Lunar First Quarter in Aries

Luna (the Moon) is still in her waxing first quarter as she enters Aries today, and she is nearing her “bends” (as Ashmad so eloquently translates Ptolemy), and is therefore more prone to erratic, creative behaviour. In short, Luna is full of vim and vigour.

This is good news for Venus, who could really use a good stiff tonic after her long march in Scorpio. Luna gives Venus the pep-talk she most desperately needs, and Venus flowers into her radiant, beautiful self in Sagittarius under Jupiter’s favour.

Luna’s next encounter is with Saturn, who enjoys his exalted status in Libra. Luna is intent on creating a brave new world, and Saturn is keen to keep her new world within the bounds of established forms of beauty and order. They have quite an argument, but the fallout is not terrible, Sol (the Sun) sides with Saturn (with considerable concession to Luna) on this round, and Luna moves on, a little ruffled, but undaunted in her optimism.

Next, Luna checks off with Sol, making sure there are no hard feelings over the Capricorn eclipse, and Luna changes her mood from “sowing seeds” to “bearing fruit”. Still in Aries, this means “more, faster, and better”… the pressure for results is on for the coming week.

Exalted Mars is next in Luna’s errands, but exulted though he may be, Mars is currently pressed into service for Sol, so Luna simply cries “more, faster, better” in his ears, and marvels at how well Mars performs when he is constrained by limits and pressed into service.

Mercury is now recovered from his recent retrograde and making his third pass over the late degrees of Sagittarius, gleaning as much information as he can from this transit (and all the gossip about the Lunar eclipse just before Yule), and passing as much information on as he can. Demand for information increases as Luna cries "more faster better" in his ears, and leaves Aries, heading for her beloved Taurus.

Luna’s mantra has been “plant, sow, prepare” since the Capricorn eclipse, and her demand from Sol has been for long-term planning and greater foresight. On January 10, she enters Aries, where “plant-sow, prepare” becomes the pep-talk that inspires great action. Her encounter with Venus happens late that day (wee small hours of the 11th for Australia). Her encounter with Saturn happens later again on the 11th (early 12th in parts East). She makes her first quarter with Sol early on January 12 (very late in Australia), where she takes up her “more faster better” mantra, which she whispers in Mars’ ear later that day (early 13th in parts East). She catches Mercury in the very last degree of Sagittarius just before she slips into Taurus, late on the 12th in the US, wee smalls of the 13th at Greenwich, and well into the morning in Australia.

So what is it with Venus lately?

Our dear lady of fruitfulness and pleasure has seemed a bit erratic lately, and the discerning astrologer will notice she has spent an awful lot of time in Scorpio.

To understand why this is a big deal, we need to understand a bit more about her.

Venus is named for the irrational desire that overtakes us when our hormones get the better of us. This can be desire for love, desire for vengeance, desire for justice. In the modern world, desire for acceptance and desire for stuff. Desire in itself is not a bad thing, after all, desire gives birth to the love in which desire is mutually shared, but soap operas and historical epics are full of cases in which it goes badly wrong.

For those of you who might be thinking, “Hey, I thought that was Mars”, Mars is the principle of action. Mars represents striving and fighting, the planning and execution of plans, the “doing” of those things that serve our ends. When irrational desire is allowed to define our “ends”, irrational actions ensue, and another soap-opera scenario is born.

Needless to say, this is not a new phenomenon.

Venus’ long march through Scorpio began September 8, 2010. Venus in Scorpio: the planet of emotional desire entered the sign of manifestation and manipulation. Scorpio is Venus’ house of detriment, things go wrong when irrational desire meets manipulative action...

Mars and Venus have been cruising along together for quite a while, first in Libra, and then in Scorpio, they pass each other twice in that dance, which is all very romantic, and a prime environment for romantic foolishness.

If you are looking for some figures… for 99 days of the last 123 Venus has been in Scorpio, many of those with Mars as her consort… but Venus hates figures, so I won’t bore you with the rest of them, however, we may find a surprising number of children born of secret relationships this coming June/July.

A couple of days ago, Venus entered Sagittarius, while Mars has moved on through Capricorn, having his long discussion with the Sun. Venus improves the ambiance in Jupiter’s diurnal home, and Jupiter is already looking pretty jolly in Pisces, so Sagittarius is enjoying a lot of positive energy right now.

In Sagittarius, Venus wears her daytime garb, becoming the goddess of beauty, justice, and judgement. Unfortunately for us, the emotionally unhinged in our communities might have had a bit too much intensity over the past 120 days, and the execution of justice could get very ugly indeed. On a brighter note, inspirational stories should abound, and new buoyancy should inhabit the more progressive people in our midst for the month of January. Images of beauty will undertake a positive shake-up over this period.

On February 4, Venus enters Capricorn, and that is another story.

This Waxing Pisces Moon...

The Moon is queen of the Zodiac, and ruler of the night. She keeps in touch with everybody by aspect, currently adding moisture and fertility in her waxing light.

The Moon in Aquarius has finished her conversation with Mercury in Sagittarius, and is looking forward to her passage into Pisces.

In Pisces, her first order of business is a brief encounter with Venus (who has just entered Sagittarius), then Sun in Capricorn, then Mars in Capricorn, then Mercury in Sagittarius, then Jupiter in Pisces.

Jupiter’s strong placement over the last year has left both Sagittarius and Pisces feeling very strong. A visit from the waxing Moon inflates that joy.

Sagittarius, full of new ideas from Mercury’s long journey, now feeling Venus’ fruitful presence, will feel twice blessed for five days or so as the waxing Moon shares her light.

Capricorn, feeling the warmth of the Sun and the added warmth of its favourite planet, Mars, also takes extra heart from this waxing Moon.

Other signs feeling the spark of life from this waxing Pisces Moon include Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, and Scorpio.

Of the transpersonal planets, Neptune bids the Moon good-day as she exits Aquarius, Pluto grabs her attention in Capricorn, and Uranus is hanging out with Jupiter in the last degrees of Pisces.

So, what does it all mean? The Moon moves fast (in astrological terms) and its effects are fleeting but useful. Making the most of its energy as it passes through allows you to make a little bit more out of each day.

Those with strong Pisces, Capricorn, or Sagittarius placements can make more use of the Pisces Moon than Aquarius, Aries, Leo, or Libra placements, but those had a good look at the Aquarius moon and will get a good look at the Aries moon, so nobody dips out for long, and every part of your life can benefit from a lunar transit every few days.

As we learn more about our charts, we can learn to make better use of the things we have.

Sun and Mars getting cosy together

After a very long time away, I’m going to endeavour to make a simple comment here every day… nothing huge or deep, just “here it is and this is what it might mean”.

The Sun is catching up with Mars in Capricorn, and I thought I’d share a few simple thoughts on that.

Mars is in his exultation in Capricorn, but this turn of the wheel saw the Sun blocking out his light while Mars was still in the last degrees of Sagittarius around December 4. This is called Mars’ “Heliacal Setting”. Any pomp and circumstance that Mars might have enjoyed in Capricorn was overshadowed by a visit from the Sun.

