UK cash-for-honours probe a dud

After 16 months, one million pounds, and 6,300 documents insufficient evidence is the finding in Britain's cash-for-honours investigation which has come to a sorry halt. As one Scotsman reader commented, it's "a perfect example of getting off Scott-free."

Seems there's a lot of that going on in America as well. And everyone is happy but the (disenfranchised) People.

Harry Potter: London 12:01 am

If you weren't celebrating at a Mugglefest somewhere you'd be looking at this chart for London, July 21, 12:01 am BST--when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was officially and first released.

Click to enlarge and you'll see my chicken-scratch of author J.K. Rowling's natal placements (July 31, 1965; speculative time: 3:20 pm BST; Chipping Sodbury, U.K., from The Mountain Astrologer, April-May 2002 issue, article by Neal Meredith.)

Rowling's Sun in Leo (sign of children, and the entertainer) plus her Moon in long-winded writer and dedicated worker, Virgo, give this Image for Integration:

After the ball, Cinderella polishes the floor until its shiny surface reflects her happy, contented face. (Sun Sign, Moon Sign, Chas. and Suzy Harvey.)

You'd be 'happy and contented' after your drudgery as well if you were the world's only billionaire author, now wouldn't you? ;o)

Rowling's natal chart shows what an unaspected planet can do when perfectly expressed--Mercury is unaspected and has run away with success out of all expectations in the Scribe and Communication departments, I'd say...talk about outstanding in her field!

And Mercury's 00Vir01 position is very near Fixed Star, Regulus, one of the Royal Stars of Persia, keyphrase: success if revenge is avoided. There is a tremendous amount of success promised by Regulus and Harry's character seems to know that revenge brings no true, lasting success but only more retaliation and grief. Today's world could learn from Harry, couldn't it?


July 21, 2007; 12:01 am BST; London:

The Sun Cancer/Moon Libra combo for Vol. VII applies well:

Mother Goose recites a poem, surrounded by adoring fairytale creatures.

This word picture sounds similar to the author and her book/s in general--especially since she gave a reading for 500 fortunate children in honor of this book's release!

If you, Mugglefested as you may be, wanted to use Mercury, the Youth, as a significator for Harry himself, you might want to consider Mercury's Sabian Symbol for "7 Cancer":

"Two fairies on a moonlit night"...ASCENDANCY...nature's illimitable potentialities on the side of the release she offers man from his physical or psychological involvement, and of the necessity that he achieve some measure of lightness in self-expression as a balance for the strain of everyday existence.

Here is an exaltation of fancy as a dynamic factor in all self-realization, and of the quiet moments of experience as a real opportunity for self-orientation.

The magic of selfhood lies in its ability to rise above whatever may threaten its well-being.

pos: a transforming sensitivity or a healing imagination.

neg: a senseless retreat to make-believe." (Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Dr. Marc Edmund Jones.)#

"Lightness in self-expression"? yet I've heard that this installment is the dark, heavy book. Hmm-m-m-m....

Sassily, I usually wait for the film when it comes to Potter tales and I do enjoy them since I have no rugrats about the place to fret over the 'magic' influence (as if children don't know the difference!) of the books, so it will be awhile before I know whether the above words match the book's plot or not.

That is, unless some kind Muggle personage decides to enlighten me!



Bad Poetry Heads-Up:

Did you know that Mr.A.Cat has added a kitten named Potter to the Lim's Limericks collection of rhymes? I thought not. But I knew you'd want to be warned all the same.

ask.com to stop data retention

Ask to stop data retention and for those with privacy concerns this is good news.

want Gore to run?

This from GoreHub.com:

Express yourself if you want to see a Gore presidential run!

The Honorable Al Gore
2100 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203


Here's a previous post with a smidge of info on Al Gore's natal chart (more details to come, I'm sure.)

You can certainly see Gore's 1st house Saturn/Pluto conjunction in his eagle-looking stare over a large nose--just as you see Bush's natal Leo Ascendant in those slightly crossed Leonine eyes...and Tony Blair has Leo-the-Lion eyes as well!)

Quake welcomes Beckhams to CA

An Oakland quake hitting "shortly after" 4:40 am pdt jolted people awake this morning.

Here you see the chart showing the usual culprits--angular planets, esp Uranus, planet of sudden occurences and disruption, in water sign, Pisces.

Mercury in Cancer (water sign) is angular and rising, and several of the midpoints relate to separation and to attraction...just the tension needed for an earthquake to occur. There's also a "Finger of God" formation (which I neglected to mark on the chart) the base of which is the Moon/Mercury square pointing accusingly at Neptune.

With the third and final exact opposition between Saturn (earth; continental plates; form) and Neptune (dissolution; ocean; water; rifts) separating but still within orb, the Sabian Symbol for Mars' degree (and this was a Mars Hour, btw) may be instructive:

"19Tau": "A new continent rises out of the ocean."

