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"The natal chart is like a seed and progressions are the unfolding in time of that into the plant it is to become. Transits, are like a daily weather report. In political astrology, these three factors have to be taken into account!"
Comments, questions, suggestions? Let us know what you think. Email wolfstar@neptunecafe.com
Recent NewsScope columns
Jan 2, 2012 - Obama-Clinton in 2012?, Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Maryl Streep as the Iron Lady
Jan. 9, 2012 - Rick Sant-orum, Eris and the job market, Stephen Hawking's State of the Universe
Jan. 16, 2012 - Corporations are people, Americans Elect hold online nomination, the glamorous Marlene Dietrich
Jan. 23, 2012 - Gingrich wins in SC, the Costa Concordia disaster, Eris and Madonna: Chaos as art
Jan. 30, 2012 - Gingrich's 12th house Mars, top five astro-events for february, and the journey of OR-7
February 6, 2012 - Pluto stimulates the U.S. economy, Israel tempts fate, a UFO in the Baltic Sea
Feb.13, 2012 - Santorum and Super Tuesday, Whitney Houston slips away, Linsanity spreading
Feb. 20, 2012 - Xanax: addictive and profitable; Assad and the Lunar Eclipse; Bobby Brown
Feb. 27, 2012 - Obama's progressed Mars, Top Five Astro-events for March, will Jeb Bush save the GOP?
March 5, 2012 - Obama's Interview, the swing state Ohio, Maria Menounas - something to talk about
March 12, 2012 - Billionaire Sara Blakely, Rush Limbaugh and the feminazis, yoga teacher Kristin McGee
March 19, 2012 - the Goldman Sachs elite, journalist Chris Hedges, George Clooney arrested
March 26, 2012 - Afghan War chart, April's top five astro-events, Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence
April 9, 2012 - Ann Romney and Gender Gap, Trayvon Martin and George Zimmer-man, Matt Damon's guru
April 9, 2012 - Ann Romney and Gender Gap, Trayvon Martin and George Zimmer-
man, Matt Damon's guru
Reader feedback
re: Hillary Clinton - Do you see anything in hillary clinton's chart as a sign of her current health problems?
A. Yes, she's going through a handful of challenging Saturn transits and progressions: transiting Saturn has been conjunct her Sun, progressed Mercury to Saturn, progressed Moon to Saturn, and more. These are indications that she needs a rest. The unexpected accident happened as her progressed Midheaven was exactly trioctile Uranus -- exhaustion and over-work allow these mishaps into our lives.
re: 2013 - I'm wondering if anyone will be writing about Supermoons for 2013, or anything else that points to dates to be aware of.
re: economy - Will you please do year 2013 and its overall effects in our lives, finances as we the people depend on the whims of congress which has NO idea what they want to do. As a senior citizen, i respect your work and read it every week and would like to read about this if it is possible.
re: rightwingers - I enjoy your NewsScope segment. I find it very interesting that two of the highest profile uncompromising right wingers share this energy. Eric Cantor has a Sun opposition Moon both square Pluto. (The NRA's Wayne) LaPierre has Moon opposed Pluto both Square the Sun. These two will never look for common ground.
re: Inauguation date - January 20 is a Sunday, so they'll be doing the oath on Monday, January 21.
A. The official private ceremony is on the 20th, a Sunday. A public ceremony will be held the following day, the 21st, as happened during Reagan's inauguration.
re: job at NeptuneCafe - Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to enquire about any job vacancies you may have within The Neptune Cafe. I would like to introduce myself to the restaurant manager to hand in my resume and discuss any vacancies. I look forward to hearing from you.
re: Adam Lanza - I enjoyed your Newscope on Adam Lanza and the connections between his chart and that of the U.S. One has to wonder, however, why Newtown, CT? Have you had a chance to look at important dates for this town?
Here's the link for Newtown's city charter which shows its founding date and dates that its charter was adopted and revised. The city was founded on October 11, 1711 which gives it a Sun of 17º Libra which would complete a T-square in Adam's chart by opposing his Venus and squaring his Uranus-Neptune conjunction. The U.S. progressed Mars at 18º Libra is conjunct Newtown's Sun.The first city charter for Newtown was adopted on October 2, 1961 (chart for noon). Its Mars-Mercury conjunction in Scorpio creates a Grand Square with Adam's Sun/Ceres/Chiron T-Square. Also, its Cancer Moon oppose Saturn in Capricorn are being squared the U.S. progressed Moon/Mars in Libra.re: NeptuneCafe - Great site, I always read the newscope column every Monday!
re: McAfee - Given his chart and the transits and progressions at the time, do you think that he may have done it?
