May 2023's Fixed Grand Square: Mars-Pluto-Jupiter

by Jude Cowell

For those who may wish to chance a reading of the following marked-up bi-wheel of DC Horoscopes, kudos! Be brave, because an influential Fixed Grand T-Square of rigid, forceful energies form via a Mars-Pluto opposition across the Leo-AQ self-will axis with transit Jupiter @00Taurus (May 17) becoming the apex planet of the dynamic T-Square of May.

A midpoint picture may be considered as well between the planetary trio with mixed potentials such as 'unusual success, enjoyment of freedom, organizing ability, using extreme measures, publicity, energy and resources to make things happen, and/or the big plan comes into focus' (N. Tyl, R. Ebertin, M. Munkasey). Results from this planetary pattern for the American people will depend on whose 'big plan' is implemented, yes? A kinder Democratic plan or the GOP's sadistic plan of loss of freedoms, barbarism, cruelty, and death.

Now it's true that the Mars-Pluto duo can relate to military and police actions (ex: police state), extreme efforts, and even brutality and primal violence in some cases, all of which now target, or have targeted, American society in a purposeful and violent campaign to destroy or diminish democracy in the US in order to implement the authoritarian agenda favored by seditious 'maga' Republicans - as they follow the instructions of their wealthy domestic and foreign backers, saboteurs all.

Better Call Jupiter, the Great Benefic!

Meanwhile, my personal hope is that apex Jupiter squaring the May 2023 opposition will expand protective functions and moderate the difficult situations, blocking them when necessary, which may be created by the transiting Mars-Pluto opposition, for my objectives via Political Astrology have always been on behalf of the common good and on the promotion of progressive improvements for America and for my fellow Americans - m'peops! And it's worth remembering that the Fixed T-Square's energies, both positive and negative, will pass.

So below is a bi-wheel showing the current Mars-Pluto Cycle (inner chart) which began March 23, 2020 (Covid time of "traumatic transformation" under Trump: his natal Neptune of deception, fraud, contagion at Midheaven, the Goal Point), and the upcoming Mars-Pluto opposition (outer chart) of May 20, 2023 at 11:11:15 pm edt Washington DC (00Leo/AQ16) with 8Cap20 conjunct transit Bacchus Rx rising along with starry Facies (ruthlessness or the victim):

One stand-out factor is that restrictive Saturn @00AQ04 in 2nd hou$e on March 23, 2020 is now affected by the Mars-Pluto opposition of May 20, 2023. Finances seem to be involved in May 2023 (2/8 axis) relating back to Trump 2020 events, and potentials are for 'frustrated goals, those with forceful personalities but limited influence, and/or hard work that usually pays off'. Obviously, mundane Saturn also represents the legal profession (lawyers, judges) along with lawsuits and other legal entanglements, plus, middle management workers.

In Aquarius in 2020, Saturn leaned toward extravagant expectations that led to disappointment, and/or ambitious plans with no real foundation. Positively, Saturn in Aquarius indicates reliable partners, and serious people such as policy wonks and intellectuals with a progressive Aquarian bent. Although we should note that Aquarian energy can be awfully quirky, erratic, and radical when it prefers to be. Plus, with 2023 Pluto conjunct 2020 Saturn, someone's refusal to accept limitations in the past may now be regretted. Is this a reference to Trump's current legal troubles and his recent arraignment in New York and with more charges to come? Lifestyles can be completely transformed under such a Pluto-to-Saturn transit.

But now in Pisces, Saturn conjunct 2020 Mercury in 3rd house, denotes 'struggles with opponents' (R. Ebertin), and conjunct Mercury suggests restrictions on relationships with young people such as students: loss of life in schools due to firearms follows Trump's 2017 inaugural-address threat of "American carnage." Plus, Saturn to Mercury also relates to the current book banning craze of the Republican Party along with their attempts to limit free speech and ideas in America despite the US Constitution.

Note: And if we're feeling quirky enough, we could consider the May 2023 Mars-Pluto opposition in similar fashion to "unbirthdays" which occur 6 months after a birth (or event) date, the halfway mark, when goals should be reassessed and courses changed in order to improve the odds that objectives can be reached going forward. Just a thought!

Significant to the May 2023 T-Square pattern is that 00AQ+ is the January 20th position of US Inaugural Sun (POTUS' Oath of Office, the presidency) and also the position of the current Jupiter-Saturn Cycle which began @00AQ29 on December 21, 2020 (also under Trump), a cosmic signal of a new order starting (a 20-year cycle), and the planetary pair signifying government officials. Then with transit Pluto hitting this degree (00AQ), there are potentials for 'immense efforts, restrictions, separation, and/or violent changes (R.E.). Noel Tyl adds, "major changes; fearlessness; tremendous perseverance; and/or control of the situation".

As for the Fixed Grand T-Square, its energies work out more easily than Fixed Grand Crosses which have a fourth planet involved which complicates matters.

May 2023 Fixed Grand T-Square Implications in Society

Determination to succeed at any cost relates directly to current conditions and actions of saboteurs and malcontents in US society, as you know, with democracy vs fascism, a constant stalemate between liberals and Democrats, and Republicans-turned-fascists, a turn-about no longer hidden beneath the GOP's "compassionate conservatism" slogan of their former political days.

