re: astrology rising - Actually, I don't "believe" in Astrology! I tell people: "It is not a Religion. It is not something to 'believe' in." It is simply Plane Geometry -- the study of repetitive geometrical patterns. Particular patterns will repeat themselves, often with the same results. That is where we, Astrologers, get our predictions from.
re: America's plutocracy - I'm struck by the sudden blockbuster best seller "Capital in the 21st Century" by Thomas Piketty. As an exposition of our current economic situation and trending direction, could this book be major force for change?
re: Wal-Mart - Thanks so much for all you do. I especially enjoyed the Wal-Mart story. Wal-Mart is a major contemporary symbol of the US psychic landscape, at least for the common people of the US. I note the perfect conjunction between Wal-Mart's natal Mars and the USA's natal Pluto (and ruling planet). What do you think of that?
A. Yes, that's a major connection. The U.S. Pluto, the nation's ruling planet, describes the power of corporate America, and Wal-Mart is a major manifestation of that, a corporate warrior, if you will.
re: America's plutocracy - I especially love your last line in the "Rise of America's Plutocracy" post. Yes, that and more. At least a few of us have noticed... It looks like the April 15 "Blood Moon" will be one degree off of both my Sun in Aries, and Moon in Libra. I'm thinking about staying "under the covers," but that doesn't seem to be what your advice is.
re: America's plutocracy - It's turning out more Brave New World than 1984 in some ways... I am constantly shocked by how much pharma my American friends ingest... and it's happening here too in the UK. The only thing that has put the brakes on it is the NHS, and that's not for a good reason, but simply because the government is cheapskate.... Yes -- Pluto is winning the Uranus-Pluto square at the moment...
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 outer planets, Pope Francis, Seacrest 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; Bieber and Selena Gomez.
April 29, 2013 - Syria's crosses "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
June 24, 2013 - The Water Grand Trine, Edward Snowden update, the Queen Anne's Revenge
July 1, 2013 - The astrology of gold prices, July's top five astro-events, and Paula Deen's fall from grace.
"Thank you very much, you answered all of my questions and offered me great insight into my life and any future issues as well as potential issues that may arise. Your reading was phenomenal!"
"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!"
July 1, 2013 - The astrology of gold prices, July's top five astro-events, and Paula Deen's fall from grace.
July 8, 2013 - Egypt in chaos; U.S. progressed Moon cycle Part 2; Chris Meledandri,Despicable Me
July 15, 2013 - The season of accidents and disasters, Malala Yousafzai at the UN, Randy Travis's demons.
July 22, 2013 - The tech revolution, Iran's president elect Hassan Rouhani, Cory Monteith's other woman
July 29, 2013 - Brtitish succession, August's top five astro-events, Amanda Bynes' troubled Moon
Aug. 5, 2013 - Snowden's chart relocated, Facebook's stunning earnings, Simon Cowell - why so mean?
Aug. 12, 2013 - Jeff Bezos buys the Washington Post, Gov't Shutdown Looms, Major League Baseball.
Aug. 19, 2013 - Sept's top five astro-events, Gov't Shutdown Looms, Major League Baseball.
Aug. 26, 2013 - War and Aldebaran-Antares, Nasdaq halts, Bradley Manning's Sun-Saturn-Uranus.
Sept. 2, 2013 - The Middle East Mandate, Kim Jong Un executes his ex-girlfriend, Miley Cyrus twerks.
Sept. 9, 2013 - Obama pushing Syria, the Golden Age of spying, Dennis Rodman in North Korea.
Sept. 16, 2013 - Diana Nyad's epic swim; the Gates Foundation, Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Sept. 23, 2013 - Rouhani's charm offensive; October's top five astro-events; hiccup girl Jennifer Mee.
Sept. 30, 2013 - Ted Cruz fights Obamacare, IPCC's wake-up call, Chris Hemsworth stars in Rush.
Oct. 7, 2013 - Government shutdown; The Republican Party Split; Ronn Farrow and Ol' Blue Eyes
Oct. 14, 2013 - The Pallas-Fomalhaut connection, Fomalhaut in presidents' charts, Sandra Bullock
March 3, 2014 - Ukraine's 12th house; Putin's stars; Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sirius, Grand Cross.
March 10, 2014 - Tracking Mars and Pluto; Obama's Part of Fortune; Grace Kelly and Nicole Kidman.
March 17, 2014 - Charting Flight MH370; East Turkestan separatists; Nicole Kidman, Part 2.
March 24, 2014 - The pilot of MH370; April's Top Five Astro-Events; Shailene Woodley stars in Divergent.
March 31, 2014 - Henry Waxman vs. Big Pharma; conscious uncoupling; Russell Crowe as Noah.
April 7, 2014 - The rise of America's Plutocracy; the first of four "Blood Moons"; Anja Niedringhaus.
