The World Moves On

A magnificent planetary alignment is occurring beginning 2008. The death of Benazir Bhutto was so magically in synchronization, I'm once again astounded that I'm lucky enough to have astrological knowledge to use as I navigate through this uncertain life.

Mars is at 29 Gemini, the exact degree of her Sun .... brother and sisterhood of the world. Then there's the recognition of human commonality indicated by the North Node at 29 Aquarius. And rounding out this amazing trio, is the family of man with all its ethnic, cultural, racial, and religious variations being highlighted by Pluto in the final 29th degree of Sagittarius.
Quite a spectacular line-up.

I'm not concerned with the daily violence, war, hatred, and injustice. Everybody else can cover that. What I'm interested in is the underlying evolution, and the positions of the planets these days are especially noteworthy.
The subject of boundaries is being prepared and put on the table. With Pluto through Scorpio the question was asked, "Is it worth it to have sexual intercourse if it means death?" In Sagittarius, "Is it worth it to kill people because of thoughts?" And now as Pluto enters Capricorn comes the new question, "Is it worth it to die defending an artificial boundary?"

Pakistani independence occurred on August 14th, 1947 at midnight, and Indian independence occurred on August 15th, 1947 at midnight. Partition and independence occurred technically for both India and Pakistan at midnight on the 15th, but the transfer of power ceremonies had already occurred in Pakistan. Pakistan does take the 14th at midnight as the official moment of independence. Interestingly, the exact position of the borders, including the placement of some cities, such as Lahore, was not known to most people on the subcontinent when they woke up on the 16th, which is part of the reason that such mass chaos erupted. People in Lahore literally did not know what country they were in.
Comment by Daisy at Astrodynamics

Does that not say it all? The recent Neptune transits, most notably Saturn in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius, left most everyone wondering as demarcations were dissolved and chaos abounded. As you can see in the partition chart, Neptune in opposition has just transited the Leo stellium, including Saturn with a recent Saturn return. Pakistan is in the vanguard of the next phase. Bhutto with her South Node in Leo was the pin that got loose. Her 29 Gemini Sun describes the sibling connections people want universally, and the North Node in Aquarius is a tool for cooperation.

Another sign of boundary lessons are the new smoking laws. France, unbelievably, just joined the "pack". The rules mark clear lines previously crossed by smoke (Neptune), but there is broader significance. The usual violence can be expected as humans try to understand where they are and how far they can go, and awareness of the reasons is something I like to develop. Violence and gentleness are always trading places.

The Gemini-Sagittarius opposition, Mars-Pluto, also squares the 29 Pisces of the Iraq War chart. As hard as it is to face, it was necessary to bring to light the archaic tribal conflicts that have been thwarting humanity's progress. The United States was a pawn. When the law clears the smoke, people will see, and eventually new boundaries can be drawn in many areas of experience.

From my perspective the most monumental event of the Pluto in Sagittarius transit was the great tsunami, the day after Christmas, 2004. Everything else that happened these last 12 years was not out of the ordinary. People talk about cataclysms being the only way people truly awaken, and the tsunami was one of these rare events, trumping human violence, and pulling the human race together for a brief moment. 200,000 people perished, the earth's axis shifted permanently, and time was altered a tiny fraction. The astrology of that event? The Moon was 28 Gemini, where Mars is now with Bhutto's Sun. The ascendant of the earthquake chart was 21 Capricorn, and here is a very interesting future connection. When Saturn conjoins Pluto in Capricorn in 2020 it will be at 22 Capricorn. When it becomes exact, the Sun will also be at 22. Later in the year Jupiter joins Pluto, not surprisingly at 22 Capricorn. When it becomes exact Mars will be, guess where. Right. 22 Capricorn. Was this the cataclysm that did the job? It's usually hard to tell with evolution but I feel slightly altered myself in this new time frame.

I've heard a lot of talk about the white man's supremacy in the world. Could it be that an evolutionary weakness has caused him to fight so hard for dominance and that this will ultimately fail?
I am of the view that the real battle ahead for mankind is the dominance of the Northern hemisphere over the Southern that's been going on since the birth of modern civilization in the region where geographic conditions favored survival the most. Perhaps the earth changes ahead are in the process of equalizing the imbalance and the "equator" will become just that. Just a theory.

In the meantime, have a glorious New Year celebration, even if you do disagree with the arbitrary calendar.

Whomsoever dunnit?

The answer lies in the hidden code. Or you can flip the dominoes, see where they land, and find your answer there. It's all black & white. Superbly simple to read.

Political Change

The departure of Benazir Bhutto is an auspicious event metaphysically. And she was fully prepared. It occurred with Mars retrograde in Cancer indicating that Pakistan cannot go back to the past and that the Islamic worldwide revolution can proceed. People think the religious struggle on the planet now is primarily among Christians, Jews, and Moslems, but this is not the case. The conflict among Moslems, Hindus, and Buddhists is a basic part of the situation and the separation of Pakistan from India is intrinsic to the story. The partition was a terrible event in Asia's history and is still causing problems, symbolic of the global separations people are dealing with now as Pluto slowly leaves Sagittarius.

The partition of Pakistan and India along religious lines resulted in the largest migration in human history, with 17 million people fleeing across the borders in both directions to escape the accompanying sectarian violence.

Civil division has caused some of the worst difficulties known to humanity. If you want to see some amazing astrology take a look at this chart. The birth of Pakistan as a republic was later in 1956, but that's not the important chart. The partition tells the tale, in terms of the Pluto exit and the ethnic wars.