Values are tested with Fixed Grand Squares, and a powerful urge exists to keep hold of possessions (the way the power elite and wealthy classes do - they don't like to share). Obsessions lead to stalemate situations as rigid demands tend to block the demands and needs of other people (debt ceiling stand-off?). Yes, the pattern's fixed energies provide enormous staying power (stubborness) and the emotional stamina to withstand setbacks without giving up. This refers, of course, to both sides of a stalemate. A singe-minded approach expresses within the Collective as goal-oriented folks use these energies for their particular purposes.

Meanwhile, as apex planet and catalyst of the Fixed Grand T-Square, Jupiter must use moderate pressure and common sense upon the Mars-Pluto opposition to effect best results in a variety of situations while taking baby steps of diplomacy toward resolution.

Now all or any of these indications may be cosmic descriptions of Russia's war in Ukraine, and/or other violent conflicts, but for the sake of this post's brevity, that would be another post for a different day.

Recommended for additional T-Square info, and more, is Bil Tierney's Dynamics of Aspect Analysis #ad.

In His Greatest Role Trump Plays King Cyrus the Great!

Cyrus Frees the Jews; Jean Fouquet 1470 [Public domain]

As you know, in ancient times Cyrus the Great, King of Persia (the land westerners arrogantly call, Iran), freed the Jewish captives from Babylonia and allowed them to migrate home and build The Temple in Jerusalem.

And perhaps you also know that American evangelicals and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu have linked Trump to King Cyrus based, one presumes, on his alleged "chosen one" status and his 2018 announcement of the relocation of Israel's capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thus fulfilling the Biblical 70-year prophecy of the fig tree. (State of Israel founded May 1948 + 70 years = May 2018.)

At least this is the sort of thing those using Trump as a tool are telling him to further their arrogant imperative to rush God into ending our corrupt world. To me it's the destructive spirit such people follow that leads them - and the rest of the world - to self-destruction. Yet in spite of their druthers, they are not the boss of God!

Plus, a comparison of Trump to King Cyrus falls woefully short once immigration issues are inspected more closely for we know that Trump's record on immigration, immigrants, and refugees is tattered to shreds by his cruel tactics and he's shown often that his intolerance of others knows no bounds. Alternately, King Cyrus was known as a promoter of human rights (a foreign concept to Trump) and as a "tolerant monarch" and while Trump thinks of himself as a monarch, exhibiting tolerance toward others does not apply to malignant narcissist Donald Trump, the Insulter.

False prophet, more like.

Well, that's my soapbox complaint on the matter. Because it occurs to me that when entities read prophecy, then set about manipulating people and events in order to make it appear that the prophecy is being fulfilled, the world is being head-faked, m'peops! So I pray that we can restrain the destructive urge to lemming ourselves en masse over a cliff with Pied Piper Trump tweeting the tune like the delirious Bacchus figure he is.

Donald Trump's Bacchian September 2019!

Early September Trump Tweets About Dorian and Other Stuff

Now you don't need me to tell you of recent news stories about Hurricane Dorian, Alabama, Trump's recent flubs and his dumb lies meant to cover his flubs. Meanwhile, beginning the first of September, a certain transiting asteroid, Bacchus, became prominent by traveling in tandem with Mercury exalted in its own sign of discriminating Virgo, and representing such things as communications (exs: speech, tweets, drawing lines with Sharpies, and the telling of lies). And as you know, Virgo is also the sign of The Critic which describes Trump but also describes the boatload of criticism he has received for his latest distraction from other news items he finds personally embarrassing or in some political way, inconvenient (exs: finking out on his trip to Poland, sending Pence in his stead, and Pence's stay at Trump's hotel in Ireland). With so many laws to break playing POTUS, how can Trump ever find the time!

Once his tweeted Weather Forecasts began, we can note that the Sun-Mars conjunction occurred on September 2, 2019 @9Vir41, the position of the 19 North Solar Eclipse of September 1, 2016--the Prenatal Eclipse of both Election 2016 and Inauguration 2017 which occurred opposite deceptive Neptune but which called for 'realism, truth-tackling, coming down to earth, and seeing an old situation for what it really is' (Brady). This continues to be excruciating for the public as Trump's lies, head-fakes, and fraudulent actions and behaviors pile up and up thanks in part to deceitful Neptune in secretive, scandal-prone Pisces gumming up the works, undermining the truth...and continuing to conjoin and thus disguise America's progressed POTUS Sun now floating about in mid-Pisces. In other words, Neptune gives Trump 'cover' as they like to say in politics.

And so the schedule of transiting Bacchus extends through the month for on September 3rd Bacchus picked up a second traveling partner, Mars in Virgo, and naturally when Mercury and Mars combine energies there are often political opinions of a forceful nature to accidentally or purposefully unnerve the populace and/or annoy an audience. Of course, other planetary transits and factors are influencing current events now as well but our focus today is on fatty grub Bacchus.

Then on September 4th, with Trump still Dorian-tweeting, the Sun caught up and added its bright rays of public attention upon Bacchus, an ancient 'god' and cult-leader associated with 'the outsider' and one of the primary asteroid-archetypes I have previously suggested as an astrological significator for Donald Trump, calling him a Bacchus figure (see his image, above).

Now it may be that the current kerfuffle over Trump's Dorian tempest imaginings will settle down or be superseded by a new flub or scandal soon--or, things won't settle down until transiting Bacchus is left behind without a planetary limelight under which to cavort. However, Bacchus keeps the Sun's attention from now and through the 30 degrees of Libra, then loses the limelight as the Sun enters Scorpio on or about October 23rd leaving Bacchus behind in late Libra.