April 14, 2014 - Russia flexes its muscles; Wal-Mart goes organic; Stephen Colbert.
April 21, 2014 - Astrology rising; "you don't believe in astrology, do you?"; Susan Miller, pop astrologer.
April 28, 2014 - The U.S. progressed Mars; May's top five; DWTS's Meryl Davis and Maks Chmerkovskiy.
May 5, 2014 - Obama relocated to Kiev, the tech sector's swoon, NBA owner Donald Sterling banned.
May 12, 2014 - Mars turns direct on May 19; Rob Ford, mayor of Crazy Town; George Clooney to marry.
May 19, 2014 - Narendra Modi, India's new Prime Minister; Hillary Clinton's double whammy; Beyonce.
May 26, 2014 - Pope Franics in the Middle East; June's top five astro-events; the Lindy Hop Revival.
Unless otherwise stated, all data is rated A or AA from AstroDataBank
re: Israel - You said Israel's progressed moon is at TWELVE DEGREES CAPRICORN????!!!! Isn't that where transiting Pluto is right now? geesh... Couldn't you squeak that in there somehow? It just seems noteworthy. I know how much rage I felt when my progressed Moon was conjunct transiting Pluto a few years ago.
A. Yes, you're absolutely correct. Actually, there are quite a few items I could have added to the narrative, but I try to avoid getting too much astrologese in. Anyway, I'm glad you noticed.
re: Germany - I have six different charts for the German nation--including the Weimer Republic and the Reunification. Have you worked with the German chart? What chart do you recommend?
re: Elizabeth Warren - Glad you brought up Elizabeth Warren and her possible presidential run but really, do you have to join the Anybody But Hillary Bandwagon? I have yet to understand the hostility which both right and left wing pundits seem to hold towards her. It is not a product of her political actions but seems personal and malicious. I know of no other politician who has such critical, and pointless, scrutiny of her every action. You could at least try to maintain a veneer of civility towards her.
re: Elizabeth Warren - You didn't mention how much of a damned LIAR Elizabeth Warren is and how she lied to get freebies by saying she is a Cherokee.... It has been proven that her ancestors actually helped to massacre the native americans.... i really wish you would be a little more fair and stop showing your desire for socialism to destroy the country.
re: First Trade charts -I know you have written some things about first trade charts in your NewsScope column, but they seem contradictory. For YHOO you use 9:30 AM even though Michael Munkasey's Companies Database has 9:48 AM. For FB you used 11:30 AM. For BIDU you used 11:40 AM. Do you mostly use the actual time of the trade? Why one instead of the other? Have you tried researching the issue with many stocks? The problem with making predictions with FT charts is their complexity. Not only do you have to look at the natal chart, but both the P2 and P3 charts.
A.Your observations on FT charts are on target. I've been studying these charts for at least three years, but not until I got Munkasey's database did I realize that so many FTs are not set for 9:30 am. I analyzed YHOO and wrote about before I got his database, but have been using 9:48 since then. It's a real challenge to understand how the transits and P2 and P3 charts interact, but worth the effort. When the same message appears on all three levels, you get a strong indication of a big move and the direction.
re: Hillary and Neptune - You wrote about the physically weakening influence of Hillary's upcoming Neptune transits, but isn't it the case that Americans do kinda like Neptunian leaders? Isn't it also the case that she can come across as being too tyrannical? Couldn't Neptune softening her be a benefit...make her more appealing?
A. Yes, Neptune softens, and may have other effects. A prominent Neptune may be associated with deception, poor advice from her lieutenants, misinformation, and most likely, promising more than she can keep.
re: Donald Sterling - Your evaluation of Donald Sterling is outstanding. I live here in Southern California and have been glued to the coverage of Sterling and the Clippers since the news broke. Underscoring the generational and cultural impacts of Sterling’s Pluto in Cancer era makes the analysis more meaningful. We can we can “see” Sterling through his own historical lens and thus comprehend the origins of his belief system more readily. Too many astrologers neglect the importance of this.
re: Obama relocated - Your analysis of Obama’s relocated Kiev chart coupled with what an ACG map can and cannot reveal is spot on. You’ve made a clear and convincing case as to why we need to use rely on both techniques for a more accurate assessment. This week’s column is one of your best ever.
June 2, 2014 - Pluto opp the U.S. Sun; overhauling the Vets Admin; Steve Ballmer and the Clippers.
June 9, 2014 - Mars in the danger zone; Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko; JG's "The Fault in our Stars"
June 16, 2014 - ISIS seeks world domination, Eric Cantor's defeat; Subtext in Angelina Jolie's Maleficent
June 23, 2014 - World Refugee Day, July's top five astro-events; Howard Schultz, coffee King.
June 30, 2014 - The U.S. plutocracy; Uranus in U.S. 6th house; Jurgen Klinsmann, U.S. soccer.
