Mortality

You were a crying baby not so long ago
You grew too fast, you grew too old
Now you are old and you're crying 'cause you know
You're gonna die
in the Knot
of time.

When I die give me a silver cane
Golden shoes with my walking cane
Golden shoes so I can walk away
Far away
from the knot
of Time.

When I die lay my body down
Lay me down in an Egyptian room
Send for the ship. take me away
Far away
from the knot
Of time.

This is part of a tune I wrote many years ago, a bluesy G minor, some time after a dream I had that I've never forgotten.
In it, a person was in a small circular machine going around and around slowly. It was also going up and down in the same rhythm, into the ground and back. Over and over and over. I knew there was no physical escape.
I was awakened to a monotony and repetetive motion to life, and a certain entrapment in the material realm. I think I've accepted this to some extent, as I experience the inevitable aging and natural sequences of living, in my older years. I hope to learn more and more how to let this natural rhythm carry me safely to my death.

A Saturn/Neptune Dream

My dream is that global violence continues to trend downward as it has been for the last two decades, and the world becomes war weary. At the same time, all the artists, mystics, poets, and assorted dreamers will influence the spiritual development of our species.

Other than that, I'd like to relax, sing, talk, play my keyboards, and enjoy the rest of my life.
And start my tap dance classes.
Illustration by Isabelle Brent

Buzzy on a Neptune Transit

This is one of Zelda's pals, you know, Myrtle Rae's chicken. He's an astrologer so he should have been prepared. The whole barnyard is abuzz, actually, on account of the added Uranus. I hope you are enjoying the Saturn/Neptune opposition. It will be separating shortly.
Illustration by Michael Glenn Monroe

A Professional

This echantress just released her second CD. It's selling well. She's plays solo and composes her own music. Hypnotic and rhythmical, as well as lyrical in style. I attended a concert of hers recently and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Yes. Very much so.
Painting: Arthur in Avalon
Sir Edward Burne-Jones

The North Node in Sagittarius and Now

I found the reaction to the North Node in Sagittarius to be unusally intense, and I attribute this to the current passage of Pluto through the center of our galaxy, and the end of Sagittarius. Everyone has a sector in their charts ruled by this sign, and all are experiencing a religious crisis to some degree, whether conscious or not. Certainly, the world is.

As Pluto winds up the thirteen year transit this year, this entity is trying to connect to the deep and genuine faith that lies in all of us. The end can be especially noticeable, and this will be going on for the rest of the year. Jupiter is also in Sagittarius, adding to the influence.

The search for relationship with god has been going on throughout history. There is embarrassment in some, as you can see by the reluctance to even say the word. Some, of course, are the opposite. But it's personal, private, and emotional, and often difficult to express and share. However it manifests, people need to feel that they are protected in this vast, dark, unknown, and overwhelming universe. We can't live without faith.

It's in the human chip, this concept and belief. Hallucinogenic drugs all over the world repeat the same effect on consciousness, indicating a thought pattern that is common to all humans. It doesn't matter if the entity exists or not. The human mind perceives it.

Psilocybin creates a transcendent feeling, as the body gets lighter and rises up to a perceived god above. Energy leaves from the feet and goes out through the head, almost producing a levitation.
Peyote goes into the earth, inducing a heaviness in the body and a discovery of a force down and within, with a strong sensation of the earth's rhythm. Nausea and purge through vomiting, then transcendence, are part of the visceral experience as the human encounters spirit.
LSD brings connection through light and a prismatic break-up. The word "god" takes on meaning in this experience. In all of them, mythological creatures can be seen in normal things and people. The reactions are the same throughout the world, and the urge for union with other dimensions universal and forever.

I've had many encounters with this power, having so much Sagittarius in my chart, but this was one of the most vivid.

I'm an electronic musician with three drum machines I use as the core of my sound. One day, I was transferring all my drum patterns to a storage unit, and when I reloaded the rhythms they all came back in jibberish. Ten years of round the clock work and the most important thing in my life. My blood pressure shot to Uranus and my heart raced out of my body. I started hyperventilating and pacing around the room. I quickly returned to the machines and tried to load the information again. Back came all the rhythms just like I wrote them. I instantaneously dropped to my knees with a force of gravity never felt before, and a feeling of gratitude unmatched in my life to that point. The automatic drop to the knees was the revelation to me.
Needless to say, I haven't moved the rhythms since. That much trust I don't have quite yet.

While I have many tangible encounters with a protective entity, not everyone does. Yet I think we all sense it and would like to know. During these Pluto years, quantum theory has become very prominent as scientists are discovering more and more about what is actually happening out there beyond the earth. A space probe is going up that will try to find the end of the universe and ascertain its origins, and now they believe they can find the answers. This is what Sagittarius wants. Empirical evidence. Contact with the cosmos. Guidance beyond the personal. A familiarity.

So as Pluto meanders toward Capricorn, and people witness the global mayhem, one wonders if something else is really taking care of things. Could be inside, outside, upside, sideways.....I certainly hope so. 

A Dream Interpretation

Astrid suggested that I have sweet dreams when I took my nap in my blood platelet, and sure enough, I did. I've had some of the best dream interpretations of my life from certain people in cyberspace, and now I need another one.

