Astrological Musings

September 2008 Archives

Tuesday September 30, 2008

Categories: Events, Politics

Terrorism via newspaper: the end of Pluto through Sagittarius

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.  

Aziz Poonawalla, my new blogging brother here on BeliefNet, reported yesterday that a mosque in Dayton, Ohio was teargassed and suggests that the spread of fear through this DVD was directly responsible. Several bloggers are researching the source of the DVD and have come up with a group called the Clarion Fund. Aziz writes,

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.  

This kind of fear (Pluto) through religion (Sagittarius) is what we've been dealing with over the past thirteen years, and with Pluto completing its tour through Sagittarius through December, it's not quite finished.  The dissemination of xenophobia through the newspaper, both under the province of Sagittarius, is a terrible but fitting symbol of the conclusion of this Pluto in Sag period.

Monday September 29, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Libra New Moon!

New Moon copy.jpgNew Moons are exciting times of renewal and new beginnings, and the Moon was new in Libra at 4 am EDT today.  Each month we are initiated into the mysteries of the signs in zodiacal order, and following the Virgo mystery that was illuminated by the New Moon eclipse on August 30, we find ourselves being opened to the Libran quest for beauty, harmony, and a balance in our relationships with others.  

Relationships are highlighted now, and with Venus, ruler of the New Moon, currently in Scorpio there is likely to be passion and intensity (Scorpio) in those relationships and the possibility for dissonance.  Venus and Scorpio have nothing in common - these signs are inconjunct (30 degrees apart) and they don't understand each other.  We must face the truth about our relationships (Scorpio) while working to achieve balance within them (Libra).  This extends to all kinds of partnerships in our life, and anywhere that we relate to others. 

With this New Moon we begin to see the opposition between Saturn (form and structure) and Uranus (chaos and innovation) moving towards their alignment that will be exact on election day. The Libra New Moon connects the energy of the Sun and the Moon - the conscious mind (Sun) and the emotional instincts (Moon) to ask "Where do the structures of my life that I depend on (Saturn) need to be altered so that they will better serve my authentic self (Uranus)?"

Mercury is retrograde, and at the Libra New Moon we are looking backwards to reprocess events in our life in a way that is more balanced and harmonious (Libra) than they were before.  Mercury trines Neptune exactly now, offering us a doorway to see our ideals (Neptune) clearly and express them in a creative and inspirational fashion.  

Look at your own chart to see which house the New Moon falls in - this is the area of your life where you have the potential to begin anew.  If you would like to like discussing this with others, please join the thread on our fledgling Astrological Musings group here at Beliefnet.  

Monday September 29, 2008

Categories: Politics

John McCain's erratic behavior: An astrological view

All but John McCain's most ardent supporters are talking about McCain's recent erratic and mccain.jpgbizarre behavior that threatens his run for President.  In a campaign that has been more about emotional reactions than a clear look at issues, it doesn't take much to throw a campaign off balance.  Republicans did not care for McCain to start with, then with his selection of Sarah Palin he became a star.  Now that the bloom is off Palin's rose after her only interviews reveal her utter lack of understanding of world affairs, McCain has to appear that much more presidential.

The LA Times writes, "David Keene, head of the American Conservative Union, said some of McCain's responses over the last 10 days were "goofy" and "just don't make a whole lot of sense." "  In the same article, John Weaver, McCain's former campaign manager, is quoted: "It was all very dramatic, but maybe the American public is tired of drama after the last eight years,  John needs to demonstrate he has a steady hand. He needs to be a bit more measured."

That is not McCain's style, and we can see that in his birthchart.  Mars in Leo can be flamboyantly (Leo) aggressive (Mars), and McCain's Mars is squared by Uranus which exacerbates the situation.  Uranus is the revolution - the radical and the rebel.  The challenging aspects of Mars and Uranus often shows an individual whose rebellion cannot be contained, and unless they balance those energies within themselves there is always a fight lurking just under the surface.  

McCain's progressed Moon aspected his progressed Mars a month ago, and that influence is just now waning.  For someone with the underlying anger that McCain has, the irritation of Mars to the Moon can add gasoline to the flame.  In addition, transiting Chiron (wounding and healing) has been forming a challenging aspect (square) to his Sun, the second phase of which occurred in early September.  This can be a painful time when our old hurts and painful emotions are exposed, ideally so that they can be healed.  It can also bring health problems, and the droopy eye that McCain has exhibited recently has given rise to rumors of a stroke, or Bells Palsy.  