Whew! You'd think that even self-indulgent Bacchus would need a break from his revels before that. Wouldn't you?

DC Horoscope: Solar Eclipse December 26, 2019

Well, year 2019 ends with transit Jupiter opposing US natal Jupiter (see lower right, in green), plus, a Capricorn Solar Eclipse perfects @4Cap06:51 the day after Christmas (12:13 am est). Yet much of what I can say about the DC Horoscope of the December 26, 2019 Solar Eclipse in the 3 South Saros Series is messily penned upon the chart so hopefully those who wish to can enlarge the image and read my study notes; be advised that the natal placements of Donald Trump are penned around the chart and highlighted in pink (which is not the new black but his 'favorite' color orange is) - and his nibs' problematic Mercury-Neptune square of fantasy and deception is active and activated upon the ASC-MC angles of the eclipse chart when set for Washington DC:

Edit 6.16.19: since I can't change this on the chart itself I'll add here that the Sun-Moon midpoint (eclipse degree rounded up) should be '5Cap' (not '6Cap'--that's the degree and symbol of both Jupiter and the IC--mea culpa! The Sabian Symbol for '5Cap' is: "Indians Rowing a Canoe and Dancing a War Dance" (which the Trump administration has been recklessly attempting to do against Iran)...'keyword: MOBILIZATION; positive expression: a capacity for aggressive leadership and an unusual effectiveness in sidetracking minor issues for the sake of major achievement; negative' (unconscious/shadow side): 'unnecessary moods and tantrums' (Jones). This certainly adds a different and worrisomely aggressive flavor to the eclipse chart as we end 2019 and enter 2020. jc

In case you missed it, a recent post contains a List of Lunar and Solar (w/ themes) Eclipses from July 2019 through 2022.

And as always, your on-topic questions and/or comments are welcome and all Shares are much appreciated! However, No comments that are actually ads for services or websites will be published no matter how wonderful or accurate they are. jc

Trump as Apollo, Hercules, Bacchus? Venus applauds!

Image: Bacchus; Peter Paul Reubens 1638/1640; public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bacchus.jpg

By studying his natal horoscope, curious cosmic myths and mysteries turn up concerning Donald Trump who, if one is to believe, was born June 14, 1946 at 10:54 am edt in Queens, New York. Notice the royal reference of his place of birth and, if his hour of entering the earthly flux is accurate, also note that royal star Regulus, the "king maker" or "little king", rises with his natal Ascendant (@29Le55: Self; Physical Body) at the moment of his birth. Also rising is a 'godly' asteroid, Apollo, the ancient 'sun god' along with a certain midpoint associated with goddess (or god) worship, veneration, and idolatry, Venus-Neptune. Perhaps you've noticed that in his own perverted way, Trump worships the female form, craves its beauty. In fact, only young, beautiful women will do! But is his vain self-image detached from reality? In the outer world, yes, but not on an inner level for he sees himself as the handsome Apollo and a royal king, the divine ruler! And we witness his sun worship via the orange face and white circles around his peepers ad nauseum! So whether by spray tan or tanning bed, there slouches our orange-hued 'Apollo' for all to see and marvel upon, red tie pointing ominously downward!

Yet there are deeper mysteries and intrigues under the surface of this superficial Gemini (Uranus-North-Node-Sun) who desperately longs to be taken seriously and to have speaks with world leaders of the strongman variety for Trump considers himself a strongman, too. But as with all human beings he is weak and flawed yet we find clues to his essence by his Regulus rising with lusty Mars in royal Leo (26Leo46) and in the myths associated with the royal star that Roman poet Ovid called Bacchi Sidus, "Star of Bacchus" (the Roman name for Dionysus, who remains well-known for his popular cult following). Of course these days, Regulus-rising Trump enjoys a (dwindling) Twitter following but still reaps benefits from the usual 'cult of personality' made familiar to the American public since the hallowed days of the high-minded George Washington (with whom his nibs can never compare, imho; in fact, they're opposites).

Now everyone knows that the leonine Regulus (now progressed from Leo to 00Virgo) is associated with the Nemean Lion who kidnapped maidens and kept them as hostages in his lair deep within his cave. (This sounds much like the myth of cave-dweller Pluto, god of Hades, and perpetrator of murder, assassination--and rape.) The warriors from surrounding towns would attempt to rescue the damsels in distress but misfortune resulted and so the myth goes that Heracles (the Roman Hercules, the strongman) was given the task of killing the Nemean Lion which he did by breaking its back with his bare hands for the Lion was impervious to all weapons. Does this remind you of the myth of "Teflon Trump"? Apparently it should. And according to the Trumpian mythology of his nibs, he plays the roles of both the Lion and the strongman who conquers!

Now curiously, Bacchus is associated with Regulus, an intriguing connection when it comes to D. Trump. Follow the Dionysus link, above, for more mythological info but I'll include a few details of interest here so you might consider whether or not they apply to his nibs. Such as:

Bacchus is known as the god of fertility, ritual madness (delirium), freedom to do as one wills (as with the satanic Thelema cult "of the Crowned and Conquering Child"), the harvest (grapes in particular), theater (Trump the thespian plays POTUS on TV!), and wine--or in the case of fussy narcissist Donald Trump, whine. In some cultural references Bacchus is a sibling of Apollo, and as the god of epiphany, Bacchus is "the god that comes" and his "foreignness as an arriving outsider" is an essential part of his cult and his reputation.