I was preparing to share a huge and gorgeous studio with some other artists. I was amazed and how beautiful the floor was, and what good condition it was in. The walls too were exceptional. At the end, however, I had some doubts, wondering if maybe I should get a smaller studio alone because of my music. The perplexing thing is that I can't remember if I was concerned about bothering them, or just feeling inhibited by their presence. Either way, it would have been an imposition, thinking they might prefer quiet. I was undecided at the end of the dream.

Any Ideas?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That Sagittarius Node wore me out. I'm going to take a nap in that red blood cell up there.

North Node in Sagittarius or the Ninth House

The North Node in Sagittarius is seeking a connection with the universe beyond the mundane, and a relationship with god. They want to know the way the outer and upper dimensions work, and how they influence circumstance. They sense a presence beyond the interpersonal and they want to know who/what it is. They are ready to expand into a larger dimension of life.

Personification of god. At the end of Scorpio, humans have mastered personal relationships and now they take this experience and apply it to their interest in god. I think this is why, in Sagittarius, god is anthropomorphic. In later signs, a more diffuse, less personal spirit develops, but in Sagittarius the entity is like another person, recalling their Gemini experience. Something they are familiar with. A specific presence. They want to become acquainted with this figure. The form varies greatly from person to person, but they all want to meet who's there.

The book of truth. All the SN Gemini book learning is turned into religious and philosophical investigation in Sagittarius. The NNs becomes interested in sacred texts or words of wisdom to guide them through experience. They are able to counsel and impart these wise words to others as well. They love the sometimes chilling sensation of the truth.

Higher education. These natives are prepared to enter the ivory tower where they can step back and see the continuity of past, present, and future. To see the larger ramifications of everything they've learned and stored, possibly for many incarnations. They plan to discover how the whole universe works as a system, as they turn the facts they've collected into perception and insight, in an urge to understand it all.

Getting out of town. Sagittarius NNs are on an extended journey with an engaging interest in foreign cultures. All the exotic details of people's lives fascinate them. They set out to travel the world, if not physically, then mentally. They know no boundaries and intend to experience the full spectrum of human diversity. They now recognize the family of man. They are also naturally protective of others.

Righteousness. Sag NNs are taking their accumulated learning, and starting to develop world views and philosophical attitudes. They are creating moral codes and ethical guidelines for their behavior, as they ponder right and wrong, good and evil, reward and punishment, from where justice is administered, and the source of right action.

A sign from above. These nodeholders are looking for evidence of a spiritual entity, and they start to perceive this in everyday life. They look up and out hoping for something tangible to reveal itself. Light, stars, and celestial activity take on a greater significance as they absorb, study, and search for connection to the entire cosmic system.

Things work out. The most Sagittarian of the NNs often say this, even in the depths of torment. Well, not completely immersed, but they do have trust in a natural sequence and belief in the goodness of life separate from the mundane ups and downs.

Air to fire. Sadge NNs are coming from mental detachment to a more active participation in experience, with an intense desire to incorporate the spirit of fire, and venture fully into every moment, seizing the most they can from life.

Enthusiasm. The NN in Sagittarius natives seek abundance and celebration, enjoying all kinds of people in a spirit of generosity, and participating in experience to the maximum. Jubilation is their aim.

My father had a NN in Sagittarius and this is what happened.

He came from a family of atheists and married another one, my mother. A dedicated one.
Several years ago I traveled to my hometown in upstate NY to see him for the first time after my mother died. I hadn't attended the funeral. After arriving by train in NYC, I met him in the middle of a family reunion, and there he was, bereft among his relatives, true to his SN in Gemini. He saw me and his face lit up like a thousand fireflies.
After a few horrible dinners with the brothers and sisters, we enthusiastically departed for my hometown and his apartment. He talked about his sorrow and disbelief when his seven siblings abandoned him after my mother died. On the way, he took a surprising turn, and headed into the mountains with a determination that was unusual to me. Twisting through the hills and the moist woods, we came upon the most beautiful religious shrine I'd ever seen, called The Grotto. My Moon/Jupiter in Sagittarius was in heaven, complete with the requisite goosebumps. I walked alone through the woods stopping at each marker of the Catholic saints, with bios, statues, and Bible passages. I wept, lit my candle, and made my offering in the little shed. When I returned to my waiting father at the car, I asked him, "Dad? Why did you bring me here?" He said, "I thought you'd like it". I never encountered this aspect of my father before.
I spent the next three months alone with him and we had repeated religious experiences. When the time came to go, he accompanied me to a small town in Pennsylvania where we had our last lunch in a small cafe. The last thing he said to me was, "I think there's something out there." I said, "Really?"... Yeah, he said.
We embraced, said good-by, and I never saw him again.

I never could have imagined this before. And now I know that the NN is probably acting within us all our lives. NN Sagittarians are taking their age-old knowledge of communication, and enlarging their dimensions to communicate with life, itself.
Photo: Interior of a Uyguar home in the Chinese Himalayas by Galen Powell. Cathedral illustration: Jeff Spackman.

Track 29

For anyone interested in traveling to broader and higher dimensions, the train will be leaving shortly. No need to bring much luggage. One thing to keep in mind. It might never return.

Sleeping cars in the middle!

Dinner in the dine-a
Nothing could be fine-a
Than to have your ham 'n eggs in Carolina

South Node in Gemini or the Third House

The South Node in Gemini is a busy mind, reaching for too much information, too many connections, unfulfilling chatter, and retaining a tendency to fit its ideas into the thinking of others. They spend much of their lives in a social whirl that detracts from the perspective they know they need to find their own truths.