The last big planetary event in McCain's life right now is the double transit of Saturn and Uranus to the retrograde Saturn/Venus opposition in his chart, a point that denotes the potential for low self-esteem  (Perhaps this is why McCain paid a Hollywood makeup artist over $5,000 of taxpayer-funded money recently.)  This Saturn/Venus opposition is part of a Mutable Grand Cross in his chart, of which I wrote in my earlier article:

A Grand Cross is a challenging aspect in which four planets make 90 degrees to each other, with two pairs of planets in opposition to each other. Typically there is a buildup of tension with this configuration which promotes change and transformation within the individual, but with the Mutable Grand Cross this energy is never focused and tends to create distress and tension within the individual unless there is a motivating force that provides momentum. Without such a force this person will tend to waffle and become distracted. At his core, Mr. McCain has not yet resolved his inner sense of failure expressed through his retrograde Saturn.

Because McCain does not have a strong core of conviction, planetary transits over the Grand Cross can shake him even more than they would for others.  Uranus has been transiting over these points for the past couple of years and currently is sitting right on McCain's Saturn, exacerbating the restlessness of his natal Uranus/Mars square.  Uranus wants to shake up all things Saturn in his chart: goals, rules, structures.   This would be great for a real maverick, but not a maverick who wants to be president.  Transiting Saturn is moving into alignment to oppose Uranus in the sky and Saturn in his chart, and that will be the real challenge.  

Sunday September 28, 2008

Categories: Future Shock

The new Army mind-meld

Shall we file this under Chiron conjunct Neptune in Aquarius, where the boundaries between technology (Aquarius) and the human mind/body connection (Chiron) are blurred beyond distinction?  And the mutual reception between Uranus in Pisces and Neptune (ruler of mind-meld.jpgPisces) in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus)?  The boundaries between technology and humanity continue to dissolve in a very Neptunian/Piscean way. 

 The Army has given a team of University of California researchers a $4 million grant to 
study the foundations of "synthetic telepathy." But unlike old-school mind-melds, this seemingly psychic communication would be computer-mediated. . . .

All across the military, there's interest in translating thoughts into computer code, and vice versa. Darpa-funded researchers have taught monkeys how to control robotic limbs with their thoughts. Defense contractor Northrop Grumman is building binoculars that tap the unconscious mind. Honeywell has built a system that monitors pre-conscious nueral firings, to help pick out targets in satellite imagery. The JASONs, the Pentagon's premiere scientific advisory board, has warned of the dangers of enemies 
implanted with brain-computer interfaces. And the Defense Intelligence Agency just released a report, saying the military needs to spend more on neuroscience - up to and including "mak[ing] the enemy obey our commands."


Ever since Uranus was discovered in the late 1700s, its influence has been transforming our technological development.  As we leave the age of Pisces and move into the Aquarian age, humans and machines are likely to be every more interdependent. 

Sunday September 28, 2008

Categories: Celebrities

Goodbye Paul Newman

 

Claire Courts has an astrological tribute, and Jill looks back at Newman's activism and great works. Paul Newman will be sadly missed.

Saturday September 27, 2008

Categories: Astrology

The astrology of Henry Paulson

Financial astrologer Ray Merriman said last week in our workshop that Aries Henry Paulson and Sagittarian Ben Bernanke did a fine job during the big expansion of the Pluto in Sagittarius era, but that they don't have a clue how...

Friday September 26, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Ten Things you should know about astrology

1.  Your birthchart is much more than your Sun sign.  You have more than ten different astrological signatures in your chart!!The astrology that most people know comes from the horoscope in the newspaper.  If you're an Aries, you'll meet an interesting...

Thursday September 25, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Mercury Retrograde

Planets are said to turn retrograde when they appear to be moving backwards from our perspective on earth.  Western astrology studies the motion of the planets from earth, since we are the center of our own universe, and when planets are...

Wednesday September 24, 2008

Categories: Events

Pluto and Capitalism: "Creative Destruction"

I first heard the term "creative destruction" this morning on NPR relative to the current debacle in the financial industry, and I thought:  how perfect for the nature of Pluto re-entering Capricorn where it has already marked a destruction of...

Wednesday September 24, 2008

Chart for the Autumnal Equinox

The Autumn Equinox occurs when the Sun reaches the zero degree point of Libra in the Tropical zodiac.  At this point the days and nights are of equal length, and this is the last sense of balance before the day...

Tuesday September 23, 2008

Categories: Astrology

The Blast: Part Two

If you're interested in the previous posts on the Blast Conference and my trip to Sedona, catch up here and here.  Saturday morning I took a bit of time off to have a leisurely breakfast, and arrived at the conference...

Saturday September 20, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Report from the Blast: Friday

(Photo is of the live feed between the AAGB conference in London and the Blast in Sedona.)  This is a continuation of the post I started yesterday, reporting on the conferences from the Blast Astrology Conference.  I'm not a big...

Friday September 19, 2008

Categories: Astrology, Events

Greetings from Sedona!

There's a lot of hype around Sedona, but there's no doubt that this is an incredible place.  I  dragged my husband Rich along for the week while I enjoy a few days of expanding my astrological horizons at the Blast Astrology...