So if we cast our fatigued minds back to the 2016 Election, we find the Venus Cycle and goddess Venus' 4-and-8-year predictive relationship with the US Presidential Election cycle. In 2016, "Venus in Sagittarius supports a change to someone 'different'", I wrote then--in other words, election Venus in Sagittarius in 2016 supported the coming of a foreigner, a member of the rival party, an "outsider" who would be victorious over the incumbent party. A Bacchus figure, we might say if we wished.

Now let's allow goddess Venus to lure us back to Trump's natal midpoint picture of Ascendant = Venus-Neptune. Ebertin says of the Venus-Neptune pair (in no particular order per Trump and with a few mild edits):

'an erotic imagination, illusion, a person easily influenced, a dreamy nature, high ideals (when it comes to feminine beauty, at least--jc), a mistaken sense of love, indecision, uncertainty, a seducible character, erotic aberrations, inclination to mysticism (ex: idol worship; the occult--jc), romantic reverie, a poorly developed sense of reality, weakened glandular functions, pathological enlargement of the glands, weakness of the sex organs, lover of beauty and art, mystics, dreamers, visionaries, longing for love, peculiar desires and objectives, an unstable existence and changing occupations, difficult realization of ideals and wishes, awakening from emotional infatuation with awareness of disappointment or disillusionment, wrong ways of love.'

Add Trump's Ascendant for more specific potentials: 'A peculiar disposition with regard to love life, impressionable, lack of good taste, a union with persons of a peculiar disposition, and/or disappointment in love'. (The Combination of Stellar Influences, R. Ebertin.)

Now let's consider the combined energies of the Venus-Neptune pair in the realms of Politics and Business a la Munkasey's Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets through his helpful inclusion of the Hegelian Dialect used by ivory-towered societal meddlers and chess players of the world for whom we are only the pawns:

"Thesis: Appeals to the ideals of the people; an inflated treasury; use of inflation as a means for controlling or manipulating growth; wealth derived from gas, chemicals, or oil; exaggerates or misstates internal resources.

Antithesis: Scandals concerning the misuse of, or deceptive practices within, the treasury or internal resources; subversives who desire to gain access to finances; spies in the financial branches; monetary fraud; art deception." For Trump I would add, artful deception.

And Munkasey's Venus-Neptune potentials conjunct Trump's natal Ascendant?

"An appreciation of how reality can be altered for your own enjoyment; indulging in another's fantasy for personal gratification; perceptions about the illusions of how matter or form combine in the world."

And so it seems obvious to me that Trump's natal Mercury-Neptune square, a major fantasy-prone factor of misconception and falsehood lurking deep within his psyche, aids and supports his Venusian-Neptunian dreams, imaginings, illusions, and deceptions quite perfectly. Yet on this can we ever agree?

As you know, all royal stars in contact with personal horoscopes contain a caution not to be ignored. Here's A Very Closely Related Post: Will Regulus Assure the Destiny of Donald Trump?.

4:20 pm on 4.20.10: it's smoke-in time!

Well, I missed it again! But yes, it's been years since my college days so I shouldn't be surprised that today's Great Smoke-in, in honor of marijuana's nickname '420', has come and gone without me.

At 4:20 pm pdt on 4.20.10, Fixed Star Denebola will rise in San Francisco, scene of one of today's smoke-ins. Denebola's keywords seem quite applicable to this event: to go against society, or, against the mainstream!

The chart does have health connotations, however, such as the still-within-orb YOD between Sun (in sensual Taurus) sextile Neptune (planet of negative escapism, drugs, and dreams) pointing to authoritarian Saturn 29Vir07 Rx in 1st house. (YODs can be health indicators as well as 'special task' or 'crisis' indicators.) I suspect that California authorities (Saturn) are not as happy as the participants today and may consider the smoke-in to be a critical (29th degree) situation they must deal with. We'll see how it goes. (I'm in the edt zone and it's now nearing 8:30 pm here.)

Plus, 19Vir00 is rising making Mercury the chart-ruler, yet Mercury is Rx in Taurus and is squared by Mars. Will something or someone interfere with all the hi-jinks?

And I shouldn't neglect to add a midpoint picture affecting Mars at 4:20 pm... Saturn/MC = Mars: a lack of initiative and enterprise. (This effect is one of the drawbacks of regular pot smoking, yes? Wait a minute - how would you know? ;p )

So with the YOD's health connection, I'm thinking of California's lead in allowing medical marijuana to be used, something I must agree with for calming serious or fatal conditions. If herbal smoking eases someone's severe pain or gives them an appetite when they wouldn't have one otherwise, it's not my place or the nosy government's business to keep weed from helping people, imho. For who am I to pontificate to those near death, especially a painful one? Sheesh!

Another interesting factor in the chart is Mars @ 8Leo40 in 11th house of Friends, Groups, and Associations...as you know, Leo loves entertainment and fun times...

'9Leo' = "Glass Blowers Shape with Their Breath Glowing Forms"...ha ha! Sounds suspiciously bong-like to me, how about you?

Plus, Mars rises these days with SIRIUS, keywords: the mundane becoming sacred . Now I've never researched cannabis to any extent but it must be a sacred herb in some culture or another, right? And didn't some of our nation's Founding Fathers grow it? Oh yeah, for the hemp. Right.