The tower of babble (my spelling). SN Geminis are masters of talk. They can discuss anything with anyone at anytime. The problem is, they no longer get satisfaction from this endless stream of often useless information, since they now feel an urge to step into other areas of the mind. Places not everyone is going. They are ready to develop a more profound intellect with quiet, contemplation, and deeper research into the machinations of life. In a sense, they are discarding their old languages to learn new interpretations of experience.

Information and education overload. Gemini SNs are age old bookworms and media lovers. They know how to gather the smallest facts and apply them to their communication. But this library now contains ideas that have lost their significance. They no longer need to attend every lecture or course on the latest trend. They are ready to part with the college ruled notebook and go into other places in their minds to find the word. They are exchanging facts, figures, and graphs for intuition and a more arcane knowledge. They need no more information since the answers are already there, if they can perceive them.

Freneticism. Very often these Gemini tpyes lead a runaround life that includes a high volume of superficial activities. Breathlessly circulating in a frenzy is common. They are sensing the value of getting a breath of fresh air in the country away from crowds of people.

Connect me to the right one. These nodeholders are plugged into every circuit around always adapting their ideas to fit what others will agree with. They look constantly for the next one who shares their thoughts, but the well is now dry. Many are scattered, indecisive, and have trouble making commitments. They travel circles within circles within circles, that would drive the average person to extreme dizziness. They now can step back and take a broader look, even depart for solitude, when possible, to see the larger picture of circumstance.

Dishonesty. SN Gems are used to gathering and disseminating information without judgement. Sometimes this can lead to communiques that are not entirely true. They discuss and analyze their myriad relationships, and when word gets around, there can be misunderstandings and hurt feelings in this sticky web of entanglements. Loyalty is not their area of expertise, and connections are made and broken at whim. Now they long to cut through and find meaning and connection with other realms, stepping into the world of ethics, morality and most of all, honesty with themselves.

Brothers and sisters. Often the Gemini SNs feel a desire to part ways with their siblings, although attachments and involvements in the details of their everyday lives might belie this. There are many disappointments that are impossible to evade. The close sibling attachments have now become an encumberance. They are ready to leave the protection of the small circle of family and aquaintances to a larger one with people different from the kinds they've known before. They want to expand their social horizons, and maybe shrink the numbers, so they can get more meaning from each relationship, and learn entirely new things. A new relationship with the self is included.

SN Geminis have mastered the exchange of information in everyday life and are now prepared to part ways with worn-out phrases, meaningless talk, and people that no longer stimulate them, to use their well-developed intellects for a new level of understanding and a connection with a spiritual entity. They know enough but are about to learn everything.
Bottom painting: Early Morning by Emil Nolde.

Unhappy Campers

These hapless Ohioans are vacationing in Florida. They don't seem to be enjoying themselves tremendously. I don't think they are dressed for the occasion. The sand would get in those shoes, it seems, and present quite an irritating problem. I'd better not invite them to a party at Raging Universe. Who knows what they'd wear. 

Correction!

AG is a memeber of the male sector of the species.

Saturn Revisited with a North Node in the Eighth thrown in

In keeping with Pluto coming into Capricorn to square my Mars, Ag arrived at Raging Universe yesterday, and wouldn't you know it? .... a Capricorn. It looks like I'm in trouble. I will have to straighten up, bite the bullet, and work like I never have before (Mars in the 6th). Her question, of course, was about her Saturn. In Gemini.He also has the NN in the 8th house, but the SN in Cancer is also significant, so I would like to go into the Saturn and nodes a bit now, and come back to the chart when we do the Cancer/Capricorn nodes.

This is an highly talented and creative man with a huge drive toward relationship, as shown by his full 5th house of self expression, and all of his planets in the interpersonal sector of the chart, except Saturn. This places a special emphasis on the Saturn. Pluto in the 5th, particularly seeks attention, adulation, and recognition, and can often cause resentment of those who find the spotlight easily, until they get in it themselves.
The Sun and Jupiter are conjunct the NN in the 8th, and this is fantastic. There is a ego, vitality, and shine, together with the regenerative NN pointing to big potential success.

In a previous article, I talked about the blocks Saturn puts in our paths, in order to develop expertise in that sector of life, and assure the realization of the goals of the chart. Saturn in the first is a block to moving out into life at all. There is hesitation, maybe timidity, inhibition. A lack of spontaneity, as they strive to calculate their moves. A locked-in sensation.
Saturn in the first is learning to thrust, conquer, dominate, and impose the will, all with Saturnian reserve. They are unlocking aggression, surviving and defending themselves well, and impacting the environment. Coming out of their shells. The ruling Mercury is conjunct Venus, so it will look lovely. All the better as he asserts his singularity and broadcasts his identity.

And the MO of this Saturn is broadcasting, whether it be speaking, writing, teaching, or any other form of communication. Getting the word out. The Saturn blocks the natural flow and these natives often feel like they aren't being heard, understood, or valued intellectually. They often feel like they need more information and education, and never know when enough is enough. They feel overlooked and undervalued, but often they are of superior intelligence, and just need self-recognition to resolve the dilemma.

