Pumpkin Power

Goblins for change.

A Promise

I'm going to wash my front windows to let in the autumn light, clarify, and improve my view. Stamped and contracted. I'll even set a deadline. The Full Taurus Moon in two weeks.
Non-negotiable.

Deadlines

Hurry up!! All deliveries are being received on the east dock. To your left.

Colored Water

Light passes through prisms over a field of macademia nut trees in Hawaii. Billions of driplets.

Static Flow

Static electricity is the imbalance of positive
and negative charges.

It looks like human nerve cells up there. Static refers to the accumulation of excess electric charge and requires a sustained separation of positive and negative.

The spark associated with static electricity is caused by electrostatic discharge as the excess is neutralized by a flow of current from or to the surroundings. The feeling of shock, if one gets in the path, is caused by the stimulation of nerves as the neutralizing current flows through the human body. Due to the ubiquitous presence of water in places inhabited by people, the accumulated charge is "generally" not enough to cause a dangerously high current. There are four causes:

~Contact induced charge separation
~Pressure induced charge separation
~Heat induced charge separation
~Charge induced charge separation

Naturally, Uranus has been assigned rulership of this phenomenon. Our own (for those of you who are American) Benjamin Franklin dramatically demonstrated the relationship of lightning to static electricity in 1750. Several years hence, in 1781, Uranus was discovered.

Lightning is a dramatic natural example of static discharge. While the details are unclear and remain the subject of debate, the initial charge separation is thought to be associated with contact between ice particles within storm clouds. Whatever the cause may be, the resulting lightning bolt is simply a scaled up version of the sparks seen in more domestic occurrences of static discharge. The flash occurs because the air in the discharge channel is heated to such a high temperature that it emits light by incandescence. The clap of thunder is the result of the shockwave created as the superheated air rapidly expands.
Static Electricity

So when lightning strikes, static goes into all the surrounding circuits, such as yapping AM radio, and it can even shut down Blogland. It's irritating but at the same time it draws one's attention to outside forces. An alert. Uranus is associated with circumstances beyond one's control. I wonder if Uranian static is just for that purpose - to go beyond the boundaries of control momentarily, then realign the charge, since positive and negative have to obey certain laws.

Well, anyhoo. Being that Neptune is in skyward Aquarius, and Uranus is in Pisces, the cosmic nervous system is getting some extra stimulation. Control does seem to be lacking. Lots of incandescence, even though the manmade bulb will soon be outlawed. I've been trying to piece together some theories about the Saturn-Uranus opposition now in effect, but my brains keep getting fried. Something about the static.

Liquidity

I'm so lazy. I should go up into the hills and look at the water. Hear the crackle of the leaves and twigs. I get side-tracked though. The good thing is ... the streams are steady and reliable, not going anywhere soon. They'll be there. Trickle down.
Illustration: Thomas Locker

The Planet

Somewhere around 95% of the earth's ocean floor is unexplored, and as you can see ... that's a lot of area.

"The high cost of working in the oceans is forging partnerships between organizations that have not traditionally worked together.
Partnerships are being formed to support ventures that previously were the sole domain of government. For example, Aquarius, the world’s only underwater laboratory, was removed from operation in the summer of 1996 because of lack of sufficient funding. Through an innovative plan with private industry, the university community, and a private foundation, it was reconfigured and modernized to reduce operational costs, and returned to service in the fall of 1997. Additional alliances to advance ocean interests are being encouraged and supported through the Congressionally created National Oceanographic Partnership Program."The Legendary Ocean: The unexplored frontier

In case hominids decide to go down there and spend some serious time, it's good to know that travel is easy and fuel efficient.

A deep sea investigator on his scuba-scooter.
Photo: The Pacific Ocean

The Earth's Teeth

Taking a bite out of heaven.

Challenger Peak. San Luis valley. Bob Rozinski & Wendy Shattil

Government

It looks like the Republican Party is going to have to be wheeled out. It's an extra expense, I realize, and health care is in a terrible pickle.
What can we do?