As far as asteroids, there's imbibing Bacchus who never met a party or a feel-good substance he didn't like...he's very suitably traversing the sign of Neptunian Pisces just now @ 18Pis42, conjunct the chart's Descendant!

Socializing Venus 24Tau50 has what may be an apt Sabian Symbol to add to the picture, hazy though the smoke-in's location may become...

'25Tau' = "A Large, Well-Kept Public Park."

And in the end, you know what they always love to say so I'll say it as well:

smoke 'em if ya got 'em!

And if you don't, just blog about it.

Mitch McConnell Feb 20, 1942: Sun in Pisces

Synastry grid of natal charts: Across President Obama (D-WH); Down Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY); as you see I've circled squares, oppositions, inconjuncts, sesqui-squares, and semi-squares between the two men and have titled this synastry grid comparison, 'Friction and Tensions.'

Pictured below is the noon horoscope for Mitch McConnell, born Feb 20, 1942 in Tuscumbia, Alabama although his website skips Alabama entirely and goes directly to his being 'raised in south Louisville' Kentucky.

Yes, Tuscumbia is the birthplace of Helen Keller but perhaps Sen. McConnell's apex Neptune in a YOD pattern (with Sun sextile Moon - if he was born earlier than noon) gives us a clue: apex Neptune in a YOD configuration indicates one who in early years longs to be elsewhere in a better, calmer place.

In fact, discontented is a good word for him on more than one level, and he's something of an idealist who'd rather stay in his emotional ivory tower and ignore needed social adjustments. In a 'safe' emotional place you don't have to deal with real life's harsher realities yet this is the kind of inner (possibly unconscious) attitude that causes distortions in judgment and errors concerning others' situations (to the extent he notices them, one supposes.)

The senator may feel quite fearful and defensive when life fails to live up to the ideal vision of his Airy Jupiter - unless and until he learns to sacrifice whatever it takes in order to gain an intangible ideal; apex Neptune in a YOD pattern may indicate an illumined one who deeply delves into the mysteries of life.

If you've ever read this blog before you know that politically speaking I take all references to words such as 'illumined' or 'illumination' as a link to the Illuminati and its over-arching plan to rule the world - just in case...wouldn't want to miss a glaring honker like that!

These YOD factors are tied in to his Sun in Pisces (Jupiter/Neptune), and his natal South Node in Pisces indicates that he tends to 'fall back' on past, unconscious behaviors of a Piscean nature - perhaps alcohol, with Bacchus prominent (see chart.)

Now I've heard that Baptists 'don't drink' but I also hear that most senators consider themselves to be far above the natural laws the rest of us are subject to! Well, if he doesn't drink, perhaps he writes poetry or plays violin when he's in seclusion.

Senator McConnell has a Leonine Pluto/Chiron conjunction, the pair of plutocracy, oppression, fascism, sexism, and all the disenfranchising -isms you may care to name; plus, for him and for other Jupiterian Republicans, I'm-not-my-brother's-keeper-ism could be in the mix, too.

Now you see in the noon chart below that McConnell's Moon 4Tau36 has traveled from Aries recently - actually, @ 2:58 am CWT the Moon reached 00Tau00, so he either was born with a Sun Pisc/Moon Aries blend (Water-Fire = steam) or a Sun Pisc/Moon Taurus blend (Water-Earth = mud.)

Therefore, I shall include a few notes on both Sun/Moon blends since he seems more the quarrelsome Arian type than the placid Taurean type. Of course, Taurean Moons do like their creature comforts, don't they? And perhaps an Aries Moon is too fiery for the solemn fellow. Yet I always remember a famous man with an Aries Moon, so fond of spouting, "I AM the people." (Robespierre.)

And Senator McConnell keeps saying over and over (in an attempt to make it true) and speaking for us that the 'American people don't want' health insurance reform legislation to pass. Or is financial reform legislation his oft-repeated mantra of obstruction as he tells us what we (all) don't want?

Both health and financial, if either bill's passage means success for the President.

You see in his chart a massive trio of Mars, Saturn, and Uranus in stubborn, intolerant, greedy Taurus (the dark side of Taurus.) Those with Mars conj Saturn are not accustomed to having their plans challenged and can launch vicious attacks against adversaries, even to the point of physical violence; Saturn/Uranus conjunction folk have a talent for putting inspirations and innovations (Uranus) into form (Saturn), and lots of self-discipline for reaching their goals...Senator McConnell is purposeful and is not afraid of responsibility; he belongs in the socio-political realm...in a word, Politics. He's impatient with superficial people and may consider Mr. Obama to be one. Don't trifle with McConnell!



Sun Pisc/Moon Aries: independent; big talker; touchy; quarrelsome; understanding but self-centered; vivid imagination; willful; nervous; a quick thinker; introverted poet vs zealous crusader and explorer.

Weaknesses: fear that abilities and worth won't be noticed making him go overboard in efforts to win; taking himself too seriously makes him touchy, temperamental, and argumentative.

Images for Integration: In tattered rags, the small, obscure young servant named Arthur pulls the sword from the stone and becomes king of Camelot.

(Whoa, big aspirations for such a grumpy fellow - bet he'd love a White House stint!)

Sun Pisces/Moon Taurus: fantasy world vs mundane world; caring and capable; lover of harmony; emotionally demonstrative; sociable, charming, and sensual; a gentle, compassionate nature (?) backed by a real stubborn streak (!); appears compliant and low-profile but knows what's right for him - has a quiet strength that tells others, don't trifle with me; dreamer and realist.

