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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
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
Reader feedback
re: U.S. Scorpio Rising - Your belief (which I share) that the United States has a Scorpio ascendent is being vindicated by all the secrecy being uncovered. Before it used to be all conjecture and stories concerning the secret happenings within the government. Michael, what is the progression chart of the United States and would it show the bright light sifting through the cracks and exposing hidden agendas? Isn't Pluto coming full circle in the near future? Would you say that a new Phoenix is about to rise? I am so excited and pumped. Because as the USA goes, so goes the rest of the world. Could you comment?
re: Snowden - If not for the insidious Boston Marathon terrorist attack, I sould be congratulating Snowden. However, neither Julian Assange nor Edward Snowden seem to care that there are forces in this world that would delight in destroying the very freedoms they claim to be upholding. I think both men are hungry for attention and power. Score Pluto 1/ Uranus 0.
re: Lilith - Brilliant story choices, analyses and connections, Michael!
re: Lilith - I wonder how you figure out where and if Black Moon Lilith is in your chart.
A. First, Lilith is in everyone’s chart, so if you have an astrology calculation program, it’s just a matter of enabling her as a displayed point. Second, it’s important to know that there are two Liliths, a mean and true position. I use the mean position, as do most Europeans who tend to use Lilith more than Chiron (especially the French). The most referenced site is astrodienst, where you can find your mean Lilith. Just click on the year that you’re interested in.
re: NSA - I have another chart for the NSA: 11/4/52 at 12:00:01 AM in Washington, DC. This could be when the agency officially became an entity, I don't know. Anyway the 11/4 chart has Pluto conjunct the Leo Ascendant... which appeals to me more. What are your thoughts?
A. Yes, Nov 4, 1952 is also a good date to use for NSA. It's when it officially first began operation, as opposed to when Truman signed the order to create it. In the Oct 24, 1952 10:45 am chart, Pluto trines the Ascendant, which in turn is aligned with the U.S. Mars. Also, Saturn in the 10th describes the NSA as a powerful bureaucracy, while in the Nov 4 chart, the most elevated planet is Jupiter in Taurus - not particularly descriptive of the spy agency. I've compared the two charts to historical events, especially the most recent revelations, and the Oct 24 looks more accurate to me.
re: Obama's dilemma - I really think what Saturn is trying to show us may be that our country has a "systems" problem. The President's political adversaries do like to paint these three "scandals" as symptoms of his "failures." But I think they could all be fixed by fixing the "broken" system in Washington D.C. Maybe that Saturn hit in September is also a signal that we need to change our broken political system. (The debt ceiling "crisis," etc.?) Maybe if politicians weren't run by their powerful "1%" backers Congress could start true bi-partisan work and work with our President again. I have enjoyed reading what we have in store for us in regard to the planets.
re: Congressman Darryl Issa - Did you ever cover him? Just curious...
re: Venus - This week's issue is outstanding. Thanks so much for what you do.
re: Progressed Moon - I like the way you tie the US progressed moon to past military shows of force. I just hope you are wrong. Looking at Iraq and Afghanistan, our track record in spreading our notion of governance is profoundly disappointing and wasteful of human lives.
re: Gross National Happiness - I love this piece on Venus!
re: Gwyneth Paltrow - I love Gwyneth Paltrow. You did not mentioned her Mars Pluto conjunction. I am a Scorpion married to a Libran, who has Mars Pluto conjunction at Leo, at midheaven. People, find a place to hide when Mars and Pluto explode beneath the Venus facade. Expect to see Gwyneth at more violent / action movies. Venus is more beautiful when Mars the beast is channelled positively.
A. Thanks for your feedback. I have profiled her several times previously and did discuss her Mars-Pluto-Sun triple conjunction and its dangerous side. I didn't want to repeat themes I've already described since at some point I might put these profiles together. You can read the Mars-Pluto version here: stariq.com/P0001897. And then I wrote another profile about her during her Saturn return, which is here: stariq.com/P0003816. Here's when she announced her engagement to Chris Martin: stariq.com/P0004990. Here's when she signed up to do the first Iron Man film with Robert Downey Jr: stariq.com/P0008710.
re: Gwyneth Paltrow - Like that cheeky write up about Gwyneth Paltrow! I just saw "Beyond the Plains" and wondered about a write up of Ryan Gosling and girlfriend Eva Mendez, the latter someone people seem to resent, yet their romance "gels." Please consider doing an astrological commentary on them. And then there's always Reese Whitherspoon's meltdown... As always am enjoying your column...
re: NewsScope - Your NewsScopes are very insightful and it is enjoyable to read astrology politically.
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.
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.
April 22, 2013 - The Sun-Mars-Pluto dynamic; terrorist Tameran Tsarnaev; Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.
April 29, 2013 - Syria's crosses the "red line", May's Top five astro-events, and Gwyneth Paltrow 's beauty.
May 6, 2013 - The U.S. progressed Moon cycle, Venus and GNH, Warren Buffett on prosperity.
May 13, 2013 - Hillary Clinton as a GOP target; Bangladesh's garment industry, the Great Gatsby.
May 20, 2013 - Jupiter and Big Government, Jupiter and market tops, Jupiter and Angelina Jolie's life.
May 27, 2013 - The UR-PL square, the astrology of Tornado Alley, Kellie Pickler's breakthru dance.