First let's start with a few important placements:
Bhutto's natal chart:
Sun: 29 Gemini
Mars: 4 Cancer
North Node 3 Aquarius, South Node 3 Leo
Pluto: 21 Leo

Assassination:
Pluto: 28 Sagittarius
Mars: 1 Cancer
North Node 29 Aquarius, South Node 29 Leo
Moon: 21 Leo

The partition was officially put into motion at midnight, August 15, 1947. One of the most outstanding factors in the chart of the occasion is the beginning planet, Uranus, at 25 Gemini, near Pluto's degree in Sagittarius yesterday in opposition. Brother against brother. Religious and ethnic differences. Bhutto's Sun at 29 Gemini combines to show the world that this division doesn't work. The Moon was in Cancer at the partition and Mars at 0 Cancer correlates with today's Mars retrograde and Bhutto's natal Mars as she returned to her homeland to die on her Mars return. Twice returned that is, stressing that tribal barrier is a large part of the story. Her own sectarian origins were kept hidden. Look at the Leo 4th house stellium in the ptn.chart and you can see the energy focused on excessive pride and claim to territory, very similar to the situation in Israel, whose creation was soon after this event. Substantial connection here. Bhutto's Pluto exactly conjuncts the Sun at 21 Leo in the ptn.chart and the Moon yesterday, one of the most important lessons being absorbed. The South node is in Leo after the transit of Saturn started diminishing the power of the omnipotent ego driven leaders of the world. The meeting of all the 21* Leo points is quite an event. She was one of them.

And this leads to the most fascinating part of the configuration. The midheaven of the ptn.chart almost exactly conjuncts Bhutto's North Node in Aquarius. What is this saying? The brotherhood of man is the way people can free themselves from the religious separations and violence, in conjunction with the familial expansion of Cancer-Sagittarius. It looks very much like the partition of Pakistan and Bhutto's death have paved the way for a recognition of this simple fact. Although many, many hardships are ahead for Pakistan, the transit of Aquarius, along with Neptune in Aquarius and Uranus in Pisces, as well as the upcoming Uranian transits, point to some resolution of the religious tribal violence, however small. Or at least an increased understanding. Her legacy might be just that. In order for mankind to progress, the influential Moslem religion must evolve and now is the moment. It couldn't have happened with her return to power. It's time to move on.

The Partition was a highly controversial arrangement, and remains a cause of much tension on the subcontinent today. The commission took so long to decide on a final boundary that the two nations were granted their independence even before there was a defined boundary between them.

Boundaries. Pluto. Capricorn.

Pluto, Poisons, and Healing

A healthy human liver

From birth, every hurt registers in consciousness and is stored in memory to make room for the next bop. "I'll deal with it later." And we do. People have vulnerable areas that are especially sensitive to pain and these repeated hurts accumulate until the time comes for them to surface, to get the attention they cry for, and to be soothed, treated, and healed. Sickness or some external breakdown is the result. Or a Pluto transit.

Daily the body absorbs poisons and is equipped to handle them, but some get stored, and here again, Pluto is the roto-man who finds the impurities, releases them from captivity, and brings them to the surface for removal and curing of disease. This includes both the emotional and physical. They materialize as outer events so people can see and understand, and then change their situations accordingly to prevent the return of discomfort and ultimately to facilitate steps in evolution.
Many people feel victimized when this happens and the notorious horrors of the Pluto transit arrive. With whatever particular painful events occur during the transit, comes the opportunity for permanent healing, one of Pluto's favorite activities. Especially if the opportunity is perceived. There are assorted sensations included in the passage out of toxic matter, both pleasing and unpleasant. I call Pluto the Cosmic Plumber, and no doubt, it can be a messy business. Lifelong buildup is often up for elimination so it can also take time.

When Pluto came to oppose my Venus-Uranus in Gemini, I was busy pecking away at the keyboard joining my compadres in Blogland, sharing metaphysics, and unfortunately, politics. In the beginning I landed in some pretty horrible places with painful words and images eclipsing my own. I read too many blogs looking for a space for my own ideas, with little success. It finally caught up with me and I contracted pneumonia (Gemini-communication-lungs). I was literally drowning in other people's verbiage.

So I stopped reading the blogs and started my own. The pneumonia cured itself. I'm purged and can continue my life, relieved and renewed, never to overdo the intake again and to always remember how important it is for my health and well-being to express myself. Saturn was also on my natal Saturn in Leo. You can attribute the birth of Raging Universe in part to my partner, Pluto.

The poisons are a natural by-product of living and Pluto is there to eliminate them as the individual goes. The liver is also involved in detoxification and is ruled by Jupiter and Sagittarius. It is now known that faith has a great deal to do with healing.

This could be why Pluto through Sagittarius has been so monumental. So collectively noticeable. In some fundamental way, the liver of humanity has been healed in an increment by Pluto and the seemingly endless surfacing of putrid religious matter revealed the curative process taking place. I am of the opinion, of course, that elimination of the poison has occurred to an extent and that some reconstruction in the tissue of collective faith is in the works, especially since Jupiter accompanied Pluto both at the entrance and exit. Time will tell.

A Pluto in Sagittarius Truth?

Even while preparing himself for a recent visit at Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Santa finds the time and joy in posing for a photo in the men's room.

I had to share with you this fascinating picture that appeared in today's paper. The first thing that struck me, of course, was the excretory device and then the photographer, who looked like he was shooting Santa. What amazes me is that it was published on Christmas day. It's in a shopping center too, the modern day church, with its gleaming marble. An entire half page. I can't figure out why they featured the urinal when it could have been so easily cropped. Bathroom humor, I suppose. Pluto laughs too, even on the holiest day. Very very interesting. Truth is everywhere and anywhere. It's all mixed up.
Photo:Glenn Asakawa. Rocky Mountain News

A Neuronic Christmas

In case you need a pick-me-up I'm contributing this to the holiday buffet. Use as much as you like. But be careful....it's hot!!!!

Addendum: In my continuing study of the effects of the Mars retrograde in Cancer, I'm curious how the holiday went in families. The tribal disintegration I've been talking about could be picking up momentum, with some people knowing how much there is beyond the biological family barrier, not forsaking the connections, of course, but feeling the desire for expansion in Cancer-Sagittarius. Some scent of change. The Moon was in late Cancer (Cancer Mars opposite Jupiter) forming a yod with Pluto in Sagittarius and the North N at 29 Aquarius.

