These days an American family trying to live on $30,000 per year or less can't do much consuming, can they? I find it difficult to believe that they can keep up with excessive cell phone, internet, and TV service costs let alone health and car insurance, car payments, plus, rent or a home mortgage. And everyone knows that We the People are charged the highest rates for health care and pharmaceutical drugs in the world--as if we're still the greedy corporatists' favorite cash cows!
Here a caller to the Thom Hartmann Show questions the continued existence of the Federal Reserve Bank which many people believe causes the economic problems it then pretends to rush in and solve. Thom replies to the caller and adds historical information about Richard Nixon taking the US off the gold standard:
As you know, Senator Aldrich along with bankers and corporate operatives met in secret in late 1910 in order to plan the creation of what became the Federal Reserve Bank. This planning session of sneaky "duck hunters" has a Syzygy Moon (last lunation prior) which perfected @8Sag49 during the secret meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia. To me, the karmic degree (8Sag) is more revealing of the Fed's genesis than the Sabian Symbol for the rounded-up degree of 9Sag though of course both degrees (word pictures) apply. And as you know, the Panic of 1907 was used as justification for planning and establishing the Federal Reserve Act in December 1913 and the American people and US government officials have been its subjects ever since. See what you think (my italics) of 8Sag:
8 Sagittarius: "Rocks and Things Forming Therein" which speaks of creating one's own reality by "taking control of the circumstances which provide the matrix" for existence. "Each person in accepting his roots and capitalizing on his own endowment is enabled to proceed to high achievement." This degree of the Fed's New Moon, the seed phase of a new cycle of activity, expresses as: "exceptional ability to mold or remold the course of events." (The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Marc Edmund Jones.)
Can anyone disagree that the Federal Reserve System through its money monopoly did and does just that?
My apologies for putting the self-dramatizing snoot of Senator Ted Cruz here on Stars Over Washington but you may wish to listen to this Ring Of Fire analysis concerning the last Republican debate and what Cruz has called "liberal media bias" which from a wider perspective yours truly considers just another attempt to keep the con vs lib tactic of divide-and-conquer politics active against the American people:
Here Thom Hartmann corrects one by one several of the whoppers told during the recent Republican debate--and gives sources for his information:
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Half truths used as a tool are very popular among politicians of all stripes! And you know they take classes and rehearse them right?
Oh and Happy Halloween, everybody! Please be safe. And if you find yourself in a macabre mood (or even if you don't) here are a few astro-notes plus the death horoscope of Edgar Alan Poe whose untimely demise may have been facilitated by a political trick of the day known as cooping in order to force individuals to vote for certain candidates. See The Mysterious Death of Edgar Alan Poe.
Image: Fork'd Way(c) a mildly spooky illustration on paper by Jude Cowell from the Secret Moon Art collection. Actually the title of this drawing reminds me of politicians with forked tongues!
Here is Senator Sanders with an important message:
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Saturn, Uranus, Criminal Justice, and Old vs New
Those who use, study, or practice Astrology know that America's natal Saturn in Libra, sign of the Scales of Justice, is in astrologese considered exalted. Yet since July 4, 1776 when Saturn was at 14 Libra 48, America's Secondary Progressed (a year for a day) Saturn has since retrograded by progression and is now at 3 Scorpio (since 1996 if memory serves--Bill Clinton!) This is quite a different influence for Saturn--forceful Mars-Pluto rather than evaluating Venus. Only recently transiting Saturn plodded through Scorpio, sign of big business (like our privatized prison system, towns and cities making money off those who can't pay court fees and traffic tickets, etc, as if they're criminals) but also of transformation, corporatism, the occult, and even death which unfortunately and unfairly has been the fate of an alarming number of our citizens in their cells or beside the road.
Add to this the transit of disruptive Uranus in Aries which has been opposing US natal Saturn within orb since early 2014 and remaining within range of opposition (if we count a 5-degree orb on either side of 14Lib48) until approximately late March 2016. This transit affects many areas of our government, business and legal systems, and other realms that Saturn rules--including systems. Restriction, inhibition, limitation, authority, loss, karma, accountability, responsibility, reward for hard work--you name it and transiting Uranus, planet of upset, upheaval, rebellion, riots, protests, anarchy, and (when Uranus is in Mars-ruled Aries), a signal for blind zealotry, violence, and fanatical fights for ideas has tipped America's Saturnian apple cart in unexpected, unpredictable ways.