The Sun overtakes Mars around February 4 in the middle of the sign of Aquarius which is a very auspicious point in world affairs.

The Sun and Mars travel through Pisces together until both are in Aries, and its not until around April 15 that Mars can again be seen with the naked eye, (Mars' Heliacal Rising) this time as the owner of the house in which the Sun is exalted.

This speaks of a cosy relationship emerging between leaders and the military, between people of importance and surgeons, between personality and the need for action.

Mid April, while the Sun is still in Aries and Mars is visible, will be a particularly telling week, especially with Saturn also exulted in Libra. I'm expecting to see leaders taking action against establishment forces, but I'm not expecting easy victories...… we’ll see what happens.

Mercury Retrograde in the sign of its own exultation, aka, Mercury retrograde in Virgo.

Mercury is happiest of all in the sign of Virgo. Yep, pragmatic, anal-retentive, hyper-detail oriented, Virgo. I can just about hear the Gemini’s I know saying, “hang on, communication, music, knowledge, these are all mercurial celebrations....... what’s this about stick-in-the-mud details?”

Well, lets see...... at his heart, Mercury is the great translator.... yes, you heard me, translator. He takes what has meaning to one, and gives it a similar (though not identical) meaning to another through various languages, such as the many languages of speech and writing, the language of mathematics, the language of music, (which is applied mathematics) the language of physics (which is also applied mathematics), the language of astrology (yep, applied mathematics again), and the language of medicine (for which we have still to find the best application of mathematics, because the abuse of statistics is killing us.)

Now, its the similarity of this knowledge that makes all sorts of extraordinary achievements possible, but its the unique meaning, that is uniquely true for each and every person, that extends the realm of what is possible far and beyond the collective understanding.

Lets take Beethoven as an example. I expect it is possible to hear beethoven’s 9th and remain unmoved, but I have never found it possible. However, the things that stir my emotions will vary, slightly, from those that stir yours, and you and I together in our similar and united appreciation, could completely miss the point that Mr Beethoven was making, yet still come away improved for the experience..... and this is the miraculous nature of Mercury, that it is even possible for this to occur.

The gift of translation, so that each person takes away from a common experience those things the person needs to be improved, is Mercury at its finest.

The problem with translation is that it is never perfect. If each hearer takes away a slightly different message, and builds certain assumptions on that message, what happens when those assumptions meet? Often, nothing very much, because the assumptions were similar enough to begin with that they interweave seamlessly when they come back together.

On occasion, however, it is necessary to deconstruct our assumptions in order to homogenize our understanding, this mostly occurs under retrograde Mercury. For this reason, retrograde Mercury is associated with misunderstandings, things blown out of all proportion, arguments that end in impasse, long-term friendships dissolving over trifles and so forth.

For what its worth, retrograde mercury has a lot less to do with blowing up equipment, but the assumptions you made about that faulty equipment are worth examining.

So, what happens when Mercury, in the height of is glory in Virgo, goes retrograde? Well, I guess this period truly defines what all retrograde Mercury’s should look like, after all, Mercury is strongest here, and is more Mercurial than in any other sign.

My expectation is for more disputes to be solved more rationally, and fewer to be left to blow up in an uncontrolled fashion. This doesn’t mean it will always happen that way, Mercury is also a trickster who seems far too fond of folks falling foul of their assumptions, however the assumptions are more likely to come to light in Virgo than in any other sign, and this is where I see more likelihood for resolution of disputes.

We can expect the word ASSUME to make an ASS out of U and ME while Mercury is retrograde in Virgo, and if we are prepared to listen to its lessons, we can learn a lot about each other.

So, while we learn to cut each other a little more slack in our interpretation of details, we can gain the advantage of multiple perspectives.... or we can continue to fight and brawl as usual, its really up to us after all.

Take Care

Rod

Carl B. Smith September 07, 1952 - June 24, 2009

Carl was my brother, my mentor, and my friend. He was an outstanding astrological theorist, an extraordinary mathematical intellect, and a tenaciously practical metaphysician.

His memorial in the US was conducted on the July 22, 2009 eclipse, which occurred less than 20 arc-minutes from his natal MC.

In early childhood, when I saw something in the evening sky, it was Carl I went to in order to identify it.

His love for astronomy and his fascination with electronics are my earliest impressions of him.

His experiments in hypnotism represent my first meaningful contact with Carl. He remained mindful of the power of suggestion in all of his dealings, and he took extraordinary care when he was reading for others.

Carl had a matter-of-fact way of dealing with the extraordinary and the mysterious that would eventually become his personal trademark.

A deeper relationship with Carl developed for me many years later when, struggling with my own feelings about our father’s death some 7 years after the fact, it was a long and involved conversation with Carl, a conversation that took place over the course of a week or more, that began the process of healing for me.

Carl suggested that it was not only possible, it was in fact necessary, to be thoroughly practical in all matters of metaphysics if one ever hoped to grasp its principles.



Over subsequent years, that long and involved conversation stood me in good stead as I developed my own matter-of-fact approach to asking life’s largest questions and learning its deepest mysteries.

I don't think Carl ever saw himself as my mentor, he just happened to have useful answers to a few of my biggest questions at a couple of important junctures in my life.


Our next coming together was on the topic of Astrology some 10 years after that first conversation.

At that point he shared with me the the 50 or so keywords into which he could distill his 25 years of astrological research, and insisted that I find my own words for each energy signature.

In the exchange that ensued, Carl and I became collaborators and friends.

My own 20 year study of the human condition filled out Carl's keywords in a flash, and an astrological synthesis was born. Carl had developed a mathematical synthesis of the astrology chart, which we have since determined to represent a very accurate picture of how a person sees him or her self, and his or her place in the world.

Carl was nobody’s saint. By his own description, he was self-centered and anti-social, and somewhat insane. He didn’t particularly like himself, and saw no reason why anybody else should like him either. He was not unhappy, in fact he was one of the more contented and centered souls I have known, he just didn’t think of himself a nice person.

It was, ironically, his matter-of-fact acceptance of his many flaws that made it easier for him to share the parts of his life that could benefit others. He loved to help where he could.

His obsessive, tenacious belief in the right-ness of his own cause, coupled with his genius for numbers and his extraordinary attention to detail, afforded him a level of focus that is uncommon among those with better social graces and a more certain hold on reality.

Carl’s genius lay in his fascination with patterns in numbers, a genius that presented itself in fields as diverse as astrology, astronomy, and meteorology. In the art of astrology, he has made a lasting contribution to mathematical synthesis within that art, and in meteorology, his analysis of solar cycles has inspired ground-breaking research into the Sun’s effect on our changing climate.

It was my great pleasure to meet with Carl one final time in June 2008. We spent a few days recapping our many adventures, and it was my solemn duty, as his reader, to prepare him for what lay ahead, the day before he went to the doctors to see about a problem that had developed in the previous months.

