When "not doing" is more important than "doing"

Retrograde Mars
November 15, 2007 (12 degrees 27 min Cancer) – January 30, 2008 (24 degrees 5 min Gemini)

UPDATE: For the record, the Mars retrograde period was the period in which the US government enlisted the support of the Sinnis, and there was relative peace in Iraq

For anybody with birthdays in the retrograde Mars period, (late Scorpio, all of Sagittarius and early Capricorn) this coming year should offer opportunities to be rid of self-defeating patterns. There will be less luck for these good folk as far as getting things off the ground is concerned. The caveat for this period will be the times that the Moon is in Scorpio or Aries, which gives these uncomfortable bed-partners (Moon and Mars) a chance to actually work through their differences rather than pushing forward in spite of each other.

Cancer is the sign of Mars’ fall. It is as though Mars is visiting a country in which it is considered an open enemy. Its every move is watched, it is unable to move about freely, it is not quite in prison, but it might as well be.


Mars in Cancer is somewhat hamstrung. When it is retrograde as well … lets just say its just no fun for Mars at all. What it does mean, however, is that those folks who wish to broker a truce, or perhaps even put an end to a war, will have an easier time of it now than at any other time. Unfortunately, I don’t think our national leaders want this, and I doubt they’d listen to me, even if they did read my blog. It means our local leaders could, if they wanted, bury the hatchet after a long and dirty campaign over the City Income Tax. Personally, I think the Ypsilanti citizens enjoy the conflict too much to let that happen, and city leaders aren't inclined to listen to me either, though some of them occasionally read this blog.

On a more personal note, those folks trying to dispense with self-defeating patterns will do better under the current Mars retro transit. We should break out or New Year’s resolutions early, because January and February will see Mars in Gemini before it returns to Cancer in March, and the chances of holding our resolutions firm in January, after Mars has been doubly frustrated in Cancer, are pretty slim.

Mars’ retro stretch in Gemini is likely to mean more dialogue than action, however it will be easier to get things done while Mars is in Gemini than when it is in Cancer. Mars has no “dignity” in Gemini, but it has no “debility” either. It can do basically what it needs to, while being mindful that it is in Mercury’s turf. Mindfulness is never high on Mars’ list of priorities, however in signs in which it is without dignity, it tries to mind its manners.

Expect things to get easier from January 30 to March 4, then Mars goes back to being somewhat frustrated in Cancer until May 9, 2008, when it enters Leo.

Mars is retrograde in Cancer from November 12 through December 31, when it enters Gemini. It stations in Gemini on January 12 and begins moving forward, and re-enters Cancer on March 4.

For the larger retrograde cycle (including the shadow), Mars entered its “shadow” on September 16 (as the Sun applies to Mars in a Square aspect), it entered Cancer on September 28, it stationed to retrograde on November 15, it enters Gemini in retrograde motion on December 31, it turns direct in motion in Gemini on January 30, 2008, it enters Cancer in direct motion on March 4, 2008, and exits its “shadow” on April 5, 2008, (as the Sun separates from Mars in a Square aspect.)

All up, the retro Mars period will be marked by those things that are not done, rather than by those things that are done. The wise will use this to their advantage.

Take Care

Rod

Well, I got one right!!

A resounding defeat for the income tax – the prediction.

Just for the record, the NO vote received more than 2 votes for every YES vote.

Regular readers will know I have been extremely busy for a month or more. I had not taken a close look at the ingress chart, nor had I looked at the election until Sunday night.

Thankfully, this election is probably the easiest prediction I have ever attempted.

I used an ancient but easy technique that was used for a thousand years or so to determine events within a specified timeframe.


The MC of the ingress chart represents the existing government (always), and in this case it was ruled by Mercury.

In real time, Mercury did a retro transit, and was back to the very same degree and minute, on the day of the election, as it had occupied in the moment of ingress. This presented a curious factoid that left me feeling that there was no progress at all coming about from the Mayor’s camp. That it directs (by the ancient method, this is not a commonly used direction of any kind) to the 8th house (house of death among other things, certainly not a fun place to be) of the ingress chart made it pretty clear the Mayor was likely to suffer a defeat.

In the September ingress chart Jupiter is extremely strong in the sign opposite the MC, and on the business side of the IC. This represents the opposition to the Mayor, [SCIT in this case] in a strong and favorable position, nestled in the house representing the heart and soul of the community.

The strongest planet in the chart, by leaps and bounds, is Jupiter.

Moreover, the MC is in the house of Jupiter’s detriment, and Jupiter is in the house of Mercury’s detriment (remember Mercury is the ruler of the MC). This sets the stage for a binary battle, one winner, one loser, nobody negotiating with anybody, and no half measures.

Now, when we direct Jupiter (using the same ancient obscure method) it lands firmly, exactly, on the MC during the eve of the election. The MC is the most powerful political point in any chart.

There was no doubt in my mind after looking at all of the above that SCIT would achieve a solid NO vote. The Mayor (representing the yes vote) would suffer a defeat.

I have not researched the direction method I’m using well enough to publish it. I’d hate to lead people up the garden path with mis-information (gods know there’s plenty of that in Astrology already).

The most difficult part of this method is working out which planet represents which party for the period of time in question.

I think the most telling part of this analysis is that the SCIT folks have turned a corner, and that this victory ushers in a new era in Ypsilanti politics. This election marked a huge and possibly deadly blow for the group of citizens who have steered Ypsilanti politics since the early 90’s.

Take Care

Rod

Income tax to be defeated

Income tax to be defeated

crossposted on Out-Of-The-Woodwork

I have a strong astro-hunch that the city income tax will be soundly defeated tomorrow. Mundane (political outcomes prediction) is not my specialty, though I am researching that field.

My educated hunch, then, is that the tax will be defeated. I think many members of the Mayor’s support base will come out to vote, but will vote no.

[update: The income tax was soundly defeated by 1144 votes, 2240 NO to 1096 YES]

I’m not pretending to be impartial on this issue, I have been firmly against it for years.

Ypsilanti faces tough challenges in the housing and business markets, without facing the extra burden of an income tax. It’s a bad idea, there will never be a good time for it in this community.

The cuts that have to be made (with or without the tax) can be made without cutting police and fire services.

The tax is being proposed by the folks who masterminded the Water Street debacle, a sorry blight on Ypsilanti’s landscape that will cost taxpayers 32 million dollars, and is currently home to many derelict buildings, several flocks of geese, and squirrels, groundhogs, and water rats of unknown number.

These are the same people campaigning for Ypsilanti’s future.

These people are well intended, but severely challenged in the delivery department. If Water Street is anything to go by, then Downtown Detroit, Flint, and Hamtramck are going to look prosperous and inviting compared to Ypsilanti’s future under these clowns.

Take Care

Rod

Mercury retro-what?

I’m Back!!

Ye gods, what a time to go off-line for a bit! . I’ve changed phone companies and had to change my phone number, but at least now I can hold a two-way conversation on the telephone at all times (I know, you’d think that would be standard… but when the provider couldn’t fix the problem after 3 months, it was time to move on).

I noted with some amusement that a recent astrological newsletter has mercury retrograde for 7 more days than it actually is and has Mars going retro early and finishing early. Maybe the author should double-check his facts under retrograde Mercury? Everybody else has to, and being an astrologer makes one more susceptible, (not less susceptible), to astrological snafus.

Correct dates for the coming retrograde transits according to Michelsen’s Ephemeris are

Mercury Direct - November 1, 2007 – (23 degrees Libra)
Mars Retrograde - November 15, 2007 - January 30, 2008
Uranus Direct – November 24, 2007
Saturn Retrograde – December 19, 2007 – May 2, 2008
Mercury Retrograde – January 28, 2008 – February 19, 2008

Busy doesn’t begin to cover the last month and a half for me, and the madcap mayhem that found its way into the lives of my friends under this transit… well yeah, I really should have warned you all about this, but there is only so much I can do in a day.

As usual, writing occupies most of my time in Mercury retro, I find the focus invigorating, but it takes it toll on the rest of my life. Did I mention that I can be a wee bit obsessive?