Wednesday September 17, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Tales from the AstroBlogosphere

I arrived in Arizona last night, heading towards the Blast Astrology Conference this weekend.  I'll have lots of exciting news from the conference, but today please visit some of my friends for your astrology fix:Leslie takes a look at karma...

Monday September 15, 2008

Pluto direct and the fall of the markets

Over the past year, I and other astrologers have warned of the upcoming collapse of what I have called the Relentless Optimism of the Pluto in Sagittarius period.  Back in May, I wrote:As predicted in this column, stock markets around...

Sunday September 14, 2008

Categories: Astrology, Astronomy

Harvest Moon tomorrow!

The Full Moon on the 15th is the Harvest Moon, so named because the period between sunset and moonrise is shorter as we near the Autumnal Equinox which makes for a longer workday on the farm.  This Full Moon is in...

Friday September 12, 2008

Categories: Celebrities

Anne Hathaway's Neptune Problem

Anne Hathaway's ex-boyfriend, Raffaello Follieri. spent his 30th birthday in jail after being convicted for 14 counts of fraud and money laundering.  Columnists are debating how much Anne actually knew about what Raffaello was up to when he represented himself...

Thursday September 11, 2008

Categories: Events

The Astrology of September 11

It's always easier to look backwards and find astrological correlations to major events than it is to predict specific events using astrology.  Only astrologer Lynne Palmer predicted the attacks of September 11, although other astrologers did note that this period would...

Wednesday September 10, 2008

Categories: Celebrities, Politics

A look at Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow's new show begins on September 9, and if you're a fan of the truth, no matter what side you're on, you owe it to herself to check her out.Twilight has posted a noon chart for Rachel, along with these...

Tuesday September 9, 2008

Jupiter Direct! And exactly trine Saturn...

When a planet changes direction (as we see the planet from our vantage point on Planet Earth), it is particularly powerful. Today we have Jupiter turning direct after spending several days in conflict with Mars, Mercury and Venus.  Jupiter brings...

Monday September 8, 2008

Categories: Astrology, Politics

Election predictions using astrology

Madison asked in the comment stream whether astrology could predict the outcome of the elections.  If you've been reading this column for awhile you know that it is my belief that we are not meant to predict the future.  First...

Sunday September 7, 2008

Categories: Events

Happy Birthday Google! And a look at the Chrome browser

I downloaded the Chrome browser from Google yesterday, and I have to say I love it!!  It's fast, intuitive, it knows all of the sites I like and finds them quickly.  Chrome was released on September 2, with the Sun...

Saturday September 6, 2008

Categories: Astronomy

First month with no sunspots in a century!

 Scientists report that the Sun has been free of sunspots for the first time since 1913 after a seven-month period in which only three sunspots were seen.  Back in January a new sunspot appeared to introduce the new Solar Cycle Number...

Friday September 5, 2008

Categories: Planetary cycles

The upcoming Saturn/Uranus opposition and election day

Beginning on the US election day, Saturn and Uranus will begin a series of five oppositions, concluding the summer of 2010.  Astrologers have been speculating for the past year about what this could mean.  Saturn is the planet that rules...

Thursday September 4, 2008

Categories: Ecology

Saturn in Virgo: More studies on Plastics

From the Wall Street Journal: Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have linked a chemical found in everyday plastics to problems with brain function and mood disorders in monkeys -- the first time the chemical has been connected to...

Tuesday September 2, 2008

Categories: Personal evolution

Ride the Jupiter/Pluto wave!

If you've been feeling like you're treading water this summer, or going one step backwards for every two steps forwards, you're not alone.  Four traditional planets plus Chiron are retrograde now, and while this isn't as many as the...

Tuesday September 2, 2008

Categories: Politics

Sarah Palin's astrological chart

Many of you have asked me to post her chart, so here is the Solar chart, using noon as the birthtime since the time is unavailable.  I know that Jude Cowell is using a sunrise chart which is for...

Monday September 1, 2008

Categories: Politics

McCain's transits and the Palin Family Values

I know I said I was going to take a short break from politics, but this is just too wild.  Sarah Palin, John McCain's pick for Vice President, announced today that her 17-year old daughter Bristol is pregnant.  This is a...

Monday September 1, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Happy Labor Day! And Skywatch is posted

The September issue of Skywatch, my monthly report of planetary news, is posted now on my website and you can read it here.  Here are the general influences that we encounter as we enter September: The beginning of September...

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About Astrological Musings

Lynn Hayes has been a practising astrological consultant in beautiful North Carolina for over 25 years, working with clients all over the world both in person and by phone. She focuses on therapeutic and healing approaches which encourage greater empowerment and personal growth. Visit www.astrodynamics.net for more information.

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