Carl’s life has not been marked by landmark discoveries, but there is every chance that his work may inspire a few.

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'

Isaac Asimov

Astrological Roots: The Hellenistic Legacy, by Joseph Crane. Book Review:

Astrological Roots is a "must-have" volume for anyone who is interested in ancient astrological technique, but has no desire to abandon the 300 years of astrological development in the post-enlightenment era.

This is the first clearly written "how to" book for ancient astrological techniques that embraces, rather than alienates, the modern astrological practitioner.

When I think of how dry and dusty a work like this could be, I am very glad that this one is neither.

Joseph Crane has a clear and compelling writing voice. He is clearly interested in the subject matter and succeeds in keeping the narrative moving. He manages to make time to clear up the differences in cultural assumptions between the ancient authors and the modern era, yet he never seems to get bogged down with it.

Crane picks up his readers "where they are" and takes them from things that are easily and commonly "known", to shed light on things previously unknown. He expands the base of astrological knowledge methodically and sensibly, without trying to accomplish too much in one volume.

This volume says a lot about techniques, giving clear and simple "how to" steps that make it possible for anyone to try them. He also says quite a bit about how technique is applied, and is honest when a technique is listed but has no ancient references for how it was applied.

I was pleased to see several of his charts featured in virtually every chapter in the knock-down-drag-out style of the ancient authors. I was less amused by a peppering of celebrity charts that illustrate individual points, however I am also aware that many charts illustrating isolated points form the stock-and-trade of the modern astrological author, and adds to the book's appeal to modern astrologers. I'm just a bit of a curmudgeon in that regard.

I would like to see a companion volume that fills out the many uses for these ancient techniques, and investigates a few other techniques that were introduced in the middle ages.

Mundane and Horary volumes would be likewise welcomed.

As a long-time dabbler in the ancient forms of astrology, I find this book indispensable for the clarity with which it lays out the reasoning for the techniques described, and the application to which those techniques are put.

It is a volume that provides great insight for both the ancient Astrology purist, and the modern astrologer alike.

Astrological Roots lays the foundation for the bridge that will eventually span the cavernous rift between modern astrology and its ancient past.

I highly recommend this book to all students of astrology.

Void Moons and Dead Presidents.

There has been some hysteria in the bloggosphere about void moons and dead/failing presidents.

Mostly, it is astro-hysterical nonsense wherein a few salient facts are highlighted, a great deal of innuendo is attached to the remaining facts, and a lot of important information is omitted.

The tell-tale signs of astro-hysteria are an emphatic (negative or positive) disposition combined with large quantities of astro-jargon, and factoids strung together with innuendo. There is little sound reason behind an astro-hysterical diatribe.

The interest in the Void-Of-Course moon (VOC) and the presidential inauguration on this blog has prompted me to do some research.

Where a President dies or resigns the office, the Vice-President completes the Presidential term as President. This is called Presidency by succession.

The following figures have been rounded within acceptable error for simplicity’s sake-

The basic facts,

• One in six presidential terms have been completed by succession.
• One in six VOC presidential terms have been completed by succession
• One in four presidential terms begin under VOC
• One in four inaugurations occur under VOC

Primary conclusion:
VOC has no noticeable effect on whether or not a president finishes his or her term.

The rest of this post contains various facts, figures, and definitions that support my primary conclusion.

It is my personal opinion that VOC has little real place in mundane astrology beyond its significance in relation to the mood of the people, (see explanation of VOC below).

There are have been 17 Presidential inaugurations under a VOC moon by the medieval definition of the term. (Including the Obama inauguration, whose term is not finished so it is not counted in the rest of the analysis). VOC is a medieval technique which should, for consistency’s sake, only make use of the Classical planets, and Ptolemaic aspect by sign.

The 17 VOC presidential inaugurations are

John Adams, March 4, 1797, 12 noon, Philadelphia, PA
James Monroe, March 4, 1817, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (1st term)
James Monroe, March 4, 1821, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (2nd term)
Andrew Jackson, March 4, 1831, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (2nd term),
James K. Polk, March 4, 1845, 12 Noon, Washington, DC
Millard Filmore, July 09, 1850, 22:30, Washington, DC (succession)
William McKinley, March 4, 1897, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (1st term),
Woodrow Wilson, March 4, 1917, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (2nd Term)
**Franklin D. Roosevelt, January 20, 1945, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (4th term)
Harry S. Truman, April 12, 1945, 16:35 Washington, DC (succession)
Harry S. Truman, January 20, 1949, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (2nd term)
**John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961, 12 Noon, Washington, DC
**Richard M. Nixon, January 20, 1973, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (2nd term)
Gerald R. Ford, August 9, 1974, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (succession)
Bill Clinton, January 20, 1997, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (2nd term)
George W. Bush, January 20, 2001, 12 Noon, Washington, DC (1st term)
Barack Obama, January 20, 2009, 12 Noon, Washington, DC

In all there have been 55 presidential terms, begun by 34 different elected presidents and 9 of these terms have been interrupted necessitating completion of the term by succession.

Roughly one in six presidential terms has required completion by succession since 1789.

64 inaugurations have transpired for 43 presidents. The current President is number 44.
Of the 64 inaugurations, 16 have taken place under VOC moon. Roughly one in four inaugurations takes place under VOC moon.

Of the 16 inaugurations under VOC moons, 3 have been interrupted requiring succession. This represents slightly more than one in six, but less than one in five, however it does not represent a significant departure from one in six.

Of the 55 presidential terms determined by election, 13 have started under a VOC moon. Roughly one in four presidential terms has begun under a VOC moon.

Of the 47 presidential terms completed without succession, 10 have started under a VOC moon. Roughly one in 5 presidential terms that ran their full measure have taken place under a VOC inauguration.

All 9 presidencies by succession fulfilled the term of the original president. Three of these successions happened under VOC moons.

William McKinley was assassinated, but in his second term, not his first term.

James Monroe and Harry Truman both had two VOC terms, none of which were cut short.

For clarity, these are my definitions.

Void of Course Moon:
A chart wherein the Moon applies to no Ptolemaic aspect or bodily conjunction with a Classical Planet before leaving the sign it is in: where “applies to” means approaching aspect (as opposed to “separating” or leaving aspect), “Ptolemaic aspect” is opposition, square, trine or sextile by sign, “Classical Planet” refers to the 5 visible planets plus the Sun and Moon.

Explanation:
VOC is a medieval technique used primarily in Horary astrology (asking direct questions of the heavens) and Electional astrology (selecting auspicious times). In both of those occasions, the chart is purely subjective, the chart is dictated by no influence external to the question.

In my opinion, there is no place for modern planets in the application of the VOC principle. The VOC principle took shape a long time before Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were discovered.

Presidential inaugurations are determined by factors outside the control of the President or anyone involved. I am disinclined to use VOC beyond the Moon as indicator of the direction of the people in mundane astrology.