My first astrology course was successful. I’m not sure who learned more, my students or I, but we all seemed to come away a little wiser for the effort. I had taught the course for a solitary student first (to write the basic material), then for a small class in my home (refined the basic material for the class just completed) and with a little further refinement, it’ll be ready for the general public. I’ll be looking to run the course in the local community colleges, and perhaps even online, in the near future.

I’m also putting together a “celestial mechanics” paper that I will make freely available online. Celestial mechanics is fundamental to good astrology, and is probably the least understood component of astrological theory. It involves some basic science, all of which makes a lot of simple good sense, but requires a lot of explaining. More importantly, the meanings of many points in the Astrological chart can be traced directly to their roots in celestial mechanics.
So, yes I have been busy, but now its back to business as usual with Mercury going direct, today, in Libra.

[update: I heard back from the astrologer who's dates I corrected

Hey Rodney,
I picked those date for the beginning of Mars retrograde and ending of Mercury because I read Erin Sullivans book on retrograde planets and the retrograde effect begins when the planet starts slowing down and ends when it starts moving forward at its normal speed. Sandra Leigh Serio confirmed that we felt the effects of Mercury retrograde when it started slowing down before it went retrograde.

to which I say, when you are dealing with the general public, you cannot afford to play fast and loose with astro-terminology, lest you make yourself, and by extension astrology, look foolish with apparently contradictory information.

The point of greatest elongation (to which your sources apparently refer) is a different thing to the beginning retrograde in [apparent] motion, and Mars will not resume "normal speed"(whatever that actually could mean) until well into February.

For what its worth, Mercury, Venus and Mars do not have "normal" speeds, they are either accelerating or decelerating because we play a type of "orbital tag" with them around the Sun... they may have average speeds, but that is another discussion entirely. Mercury and Venus are either applying to or separating from their respective conjunctions with the Sun, the point at which applying becomes separating (or vice verse) is their point of maximum ecliptic elongation. Mars is another kettle of fish entirely... best I get that celestial mechanics paper done...

Were I to use such points (which I am incidentally researching) then I'd be choosing the moments at which Mercury and Venus match apparent speed with the Sun]

Take Care

Rod

Sorry about the silence

Hi folks,

I have been up to my ears in other adventures, my available time has been spent writing lessons (written completely from scratch) for my first ever round of students.

It has been a rewarding challenge, but with the many other priorities in my life, I’m not getting the predictive blogs done at all, and when they return, they will probably look a little different.

My apologies to my readers, I’ll re-start this as soon as my many priorities allow me to give it the time it requires.

Take Care

Rod

Disruptive Eclipse

Solar Eclipse (anular) September 11, 2007, 8:44:08 am EDT Ypsilanti, MI USA

The current eclipse occurs in Virgo and replaces the previous solar eclipse in Pisces.

At a very basic level, the subtext of the sun changes from “being served” to “service”.

The western half of the US is going to feel the effects of this eclipse much more solidly than the eastern half. For the Eastern US, there will be a call to spiritual values of service, with some disruption to services, for the west there will be a much more present call to the same values and some disruption to families. I expect there will be some trouble in the west that brings the nation together. Venus in 11 as warrior goddess on the east coast causes me some angst. I don’t think the war is going to end any time soon and I am concerned that something may happen to escalate the desire for it to continue.

The inspiration exists in this chart to do something “new and different”. It will be interesting to see which unconventional ideas turn unto something more concrete.


The eclipse itself will not have a huge impact on this area (Washtenaw County), being that it is in the 12th house and “outside the radar” of most of us.

The 12th house position does, however confirm the “spiritual” sense of this season, and for those of us with a strong metaphysical bent, there should be a noticeable shift in emphasis from the ethers.

Uranus opposing the eclipse means that there will be some disruption to services here (Washtenaw County), but I’m not expecting anything major.

As a new moon chart, the eclipse has Venus in a much stronger position, now in direct motion and rising as “Morning Star”. The people are going to feel its time for action, and the elected officials are going to feel the need to rise to the occasion.

Action over this period will be idealistically based, and community values are going to deeply influence those ideals.

Libra rising gives Venus a stronger-than-usual hand in this eclipse, it represents a great time for bringing people together behind a common cause.

Mercury's first house position means there'll be lots of talk during this eclipse, and Mars in Gemini suggests the talk will be hot headed and angry.

On a national level, the debate about the war will get hotter as one travels west across the country. The East Coast, the debate is ethereal, in the Mid West it becomes a real debate with much greater steam involving major universities and major protests, the Arid west it gets hotter again, however by the time it gets to the West Coast it becomes idealized, and very present.

My sense is that some Texas hot-heads are going to have a lot more sway in this debate than is warranted.

Mexico is in for a much harder time than it has had already.

Sorry about the gloom, I'd have hoped that reason would prevail in a Virgo eclipse, however, not in this one.

Take Care

Rod

Well, that was fun!

I had the privilege to hear Robert Hand speaking last weekend (September 8th and 9th) and I have to say that he exceeded my expectations for lucidity of thought and approachability of presentation. I always expected Mr Hand to be bright, but brilliance doesn’t always translate to either clear or engaging presentation of the material.

It was reading Robert Hand that gave me a sense that there might actually be something to this “astrology thing” back in the early 90’s when I was still very skeptical that astrology was anything more than light entertainment for the crackpot fringe of society, and a belief system for the feeble of mind. I have since read several of his books and highly recommend them to my students.

Saturday night’s discussion was “Fate and Freewill” and to be perfectly honest, I went along expecting to hear a heap of dry-as-dust arguments with which I am already well acquainted; rehashed and regurgitated to come a middle-of-the-road conclusion (can you tell I spent way too long on e-mail lists a few years ago?).

For those folks (if any) who went to the lecture anticipating simple answers to a seemingly simple question, I guess they may have been under-whelmed.

Personally, I’m very tired of simple answers to complex questions, and it was a pleasure to follow a lucid train of thought through a complex issue and come away with the tools for investigating this, and several other complex issues, further.

The summary of his presentation comes down to “You will be who you are [fate] , the question is, how well [freewill] ?”

This is (or should be) the mantra of the humanist astrologer, but it was deeply satisfying to hear an extensive rendition of where this notion came from, and how far back in history it has been held by lovers of wisdom.

On the question of the "desire to believe", a fundamental part of the fate/freewill debate, Hand first pointed out that belief is simply opinion which is held in the absence of [quantifiable] experience. I'm not sure I'd ever thought of it that way.

Sundays workshop discussed the transition from Hellenistic to Medieval astrology. Both forms of astrology have been part of my own research (and finding their way into my work) for the last few years, so I was looking forward to this discussion from a person at the forefront of the translation and interpretation of the ancient works.

The beauty of the current era is that we, today, have more information available to us with which to put ancient astrology together than has been the case for 1000 years in Western Europe.

Again, Hand’s own work in the translation of text and the deciphering of meaning presented plenty of food for thought and answered many of my own questions about which way to implement some of these techniques.

I realize that questions of domicile and rulership, of terms and dignities and triplicities, are not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but again following a lucid train of thought through the process of discerning meaning and application from these was both interesting and exciting to me.

I have found that ancient astrology meshes beautifully with post-modern humanism, but it does take considerable work to differentiate the technique from the philosophy.

I am very fond of saying that astrology is always a combination of the physics and metaphysics of its time. Physics doesn’t change much, however our understanding of it is always expanding and therefore changing. Metaphysics, on the other hand, changes almost momentarily, yet is born of archetypal themes that transcend the moments in time in which they were expressed, and perhaps even time itself.

In allowing for both of these complexities, one can gain a great deal of insight from what astrologers once thought, (or more particularly, how they thought) and can discern the techniques that stood the test of time for 1000 years across many political and religious bounds.

I have been working with the above premises for several years now, and was beginning to feel a bit isolated in my viewpoint (because my best resources to date have been “astro-fundamentalists” of one form or another… yep astrology has fundies too, folks).

It was therefore with some relief that, among the concluding statements in an extremely enlightening workshop, Hand came out with this little gem, “I have no problem with being a[n] humanistic astrologer who is applying ancient techniques.” … neither do I Mr. Hand, and the reinforcement is encouraging.

