Dec 2013--July 2014: Testy Mars in the Sign of Diplomacy

Mars Ruffles Libra from December 7, 2013 until July 25, 2014!

by Jude Cowell

With all the diplomacy going on these days and since Libra is said to be the sign of diplomacy, I've become somewhat fretful over the long drawn-out transit of 'god of war' Mars through the airy Venus-ruled sign of Libra. As you know, the orbit of Mars around the Sun lasts approximately two years, however, the last transit of Mars through Libra occurred from the end of July 2010 until mid-September 2010--so the 2013/14 transit will occur almost three years later. Sheesh! Impatient Mars makes a long slog through a sign in which 'he' tends to be uncomfortable more often than not, thanks to our Solar System's retrograde phenomenon.

See PBS News Hour's photo slideshow of Events of 2010 which includes the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout that sabotaged the Gulf of Mexico and our coastline, the horrific earthquake in Haiti, the trapped Chilean miners' rescue after 69 days, austerity measures forced upon Europe, massive floods in Pakistan, the START Treaty between US and Russia, Iceland's volcanic eruption, the failed Times Square bombing, WikiLeaks leaking of US State Department documents, and, on August 31, the ending of the US combat mission in Iraq (with Mars in Libra!)

And for the upcoming Mars transit, see Carrie Dann's Obama on Iran deal: US 'cannot close the door on diplomacy'.

(Regular readers of Stars Over Washington know that I consider what issues forth from Washington DC to be Political Theater anyway, yet it's good to keep up with whatever storyline the media echo chamber is touting the loudest on any given topic. And perhaps you've noticed that there are few if any differences between the Democratic and Republican parties. They just follow the world government script, sad to say. Plus, if We the People don't interrupt their secret TPP deal America will be bowing to global corporations in the blink of a pyramidal eye with national sovereignty a thing of the past just as international corporatists have long planned, the borry sastards.)

But let's get back to Mars in Libra:

Now on his good days, Mars in Libra doesn't act in a particularly negative manner for he actually wants to associate with others and if he can manage to show some cordiality, friendliness, and teamwork, he can successfully achieve his goals--providing that his emotional moods don't lead to too much frankness so that others are put off. Differences, differences, differences! Can they be put aside?

Approximate dates and degrees pertinent to this long transit are Mars' Retrograde Station around March 2, 2014 @27Lib31 after which he seemingly backs up through Libra until reaching approximately 9Lib01 (conjunct Fixed Star Vindemiatrix--see star info below) around May 20, 2014, then moves forward until reaching his own 'shadow' point (the degree of his Rx Station) on or about July 21, 2014. After Mars reconnoiters the same territory in the Zodiac, whatever actions (military or otherwise) have been on hold can begin to move forward once again. Hopefully, these actions will be something the American people will want to move forward--and not the TPP or the groundwater-destroying Keystone XL Pipeline.

Mars-Saturn

During his long sojourn in Libra, Mars will encounter US natal Saturn (14Lib48) indicating a period full of obstacles littering paths (though the blockages may have been self-placed) although much hurry is expected and annoying rules are imposed. Becoming more structured, organized, and focused are possibilities as well and with careful planning, things may work out in the end in spite of delays.

Mars-Sun

Also during the Mars through Libra transit, Mr. Fussy will square US natal Sun (leadership) in Cancer three to five days prior and after conjoining US natal Saturn due to our nation's Sun-Saturn square. In fact, Mars can perform as an excellent trigger so the energy embedded within our Sun-Saturn square will be activated near the dates given above. However, Mars square natal Sun often denotes frustrated actions, difficulties or separation in alliances, and touchy feelings with egos bruised as authority is questioned or challenged.

Whew! Sounds pretty much like the entire presidency of Barack Obama, doesn't it?

For more information concerning this months-long Mars transit which carries over from 2013 into Summer 2014, you may wish to check out the excellent Matthew Currie's Mars in Libra: I'm Not Your Baggage Handler...I highly recommend it!

~:~

Vindemiatrix (the Grapes Gatherer, or just The Gatherer; aka, Epsilon Virgo) is said to be an evil star (Robson) having the nature of Saturn and Mercury (Ptolemy.) Its influence may include disgrace, theft, and wanton folly and may indicate a loss of partner thus creating widows or widowers (Brady.) However, Ebertin mentions Vindemiatrix as providing mental concentration which aids such people as businessmen and architects.

