Happenstance

I don't know. It might seem like they do, but I think maybe they're happening all the time and we tap into the supply when needed. Is it really chance? Is anything? Is everything? Do we create order, call it logic and sequence, and eventually label it predestination? Why on earth am I an astrologer if I love freedom and spontaneity so much?

These are some of the questions that arise with the Pisces-Virgo axis, and as you know, we are under the influence of this lunation presently. Random, chaotic, supernatural experiences in Pisces see-saw with ordered, sequential, exacting ones in Virgo. A four hour tea ceremony to celebrate the divine with this precise, practiced sign would likely turn into lacing the concoction with a psychedelic substance, drinking it down, and magically being transported under the auspices of the sign that enjoys divine experience any way you want it. On the spot. Pisces is non-judgmental. "Eat me" was definitely the Neptunian approach in Wonderland.

So I decided to do an experiment to see if I could find out if magic really does happen by chance.

Under the Pisces New Moon last week, a series of fantastic events unfolded. The Speech came down from the Almighty exciting the masses to orgasmic jubilation, then the budget from paradise arrived like the Tablets of Moses, and finally the end to war was declared evoking rivers of joyous tears. The people knew they were once again in the Promised Land. However, in less than two weeks, the Full Moon will join dour, earthbound, sometimes curmudgeonly Saturn in Virgo, not quite a prescription for fairytales. So I'm marking it on my calendar, March 11, and comparing and contrasting so's I can see if the previous magic was an act of chance or not. Answers can be had, I'm sure. Especially with scientific Virgo. Then I'll know why I'm an astrologer. Or if I should be.

teresa is experimenting.

Spirit and Song

I drink red whiskey, 'an I don't like beer,
I don't like mutton, but I do like steer,
I will let you alone if you leave me be
But don't you get tough an' crawl on me.
I'll fight you now, at the drop of a hat,
You'll think you're sacked up with a scratchin' wild cat.
At rough ready mixin' I'm hard to outdo;
I'm a high lopin' cowboy, an' wild buckeroo.

We westerners are are a force to be reckoned with.
It's Friday again and time for some relaxation after facing the future of the nation and confronting hope. It's been a rough week. We need a break. Enjoy the weekend! And if you need your stallion saddled ... let me know. I'm free.
Hand me my guitar. The old Gibson. I feel like singing King of the Blues.

Fantasy .. Let Me Introduce Reality

Reading Between the Lines

They say that the Pisces Moon is a sucker for a sad story, and right now, I'm pretty sure about the sucker part. The only difference is that the president's large convoluted speech to the world, under the New Moon in Pisces, refused to tell the sad part of the story -- more extortion, more war, more torture, more secrecy, more restriction of constitutional rights, and many other hard realities. It's not the time for grand visions of a green, prosperous, all-loving future, nor voyages back in history and forgotten eras. It's not the time for talk of America's returned greatness and magnificent leadership on the planet. We don't need window dressing and flowery speeches promising something that doesn't exist. We need truth and practical ways to cope with the economic disaster that has arrived. Truth about the continuing wars. Truth about what to expect.

Like caged birds, the people are hoping for this man to spring them from their trap while their life's savings disintegrate to nothing and the secure bottoms of their worlds disappear. I hope they're released before they forget how to fly.

The chart of the speech is interesting. You can see the Sun, Neptune, and the Pisces Moon in the theatrical 5th house indicating the American Idol combination religious tone of the evening while the crowd worshipped in waves as if in a sort of lost sea-faring vessel tossing about while the camera panned the crowd, tipping and tilting with the vagaries. The pasted on smiles and the strange manic "happiness" suggested the undercurrent of Piscean tragedy. The pleasurable talk about togetherness is most likely a concentrated effort by all the politicians to mask the degree of sickness, disorientation, and disintegration in the federal government as a whole. The show must go on.

All the planets are clustered in the second quadrant except Saturn, adding great weight to its importance and looking a lot like the box the people are trapped in, with this sole planet offering the way out. Reality is trying to surface but submergence in the 12th house makes it impossible just yet. The way out itself is trapped in the house of confinement. Quite a configuration, all leading magically to the next Saturn-Uranus opposition.

The stellium in the 4th house and the Cancer-Capricorn meridian speak of some temporary comfort, but also the parental problems the nation is experiencing now as she grasps the lifeline in the form of this man pleading for him to save them from the inevitable sinking failure. He doesn't have the power to accomplish that, being just one part of a complex, entrenched system. The obsessive behavior of the Pluto opposition to USA Venus is repeated here as the country struggles with dependency. The Aquarian factor with the North Node says that maybe some much-needed independence will come eventually as the Uranus cycle of oppositions concludes.

The South Node in Leo in the 10th indicates that the pop star approach to governance will not be successful. Something false is sensed and the predominate position of Saturn shows that unadorned reality and genuine sorrow need to be experienced, and will be in due time. Pluto in the 3rd shows the mental manipulation this man is so good at with his Moon in Gemini square Pluto, but also the possibility with the country's transits to Mars in Gemini, that the people can read through the lines, even if by means of Braille at this point.