I have always believed that the written word contains only the parts of a person’s thinking that the person is (or was) prepared to defend. We lose so much insight when we “hang on every [written] word” of an esteemed authority, and fail to see what it was that said authority was actually thinking.

I am reminded of a statement I heard during the workshop about fundamentalists believing in the absolute truth of selected portions of bad translations.

Do I agree with all of the conclusions Robert Hand drew? Of course not! However, it was a real treat to “fill in the gaps” on how he arrived at them.

Many thanks to the the Learning Center for Astrological Studies in Lansing, and particularly to Mr. Win Rowe, for making this event possible in our area.

Now… back to our regular program…

Take Care

Rod

Reality comes a-calling on Virgo

Saturn Enters Virgo, 9:51:57 am EDT Ypsilanti, MI

Saturn means structure, it also means limits and order and reality. Where Jupiter represents faith, Saturn represents religion. Where Jupiter represents commerce, Saturn represents business organizations, where Jupiter represents education, Saturn represents the school board and so forth.

Saturn has a way of bringing things down to earth, and providing the structure and standards without which we cannot produce excellence.

Saturn has finally moved from Leo into Virgo.

Saturn in Leo, like Saturn in Cancer, remained in a nasty mood for the duration. Saturn’s hard pragmatic edge is rubbed up the wrong way by Cancer’s strong nurturing and familial spirit, and Saturn’s mechanical group-think is not fond of Leo’s self-aggrandizement and die-hard loyalty. We’ve had the worst 5 years Saturn has to offer. They are now behind us until Saturn moves back into Cancer when my now 4-year-old is almost 30.

We can now breathe a collective sigh of relief.


For Virgo, the challenge over the next two and a half years will be to "make it real". Virgo tends to dither, Saturn will cure it of that. Mercury will find it has some backbone. Either that, or Mercury will become depressive, finding that saturnine reality is more than it wants to deal with.

This will be a period where the bean-counters will rise to the top and make a nuisance of themselves. We will find more CEO’s appointed with financial and accounting backgrounds.

Saturn in Virgo is great for folks with placements in Capricorn, less fun for those with placements in Taurus, but its not all bad.

Virgo is a mutable sign. The Mutable signs tend to require structure to function, so Saturn here could be a stabilizing influence where the mutable signs are up for the challenge of stability, or a disruptive influence where the mutable signs are content with chaos.

The mutable signs are Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces and Gemini. The planets that rule those signs are Mercury and Jupiter.

Realty comes a-calling... can the mutable signs make up their minds? Will Mercury gain some backbone or wallow in depression? Will Jupiter use the boundaries to achieve excellence or burn itself out in the name of freedom?

It all comes down to the attitude we take to the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

And, after all, the attitude we take to our circumstances is the only freedom that is wholly our own to administer.

Take Care

Rod

Political showdown, Stronger business.

Business and Politics

Lunar Eclipse, 6:35:01 am, August 28 2007, Ypsilanti, Michigan.
(effective as full moon until new moon, September 11, 2007)

As discussed in the astrology post on this eclipse, the subtext of the mood of the people has shifted from “attention to detail” to “spirituality and belief”.

Between now and February, the successful appeal will be made to “something greater than ourselves”. Folks have tired of the details its time to present a big picture.


Locally, the eclipse still favors the voice of opposition, with the leadership feeling trapped and imposing greater burdens on the people as a result.

The people as a whole are largely oblivious to this pending burden.

An active opposition has been stirring the pot for some time, it is now time for that opposition to present its manifesto, to give the people a reason to believe and a reason to implement change.

The leadership is not without strength, and its ability to add unseen burdens to the people is not to be taken lightly. We can expect some “tough talk” from our leaders locally.

This all points to a showdown over the income tax in Ypsilanti. I’ll be interested to hear how it affects other communities in the region.

The strongest appeal for either party will be to the family and the home.

For local business, the difficulties continue, however appeal to “core clientele” and family values will capture the imagination of the locals.

There are stronger indicators for steady cash-flow for those who are bold and prepared to take calculated risks. It is time for some well-thought-out marketing targeting high ideals and old-time values… though wait until after September 8th do implement a marketing plan.

Because this eclipse carries some subtle effect for the holiday season, it is an indicator that the holiday season will be better than expected for local business. In the current climate, that’s saying something!.

Hopefully next week I’ll get this out a bit earlier

There will be stronger business and political indicators from the solar eclipse and from the Libra ingress of the sun.

Take Care

Rod

Wistful Pisces Eclipse

Relationships.

Lunar Eclipse, 6:35:01 am, August 28 2007, Ypsilanti, Michigan.
(effective as full moon until new moon, September 11, 2007)

As I indicated in the astrology post, this eclipse represents a shift in mood from “attention to detail” to “the big picture”.

In the broadest possible brushstrokes, this is a tough eclipse on self image and self-understanding. It is a much easier eclipse on ideology and spirituality. In a nutshell, this eclipse will suit the self-deprecating religions really well, though those religions that rely on the cult of personality will fare very poorly indeed.

The wise will be learning lessons about personal attachment to spiritual values under this eclipse.

More locally, the embattled self of this eclipse is a big influence for most of the continental USA, the West Coast states having a slightly easier time of it, and the belt of states from Texas to the Dakotas faring worst of all.

Closer to home again, there is a strong sense of guilt associated with this eclipse in the eastern states and up to the group of Michigan counties including Washtenaw, Livingston, Genesee, Lenawee, the eastern part of Ingham and Jackson counties.

The strength of this eclipse locally is found in two key words. One is “my partner” with a subtext of “ideals”. The other is “my family”, with the subtext of “vision”. The weakness of this eclipse is found in the keyword “me”, with the subtext of “details”.

On a positive note, there will be a surge of spiritual yearning, and a strong reinforcement of family values. Many will look to their partners for inspiration and strength. Partners will represent a good filter through which to interpret family rules and regulations. Clear communication is the key to making the most out of this eclipse season.

On the other side of the coin, there will be a lot of folks feeling victimized or belittled by their “significant other” over the next little while. Some will feel that their families prefer the company of the partner than of the family member. There will be a lot of folks longing for better than they have and there will be some who pine for their idealized relationship to the point of not coping well at all.

So, the bottom line for relationships in the local area? If your relationship is solid and secure and mutually supportive, the eclipse presents a time when you can learn a lot more from your partner than you can from yourself, a great time to use the partner as the “mirror”. If your relationship is not so solid or based on competition, its going to get rough for a while. Where there is conflict, it will be based on self-worth, each partner feeling as though the other is making them look or feel bad.

For the single, count your blessings!!!! dream away about the ideal partner if that’s what floats your boat, support your friends where you can. Even the happy, willfully, deliberately single are likely to feel a little pang of loneliness over this period, however, a quick reality check with your friends in relationships should cure you of this.

I’ll get to the politics post tomorrow

Take Care

Rod

Up-dated links

Updated Links

Just a quick note to let everyone know I have fixed the links for my astrology site, even the old (and somewhat embarrassing) stuff.

Just for the record, I maintain my own sites, so if you come across a dud link on your way through, please let me know

Rod.

Shifting Sands-Eclipse August 28-Astrology

Lunar Eclipse August 28, 2007 6:35:01 am EDT, Ypsilanti, MI

NOTE: 2008 eclipse is listed in the side-bar, this is the 07 lunar eclipse!!

A Lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon. If we are up early in the morning (5:52 am) of August 28, we will see the red-moon of the eclipse (provided the clouds allow us the pleasure).

The last total Lunar eclipse I viewed was directly overhead in Adelaide, South Australia, in the June of 2000. It is quite a spectacle as the Moon darkens in the penumbra, then turns a deep red as it rests in the shadow of the Earth for a good long while.

A Lunar eclipse is an interruption to the ability of the Moon to reflect the light of the Sun. (One might note that there is no interruption to the light of the Moon in a solar eclipse, rather it is the light of the Sun that is blocked in that case).