July 7, 2014 - Lilith on the U.S. MC; Elizabeth Warren's rising star; Kim Kardashian, #1 trendsetter.
July 21, 2014 - Global hotspots heat up, is Malaysian Airlines cursed? the Planet of the Apes.
July 28, 2014 - Three air disasters is a coincidence? August's top five; is Charlize Theron engaged?
Aug 4, 2014 - Obama's 2014 solar return; Israel's Pluto; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets married.
Aug 11, 2014 - Mars activates Solar Eclipse; Russia's empire memory; Diamond Dallas Page Yoga.
Aug. 18, 2014 - Missouri militarizes police, Robin Williams and Lilith; Rachael Price, jazz vocalist.
Aug 25, 2014 - The Saturn-Uranus dilemma; Sept.'s top five; Piper Kerman's "Orange is the New Black".
Sept. 1, 2014 - NATO awakens, Angela Merkel at the frontiline, Jack Ma's Alibaba is coming.
Sept. 8, 2014 - Virginia's Bob McDonnell; Joan Rivers; Brangelina's wedding, good timing?
Sept. 15, 2014 - Chiron, how much weight? Nasdaq's top ten gainers; Teddy Roosevelt on PBS.
Sept. 22, 2014 - Alibaba, the biggest IPO ever; October's top five astro-events; FDR's blessing.
Sept. 29, 2014 - Neptune trines U.S. Ascendant; Eleanor Roosevelt; Derek Jeter, a class act.
Oct. 6, 2014 - U.S. security breaches; Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution; Princess Charlotte.
Oct. 13, 2014 - Ebola and Lilith; What happened to Kim Jong Un? Juno, Clooney and marriage.
Reader feedback
re: Princess Charlotte - She has an interesting chart...I wonder, could this little one become a Legal Eagle or Judge one day!?! ;)
A. Yes, the strong, elevated Pluto and Libra planets do indicate that as a real possibility.
re: Stephen Collins - As an astrologer I have been watching the alleged fall from grace of actor Stephen Collins (10/1/1947). Is this something (child molestation) in his chart or is this part of the drama from his current divorce with wife Faye Grant (7/16/1957)? He's a fine actor and I'm sad to see this surface. Will this get resolved or change his reputation/life forever?
re: NCAA upsets - Should I just attribute all the NCAA football upsets on Saturday to Mercury turning retrograde? I don't remember ever seeing so many upsets happening together on one weekend like that. There must have been some general cosmic influence. Do you have a theory about that?
A. Ideally, one would check the NCAA chart, but the Lunar Eclipse aligned with the U.S. Sun-squ-Saturn which in itself can mean an upset of the status quo. Notice the simultaneous major upsets (extreme volatility) in the stock market as well.
re: Neptune - In your discussion of transiting Neptune and the U.S. Ceres, I was surprised you never discussed water and farming at all. I've heard that some in California want to break the state up into 4 states to govern water because of the drought.
A. Yes, you've spotted another manifestation of this dynamic, and there will certainly be more. Keep your eyes peeled and let me know what else you find.
re: Teddy Roosevelt - We've been enjoying the PBS series on the Roosevelts too. Another aspect of Teddy's life that is very sad, but causes one to question the role of fate, is that he lost his first wife and mother on the same day. I have to wonder what the astrological factors behind that were. Also, did this loss have anything to do with his Uranus in the 12th house in Gemini (etc.)? This is the kind of biographical information, along with the story about him getting wounded yet surviving, that makes one wonder about the "fated" aspects in such a famous/history shaping person's life.
A. The date this coincidence happened was February 14, 1884. Transiting Saturn was in fact conjunct his 12th house Uranus at the time, suggesting the duality, difficulty and surprising nature of this loss. However, there were quite a few other major transits and progressions taking place at the same time. Especially relevant is that the preceding Solar Eclipse on October 30, 1883 took place on his Scorpio Sun and was activated by transiting Mars when his wife and mother died 3 1/2 months later.
re: Susan Miller - Gee, that's terrible--Susan Miller's fans getting angry at her for being sick. I receive 3 or 4 Astro-Newsletters. Whenever the Astrologers complain of being "stressed out," I email them telling them to "take a break!" from our receiving Newsletters--"We'll live" I tell them. Who are these people to complain about Susan?!
re: Susan Miller- That was a nice shout-out in support of Susan Miller. I've seen some of the comments on-line and they are shameful.
re: Rob Ford - We were told by the lead doctor at a news conference yesterday at 5:00 that Rob Ford has malignant liposarcoma--essentially cancer of the fat. It's metastasized to his left buttock. They'll figure out how to proceed based on how he responds to the chemo. As an astrologer, does this surprise you?