But here's the really interesting part. With transiting Uranus square US Mars in Gemini, some cutting awareness is present, whether acknowledged or not, beyond the sentimental need of Cancer and Pisces for sugar-coating and fairy tale expectations. Uranus will soon oppose US Neptune and the fantasy world will continue to unravel with transiting Saturn looming in the shadows and headed back to US Neptune and Mars. The ruler of the 4th house, Saturn, is in the Neptunian 12th house of the speech chart, repeating the pattern, getting ready to receive the full moon in two weeks. Very interesting. Reality certainly does lurk. Of course, it could mean that we actually get some details about the plans for our country in exchange for platitudes. Dramatic speeches and public adoration are not going to be adequate to lead the country at this time.

Soon Jupiter will join Neptune for a climax of illusion, but here again, another interesting event occurs. The zenith of delusion could come with this conjunction but within the event, Saturn will turn around and go direct stepping up the reality factor all the way to US Neptune. Jupiter and Neptune will then both turn retrograde, leaving Saturn to lead the way to the next Saturn-Uranus opposition, and the next break from the government. If it goes well, the unhealthy adulation of the man and the way too high expectations will diminish to a more reasonable level, and the people would benefit greatly from that development, although it will probably take until Uranus leaves Pisces for the process to be completed. Releasing the exhausting pretense will free up energy. The realities are going to be recognized one way or another, and ideally a more mature relationship with the person will result.

In the meantime, the people are gradually awakening to an understanding of their plight and are preparing to endure in their own ways whatever difficulties are ahead. And they will, as always, regardless of the leadership.

Value and Fulfillment

The Eye Searches

Prosperity sometimes comes in unusual packages.
Joe -- food specialist, wordsmith extraordinaire, egg painter, lover, and sometimes curmudgeon -- created this gorgeous curved body of bursting life and color and it gave me an idea. I'm going to dedicate my celebration of the Pisces New Moon to a new phase of creativity and friendship. A long one. So delicate and strong this egg is with a fertile yolk of a different kind.
"The sap is rising," he sagely says.

Chrispito created this painting entitled, Cardenden, and when I first looked at it, my body and mind were suddenly soothed by the understated elegance and beauty, something I long for in a hyped up crazy world. Nothing grabs, squeezes, or hurts in this picture, and it amazes me that artists can do this regardless of the personal suffering they feel and that all others share and identify with. The subdued emotion and complexity in the sky suggest an odd comfort. So Subtle. Pisces reminds me of both - the inevitable sorrow and the talent for transcendence. I could live forever with this image that softens the hard edges of everyday life and makes it so obviously worthwhile.

This woman is a master. Tseka's painting, November Lights, makes me feel emotions I can barely put into words. Something strong that stabs me with pleasure and some sort of nostalgic pain I can't recognize, but know I need. The light moves off the paper in a way that sends out shards of sensation and gives me goose bumps. There's solitude, stimulation, peace, sadness, joy, and something that simply makes me want to live and go to the next experience. Some strange anticipation. It moves. I can even almost smell the scent of the winter ice and woods and sense the lure of the unknown. I love this one. You can see the gallery with other surprises and make purchases at amazingly reasonable prices at Tseka One Dance. Still gotta give gifts.

I'm proud of my friends and proud of myself for finding these special ones. Talent is worth more than any king's diamond palace or any fool's gold.

The Other Side

Let it fall, Let it flow

In perfect synchronization with the Pluto opposition to USA Venus, the relative collapse of her economic system has become starkly and inescapably manifest. Such a joyous cosmology we have. The people have been stun-gunned on this first hit and a real honest-to-god awakening has come, finally. Some will toy with denial - some never give it up - but gradually the country will become accustomed to the severity of the situation and in due time, the path to a new frontier will be chopped out and traveled with refreshed vigor.

It's unreasonable to expect anyone to come to the rescue, although it's perfectly natural. There is no way to stop a fall in motion. Humans do not have power over cosmic events, they are participants. And why would you want to stop the genuine opportunity to repair and rebuild on the other side of necessary demolition? You can't do it while it's tumbling. Why would you want to shortchange something good that could be the result of present circumstance? The greater the struggle, the greater the relief and reward. And it's a chance to learn to trust in life and it's larger dimension. I'm going to discuss some of the gracefully orchestrated details of this Pluto return.

Pluto opposite Venus. The first stop is Venus and the revelation of the country's economic decay. The transformation of her value system is already beginning with the jolt to the senses required to fix longstanding problems in terms of appetites, consumption, monetary exchange, and the accumulation of wealth. This configuration also depicts obsessive relationships, so parental need and compulsive dependency, ongoing problems with the citizenry, could take some new turns, with an initial increase which is now in motion. The end result is fair, mature relationships in all areas, appreciation of life's pleasures, gratitude for what we have, and the ability to release and share.

Pluto opposite Jupiter. I expect during this part of the transit that the issue of wealth consolidation is going to be paramount, and what to do with our banking system will be the big question asked. "Too big to fail" will be studied, while too small for excitement comes under the microscope, too. The dangers of speculation, the recklessness of gambling with other people's assets, the abuse of credit, the over extension in real estate done by all in the Monopoly game people love, and the lure of profit in general will be covered. The childish gimme of immediate gratification should be replaced with real financial planning, sensible budgeting, prudence, and reasonable risk for future gains and security. How much security people lose in the process remains to be seen. But with that lesson comes real Jupiterian hope to replace the superficial version based on false expectation which is in operation now. Jupiter in all its promise led to this casino we've been living in, but real joy, optimism, and love of adventure have no need to risk so much well-being for temporary gain. And it's not all material in the end. The source of abundance could reveal a few clues for some.