Inauguration of the President:
Noon on the date at which the previous term expires, or the moment of death or incapacity of a sitting president, whereby the Vice President assumes the office of president. There are accurate times for all of these events.

Explanation:
The Office of President is obtained by the vote of the electoral college, or by the death or incapacity of the sitting President.

A President assumes office at the beginning of his or her term or the Vice President assumes the Office upon the death or incapacity of the sitting President. The pertinent wording in the constitution considers the Office to be conferred without pause from one term to the next. Where a President dies or is otherwise unable to complete the term, the Vice President becomes President for the remainder of the term.

The Oath of Office allows the President to execute the Office, but cannot be construed as the means by which the office is obtained.

Therefore, the Presidential term begins at Noon on the day of inauguration, regardless of when or how the oath of office is sworn. The remainder of the term belongs to the Vice President should the president die or become incapacitated. The Vice-President-now-President takes the partial term from the moment of incapacity or death.

There is never a time at which there is no President. There have been moments when the president has no capacity to execute the office he or she holds. Those are the moments, where they exist at all, between the assumption of office and taking the Oath of Office.

So, to be clear, all of my inauguration charts are for the moment the office is assumed, irrespective of the vagaries of the time the Oath of Office was sworn.

Void of Course Moon and the Obama Inauguration.

Void of Course Moon and the Obama Inauguration.

This will be short and sweet: I’ve just read this article about the timing of the inauguration and the void-of-course moon.

The most common interpretation for Void of course moon is “nothing will come of the matter” and it is, indeed, a taboo for the astrology of selecting times, and it is a major indicator of weakness for an event indicated in horary astrology, (the astrology of answering questions).

The inauguration of the president is neither a selected time, (the time is determined by the constitution) nor is it the subject of a personally arrived at “question” between client and astrologer. Therefore “nothing will come of the matter” is meaningless in this context.

The inauguration is an event chart. According to the Constitution of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama becomes President of the United States of America at noon on January 20. If something goes wrong at 11:59:59 am, it is George W. Bush’s problem. At 12:00:00 pm it is Barack Obama’s problem regardless of when the band plays, who sings what, or when the President says, “I do”.

The inauguration chart reflects the nature of the presidential term. It does not reflect the future of the country. There are other charts for that.

In this event, a void-of-course moon means “the people lack self-direction” and this will be a signature of the first Obama term. The fiercely self-determined Americans are hurting from the financial collapse, and are looking for leadership. This is a time when leaders must step up to the plate and provide direction.

The plight of the people will be a major source of challenge to the President, and it will stay that way for his entire term. I doubt the President will feel that he has managed to do enough to ameliorate the suffering of the people, as he sees it, by the end of his term.

If the people lack leadership, then strong leadership must be supplied. If the Obama presidency focuses on “shepherding” the people, he will fulfill the obligation of this void-of-course moon in his inauguration chart.

The chart is what it is, there are many challenges in it, and wishful thinking about the moment the President takes his oath of office won’t change anything.

In my opinion, astrologers will do far better to advise leaders based on real charts and functional reality rather than grandstanding on astrological whimsy.


EDITED January 28- I have changed the introductory sentence to be less dismissive of Ms Ackerman's article. My inner cynic got the better of me in the moment. My apologies to all.

Office of the Bean Counter: Retrograde Mercury and the Obama Inauguration

If there is a symbol of retrograde Mercury’s influence on the Obama presidency, it is his appointment of Nancy Killefer as Whitehouse Chief Performance Officer. Yep, the federal office of the Bean Counter. Mind you, if ever the Whitehouse was in need of such a position, it is now!!

Retrograde Mercury’s signature is “attention to detail” and, being a few arc-minutes form the Sun, the president’s focus for this term, like it or not, will be attention to every detail of government.

The reason retrograde Mercury gets such a bad rap is that we are often inclined to leave details to chance. Retrograde Mercury makes certain that lack of forethought and lack of attention come home to roost. The other function that Mercury performs in retrograde is bringing an abrupt end to falsehood. President-elect Obama has said he will take on the culture of corruption in Washington, this chart suggests he will honor his word in that regard.

Before I go any further, the personality of the President is very important here. For any candidate for whom attention to detail is “someone else’s problem”, retrograde Mercury this close to the Sun would portend a catastrophic presidential term. However, for a president for whom attention to detail is already important, this chart plays to that strength.

In the US natal chart used for ancient astrology purposes, (March 19, 1789. Aries ingress), Mercury is retrograde in Pisces and tightly conjunct three other planets. US systems operate under Mercury’s retrograde influence where Mercury is in its detriment and fall.

Of particular note in the US natal chart is the principle that the people, and thus the country as a whole, can only do well when the interests of the wealthy are also served. Any Obama solution in this economic crisis has to include some stimulation for one sector or another of private industry.

The USA has one of the most inordinately complex, unwieldy, cumbersome bureaucratic systems in the world…. yet it functions in spite of itself. This complex system is dominated by the interests of the wealthy, though the interests of the wealthy (Jupiter) are in the sign of the common people (Cancer) in the inception chart. The tension between the interests of the wealthy and the interests of the common people is the on-going dynamo that drives American progress. Those who pay close attention to detail do well in American bureaucracy, those who don’t are blind-sided by details from left-of-field. It is really easy for the average person to be baffled by the bologna.

America’s dysfunctional bureaucracy will demand most of the President’s attention for this term. The interests of the wealthy will be sidelined for a while, however the president needs to be aware that those interests are also organic to America’s long-term prosperity.

Where the economy has been driven by banking and manufacturing over the last 100 years, there is nothing to say that this has to continue, however one sector or another of private wealth has to do well for the country to prosper. President-elect Obama is in a unique position wherein he gets to nominate which industries will do well going forward.

He is in a position where he could nationalize US currency and take it out of the hands of the banks for a while, cutting off the power of the international banks at the knees (the mathematical incongruity of the current monetary system is what has caused this mess… changing the way that US currency is issued could remove the necessity for eternal growth from the financial system, which in turn would place far less strain on environmental and social systems… however I digress).

Mercury retrograde in the inauguration chart, then, means that the President must be on top of the details of all of the nation’s systems for his entire term.

I am concerned about a major communications infrastructure failure, which would be catastrophic in this country. Should this occur (and a 3rd house solar eclipse in January makes that very possible) the country could be literally brought to a stand-still overnight. Communications companies are vulnerable, and were it my job to apportion the federal stimulus, a large portion would go to communications infrastructure, along with roads and bridges… all of which are retrograde Mercury concerns.

For what its worth, the President-elect appears to be up to the daunting challenge that faces him. He has been attending to the details of his new government since he won the election.

The Obama Inauguration

Tuesday January 20, 12:00 pm, Washington DC, USA.



The president’s term begins at Noon according to the constitution, regardless of what time the swearing in takes place.

The chart for the inauguration sets the tone of the administration, and while there are no real surprises here, I think the astrology is very telling. I won’t spend a lot of time on this because it is difficult to separate my own hopes for this administration from the reading.

