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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
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
Reader feedback
re: Boston bombings - I read with interest your profile of the older brother, and hope you will do one for the younger brother. I love your column and find it very insightful.
re: Monsanto - Senator Tester has proposed an amendment that would delete the Monsanto rider.
Concerned readers can call the White House @ (202) 456-1111. Live people actually answer this line. Of course, people can also email the White House and call and email their representatives in the House and Senate.
re: drought - I read your blog regularly religiously as it is informative and educating. I live in heartland and I remember your writing last summer that it will be very difficult and those transits will remain in effect till this late this summer also due to lilith. Would you please be kind enough to refresh this prediction if possible because last year's drought here was extremely unbearable and it was extremely disheartening to farmers. So if time permits would you again enlighten us with your astrological thinking about heat and drought in heartland of America.
re: astro-detective - It would be interesting to see the Travis Alexander natal horoscope and the horoscope for the day he was killed on June 4, 2008.
re: Amanda Knox - I really enjoyed your new page about the Amanda Knox case--excellent work! I do have a question, though--at the very end, you suggest that the hard work for Amanda started when Uranus retrograded right square her Saturn and pr Saturn, but still minutes away. I've often wondered about these spare minutes--Saturn retrograded just minutes before conjuncting my Neptune a few months back (actually, looking at the chart now, it was 1 degree 14 mins...)
My tendency is to say there is no actual effect if there is not actual connection, and well, minutes are still minutes. But it sounds like you feel differently--if so, within how many minutes, or even degrees do you feel a transiting aspect must be to actually create an effect in a retrograde like this? What's your experience with this? The Knox case certainly seems proof. A. Every case is different, but a natal planet doesn't operate in isolation. Consider the progressed planets, and faster moving transits, like the Sun or Mars, or even the Moon, to carry the connection from the transit to the natal planet. This is known as the "translation of the light" in traditional astrology.
In Amanda's case, transiting Uranus turned retrograde while only 0º03’ from her progressed Saturn. The closeness of that station in itself suggests major life events unfolding. That's pretty much as close to a direct hit as one can get.re: Zendaya - I always enjoy your weekly column. I'm wondering if a birthtime of about 11:15 AM might be right for Zendaya Coleman? This puts that sensual Moon right on an angle, creates a Fixed Grand Cross, and highlights the existing Kite Grand Earth Trine... Plus Lilith right next to the MC.
A. Hmmm... maybe so. It's an interesting concept that Disney girls have a prominent Lilith. I did a quick check and noticed that Britney Spears has her Sagittarius Sun conjunct Lilith and Annette Funicello has Lilith conjunct her Cancer Ascendant.
Pope Francis - What do you think about his Sun in the 266 zodiac degree and being Pope 266?
Here is the Sabian Symbol: 26º Sagittarius (266): A Flag-Bearer In A Battle. Keyword: Nobility.
A. Marvelous synchronicity! I don't know what it means though....
Global Warming - Hi, I clicked several times on 'Science' but was told that it was in error. I'd like to read the article.
A. I apologize about the broken link. It was to an L.A. Times article explaining the Science article in plain English. Here it is again: climate-warming
re: Pope Francis - I wanted to point out that there are THREE St. Francis's: St. Francis de Sales being the third. HIS life's work also coincides with Francis I's ideas, I think: From Wikipedia: Francis de Sales, (21 August 1567 – 28 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is honored as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation.
Keep up the good work, tho I am really sick and tired of the ongoing power and influence that the forces that hold back our moving forthrightly into the New Age, are still so much in control, as your recent comments said... :-(re: NeptuneCafe - Just wanted to say that I'm really impressed with this site. I've studied astrology since I was little ( a long time ago) and for the last 6 years or so, intensively, with Noel Tyl.
So I'm sure I've been aware of The Neptune Cafe, but hadn't referenced it. But today, I got interested in Ceres because I noticed it was aspecting Pluto in a horary I set up and so in making a query I ran across your site. Wonderful work! A real resource for anyone wanting to learn Astrology, which I believe is really a soul endeavor. So you're doing God's work !!
re: Pluto in Leo generation - How is the Pluto in Capricorn going to affect the people who have the Uranus Pluto conjunction in Virgo? I saw the article Donna Cunningham did on the Pluto in Leo generation.
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.
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.
Feb.18, 2013 - Sequester is coming, the Blade Runner and Beauty Queen, Steve Martin becomes a father.
Feb. 25, 2013 - Lilith upsets the Vatican, March's top five astro-events, racing pioneer Danica Patrick's rising star.
March 4, 2013 - Seven planets in Pisces, the Keystone XL project, Dorothy Hamill joins DWTS
March 11, 2013 - Energy independence and global warming, Kim Jong Un's Saturn return, Bernadette
March 18, 2013 - Mars activates four outer planets, Pope Francis, Ryan Sea-crest and Julianne Hough
March 25, 2013 - Pope Francis, an accurate birth chart; April's top five astro-events, Zendaya on DWTS
April 1, 2013 - The New Moon's uncharted territory, the Monsanto Protection Act, Amanda Knox's Venus
April 8, 2013 - The coming Lunar Eclipse, North Korea: serious threat?, Jay Leno leaves "The Tonight Show"
April 15, 2013 - politicians make progress, CitiGroup returns to profitablity, Guan Liantang at the Masters.