Pluto opposite the Sun. This could be the major turning point in the transit positioned as it is halfway, when society comes to a confrontation with its faulty governance and gets to the source of its fear and self-destructive behavior. I would plan on a crisis in leadership and maybe after that, the country can begin to get adults in the halls of power to reflect the developing maturity in the populace. American Idols don't make good executives of nations, nor do thieves and murderers. Pluto opposite the Cancer Sun is searching for the seat of insecurity and to replace it with genuine confidence, imbued with the natural care-giving nurturing characteristics of the sign of Cancer, not the fearful tribal overprotective avoidance of adult responsibility which can sometimes be the case. There could be a marked change in leadership after this point.

Pluto opposite Mercury. This is the final planet and the most interesting in some ways, with Mercury, the lord of commerce, at the uppermost point of the stellium. The nation has a natal opposition between Pluto and Mercury so this is really a return home. She was born because of unfair taxation and foreign interests cutting into American profits. But we blew it and now have destroyed our own economy through malicious trade practices. So comes the next 250 year cycle when we can redo our relationship in the modern global market, giving and getting our fair share. Fair compensation for work, fair pricing, equitable taxation, investor responsibility, enduring value, respect and dignity in transactions, and all the other lessons of ethical, mature sharing of resources in the world of commodities exchange. I will explore this further in the next article.

After the transit of the stellium, Pluto magically comes home to Pluto and America's first return, in perfect rhythm. I can't say enough what a relief it is to drop the expectations of someone getting this hapless country out of her predicament. It's happened for good reason after a long history of bad habits. The cure has to come from the source in the way only Pluto can work, after the cosmic economic shrink wrap is complete. It's like the body when disease takes over. You sometimes wish it could leave and go away, but you're stuck with it while the illness takes it course, and when the cure arrives, you realize it was all worth it. When you reach the other side.

Snooze Alarm

With the Sun in Pisces and the New Moon just ahead, our beloved Aunt Jenny has taken to her bed once again. It's temporary, though.

Jenny has Jupiter in Virgo, and if ever there was a busy lady, this one is it. With the Full Moon and Saturn approaching, she'll be getting back to her projects -- her seedlings, the table she's building, her herbal medical practice, her flower essence research, her pickling, the economic recovery plan she's developing, the chemistry lab she operates with her granddaughter, and all the other things this sprite does with her brood. She's also going to get a new hairstyle with Venus in Aries. Oh, and she's re-reading the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Sleep well, Aunt Jenny!

The Battle For Security

Pluto in Capricorn opposite Venus in Cancer
Venus in Aries

Pluto is closing in on the first opposition to USA Venus and reality is coming home in a stunning way. It's almost stopped us in our tracks. The stripping of pretense is in motion, and the enormity of our financial breakdown is being revealed with little hopes of a savior or Aquarian Age lollipops just yet. The Promised Land is not quite what was promised. Time is the ally, though, and the land ahead might be ultimately rewarding as Pluto helps guide us through the lengthy passageway.

The Sun has just come into Pisces bringing feelings of being overwhelmed by the oceanic magnitude of it all, along with some futility and despair. Pisces is the sign of imprisonment, and along with the series of Saturn-Uranus oppositions, the truth of the trap this country has gotten itself into financially is impossible to escape. This will probably continue on and off until Uranus leaves Pisces and Aries starts to show the way out and forward. Uranus is liberation, and one needs a trap to be set free from. Well, we have it. The illusions of magic and instant redemption are getting ready to be left at the door to Aries. You will be relieved, I guarantee it. But also with Pisces, in the meantime, of course, is good dreamtime and spiritual comfort.

Venus in Cancer governs our appetites and security, our pleasures, and the enjoyment of easy living with plenty of love. Cancer needs safety most of all. And money. What's particularly interesting is transiting Venus going retrograde and spending four months in warring Aries, not a common occurrence, and odd that it's so perfectly timed with the Pluto opposition. I assume information about how we successfully acquire these comforts within the tightening circumstance is forthcoming, as well as the classic Aries-Cancer knowledge that one is on one's own sometimes without benefit of the maternal cave. The entire US Cancer stellium will be activated, and amazingly, the day Venus leaves Aries, the South Node of the Moon goes into Cancer for a year and a half of growing up. What a universe.

The retrograde will begin with the Sun in Pisces and by the time Pluto leaves the third degree, the Sun will be in Venusian Taurus and people should feel better for a moment. Meanwhile, Aries is revving up.

The stimulus will help in some areas preventing a disastrous crashing collapse, but it won't prevent the full economic reality from arriving and taking hold. Perhaps the long Venus retrograde will help us prepare. Aries is always good for some strength, courage, and enthusiasm in meeting challenges. It could be that the solutions are already here. They always are in fact. Maybe as the recession deepens, Venus in Aries can direct people to personal enjoyment regardless of the ups and downs, appreciating the good things as they come. Loving one's self, as only Venus in Aries can do. Braving the elements with verve. Making the most of it.