Weaknesses: strongly subjective, emotional view of life; possessiveness; tends to maneuver situations to satisfy personal security needs; stubborn, old-fashioned, clings to the past.

Images for Integration: A nature mystique bakes bread in an earth oven...An artist decorates her home lavishly. (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Charles and Suzi Harvey.)

Well, as usual, there's a lot more to say about Senator McConnell's natal chart but the press of time weighs upon this gnat of a blogger so I shall ask you to click the chart to enlarge and read a few basic notes I've scribbled there which include the impressively long list of asteroids linked to his natal planets (Sun = Bacchus = Hermes! Pluto = *Nemesis, and interestingly, McConnell has been described as President Obama's political nemesis. Considering that McConnell's Nemesis-Pluto-Chiron trio is about two or three degrees from Mr. Obama's natal Sun, I must astrologically agree with that political assessment. Plus, Obama's natal Mercury 2Leo20 conjs MM's n Pluto - quite a planetary pile-up between them. As you know, Merc/Pluto contacts can be critical and cruel.)

But one more thing...the closest applying aspect to natal Sun which describes the core essence of our subject:

Sun inconjunct Pluto (150 degrees, aka, a quincunx): can take on duties that others neglect, then feel bitterly resentful about it; may overreact to the expectations of others; deep guilt causes continual striving to prove he's doing his share; makes punishing demands on himself so that moderation is needed to avoid health consequences; may compare himself to others who become bitter when forced to follow his example of overdoing; obsessed with gaining the admiration of others to whom he feels inferior; sacrifices must be made to realize ambitions; must learn to accept his limitations; can focus efforts on a particular objective and ignore nonessentials; wrestling with other people's wills should be avoided for best results - the less conflict and tension he creates in dealing with others, the better.

(Physically, a Sun/Pluto inconj may indicate heart issues or weakness.)

Since President Obama moved into the Oval Office, Senator McConnell seems to me to be more energized than ever to create conflict as part of the GOP's 'anything to undermine Obama' campaign in order to ensure, as Rush Limbaugh announced at the outset in January 2009, the failure of the Obama Presidency.

Never mind that where a US President goes, there goes our nation.

What do you think?

~:~

You'll find a few sketchy details on McConnell's Vietnam service at Wikipedia if you can stand to read of an entire daring month of his military derring-dos (that siren, Capitol Hill, was whispering his name and offering him apprenticeship.)

~:~

*Nemesis = the unbeatable foe; divine retribution; arch enemy.

Some notes on Bill Gwatney

You'll find that a few notes on Wednesday's transits to the solar natal chart of Bill Gwatney have been published at Jude's Threshold.

As Dem Party chairman for Arkansas, Mr. Gwatney (born August 26, 1959) and was shot and killed Wednesday, August 13, at Dem headquarters in Little Rock by a man who had been fired from his job earlier in the day. Why Gwatney had to pay isn't known but three transits in particular to his chart indicate risky times and confrontations - plus drunken Bacchus was conjunct Mars on Wednesday.

If you have any comments or observations concerning this sad case, please leave them at the above blog or here, for more details will surely come out as the investigation goes forward.

Iraq war: Solar Return 2008

On March 19, 2008; 11:23:31 am BAT, Baghdad, Iraq, the Sun returns to its degree which marks the birth--the beginning--of the Bush-Cheney war of choice in Iraq.

~note: at end of this post, see link to article on what Hillary really said in 2003's build-up to war.

Click image to enlarge and you will see contentious Mars 5Can22 conj US n Jupiter, a time when one tends to give others more credit than they deserve, and when taking on an unnecessarily exaggerated role in activities is a temptation.

Mars and US Jupiter rise together, in fact, and will be first on the administration's plate for the upcoming period...and I refer to the Iraqi government as well as to Washington's neocons. More money, more troops? Probably both.

Others may facilitate or inspire expansion of the present circumstances and since Congress is apparently on the verge of signing yet another blank check for the Bush-Cheney war (yes! another $102 billion down the drain of this bottomless pit of a war adventure just so Bush-Cheney won't have to admit they were wrong), we may as well look at the war's Solar Return--the 5th anniversary--of the Iraq war chart.

Moon 00Vir32 is chart ruler applying to conj with depressive Saturn Rx, both linked to Royal Star Regulus, keywords: success if revenge is avoided. It's probably safe to say that no horses are left in that barn on any side.

This pairing of Moon-Saturn snug around Cheney's natal ASC so we may say that...Moon-Saturn = ASC: a reserved self-presentation; meeting with sick or depressed people. (He created a bunch of them, the least he can do is meet with them.)


Another indication of money issues is that the US natal Venus (money; values; relationships) is rising: ASC 3Can45. "4Can" is the "A cat arguing with a mouse" degree and I can think of several entities to nominate for 'cat' and 'mouse' roles in this obscene mystery play, can't you?


You see rebellious Uranus 19Pis15 near Mc 16Pis28 ("17Pis": "An Easter promenade") yet Mars is slightly closer to ASC than Uranus is to Mc. It's the combustible combo of Mars-Urnaus that concerns me--they're not square but will be when Mars reaches 19Can22, a degree which is often prominent in violent charts, as I have observed.

As you know, a Solar Return chart is "good for" the coming year it describes and may be used successfully as a predictor bwo transits to it throughout the year. Transits to its Angles--ASC/Desc and Mc/Ic are times of great energy manifestation and should be watched closely whenever timing issues are important.

