Astrological Musings

Art by Jacquelyn Gordon.  Mars entered Scorpio yesterday, and will be traveling through the sign that carries us into the Underworld through November 16.  Mars is the ancient ruler of Scorpio - it helps to define the fiery emotional depths to which we descend when we are influenced by this magical sign.  The modern ruler of Scorpio is Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld.  Scorpio rules the time of Halloween - the ancient Samhain festival and the various Days of the Dead, where the veil between the worlds becomes thin and interdimensional communication becomes a reality rather than a mystery. 

photo from Nature's Wallpaper. 

Let's not even speculate yet on what will happen with the economic "rescue" (bailout) plan being signed in a RE-versal by the US House of Representatives when Mercury is retrograde (the stock markets fell anyway).  Instead, let's turn our intention to the bailout purchase of Wachovia and the battle over its takeover.  Remember Mercury retrograde periods can bring communication glitches, failing equipment, and sometimes the need to do things over, and over, and over, and over.

Skywatch is up on my website, and here is a snippet to cover the first week:

As October begins we are still in a shortage of the fire element and Mercury is retrograde, two factors that can make it difficult to accomplish anything.  Mercury will remain retrograde until October 15, and this is a great time for planning and re-evaluating plans and goals, but it's not the best time to implement them.  (Just tell the US Congress which is back at the drawing board trying to figure out a way to outsmart Pluto's effect in the financial markets.)  Physical energy may be low as well, since fire provides our drive and energy.  This will be alleviated somewhat on October 2nd when Mars forms a sextile (harmonious aspect) to Pluto, helping us to focus and intensify (Pluto) that physical energy and drive (Mars) in more effective ways.

That intensification continues on October 4 when Mars enters Pluto's sign of Scorpio.  Mars was the ancient ruler of Scorpio before Pluto was discovered, and the two planets are still considered co-rulers.  The Mars rulership describes the fiery nature of Scorpio - it's an emotional fire that burns deep and requires great courage in order to face the depths that lie within us.  With Mars in Scorpio (until mid-November) expect to see more emotional intensity and passion behind all of our actions.  

A trine of Mercury (thoughts) to Chiron (healing), also on the 4th, reveals an opportunity for a day before and after the 4th to heal some of this intensity and bring greater wisdom.  This overlaps with a sextile from Venus to Jupiter on the 5th, expanding (Jupiter) our ability to express our affection and sociability (Venus), making this a lovely time to get together with friends.  There is a tendency to be somewhat self-indulgent here that will be emphasized on the 6th when Mercury conflicts with Jupiter and brings about the potential for arguments.  

These events each last no more than a day or two and their overlapping influence may create some confusion.  One day things are rosy (Venus/Jupiter and then Venus sextile Saturn on the 7th), and the next day there are arguments (Mercury/Jupiter followed by Venus square Chiron on the 7th).  The square of Venus to Chiron will force us to confront areas of hurt, which can manifest either in ourselves or others in our life.  

You can read the article in its entirety here, and if you'd like your own free subscription, including a translation in English, sign up on my website. 

A few weeks ago my daily newspaper (Sagittarius rules publishing and the media in general along with religion) contained a DVD called The Obsession, an "expose" of Islamic Sharia law.  Evidently the film was made in 2005 and was distributed to 28 million homes.  

Anyone who tries to disclaim any link between this despicable attack and the release of 20 million copies of the Obsession DVD is either a fool or a liar. That DVD was intended to bring about precisely this kind of demonization. What is most shocking about the Obsession DVD is that it is most likely funded by the very people you would think would know all too well the wages of this kind of directed hate, scapegoating, and fear-mongering.

Incidentally, it doesn't stop here. There's a new Islamophobic film due to be released in early October, in time for Eid al Fitr: The Third Jihad. This is a "tsunami of Islamophobia" that is clearly aimed at influencing the election in November.

Follow the links, they're very interesting.  One links to Richard Silverstein's blog, which supports peace between Israelis and Arabs, suggesting that the Clarion Fund is run by the Republican Jewish Coalition.  I'm old enough to remember when there were no Jewish Republicans, so that whole idea to me is bizarre enough.  But it seemed to me that the release of this DVD right before the election is meant to create fear in the minds of Americans about Barack Obama, and a quick look at their website confirmed my suspicions with the headline: Barack Obama:  Pro-Palestinian, Anti-Israel, even hostile to America.  

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