Of course, on the Cancer-Capricorn axis, real estate and secure housing are coming to the forefront, and it doesn't look especially good at the moment. There's a lot to go through as the Cancer stellium is transited, and housing is primary in this society, so possibly some real solutions will come out of the struggle in due time. Downsizing is the main first step and it's already happening. Again, what the strapped government still bent on saving itself can do is limited. Often the first hit of Pluto is the hardest and once the transit settles in and people become acclimated, they start to work with it and make progress. I intend to. It's opposite my 3rd house headed to my Mercury. Have you noticed? Never mind the intensity. It will pass.:o)

While leafing through the ethers and pages, I noticed an extremely interesting configuration coming up within this retrograde. On April 12th, Venus goes back to the 29th degree of Pisces where it will turn direct. Immediately after the direction changes, the Sun will join up at 29. And in the last days, Mars will be there. All in the degree of the Iraqi invasion chart. What does it mean? Your guess is as good as mine. It could be a harbinger of what's ahead with Uranus at 29 leaving those illusions at the Aries door. What battles we're going to be fighting and how could come clear as the fog lifts.

All Pluto is doing is creating a contraction in Capricorn, like a cosmic exhale when the body pulls in. I'll say this until it's over. It's not a matter of finding the garbage and cleaning out those evildoers. Until Pluto and Saturn's lantern comes to you, it will never happen. Every one of us. Unity and togetherness says exactly what it means.

Wealth in 21st Century America

The source of optimism in my life is metaphysics. Outside the daily ups and downs, the larger picture has a unique quality that I find highly pleasurable and reassuring in its rhythm and poetic sequence. I was miraculously reminded of this yesterday.

It was a typical beautiful sunny day in Denver, where I happily reside, until Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Just then a high wind suddenly came raging through (you can verify in weather records). I got agitated and a headache followed, but shortly after the calm returned as if nothing had happened. I normally don't put much stock in event charts, but under the circumstances, I checked this one out. It is astonishing. The chart is drawn for February 17, 1:23 PM, Denver, Colorado.

The wind can be seen in the Aquarius stellium, including Mars conjunct Jupiter, in the eighth house of shared wealth. Where it blows, who knows? Wind can seem erratic and confusing. Adding to the fascination is the Saturn-Uranus opposition placed almost exactly on the meridian, Uranus being the ruler of the eighth. I can't quite believe how much this message is repeating. The turbulence tells me that the building agitation in the populace will serve an important purpose in our collective development, and the wind in Pisces at the midheaven shows a haphazard distribution and continuing chaos. At any rate, the conflict between the established interests and the lower classes is in full tilt. The cosmic guidance of Pluto through Capricorn is helping arrange things so we have the necessary economic experiences to ensure evolution, with a healthier structure eventually birthed.

I think it's fairly apparent that the people will realize that the government can't bail them out now, and as a result, progress can be made in other ways as they turn to themselves and their own resourcefulness to get through the hard economic times ahead. They will. They already are. The battle between the status quo and the future will be played out for a long time, as it should to come to a satisfactory agreement, the aim of the opposition.

Some seem happy that the wealthy are losing ground, and a few even think that in 2012, the people will magically have possession of wealth and all will be well. This is probably not quite so. Who says that the commoners can handle it any better, anyway? Wouldn't they just spend it on sports, American Idols, plastic, junk food, and televisions that tell them what to buy? The transfer of wealth is a complicated mechanism and no system has found the answer yet. And people will have to grow into the responsibility.

There's an alternative. We all have a lot to learn about life on earth and the management of riches. The rich are essentially no different from the poor. We are the same. There are good and bad behaviors in all classes. Each side wants what the other has. The poor want the money, and the rich want the freedom of expression as they stay corseted in their strict worlds, unable to cross the line where the common folk often sing, dance, laugh, and love with abandon. No one is satisfied except the few who understand value, the lesson ahead with Pluto opposite USA Venus-Jupiter.

So I am venturing to guess that the re-distribution will be an extended affair taking at least a half a century as Pluto crosses Capricorn and Aquarius, and unites with some resolution in Pisces. Then on to Aries with the Age of Aquarius getting its toehold when things could be a little bit different. Not better necessarily. Good enough. As they are now for the needs of the time.

It might work out in a different way from what's expected, as the pot remains up for grabs while all of us learn something about life on earth. And I mean all of us. Instead of resenting the wealthy, the commoners could learn to be satisfied with what they have as Pluto slowly extracts from the Plutocracy and they learn to live with less. As Muddy Waters sang, "You can't lose what you ain't never had." Give and take on all levels could be asked for. In the meantime, quick fixes and bailouts are unlikely, but change is already happening. It always is. Let the wind blow it in. Some grand orchestration is apparent to me, and I feel privileged to be a part of its perception, while all rearranges itself in continuum.

Employment in Turn of the Century America

There's always work if you're diligent. This job is for the enterprising, but the benefits are pretty bad. The market never dries up, however, and the hours are flexible. And if you'd like to cheat on your taxes it can be done quite easily.

Anger and the Battle of Ideas

Uranus in Pisces Square Mars in Gemini

The United States has Mars (war) in Gemini (the mind), and battles of ideas are natural to her character. Transiting Uranus, the planet of independence and rebellion, is now squaring this Mars for two weeks, and as you've noticed, quarreling has broken out at normally peaceful (:o) Raging Universe. Just as it should be. Sometimes with Mars and Uranus, forceful breakthrough is required to accomplish what needs to be done. Barriers have to be shattered and some semblance of freedom of thought established, especially with the Saturn-Uranus opposition just ending. Authority questions are arising. Who's right? Who's wrong? And what does it have to do with me? Independence of thought seems to be one of the most elusive entities known to humans. No wonder a struggle is often involved. We want so much to belong, but at what price?