Cancer and the Pluto Exit From Sagittarius

Cancer-Sagittarius. The Family of Man.

A magnificent full moon shone on me last night next to Mars. My god in heaven it was beautiful. It's not happenstance, I don't think, that the Sagittarius-Cancer lunation opposed Jupiter at the end of the Pluto transit, and that Mars in Cancer is seeing Pluto out.

I'm all Cancer-Sagittarius even to the point of having a Sun-Moon inconjunct 3* apart. I know it well.

The family of man. Cancer equals family and Sagittarius is the foreign world. When these two combine a feeling of intimacy with most everyone is the result. Safe and secure in the universe. I've traveled all over the planet and everywhere I've gone I've felt at home. I adopt the dress and customs, eat the food, drink the water, and settle in. I feel a natural familiarity and I'm accepted by the natives in every nation.
It seems that the seeds of this cross-pollination are sprouting, and I get the feeling that in the next 248 years, some breakdown in tribal barrier might occur, begun awhile ago when global travel and exchange started developing to the extent they've arrived at now.

Emotion and God. It was irritating but the religious extremism of the Pluto transit brought to light the underlying emotional need for spiritual expression in humans. Sagittarius with Cancer has a natural intimacy with the deity and I think people realize the need for that now. You might think all of this would turn people against religion but I doubt that will be the final result. I tend to think a re-connection is in the works based on personal feeling. In a curious back street way, the divisions have actually united the world spiritually. Cancer-Sagittarius is the epitome of spiritual comfort.

Enthusiasm. Cancer and Sagittarius combine to lift the spirits from the visceral level in a continous bubbling extrusion. I think I emerged from the womb with poms-poms in hand ready to jump, shout and cheer. I had to wait until I was a high school freshman to literally get on the field, though. None too soon.

Faith. Cancer is instinct and Sagittarius is the omnipotent. The two combine to create trust that is not manufactured and not reasoned with, but simply felt. Through these years, after the conflict in the cradle (Cancer) of civilization, people expressed terror and fear of worldwide war and suffering. Now as the transit is ending, the Iraq War is winding down on its own, WWIII has disappeared from the horizon, and underneath the terror, some faith in universal workings has developed. The needed revolution in the Islamic world has been set in motion and all the religions recognize the need to modernize and nurture in keeping with current times. I feel a calm in the air with the knowledge that things do, in fact, work themselves out. Pure Sagittarius.

It will take a few years to sort it out, but when Pluto finally makes its last retrograde and goes direct fully into Capricorn in 2009, Mars again is in Cancer. Of course the daily agonies always continue as usual within the larger framework, but then again, it's a matter of philosophy. Because I am so Cancer-Sagittarian I believe there is a larger wheel leading humanity in progressive evolution. Something somewhere is good.

A Pluto Transit

Pluto has just entered Joe's 8th house and he expressed some curiosity about the lengthy transit ahead. "What in the world will happen?" A common query. To see what the story is one can look at the 8th house and its planets, the Scorpio Sun, and Pluto in Libra in the 5th. Saturn in Gemini in the first is also a major player, and, of course, the South Node in Cancer.

According to the astrological chart, Joe is likely to be a man of means. Jupiter and the North Node in the 8th in Capricorn indicate spiritual wealth that translates into the material, as long as he refrains from clinging and keeping too much for himself a la Midas. His philosophy of life includes this translation, so it's no wonder that he introduced us to the idea of writing abundance checks on the new moon. Law (Capricorn) of Abundance (Jupiter) is the signer. God as banker, everyone is deserving.

As Pluto proceeds and conjoins his natal Jupiter, this belief will be tested and molded to serve his purposes when Pluto rises to the top of his chart and worldy achievement comes fully into play. His innate understanding of shared moneys is one of his best assets. Jupiter rules his 7th house so shared resources with the current people in his life could be up for study. What exits and what comes in reveal themselves as it progresses. A reckoning in the partnership area can be counted on. I would guess that some people would leave his life in exchange for others entering who more closely match his spiritual desires and love of bonding based on philosophical truths. At the same time his Gemini rising likes the superficial so the difficult juggling act among various types of communication can be mastered. Do we eat eggs, discuss the meaning of the egg, or paint them and transform them into something beyond the ordinary? Major questions to be answered.

The bigger picture and the orchestration of his upcoming experiences center around the Moon in Capricorn in the 9th and what happens in the 8th is a prelude to the culmination when Pluto conjoins Joe's Moon in 2020, along with Jupiter and Saturn, a grand and important moment in his life. He has a long time to prepare, the beauty of Pluto.

Pluto to the Moon involves the steep reduction, sometimes elimination, of the mother's power in the psyche, which can occur before or after the literal death, if at all. Not many people get the conjunction and it's a fine opportunity to advance. A Moon in Capricorn frequently depicts a cold, calculating, and controlling mother even if not apparent. The result in the child is often depression, over-timidity, and a thwarting of achievement on his own terms. The control ended up in the barricade Joe hid behind: his Saturn in the 1st. Now he can master the use of the wall and leave and enter at will as Pluto transits the 8th house, deep in the psyche, to release him from the Moon-Saturn-1st house prison. So the separation written here is from the mother, the past, the family, and so on, old patterns around money being paramount. The details are to be determined. There are many places along the way as Pluto squares his Libra stellium to work on freedom from archaic family habits and the building of solid, equitable, productive relationships, relatively free of childish emotional manipulation. The even bigger factor is the South Node in Cancer. The undertow of the family that he's never been able to shake. Now he can. It's all about Capricorn-Gemini. Speaking up and being taken seriously. Joe has the skills as everyone here knows, and after the transit I would be surprised if a confident, well-spoken man didn't emerge, with influence, respect, and that illusive indefinable commodity -- power. Capricorn 8th is the ultimate in consolidated power.