Mercury is fast. The Winged Messenger. Sense impressions come in and are swiftly connected to thought in the mind. Saturn is complex structure and slows down this process as thoughts have to travel his matrix on the way out. This can manifest in many ways. Hesitation in speaking up, feeling disconnected, blurting out too fast, not finding the right words, or dissatisfied with the results after hard labor.

But Saturn is discipline, and the end result is a master of communication, finding exactly the right phrases without too many words, knowing enough to back up statements well, and stopping people in their tracks, as they are compelled to listen. A gravity of tone and respect from others come in time. All essential to the 1st house identity.

The Capricorn planets in Ag's 8th give great focus and concentration and the ability to get the most from his mental powers. The NN is the Ace, promising big success in a gradual climb. The SN in Cancer is the Achille's heel, as uneeded emotional involvements interfere with the use of the extensive personal power.

Saturn's a good one. More later .......

North Node in Scorpio or the Eighth House

The North Node in Scorpio is about penetrating the surface of life and experiencing the fullest intensity of feeling possible. Often through great tribulation they shed the defenses that keep them from touching the most powerful sensations life has, stepping beyond the material into the world of spirit. They encounter change so dramatic, that their previous lives are unrecognizable as they burn the remnants completely for release, ecstasy, and birth into new dimensions. 

Burning bridges. One of the most important acts of the Scorpio NNs is parting with what they have, never to return. In reality, what was once valuable is now seen as completely dispensable as they trade used up commodities for spiritual gain. They must burn the past because of a tendency to go back and grasp what they used for security previously. The more they return, the more satisfaction is lost until they finally are empty and ready to refill with something entirely new. This is one of their most profound joys, when the bridge is crossed and gone. Almost impossible not to fear, but the relief, worth the chance.

Merging and sharing. NN Scorpios want to cross all boundaries in relationship and find complete union with others. What they fear the most is loss, but what they find is exponential gain as the mergers add to their banks more than they ever possessed before, often materially, as well. Easy and natural support. No more endless work for a penny, as survival now comes with no excess effort, and help is always there when needed. They are ready to accept input and put their trust in others. The energy they give is boundless. No one can empower another more than a NN Scorpio.

Investment and delayed gratification. These people, who have consumed their share, are now ready to delay immediate gratification, investing their energy for later use, as it grows in the pot continuously. The input of others again leads to exponential gain. They start to trust the future.

Ability to face pain, turbulence, insecurity, and crisis. The perfect guide through troubled waters. They welcome painful experience as the only way to heal longstanding wounds. They are not afraid to dig if they must into the dark recesses to root out what festers and impedes their complete health and well-being. They instinctively give all they have to help others through crisis situations, and receive the same in return. Loyalty and trust are a fact. And secrets are safe.

Emotional honesty. NN scorpios go underneath the layers we construct for approval to touch the genuine and deep, unafraid of truth in emotional expression. Gutteral and visceral. This makes them great assets in the most important of life's events, such as death. They are experts in these processes and can help others through skillfully. The difficulties of all humans are known to them.

Psychological insight and healing. They understand human behavior and know how to help others heal the wounds in their psyches. Magnetism, magic, and real medicinal power are theirs. It often takes some getting used to, being valued for these kinds of things for real, but it can be done. A value make-over will do it.

Earth to water. The rigid form of earth is coming to the fluidity of water. The boundaries that separate, isolate and contain are being exchanged for emotional contact and disintegrating of boundaries.

Productivity to creativity. The hard make-a-buck life of Taurus with all its practicality is now ready to embrace creativity, even without the tangible exchange in sight. Acts are initiated and completed for the ecstasy of the creative sensation itself.

Self-mastery. NN in Scorpios are concerned with impulse control and management of desires. They are fully aware of the life force that courses through all creatures and they revel in circulating the energy and feeling the continuous power. Harnessed energy, transmogrification of the physical into other appetites.

Transformation and rebirth. I think of the chrysalis and the emergence of the most beautiful creature imaginable. Perhaps only a Scorpio can go into the dark enclosure so completely and change so dramatically. The world of the senses then travels into expanded dimensions as they consume spiritual nourishment and experience grace and beauty in a new way. A profound pleasure of the highest order.

Scorpio is especially important as it is the bridge to the transpersonal sector of the wheel after material attachment and interpersonal merging have been fully comprehended. The human is now ready to go into broader and higher dimensions for the rest of the journey. I think Scorpio is the gateway, so shedding earthly encumberance is essential for full participation. Having ancient memory of earthiness and gravity, they are now ready to venture into these other dimensions, using their experience as ballast. NN Scorpios are guides through the infernal fires, across the poison waters, and into the land that holds life's deepest satisfactions. The greatest and well-deserved treasures are theirs, and by the grace of fortune...ours, too.
Illustrations from top: Lynn Curlee, Chris Van Allsburg, Scott Grimando.

Forewarned.

As many of you neurons in this universal mind know, I am not fond of today's popular music. This looks very much like a regiment going into battle. Make sure you're armored if you plan on attending one of these fine cultural events.
Tickets will not be available at Incus, Malleus, and Stapes, Inc.
Illustration from the Vienna Theater Newspaper, 1846.