Grand Exit

Today's full moon lands almost exactly on USA Chiron at 20 degrees Aries, and considering the healing skill of Chiron plus the high aspirations of Sagittarius, I was thinking it could be an important part of the Pluto passage out of the sign. Mars traveling Scorpio brings depth to the battle at hand, and sometimes a monster or two rears up, especially at entrances and exits, in keeping with the mythological nature of Sagittarius. Mars-Pluto is good with that.

It seems that the poisonous campaign tactics that characterize American politics are coming to a climax in this election. Foul insinuations, ominous shadows, whispering voices, plus things I'd rather not mention are been utilized to full capacity.On the same day Pluto arrives at 29 degrees Sagittarius, the Sun enters Scorpio and it does look like the toxic extrusion has reached a new perimeter.

Also on that day, the Moon will be inconjunct in Virgo, and considering Saturn's transit of Virgo, it could be a time of cleaning, especially with the crucible of Mars-Pluto involved. At least, that's how I'd do it. If I cleaned. Virgo-Scorpio is good at this. Deep cleaning.

The multi-faceted nature of Sagittarius includes all kinds of human behavior. Very diverse.

To and From the Mountain

In 1967 I was swept across the world, finally landing in Katmandu, Nepal, where I lived for seven months. I joined the ragged band of global travelers who sang the praises of a small town in the mountains outside of the city where some of them had taken up residence. I decided to investigate so I climbed aboard the rickety bus to Dhulikhel where I was soon to become bedazzled. A short walk took me to a point above the town where a view of the Himalayan Mountain range was laid out in panoramic view. Really panoramic. Nothing but waves and waves of endless snow-covered peaks all the way to the horizon. A first encounter with the infinite universe. Even though it was concrete reality, the sensation of infinity was impossible to resist. Little did I know what was just ahead.

Several months later, Lorenzo, the leader of a band of boisterous Italian filmmakers, took us on a trek into the mountains neighboring Katmandu. We started climbing and enjoying the sunny day. We climbed more and the incline got steeper. It began to get uncomfortable. Onward he went, fast and furious. I wanted to stop but I had to keep up with the group as it got more and more uncomfortable. It felt like a mission after awhile and I resigned myself to the torment, which by now was excruciating. Nowhere to go but up. The sun set and after a frightfully long, hard day, we reached a tiny village on top of the mountain. The villagers took us in, brought us food, and bedded us down for the night. At sunrise the next morning, what met my eyes produced the most magnificent sensation in nature I'd ever experienced. At the edge of the village was another sea of snow-covered mountains, but this was so high and so far that I felt transported into another dimension, never to come down to the same reality. The villagers, of course, were matter of fact and charming as they usually are on high.

This is a mountain in the Hunza Valley where the people live to be 120 and live largely on apricots.
I traveled next door into the high peaks of Chitral, Pakistan. We lived on corn, walnuts, and pomegranates, dreaming about Hunza.

So the Sagittarian centaur shoots for the heavens with his torso rooted in human history. Sometimes movements are set in motion that can't be stopped. The American election is one of those. It reminds me of my mountain trek, which only took one day instead of two years. I'm wedded to mountains since they give me a heads-up for my Sagittarian climb. Count me in for the journey.
Castelrotto,Italy:John Elk Ill. Karakoram Range: John Mock

Survival Kit for the 21st Century

Just arrived.
Actually this is a box. In it is all you'll need for the trip. Ignore the label. It's not related to the contents. We just needed some boxes and packaging sent us these.

Anyway. You can place your orders now.

The Shadow Comes to Light

Today is an interesting one. The sun in Libra is trine the Moon, the North Node, and Neptune in Aquarius. The perfect time for an objective peek as the shadow of Pluto emerges for recognition in a more dramatic way than usual. Pluto, as you know, lords over the underworld of human fears, taboos, and all shades of unacceptable behavior. Mars in Scorpio is triggering the shadow of Sagittarius as Pluto prepares to leave depositing his treasure on the way out. But first the terror of a punishing master hidden deep in the psyche is up for study. No one is exempt. The pure Sagittarian cultivates a good relationship with the god-figure assuming that good behavior brings good returns. There is ultimate justice for the whole and even when the bad dominates, there are beneficent slivers and shards scattered everywhere for the taking. The economic collapse is nothing but an adjustment. The whole group has been somewhat greedy, as I've pointed out. There is no diabolical plot other than what resides in an individual. Pluto can point that out rather effectively. Fear is often connected to one's own wrong-doings and they can be cumulative. The 29th degree is a last minute peek.