There is no way this kind of permanent growth can skirt around painful episodes, but most of us have had a lot of practice and are pretty adept. One thing that helps is knowing why and where it's leading. The point centers around his Scorpio 6th Sun and Pluto in Libra, along with Saturn in Gemini. Joe needs a routine that is satisfying, work that is important and transformative, and an ego that gets full expression in the workplace. He also desires relationships that go to the deepest roads in human emotional exchange incorporating the regenerative strength of creativity, indicated by the Pluto 5th. Pluto 5s know they are special, far beyond the pack, but they have to go through the fires before they can prove it. This is what the Pluto transits coming are designed to do, lifting the depression, removing the roadblocks, giving him voice and the ability to impact his environment, broadcasting his quirky sense of humor, and bringing him the wealth and respect he's earned in this incarnation, along with the Pluto 5th's favorite thing. Love, with a good dose of loyalty.

The Pluto Transit

This is what usually happens in a Pluto transit.

First of all. The sequence of actual events is not predictable and someone else's experience has little or nothing to do with your own. You can get some idea if you look at the Scorpio sector of your chart, any planets in Scorpio, and the house and sign where Pluto is positioned. The transit is designed to get you, yourself, to actualization, a unique circuit in every person.

The human's prehensile grasp starts in Taurus and the strength of the grip is incalculable. The creature hangs on for dear life. In Scorpio and the 8th, the grip is released. It's usually not easy, but the difficulty varies greatly in each person. There is survival dependency in the original grip, but in Scorpio survival depends on letting loose. Pluto rules the bowels and elimination, a necessary act, and it happens in many dimensions. When Pluto transits a personal planet or house, that movement is indicated and elimination takes place. A purge and purification. Rites of passage and evolution are the results.

Pluto is equated with literal death and destruction but that is not always the case. It's true that the 8th house is one of crisis, but crisis means change. The 8th house is the door to the broader universe in the 9th, and to enter, something of the previous life has to be left behind. Pluto rules the underworld, the place one goes after death, and in order to pass the border, a price is agreed upon. Something is given to pay for the new wealth, the gain in psychological and spiritual knowledge. What is relinquished varies with the number of people on the planet. Some people are wise enough to feel the intended relief even as the separation occurs.

When Pluto crossed my 8th house I wasn't as knowledgeable as I am now, but I knew enough to work with it. Since I have Aries rising and the South Node in Scorpio in the 7th house, other people were scheduled to leave my life in order for me to evolve. And they did. All my dependents. Pluto is in my 5th house, so creative fulfillment was the aim. While these people helped my creative unfolding up to that point, they now would be blocking my further passage if they remained. And Aries, with the North Node in the 1st, best travels solo.

One thing I prepared for was the exit from the 8th where my Moon and Jupiter are positioned in Sagittarius, exactly on the cusp. For 10 years I wondered what would happen, but I had an idea. I was smart enough not to get specific. I knew, especially after the deaths, that the transit was designed to open me up for expansion into the world, unfettered and hopefully with confidence. That's what I prepared for. I think one has a say in these matters. Over time, almost all specific events become relatively insignificant, and the subtle evolution remains as the memorable entity. The development of character.

The difficulty in a Pluto transit is the strength with which humans hold on to the familiar. They instinctively keep a grasp on what they possess. Then the time arrives when one learns the real truth about fair exchange. With Pluto, one hand lets go in order to grasp the fruit, and although it can be unsettling when it happens, the gain is worth it. In fact, the gain won't happen without the price paid. What is lost, no longer is useful and if it remains, would likely decay and corrupt the whole system.

So in order to help the process, an individual can look at the natal chart and see what's being highlighted for removal and what's to be reworked. It can be almost anything. How it comes about can't normally be seen, but some gentleness is usually included in the accompanying sensations. And as I said.. relief.

Gossip

I usually don't gossip much, but since Mars is just about to go back into Gemini, I'll tell you what happened.

Sometimes I do get irritated and find myself complaining about someone or something. However, those who make a habit of it and call it responsible news, really irritate me, as well as pseudo-progressive blogs that dissect and hate others primarily. People fascinate me but I don't have the time nor the desire to analyze repeatedly what they're saying and doing. Especially people I don't like.
A cursory glance is enough.

I was going to mention the Huffington Post in a blog entry -- a disgusting yellow journalistic emotionally manipulative piece of crap, although entertaining with some newsy fact. My objection is not to the existence of this smut, but the extreme popularity. The public preference for this kind of reporting masquerading as serious politics. Well, it probably really isn't pretending. Couldn't be.

The photos and banner headlines are shock and awe, sensationalism at its worst. The rest is basically gossip of the malicious kind with a few big words thrown in. Circulation is beyond God.

Well, I decided to can the post and move on, not wanting to lower myself too much. In a moment of weakness I clicked to enter the blog and this message appeared:

X .... Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site. Operation aborted ... OK.

So I thought, "Aren't the gods something?" How kind of them to discuss the issue with me. I wondered if this was a way to protect me from the degradation of participating in this prurient group ritual, or a message to speak my mind after all. What harm can befall me anyway?

I could be making a mistake. I'm the one who has to live with myself. But Hell, it's 29* Sagittarius and I'm going to let loose! I wonder if Huffpost will ever let me back?
Illustration: David Roberts

2012 and Light

Elec-trickkle outlets and the quasi-known future

Last Wednesday, the day Jupiter entered Capricorn with the Moon in Aries, a major energy bill was signed into law. Here is one of the pieces of legislation:

The phaseout, beginning in 2012, of the incandescent light bulb. By 2014 these bulbs will be virtually obsolete.

Can you imagine? Of course it hasn't been sudden but I remember a not-so-short life entirely lit by the incandescent bulb. My curiosity was aroused as usual, so I did some research. According to history, in 1805, an English chemist by the name of Humphry Davy invented the first light bulb. And Jupiter was where? Why Capricorn, of course. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were in Taurus. A practical invention to say the least.

In 1854, Henricg Globel, a German watchmaker invented the first true light bulb. Jupiter was in Aries, where Uranus will be in 2012. Then in 1879, Thomas Edison improved on the invention and paved the way for mass usage. Saturn was in Aries. In 2012, Jupiter will be in Taurus along with the continuing transit of Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. It does look as though human energy innovation and transformation are scheduled, especially as Uranus in Taurus trines Pluto bringing the new inventions to the world.