Uranus governs collective behavior and often with these two planets, the individuality of Mars butts up against groupthink. As you can see, some of the unity previously established is showing signs of dissolving while fierce Mars goes his own way half-cocked as he is known to do, with puffs of smoke among the fuming words, muscling his way through and offending at will. All people have Mars with his aggression in their pantheon of behaviors for good reason. We spend a lifetime battling with our urge to battle. How does warfare fit into the picture? It's difficult to do it well, especially when Uranus with its unpredictability and sudden impulse prevails.

Complicating matters is the US natal square to Neptune, so some of the devotees of divinity and worship are being rudely awakened as their hero is doing not-so-good on the political front. This creature has Mars square US Mars to complicate matters even more, and the planet of shock and upheaval is throwing some surprises in his direction. Bi-partisanship was not exactly the technique called for under the circumstances. Some Neptune clouding could be partly responsible. So Uranus is wreaking a little bit of havoc -- tempers are flaring, words are being thrust about in weaponly fashion, and ideas are showing signs of change. All of these battles are necessary to move past impediments that would otherwise remain as obstacles. The obstructions are not where you think they are.

I once saw a movie where a little child locked himself in the bathroom and the only thing the parents could do was to violently break open the door. Sometimes there is no choice. I think when we resign ourselves to the needed force, it perhaps can be less violent and unsettling than if we resist too much. So needless to say I joined in the fussing and fighting, knowing it's bound to be short-lived. For now.

The larger issue has been the awakening of some opposition to the new government, a trend that might continue. In the beginning, people had extremely high hopes, and there is enthusiastic support at present, but the continuing Saturn-Uranus oppositions leading to Uranus in Aries indicate that society might have to bust through the barrier and move past the authorities in some way when the time comes. The battle of ideas is certain to be a part of the Uranian rebellion percolating and gathering steam in the American body politic. This Uranus square to Mars is a good chance to develop some chops and possibly ways to do this with minimal harm, at least in the personal realms.

Anger is one of the primary emotions all humans experience and I can only assume it serves a highly important function. Arousal is produced by Uranus and motivation to proceed sometimes requires this unpleasant feeling heightened more than usual. Some will grasp peacefulness in the face of conflict and remove themselves from participation, others join the fray with no hesitation. Learning how to use the energy of rage is ideal since it's unavoidable. Stuffing it because someone else tells you to is probably unwise. Even for the spiritually advanced who realize that the authority is within, anger is still part of the process of separation. Often the collective waits until the lynch mob mentality takes over and mass violence results. The body politic like any human feels anger on and off, so I've been thinking of how to release the energy of this volatile state in ways that prevent violence, considering the Uranus in Aries transit coming up, similar to the square now, only much more furious. Denying the attempt to establish independence from authority is the least likely to work, but constructive use of the battle is ideal. We have time to mull it over. Plenty of food for thought.

Life is a Wiggle

Saturn, Uranus, Pluto and Capricorn

~I was sick — sick unto death with that long agony; and when they at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me. The sentence — the dread sentence of death — was the last of distinct accentuation which reached my ears. After that, the sound of the inquisitorial voices seemed merged in one dreamy indeterminate hum. It conveyed to my soul the idea of revolution.

~I at length felt that I was free. The surcingle hung in ribands from my body. But the stroke of the pendulum already pressed upon my bosom. It had divided the serge of the robe. It had cut through the linen beneath. Twice again it swung, and a sharp sense of pain shot through every nerve. But the moment of escape had arrived. At a wave of my hand my deliverers hurried tumultuously away. With a steady movement — cautious, sidelong, shrinking, and slow — I slid from the embrace of the bandage and beyond the reach of the scimitar. For the moment, at least, I was free.

~The Inquisitorial vengeance had been hurried by my two-fold escape, and there was to be no more dallying with the King of Terrors. The room had been square. I saw that two of its iron angles were now acute — two, consequently, obtuse. The fearful difference quickly increased with a low rumbling or moaning sound. In an instant the apartment had shifted its form into that of a lozenge. But the alteration stopped not here — I neither hoped nor desired it to stop. I could have clasped the red walls to my bosom as a garment of eternal peace. "Death," I said, "any death but that of the pit!" Fool! might I have not known that into the pit it was the object of the burning iron to urge me? Could I resist its glow? Or if even that, could I withstand its pressure? And now, flatter and flatter grew the lozenge, with a rapidity that left me no time for contemplation. Its centre, and of course, its greatest width, came just over the yawning gulf. I shrank back — but the closing walls pressed me resistlessly onward. At length for my seared and writhing body there was no longer an inch of foothold on the firm floor of the prison. I struggled no more, but the agony of my soul found vent in one loud, long, and final scream of despair. I felt that I tottered upon the brink — I averted my eyes —

From The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

In this story which takes place during the Inquisition, the character is imprisoned in a cell with a gaping pit, a swinging blade descending from above, and once freed from the pendulum -- closing walls. This aptly describes the condition of life, albeit in extreme and unpleasant terms, where one entrapment leads to another, death being the escape, so we assume.

Life begins with a wiggle as the tail-whipping sperm cell pushes his way past the egg's boundary with a force impossible to comprehend. In a sense, the walls close in when the human grows in the womb, squirming and kicking, then it's thrust through a small chamber with such strength as to squeeze the head of the fetus into a monstrous object, finding liberation at birth only to be entrapped again within the confines of the body now having to learn to survive on its own with all its unending demands. We're stuck maintaining the rebellious body and its desire to make more bodies forever. Captives of time and space.