A. He could have. I noticed that transiting Mars was squaring his Sun on the night of the murder, which is an indicator for anger and even violence. But without an accurate birth time, I won't make that judgment. The Belize government provides a safe harbor for narco-traffickers, so he very well could be right about them wanting his millions...
re: 8º Sagittarius - Thank you for your weekly Newscope. It is accurate, thought provoking, informative and thoroughly enjoyable.
I am part of an Astrology discussion group and we have been noticing the prominence of 8 degrees of Sag in several charts. The Winter Solstice chart has a Yod whose reaction point is 8 Sag in the 2nd house of the US chart. We read that degree, which, I think, is the Fixed star Han, as the degree of blindness. It seems the US is blind to 2nd house matters, such as values and money. Do you have any opinion on this subject? I value your insight.
A. Thanks for your letter, and I'm glad you find the Scorpio Rising chart a useful way to examine U.S. affairs. Yes, I've been discussing the Yod between Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto which aligns with 8º Sag. The Yod activates the many points in the US chart at 8º of their respective signs, including the Ascendant, Uranus, Ceres, and Eris.
As for the stars, I generally consider only those with a 1st magnitude brilliance, and I believe most astrologers who use the stars do as well. Han is therefore a weak influence, especially considering that Aldebaran and Antares are in the same degree area and are both 1st magnitude stars. Also, I would advise against making broad generalizations about the US being blind to values and money matters, which sound more like your personal opinion than an insightful analysis based on astrological principles. In other words, when you refer to the US, who are you really talking about, the leaders (symbolized by the Sun), the people (Moon), or maybe the government bureaucracy (Saturn)? What objective statements can you make about the Solstice chart? What does it say about our future in 2013 or the next quarter? re: Orcus - Fascinating article re: Orcus, which may have helped to explain the (to me) unexplainable, as I was so sure Romney would squeak by into office. This made me wonder if my 3 degree Virgo rising w/out planets means something insidious. Romney seemed to me to be one who often suppressed his own real feelings, so it's interesting that this may have subconsciously also translated into suppression of votes by faulty equipment. As Jung said, 'As above so below' . Also, Interesting that Assad was born on 9/11… Thanks again for fascinating stuff!
re: 2013 - I read your blog on NewsScope every Monday morning religiously. Your work has been God sent and with valuable insights into life. If time permits, would you please do year 2013 and what should we expect. As always with many many thanks.
re: election - Love your column. I now think that the more a candidate has of 25 degree natal planets/bodies, that determines the winner rather than progressed. Obama has the most. Thus Romney lost...thank goodness for our nation's sake!
A. I'm glad you feel the Scorpio Rising chart is the best way to assess a candidate's chances.
re: election - In your anaysis of how the election would go, you kind of set aside Obama's aspects to the US chart and the Moon, and instead reached for Romney's progressed aspects, some already past, to predict him the winner. You did not mention that Obama has his progressed Mars tightly trine the US natal Moon.on Election Day! In my book, that is a far more powerful indice than asteroids, and a square from progressed planets. That same progressed Mars, squares the US Pluto, ruler of the US first house. Interesting. Okay, then.
A. Your insights about Obama's chart and its comparison to the U.S. Moon (uniquely at 25 AQ in the U.S. Scorpio Rising horoscope) may be the best interptretation of why he won. I would add that Obama's progressed Mars does indeed trine the U.S. Moon, but it's about 1/4 degree past the exact trine, which makes it a waning influence. Still, he did tout his strong resumé as Commander-in-Chief. Yes, his progressd Mars in diplomatic Libra goes on to square the U.S. Pluto in 2014, which may very well bring a marshalling of U.S. allies against a recalcitrant foe, such as Iran.
April 16, 2012 - The Chiron-Pluto Generation, Bobby Petrino's issues, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
April 23, 2012 - The Secret Service scandal, May's top five astro-events, and the Titanic 100 years later
April 30, 2012 - China's Uranus cycle, France's next president Francois Hollande, DWTS' Katherine Jenkins
May 7, 2012 - Romney blames Obama, Michelle Obama's rectified birth chart, writer-director Joss Whedon
May 14, 2012 - Same-sex marriage, Venus and the financial markets, and Tom Gabel's transformation
May 21, 2012 - FB's IPO, Will Greece leave the Eurozone?, Wis. Governor Scott Walker's recall
May 28, 2012 - Mohamed Morsi - Egypt's next president, June's astro-events, Jupiter and the SE
June 4, 2012 - Obama or Romney? Spain's financial T-square, cyberwarfare's General James Cartwright.