As the world gets ready to accept it's first black leader, the ugliness of racism has erupted for release. There are endless levels but by the time it surfaces, the healing is already in motion. The violence on display now is actually a part of all of us and the scapegoats are the players at the Dionysian Republican rallies. People decry the hatred but the most disturbing part is the knowledge that they, themselves, harbor feelings like this too. The fear of a frightening force ready to annihilate is common to everyone especially when Scorpio gets going. The detachment of Aquarius, however, can use logic and reason, most of all when looking at one's own self.

On one hand we have the rallying bigots, but equally disturbing is the return of the belief in the global conspiracy, World Order, Fascist take-over, "shadow" entities in charge, and all of that nonsense. Hating the haters perpetuates the game. It's pretty much the same as hating brown skin, all primitive fears accompanying the desire to evolve and break barriers with Uranus and Aquarius so prominent. All of it can get traced to fears of personal lack of control. It's absolutely astonishing to witness how much confidence is connected with self-mastery, and how the opportunities to cultivate this treasure are handed to us all the time. Pluto at 29 Sagittarius is just such a time.

The final confrontation is here for this go round. It always amuses me how predictable the crowd is when they return to their familiar polarized beliefs, and see the enemy in the other so universally. I realize that most in my lifetime won't see the source of the shadow. There are too many distractions. And just too much terror. The part I think I have to understand is that these factions derive comfort from these beliefs, so as much as I would like to see them thrown into the dumpster, they can't be. My optimism rests in the recognition that they alternate like a current with the reasoned, rational, and accurate. Quite a combo. For now, a little Mars-Pluto excess is OK. It has to be. And now for a peek at my own shadow.

Cracking the Cosmic Egg

Social and political evolution

On March 18, 2008, Barack Obama gave a quiet speech about race, faith, and class inequities, arousing feelings while being historically instructive. Pluto was making its first station in Capricorn. The speech was largely about class conflict as the world enters the Capricorn years to face the economic troubles which make this election so important. It's gotten to the point where the continued plunder by the elites and non-participation by the commoners are no longer viable. Some argue that the chasm has to widen before closing, some see more immediate action. What is clear is that class warfare will have to be confronted in order to get the country stabilized. The middle class comes back when it needs to. I saw this in the Pluto station related to the speech, and considered it to be the most important issue. The task at hand was pinpointed. It might take a minute, but the plebs are beginning to heed the call, the need to assume responsibility. Policy will not solve anything until the fundamentals are adjusted, and here again, comes the skill required in leadership and administration -- executive, legislative, familial, personal, and so on. The job is much broader than just government.

Further connections to Pluto leaving Sagittarius will determine what happens in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is very very complicated and goes all the way back in the history of modern civilization connected to the three dominant religions. A broad understanding is helpful, including recognition of the realities of the long tangled web that won't be undone easily. Economic changes in the coming years with Pluto through Capricorn will figure in a great deal. It does seem that the American people are inclined to try something other than war, and the new leadership model before the country is a sign of this departure.
The election takes place with Pluto at 29 degrees Sagittarius exactly square the 29 Pisces of the Iraq invasion chart, a symbol, I feel for the whole of humanity. Who deserves or doesn't deserve what.

But most important is the evolutionary significance of this time as Pluto enters the last quadrant, joining Uranus and Neptune. I like to look at the large picture and so does Al Giordano at The Field. He wrote a piece called, Evolutionary Leaps and Public Opinion, and it concurs with my premise.

