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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!"
Recent NewsScope Articles
Jan. 6, 2014 - Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio; Colorado legalizes marijuana; Sean Penn's love life.
Jan. 13, 2014 - Jeff Bezos and Chiron-Pluto; is Chris Christie a bully? West Virginia's eco-disaster
Jan. 20, 2014 - Cyber insecurity , Ceres and California's drought, Francois Hollande
Jan 27, 2014 - Market volatility and the Grand Cross; Feb. top five; Russell Wilson and the Seahawks
Feb. 3, 2014 - The politics of Marianne Williamson, Black Widows, Amanda Knox re-convicted.
Feb. 10, 2014 - Mercury turns retrograde; Viktor Yanukovych at the crossroads; AthenaHealth.
Feb.17, 2014 - Comcast's evil empire; Mercury retrograde brings travel snafus, Kevin Spacey.
Feb. 24, 2014 - China's shadow banking system; March's top five; Ukraine's Yulia Tymoshenko freed.
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 14, 2014 - Germany boots U.S. spy chief; marijuana prohibition; Cleveland twice blessed.
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.
Reader feedback
re: Jessica Alba - She is most impressive. You didn't say anything about Ceres in her chart. I wonder if it's also relevant.
A. Ceres trines Uranus, which is angular and near the 4th house cusp. She's revolutionizing home life, with special attention to baby products.
re: Scott Walker - When doing Scott Walkers chart wouldn't you do a relocation chart from Colorado to Wisconsin instead?
A. It's certainly possible to look at a politician's chart relocated to his current residence, but that depends on having an accurate birth time. For Scott Walker, his birth time is unknown, so we don't know his Ascendant or Midheaven, and relocating the chart won't change that unknown.
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?
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.
Oct. 20, 2014 - Saturn urges Obama forward; the stock markets' wild gyrations; James Risen.
Oct. 27, 2014 - Barbara Boxer and global warming; Nov.'s top five astro-events; Gigamon surprises.
Nov. 3, 2014 - Tim Cook's historic declaration; remembering Joan Quigley; Renee Zellwegger.
Nov. 10, 2014 - Lamar Smith on the political frontline; re-thinking Lilith; DWTS Janel Parrish.
NewsScope for November 17, 2014
By Michael Wolfstar
Neptune’s Station
When Colonel Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial oil well back on August 28, 1859, it marked the beginning of the global oil industry that so dominates today’s geopolitical dynamics. Neptune has just turned direct at 4º Pisces, a key degree since it’s exactly aligned with the Sun at 4º Virgo in the Drake’s Well chart. Not surprisingly, developments in the oil industry have dominated the news lately.
The Sun in the 9th house defines the U.S. as a nation of immigrants.
For the last seven weeks straight, the price of oil has fallen, closing at $75/barrel last Friday. The unexpected plunge has put many marginally profitable oil companies in jeopardy, allowing the cash-rich giants to buy up their smaller rivals. Last week Halliburton confirmed that it’s in merger talks with Baker Hughes, and when this deal goes through, Halliburton will become the world’s largest oil services corporation.
Since 98% of scientists agree that global warming is attributed to the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), Neptune becomes a primary inverse indicator for the environmental movement. The main example in the news last week was the House’s approval of the Keystone Pipeline. The Senate votes on the bill this week, but President Obama has threatened to veto the bill on environmental grounds.
A surprise deal between China and the U.S. was signed at the APEC summit last week. The world’s top two greenhouse gas emitters agreed to cut their emissions 26% by 2025, an historic development which makes a global arrangement more realistic. China’s signature arrived on November 12 as transiting Uranus (the planet of surprises) was exactly opposite China’s Mercury-Neptune conjunction. In the U.S. horoscope, transiting Uranus was precisely squaring the U.S. Sun.
Obama’s Provocative Executive Action
As early as this week, President Obama may take executive action to remove the threat of deportation for as many as five million illegal immigrants. A few critics have suggested that this kind of action would be “an impeachable offense”, as conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer phrased it. While Republican leaders have said there would be no impeachment, another government shutdown is possible.
These developments resonate with transiting Pluto opposite the U.S. Sun. Because it is an opposition, Obama can expect vociferous flak from his political rivals. It may even develop into a scandal. If we look back through U.S. history to when transiting Pluto made hard aspects to the U.S. Sun, we see that the likelihood of a major kerfuffle involving the over-reaching of the sitting president increases.
Pluto made its first hard aspect, a square from Aries, in 1837 just as Martin Van Buren took office. Within months, the “Panic of 1837” hit the nation and, rightly or wrongly, Van Buren’s financial policies were blamed. Pluto’s next hard aspect was the conjunction in the mid-1920s. At the time, the Teapot Dome Scandal was being investigated, and prosecutors found that President Warren G. Harding had improperly used his power to enrich his friends by granting them oil leases.
It was the worst case of presidential abuse of power at the time, until Watergate came along in the 1970s. And that’s when Pluto made its next hard aspect to the U.S. Sun, a square from Libra. Now that we’re in the opposition phase, and the congressional and executive branches have sharply divergent agendas, confrontation is inevitable. Watch for growing support of retaliation measures aimed at cutting funding for immigration policies.
Jessica Alba, CEO of The Honest Co.
On January 17, 2012, actress Jessica Alba launched The Honest Company, which designs, manufactures, and sells eco-friendly products. In 2007, the Dark Angel star was unable to find non-toxic products for her two children, and decided to create “a trustworthy lifestyle brand.” It took several years to accomplish her task, but now The Honest Co. is heading toward an IPO worth $1 billion.
Jessica Alba was born with a Sun-Mars-Mercury-Venus quadruple conjunction in pragmatic Taurus (April 28, 1981; 1:51 pm; Pomona, CA), a down-to-earth, persevering stellium that she would need to bring her vision to reality. Neptune plays a major role in her chart since it closely aspects both the Midheaven and Ascendant. Without the Taurus planets, this Neptune could easily lead her astray into escapist pursuits.
The active transits and progressions when she started The Honest Company show how she personally identified with her vision for a virtuous company: transiting Neptune opposed her Ascendant, and her progressed Ascendant squared her natal Neptune. On the practical side, her progressed Mars had arrived at her Taurus Midheaven, giving her the energy and financial resources to complete her mission. Also, transiting Jupiter had just entered Taurus, which was clearly auspicious for her new enterprise.
All her ninth house planets have now progressed into the tenth house of business, and business is good. And we can expect that her business and acting career will flourish due to a rare alignment of her progressed Venus and Midheaven. Progressed Venus advances slightly faster than the progressed Midheaven’s rate of one degree per year. Currently, they’re one degree apart, but heading for a conjunction in five years. Here’s a star to watch.