When I looked at this inauguration chart 6 months ago, I wondered what issue would dominate the inauguration, and portend poorly for any real success. I also looked at the Aries ingress for 2009, and saw a huge values issue, figured it would probably be a financial mess, but I had no idea just how bad the mess would be by the time we got to the inauguration. No I didn’t predict the meltdown (though lots of financial astrologers were doing so), I figured things were already bad enough to warrant the things I saw.

Now that we are here and we can see clearly what is happening, it is the financial crisis that is dominating this inauguration, and it will be this crisis that impedes any sense of success in this first Obama term.

President Obama will have achieved enormous success, in my view, if the USA of 2012 is stable and making incremental progress towards growth. But this, of course, does not mean significant growth in absolute terms, and this lack of absolute growth is strongly indicated in the inauguration chart.

President Obama will retain his great standing with the international community, and will do great things to restore America’s image as a leading light in the world. He will be a Leader’s leader.

At home, he faces a different picture. The hopes of the people are pinned on him for a “miracle” to ease the pain of the economic crisis. The miracle is not forthcoming. Obama’s message will be one of hard work and sacrifice, which is actually the message the people need to hear, but it is not the one they want to hear. The downturn will cause significant loss, hardship, and a fundamental redistribution of wealth. These material losses will overshadow any good the president does in office in the minds of the people. This will present a significant, though not insurmountable, challenge for the President should he seek re-election in 2012.

Military strength will dominate foreign policy. The President will use the military wisely, efficiently, and very effectively, which will go a long way to restoring the image of the US military as a force for the greater good.

In short, the Obama presidency will be sold, stable, and enduring. He will do great things for the USA abroad, and will not fare as well domestically as he grapples with the reality of the economic crisis.

The Astrology

The inauguration of the US president is always timed to have a Taurus ascendant, assuring stability in all but the most exceptional of cases.

A diurnal chart with the sect ruler in detriment, Jupiter combust, and Saturn out of sect in the 5th. This is a period where unilateral leadership is forced to yield to a more nocturnal spirit of collaboration, a process which yields surprisingly good results in some areas, though the nocturnal ruler, the Moon, is also poorly placed and void of course. The Obama first term is characterized by frustration overall, with a couple of very bright spots to offset the frustration just a little.

Mercury retrograde exact conjunct the Sun in Aquarius, an issue of commerce (or other systems) dominates the inauguration. Not only is Mercury retrograde and combust, it is in mutual reception with Saturn who is also retrograde in Virgo, the 5th house. This is “a lot of no fun” raining on the inauguration party.

Jupiter combust the Sun in Aquarius. Growth is overshadowed by the President’s attention to the economic crisis. While it may be theoretically possible to post growth figures, the President will be more interested in fixing the problem.

Moon, void of course in Scorpio, the 7th house. The people are feeling powerless and hold some resentment to the president over the course of the term. There may be talk of armed insurrection, but it comes to nothing. Many will be devoted to service within their communities to achieve a higher purpose.

Venus, ascendant ruler, exalted in Pisces, the 11th house. This portends extremely well for the presidency as far as international reputation is concerned. International reputation is one of the two bright spots. The charisma of the President will be sufficient to inspire hope and higher ideals on the domestic level.

Mars, ruler of the Moon, exalted in Capricorn, the 9th house. This suggests a well-organized military that achieves a great deal and returns triumphant. It also suggests that the military will assist with stabilizing the economy.

Saturn, ruler of the Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars, retrograde in Virgo, the 5th house. This represents negative growth, little commerce, an economy lacking the spark of vitality.

To finish on a positive note, the president is “on the job”, right on it!! Not only can he not avoid it, he will not run away from it or pretend it doesn’t exist. The situation could be a lot worse than it is. To have a level-headed, intelligent, charismatic leader at this time means that the trouble will be short-lived, and the USA should be on the right track, if not on the road to recovery, by the end of the first Obama term.

Working Towards a Brighter Future.

Having laid out a prediction for what will go down in history as one of the most challenging years America has ever faced, I feel the need to spend a few minutes sharing the benefits to be gained in such challenging times.

There are two distinct reactions we can have to difficulty.

We can isolate ourselves from our friends and neighbors in the interests of protecting “me and mine”. I think of this as the protectionist reaction, the very best result of which can be no further loss, however isolation precipitates a much greater loss which is measured not in dollars and cents, but in depreciation of the human spirit. You see, the magic inherent in humanity is that the potential of the group far exceeds the combined potential of the individuals within it.

I remember once, in a small town in Australia, there was a “100 year” flood that threatened the entire downtown business district. On that day, I watched sworn enemies, men who had not exchanged a civil word in twenty years, work side-by-side filling sandbags and building a levy to save the business of a third person whom they both despised.

In a moment of real and present danger, these folk were possessed of a humanity that went past their petty differences, and appealed to the far deeper human need to protect the whole community. Without the whole community, even those members they did not like, the community itself would fail, and failure of the community would threaten everybody’s survival.

There are times when we are required to put our differences aside for the greater good of our community, and this is one of those times.

The most recent lunar eclipse in August last year is one I described as the “Momentary Lapse of Reason” eclipse, where we, the people, are tending towards escape and idealism rather than reality or responsibility. This spirit of hope and idealism ably assisted Barack Obama in his run for the presidency. For millions of Americans, reality has come-a-calling under this eclipse in the form of pink-slips and economic upheaval, however that has not stopped the people from believing in a better tomorrow, right around the corner.

The coming lunar eclipse in February will bring it all home to the personal level. This could be a really good thing, or a really bad thing, depending on what we do with it.

The reality of our economic crisis will begin to sink in with the February eclipse.

This crisis IS as potentially catastrophic as the great depression.

This realization will cause people to take serious stock of themselves, their families, and their real situation.

This will throw some people into isolation mode. They will see the coming times as a serious threat, and treat everyone around them as potentially threatening. Many will erect a barrier between themselves and the outside world, and try to survive as best they can, receiving no help from anybody, and giving no help in return. Using the rhetoric of independence to mask their fears, they become bitter, cold, angry, and hard. They can do no different, for their environment and their fears will shape them.


Another group of people will, perhaps for the first time in decades, or even the first time in their lives, realize the magnitude of the problem facing the entire community. These folks will put their shoulder to the wheel, working alongside their sworn enemies, realizing that the problem facing their community is bigger than the squabbles that have kept them apart. Realizing also that, if our enemies go under, we go under with them.

Unlike a natural disaster, which is usually over quickly even if the aftermath takes a while to repair, this problem is man-made and hits everyone at the hip-pocket. It will last for a long time. It will affect everyone.

The energy of the February lunar eclipse, is Leo, the energy of the self. This influences the mood of the people for this most crucial period from February to June,

The people can insulate themselves in fear at this time, using Leo to represent “ more for Me and Mine, I can’t concern myself with You and Yours” or they can step up to the plate, saying “Me and Mine are in it with You and Yours, how can we help each other?”