NewsScope for April 22, 2013
By Michael Wolfstar
The Sun-Mars-Pluto Dynamic
Last week’s Sun-Mars conjunction in Aries brought some extraordinarily explosive events to the American homeland, beginning with the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Two days later, when the Sun-Mars conjunction was exact, a fertilizer plant in Texas blew up, killing dozens and injured hundreds. Why was this Sun-Mars conjunction so much more deadly than most, and why was the U.S. hit?
Since these rare and spectacular events were located in the U.S., the astrologer naturally suspects that the national chart was involved. Any U.S. chart based on the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) shows that this Sun-Mars duo was squaring natal Pluto. Using the Scorpio Rising chart (2:21 pm), the aggressive Sun-Mars energy in Aries was squaring the nation’s ruling planet, while transiting Saturn conjoined the Scorpio Ascendant.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s Message
from the Dark Side
Mars-Pluto aspects in young men’s charts can be difficult to handle. An intense sex drive often accompanies this combination which is rarely satisfied within a monogamous relationship. Unless the energy is channeled into physical or creative outlets, it often vents as expressed hostility to external enemies. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the elder terrorist in the Boston Marathon bombing, could not constructively manage his Mars-Pluto square.
The Boston bombing took place when the Sun-Mars conjunction was still one degree away from squaring Pluto. However, progressing the chart shows that the progressed Ascendant and North Node are both at 26º Cancer where they pick up the square from the transiting Sun and Mars at 26º Aries. The last time the U.S. progressed Ascendant was so conspicuously activated was on September 11, 2001 when it squared progressed Mars in the 12th house of hidden enemies.
Another factor to consider is the U.S. progressed Moon, which is currently passing through the 12th house. The progressed Moon was squaring the U.S. Mercury in patriotic Cancer last week during these explosive events, as well as when the Senate balked on gun control (a case of self-undoing). Over the next three months, the progressed Moon heads into a square with natal Pluto (exact on July 21), a combination that fosters exceptionally intense and violent domestic scenarios.
Tamerlan was born with his Libra Sun closely trine to Black Moon Lilith (October 21, 1986; Biskek, Kyrgyzstan; time unknown), a flowing aspect that readily put him in touch with the sinister nature of the human psyche. His Mars in cause-oriented Aquarius squares Pluto, giving him the desire to use ultimate force for the sake of his geopolitical mission. Mars is further influenced by a sextile to Saturn in religious Sagittarius.
Tamerlan’s Sun at 27º Libra lands in the U.S. 12th house where it forms a precise square to the U.S. Pluto. Although he won awards for his boxing skills, he expressed the isolation of being trapped in America’s 12th house when he said “I don’t have a single American friend, I don’t understand them.” When transiting Saturn conjoined his Sun on January 12, 2012 he flew to Moscow and then returned six months later.
Transiting Saturn-to-his-Sun points to a major development in his life path. Since his progressed Sun and Mars were squaring each other at this time, he was probably in terrorist training camp during this interval. The definitive event arrived last week as the transiting Sun-Mars conjunction opposed his Sun. Transiting Saturn in Scorpio was also conjoining his Pluto, testing whether he had mastered his terror techniques. Black Moon Lilith by transit was returning to its natal place in Gemini, where it brought him messages from the dark side.
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez,
Back Together Again
Pop singer and teenage heart-throb Justin Bieber has been acting erratically lately. He’s gotten into fights with the paparazzi, he often drives recklessly and at speeds approaching 100 mph, and has thrown outrageous parties that have enraged neighbors. Would it surprise you to know that he has a Mars-Pluto square, and that his on-again off-again relationship with Selena Gomez is driving him crazy?
Justin was born with a Sun-Saturn conjunction in faith-oriented Pisces (March 1, 1994; 12:56 am; London, Ontario, Canada), which is an astrological signature for turning his fans into “beliebers”. The closest aspect his Pisces Sun makes is an octile (45º) to Black Moon Lilith, so that like the elder Tsarnaev, he is in touch with a wild, reckless side of human nature. Fortunately for Justin, his Sun also trines Jupiter, adding a sense of fair play and nobility to his character.
Selena Gomez (b. July 22, 1992) was born with her Mars in stubborn Taurus opposite Pluto, so both of these teen stars have challenging Mars-Pluto aspects. What makes their relationship so volatile is that his Mars squares her Mars. In the early stages of their relationship, the Mars-Mars tension is a mutually enhancing agent for building self-confidence, personal style and will power.
However, the downside begins to emerge when they spend too much time together. Mars square Mars (and factoring in the intensity of Pluto) leads to trust issues, conflicting schedules, and different life goals. Few celebrity couples have lasted very long with this conflicting Mars set-up. For Justin, transiting Jupiter in his 7th house of partners has temporarily brought her back. However, they will most likely call it quits permanently when transiting Saturn hits their Mars-Mars square in late 2014.