I'm heartbroken. I am a creature of the night and I love the incandescent bulb. It's God to me and I will grieve the darkening of it's light and warmth. Life is disappointing. Then again, 2012 holds promise, some say. The new light could even be better, if that's possible.

Recognition, Honors, and Prestige

Jupiter in Capricorn, soon to be joined by Pluto

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was not only among the first women to graduate from medical school in America, she was the only woman ever to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military award in the country.
Born in 1832, Walker grew up in a family of abolitionists. Her parents believed that girls should be well-educated, and in June, 1855, Walker graduated from medical school. When Civil War broke out in 1861, she headed for Washington and tried to join the Army as a surgeon. The military, however, wasn't ready for a women doctor. Rather than return home, she volunteered her services in hospitals and on battlefields. Her skills earned her recognition, and in 1863 she was finally hired as the first female surgeon in the Army. When the war ended, President Andrew Johnson awarded Walker the Medal of Honor.

Born Nov. 26, 1832. Moon and Venus in Capricorn.

Jupiter expands and Capricorn achieves, so the next year presents an impressive opportunity for earthly accomplishment. You can see how this configuration works by looking at natal charts.
Say you have Jupiter in Cap in the 3rd. Perhaps your sister is principal of the town's high school. Or take Jupiter in the 9th in Capricorn. You could have written a book on comparative religion that is now a standard textbook in universities all across the country. Or in the 11th. You could be a master chess player and coordinator of the competitions, tours, and awards' ceremonies. Wherever Jupiter and Saturn meet, achievement is desired with acknowledgement following.

The Pluto ingress has a trine to Saturn along with the conjunction to Jupiter. But this is where it gets interesting. The start of the transit has Jupiter with Pluto and in 12 years when Jupiter returns to Capricorn, meeting Pluto again, Saturn joins them, too. Quite a set-up. This says that achievements now could see great results when the planets confer. The entire time is excellent for productivity. Not only the satisfaction of advancement is scheduled, but the added joy of substantial recognition and reward. And I might add that Uranus will be in Taurus at the culmination.

Anyone can look at the individual chart and see where the action is. Particularly what Saturn's doing.

What Pluto Hath Done

Jupiter enters Capricorn and the story comes out.

"Japanese monks and nuns hit the catwalk in Tokyo on Saturday in a bid to spread Buddhism among younger people in this rapidly aging society. The fashion show opened with a buddhist prayer set to a hip-hop beat at the centuries-old Tsukiji Honganji temple, where nearly 40 monks and nuns from eight major Buddhist sects showed off elaborate robes in an effort to win back believers.

Buddhist monks traditionally wear simple black robes. But to appeal to more fashion-conscious youth, the monks wore green and yellow clothes, some with gold embroidery. Others wore elaborate, multi-layered garments.

More than 1200 years after it first arrived from mainland Asia, Buddhism in Japan is in crisis.

Many of us priests share the sense of crisis and the need to reach out to people. We won't change Buddhism's teachings, but perhaps we need a different presentation that can touch the feelings of the people of today."
Mari Yamaguchi. Associated Press

It only took 1200 years but better late than never. Not that modern times are an improvement, but traditions have to be flexible. Pluto rooting out all the decayed religious matter, but not saying exactly what will replace it to fulfill human spiritual longing. I suppose hip-hop is a fair interim selection. The good ol' godlovin' USA still has her influence intact. What ever is next?

The Changing Times

Like weather patterns shifting due to changing pressures in search of equilibrium, the human atmosphere adjusts as well. Today a large planetary shift is starting with Jupiter traveling into Capricorn and the Moon's North Node entering Aquarius.
In one of the places I frequent, extensive (de)construction and alterations are going on, and the people are in a panic. It's quite amazing how afraid of sudden change so many humans are, yet at the same time they're dissatisfied with the status quo. "Will conditions be worse or better?" they wonder. There's no doubt that the process is unsettling. So many underpaintings in the human body to adapt.

Jupiter in Capricorn.
Jupiter inflates, the exact opposite of what happens in Saturn ruled Capricorn. Jupiter crosses, and the excess confronts the constricting movement right away with results to be established as the year-long transit progresses. Capricorn can squeeze the joy out of Jupiter, or Jupiter can expand the architectural talent of Capricorn, encapsulating the Jupiterian fire and using it for earthly accomplishment. Tackle the tasks, or be tackled. Or ignore it.

North Node in Aquarius.
Who are the architects of war? I don't think people really know. It's a mighty seed and the human mind is still programmed to attach to fear and pain, even when fact refutes the assumption that the world is primarily violent. One thing that seems to be causal is boundaries. Capricorn rules boundaries, Uranus moves beyond them. Coming up, insight is available describing how people can cross the lines without defending to death the arbitrary separations. It's been said that rulers create these lines artificially but left to their own devices, people would draw them anyway.

Some people are not bonded by family, sex, marriage, age, religion, geography, or any traditional glue. There's often a uniting of intelligence, and some sort of indefinable fellowship. Herein lie the seeds, I suppose, for overcoming the defensiveness that leads to perception of the same creature as predator.

Through the Capricorn years people might get a clearer understanding of borders and how to pass in and out. Travel with confidence. In many dimensions.

Many people express fear of being trapped in circumstance with no control. In some ways this is accurate, but within the whole, the individual's destiny can be hand molded, painted, and finished to his*her own specifications. As with all moments, good and bad happen concurrently and in infinite shades, values, and degrees. A lot of choice. In fact, a blend is usually what results, from what I've seen.

The Cosmic Cover-up

I recall being uninterested in current events as a child, the public ones, and now I think I'm beginning to see why. We had no television, so I wasn't bombarded by strained, breathless voices keeping me apprised of the happenings in the world around me. I knew what I needed to know.