There is potential in this eclipse for great things to come out of hard times. How we fare in these times will be determined, to a large degree, by the attitude we take.

The June lunar eclipse comes with the imperative “something has to be done” and wise leaders will be right there in the trenches with their people forging a plan. The eclipse period is very short, with another coming in August. This will be a period of transition from “really difficult times” to rolling up the sleeves and getting something done.

The July Solar eclipse will have the leaders persuaded to serve the needs of families, and on a broader scale, the people as a whole. This will energize the people briefly.

The August Lunar eclipse sees the people developing a stronger sense of common purpose, there will be more for people to do, and they will get about doing it.

As always, there is potential for negativity here as well, but I will address that closer to the day, when I see how these events transpire, and which of the many possible threats actually looms on the horizon at that time.

In difficult times, we have elected a president who is a thinker, a doer, a negotiator, a bringer of people to a common purpose. Much will be asked of him in his first 6 months in office, and I would much rather a president who is on the job and active in the pursuit of a better future, than one who would prefer to stand back and let the market forces determine our destiny.

I am not naïve enough to believe that president Obama can avert the trouble that is coming, I am hopeful, however, that he will display sufficient leadership to inspire the people to work towards a better future, rather than to squabble among themselves over the scraps left from the past.

With the right leadership, from the Whitehouse to the local PTA, great gains can be made from difficult times.

The year ahead, 2009, USA.

The year ahead, 2009, USA.

With the economy in tatters from the Wall-Street meltdown, anyone anticipating sweetness and light in the coming year is in for a rude shock.

President Obama takes his oath of office under the same eclipse that brought Wall Street to its knees and repositioned recession (which was a much-danced-around taboo until September) and placed it as a favorable option when compared to its gloomy cousin, depression.

The US government was held to account to the people for its mal-administration of the economy.

While I believe full-scale meltdown into depression can be averted, it will not be without a lot of hard work from the government and deep resolve from the people.

President Obama enters his first term feeling the need to give account to the people for his every action. A large part of his appeal is transparency in the Whitehouse, which lays in direct contrast to the behavior of his predecessor. It is to his credit that he is responding to this need with the most transparent executive branch in history, but it will be interesting to see how long this lasts. While I would like it to remain the case in perpetuity, US history tells me a different story. We’ll see.

As the year progresses, the economic situation will worsen before it shows any signs of getting better. Destabilization will peak in the quarter from March to June, it will even out a little in the quarter from June to September, the year’s most stable quarter will be September to December, but normalcy is unlikely to return until March 2010, at which time a more certain path forward will emerge, though the 2010 year is still relatively unstable.

In short, the economic crisis is deep, it is protracted, it is global, and there are no quick fixes. The best hope is to ride out the storm as best we can, and plan for better days in the medium to long term.

The people will suffer most of all, with serious erosion of core values. Desperation will lead people to do things they had thought unthinkable, and become the people they had previously despised. The notion that “If I am good I will be OK” will take a serious hammering. We have already suffered enormous job-losses, and the US infrastructure is ill-equipped to deal with large-scale unemployment. The subsequent drop in those covered by health insurance will force more people into emergency care with fewer resources to deal with it. The stage is set for a depression-like episode, however I think the worst of it will be fairly short-lived.

I can see President Obama at his lowest public opinion ebb in the quarter from Cancer (late June) to Libra (late September), after which he begins to restore some respectability, to his name, to the Whitehouse, and to the country, however it will be 2012 before the economy and the country begin to gain lasting traction.

The president will need the tenacity to hold on through the toughest times in most people’s memory, and realize that even the very best he is capable of will fall short of what is required in the short term.

The government and clergy of the USA will do well to emphasize introspection, compassion, and care for our fellow man. Much needs to be made of “pulling together” when the going gets tough, lest the society fragment into violent, competitive interest groups.

Step by step through the year…..

Inauguration day will be the highlight of what will turn out to be a very bleak year.

The president will look good, the people will be wowed. The president will display the steady hand that he needs to have to see these times through, and despite the tough times ahead, his presidency looks like it will endure, though it will not accomplish all that it has set out to do. Cleaning out the culture of corruption in Washington will be the hallmark of this presidency, though it will be interesting to see how he manages to do this while working with the very people he needs to reform. The waning moon suggests that this term of his presidency will be about ending the old era more than about starting a new one.

The January 26 solar eclipse, just a week after the inauguration, sees the hopes and dreams of the people pinned to their president and his ideals. This is not an eclipse that allows a lot to be accomplished, however it stresses that the greatest good of the people is in fostering strong community and neighborhood spirit. That is just about all that the people will have going for them in the next 6 months. There will be talk of war and civil unrest, which the executive branch will try desperately to ignore. They will be forced to face it soon enough.

The February 9 Lunar eclipse brings the reality of the financial crisis home to many Americans. While their welfare is best served by “keeping the faith” the majority of Americans are going to feel isolated, alone, and disillusioned for this lunar eclipse period, which ends in July.

The Aries ingress of March 20 ushers in the most punishing quarter of the year. By mid-June, the country is going to feel awash, the crisis will look insurmountable, the fabric of the society will begin to tear and people will wonder just how low it can go. This will be the darkest period of all, however it will not endure for long. The country will slowly, tentatively, show some signs of hope. It will actually be a couple of years before it begins to really recover, but the worst of the storm is over by June 21, and the fits and starts of the economic solutions begin, falter, regroup and slowly take root enough for people to get some confidence going.

The Cancer ingress of June 21 begins to staunch to the flow. This is not so much an upward trund, but a “less downward” trend, and the first hint of anything that resembles progress. During the economic crisis, there will military or other overseas crises that have been brewing and will then require some attention. They will still not get much attention, but they should not be ignored. There is both strength and resolve in the treasury, and while it is not enough to do any real good, it is a good place to start.

The Lunar eclipse of July 7 sees the first real glimpse that the president understands the plight of the people. He will present a detailed plan that will focus on family and core values, the people will finally feel as though they have been heard and will come together behind a plan. The “lost in the woods” feeling that took root in February will abate in favor of “it’s a hard row to hoe, but somebody’s got to do it”.

The solar eclipse later that month, (July 21) in the last degree of Cancer shows the people, unable to do anything about the economic crisis themselves, turning to family and core values, the only part of this mess in which they have any influence. While this has no measurable impact on the country as a whole, the exercise is a vital first step in restoring the will of the people. The dark side to this influence, and one that is commonly used in American politics, is that the entire economic and political debate can be sidetracked by dividing people over such issues as gay marriage, thereby sowing discord and strife in the name of family values at a time when the people are most vulnerable.

The Lunar Eclipse of August 5 brings out the idealistic side of the people again, as difficult plans are solidifying into difficult realities, life is not particularly pleasant or fruitful, but at least it is productive, and that is a start. The specter of war and/or terrorism occupies the minds of congress at this time.