The nucleus of a cell also remains trapped until the moment of division when it immediately becomes confined again. Humans can't live without these cells and their strict boundaries, yet they seek freedom and revolution throughout life, setting the stage for the Saturn-Uranus configuration so prevalent in the years ahead. Pressure builds, as in Poe's story, until the moment of release comes, and the new space entered becomes the next cell -- the next enclosure stimulating the desire for escape. Sometimes I think that the moment of liberation is so sublime that humans intentionally, if subconsciously, create mini-prisons lifelong in order to wiggle out and experience the sensation of freedom. Even coming home at the end of the day and getting out of restrictive street clothing is such a moment. The digestive process is one of tightening and loosening in perfect rhythm, as what comes in must come out.

With Saturn-Uranus, both actions are inevitable. Increasing clamps and escapes coming on and off. Where is the source of release? Everyone knows the next cell is ahead, also with its built-in exits as the story unfolds. There is no one Grand Liberator as there is no Grand Inquisitor. The dynamic between the two entities continues all through the 16 years of Pluto in Capricorn, and is followed by further study in these phenomena when Pluto transits Aquarius.

So the question of fate versus free will is bound to be pondered with predestined Saturn and unpredictable Uranus. For those who cling to order, Uranian urges might prove to be unnerving, while those who resist restriction will find Saturn's heavy hand hard to bear, especially when the same old thing keeps turning around and around like the circular passage of time. How much freedom one finds is equal to how much one needs. Collectively we are only as free as the dissident confined to his jail cell, or the child sold into slavery, but also as free as the farmer fleeing the tornado or the human released from disease.

This tells me that rather than some magical times of liberation, there could be a more inclusive understanding of what freedom really is. It only functions in contrast to enclosure. If one wants one, one must have the other. In the end, maybe the structure will continue to define the boundaries society lives within, sometimes terribly oppressive, sometimes less so, while some savor the moments of breakthrough as they come. People can learn to live with or without the panic that often accompanies sudden tightening, and remember that loosening is not permanent. Perhaps the real liberation will arrive with knowledge and acceptance of limitations knowing the ability to maneuver is always there. "I know" are the keywords of Aquarius. One can wiggle out of most of what is, eventually, while wiggling into the next place within the larger structure. Close in and push. Open and release. Press and pull. In and out. Yin and yang. The Grand Squeeze that gets the creature through the passageway from birth to death.

The ultimate achievement is locating the oppressor, the intention of Pluto's search through Capricorn, mistakenly thought to be the person outside or some perceived figure(s) of divine control. Once the jailor is pinpointed, some liberation can truly be enacted, the natural confinements of living notwithstanding.

Weakness, Death, Survival, and Rebirth

Awakening

This has been a fascinating Saturn-Uranus opposition, unlike anything I could have predicted, and by the time the last one comes at 0 Aries, a lot of awareness will be under the belt. People are beginning to feel like they've been had by the change in government, and this is probably accurate in terms of the larger picture. The Neptunian delusion was a requirement, but now the awakening is occurring. It's not the personalities. It's not the parties. I can't begin to tell you how far beyond these details it is. I can't say it enough -- Pluto just got started in Capricorn. 250 years of cause and effect have to be tackled and we're in the 12th house part of the return cycle. The part of undoing.

The government is as good as dead, and resurrection is leaving the stage as an option. There could be some last gasps, but the bloating and sickness have gone too far, and the attempt now is being made to shore up the dying entity, stuffing it further with trillions until it suffocates. It's torturing itself. It refuses to accept its fate, as the same habits that led to its downfall are grasped helplessly, leaders knowing nothing else. Of course I allow for quirks of fate, so nothing is written in stone. It could recover. Anything can happen. But you are probably familiar with Pluto.

Pluto governs survival and collective evolution. The rumble deep in the gut of the body politic is starting, and when it's over, you'll see there was no other way. It really really can't be predicted how events will unfold, but being prepared for both good and bad is wise. Pluto strips pretense and for a brief moment the naked truth of what life is like appears. Then the coverup begins again. The problems of human desire have to be faced occasionally, and not by buying commodities.

With Pluto opposite Venus, it's a possibility that the trillion dollar bailout will go down the drain, through the sewer, and out into the cosmos. You know Pluto. I hope the cosmos pays it back in due time. I swear it looks like the people are throwing money away deliberately trying to buy something else. Maybe trying to find some spiritual solace after 250 years of uncontrolled material consumption. And maybe some penitence, forgiveness, and reparations to make for some of the things they've done to appease the appetite. Who can tell?

Pluto in Capricorn and Aquarius reveals class inequities in the distribution of wealth, and now with most of the riches in the hands of 1% of the population, the system is unsustainable. They won't stop grabbing as the insecurity mounts. The top is so heavy and weak that it can't continue much longer, and meantime, the bottom will be slowly and steadily gaining strength, as preparations for rebuilding are beginning.

I think the schisms might become more pronounced while the knowledge of economic structure takes a step forward through trial and error, in both Capricorn and Aquarius. Humanity has spent its entire history trying to figure out what works - how to survive and how to distribute. So far it has worked. We're still here. But problems abound. Then possibly in Pisces, there'll be a re-uniting after dissolution and a fresh start with new survival techniques in Aries. Everything in is constant flux, falling apart and coming back together in sequence.