In esoteric terms, the Lunar Eclipse portends a change in the subtle rhythms of the Moon. While every event (full moon, new moon, etc) has its effect based on its chart, the eclipse provides a subtext to the Moon’s influence. The last Lunar eclipse was in Virgo, this one is in Pisces. The subtext of the Moon’s event charts will shift from “dedicated service” to “inflated possibilities”, from “the need to identify” to “the need to include”, and from “the bean counter” to “the politician”.

In predictive terms, a Lunar eclipse is shorter-lived and less significant than a Solar Eclipse. The ancients discussed duration of any season in terms of the ascendant, a fixed ascendant being longer lasting than mutable, and a cardinal ascendant being shortest of all. By that rule, the eclipse will be longer lasting for we in Washtenaw county and points West to the west coast states where the eclipse has Leo rising, Wayne county and points East will have a less durable effect where the eclipse has Virgo rising, and the West Coast will have a less durable effect again where the eclipse has Cancer rising

In personal terms, a Lunar Eclipse effects those with planets on the eclipse axis or on the axis 90 degrees from the eclipse axis, and it represents a major shift in one’s emotional climate. In this eclipse, those axes are 4 degrees of Pisces, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Gemini.


The eclipse is in Pisces and Virgo. For the Moon in Pisces, we look first to Jupiter, who is strong in Sagittarius and moving forward. This is a strong eclipse, made stronger wherever its key elements (Moon, Sun, Jupiter) are angular (Houses 1, 4, 7, 10). The Moon’s domicile, Cancer, is empty and marks the 12th house cusp in Ypsilanti

For Sun in Virgo we look first to Mercury. By the ancient rules for rulership, Mercury is too close to the Sun to be its ruler. (the reasoning behind that is that Mercury cannot be seen with the naked eye when it is within 15 degrees of the Sun, the distance between Sun and Mercury in this eclipse is 12 degrees). We then look to its term ruler, which is also Mercury. We then look to its Triplicity rulers which are Venus (day), the Moon (night) and Mars (participating). Of these three, the Moon is the strongest, and the Moon we have traced back to Jupiter

In the Sun’s domicile, we have Saturn and retrograde Venus. This means that our Virgo Sun has strong jovial tendencies, however it is hampered by both Venus and Saturn.

While it is always prudent to look at the Sun and the Moon in these charts, this chart is clearly dominated by the Moon, and by Jupiter. The Sun has an air of amplified frustration attached to it, while the Moon has an air of dominance attached to it. These properties are important when considering house placements.


So, lets look at this chart for Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County.

The first thing we notice is that the Ascendant of this chart is 29 degrees 57 minutes of Leo, which is 3 arc minutes from the first degree of Virgo. The eclipse has Virgo rising at Bellville and points east, and Leo rising at Willow Run and points west.

The next thing we notice is that this chart has Saturn in the 12th house, but less than a degree form the Ascendant. This means that Saturn is in the first house for points West of Lansing and Jackson.

Basically, this chart has characteristics which make it unique in our little part of the world. We have Leo rising and Saturn in the 12th for this eclipse.

This eclipse will have folks in a buoyant, confident mood, finding great strength in the home and in familiar patterns.

While the mood (Moon) is strong, the actual well being of the people (Ascendant) is in much poorer shape. This produces, all up, a sense of “my-way myopia”, the sense that “my way” is the right way, even if “my world” is falling apart.

The eclipse will also have leaders imposing heavy burdens on the people according to the equal MC chart. The ruler of the MC would be Venus except it is retrograde, which leads us to Saturn as the term ruler. Saturn is in detriment in Leo and is in the 1st MC house. The burden imposed has the potential to generate long-term resentment.

All areas of the US where either Leo or Virgo are rising for this eclipse will experience some disarray and hardship under this eclipse, however the strength of family and core values will keep spirits up. The band of states from Texas to the Dakotas are possibly in for some really difficult times.

More on politics and relationships shortly

Take Care

Rod

Mars Hoax 4 years running

The Mars Hoax

I got an e-mail this year, for the third consecutive year running, that tells us Mars will be closer to the Earth on August 27, than it has ever been for 60,000 years… one such e-mail even gives the mistaken impression that Mars would look like a full moon.

Yes folks, it is a hoax. It began in 2003, when Mars and Earth did make their closest encounter for 60,000 years or so.



At that time, Mars was particularly bright in the sky, but at no time in recorded history has Mars been close enough to appear as big as the Moon. By our current understanding of celestial mechanics, Mars the size of the Moon is improbable in the extreme. If such a thing were to happen we’d have bigger fish to fry, and an Internet brouhaha would pale in significance.

Snopes has the official line for the debunk.

Right now, if the clouds ever clear, you will see Mars rise at about 1 am in the constellation of Taurus, being the brighter red spot beside Aldebaran (the eye of the Bull) and a little way down from the Pleiades (looks like a string of pearls dropped in the sky above Taurus).



This year, we make our closest run with Mars in the period from November through all of January, during its retrograde transit.

The hoax is harmless enough, but I like to keep the record straight.

Take Care

Rod

Little did I know

Little did I know…

When I wrote about the opposition being quiet over this moon (August 12, 2007), I was hesitant to say “silenced” which is implied by Mercury’s square to the MC while very close to the Sun, especially with Mars in Gemini (Mercury’s domain) being ruler of the MC.

So what happened?

In Ypsilanti’s Heritage Festival, the parade is a who’s who of community movers and shakers, a “big day out” for the folks who make up the heart and soul of the city.

In Ypsi’s political landscape, there is a group known as Stop City Income Tax (SCIT) who is a bunch of citizens who are sick to the teeth of the way the city has been run.

This group, like many others, applied for a position in the parade. They were granted that position on August 9th by the co-chair of the committee running the parade. SCIT received their place and their confirmation in writing.

On August 15th, under this new moon, SCIT received a phone call from the Heritage Festival Committee saying that they couldn’t appear in the parade after all, this is, of course, after they had spent $750.00 gearing up for the parade.

The strong implication about town is that City officials leaned on the Committee to have the SCIT folks banned.

In effect, the City silenced their opposition by having them banned from the parade.

As I said in the blog, the “silence” is short lived, and it is my firm belief that this will make the SCIT cause stronger in the long term.

Of course, the lack of a parade presence is not enough to actually silence these folks.

Next time, when it looks like “silenced” maybe I’ll say it instead of the safer, more passive “quiet”.

UPDATE: This move by the Heritage Festival Committee gave SCIT coverage in both the Ann Arbor News and the Detroit Free Press, and they marched in the parade anyway.

The attempt to silence these folks backfired in a big way.

And perhaps that's the true strength of the square between Mercury (which is obscured by the Sun and therefore powerless) and the MC. I doubt that I could have called it this way ahead of time, but it is fascinating to watch it play out.

Take Care

Rod

Retrograde Hysteria...

Then, there’s reality…

So, what happens when you HAVE to do something under a retrograde transit, like a friend who is looking for work in a tough job market under the current retrograde Venus, and gets an offer that will keep body and soul together for a while?

You take it.!!! It may not be “the perfect job” but its a whole lot better than no job. With retrograde Venus I’d be cautious about getting too attached to it, but as a job to keep your hand in your career and food on your table, and the word “determination” emblazoned on your résumé, take it!!!

Its not as if any time short of next February is going to be much fun for exciting new opportunities anyway, but February is a long way off if you’re not working!! So take the job, any job, and revisit the career when things are little better.

The retrograde transits are times of “heightened scrutiny” by the planets. Lots of stuff comes to light under these transits, and with Venus it is about values and valuables.

If you are in business, you have to continue to do business, sign contracts, make important decisions and generally continue with your business regardless of what the planets are doing.

Don’t take financial short-cuts under a retrograde Venus. Make sure your transactions happen properly and in order. Make sure the folks you do business with are heading in the same direction. Its all about being aware of what’s going on, its not about putting your life on hold until the planets are more favorable.

There are very few folks in the world who have sufficient independent wealth to be able to put their lives on hold while the planets have an "attack of the vapors"... for the rest of us, it’s a matter of making the best out of what’s available, and being aware of what might happen.