Having said that (eeuwww--don't think I've ever typed that before--how tiresome) it's the two Dissociate T-squares I'm considering above all (two if you count ASC as part of one of them.)

Using the Tyl and Ebertin directories, here are their midpoint pictures which are driven by the current zealous Mars/Pluto opposition, and both involving the SUN in this Solar Return...any, all, or none may apply, or they may do so at some time during the upcoming year that this Return chart is operative...

Mars/Pluto = Sun: hard work; accident potential; upset of plans that is unredeemable; intervention of some undeniable force or authority; ability to work until collapse; violent measures; upset or shock through the intervention of a Higher Power.

Pluto/ASC = Sun: ruthlessness toward people in the environment; attaining respect through physical prowess and strength; seeing a whole new avenue for development and success; full steam ahead.

Now this is a Cardinal T-square with a Mutable apex planet--the Sun (not a planet of course, but referred to as such in Astrology); this is why it's called a *Dissociate pattern for then the apex planet expresses with more ease psychologically even as the T-square functions like a standard T-SQ on a situational level.

The lessening of internal pressures gives the apex planet (Sun) more leeway in responding to the challenges of the opposition (Mars/Pluto) as long as 'he' can relate to the intensity of outer conditions.

There could be, however, less motivation to extend the needed energy in order to overcome obstacles, and this is obviously made more difficult by the fact that the war's Sun is in Pisces, sign of oil, oceans, fish, confusion, and a desire to escape the real world's responsibilities.

Well, self-motivated Mars is still out-of-bounds and lighting matches and fashioning IEDs on his own, while this Return chart shows the 'loner's position' pair of Saturn/NN at the "1Sag" degree..."A Grand Army of the Republic campfire" indicating our standing alone in the world through our misguided and ill-directed invasion and long-drawn-out occupation of Iraq.

Yes, George and Dick and their imperial, elite globalist pals just had to do it, and with Bacchus, an asteroid whose keyword is: denial, conjunct the war's Sun at a high frequency, critical 29th degree, it bodes ill that the Bush administration will face the reality of their misdeeds and missteps which are bankrupting our nation.


*Dissociate T-square notes from Dynamics of Aspect Analysis, Bil Tierney


UPDATE March 18: In the build-up to war in 2003, what did Hillary really say?

"Unmasking" Eclipse Feb 6, 2008

Here is the chart for the Solar Eclipse of Feb 6, 2008, set for the White House, 10:44:27 pm est.

Eclipse is in 4th house, the Foundation of the chart and representing the Domestic Scene, Home, Homeland (in this case), the White House itself, and the End of the Matter. The 4/10 axis is the Security Axis. In the US natal chart (Sibly) this Eclipse falls in the 2nd house of Earning Ability, Possessions, and Values.

~~UPDATE 3.22.08: the Eclipse in 4th House--the subprime housing fiasco is ongoing as Bear Stearns is bailed out by the Fed, a NWO plan that will be underwritten by the hoodwinked US taxpayer.~~

It's being called the Unmasking Eclipse (by yours truly) because it occurs on the "18AQ" degree, Sabian Symbol: "A man unmasked."

From The Sabian Symbols in Astrology (Dr. Marc Edmund Jones) we see the keyword for "18AQ": ANALYSIS...

pos: a considered dedication to greater or more wonderful reasons for being;

neg/unconscious/shadow side: self-betrayal through exceptional ineptitude.

This is a symbol of the human mind's illimitable power for penetrating into the deeper stirrings and underlying motivations of human nature, and of a very modern determination to gain a scientific mastery of every psychological process.

Here is a repudiation of all individualism as other than the common divisions of labor in social reality, and a demand that each person make a public accounting of himself whenever the general welfare requires it. Life becomes a laboratory for an immortal curiosity.

In her book on the Symbols, 360 Degrees of the Zodiac, Australian astrologer, Lynda Hill, gives "18AQ" as: "A man being unmasked at a masquerade" and gives keywords as:

secret motives exposed; facing the truth about oneself or others; being able to see through characters and trickery; wearing a 'mask' that suits the situation (campaign 2008?); dropping pretense; stripping away cover-ups (oh goody!); aliases; the desire for authenticity.

Lynda always gives 'Cautions' for each degree...

"18AQ": detrimentally revealing yourself too quickly or too early; being found out to be a fraud; finding unwelcome answers; charades; pretense and ploys to manipulate; layers of deception discovered; lies; assumed identities.

Ah! good reasons to set this Eclipse for the White House. Charades, masquerades, and campaigns with their annoying and bogus debates--as candidates argue past one another and threads of reasoning end nowhere and with no one the wiser.

Naturally this Eclipse's influence will be in effect until the next Solar Eclipse of Aug 1, 2008--the Series in which the 2008 (s)election takes place.

Unmasking Eclipse in 10 North Series:

Brady's Predictive Astrology gives the influences of the 10N Series as:

frustrating or inhibiting events concerning paperwork, news, or a young person; strong emphasis on communication; people may feel tired and drained and it's time to take things quietly and work through difficulties one at a time.

Previously the 10N Series manifested: Dec 14, 1917 (22Sag); Dec 25, 1935 (3Cap); Jan 5, 1954 (14Cap); Jan 16, 1972 (25Cap); and Jan 26, 1990 (7AQ--conjunct Bush43's natal Descendant--partnerships; legal matters.) Next time: Feb 17, 2026 (29AQ.)