I imagine as Pluto continues, the focus will be on the decaying system. The ineffectiveness and the fact that the people have been abandoned - the 99% - should be clear. But with Uranus in Aries, the understanding of our ability to thrive should gain more momentum with growth of independence and autonomy. At the same time, the innovations of the coming era are already underway ready to be put into use when the time comes. Scientists, artists, inventors of all kinds are continually at work.

Added to the Pluto transits of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, is the change to the Aquarian Age. The Age of Pisces was the age of the savior and redeemer, and this will no longer be applicable. I think the current situation is part of that lesson and transition. No saints, rescue plans, or prayers are needed at this point. We'll flourish anyway. Alternatives are being born.

The earth is a vast, complex, and beautiful system that heals itself, and we're a necessary speck in its subsistence. The Paleo-Indians who lived in America 10,000 years ago hunted giant mammoths for sustenance. The perfection of their techniques was magnificent in its skill and precision. After the last Ice Age, a sudden shift in water and wind currents brought an unexpected return of the freeze, the Younger Dryas, and as a result, the mammoths and other large animals perished completely. Yet humans endured as they quickly and radically adapted to the changed environment. Habitat determines life and that's why large animals like the elephant are probably also destined for extinction. I find it curious that humans were selected to carry on and it could be that we're meant to continue. God knows why. But as Pluto transits the final quadrant and goes into Aries, I think some knowledge about new living techniques is coming.

In the meantime, the unfit system must destruct. Our government is in critical care with a lousy prognosis. All the leaders know not what they're doing as the vortex carries them out - as they grasp for the only thing they know; something called money. What comes after a trillion? My arithmetic fails me.

We can't hasten the process. Time is an ally. But within the ebbs and flows of fortune, seeds of growth are always germinating, and many good experiences are awaiting people, even if times do get tough in the near future. I'm glad I don't have to depend on mammoths for survival.

Faith and Confidence

Troubled Waters
Uranus Disturbs the Seas

Ja, JM, we are at a moment of reckoning and it is all about values rather than money. We think it's about money but what is underlying everything is how we use our resources to create comfort and security.Tseka

Our survival depends on separation now and we're going to do it. The Pluto return is another declaration, bringing power even further into the hands of the collective. That's why this administration is perfect in its weakness. The Uranus in Aries square will be really interesting in terms of autonomy, both state and individual. The weakness on the top is serving to pull out the strength on the bottom.Jm

If you care for this country and have been paying attention, there's not much chance that you aren't upset right now about the economic bill coming through Congress -- its weakness and obvious potential for failure. This was correctly predicted by metaphysicians, economists, and overall wise observant people. The repair of the country's economy will not come easily. But it will come. Nothing in the process can be deleted. Hard earned relief is bound to be the end result.

No matter what the politicians do or don't do as the case will probably be, most people will be all right. We live in a reasonably decent country when contrasted with all the others on the planet, and we always do well with adversity. Some thrive in these conditions, and people pride themselves in whizzing through successfully.

The current crisis marks the beginning of the Pluto in Capricorn transit and in a few weeks, Pluto will be opposite US Venus making a station. No wonder this is happening now. As Tseka stated, values are in question.

It's not the Republicans' fault entirely, nor is it just the Democrats', corrupt as they all are. It's not even ours. It's just a step in the sequence of growth experiences, under the auspices of Pluto, ruler of collective evolution. Nothing could have been done to prevent it, considering the laws of cause and effect which govern life in the universe.

When Pluto moves off Venus in May, Neptune will be going retrograde, and some feelings of collective despair can be expected, as high as hopes were during the recent campaign and inauguration. Fair enough in the great balancing mechanism. But at the same time, Saturn goes direct, so some signs of possible repair could be coming in too. When Pluto reaches the 0 degree and goes direct, the next Saturn-Uranus opposition will arrive for a continuation in the breaking and separation from the nation's governmental system. The will has to be there and these events are creating it. Uranus can be disturbing as stable reality is upset making way for improved alternatives. One more occurs deep in Virgo-Pisces and then when Aries-Libra arrives, the necessary schism will be well underway. No politician is supposed to fix it now. We will do that ourselves together with them when the time comes.

As Uranus finishes in Pisces, the inevitable realization that we can't control outside circumstance is due to be absorbed. Going with the flow is the cliche often used, but it's true. "You are a leaf in the river of life," says my beloved cliche-loving Gemini friend with his charming and knowing smile. Surrender is a must and by the time Uranus leaves, we'll be ready and energized to begin anew in Aries. Dissolution, hopelessness, and feelings of being adrift and out of control can characterize this configuration. But also empathy and togetherness will likely be a part of the phase. People naturally pull together during troubled times.

This is a time not to shape the course of events nor to predict too accurately what's ahead. That will come a little bit later. This is preparation. Out of the confusion emerges a better direction. Most of all with Pisces comes its greatest gift -- genuine faith.

Nurse Jill to the Rescue!

She's here with something for everyone. The beautiful angel of mercy.

For the Gloomers, there are the usual anti-depressants.

For the Sun and Light Worshippers there is a new prescription sunscreen on the market to be used in conjunction with polarized lenses.

For the Anti-delusionists there is a hope and change pill guaranteed to bring instant results.

For the economically distressed stimulants are available, but they are a bit costly.

And for the Hope and Changers there are lollipops and all day suckers.

Bill woes? Don't worry. Recovery is on the way. Pay when you can.

Nothing like a good Virgo with a bag of medicine. And a kind heart. Worry not. All things pass and healing is written in the tablets.