Having said all of that, it is true that I told my buyers agent the dates that I would and would not sign to buy my current house based on retrograde Venus and retrograde Mercury. Am I superstitious? No! But I do know how much this house means to my wife and myself, and I had no intention of signing on a day that would have me question the value of our decision.

I know a midwife who would like to set up a practice. I suggested she hold off until Venus is direct. Midwifery is her life’s work. Setting it up under retrograde Venus would be less than clever. My suggestion? Wait until Venus is in forward motion, and a long way from the Sun. Venus is better in Leo than in Virgo and so forth.

And that is the difference. When a transaction is part of the hum-drum of life, the forward and retrograde motions of the planets give us some insight into how to conduct our business. However, when we are setting up a new venture to which we are deeply attached, it is THEN that we want to make certain of the motions of the planets. The job we get under retro Venus may not be ideal, but it will keep us fed.

I hope this makes sense of what retrogrades mean, and more importantly, what use we can put them to.

Take Care

Rod

Astrology August 12, 2007

Astrology

New Moon
August 12, 2007 7:02:24 pm EDT
Ypsilanti, MI USA

Effective until full moon (eclipse) August 28, 2007

The Sun dominates this chart, being both the sect ruler of the nativity, and in its own domicile, and in the 7th house, and the dispositor of the ascendant ruler (Saturn).

This is a 7th house waxing moon, though it shares its degree with the 8th equal house cusp from the ascendant, throwing some emphasis on the 8th. In the 8th we have Saturn and Venus, closely conjunct, while Venus is retrograde.

There is not much point trying to say something cheerful about retrograde Venus meeting with Saturn. A combination of disappointing values and hard reality in the house of death, intimacy and mysterious behavior is just plain unpleasant.

The individual, and the people as a whole, are both represented by the ascendant, which is in Aquarius and is ruled by Saturn in Leo in the 8th.

The 8th provides the basis for the “rumor mill” discussion in the political post, and for the “intimacy” discussion on the relationships post.

In the MC chart, the New Moon is brought to the 7th cusp, as are Saturn and Venus. The Saturn /Venus conjunction is very tight, and the combination bring an unmistakable air of hard-nosed dryness, the hard light of reality shown on what we thought were our core values. It is this feature in the MC 7th that brings the “values issue” to the attention of the partner in the relationship post, and gives the wise leader pause about being too hasty about the silence of the opposition.

The silence of the opposition is shown by Mercury, who is very close to square the MC in the 7th cusp position, however he is also very close to the Sun, and is therefore overshadowed and overruled by the personalities involved. His strong presence implies calculation behind the scenes. Mars in Mercury’s domicile in the 4th MC house adds to the air of secrecy and covert behavior.

With a generally disgruntled disposition to the ascendant, the people are going to be grumpy and hard to please.

There is a strong possibility that Ypsilanti will lose one or two of its famous “sons or daughters” during this moon.

Jupiter in the 11th Ascendant house adds to the power of the rumor mill, while mars in the 5th opposes it from a position of diminished power.

Jupiter’s position in the 10th MC house makes for a strong couple of weeks for leadership decisions, however the opposition from MC ruler Mars in the 4th should not be ignored, or it will fester into something more damaging.


I hope that the new format makes this a better tool for everyone.

Take care

Rod

Relationships August 12, 2007

Relationships

New Moon
August 12, 2007 7:02:24 pm EDT
Ypsilanti, MI USA

Effective until full moon (eclipse) August 28, 2007

Singles

While the desire to have a fling looks appealing right now, its probably the worst time of all to get into a lasting relationship. There are likely to be a lot of reactionary “flings” from folks in long-standing relationships. Having a little fun is one thing, getting tied up in someone else’s domestic mess is very much another.

Keep it fun. Keep it simple. Keep it happy. Keep it open and on the same page. If it looks like getting complex, drop it like a hot potato.

For those of you looking for “the right one” keep looking until at least September 8. Things are not what they seem right now. There’s not a whole lot of joy on the horizon until February 2008.


Couples

This has been a tough few months for many relationships in the county, and this fortnight is not going to be much different.

Couples of every stripe are going to feel a distinct coldness in the intimacy department. The other partner is likely to feel distant and cool. This is crucially important, because both partners are likely to see it in the other.

Those who are questioning the values of their significant others are going to find the issue is being projected, loud and clear, into the other partners ear. What you thought was a secret gripe, and perhaps even a taboo subject, is about to be dropped into your partner’s lap.

It is best you are prepared for this. Get a grip on the issue, get a firm understanding of what needs to be said, and how you might breach the subject; then watch for the tell-tale signs that your partner knows something’s up.

There is a lot of latitude here for you to handle this gracefully, but it is going to require a bit of work. Avoid strident judgment (You do this or you don’t do that because you are a despicable human being.) Instead, try bringing it down to the basic facts without assuming any motive on the other person’s part. (Something is causing a problem here, and this is what it looks like from my end).

Of course, it takes two to tango, and your partner is likely to have this same type of issue brewing where you are concerned. Be prepared for a judgmental blow about your own behavior, though with any luck, your partner will prefer the non-judgmental style mentioned above.

For couples not in crisis, the general sense of cool in the intimacy department will still be felt for the couple of weeks, you might want to lend a hand to those who are in crisis.

Actions are going to speak louder than words this couple of weeks, finding the common ground between yourself and your partner will be a key to success. The temptation to shoot off at the mouth will cause problems if left unchecked.

Families and businesses

The same things apply in business and families as they do in personal relationships, however the issues are less likely to be about values and love, and more likely to be about money and malfeasance.

There are issues, which are usually private, that are about to come out into the open, and there are discussions to be had around boardroom tables and dining room tables alike.

Again I will iterate, avoid strident judgments. Each person needs to get their own perspective out in the open without passing judgment, or assuming they know the motives of another. Those leading the discussion need to bring a consensus of group mind, but the wise will avoid taking action unless the situation is crystal clear, and the action absolutely necessary.

Take Care

Rod

Politics-Business August 12

Politics and business

New Moon
August 12, 2007 7:02:24 pm EDT
Ypsilanti, MI USA

Effective until full moon (eclipse) August 28, 2007


The People

The next couple of weeks represent a time of investigation and inquiry for the people of Washtenaw county and surrounding districts. A private “witch hunt” for personal accountability over issues of mistrust. This is not likely to be a very public affair, but rather an act of subterfuge, a whispering in the corners and dark places, a discussion between friends over breakfast, phone calls held in private, a lot of mischief centered around people and personalities.

Folks will be centering their attention on the faults of another, holding the other to a ridiculously high standard, as a way of subconsciously deflectging attention away from their own inadequacies.

This is the time when the next major rumor and gossip campaign will start, and it can be very damaging to those who are at the center of the attention.

The Leaders

The period of heightened opposition is still upon us, however the tide is slowly turning. The opposition is going quiet, (though it is still very present) and there is a sense of growing support from families and from the more conservative elements of the community, however capitalizing on that support will take some clever planning.

There are two ways a leader can approach the current situation. He (or she) can either believe that the population are ignorant (or worse, deluded) and “stay the course”, or she (or he) can embrace the “group think” of the people and meld it into the plans for the future.

The gut instinct of the leader may well be to stay the course, the quitening of the opposition giving her or him a false sense of security in the status quo. The silence of the opposition does not mean it has gone home, just that it is working on a more devastating campaign. Intransigence under a very strong Jupiter is a great way to make a spectacular flop.

To alienate families and the conservative element at this time will be to create a greater problem later. It is possible, even probable, that there is common ground to be had there, however it requires flexibility and canny negotiation to bring it out.

Business

The cunning businessperson will be the master of the “gosh its awful” conversations that will dominate popular discussion over the next couple of weeks. Nodding sagely and agreeing with the harsh judgments pronounced by your clients will hold you in good stead. It too shall pass.

Steady success, and the look of success, will bring you a lot more business than any glossy campaign or fancy advertising over the next two weeks. Basically, the people are in a mood to kvetch, therefore you need to rely on non-verbal means for exciting the public mind. Looking better than your opposition is a great way to get ahead. Drawing too much attention to yourself, however, is likely to make you a target. The emphasis has to be on stability and success rather than on pizzazz.

