinal Cross

The cardinal signs are the primary relationship points in the astrological wheel and successful development of all four ensures the healthy functioning of a society.
In Aries the relationship with the self is established separate from having to conform to interpersonal or societal norms. In Cancer, the family is formed and tribal belonging with protection and security provided by the intimate bonding with others compose the next stage. In Libra, emotional separation comes and the individual sees the other from a mental perspective, balancing, weighing, judging, and using the opportunity as a mirrored reflection of self, thus gaining more knowledge and understanding, along with learning how to give and take. In Capricorn, the emotional familiar attachment is no longer needed as much while the native forms a relationship with society as a whole. A good foundation of security creates the ability to relate to the group later on. The individual is able to trust others, knows her*his character, talents, and skills and is able to use the earlier lessons of cooperation to become a productive member of society. On the large scale, a country then becomes a mature player on the world stage.
As you can see, the United States has some work to do at the Cancer point with four planets there just about to be heavily transited, and I do mean heavily. The Libra Saturn and Capricorn Pluto points will also be involved. And Aries will soon be factored in. Cardinal energy is dynamic action meant to initiate change. A lot is ahead.

Right now, there is a fascinating configuration of celestial influences coming into focus. The new moon at 0 Cancer became the full moon eclipse in Capricorn. But it's an unusual moment since there will be a second new moon at 29 Cancer and another eclipse. Adding further to the configuration are the nodes of the moon entering Cancer and Capricorn. Just when the nodes change, Pluto goes direct headed for serious business with the US Cancer stellium. And finally, the direct motion occurs exactly when the next Saturn-Uranus opposition comes. It's time for an experience with the child-parent, home-world puzzle so woven into the country's destiny. Successful developments on the childish, dependent, often fearful and insecure Cancer end could bring about a more mature relationship with the world and a better functioning society as we come to the first return of Pluto to its natal position. It's theoretical at this stage, of course.

The blogs are a new part of the arrangement and they could figure in significantly since they perfectly combine the cave-like intimacy and family connectedness to the public arena. So people are home and in the world at once. The tribal units are out in the open being monitored and hopefully, if only eventually, keeping people on their best behavior. Lessons of dignity, politeness, respect, and so on could be learned with Pluto in Capricorn, especially with Saturn in Libra in the beginning.

On the other hand, the urge for independence will cause some to leave the security of the blogs and the attachment to administrators as mother figures protecting the brood from the cold cruel world. Emotions could get out of hand at first and quarrels could escalate. Some blog masters will realize it's time to let go of their own blogs and dependence on their familial clusters. Clinging to security blankets in general is up for consideration including the idea that the government is going to magically transform into a kind, caring, frugal, respectable, people-loving entity.

Who and what are the politicians protecting? Who is ultimately responsible for your interests? How can we turn the natural Cancerian impulse to nurture and band together into one that nourishes the well-being of society? How can private successes become public? Who really is in charge? When is it time to take things into your own hands and how can that be accomplished?

I often talk about complicity and shared responsibility. Many feel that they are victims of the elite, the corporations, the government, and authorities in general. Metaphysically, there is no such thing. All relationships are contracts between the parties and so-called victims have reasons to be there. From that perspective, the "evildoers" are just as much victims of the people, themselves, or circumstance. Trying to accurately pinpoint blame often is fruitless, time-consuming, and exhausting. There's one simple reason for acting from this position. If you play the victim you can't do anything about it. If you share responsibility, you have control. Your chances of a fix have improved exponentially. Growing up as a Cancer country, the lesson of responsibility will come one time or another. This looks like a perfect time.

Another important part of maturing is facing mistakes. The Cancer child reacts defensively to criticism, but the good adult knows how to criticize and receive judgement gracefully, along with using the information for correction. The United States, herself, is due for some discipline, which might include some humiliation. The leadership is childlike and superficial and not taken seriously at present. Ancient threads still weave their way around the planet. Correction is the key to Saturnian development on the path to expertise with genuine pride in achievement.

Ideally, we the populace, become the parents of ourselves, managing our finances, voting intelligently, paying attention to local issues where direct votes can influence policy a great deal, drying the tears, ending some of the tantrums, and standing up to do the job, watching the moves of the politicians in relentless Plutonian investigative fashion. The terrorizing from the parents now has gone on long enough. I realize they have their hands on mega world demolishing weapons, but hey! They're as afraid of them as we are. And they know they can't get away with as much as they used to. If things progress well, a new brand of leadership could emerge, reflecting the people's growth, and you will recognize it. The all day sucker transforms into the wild cherry tootsie roll pop and the kids shriek with delight. Hidden pleasures from Pluto. If they're good.

Pluto in Capricorn plays no favorites. It's interested in an efficient smooth-operating system. The understanding of collective survival and control from a deeper broader source diminishes a lot of the fear and frees up energy for achievement both personal, and societal. Pluto does signify revenge sometimes, but the best revenge is success and health, with more emphasis on reward than punishment. Power is in constant flux and redistributes itself according to system requirements. Breakdowns only lead the wise ones to the avenues of repair, or in some cases, destruction and rebuilding. The backbone of Capricorn can be used to build anew from the primal Cancerian need for safety.

As usual, there are good and bad aspects to the challenges ahead, but most important is the realization that it's not going to be done for us. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people means just that. We are it. The nation has serious problems and some might feel there isn't much that can be done, but soon, renewed vigor will come.
There's always a solution. The greater the effort, the bigger and more enduring the transformation can be, with careful planning, sensible division of labor, sincerity, consistency, method, and patience. People can let Pluto come and do what it does, remaining wobbly and too yielding under the Cancer influence, waiting for the adults (?) to take care of it, or they can utilize the nourishing talent of the sign to build solid security from within, remaining firm, erect, and with the help of Aries, a little bit fearless. When is it time to take things into our own hands and how can that be achieved? Are you ready for power? We do have a little time yet to think about it.

The cosmos is not one to deny creatures their autonomy. It means less work for those illusive entities. More time to frolic among the stars.