Awareness

Saturn-Uranus Square Mars in Gemini

There's been some furious opposition voiced (Gemini) by some people to those expressing opposition to the current government. No wonder under the present planetary influences. Before he was elected, President Obama was against the system, but now that he's in office he is the system regardless of his intentions.

Opposition means what it says and Uranus, symbolizing the forces of disruption is in exact opposition to Saturn, the symbol of preservation of the status quo. Naturally the president, as the leader of the system, has met with fierce protest. But along with the aspect comes the opportunity to see the polarization with rare acuity, and to gain pertinent knowledge.

Both planets are now square US Mars in Gemini, ruling communication, and yesterday with the Moon just crossing this point, the president, with his own Gemini Moon, did what he always does when he's in trouble. He gave a speech. With Uranus also opposite his own Mars, it was heated and angry. Rebellion is everywhere.

Will his method always work? He has a natal Moon square Pluto, so he can be persuasive, even manipulative. He's good at political games, it's said. With his Mars square the country's, he and the people could occasionally be at cross purposes. But the trine to US Pluto eases that conflict, giving the potential to work things out.

This time, with Saturn-Uranus in effect, it looks like the people are seeing things a bit differently, possibly reading things between the well-worn lines and shying away from the usual mesmerization to get a clearer picture. Uranus brings awareness and the square to US Mars seems to have broadened the spectrum of perception as the public goes through this series of oppositions seeking ways to effect governmental reform.

Are we being railroaded too fast into swallowing a bill that's not going to work? Uranus square Mars can increase the emergency factor. Is the president playing on the public's fears? They often do. Neptune is involved, so is deception occurring or is it an ideal solution? The CEO pay cap is just such a deception, since only a tiny few will be affected, and they can move somewhere else and still get their money. Other loopholes are included guaranteeing the continuation of the status quo. Pluto is also quincunx the executive's Gemini Moon, so all the Plutonian characteristics should be considered highlighting his natal square. With Pluto early in Capricorn, and ruling Saturn retrograde in analytical, discriminating Virgo, would it be wise to slow down and take the time to craft a bill that would work using the fine tuning of that sharply aware sign? Or has the influence already succeeded in doing that? Are the usual behind the scenes establishment schemes in progress? Many have doubts. Many voices are trying to be heard.

I don't know the answers to these questions, but I do know one thing. The forces of opposition are requesting society open its collective eye, take a discerning look at leadership, and be aware of all possibilities. The transit will pass soon and probably the current conflict with it, but it will return as the country works through its discontent. Voicing objection is natural.

Taxes and Tea Parties

On December 16th, 1773, a band of American colonists, the Sons of Liberty, boarded ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The water ran brown for days afterward. A message had been sent.
The English government was still in debt from the war it had fought against France and felt the colonies should help pay the cost. England raised taxes in America to get the money, but Patriot leaders were against any internal tax they did not consent to. One of the taxes that England raised was on tea imported into the American Colonies. Some were opposed to the tax and issued this as a protest, one of the preliminary events leading up to the Revolutionary War and the coming independence of the United States of America.

A good tax structure is essential to the health of any society. In smaller aggregates, people practice reciprocity, knowing that everyone must give in order for peace and well-being to prevail. In some cases, sharing is rewarded and considered a sign of prestige. The British Empire was notorious for unfair taxation and the colonists revolted. But here we are again - it's staring us in the face as the new appointees to the executive cabinet have an alarming number of tax evaders among them. The populace stays paralyzed watching the face of the dazzling American Idol like star struck pre-pubescents. The US tax structure is in deep decay as the rich find loopholes, tax shelters, or avoid paying them altogether. A fair solution does not seem to be on the horizon at present. More and more is being asked of the average taxpayer with less and less compensation.

The rather hypocritical new president promised a great day dawning in DC with Main Street the beneficiary as the old corrupt participants were shown the way out. In condescending fashion, he tells his subjects that the criminals are now forgiven. That they just made some little mistakes, and he goes on to reward them with plum jobs leading the government, making a mockery of the hard-working, honest, tax-paying citizens of the nation. All of this is part of Pluto's beginnings in Capricorn, and the connections to the Tea Party were striking, so I decided to take a look. Very interesting. Something in the collective psyche is registering the facts, I'm sure.

On December 16th, The Moon and Venus were conjunct at 3 and 10 degrees Aquarius, where Jupiter, the North Node, and the Sun are now. Pluto was at 21 Capricorn. Mercury and Mars were at 4 Capricorn, exactly opposite the midpoint of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer and where Pluto will be shortly.

Saturn and Neptune were conjunct in Virgo, just where Saturn is now on USA Neptune square Mars and exactly where the current Saturn-Uranus opposition is taking place. And most interesting was Jupiter just in Aries at the 0 degree.

The same Capricorn-Aquarius dilemma, with 0 Aries as the trigger, is spelled out as the country struggles against a corrupt unjust government, and even though the garden path is being enjoyed temporarily under the influence of Neptune, the truth of the inequity in our tax structure remains. If the citizens are ever to solve their financial troubles, a complete reform of the system is necessary. How far will it go before the resistance comes? When bailouts to the banks for bonuses and tax havens are extracted from the population, plus when give-aways in the stimulus occur and exclusions for the tax evaders are inherent -- one wonders. One thing is certain. As long as people turn a blind eye, the theft will continue, and possibly the economic ruin. Pluto is being kind by making it so obvious. I wouldn't count on his continued benevolence if his warnings are not heeded.