Cash flow is likely to be erratic, and high-pressure sales will cause more problems than it can solve over these couple of weeks. Meeting people where they think they are at will get you a lot further.

I hope the new format is more useful to you all.

Take Care

Rod

Smell the Coffee

Full Moon July 29, 2007 8:47 PM EDT
Ypsilanti, MI
Valid until August 12, 2007

Wake Up!....

And smell the coffee!

Listen to the other people in your life!!

This is the two week period when the folks in our region can really get a handle on how other folks are thinking and how they can, themselves, become part of something bigger.

The “Values Assessment” of retrograde Venus is in full swing, and there is no time like the present to set our own priorities and listen to those of the other people in our lives.

The time is right for drawing people together under a common banner.

For leaders in the community, the news is not so great. While this will be a better couple of weeks than those just gone, its still a tough overall period. The grass roots are still seething, and it seems like it takes forever to accomplish anything at all. Leaders are still feeling the pinch of opposition parties and still have to work really hard to get any idea what the people themselves are thinking. Those leaders who take personal responsibility seriously will have an easier time of it, but its still difficult.

The opposition parties need to be hammering personal values and accountability where they see them lacking.

Those most strongly affected by this moon have significant placements early in the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius).


Things to keep in mind

Venus is currently retrograde. Values are the key issue at the moment and knowing who to trust is difficult. Signing contracts, starting ventures, and forging partnerships needs to be held off until September if at all possible.

Mercury does another retrograde in October, and Mars turns retrograde in November. They all march on, one after the other, and it makes it a bad period, between now and February 08, to be starting much of anything. There are windows of opportunity, however they are surrounded by long periods of difficulty, each retrograde having its particular effect.

The retrograde periods are great times for introspection, research, planning and development. Also great for troubleshooting.

The Astrology


Aquarius Full moon right on the Ascendant in the first house makes this a very strong moon in the community. THIS is the community “awareness-raising” period. The opposition between self (Leo) and other (Aquarius) makes this a great period for the listening and learning functions of relationship, again made much stronger in this district by the proximity to the ascendant.

The leadership woes are pat of a much biggr problem, however Jupioter in ten, (though retrograde) means thatthere will be at least some progress in these couple of weeks.

Disgruntled grass roots (Mars in 3 in Taurus) just a hard time there, we’re looking for better things as Mars enters Gemini in the next coupe of weeks.

Hard-working opposition making use of retrograde Venus to really keep the leaders sharp, Saturn right on the descendant holding the power of the people and torching the feet of the leaders. The power is building in the opposition, and it is likely to peak in the August new moon period to come.

‘Till then

Take Care

Rod

What to expect from Retrograde Venus

(Values and Valuables under the microscope)



From June 24 through October 13 2007, Venus will hone in on the part of the Zodiac between 16 degrees of Leo and 3 degrees of Virgo. This phenomenon is known as Venus’ retrograde period and happens once every 18 months or so.

From June 24 through July 14, personal values will become paramount. Lots of discussion about personal morality should ensue (or should have already transpired at this point).

The period from July 14 trough July 27 will see the focus shift to service, and the energy will become decidedly nit-picky. The tendency to find fault will become stronger in folks who are affected by this transit. The tendency to nag or be nagged will escalate for others. These tendencies really need to be addressed before the 27th or the fallout could be severe over the following weeks.

For single folk the period from July 27 through September 8 is going to feel particularly cold if you are looking for a partner, though some of the encounters which go wrong in this period should be revisited in the period from September 8 through October 12. I advise strongly against pursuing romantic attachments that spring up under a retrograde Venus.

The period from July 27 through August 9 will see issues that were left unresolved in the previous fortnight brought to a head in ways that are undesirable and likely to lead to some distancing between parties affected. I would advise against separation under retrograde Venus, but it is a possibility when folks feel unloved or unheard.

For those who brought their issues out in the open before the retrograde, this will present at time for making the commitment to work past the fault-finding thing, and concentrate on the real issues, the issues of core values, which underlie the bickering.

The period from August 9 through August 18 will see the morality issues raised in June-July brought back into the limelight, with more emphasis on personality than on morality. For struggling couples, this will see the height of the argumentative period where ego, takes precedence over anything else. For those who are working through their issues, this will still represent a time of inflated ego, and care needs to be taken by everyone during this period.

The period from August 18 through September 8 will see the emphasis shift from values to valuables. Those in difficulty will start arguing about who’s going to get what. Those who are working through their issues should work at resolving financial issues together.

The period from September 8 through October 12 is the time to really focus on reconciling the issues that caused division under the retrograde and deal more thoroughly with them. Financial matters that have soured in the previous couple of weeks should turn around. Personal financial responsibility will be a major theme over that time.

Repair the damage

New Moon July 14, 2007 8:03:40 am
Ypsilanti, MI
Effective until Full Moon July 29, 2007


Repair the damage


There is a strong conservative feel to the coming couple of weeks. The focus on family values will take on a spiritual glow as folks seek to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

Elected officials will be appealing to conservative values in order to make restitution for past mistakes.

Leaders are likely to burn up resources in damage control, which is going to get up the noses of the grass roots pretty thoroughly. Many administrations are still largely working at odds with the people.

For the leaders who are presenting challenges to the people that are well reasoned and make judicious use of resources, the picture is much stronger. “personal responsibility” is going to be the catch cry with the neighborhoods, a wise leader will use that to his or her advantage.

The people are going to start really feeling the burden of past indiscretions and grandiose ideas. This will become more strongly focused over the next couple of weeks, another good time for grass roots groups to raise awareness in the greater population. Opposition groups would do well to capitalize on the growing discontent.

On a positive note, it’s a good couple of weeks for those in the healing arts and those with a spiritual focus in their work. There is a general spiritual yearning developing in the community.

For those affected by Mercury’s recent retrograde, the time is right to repair the damage done by the various communications crises which erupted over he past few weeks, most particularly where they affected relationships.

Those most affected.

The new moon is strongest for those with placements in the late degrees (20-30) of Cancer, and the other cardinal signs (Capricorn Libra, Aries)

Anger and tension will be most heavily felt by those with placements in the middle degrees (10-20) of Taurus and the other fixed signs (Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius), though it’s worth mentioning that this waxing period is less intense than it has been for these people over the last month.


Things to keep in mind

Venus will retrograde on the 27th, a transit that will last until September 8th . Values and valuables are Venus’ keywords, and a retrograde transit happens only once in 18 months or so.

Lunar Eclipse, August 28

Solar eclipse, September 11

Mercury Retro October 12

Mars retro November 15


Astro Analysis



Mars in 10 and Saturn in 1 makes for a time when folks are still feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders.

The New Moon in 12th has people seeking spiritual solutions.

Mars square the Ascendant in Taurus in the house of the leaders is burning resources and getting up the noses of the general population.

Chiron sitting on the descendant suggests reconciliation is a great move for couples, though there is still some pain to work through there. Those who are committed to finding a resolution will do well, those who choose to find fault will have a worse time of it.

Till next time

Have fun

Rod

Personal Responsibility.

Full Moon June 30, 2007 9:48:38 am
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Effective until New Moon, July 14, 2007

A season for personal responsibility.

Relationships (personal and business… any binding, committed relationship) are still somewhat strained in the general community, as the ideals and reality are brought together on a theoretical basis, but nothing very concrete is emerging just yet. Old wounds are having undue influence on current planning, leaving issues unresolved, even though they feel very close to resolution.

Those who want to use the current season to their benefit will need to talk honestly and often about the pain from the past, on both sides of the relationship, that is holding them back, and commit time and resources to understanding the other.

Personal responsibility is the key to resolving the issues that erupt during these couple of weeks.

Resentment will build under this moon if it goes unchecked.

Personal responsibility will be high on the list of discussion topics over the next couple of weeks. Core values are going to be subject to the hard light of reality, elected officials will feel very exposed, the general community is going to look for a better plan, a new vision as it seeks to distance itself from those it has trusted with its well being.