~Scientists are divided over whether the evolution of species follows a straight and plodding path or has experienced relatively sudden "leaps."
I won't wander into that debate. But I do find a 2004 experiment at the University of Texas at Austin to be possibly relevant to the 2008 elections. There, engineers and scientists forced an evolutionary leap on bacteria in a laboratory essentially by "stressing the patient." A small adjustment in amino acids, and, presto, a new mutation was born.
The current economic crisis, according to the American Psychologists Association, has stressed eight of ten Americans significantly.~

~What happens if the economic stresses suddenly push people, however reluctantly, into voting in their economic self-interest even if it means voting against their own racial prejudices? Well, then you're looking at an Electoral College landslide beyond even the current map and projections, and even at some unexpected states (Georgia, West Virginia or Mississippi, for example) that could surprisingly turn "blue."~

~In the lab it took some stressed conditions plus a catalyst - some amino acids - to cause a species to evolve. In human history, it takes stressed conditions ... plus a movement.~

Obama is not only positioned to be the first black president of the United States, but also the first black leader of the Western world. My view sees the distinct possibility of this being the first visible crack in the white man's dominance of human life on earth.

The Judiciary

And the people.

Death in the Family and theLast Moon

Metaphysicians say that humans decide their own births and deaths. I've seen so much evidence of the latter that I tend to accept this premise.

As you probably know, Jill Biden's mother just died, and it looked to me like she knew exactly what she was doing. Her death came just days after her son-in-law performed for 60 million citizens, give or take a few mil, and validated his contract with the American people. Saturn arrives on his midheaven November 4, changing his status and bringing more public responsibility with an increased seriousness of purpose. At the same time, Uranus crosses into his 4th house separating him from his past. Right now it's at 19, exactly on the cusp. Uprooting him suddenly.

What's really interesting is a little quirk in the story. The Moon was in Sagittarius at her death, across Joe's ascendant, on it's way past Pluto. On to Capricorn and responsibility. But what's particularly unusual is the fact that there's going to be another Sagittarius Moon this month, the last one with Pluto -- at 29. Then on to an election in Capricorn. Pluto follows shortly after adding to the the Saturn flavor of things. Timing is everything they've said, but I might argue with the hyperbole of the "everything" part. At least while Mercury's stalled in Libra.

The Last Test

Attention students!
Professor Weisenhadt's compulsory exam entitled Fear & Smear Politics in 21st Century American Society will be given in Obomeranian Hall over the course of the next month.

The formal announcement has been made. The Democratic candidate for the presidency of the United States of America will be attacked personally and ruthlessly according to traditional methods until November 4, 2008. Attempted evisceration, emulsification, and disposal are planned.

Everything is in place. The financial ax has fallen, the sturdiest candidate of an era has arrived, and Pluto is nearing 29 degrees Sagittarius for the conclusion of the course. Inoculations have been performed regularly throughout the last several years and the resistance is now ready to be put to the last test. An essay on fact and truth will be in the final section. Psychological Terrorism 101, 201, and 301 have been completed by everyone and the introductory course in optimism, transformation, and reconstruction as applied to political theory is currently filled to capacity. Change 101.

Good luck and have confidence. The Professor can be strict but he's fair. Make sure your pencils are sharpened, and it's been suggested by the faculty that you bring snacks in case of hunger -- something to smear on your crackers. And a grain of salt. Final grades will be announced mid-January, so be sure to stay posted.
Illustration: Lisbeth Zwerger

Attempted Orgasm

Mars in Scorpio: hidden reserves of power explode into action

Mars in Scorpio is powerful because its energy is contained then deliberately released, just as a bullet is directed by being confined in a gun barrel before its explosion. Thus when a controlled Martial Scorpion draws upon the hidden forces of nature and channels them into action, the results might be dynamic or devastating.Divine Astrologer

Last Thursday night, the Moon in Scorpio set the stage for the passage of Mars through Scorpio, a transit that began today and will last through the election. It's one of the most intense transits there is, potentially creative and destructive in equal amounts, and usually both are involved. An uncomfortable sensation shot through the collective symbolized by the debate between the vice-presidential candidates.