I was thinking about the hidden factor. The ideal worlds we imagine and occasionally encounter almost by accident, as if we can't consciously find them. How much hiding is required to keep these dimensions so beautiful in contrast? Is it because they are secret that they retain their charm and allure? Enchantment.
Questions, Jm.A certain amount of hiding to be sure
Mpk.

The obvious strikes me as a cover-up for the underlying machinations of the world.
It's possible that the beneficent entities work well in some privacy and the sensational splash is designed to keep people occupied. Satisfy an appetite. The multi-media joy ride. Fact is relative.
The truth is neutral, I think, and cares not if it is believed or rejected. It remains active anyway, maybe preferring to work undercover. Are there spies for the truth? Are there times when its discovery is safe? It appears there are secret agents in the area.

Sparked into Life

"There's a time when the whole lifetime has enough charge that it jumps state."
Mpk

"I think the outer planets do that when people meet them personally. The boundary is crossed after Saturn but one has to be ready so as not to fly apart."
Jm

I attended an annual party I've been going to for 17 years. In the beginning they were gala affairs with glittering women, elegant men, a sumptuous buffet, spirits, music, dancing, and most of all -- enthusiasm.
Gradually they became smaller and now, just a handful attends. The thrill has vanished.

I got to thinking this might be symbolic of the changes in society as depression grew to the extreme it has arrived at now with obesity climbing to gargantuan proportions since the 1980s and antidepressant drugs as common as cough syrup. For the first time the weight increase is declining and there seems to be a growing realization that a healthy, reasonably happy life is within the human spectrum of experience. Money has not fulfilled its promise in this wildly prosperous country.

I'm thinking that as the earth travels into the Uranian times, there's opportunity for a jump start. A juicing of the collective synapses and circuitry, a favorite activity of Uranus, and a step further into the pulse of life.

Freedom is discussed at an astonishing rate. It's clear to me that it comes with self discipline. Saturn builds it, then the human is ready for liberation. The Capricorn transits provide time to get the matrix in place. It all swings together, and then jump, spark, and pop. Uranus and Jupiter cross into Aries. The starting line.

Freedom is what I enjoy, and I'm building a reliable vehicle to travel in; a disciplined and responsible self. With good spark plugs.

The Executive Office

After the truth

For those of you star trakkers who think the Jupiter-Pluto days are soon to be over, I suggest some additional thought. The saga is only partly written.

Years ago my father, husband, sister, and I traveled to Mexico together and we wound up one night in a small beach front hotel, not a luxury one by any stretch of the imagination. The room was bare, there were no towels, the air conditioning was non-functional, and the light bulbs didn't work. In short, nothing worked. Everytime a request was made, the one member of the non-English speaking staff would reply, "Talk in office".
Well, that is just what brothers Jupiter and Pluto are about to do. They've met and are headed to a rather important meeting with Big Daddy in Capricorn. We'll leave Bigger Daddy, Uranus, out of it for the moment.

Jupiter enters Capricorn on Dec. 18 and Pluto follows on Jan. 26. The Pluto crossing has Venus conjunct Jupiter in Capricorn trine Saturn in Virgo. The Moon is just in Libra. The north node will exactly conjoin the USA Moon in Aquarius. Not a shabby beginning and quite a change in flavor from the wild Sagittarius years. They'd better get their suits cleaned and pressed.

The pair is scheduled to spend the year in Capricorn trine Saturn, Pluto dipping back into Sagittarius come summer and fall, and changes in the relationship are a probability. Saturn is associated with reality and Pluto goes to the source -- the spiritual germ plasm. The previous Jupiterian learning is ready to be consolidated and put to use, possibly quite soon. While Sagittarius inflates and fires up the proceedings, Capricorn constricts and cools down. Gravity replaces flight, and logic prevails over sensation. There are reasons that Jupiter and Pluto are still working things out, and several areas of experience could be affected. Capricorn seeks the real, maybe for no other reason than to make it useful.

Beliefs. The outrageous flinging of international viewpoints and acts in the name of God might no longer serve the purpose they did as what people really believe starts to replace the false posturing. Even logic could pop its head. Will it be practical to say that God made me blow up Mecca? Will fake tapes of lost prophets in the Badlands get the job done? People can use Pluto to get to their own core philosophies and make them viable through Capricorn's influence, finding it more beneficial to prove it to themselves instead of everyone else. Even astrologers might become less ego inflamed and more sensible when predicting the entire future of the universe.

Resources. The Plutonian issue of resources is bound to get some serious treatment. The conjunction governed the Nobel Prize ceremonies and the global warming experts who are meeting in Bali to start their work in earnest. "Sharing" has been the operative word so far. The fiery rhetoric of Jupiter can still be used to arouse enthusiasm, but the practical work seems imminent.

Inspiration and joy. After the last years of over-excitement, following this and that in mob hysteria, maybe the bones of personal joy will be revealed to be built upon and made useful with a genuine search for spiritual fulfillment, being honest with ourselves.

Ethics. Who knows? Hard to fathom. I'm going to try.

At any rate, the map is changing and some people will too. The careful construction of Capricorn replaces the unrestrained expression of Sagittarius when it comes to all things Jupiterian. Naturally the corruption, power abuse, excessive control, and humiliations of Pluto-Capricorn will be part and parcel of the whole. But they have a purpose too. It is encouraging to note that the far-sighted town of Minneapolis has decided not to lock its protesters in cages during the Republican convention. Come to think of it, maybe they'd be safer there.

Toys Are Us

When I was eight years old and attending Camp Meadowbrook one summer, the Barbie Doll came crashing through the cosmic fabric into the hands of almost every little girl I knew. All of my bunkmates got one, but my mother, in keeping with her off-beat nature, gave me a glamorous figure that was not actually an official Barbie, but close. I accepted this with some reservation. I was getting used to being on the outskirts looking in, and we're stuck with the mothers we get. In the end, it probably worked in my favor, this taste for the not-massively-popular. I did get a great turquoise two-wheeler, though, that was in the traditional mold. One of my all time favorites. I love my wheels, speaking of human toys.