Disappointment over deceptions of the past will be palpable throughout the community.

Grass roots opposition groups need to spend this couple of weeks working on their next foray, and let the elected officials slip in their own mess.

Leaders who ignore the advice of the Solstice reading are going to try to smear their enemies and foist the burden of responsibility onto the people. This is likely to backfire into grassroots anger as the failures of elected officials become the stuff of public ridicule.

On a much lighter note, this is a great period for special events and generally having a lot of fun. Events focusing on family values and days gone by should see some great exposure this over the next couple of weeks. Event organizers need to be vigilant in attending to details and make sure they have contingency plans for predictable delays.

Those Most Affected

The combined influence of the full moon and retrograde Mercury heavily impacts (again) those with early Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) placements. Juggling issues of “self” and “other” is going to be difficult as understanding is severely hampered by past experience. Resolution will be more forthcoming as the New Moon approaches.

Those with placements around 20 degrees Fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) are under increased pressure again for this two week period. As with the last New Moon, this couple of weeks keeps the pressure up on what is an on-going, painful issue. The focus diminishes with the New Moon, however the coming Venus Retrograde will ensure some pressure for a while to come.

Things to keep in mind.

Mercury’s retrograde finishes on July 9 and resolution of Mercury’s issues (whatever blew up in your face over the previous couple of weeks) will be most effective from July 9 to July 25.

Venus has begun her period of strong influence, and begins her retrograde transit on July 27. This retrograde ends September 8, and resolution of Venus’ issues (the “values” issues that wouldn’t leave you alone, or the “love lost” issues) will be most effective from September 8 through October 12.

The Astro Analysis


The elusive resolution to difficulties is shown by the proximity of Saturn to the Ascendant, and its 12th house position locally. It is so close to the ascendant, that those on the west side of the county will find resolution easier, as will those in Lansing and the west side of the State. However, it is 12th house and without a lot of work, there will be no real resolution for relationship difficulties. The pain and idealism are seen across the chart with the Neptune/Chiron opposition to the Saturn/Venus conjunction.

It is a difficult time for anyone with placements around the 15-25 degrees fixed

Resentment building under the moon is marked by Mars’ ingress into Taurus and its rulership of the 4th and 9th houses.

The proximity to the ascendant of Saturn/Venus in Leo makes personal responsibility a BIG issue this period. Venus’ strength as she approaches retrograde means that issues raised over this period are going to be the ones that come back to haunt us in the retrograde.

Disappointment over past deceptions…. A Saturn-ruled moon in 5 (killjoy) opposing a Moon-ruled Sun in 11 (elected officials, other groups of friends) which is conjunct a retrograde (past issues) Mercury.

Grass roots (3rd) ruled by Venus in 12…. Good time to lay low and plan.

Leaders (MC) ruled by Venus, which moves to the 1st house in the political chart (MC Chart), clearly indicates an attempt to push responsibility back onto the people. Neptune in 7th shows an attempt to smear the opposition, however retrograde Mercury conjunct the Sun in the 11th is going to see this plan fail, and Mars in the 9th will see resentment build.

Public ridicule for the failings of the leadership is displayed by the Moon in the 5th as the significator of the people, opposing the 11th house sun discussed above. One could expect a few choice cartoons to emerge in the next couple of weeks.

In summary, a hard couple of weeks to be in power, a difficult time for relationships, not a great week for anyone except pranksters, however the community as a whole will do fairly well in spite of the details.

Take Care

Rod

A Long Hot Summer in Politics

For this particular year, the mundane prediction for the area should be made in 4 quarterly steps, the first at the Spring Equinox, the second at the Summer Solstice, the third at Autumn Equinox, and the fourth at the Winter Solstice.

This is the Summer Solstice quarter of that cycle, and this assessment of the chart is good until the Autumn Equinox on September 23rd.

Like the lunar chart, this is a general prediction for the district.

It sets the general trend for the area in terms of reputation and leadership.

This chart has “scandal exposed” written all over it. If ever there was a time to haul elected officials over the coals, this is it. It’s going to be a long hot summer in Washtenaw county.


Leadership is going to be lacking for the most part for the quarter. In spite of cries from the grass roots for a new plan and a new way of doing things, leaders are going to be reworking old plans, and staying with the tried and true. Ducking for cover and staying out of sight will be the wise leaders default position this quarter.

Depending on your standpoint, this could be a good or bad thing.

The truly wise will be calculating the cost of previous mistakes, reviewing the things that have actually worked well, and weighing them carefully in the balance. The truly wise will appoint someone (but please spare us from more “experts”) to assess the feelings of the grass roots and quietly work on implementing grass-roots reform to foster good relations and long-term gains. They will resist the temptation of the spotlight and endless rhetorical bloviation.

But how many of our leaders are truly wise?

A wise opposition movement might have its mouthpieces articulating grass roots concerns (while its leader practices the restraint above). A wise opposition movement will give a loud voice to the need for reform, and show a determined strategy for action. A wise opposition will haul elected officials over the coals.

But how many of our opposition movements are truly wise?

All leaders in the district are going to come under fire from strong, open opponents. When weighed in the balance, the strength of the quarterly chart lies with the opponents. All administrations can expect more confusion than usual in their chain of command. The grass roots is going to feel un-heard. The greater population will remain largely clueless, however if they are spurred into action, it will be by a well-organized opposition.

The force for change and lady luck abide with the disgruntled grass roots and its voice in opposition this summer.

Leaders in the spotlight will suffer from foot-in-mouth disease. For those leaders who can get off their podium, adopt a careful, minimalist approach to public announcements, and work at hearing the grass roots out, there is some hope that they can deflect the heat back to the opposition, but they have their work cut out for them.

Police forces throughout the district will face a larger-than-usual quantity of difficult crimes and elusive criminals. They may be called upon to take un-popular action against regular citizens. Disputes between law enforcement operatives and administors that have not been resolved prior to the solstice will remain unresolved for the quarter.

The judiciary is going to have a rough time as well, lots of adjournments, indecision, and mixed messages sent to the public.

The school district are on the opposite end of the same scandal pattern as the elected officials. The upheaval that has already beset out schools will continue. Obfuscation will cease, heads will roll, and painful decisions will be made.

The astro-analysis


The “scandal” is the loose conjunction between Saturn and Venus in the 11th opposed by Neptune and Chiron, loosely conjunct in the 5th . By the old methods, only the Saturn/Venus conjunction would be seen, and that is pretty telling on its own. The added influence of a couple of modern chart objects adds to the intensity, the pain, and the mystery.

The Sun is in Cancer in the 9th house, and while its position looks strong at a glance, its ruler, the Moon, is in the 12th. The Moon’s ruler is Mercury which is retrograde in the 10th.

This is a whole lot of “no fun” for the people or for the reputation of the district. The district may try to pull off a facsimile of great ideals and unlimited opportunity, but it won’t wash this quarter.

The MC is also in Cancer, facing the same issues as the Sun with the same net result. There is no joy in this quarter for leaders or their administrations. A low profile is the best remedy, but that’s going to be hard to pull off.

Mercury retrograde in 10 means that when leaders open their mouths, they’ll put their foot in them. When administrations try to go public, they will make mistakes. More telling though, is that if administrations are brought into the public arena, any malfeasance will be exposed.

Mars in Aries in 7th house is strengthened by Jupiter in Sagittarius in the 3rd and Saturn in Leo in the 11th . While Saturn is typically weak in Leo, its signification of “personal responsibility” is very telling when it is in the house of elected officials, especially when Mars and Jupiter are both in positions of great strength, Mars in the house of open enemies, and the Jupiter in the house of the grass roots supporters.

This gives a strong, well-organized opposition the opportunity of a lifetime to expose the weakness of any administration in the district.

Police are the 6th house (in service to the administration and the community), the Pisces cusp and Uranus present make for a difficult quarter for law enforcement with nothing being concrete and lots of surprises. Uranus’ opposition to the Moon suggests unpopular and unprecedented action against citizens.

Judiciary, 9th house, ruled by Mercury which is retrograde in the 10th. Ick!!

