Tuesday, August 28, 2007

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

Monday, August 27, 2007

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.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

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

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

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

Saturday, August 18, 2007

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

Friday, August 17, 2007

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

Sunday, August 12, 2007

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