The drilling winking baby in stilettos and tight black skirt sent a shock wave through the public arousing the men and angering the women. The pundits are openly expressing their sexual excitement and hell has broken loose. True to Scorpio, the sexuality is a hook for pent up frustrations about many things in these people's lives, not the least of which is the 700 billion dollar heist. Unemployment is skyrocketing, pensions wiggle ominously, and investments shake, rattle, and roll away. Safety teases and escapes human grasp. Crisis and upheaval are real and the country stands on a precipice, apparently trying to leap and leave the destruction behind. The energy needed is more than usual and Scorpio always holds reserves for the occasion. So I can only conclude that the orgasmic reaction to the lady was part of a larger picture and a necessary adjunct to the task at hand.

A closer look reveals something interesting. The man involved is actually the one with Mars in Scorpio and something tells me he was instrumental in releasing the wave and will continue to be a driving force in the last phase of this important political event with Pluto at 29 degrees Sagittarius. One of the ideals of Scorpio is to take sexual energy and use it for great creative acts other than procreation. It's the theory behind Tantric Yoga where life's fuel is circulated rather than released in orgasm. I find this current upheaval fascinating and hopefully men will get a hold of themselves and help the nation accomplish this staggering feat. Ugliness, obscenity, spite, fury, rage, envy, jealousy, and poisonous extrusion are mere by-products and will have to be endured. The stripping away of pretension is the result and the essence of power is available, held in reserve, and only used when necessary. Now is the time. The Frankenstinian jump-start.
Mars in Scorpio: Mohandas Gandhi, Robert Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer

Taurus and Scorpio

Hunger and Thirst

Taurus refers to the neck where nourishment enters the body. Scorpio refers to the channels of elimination. Therefore, this polarity refers to gains and losses of substance.
Divine Astrologer: Marcia Moore & Mark Douglas

The throat is where the human first cries for what it needs. It demands substance in order to survive in the material realm. Appetites determine when these substances are drawn to the body. All that's taken into the throat must be eliminated.

In Taurus, the pleasures of swallowing are savored as personal sensation and if all goes well, satisfaction is a by-product of nourishment. If content with the substance, then in Scorpio where exchange is enacted, there is also an ability to feel compensated when releasing the product. I was thinking it could be a lack of initial satisfaction that propels humans to develop greed in interaction, which eventually can evolve into a complete inability to be satisfied. The shame associated with Plutonian activities also factors in. Discomfort increases. More acquisition results.

It's true that to perform the pro-creative acts of Scorpio an unusually strong desire must precede them so the hard to control nature of the Plutonian sign has its function. It also lends itself to self-mastery as some gain power over their desires, some transferring the dynamic creative force into other endeavors.

In connection with Taurus-Scorpio desire, the misuse of these energies leads to troubles with regard to objects people own or wish to make their own. The body is man's first possession and its loss is the final deprivation.
Divine Astrologer

It came to me that maybe the grasping and accumulation of objects of substance are in part a fear of loss associated with death. Could this be why there is such intense emotion accompanying the exchanges? Perhaps survival terrors accompany every transaction.

Most everyone encounters problems with these processes. People take in too much, they eliminate too little. The throat emissions turn to language and humans talk to much and take in too much information. They collect, they hoard, they steal, they hurl. Eventually they become dangerous billionaires or obnoxious nagging spouses. Screamers at children and failed national economies. All kinds of ailments can develop and everyone who has a throat, an anus, a Taurus, or a Scorpio is susceptible. The ongoing problem of substance. The balance of intake versus output. For every gain there's a loss and vice-versa. And who or what provides the nourishment? Ahhhh ..... a perplexing question I find. And is there ever enough?

Sometimes wealth cannot be counted in numbers. The United States with her south node in the 2nd house has a weakness on the elimination side. All the upcoming transits indicate that it's time to grapple with this axis, and that includes rich, poor, and everyone in between.

Pluto at 29 Sagittarius is a release point in the kinesthetic apparatus of Sagittarius, probably in order to make a muscular movement in consciousness with the information gained during the transit. Leaving the waste is part of the action. As the taxpayers swallow the loss, who knows what will appear at the other end?