June 3, 2013 - Obama's dilemma, June's top five, super-athlete Rich Roll was a couch potato.
June 10, 2013 - Black Moon Lilith news items, NSA's chart, Sweden's Princess Madeleine weds.
June 17, 2013 - Lilith in the Age of Aquarius, Edward Snowden - traitor or hero?, Superman - Man of Steel
"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!"
NewsScope for June 24, 2013
By Michael Wolfstar
The Water Grand Trine
and the Season of Discontent
Since Neptune is porous by nature and Saturn is all about establishing limits, borders, and containers, perhaps it should come as no surprise that some of the major news stories were about leaks when these two planets recently came into aspect. Edward Snowden is, of course, the primary leak story: the charges against him, and most recently, his flight to Moscow.
Last week another leak story broke – the underground holding tank at Washington state’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation is leaking radioactive waste into the soil. The U.S. Energy Department is “investigating the leak”. And then in the nation’s capital, politicians are working out a compromise bill that would stop undocumented aliens from slipping into the U.S. The plan is to post one patrol agent every 1000 feet along the 2,000-mile border.
In Brazil and Greece, the governments’ ability to control widespread strikes has been severely tested. Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff has been unable to tame what has been called “an amorphous explosion of discontent” as demonstrations in 80 Brazilian cities protested against corruption at all levels. Then, natural disasters have taken the shape of flooding, especially in Canada and India, where historic levels have been breached.
Saturn and Neptune are in Scorpio and Pisces respectively, two water signs. Astrologers associate these signs with feelings, emotions, and actual watery conditions. While Saturn and Neptune are in a harmonious, feel-good trine aspect, the concurrent Uranus-Pluto square provides plenty of geopolitical unrest as the background vibration. When Jupiter enters Cancer later this week, we’ll have three interconnected outer planets in water signs, making it far easier for people to express their discontent.
* As reported by data sleuth Sy Scholfield, see astro-databank
Edward Snowden, Update
Last week federal prosecutors officially charged Edward Snowden with espionage and asked Hong Kong to detain him on a provisional arrest warrant. The former NSA contractor made headlines across the world when he leaked highly classified documents about top-secret surveillance programs. Fortunately, we now have a solid birth time (4:42 am*), so we can take a deeper look into his chart’s dynamics.
Double click here to add text.With Mercury conjunct his Gemini Ascendant and trine Black Moon Lilith, Snowden’s interest in secret or hidden information becomes a central feature of his character. The two most elevated placements in his chart are Lilith and Ceres, both placed in Aquarius, the sign associated with personal freedom, the internet and networking. Ceres gains status by being trine his Gemini Sun and a Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Libra, making a self-sufficient, socially protective Air Grand Trine.
Currently, Snowden’s progressed Sun and Saturn are forming an exact square (orb: 0º00’). This event in itself happens only once in a lifetime, and infuses the individual with a sense of responsibility as he makes his mark in the world. The progressed Sun and Saturn are also forming exact aspects to Ceres in his 10th house (also with orbs of 0º00’). The coincidental, precise alignment of three planets like this is exceptionally rare.
Snowden is naturally under the influence of the transiting Uranus-Pluto square, which pits the government’s need for absolute power (Pluto in Capricorn) against the individual’s constitutional rights of privacy and personal freedoms (Uranus in Aries). Transiting Uranus is now in the 11th house of friends and in a relatively long-term sextile to his Ascendant, so he has helpful allies. Transiting Pluto is conjoining his progressed Pallas, turning his case into a political football. These transits will be in effect for many months, making this horoscope one to watch and study.
Blackbeard’s Wrecked Ship,
the Queen Anne’s Revenge
Last week, two cannons from Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, were hauled out of the murky sea along the North Carolina coast. Satellite photography had enabled treasure hunters to discover the wreck which went down on June 10, 1718 (Bath, NC; time unknown). Historic accounts indicate that the infamous pirate Blackbeard betrayed his crew and purposefully sank his own ship to evade capture and keep the booty for himself.
The Gemini Sun square a Pluto-Chiron opposition is a clear indicator of this duplicity. Among other intriguing planetary configurations in this chart is the Moon-Neptune opposition, which evokes the old astrologers’ maxim that “someone is always fooled under a hard Moon-Neptune aspect.” The tight Venus-Jupiter square reveals that valuable booty was indeed involved, but only tiny amounts of gold dust have been retrieved so far.
Mars in Cancer is traditionally said to be a weak position, but that may not be true when it comes to pirates, who feel strongest on the sea. This chart features Mars in Cancer square Uranus in early Libra, a highly volatile combination often active during rebellions, violent actions, and the unexpected, dangerous course of events. But this aspect is separating, and the tightest aspect is actually Mercury (the ruler of the Gemini Sun) square Uranus.
Note that Mercury is retrograde, which suggests plotting and sudden betrayal. This Mercury-Uranus square was activated when the QAR was first discovered on November 21, 1996. At that time, transiting Saturn and Uranus were sextile each other while aligning with the QAR’s Mercury-Uranus square. Over the last few years, as transiting Uranus and Pluto activated this same degree area, divers began to document and recover artifacts from the shipwreck. Now that transiting Jupiter is conjoining the QAR Mercury, the true story of Blackbeard’s treachery is emerging.