One feature of the Eclipse chart which I've highlighted (click to enlarge chart) is the off-and-on-again Quindecile (165 degrees) aspect of obsession-compulsion between societal Saturn and nebulous Neptune (fraud; crooks; spirituality) so we have: deception within societal leadership; idealism dissolves old systems; rigid structure disappears; dreams become reality.

Of course some people's dreams may be other men's grim realities.

You may notice that Neptune is triggerng the Mars/Asc midpoint by opposition...

Mars/Asc = Neptune: withdrawal as an option (a candidate withdraws? surely not the US from Iraq while Bush is infesting the White House); out of the mainstream (a typical, if tiresome, political complaint esp if you consider what the self-styled 'mainstreamers' have wrought); maintaining one's position only with great difficulty; disharmony in working together.

There are all sorts of political and campaign levels to this picture. We'll see.

And there's Pluto at World Point 00Cap21, a much-discussed topic online--toss your mouse and you should find many articles on the subject...with Capricorn the sign of politics, law, and business. Eventually, America will have her first-ever Pluto Return (fall from power? or rededication to it?) and it will be a three-fer, all in the year 2022:

Feb 20; July 11 (Rx); and Dec 28.

A few of the 'Cautions' which Lynda Hill gives for Pluto's "28Cap" are: false sense of freedom (sounds familiar); mental confusion brings lack of discernment; peace, harmony, privacy are hard to find (yep); abandoned living spaces; too much chatter with not much being achieved.

Thing about America's Pluto is that when the presidential Inaugurals were moved from early March to January 20--as of FDR's second Inauguration, Jan 20, 1937-- it permanently placed US Pluto conjunct Inaugural MC (MC= Aspirations, Objectives, Goals.) Nice for elite plutocrats, one supposes, manipulative for the rest of the world.

But back to the Feb 6, 2008 Eclipse:

Neptune 21AQ34 is conjunct asteroid, Bacchus: religious fervor; drunkenness; ecstatic joy. Red red wine, y'know--Neptune is associated with the Divine Source--and with all forms of negative escapism.

Asteroid Astraea, justice and law, is rising, and Saturn is at the ASC/MC midpoint...

ASC/MC = Saturn: conservatism is comfortable; austerity is important for reliability and maturity; feeling inferior; depression; separation.

Marked in red is a Grand Trine between the Eclipse (plus Neptune and NN, with NN conj US n Moon, the people), Mars 24Gem24 in 9th house of Education; Foreign Enemies; Philosophy and Religion), and the ASC of the chart.

Yet my pc, IE, and isp are all crashing left and right today--it's taken hours to get this post this far along, so I'll skedaddle for now and refer to this chart later on...for after all, chart-ruler Venus 17Cap01 is applying to the NWO degree, "18Cap" and you know how I love to grouse about their "smug and strong-armed paternalism"...and the Unmasking Eclipse may be turn out to be helpful as we listen to the promises and assertions of candidates 2008.

As Rudy would say, 9/11.



See current Eclipse chart of Sept 11, 2007.

Today in Washington and NYC

"Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just." --Thomas Jefferson

So do I, as should we all. (Physical) water is not the only thing in short supply.

Image: sunrise 7:33:01 am edt, Washington, DC, Oct 26, chart-ruler Mars in 9th house of foreign enemies, conj Fixed Star, Alhena, to have a mission. Mars is inconjunct Chiron at IC. (You'll find Chiron mentioned below.)

Click-to-enlarge chart to read my scribbles because it's on to New York...

As the fairy dust settles from last evening's Full Moon, we find that at 3:00 am edt in midtown Manhattan, Explosives in NYC's Mexican Consulate so explosive Mars is still busy in 'the homeland' (Cancer), out-of-bounds and lobbing makeshift explosives from a bicycle.

3:00 am in NYC brought up Bush's natal Virgoan Mars, just after tr Saturn, whose Hour it was. Saturn Hours are good for things like taking responsibility and for control, with an air of restriction and inhibition involved. This lobbing was a diversion of some kind, and indicates that activist Mars has more trouble in store. What else is new, right?

So Bush has this goin' on: Mars/Saturn = ASC: obstacles caused by others; illness; separation; bereavement; struggling for every step of advancement; possible health threat. (Will his colon come back to haunt him?) (midpoints: Tyl; Ebertin.)

Saturn will be restrictvely conjuncting his natal Mars soon (health concerns continue.) It's a period when circumventing rules is ill-advised and relationships with males may be interrupted or broken off entirely. Loneliness increases, yet a reaffirmation toward long-term goals is also possible. Kind of a 'stay the course' transit (ad nauseum.)

But back at the Mexican Consulate:

At the WHY Point of the chart (MC) was tr asteroid, Midas, the King, greedy lover of gold, and at IC (the HOW Point) was asteroid, Bacchus, keywords: denial; substitution; management of uncomfortable emotions. This lobbing occurred only a couple of hours after the Full Moon, Moon 3Tau46, "4Tau": "The rainbow's pot of gold."

3Tau08 is the Discovery Degree of Chiron, the Wound or the Wounded Healer, which is again splat upon Dick Cheney's natal Sun (10AQ48)--a transit which may spiritualize (Chiron) one's purpose in life (Sun), or indicate wounded vitality (health issues--with Cheney, probably heart-related. They do say he has one.)


And speaking of Politics in America, have you ever been to the Edge of Petrified Forest?