This year is different. As the gift giving season progresses and the burning desire builds in children's eyes, burning holes in pockets, and filling holes under burning trees, to my surprise, I found myself only briefly slipping into my misanthropic persona lamenting the plethora of plastic shit they play with for a moment, then break or discard. The tiny ones try to eat the stuff. Anyway, I got to thinking instead.

It looks as though toys have been around as long as homo sapiens have been children. There's a lot of creative imagination loosed in tinkering with this vast assortment. I do remember, though, that my favorite plaything as a child was upside down chairs covered with blankets, making amber-lit tents to my utter joy, as I crawled in and did what? I know not. I never tired of this game.

A ball on a string, a miniature train on a track, structures to erect, rocks to turn, newts to find, songs, stories, games, puzzles -- all the things that make up a child's fantasy world. How many of these became some of mankind's greatest inventions? Emotionally nondeveloped geniuses tinkering in their rooms, then their laboratories, seeing the strange in everything , and creating the magnificent complication of the modern technological age.

Does play guarantee the progress of humanity?

Toys R me, as Raging Universe demonstrates.

The Ship Comes In Jupiter Pluto Conjunction

On December 11th these two giants, one literal, one figurative, or was until repositioned as a dwarf this year - will meet in the heavens, a rather interesting occurrence from a metaphysician's perspective. One particularly fascinating aspect is the connection to the beginning of the transit 13 years ago. Jupiter was conjunct Pluto then, on January 18, 1995, along with Venus.

Pluto governs riches and Jupiter, abundance.
The gaseous planet inflates everything it touches, as you can see when the Dow Industrial Average closed at the end of 1995 for the first time above 5000. It steadily went upward until it reached 14,000+ this year and now as Pluto and Jupiter leave Sagittarius the restraint is beginning. There are several lessons the two planets are leaving the earth with and the correlation between the entrance and the departure reveal what they are.

From my post below on wealth I included these lyrics:

If I knew like the wizards do
How to turn pennies into gold
If I knew. like they do.
The secrets of the stone ..

Then I could live on a penny a night
I could live like a king all my life.

I think this expresses what Pluto and Jupiter mean as the unseen forces of the underworld ruled by Pluto are used to create riches on earth, ruled by Jupiter. The end result of such alchemical experimentation is an understanding of what wealth really is. Is it possessions? Happiness? Faith? Knowledge? A fat bank account? Friends and family? Fulfillment in every area? These are some of the questions that could get aroused when Jupiter and Pluto meet up from December 11th to the 14th.

The Pluto ingress in 1995 found Saturn at 9 degrees Pisces along with Venus and Jupiter in Sagittarius. Mars was 1 degree Virgo creating the Virgo-Pisces-Sagittarius T-square we're experiencing now, connected with religion and spirituality. But the most interesting factor was the north node in Scorpio. As Pluto stationed at 0 for the next three months, the NN passed 6-9 degrees Scorpio, exactly where Venus will be during the coming conjunction. Saturn reached 14 degrees Pisces during the station, where direct Uranus will be now. The current conjunction squares the 29 Pisces of the Iraq War chart.

There is no doubt about the religious struggles these years have wrought, but the added Scorpio puts emphasis on lessons of shared resources and how they figure into evolution. We are soon to find out as what's mine is mine, and what's yours is yours have become altogether confused to the point of realization that sharing might be necessary for human continuation, eventually including a reduction of the old standards; theft and murder. The repeat of the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction together with Venus and Scorpio lend credence to this view.

The United States, especially, with her SN in the 2nd and NN in the 8th, is in the vanguard of this learning as the birthing and dying fields of Mesopotamia continue to reveal knowledge yet to be assimilated. No surprise that substance "under" the sands is what this Pluto-Jupiter action has been about. Is it God differences or just resources that have caused humanity's violent interpersonal discomfort? Would genuine religion affect the battle for survival and dominance? Will sharing be a requirement and thus lead to social progress? Attempted annihilation of the enemy is not working too well.

In the meantime I was contemplating these events and drew the Queen of Pentacles. I kept her upturned for a week and put her back in the deck. I shuffled and cut the deck. I drew. The card that turned up was the Queen of Pentacles. I knew something was up.

For me, wealth is real. Dollars and cents. I have a nn in Taurus and tangibles are what I need. My sn is in Scorpio, my Moon and Jupiter, in Sagittarius, so I have more than enough emotional and spiritual wealth. For every person the story is unique. Contrary to popular opinion, one doesn't necessarily mean the other. That if you are spiritually rich, you will be materially rich as well, and that if you pursue a lot of money, you are most likely spiritually lacking. Come December 11, the opportunities to gain insight and understanding become abundant. That wealth you can count on. Then the earth moves into the Capricorn years when the newfound discoveries can become manifest in concrete reality. When we realize what truly brings us joy.
Photo: Sonja Bullaty & Angelo Lomeo

Nurse Jill Has Arrived.

She's got antiflu, antiviral, antibiotic, anticataclyctic, anticyclonic, antediluvian, and probiotic antidotes.
She can dance, too.

Saturn in Virgo invites you to engage her services.
Health: Jm. 2007

We Are Fortunate

Noted salt expert, Dr. Boron, heads the International Institute of Irrational Intelligence Expansion, and has just begun a program researching the electro-chemical ratios in functioning neuronics. He has kindly offered to explain in detail the synaptic reactions within the sympathetic nervous system in the brain of the neuronic having an hallucinogenic experience.

"It's a trip, man."

Thank you, Dr. Boron.

A Poet

Language is how ghosts enter the world.

They twist into awkward positions to squeeze into the black spaces.

The dead read backwards, as in a mirror.

They gather in the white field and look up, waiting for someone to write their names.
Anne Michaels

I'm so Goddammed Happy $&%!!*

World War III is canceled. Now I can concentrate on my glass blowing. I can't blow properly with these jackasses sniping and yapping about war. Enough is too much. 15 seconds into the news these days and my parrot, Mortimer, suffers severe gastrointestinal distress. He's sensitive, though. And getting old. 119 this month. Seen too much. He's been on a special diet throughout the current administration and I'm hoping he'll feel better soon. My chicken Zelda's laying has been off too. Of course, Uranus direct has influenced matters.