Yes, dreamy Utopians have gained quite a bit of ground against the status quo that establishment Saturn tends to prefer. That the US Congress is a target is actually predictable, however, since Saturn also rules lawmakers such as senators and representatives, many of which are or were lawyers.
Included in this transit is the theatrical event on Capitol Hill this very morning when Saturnian John Boehner handed over the Speaker's gavel to a new generation in the person of Uranian Paul Ryan and this may be partially described by transit Uranus opposing US natal Saturn when a 'new order' is demanded. Helpfully, the Full Moon of October 27, 2015 at 3 Taurus 44 acted as a perfect timer since the Sun conjoined US SP Saturn at 3 Scorpio and a culmination or fulfillment (Full Moon) was reached as John Boehner's tenure as Speaker of the House was completed.
Hmm..wonder if the strong Saturn-Uranus energies now affecting our nation are on some deep level resonating with Senator and 2016 candidate Bernie Sanders who was born in 1941 under the auspices of a Saturn-Uranus conjunction?
At 10:47 am edt this morning, John Boehner announced Paul Ryan as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives. Let's take a quick peek at the cosmic atmosphere of the morning which will also influence the tenure of Rep. Paul Ryan as the Speaker. As you know, in Sun-Moon blends we glean the conscious energies (Sun) and the unconscious energies (Moon) blended together. Naturally the rulers of the signs involved add their flavors to the picture--in this case Scorpio's Mars and Pluto and Gemini's Mercury, planet of votes, voters, announcements, and speaking.
At 11:10 am edt, Nancy Pelosi presents the Speaker's gavel to Paul Ryan. He speaks and calls John Boehner "a class act." Remember that Mr. Boehner was one of the upstarts when he came to Congress, now he's been ousted by current upstarts. As Astrology says, how we begin is how we end! (Ryan ends his speech at 11:24 am, his swearing in is next and will be administered by Rep. John Conyers...oath at 11:25 am..."I do" at 11:26 am edt. His reign begins.)
Sun Scorpio-Moon Gemini is a misty, ethereal Water-Air combination and as you might expect, tears were shed. Water-Air is imaginative, theatrical (perfect for politics and Capitol Hill), and communication but with an undercurrent of 'divine discontent' (which is often supplied by the Tea Party 'Freedom Caucus' members.) Specifically, Sun Scorpio-Moon Gemini denotes potentials for emotional restlessness, volatility, wit, insight, and an ability to defuse awkward situations and move ahead. Wouldn't a return to regular order be refreshing? Well, Speaker Ryan just called for it.
To close, here are the Images for Integration of the conscious and unconscious energies of the day--make of them what you will:
"Trivial Pursuits goes macabre...The mystery of life in a strip cartoon...A virtuoso violinist touches the hearts of her audience...Rodin's The Kiss, Hands...Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Charles and Suzi Harvey.)
Hopefully the last reference to Brothers doesn't refer to the anti-government, anti-democracy corporate titans, the Koch Brothers and their meddling.
Oct 29, 2015: With tears (of relief) in his eyes, this morning Speaker John Boehner gave his farewell speech to the House, Democrats offered Nancy Pelosi's name for consideration (Minority Speaker), and Paul Ryan went round shaking hands as the Republican nominee. Yes, I am glad Rep. Ryan stood up for weekends with his kids which shows personal priorities in the correct order. It's now 10:30 am edt and the vote is being taken though of course the 'Freedom Caucus' Republicans may stage a protest vote for Daniel Webster (R-FL) to no avail. It is expected that Speaker John Boehner will announce the name of the new Speaker in a few minutes.
And even though it's good to see the US Congress moving forward, my primary fret is that a vote for Paul Ryan is a vote for Ayn Rand (who gladly collected Social Security benefits in her old age, let's not forget.)
Related: FDR signs the SS Act August 14, 1935 where you'll find a reference to the 'Catfood Commission' something the soon-to-be Speaker of the House Paul Ryan knows a lot about though he may not prefer his budgetary targeting of the social safety net be called that.