South Node in Taurus or the Second House

The South Node in Taurus is an habitual clinging to attachments that prevent the leaps and bounds of the revolutionary changes they know they want. They plod along with the status quo, often doing things the hardest way, finding it difficult to release and make the clean breaks necessary to move into the unknown and find fulfillment. The material realm is their safety net that prevents passage into the spiritual realms they know are waiting for them, if they could only make the required sacrifices. They fear losing their grip.

The grip. Baggage comes with us on our journeys, but the Taurus SN takes the biggest bag possible. Filled with things they don't need, they are weighed down with the excess, but find it difficult to eliminate. This doesn't mean objects, necessarily, just the burden of carrying around what doesn't really satisfy them anymore....things, people, ideas, jobs, houses, everything. What's mine is mine forever. The age-old memory of a secure grasp is what holds them back from opening and receiving an even greater security.

Fear of poverty. Financial control. SN Taureans have an ancient terror of being in want, and in this life, they must have financial control 'at all costs'. They often say they are afraid of not being able to pay the bills even when fully employed with a hefty bank account, and sometimes residing in a million dollar home. Many work overtime to keep the imaginary wolves from the door. The bill collector is the devil around every corner.

Security, comfort, and self reliance. These nodeholders have a compulsion to support themselves, often finding it next to impossible to relinquish their self-sufficiency and melt into the supportive embrace of others, no matter how much the others truly want to help them. Even when they appear to accept this help, they withold trust, and stay stubbornly self-centered.They cling to the security they know and prefer cushioning to the sometimes agonizing upheaval of real change.

Prostitution. Taurus SNs know everything there is to know about the exchange of money. They understand fully the dirty dealings and just what is takes to make a buck. Sometimes I think they were there at the ancient temples when the game heated up, and they know how money is bartered for sex, both overtly and subtley, and used as a psychological tool to manipulate, dangle and humiliate. They know what the mortgage holder is really about. There is often a world-weariness in this pursuit of financial security.

Self worth. These people have spent many years establishing their value and putting a price on it, but while they know this from their own perspective in practical terms, they are sometimes unsure of their value in other ways, and to different types of people. They can overestimate or sometimes come up short. Comparisons can cause them distress until they recognize what others have to offer and merge these talents with their own, releasing some of the pressure to work hard to prove themselves, as the basis of their self-worth undergoes complete re-working.

Appetites. The translation of sense impressions to physical desire and an urge to possess and consume can lead the SN Taurus to a life of so-called pleasures that really don't provide contentment. While not always over-doers or collectors of too many commodities, they still know that the appetite for the non-material offers the rewards they are really seeking. If only they could take the packed grip with them.

Resistance to change. Taurus SNs often speak of the wonders of change, and even appear to make them, but so many times they don't change in the fundamental ways that would bring them new life and joy. They are reluctant to merge with new experience fully, and frequently find themselves back where they started. They know pain is part of the process of transforming, but sometimes even after experiencing pain, they hold back from the full step out, feeling depleted, hurt, and shortchanged.

SN Taureans are masters of the material plane of existence, with a profound understanding of the earth and its pleasures. This grounding serves them well as they now seek emotional, psychological, and spiritual fulfillment, release from themselves, and deep merging with life's greatest offerings. Next: the North Node in Scorpio. A good one.

The Joy of Human Connection

I can't think of many things better than meeting new people. It's like going to a new country. All the fresh discoveries, along with the familiarities. The landscape of the inner being. Always a great great adventure.

Added to this joy for me as an astrologer is the map of the journey as it unfolds. The added dimension is something I can't imagine living without now. The horoscope has a life and personality of its own, always adding immeasurably to every experience I have. Like a best friend that's always there. This is what I use my astrological knowledge for. The pure enrichment of my life. I want to share it with everybody.

Before moving on to the SN in Taurus, I wanted to mention something about the Aries/Libra enactment we just witnessed. People can read explanations forever, but there is nothing like experience as a teacher. The entrance of SN Aries, Jane, was a demonstration of the pure energy of Mars. Very similar to the coming of Kj/Sige, another Aries. The SN, though, is the essence; the fullest manifestation of the archetypes there is. All the memory of the sign is carried in that node. The bold, daring, thrusting energy of Aries was beautifully articulated by the coming of Jane to Raging universe. No better way to learn.
You can take this ahead with you. All Aries placements have this robust force, even when not overtly expressed. And all of us have an Aries house where this is manifest and can always be used. It is magnificent and urgent. I never underestimate the power of Mars, and fortunately, it's usually tempered by everything else in the chart. But still..... Aries is astonishing, invigorating, and giving exhuberantly of life's energy. Might as well REALLY live.

Electric and Brilliant

I'm about Neptuned out. If I have to bounce around on the waters of mankind, at least add a little Uranian spark.

May the New Moon, Sun, and Mercury retrograde in Aquarius enlighten, stimulate, and delight you. Maybe even bring a few manageable thrills.

Libra North Node/Aries South Node.....a Map

House cusps: ASC (1 deg 57), 2 (25 deg), 3 (4 deg), 4(29 deg), 5 (19 deg), 6 (7 deg).

The solution to the dilemma of this chart is simple. The North Node search for partnership is written everywhere. The four planet stellium in Libra, which includes the fortuitous North Node is a great setup for the relationship she desires. The major square to Saturn in the 11th house indicates that the only way to get to full satisfaction, is through a relationship based on a common goal. So there must be a purpose greater than the partnership itself. A calling that she finds together with another is the best possible choice. Something specific to work toward in unison.