NewsScope for October 20, 2014
By Michael Wolfstar
Saturn Urges Obama Forward
In a recent 60 Minutes interview, President Obama summed up America’s role in today’s world. “America leads,” he said. “We are the indispensable nation. We have capacity no one else has. Our military is the best in the history of the world. And when trouble comes up anywhere in the world, they don’t call Beijing. They don’t call Moscow. They call us.”
Ever since his second term began, transiting Saturn has been in Obama’s 9th house of foreign affairs. With political opposition blocking his every move domestically, and Saturn bringing him intense conflicts and dangerous scenarios in the international scene, Obama’s attention has shifted outward. This coming December 13, Saturn will enter his 10th house. This is bound to be an important point in his career since the sixth Uranus-Pluto square takes place at the same time.
In the U.S. horoscope, the karmic pattern associated with the Lunar Nodes is in agreement with Obama’s assessment of America’s role. The South Node in Aquarius describes the drive for equality, the comfort with organizations, and the
need for teamwork. Once this is established, the North Node in Leo shows the way forward, and that’s through creative leadership. This nodal axis squares the Scorpio Ascendant, making the judicious use of American power the critical issue.
Obama understands this, since he has Aquarius Rising and a Leo Sun that’s situated near the U.S. North Node and the U.S. Leo Midheaven. Saturn will re-trace its path over his own Midheaven from June to September 2015, indicating he’ll be assuming a primary role in leading the international community and organizing global efforts. This may very well be against the Ebola outbreak (with his progressed Sun aspecting Chiron). And undoubtedly, the military will be playing a key role, since Obama’s progressed Mars is also being intensely activated during this same interval.
The Stock Market’s Wild Gyrations
Yes, the super-rich are getting richer: in 2000, 67% of Americans had money in the stock market, while only 45% participate today. Still, the market’s condition is a reliable leading indicator for future economic growth. In the last two weeks, the markets have shown incredible volatility, falling precipitously on many days, and then forging stunning comebacks. But the overall trend is decidedly bearish.
Financial astrologers like to point to planetary cycles to determine the markets’ peaks and troughs. And sure enough, Pluto turned direct just as the Dow reached its all-time high on September 19. The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 all drifted downward a bit, but on October 7, when the Dow lost 270 points in one day, financiers figured that the long-awaited correction had arrived.
At the time, the Full Moon in Aries (a lunar eclipse) conjoined Uranus, the planet associated with extreme volatility. As described in October’s Astro-Event #2, this eclipse aligned with the U.S. Saturn, indicating that revered American institutions - like stock markets and hospitals - were being put on Red Alert. And in fact, many financial analysts blamed fears of Ebola contagion for the markets’ woes.
The U.S. Moon at 25º Aquarius is a key factor: Pluto turned direct (on September 21) while forming an exact octile to the U.S. Moon, which negatively influenced investor confidence and established a long-term trend. Last Thursday, when the Dow was down some 470 points, transiting Black Moon Lilith was exactly opposite the U.S. Moon: fear of the unknown had totally unnerved investors. Looking forward, transiting Saturn will square the U.S. Moon on November 14, and this ongoing, bearish influence is in play through then.
James Risen’s Pay Any Price
Long before Edward Snowden came forward, James Risen was investigating domestic spying for the New York Times. He won a Pulitzer for his efforts in 2005 for “carefully sourced stories on secret domestic eavesdropping that stirred a national debate.” Now he’s making the media rounds promoting his new book, “Pay Any Price”, a cautionary tale about the war on terrorism.
James Risen was born with his Sun in determined Taurus (April 27, 1955; Cincinnati, OH; time unknown), an astrological factor that has helped keep his sources private in the face of government subpoenas and threats of imprisonment. Risen’s Mars in the writing sign of Gemini opposes Black Moon Lilith, which naturally turns his attention to the mysteries behind closed doors. Lilith in Sagittarius ensures that sticky moral issues would be involved.
Risen was born with a lucky Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, a combination that values independence, originality, and freedom of expression. In Cancer, this planetary duo readily extols the patriotic values associated with the freedom of the press, especially since his Jupiter-Uranus duo happens to conjoin the U.S. Mercury. Over the last week, his book and his interviews have appeared in many news outlets as transiting Saturn trines his Jupiter-Uranus.
Risen has been digging into the CIA’s illegal domestic spying since at least 2003, and by 2005 he began getting subpoenas and harassment from the Bush Administration*. By this time, Risen’s Black Moon Lilith had progressed to 11º Sagittarius and was less than a degree from opposing his natal Mars. Over the next decade, this aspect would complete itself, which corresponds to his lengthy, ongoing battle with government officials. Currently, transiting Pluto is trine his Mercury as his public case against scandalous government waste in the War on Terror looks very persuasive.
* For mindboggling background narrative, read “The Government War against Reporter James Risen”: thenation.com