The Libra ingress of September 22 brings with it the first glimmer of hope that things might be turning around. It provides the most stable quarter in the last several years, but it is only, alas, one quarter. There is a long way to go from here, but optimism increases for this little while at least.

The Capricorn ingress of December 21 sustains hope, but the stability of the previous quarter evaporates as a stronger military anxiety emerges. I will discuss this further as the time draws near and a clearer picture emerges. The Capricorn ingress is more important to the first quarter of 2010

The December 31 Lunar eclipse again brings the focus on the family as the issue that influences the people most, but that is a discussion for early 2010.

This is what Mars in Libra looks like

... I swear I had no sooner put my post up than a friend sent this to my in-box

Armed 85-year-old woman forces intruder to call cops

POINT MARION, Pa. (AP) — An 85-year-old woman boldly went for her gun and busted a would-be burglar inside her home, then forced him to call police while she kept him in her sights, police said.

the rest of the story here

Gotta laugh when it makes the headlines. The extremely observant will notice that Mars was still in the last degree of Virgo when this incident happened, but the headline on the day of the Mars' Libra ingress is priceless.

Enjoy!!

Rod

Mars in Libra – What’s a Body to Do?

When Mars is in a diurnal sign, like Libra, He’s is in “get-er-done” mode. To hell with motivation and planning, Mars wants action and lots of it in diurnal signs. His diurnal home is Aries, home of exclusive binary logic and action without deep consideration of consequence. Mars is single-minded by day, taking his point of view as white, and the opposing point of view as black.

In Libra, he is in the diurnal home of Venus, the place of justice and of hearing the “other” point of view. This is large bunches of “no-fun” for Mars, and for this reason, Libra is considered one of the homes of Mars’ detriment. (The other is Taurus). Mars can see clear across the Zodiac to his Aries home, and wishes he were there instead of here.

Mars is forced to hear reason in Libra, which is not altogether a bad thing, but it does mean that he can’t get as much accomplished as he might otherwise. For Mars, this is frustrating, for the rest of us, it makes for calmer conditions!

In the real world, this means that those trying to get things accomplished or activated are going to come up against barriers posed by opposing points of view. Military operations will wind down a little, and negotiations between warring parties are likely to be more fruitful. Aggressive political campaigns are likely to be stymied in favor of a better-reasoned approach. Surgeons may suffer from indecision, though corrective surgery from previous errors/failures is likely fare better.

If you are the owner of a Libra Mars, there is probably a bit of hesitation involved in anything you try to accomplish. You might find this transit to be helpful, because the rest of the world is experiencing, for a short while, the hesitation that is part of your nature. You might find you can broker a truce between warring parties, or at very least talk somebody out of doing something really brash.

The hard part for a Libra Mars person is working out when to act, and realizing that this is an issue goes a long way to resolving it. Troublesome placements mean we have to work harder than most to make good use of what might otherwise be considered a character flaw. Some of the more decisive people with Mars in Libra include Bill Clinton, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher (source astrodatabank). One might accuse these folks of many things, but indecision is not amongst them. One has to wonder how hard they worked to overcome indecision in their earlier years. All of them appear to be better acquainted than most with the opposing point of view, and there lies the useful element of Mars in Libra

Mars is a nocturnal planet, taking great delight in firing up the nocturnal signs and putting scattered emotions and tireless activity into a passionately focused goal.

It has done that job in Virgo, and while Mars will always be seen as malefic, the nocturnal signs are nevertheless a little better for the shake-up, even if they didn’t enjoy it. Mars is moving very quickly in Libra, so the limited aggression and active frustration of this sojourn will be short-lived, beginning August 19th and ending October 4th.

People with diurnal charts (born during the daylight hours) will experience less aggression under this transit, those with nocturnal charts (born at night) will experience more frustration.

All up, Mars in Libra will be marked by what didn’t happen rather than by what did, though some truly fruitful negotiations may come out of it.

Take Care

Rod

A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Lunar Eclipse August 16, 2008
… with apologies to Pink Floyd…

The coming Lunar eclipse occurs in the “out there” sign of Aquarius, with Neptune sitting right there …on the dark side of the moon… (somebody’s gonna shoot me…).

While it might sound like I’ve been inhaling or ingesting psychotropic substances, the psychedelic 60’s will seem strangely familiar by the end of this eclipse season.

We are closing a very serious period where the public have become excruciatingly aware of realities and responsibilities, but have been largely powerless to do much about it. This was the Virgo (details and organization) eclipse back in February, when Saturn (structures, rules, cold, hard reality) conjoined the Moon (the mood of the people) , and brought its reality check along for the ride.

Personally we have felt that we had the inalienable right to tell everybody else how to live their lives. Only the very circumspect have managed to avoid sounding judgmental, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t thinking it!!

This eclipse marks a pendulum swing towards oblivion

So, here’s where it ends. (or, dare I say, -All things must pass- sorry George) We move from picky and judgmental thought police to a community of flower-child-space-cadets in a fell swoop that will boggle the mind.

The burden moves away from service and towards awareness, away from attention to minutia and towards social connectedness, away from restriction and towards freedom.

This eclipse falls in Aquarius, and which means the Aquarian chunk of your life (yes we all have one somewhere!!) will get a heftier-than-usual dose of moonshine!!

Regardless of what the Election advertising gurus think, there is likely to be a move away from negative rhetoric in the minds of the public. The smart money will feature lots of flower-child music. The street thuggery and finger pointing that is currently so effective in some quarters, will very quickly become “old hat”. The new influence on the mood of the people will be Aquarius (group-mind, community-thinking) with big dose of Neptune (reality, what reality, which perspective on reality are we talking about?).

We will be more persuaded by illusion than by reality. This could be a really good thing, or a really bad thing, depending on which party is savvy to it, and spins the most appealing line.

The will of the people will be most easily seduced by sweet-sounding, though well organized, flim-flam. While there’s nothing new about that, it should be a key feature of polls in the months leading up to the election.
Personally, I could use a few months of love-peace-and hippie-talk. It beat the hell out of -The Dogs of War- (yeah I had to get another one in)

Take care

Rod

Mercury in Virgo. What’s all the noise about?

Mercury is about to emerge from the Sun’s rays (where we can physically see him), and a that point, we get to hear what he thinks about the warrior Mars, the auditor Saturn, and the petulant princess Venus having a heavy duty gripe-session in his pristine Virgo home.

Mercury is at home in Virgo. It is his nocturnal home and he is in his nocturnal phase with the Sun. It is not necessarily a tidy place, but everything has its place, everything has a theme, and systems rule!!. Virgo hosted the most recent Lunar eclipse, and so there is still a lot of emotional charge in his usually emotionally neutral home. As he entered Virgo, he was still obscured by the light of the Sun, which for us means he is still doing the bidding of the Sun and not able to voice his own concerns.

That’s about to change, and for a few days between the time that Mercury finds his voice and Mars makes a hasty exit to Libra (August 19) Virgo is likely to become uncharacteristically vocal.