As beautifully simple as this is, the road is peppered with complications, and here are some of them:

Aquarius Rising is looking for friendships based on common interests and intellectual pursuits, usually with the improvement of society as part of the aim. The Saturn in the 11th house of friendship, the natural Aquarian house, is the roadblock in this pursuit. The life lessons center around worldly achievement through these 11th house associations, but with Saturn it takes time and a long process of trial and error. This Saturn wants career achievement, recognition, status, and a great reputation in the world. The Jupiter positioned exactly on the Midheaven, and trine the Moon in the 6th house of work, is a fine asset, although it can be excessive and overconfident, shortchanging the necessary Saturnian steps it will take to truly rise to the top.

The airy Aquarius combined with the Libra air wants mental relationships, but the Libra is positioned in the deep and emotional 8th house causing some conflict. Getting through crises with people can drain energy at times, and underhanded unpleasant goings-on are a possibility. The plus in this 8th house is the ability to merge, finances included, to reach the goals of the life. Learning to share could be a challenge considering the SN in the second house of one's own money and possessions. The Jupiter in Scorpio also indicates merging of resources and energy, so there is great potential encouraging the development of highly creative and successful alliances.

The real problems come into play with the Pluto/Venus conjunction in the 7th house, the natural Libra one-on-one house. While the air elements want fairplay and equality, clipping along easily to the goal, the Venus/Pluto wants trouble...jealousy, passion, one against the other, hypnotic possession, while the Leo 7th house finds people who want total attention, sometimes taking away from the democratic dispersion fundamental to her style. the Libra stellium in the 8th house repeats this setup. So there could easily be partners that possess her and try to restrain her social flow outward (indicated by all the planets except the Moon in the top public sector of the chart). They can impede her progress and pull her into the quicksand at worst. Or vice-versa. Servant roles can also be an issue. The square from Uranus in Leo to the Jupiter in Scorpio on the MC, is more of this conflict between the two of them and the world.

But then there is another plus. The Venus/Pluto trines the Saturn easing the difficulty and making it possible to control these impulses. Converting the energy to productivity is the best solution. Subduing passions advisable. This is largely her job as she learns self control and discipline throughout her life with the Saturn in Capricorn. And she learns to balance the conflicting needs and demands of all the people she is connected to. She's the boss.

One other conflict is the egalitarian Libra square the bosslady Saturn in Capricorn. This rising professional must learn to put herself above others and take charge in order to achieve her long range goals. The idea is to do this with tact and diplomacy, keeping the one-on-ones strong and healthy. They are actually a vital part of her rise, so it is in her best interest.

This is a start on the interpretation of this wheel, but every type of relationship is indicated. The ideal would be to create the perfect special companionship within the broad social circles she will always want to form as she expands her influence in the world. This expansion must be done, and the partner should be an integral part of it, all the while making sure the partner feels like the special one in her life. The most important by a long shot. The intrinsic equilibrium of all the Libra placements is one of her greatest assets, and the North node is the ultimate in helping create this graceful democratic integration of self and others. A true marriage, indeed.

North Node in Libra or the Seventh House

The Libra NN is seeking the best in one-on-one relationship. They have innate talent for sharing with others, and have a genuine interest in what they are all about...likes, dislikes, quirks, habits, routines, favorite songs, fears, dreams, ....everything. Lasting companionship based on true reciprocity is the goal. People who are there for them. Because of the SN memory of aloneness, ideally they are ready, and the most willing to participate in this kind of partnership.

Lovability. People adore them. No question, no conditions. They like them for who they are and sense their instinct for harmony. At first the SN goes along with it, but often the fear arises that the other will be gone, so the separation is initiated. Still the people love them and wait.

Marriage and friendship. Often the SN Aries are embarrassed with the choices they've made and feel they will never find the right one. While others take it in stride, the NN in Libra sees a high stakes situation that can make or break the goodness of their lives. A great deal of pressure is on and often they will revert to their known solo selves to avoid the failures. Yet most I know still have the Aries trait of never giving up, and try again they do.

Justice and fairplay. No one is more balanced in judgement and willing to play by the rules established together than this node. The age old memory of extreme competition and winning every time simply adds energy to the game if working right, as the enjoyment and polite exercise of strategy win over personal victory. Often exhausted from playing the adversary, they are the fairest of the fair in resolving conflict and seeing that everyone gets a good deal. They are experts at mediation, and helping others sort out their interpersonal difficulties, when the SN isn't preoccupied with running from its own entanglements

Grace, beauty, and the sharing of aesthetics. NN Libras love enjoying the finer things in life with their partners and friends. A piano concert, the ballet, art shows, or a walk in a flowered park are heaven to this nodeholder. They love discussing the shared experience and hearing the opinions and insights of the participants. A play or movie with a light supper afterwords to go back through the plot and character portrayal, coming to a conclusion as to the meaning of the drama, is a delight no one enjoys more.

Fire to air. NN Libras are learning the pleasures of the intellect and are forgoing some of the fiery over-excitement of the SN Aries. Crisis, bombast, adrenalin, emergency and all the accompanying sensations are gladly given up for the peaceful meanderings of thoughts shared with intelligent people.