Well, all you good people enjoy the respite and keep up the solid gold effort. It will pay off.
Love to everyone,
Myrtle Rae

Word of the Day

Perspective

Most people are aware of how much perspective can influence their responses to the things they witness. Like the movie camera that creates different moods with slow motion, camera angles, close-ups, long shots -- the slightest change altering the sensations experienced by the viewer. No wonder Neptune governs photography and the film industry. The mutual reception between Neptune and Uranus is pointing out the differences in the way perspective affects the collective reactions to events in the world. Is the truth in the eye of the observer, in the view of the reporter/translator, or in the event itself? Now that Pluto is close to the 29 degree Pisces of the Iraq War chart, let's take a look at how this works.

The compassionate participant: It's wrong to kill people. The fascist elite war machine is spilling the blood of innocent children. My heart cries for the dead and wounded. We are all victims of the cruel and greedy leaders. Evil men are trying to destroy the powerless.

The primitive participant: Kill the enemy.

The engaged businessman: There's money to be made.

The detached observer: It's wrong to kill people but this is the way of the world and there isn't much one can do. It's a fact that lies were perpetrated in order to invade an unarmed country but leaders have always acted in this manner and it won't change anytime soon.

The detached non-participant: It doesn't affect me.

The highly detached metaphysician: Circumstance isn't what it appears to be upon first glance. A long series of events led to the contract between the countries to engage in battle. Both have reasons for their actions. Nothing can be changed about the lead-up, and possibly the outcome can be influenced by choices made. The result could be as bad as it could be good. It's part of a sequence.

The extremely detached mystic:

Which one is accurate? All of them, of course. As Pluto leaves Sagittarius after nudging everyone to find some big truth, it appears that there might not be one. If someone kills another, for example, who knows whether or not it's karmic correction unfolding? It's morally wrong from the observer's viewpoint, probably, but obviously the participants are experiencing it differently. What if that moment of life can't proceed to the next without the event? What if the participants are choosing this destiny, even if not consciously aware of the fact? It's far too much for one person to definitively judge, although the effort is inevitable. What if it turned out that the Iraq War was right? And who really did it?

On one level humans have to try and abide by ethical and moral guidelines, but the complications of Pisces and the mutual reception are opening up perspectives previously not thought of, taking judgement to untried places and eliminating it altogether in some instances. People won't stop killing one another because someone tells them not to. It comes from natural desire through a proper evolutionary education. Knowing the human is rather young as a species and only partway along the road, I'm going to allow for flaw and failure while the collective consciousness learns through experience and viable conscience develops from its already-existing seed.

Neuronics

Pardon me?

You know. Neuronics. The modern day neuroses.

Here's the skinny. Sometimes I'm not entirely in command of my nerves and I've wondered if I were not somewhat neurotic, a moniker I don't like a lot. So I've chosen a new label:

I officially declare myself a neuronic.
Signed,
Jm

I See

Hindsight, foresight, insight, nearsight, farsight, the overview. Many views. But where to look? The eyes fuse but often focus inacurrately, having to peer through windows on their hosts' faces. All day they dart about searching, searching, searching for a destination. Yet they leap quickly to something else once they arrive. And if that weren't enough, a third eye was invented just in the case the original two missed something.

So what are the eyes for and is this focal problem an evolutionary adjustment?

Neptune influences vision and Uranus affects the electrical impulses in the body and sensory communication. The mutual reception between the two has been going on since 2003 and will continue until 2011, when Uranus enters Aries. The combination has been blowing some minds, frankly put, expanding some, and activating many. Because of the Neptunian position in Aquarius, there is evidence that the collective universal mind is being affected as well. The emotional body (Neptune) is communicating with the mental (Aquarius) quite successfully, overall, although in some quarters the balance could benefit from adjustment.

Here is an example of the phenomenon:
Friday night I attended a meeting of the Socrates Society in a public gathering room in a restaurant, and we were discussing the prospect of fitting into the mainstream. There was a young man next to the group involved in his computer unconnected to the philosophers. As it turns out, he was talking with his friends online the whole time and listening to the people in the room. The traditional discussion occurred alongside the innovative one; two disparate groups in the same place, but not physically. The standard telephone would have made this impossible and the young man didn't engage with the group in the usual sense. Still, verbal connection was established. I wonder how much the philosophical talk influenced the online one. Or vice-versa. Could this be cyberspace and the real world dating?

Neptune's vision is also associated with blindness, delusions, and other "inaccurate" perceptions. I surmise that the normal paths of sight are temporarily blinded intentionally by Neptune in order to develop new neural roadways and unorthodox ways of seeing things. Uranus has some interest in humanity's future, so the unclear picture of it now does seem to be the current result of the mutual reception, along with the customary delusions. Temporary blinding, with alternative ideas being generated. An emotional sensation accompanying ideas of progress. Recognition of new dimensions. An expansion of relationships into strange, some might say, "alien", territory. Both planets often travel the human psyche, so behavior can become interesting. And definitions of reality are being intensely questioned.

Next the North Node transits Aquarius, probably reducing the blind faith and over-emotionalism expressed around beliefs as the mutual reception gives way to a more empiric look at the universe, and the excited feelings of the watery/fiery Pisces-Sagittarius square diminish over the next couple of years. The view of the future is likely to return as Jupiter and Pluto transit Capricorn and concrete goals assume more importance with the added insight gained during the previous years.

Why do humans have the ability to conceptualize a future? Why do they peer into it so diligently? Maybe to learn how to enter it with no real control or inflexible expectation, and with Neptune continuing to operate his fantasy generator. All outcomes are natural.

A window, house on the Husdon River. Thomas Worthington Whittredge. 1863.
The Eye of Tree. Starr Ockenga