Search within NeptuneCafe
Custom Search
"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: Reeva Steencamp - So if we knew her birth time, would it be easier to see something definitive, death-wise? You are being clear enough. But golly, these transits touch a lot of people and they don't die. Everyone born the same day as she was, for instance, didn't die when she did. You've talked, in the past, about the nodes being involved when someone dies, too.
A. Her choice to be with Oscar Pistorius creates another perspective of her life, and that's how her planets interact with his. The martial influences are overwhelming, and they exacerbate her own Mars-Juno square.
re: Monsanto - I am on your site several times a week to glean your astrological insights into current events and personalities and find your analysis very insightful. I just read an article on the Yahoo Financial page where Monsanto is suing a 75 year old grain farmer from Indiana, Vernon Bowman for $84,456. claiming he is using seeds that were developed by Monsanto and not signing the patent protection agreement which Monsanto closely guards.... The case is now going to the Supreme Court. I am wondering if you could run a chart on Monsanto and share your insights into this upcoming case.
re: Pope Benedict - I just read your column on Pope Benedict XVI's announcement from earlier this week, and thought you might enjoy a photo of lightning striking Saint Peter's Basilica within hours of Pope Benedict's declaration that he was resigning as Pope: http://www.bibleprobe.com/last10popes.htm
re: NewsScope - thank you for your weekly NewsScope. Your writings are very lucid and enjoyable.
Iraq's dinar - Love your weekly review. I want to ask about a curious currency issue that seems to be blooming. I am sure your readers would enjoy your take on the timing of this event when the Iraqi Dinar rises in value. Just in the last 2 weeks another major oil deposit was discovered
not to mention that their gold reserves have had a major increase... so if they can get their act together... how do you see this as to timing for investors?
re: Keth Urban - I read the page on Mariah as America's Favorite Diva and noted her work on American Idol. Actually, the person getting a lot of press is country singer Keith Urban, also on AI. He's an interesting character who's made real inroads in his career due to his work on Australia's The Voice show and now AI. Both transiting Mars and Neptune now trine his natal Sun, adding to the showbiz/glamour factor. But it's tr. Pluto that's interesting to study: it's opposite his Asc--nearly exact right now. I think his would be an interesting chart to investigate!
re: Tim Cooks' birth time - I wonder why in the US nobody has raised the question that the law does not allow access to birth certificate records, how is it possible? Here in Italy it is not so. Which privacy is there to protect? One has the right to know when someone is born or not??? The scientists should be in favour of the publicity of birth times, so they can continue to debunk the astrologers!!! Or, keeping concealed birth times is a way to impede the general public in knowing many things regarding public figures, politicians etc. This is against the right to know!
You american astrologers should start a campaign for this, in my opinion!
re: Lance Armstrong - What are your feelings about Lance Armstrong’s confession to Oprah and did he really tell the truth about everything?
A. Lance Armstrong was profiled Aug 27, 2012
Inauguration - I've always read about how if the President is sworn in during a moon void of course that he will have trouble being effective during his term, and that this was the case for Obama last term. I have just read that he was privately sworn in at 11:55am EST, just *before* the moon void! Any thoughts for your column? As a Dem, I'm thrilled to see this, and hope this will empower the Prez to route those untoward Republicans, who just sit on their hands, seemingly out of spite or racism or craziness.
Thanks! I look forward to your column and your pages every week.
A. The Inauguration chart, set for noon, was posted and described in NewsScope's December 31, 2012 issue. The Moon makes one final square to Mars before going void of course, which does in deed push Obama into action.
re: Salopek - I enjoyed reading about Paul Salopek, mostly because my best friend's birthday is also Feb 9, 1962. She's one of the Aqua-stells as well. Her stellium falls in her 4th house though so she's all about her family, and her challenges lately have been about teenagers!
A. That week in February 1962 has some notoriety, since psychic Jeanne Dixon predicted that the "anti-Christ" would be born during the New Moon on February 4, 1962. Later, she changed her mind and said it would be the second coming of Jesus. Sheryl Crowe was born on February 11, 1962, Jennifer Jason Leigh was born on febraury 5, 1962, and King Abdullah II of Jordan was born on January 30, 1962.
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.
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.
Jan. 14, 2013 - Chuck Hagel, John Howard's gun control program, Paul Salopek begins his journey.
Jan. 21, 2013 - A brilliant Moon-Jupiter occultation; Natalie Wood's case re-opened; Chelsea Clinton.
Jan. 28, 2013 - Mary Jo White to head SEC, February's Top Five, Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Feb. 4, 2013 - The Dow hits 14,000, immigration reform coming up, Kevin Spacey stars in the House of Cards.
Feb.11, 2013 - CIA nominee John Brennan, Apple shifting gears, and the search for cop killer Chris Dorner.