Interdependence. One of the most challenging aspects of the SN Aries is allowing the natural dependence of a complete relationship to balance their already well established self-sufficiency. Their biggest fear is that they will lose autonomy, their survival might be at stake in some way, not realizing that the independence will actually be reinforced. They will no longer have to work so hard to maintain it. They often don't get far enough into the experience to discover this, but once they do, they know that the independence often stays intact while the loneliness diminishes. Their well established knowledge of caring for themselves is often handed over to the partner, giving strength to both, the opposite of the weakness they fear will be the exchange. A lessening of dominance and leadership, allowing others to make decisions, proves to be a greater relief than they could have imagined, as the power is shared and cooperation comes easily. Patience, sensitivity, and consideration prove to be most enjoyable after all. You-ism turning to you-and-me-ism.

By far the most glorious trait of the NN in Libra is the ability to bring out the potential in others. The memory of strength and skilled survival are passed to those lucky enough to receive it when the energy is fully shared. In this consolidation, the NN Libra gets company, appreciation, loyalty, and even a probability of a future together. Projects in duo, including a fulfilling life with a companion, are in the stars for this person, when his Libran kindness is embraced. The lessons learned in Aries are brought to the North Node as the base of strength that will never be lost, and the balancing qualities of Libra are learned through new experience.

This is Mary and Sam. My aunt and uncle. Deceased at the moment. They had one of the best lifelong marriages I've known. Their companionship was fact.
Photo: Max Ernst and wife, Dorothea Tanning. Illustration: Claudia Maurner.

South Node in Aries or the First House

The South Node in Aries is a preoccupation with independence or dominance, resulting in loneliness that often seems impossible to erase, no matter how many relationships the natives get into and out of, or even stay in. There is a fear of exposing weakness and they push people away, only to find themselves wanting to be with them again. They want companionship but they undermine the commitment habitually. There is too much preoccupation with the self.

Me-ism. The problem with SN Aries is the reflection of themselves they see everywhere. Always about Me. But they've seen enough. They know themselves. And they know it's time to curtail this self-absorption and look at others as they appear and not as mirrors, or verifications of their own identities. They often come back to this lonely look at the self, unfulfilled. Even when they act like they are fascinated with the other, deep down they often are still looking at the Me. People sense it and separations result, sending the SN back to isolation.

The Exit. The SN Aries comes in, often bounding, but keeps a steady eye on the exit sign. Their independence is threatened by the indication of real relationship and the entrapment is the horror. Racing ahead too fast, and leaving them in the dust can also be a practice of this nodeholder.
Deep down they know they are kind and lovable, but often they end up appearing otherwise, or are on the receiving end of otherwise, to assure the escape back to the self. One foot already out the door when the shoe drops.

Anger and Conflict. Often a lot of it. It can manifest in many ways, or not overtly at all. Anger was often the tone in the family while growing up, even if unexpressed, and sometimes frustration with the selfish demands of a parent. Aries is the warrior and I think these people know the danger, but still respond to the battle cry, the excitement, even feeling they've battled enough. They would like to sheathe the sword.

Bravado. Sometimes the SN Aries goes overboard in proving muscularity, bravery, and the ability to take hard knocks and deal with anything. They would love to develop the gentle, the pliant, the accommodating, the aquiescent. They know this isn't weakness, but the SN pull makes it seem that way as they remember their age old skill at winning and conquering. Hurt or be hurt can also result, as the SN likes to prove it can bear the hardship with its toughness. The competetiveness of Aries is another road to this node's separateness. How they would truly love to relinquish the winning, top dog role and find equality and shared triumph.

The SN Aries is a master of strength and survival, full of vitality and life force, and firm in identity. They no longer need to prove this. The way it plays is entirely unique in each case, with all the accompanying factors. Next will be the North Node in Libra.

Ladies and Gentlemen.....A Miraculous, Magnificent, Stupendous, Once in a lifetime thrill ....The Nodes of the Moon!

I was up with the big bad moon
That 'ol sun came up too soon,
He said, "Get down, get down, get down, you lazy moon"....
There's no room up here, for me and you.

The battle is on between the sun and the moon,
The battle is on between me and you
I don't mind, I don't mind, I don't mind, 'cause I won't lose
You're gonna share that sky, that's what you're gonna do.

Divorce...A story from Tago, West Africa

Sun and moon married and had many, many children. You could count them all if it were possible to count all the stars. But Sun and Moon could not agree on anything; what to call the children, how to bring them up, which crops to grow, or where to sleep, how many pails of rain to spill on the Earth below, or where to go swimming in the evening sea.
So Sun and Moon parted, he to live at one end of the sky, she to live at the other, and now they do the best to avoid each other.

This is the age-old story. The battle between Sun-centered and Moon-centered religions, mythologies, and systems of belief. Western astrology, of course, uses the Sun as the dominant element in the person, but my experience has led me to view the Moon as equal in importance. As the Sun circles in the sky, the orbiting moon crosses this path in two places. These are the nodes of the Moon, and I believe, the answer to this age-old puzzle. Where these paths cross is the integration of our disparate selves. This one opposition exists in every chart, and is the clearest place of decision making I've found.

The South Node represents all that we have mastered and are ready to leave behind. Job done. Some astrologers believe that it reaches back to past lifetimes and contains the soul memory of many lessons already learned about this function in the personality.
The North Node contains all the lessons of the person's future, and is a guide to personal fulfillment in the current lifetime. I've studied these nodes for many years and have found them to be the most accurate indicator of the problems in a person's life. The big puzzle. The paradox. The clue to destiny.