The brutal, forceful Mars/Pluto midpoint has been pointing to NN (North Node) in recent days as we've watched the tiffs and rifts in Washington continue to play out...

Mars/Pluto = NN: extreme force; superhuman power.

And since we obviously have no superheroes in Washington, superhuman power better describes an earthquake--or perhaps David Beckham's prowess with a soccer ball and the super (major!) paycheck that goes with it.

But after watching Victoria's "major" TV show last evening and her reaction to the possibility of California earthquakes, Posh may be packing now!

Dissatisfied in Iowa

Iowa polling suggests more candidates please!

Plame's Lawsuit Dismissed--doh!

Doug Mataconis at Below the Beltway has the totally unsurprising news: Plame's Lawsuit against the Bush administration dismissed.

But Scooter's livin' it up.

shadows of shadows?

LegitGov.org Breaking News

Senior Qaeda figure in Iraq did not exist: U.S. military 18 Jul 2007:

A senior operative for al Qaeda [al-CIAduh] in Iraq who was caught this month has told his U.S. military interrogators a prominent al Qaeda-led group is just a front and its leader fictitious, a military spokesman said on Wednesday. Brigadier-General Kevin Bergner told a news conference that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq, which was purportedly set up last year, did not exist.#

What to believe? It's sad but predictable when deceivers are so easily and regularly deceived.

Vonnegut: power-drunk chimpanzees

A heads-up quote from Kurt Vonnegut via Information Clearing House:


"But I know now that there is not a chance in hell of America becoming humane and reasonable. Because power corrupts us, and absolute power corrupts us absolutely. Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many lifeless bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas.": Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Author.#

Here's a previous post concerning Vonnegut's natal chart for you.

Senate Circus: all night long!

Tonight's Dem filibuster to bust Bush's chops on his Iraq occupation is the first since 2003 during the R's judicial nominee "up or down" performance.

The Dems will need more than Hagel, Smith, and Snowe to pull off the finale but it was interesting to read Maine Senator Olympia Snowe's quote:

"We are at the crossroads (Mercury/Hermes) of hope (Neptune) and reality (Saturn) and the time (Saturn) has come to address (Mercury) reality" (Saturn.)

As you know, June 25 this year was their last tango of exactitude...Snowe is under the influence of our recently-peaked Saturn/Neptune opposition:

truth/reality/accountability/responsibility vs fiction/myth/lies/deception/idealism.

All through the night the Moon will be in Virgo, sign of the dedicated worker so I hope all the hub bub helps our troops, our nation, and the people of Iraq. We don't get many breaks anymore since George W. was installed.


July 17 Begins:

Glancing at the chart for this morning, 9:30 am edt, Capitol Building, we see the separative SN rising, conjunct Bush's natal Mars, and with asteroid Minerva along for the party.

Minerva = to be accomplished. I always think of the Hegel Society's Journal, Minerva, when I see this asteroid--can't seem to help myself.

Also rising: asteroid Orpheus in his grief and sadness, his partner lost.

And then there's determined asteroid, Sisyphus--conjunct Saturn, the significator for the Democratic Party. All Night Long, they said...bring your favorite PJs! (No photo ops, please--I couldn't stand that, stripedy or not.)

And what's conjunct Jupiter which represents the R Party? Fixed Star, Antares, keyphrase: 'obsessed with success'--and often involved in war situations. Guess that means at home and abroad.

Chernobyl Memories? Toxic Cloud in the Ukraine

Chernobyl, April 26, 1986 A Ukraine rail crash has unleashed a toxic cloud but not to worry -all is "under control," authorities assure the endangered public - with at least 14 villages affected. Why, the wind just blew it all away like magic... Reminds you of how they kept the Chernobyl disaster a secret for days and how people of the region still suffer the consequences of that "under control" catastrophe. UPDATE April 10, 2009: even NOW animals in the region are horribly deformed from the Chernobyl fallout, it has just been revealed. ~Original post continues here: Click Chernobyl link to read my post of April 25, 2006 written in honor of the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl, chart also pictured above. Here are a few transits mid-July 2007 to the Chernobyl chart and to the Atom Split chart: 2007 Jupiter to 1986 Saturn and opposing 1986 Chiron; 2007 Uranus Rx on way back to 1986 Jupiter; 2007 Pluto has been dancing about 1986 Uranus/ASC for awhile now. There are some transits to the Atom Split chart (Dec 2, 1942) as well: 2007 Jupiter to 1942 Sun, Mercury, and Venus; 1942 Mars 21Sco05 with Mars 2007 at the Oxen Point, 15Sco38. (Mid-degrees of the Fixed Signs...not the safest place for Mars to be.) And here's a previous post on the YOD formed in the Atom Split chart for your consideration.

Jim Webb Feb 9, 1946

Jim Webb certainly did well on Sunday TV against dog'n'pony Graham who gets the Senator Treatment every time he makes a cameo appearance in Iraq.

Click link to read my previous post on Webb's natal chart.