* See NewsScope's August 6, 2012 issue for a profile and the horoscope of Oscar Pistorius
NewsScope for Feb 18, 2013
By Michael Wolfstar
Sequester Coming March 1
On March 1, $1.2 trillion in spending cuts are scheduled to go into effect unless Congress can agree on an alternative budget package. Last week the Obama administration detailed the dire economic consequences of the Sequester, and urged Congress to accept a small deal that would delay the severe spending cuts. Because it included taxes on millionaires, the Republicans rejected it out of hand.
The Blade Runner and the Beauty Queen
On the surface, Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steencamp seemed to be the ideal couple. The Blade Runner and the Beauty Queen were celebrities in their own right and together they were South Africa’s answer to “Posh and Becks”. But below the media’s radar, trouble brewed. When Reeva was killed last week, reports of domestic disputes gave credence to the police’s claim that he murdered her.
The astrological picture indicates that the Sequester will go into effect on March 1. Most telling is the transiting square between Mars and Ceres which happens to be exact on that day. This combination breeds conflict and disagreement (Mars) about which segments of the economy to financially nurture (Ceres). Since Ceres also happens to be exactly conjunct the U.S. Mars (in the 8th house of budget cuts), the conflict only deepens.
The Aries Ingress chart set for Washington D.C. (March 20, 7:02 am EDT) tells us how bad it’s going to get. An angular Ceres squares Venus near the Pisces Ascendant, suggesting economic hardships and financial uncertainty. The Aries Sun squares Fortuna in the 4th house of domestic affairs, and a fighting mad Mars-Uranus conjunction squares the Moon in
Cancer. All these dynamics portray the contrast between strident idealism (Aries) and domestic security needs (Cancer).
On March 27, the government runs out of money. There is hope for some deal to temporarily raise the debt ceiling around this date: Mercury is direct and trining the U.S. Scorpio Ascendant. Also, a Sun-Venus conjunction allows for some diplomatic deal-making. However, with the U.S. progressed Sun squaring Uranus in the 8th house of budgets in late October, the fiscal crisis is not over, but merely kicked down the road once again.
As I wrote in the August 6, 2012* issue of NewsScope, because his Scorpio Sun squares Mars, “Pistorius is a born fighter.” At the time, I noted that his Mercury-Pluto conjunction gave him mental determination, but this aspect has a huge downside, and that can be relentlessly cruel inquisitions. Juno, the partnership asteroid, opposes Lilith, a wild influence that has no respect for traditional marriage boundaries. Hard Juno-Lilith aspects make committed relationships tumultuous.
Reena Steencamp (b. August 19, 1983) was born with her Leo Sun opposite a Ceres-Lilith conjunction, allowing her to identify with the liberated woman archetype (underscored by her Venus-Uranus square). Her Sun squares Pistorius’ Sun and opposes his Mars, which can give an energetic boost to their shared lifestyles, but readily gets entangled in self-centered ego conflicts. Her Mars in Leo conjoins his Leo Moon, another mutually antagonistic intra-aspect.
On the morning of her death, the transiting Sun was near his Mars and opposite her Sun, pushing buttons and stirring up discord. Transiting Mars in Pisces was squaring his Saturn, indicating his heightened levels of frustration and anger. The closest, most definitive transit to Reena’s chart was an exact trine between transiting Lilith and natal Lilith, which activated her need for personal freedom. However, with transiting Pluto forming a trioctile (135º) to her Sun, ultimatums were being given, and separation a distinct option.
Steve Martin, a Father at 67
According to reports, the baby arrived in December, but not until last week did the super-private comedian Steve Martin and his wife Anne Stringfield acknowledge the secret. Although he’s played a father in many films, he’s never played the role in his personal life until now. The first clue was when he tweeted this cryptic message: “Coo coo, cutsy wootsy, footsy pie.”
Steve Martin was born with his Sun in creative Leo (August 14, 1945; 5:54 m; Waco, TX) where it sextiles a wild and wacky Mars-Uranus conjunction in witty Gemini. Pluto conjunct his Leo Ascendant gives him an intensely focused dramatic urge. Pluto’s square to his Moon-Ceres conjunction in the 4th house indicates that intense emotional conflict with his father became a stumbling block to making his own family.
Yet with Venus and Saturn in the family sign of Cancer, and hidden away in the 12th house, it’s naturally been a veiled need for his entire adult life. A Vesta-Lilith conjunction on his 4th house cusp describes his devotion to comedy*, which delayed the needs of his 12th house planets, as well as the basic parenting instincts that go along with a Moon-Ceres conjunction in the 4th house.
Transiting Saturn recently entered his 4th house, putting family uppermost on his agenda. One Saturn cycle earlier – in 1982 – Martin had an earlier shot at doing this, but his relationship with actress Bernadette Peters ended that year. This time around, the Saturn cycle coincides with a favorable progression. In 2012 Martin’s progressed Midheaven formed a trine to natal Ceres, the asteroid associated with pregnancy and parenthood.
* Stay tuned for a full-length article on Black Moon Lilith, the Comedian’s Muse, which will be published by Dell Horoscope magazine later this year. The article describes how a prominent Lilith is often found in a comedian’s chart, and the twelve profiles describe how Lilith by sign and aspect shapes a comedian’s sense of humor.