June 11, 2012 - Part Two of Who will win - Obama or Romney? A deeper look at each candidate's chart
June 18, 2012 - Pluto and the billionaries; Putin and the patriarchs, and the NBA finals with Kevin Durant
June 25, 2012 - The Vatican's protector of predator priests, July's top five, Larry Ellison buys Lanai
July 2, 2012 - Roberts and Obamacare, European leaders reach accord, Katie Holmes files for divorce
July 9, 2012 - Michelle Obama and Ann Romney on Election day, Henry Higgs and the UR-PL cycle
July 16, 2012 - Ceres and commodity prices, Condi Rice rumors, Woody Guthrie, dustbowl troubadour
July 23, 2012 - Black Moon Lilith Rising, James Holmes' split personality, celebrity CEO Marissa Mayer
July 30, 2012 - Romney's gaffe at the Olympics, August's top five events, Kristen Stewart's love life
Aug 6, 2012 - The Dawn Mission, Oscar Pistolius the blade runner, and James Holme's timed chart
Aug 13, 2012 - Paul Ryan wins the Veepstakes, the U.S. progressed Moon-Mars,Angelina wedding day
Aug 20, 2012 - The activated Uranus-Pluto, Russia's Black Moon, Jessica Alba's busy life.
Aug 27, 2012 - Romney's victory and the fiscal cliff, September's top five, Lance Armstrong's career dives.
Sept. 3, 2012 - The clash over Medicare, Clint East-wood talks with a chair, Mariah Carey's horoscope.
Sept. 10, 2012 - the astrology of QE3, Black Moon in Israel's chart, Leann Rimes and Patsy Cline
Sept. 17, 2012 - Chaos in the Middle East and Peace Day; women doing well; Kate Middleton's dilemma
Sept. 24, 2012 - Romney's 47 percent video, October's top five astro-events, Lindsay Lohan's attitude
Oct. 1, 2012 - Special Black Moon Lilith Issue, Romney's progressed Lilith; Iran's Lilith; Lilith celebrity profiles.
Oct. 8, 2012 - candidates' progressions, Turkey's Grand Cross, Miguel Cabrera wins Triple Crown.
Oct. 15, 2012 - Ohio, the bellwether state to win; Malala Yousafzai, freedom fighter; Ben Affleck's Argo...
Oct. 22, 2012 - Cyber Pearl Harbor, November's top five astro-events, and Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Biel
Oct. 29, 2012 - Neptune and the election, the Solar Eclipse hits Ohio's Neptune, and Queen Elizabeth II
Nov. 5, 2012 - Hurricane Sandy, the astrology of hurricanes, and Taylor Swift's philanthropy
Nov. 12, 2012 - Paula Broadwell, Election result commentaries, Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln
Nov. 19, 2012 - Mars along the Hamas-Israel border, Saturn and Obama's Neptune, Twinkies Gone?
Nov 26, 2012 - Mohamed Morsi - Egypt's new pharaoh, December's top five, Alfred Hitchcock
Dec. 3, 2012 - The fiscal cliff and the Mayan calendar, Tesla Motors, Park Jae-sang's Gangnam Style
Dec. 10, 2012 - Assad's progressed Mars, Orcus in Romney's and Assad's charts, Bill Murray as FDR
Dec. 17, 2012 - Adam Lanza - Newtown shooter, the U.S. twelfth house; John McAfee on the run
Dec. 24, 2012 - The National Rifle Association, January's Top Five Astro-Events, Suzy Favor Hamilton's double life.
Dec. 31, 2012 - Mars in key charts of 2013, India's social revolution, Matt Damon's new film Promised Land.
Jan. 7, 2013 - "Save us from self-inflicted wounds", Hugo Chavez's health crisis, Lilith - the comedians' muse.
NewsScope for January 14, 2013
By Michael Wolfstar
Chuck Hagel’s Mars
Well before last Monday, when President Obama nominated Chuck Hagel to be his next Secretary of Defense, Washington politicos and the chattering class had been weighing in on the pros and cons of his appointment. Now that the nomination hearings are on the Senate’s front burner, the debate has intensified, with the main accusations being that he is anti-gay, anti-Israel, and soft on Iran.