We can expect a lot of noise from the service industry in particular. Technical support and all manner of logistics personnel are likely to become vocal for a few days.

Many with strong Virgo placements are likely to find a voice for their often-repressed energy, and perhaps the rest of us will listen for a change!!

Those with Nocturnal charts (sun below the Ascendant/Descendant axis) will find their analytical and organizational skills strengthened by this transit, and, as already stated, the Virgo chunk of your chart will find it voice and demand to be heard.

Those with Diurnal charts (sun above the Ascendant/Descendant axis) will find their Virgo placements with no less energy, however they will be less vocal, and more resolute over the same period.

As the Lunar eclipse on August 16th removes the emotional trigger from Vigo and imparts it to Aquarius, so the volatility of Mars and the discontent of Venus will settle a little. This means we only have a couple of days of high intensity Virgo-in-a-pissy-mood, which will be a relief, because Virgo is a great sign with a lot to offer.

As Mars moves off into Libra, August 19th, Venus will become more agitated in Virgo, but Mars will be less volatile. That suggests that Virgo goes back to being rather picky with a strong voice, but it now lacks the impulse to act on it and force itself on others.

Saturn, of course, remains in Virgo, he has been there a while and will stay a good while yet, long after all of this fuss has settled. Saturn plays a repressive role in Virgo, but even the mighty Saturn is seriously out-numbered in the short-term. The lid is likely to come off Virgo’s powder-keg, but Saturn will make certain that it returns some long-term gain.

So, when the godawful din has just about driven you to distraction, you can remind yourself that this is only a couple of days, and it will gradually get easier.

Take Care

Rod

Construct a chart by hand

Construct a chart by hand:

This is a promo for a class I am running locally. If there is interest, I might consider an on-line tutorial, but I would need to work out how best to achieve that.

A 6 week workshop designed to evaluate the best method for you to use in creating a chart by hand, and then lots of hands-on practice, with oversight, until you develop some proficiency.

Cost: $90.00

Dates : Tuesday / Saturday afternoons in September-October (to be finalized based on interest)

Place: East Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA

Additional requirements: You will need to be prepared to practice in your own time to gain proficiency. If you wish to continue the practice, you will need an ephemeris and tables, and an atlas for the truly self-sufficient.

10 places available. I will do both Tuesday and Saturday if there is sufficient interest in both.

Constructing a chart by hand is valuable in many ways

Every hand-erected chart includes a great deal of investment in the subject by the astrologer. This bond exists inherently in the hand-erected chart, the bond needs to be developed when using a computer-generated chart.

A mind already centered on accuracy will read a chart with greater clarity.

Understanding how our position on the globe effects the houses of the chart forms important groundwork for relocation astrology, and underlines the importance of accurate data.

This course is designed to help you fulfill a major technical component of the NCGR Level 1 exam. (there is no guarantee that you will pass, but I will do my best to help you get there). In that exam you must be able to calculate planet and house cusp positions on a blank sheet of paper using an atlas, an ephemeris, and sets of tables.

Other skills required for the NCGR exam include plotting planets on a pre-drawn blank chart using quadrant houses and assessing planetary aspects based on those positions.

Students who achieve early proficiency in chart calculation will receive instruction in some of the other technical requirements for the exam.

PLEASE NOTE: The NCGR handbook outlines the many areas of astrology that the student needs to have a grasp of to pass the exam. While this technical component is large, it is not the only requirement.

I hope to see some of you there, please state your preference for Tuesday/Saturday

Astrology's Oldest Question

3 minute Astrology



Open Question

What was on your mind when you had your first astrology reading?

Feel free to leave a comment.

Venus in Virgo. The ultimate nit-picker.

Have you ever met one of those people who was really easy on the eyes, but really harsh on the soul? Venus in Virgo. The ultimate nit-picker.

Venus entered Virgo on August 6, 2008.

Having emerged fully from behind the light of the Sun, Venus is now visible in the evening sky. She has entered her “evening star” phase, which is the phase of her most beautiful appearance, however she has also entered Virgo, the place in the zodiac that she least enjoys.

In Virgo, Venus is surrounded by the details that hold the world and everything in it together. Wistful about the fruitfulness of her Taurean home, Venus is swamped by minutia in Virgo, the necessary tedium and relentless service that makes abundance possible. However the work itself completely lacks the fertile spark.

Across the Zodiac, in Pisces, Venus is exalted in the sign of abundant oblivion, where details are left to others and, feelings rule. However, in Virgo, Venus’ brilliance is not recognized, her radiant smile and glamorous visage are a distraction from the work at hand. The abundance that she must impart wherever she goes, inflates the minutia so that the beauty of an entire work of art is forever tainted by a single inconsistent detail. For this reason, Virgo is known as the sign of Venus’ fall.

When Venus is in Virgo, there is a tendency to obsess over aesthetic detail, and a tendency to be critical of those things that are most beloved.

Virgo is currently host to Saturn and Mars, the two bad boys of the chart. While Venus will lighten things up a little, expectations of sweetness and light from her Virgo sojourn are a little off beam. We can expect criticism to rise under this transit, and angry criticism at that, until Mars moves on to Libra on August 19. The ever-impressionable Mercury will enter Virgo (its own sign) August 10, but that just means the bickering will be more articulate. There is, however, some hope in sight.

The coming Lunar eclipse (August 16) will take the emotional subtext from Virgo and transfer it to Aquarius. One of the compounding factors making the Virgo transits so heated is that they capture the attention of the emotions due to the lunar eclipse. Once this trigger is removed, the Virgo energy loses some of its emotional sting, which is a really good thing!!.

Lots and lots of nit-picking.

A great season for copy-editors, proof readers, and art layout people, where a critical eye is a great asset. For the rest of us, there will be greater obsession about details of appearance than is healthy. The weight-loss and cosmetic industries are probably in for an increase in trade as people become more self-critical.

If you have Venus in Virgo in your chart, chances are you are critical of anything and anyone you love. You may have guessed by now that this is not conducive to a cozy relationship. There are a few things you can do to soften the critical edge. It takes work but it can be done. Drawing on the Capricorn in your chart, take control of your first impulses. Drawing on the Taurus in your chart, take delight in the sensual side of your relationship. By drawing on the Pisces energy across your chart, observe with the eyes of love, see your partner as your partner wishes to be seen. It won't stop the critical edge, but it will give your partner something else to see as well!!


The Venus in Virgo person needs to make peace with the natural tendency to criticize if he or she is going to have a close and healthy relationship. The owner of such a Venus might be able to mitigate this with some real effort, but the critical impulse will always be there. The most useful place to put such a Venus to work is in copy-editing or other detailed work where critical thinking is an asset.

If you are attached to a Venus in Virgo person, you need to understand that criticism is often coincident with love for your partner. There are lots of people who can live with that. If it bothers you, however, you need to seriously consider your options. It can be mitigated, it can be put to more positive use, but it isn’t going anywhere.

Take Care

Rod