The school district is the 5th house, opposite elected officials. Chiron and Neptune, both retrograde, suggest a painful end to the troubles that have beset the district.

All up, the only winners this quarter are the opposition parties. Lets hope they don’t squander it with irrelevancies, infighting, and red herrings.

Take Care

Rod

Gemini New Moon

June 14, 2007, 11:14 pm, Ypsilanti Michigan effective until June 30, 2007, 9:40 am


Summary.
A less intense moon locally that highlights fun but can bring some folks undone.

Basic Prediction

For the good folks in our district, an easier time over the next couple of weeks. The couples who have had strife over the last two weeks can now sit down, having examined their own personal faults, and understand the position of the other. The new moon in Gemini is conducive to understanding and “lightening up” a bit. Recovery from the heavy hard-hitting of the previous full moon is vital over this time-frame. CAREFUL communication is the key here.

I emphasize CAREFUL communication, because Mercury goes retrograde on June 15 and careless assumptions are going to bring you undone. Be certain that you understand EXACTLY what the other is saying.

Basically, lighten up, but put your mind into gear before putting your mouth into action.

On a more general level, the new moon places Mercury’s retrograde in the 6th house, which means its not going to be a huge factor in relationships, however there is likely to be a communications crisis in the health-care community. Double-check any information that comes your way regarding your health.

On the political front, leadership is likely to become active in their support base over the next two weeks, but the population needs to be careful of a major deception in the offing.

The 5th house Gemini moon is going to be conducive to excessive confidence, though Mercury’s retrograde is going to lead to exposure. One might also expect a political scandal in the entertainment industry.

Leaders need to be aware that their plans are going to come under cold, hard, scrutiny from open enemies, and any illusions put forward at this time will be hammered mercilessly. Attempts to hide the real consequences of proposals will be very tempting. Opponents will be vigilant. Communities facing current crises will be the most severely affected. Unfortunately, the ability to learn from the mistakes of the past is still elusive at this time.

A great couple of weeks for grass roots groups to build a support base.

Those most affected

Those with strength in 23-30 degrees of Capricorn will do well under this moon.

Those with strong Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) at 20-30 degrees will have a lot of fun.
Those with strong fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) around the 16-24 degree mark. There is a long-running pattern that is giving these folks a general rough time, this new moon it will be stronger and brought to the foreground. It too shall pass.

Things to keep in mind

Retrograde Mercury from June 14 (11 deg Cancer) to July 10 (2 degrees Cancer)
Mercury Shadow begins May 30 and final shadow ends July 24.
Mercury’s keyword- communication, translation

Retrograde Venus from July 27 (2 degrees Virgo) to September 8 (16 degrees Leo)
Venus shadow begins June 23, and final shadow ends September 22.
Venus keyword- Values, Love as giving and receiving.


The Astro Analysis


These charts are set up in Ypsilanti, and are going to be generally true for Washtenaw County

The 5th house position of the New Moon means it’s general feeling is for fun and adventure, but its ruler, Mercury, is going to be retrograde for most of the period, so the fun is likely to have some unintended consequences.

The 25 degree Capricorn ascendant is gaining unexpected creative support from the Gemini new moon in the 5th house. A period for strong resolutions and for resolving previous conflicts.

The 20 degree Scorpio MC has its ruler (Mars) in the third in its own domicile. A period for strong grass roots support in the political arena, particularly for the “loyal opposition”.

Mercury at 11 degrees of Cancer is virtually at its retrograde station. In the 6th Ascendant house , it portends a communications crisis that affects the health-care of the LOCAL population. In the 5th MC houses, it portends a LOCAL political scandal in the entertainment industry.



I have already had some good feedback about this style of blog

I hope to improve the posts as I go along

Take Care

Rod

What on earth is going on?

What on earth is going on?

The last two weeks have been hell on earth for many couples in and around Washtenaw County, and the astrological signatures were so conspicuous, I thought this would be as good a time as any to start this blog rolling.

I’m going to start with the current Full Moon (which is all but expired) because SO MANY people in our local district, and in my own circle of friends, have been having major relationship troubles.

Full Moon May 31 2007, 9:03 pm EDT Ypsilanti, MI

Basic prediction (with 20/20 hindsight for this one, but the rest will be ahead of time).


The problem.

Where a relationship needs a shake-up, it will happen under this moon. Relationships and families, partnerships and businesses, are all going to feel the pinch this full moon until the new moon on June 14.

Salt will be rubbed into sensitive wounds, irrational ideals will prevail, and long-lasting decisions will be made. Some irreparable damage to relationships may ensue.

If you don’t have a relationship per se, then the same might apply to any binding commitment you have.

If you are not experiencing these issues at this time, be thankful, and lend your support to your friends as they go through their issues.

Not everyone needs a shakeup, but this particular moon is going to apply to a lot of folks in this district.


The solution.

Realize that you are under as big a cloud of illusion as your partner appears to be. Work hard at finding the root cause of the issue. What is your part in the issue? What is your partner’s?. Communication is likely to be difficult. Understanding the other point of view will be difficult unless you are prepared to let go of your own point of view. Concentrate more on your own part in the issue. Do the introspective work, be honest and hard with yourself for a brief season, particularly in the last quarter of the moon. Remember to release whatever negativity you have built around yourself as the moon approaches its darkest moment. Being aware of your faults is one thing, hanging onto the negativity for any length of time is detrimental to your health.

DON’T DO ANYTHING HASTY !!

This is not a period for clear understanding. It will pass.

The coming New Moon will bring the opportunity you need for healing,clear thinking, and reconciliation. It is important to listen carefully to the things you learn about yourself during the dark period.

Things to keep in mind

Mercury’s coming retrograde will put a real challenge on communications, the things that have exploded under this full moon will need to be carefully worked through, or the Venus retrograde, which follows hot on Mercury’s heels, will cause a lasting rift. It doesn’t need to happen that way, but it’s a really strong possibility if you don’t take control during this coming new moon season.


Those most affected

Those with strong mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) particularly around 10-15 degrees.

Those with strong cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) particularly around the 2-5 degree mark.

The astrological analysis (for those who are interested)



The first thing we notice is that the full moon is right on the ascendant of the local chart, in the 12th house by one degree (It is exact on the ascendant in the western part of Lansing, Bay City and Saginaw)

The ascendant is a personal point, and in mundane matters usually represents the general population. With the full moon in a subjective (12th) house, touching on the ascendant, and Jupiter in the First house in its own domicile (Sagittarius) and retrograde, one can expect a lot of “where did that come from” (12th house) energy, blown out of all real proportion and subject to heavy scrutiny by retrograde Jupiter.

These things don’t tell the whole story on their own though.

Mercury (translator, communicator) looks pretty innocuous in the 7th house in Cancer (3 degrees), until you realize that, on July 9, Mercury will go direct at 2 degrees of Cancer, after its retrograde transit.

The stations (places at which they change direction) of the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) are points of great significance.

Mercury, having just crossed its station, is in a position of high power, and is in the house of relationships. Mercury’s retrograde transits are always about communication.

So lets add up the factors so far.

“Out of left field” energy, blown out of all proportion, while the communicator (Mercury) in the sign of sensitivity (Cancer) in the house of relationships (7th) is in a position of great power.

Can anybody say “relationship blow-ups”.
Add to this the power of the Nodes (a sense of destiny) exactly square to the ascendant of the chart, and there are some big, long-lasting blow-ups in the wind.


There is added pressure for those with significant planets around the 20 degree fixed mark, that pressure being applied by the Neptune/Chiron conjunction which opposes Saturn.

Mercury’s coming stations are at 11 degrees Cancer (June 15) and 2 degrees Cancer (July 9).

Mercury’s shadow period begins May 30. The issues that arise from here to June 14 will be the focus of mixed messages during the retrograde. The more clearly you deal with these issues in the first shadow, the less impact the retrograde will have for you. Ignore them at your peril. Issues that arise during the retrograde transit will tend towards resolution during the final shadow period, which begins July 9 and ends July 24.

Venus’ coming stations are at 2 degrees Virgo (July 27) and 16 degrees Leo (September 8). More about that later.

Take Care

Rod