Chuck Hagel was born with an idealistic Sun-Neptune conjunction in Libra (October 4, 1946; North Platte, NE; time unknown), which is steadied and empowered by its sextile to a Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Leo. His Capricorn Moon is a common placement for ambitious, duty-conscious administrators and politicians. In late Capricorn, it’s especially useful at the federal level since it conjoins the U.S. Pluto, the nation’s ruling planet.
Hagel’s Mars is powerfully placed in Scorpio, and regularly tested to the core by the tight square to Saturn. This configuration put him in life-and-death situations during the Vietnam War, eventually earning him two Purple Hearts and a number of other medals and badges of honor. But in Washington, he needs every ounce of his Libran diplomacy and charm to help tame the edgy side of his Mars-Saturn square.
Since Hagel’s Mars conjoins the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant, he makes a natural representative for the Defense Department. But the square from Saturn indicates that he faces plenty of criticism and challenges to his agenda. When his nomination is confirmed (indicated by his progressed Mars sextile natal Mercury), his primary task will be to trim the Pentagon’s “bloated” budget ( - his description). Over the next several weeks, transiting Pluto will be squaring his Sun as the confirmation hearings unfold. This will make for some great political theater.
John Howard’s Gun Control Program
On April 28, 1996, a gunman opened fire on tourists at an Australian resort, killing 35 people. It was Australia’s worst mass murder, horrific enough to get the nation to enact sweeping gun control measures only 12 days later. Over the next decade homicides by firearm plunged 59% and suicides by gun dropped 65%. And there hasn’t been a single mass shooting since then.*
The man behind this effective program was the recently elected conservative Prime Minister John Howard (July 26, 1939; 2:21 am; Earlwood, AU), who was born with a reform-minded Sun-Pluto conjunction in Leo. His conservative credentials are astrologically shown by his Sun-Pluto square Saturn, since Saturn-Pluto combinations are associated with conservative politics. The most telling aspect in his adversarial temperament is Mars in Capricorn, which opposes his Sun-Pluto.
Mars-Pluto aspects have an iron will to get things done, and with Neptune turning retrograde on his Mars, he had an epiphany, a vision for radical reform of the nation’s gun laws. It took a conservative politician to overcome the lenient gun laws of the free-spirited Australian nation. Howard and the federal government had to fight regional opposition as well as fringe groups like the gun-loving Ausi Freedom Scouts and the U.S.’s NRA.
* Read Slate’s story on Australia’s successful gun control program: slate./gun_control_australia_s_laws
A unique bridge of harmoniously connected outer planet transits helped facilitate the process: practical Saturn in pioneering Aries was sextile Uranus in Aquarius and trine Pluto in Sagittarius, as all three aligned with Howard’s Sun-Pluto. In addition, his progressed Midheaven in Taurus was squaring his Sun-Pluto. The timing was right to initiate a gun buy-back program and tighten controls on their legal use. It worked exceptionally well.
Paul Salopek Walks “Out of Eden”
Last Thursday Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Paul Salopek began a 21,000 mile journey on foot. His intention is to re-trace humanity’s first migration route from its origin in Ethiopia around the Pacific Rim, and ending up in Chile in seven years. His slow pace allows him to engage the numerous cultures along the way and to connect the dots to create a global narrative.*
What could be more Aquarian? Salopek was born with a Sun-Venus-Jupiter triple conjunction in Aquarius (February 9, 1962; Barstow, CA; time unknown) along with a Mercury-Mars-Saturn triple conjunction earlier in the sign of the humanitarian. These six planets naturally resonate with the Age of Aquarius we are now entering, and since Salopek’s Neptune squares these Aquarian placements, he’s receptive to the inclusive vision of one people living on one planet.
The Moon in pioneering Aries helps him along this trailblazing journey, while his Mars-Saturn conjunction knows and accepts the hardships and physical challenges that he will encounter. When transiting Saturn opposed his Sun in August 2006, he was reporting on the Darfur crisis when the Sudanese government detained him, claiming he was a spy. With the assistance of Senator Barack Obama, he was freed on September 9.
Currently, transiting Jupiter in the traveling sign of Gemini is trine his Mars, an adventurous combination that can only be called a heroic journey. Meanwhile, his progressed Sun is in assertive Aries where it’s being activated by the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square. His progressed Sun also sextiles natal Mercury, the communication planet: his journey is being sponsored in part by National Geographic which will publish his articles and daily logs. No doubt he will be deeply challenged over the next two years as transiting Saturn in Scorpio squares his Aquarian planets.
* Follow Salopek’s journey: nationalgeographic.com/outofeden/