Some say that we can integrate the two nodes and live a good life. Some say we must choose one or the other. I am of the opinion that we have to learn to relinquish the grip on the South Node. It is the most addictive spot in the psyche, and where we go whenever we are insecure, because it is so deeply familiar. Most people want to drag this node with them as they merrily go to the North for happiness, but I haven't seen it work this way. The reason I think we need to leave this point is because it requires no effort whatsoever to effect this behavior. It's entirely automatic. Habitual. It needs no more cultivation. No more energy. It will continue to act without our effort.

Until we can disengage from this habitual behavior, I think it is almost impossible to reach the full potential written in our charts. It IS virtually impossible to get there, as strong as the lure to the safe and familiar is. But the end is always disappointing at the South Node. There is no growth. Nothing new. An empty safety that isolates and shortchanges. Satisfaction is missing. So the South often dominates and keeps us in the ancient self that wants to move ahead to the unknown.
In a sense, I think the North promises another birth. The inability to see what's ahead is the fear.

Invariably, the South Node indicates the family patterns that the person has inherited, even to the point of being recognized personally. The North can also be represented by family members but less attention is paid as the struggles with the South take precedence in these early stages. Fortunately, I think the positive attributes enter by osmosis and fill the bank for later use.

It's easy. Wherever the South Node is.....don't do it. But, of course, life is never really that simple. Depending on other factors, the difficulty of actually breaking the habit varies from person to person, although I see struggle in every case.
As we go through each node, you will see this, plus get a good glimpse of the orchestration of the horoscope in general, as we look at chart examples. I'll start with the South Node and then synthesize it with the North.

South Node in Aries first! 

Medium and Easy

Everybody worryin 'bout that comin storm
They're nailin all the windows shut and boardin up the doors
There's a cold freeze around the hearts and the minds
Of everyone, they're cryin now, that life is so unkind
Everybody tellin me 'bout the good times they don't have
Cause they know trouble.....
Trouble is a thing called bad.

Nerves are frizzlin every hair upon my head
I'd like to turn on the TV set and never get outta bed
It seems I'm not aquainted with the hard ways of the world
I'm just a soft-skinned guy with a good-hearted girl
Come over here funny face, bring all the lovin that you have
Cause you know trouble....
Trouble is a thing called bad.
jm

Saturn and Success

The astrological chart is a glorious mandala of characteristics and complications, all wonderful to read and interpret. Every astrologer I know is infinitely delighted with the process.
In ascertaining the goals of the life, I've found no better indicator than the position of the planet Saturn. When it comes to understanding another individual, or as an astrologer giving advice, Saturn is the best guide in the wheel. The North Node of the Moon is the ultimate in fulfillment, and the Ascendant is in conscious evolution, as it rises in the sky at birth, but Saturn is the applied effort in developing the potential. It's what we are working on, usually all of our lives.

In most cases, Saturn sets up a sort of barricade. My view is that this wall is constructed for the purpose of confinement in order to encourage contemplation. We learn to calculate our actions and we learn how to do the job in the best way through this slow steady learning process. Transits of Saturn tend to slow things down for this purpose too. We try everything to get past the wall...we thrust the battering ram, try to sidestep, climb up, ignore, try to dematerialize and pass through, stay trapped behind, or try explosives. Nothing works until the time arrives for the wall to come down. Despair can occur believing one can never get beyond it, but if the work continues through the life, it will happen.

Karmic indicators are many with Saturn, guilt and blockage mostly the results. This is where one has the opportunity to correct past failures and perfect the technique in achieving the aims of the incarnation. It's a path of trial and error and repeated attempts, until mastery is acquired permanently.

So no matter how many planets or other objects are elsewhere, Saturn will demand continual work and attention. If you have planets in Cancer, for example, as I do, and Saturn in Leo, then despite the timidity, sensitivity, fear, and nurturing of Cancer; the ego, will, self confidence and expression of Leo will try to surmount the repression of Cancer, as it seeks development.

If there are planets in Virgo, no matter how much the individual is called into humble service, the life will demand that he learn pride and how to be served himself. He is leaving the steering wheel of the limousine to become its passenger.

And if there are many planets in democratic Aquarius, keeping her magnificence under wraps to benefit the group, fulfillment will evade the person until Saturn in Leo learns to be an autocrat, a monarch, a king. To shine as the special one within the crowd.

Or take Saturn in Libra. Even with a preponderance of planets in deeply emotional Scorpio, the Libra Saturn will try for a marriage of the mind, even deleting some of the visceral excitement. Planets in Aries, who loves to travel solo, ultimately will feel too much loneliness and will search for companionship in a serious way all his life.

In the end a blend is reached, but this elegant planet demands the most hard work and much of the focus of the whole existence. Saturn is form, concrete structure, the skeleton, the matrix around which we function. The denser and stronger the structure, the more security is established. In most cases, tremendous effort is required where Saturn is positioned and repeated failure and disappointment are on the path to final success. The reward of this success is great after the characteristics of the sign are learned more completely than with any other placement.

After the nodes, I'd like to go through the Saturn placement in all the signs. I know I would come out enriched from this experience, and better prepared as we head into the Saturn ruled Capricorn years just ahead, and we all have a great opportunity to achieve our long desired goals.