Its magnitude has dimmed in our days so the star's influence is not as keenly felt as it once was, plus, precession has taken a toll. Still, its role as The Vintager may be pertinent to modern-day horoscopes (along with asteroid Bacchus) and I have seen its degree triggered during times of widowing or of 'reaping what's been sown' which is what this Saturnian astrologer describes as karma. jc

Are Food Stamp/Meals On Wheels cuts due to "useless eaters" philosophy?

Only a link for you this rainy night in Georgia which leads to rense.com's The Philosophy of the "Useless Eaters" which I ask you to consider, if you can, as the calls for "entitlement" reform and sequester cuts continue to threaten the weakest, oldest, and youngest among us...actual people whom some elitists believe do not deserve to live. Oh yes, it's ugly but that's all the more reason for more of the 99% to gaze upon it, shudder--then speak out.

For as with the myth of snake-haired Medusa, we must first shine light upon hideous monsters in order to vanquish them. And a note to my Hillary lovin' friends: another imperialist presidency with her name on it is NOT the answer.

This devilish philosophy self-identifies as a very Randian philosophy as you may agree, and you know who in Washington DC idolizes Ayn Rand's selfish, 'survival of the fittest' ideas, don't you? Plus, use of a 'death panel' to determine who has lived beyond their expiration date is part of their psychopathy, too.

And I suspect you recognize the "takers v makers" delusion amongst the crud, right?

Rachel Maddow with Senator Elizabeth Warren: Expand Social Security! (video)

Click to watch Rachel Maddow interview Senator Elizabeth Warren on how we need to expand Social Security benefits, not reduce them which would thereby increase poverty levels in America.

Unexpectedly I had to miss the original msnbc broadcast of this discussion so I'm embedding its link here. The page includes information on signing a pertinent petition recommended by Senator Warren along with a chance to donate to the cause, if you so wish, but viewing the video is a must, if you haven't seen or heard it yet. It's inspiring and seems to me to be issuing from the current November 3, 2013 Solar Eclipse influence of Uranus-Neptune!

It all boils down to what sort of country we want America to be--one that puts seniors, the ill, the orphaned, and our vets out on the sidewalks of our cities and counties, or one that takes care of its own. Astrologically, I'd say that our 'community spirit' needs to be re-developed, wouldn't you?

And of course, it would be excellent for the US economy since the funds would be plowed back into local, state, and even national budgets causing businesses to flourish. To paraphrase what a wise economist recently stated recently about income inequality, The better-off would be better-off if more Americans were better off.

Or something along those lines.

Want an improving economy for America? Then while we're at it, let's raise the minimum wage!

For further reading concerning the Republican (echo chamber) game plan of talking points against "Obamacare" visit Robert Reich.

And here's an astrological snapshot of Robert Reich if you're curious.

11.21.13: Senate nuclear option has Sun Scorpio-Moon Cancer vibes

Today in the Washington Post, Greg Sargent writes that No, the nuclear option will not make Washington partisanship 'worse'. It's difficult to see how the US Senate could get much worse yet I fret that there are those on Capitol Hill who will give 'worse' their best try now that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has actually followed through.

Is this change in the Senate another signpost on the way to collapsing America on behalf of a 'new world order'? Probably, yet it's the president's constitutional duty to fill vacant judicial seats and most everyone agrees that the Republicans did not 'allow' President Obama via their jackassian obstructionism to fulfill his duty. Now he can so that may be, at the moment at least, progress.

Yesterday (11.21.13) as the nuclear option worm turned, the Sun was in the last bit of Mars-Pluto-ruled Scorpio while the Moon was (and right now still is) in its own sign of Cancer, the sign of America's natal Venus, Jupiter, Sun, and Mercury Rx. A double-Water blend indicates intuition and feelings in abundance and perhaps some of the action may have been inspired or influenced by the current Solar Eclipse Saros Series, the 16 North (16N.)

Occurring on November 3, 2013 @11Sco15/16, 16N denotes an 'illumination of ideas' as unconscious material suddenly floats up bringing a 'great deal of insight' due to the initial 16N eclipse (1599) lending its Uranus-Neptune trine energy to current events. And as you know, the Uranus-Neptune duo are the Enlightenment planets and their last conjunction/s time a modern-day natal horoscope for the 'new world order' (Oct 24, 1993.)

Well, for a little insight, let's briefly consider yesterday's nuclear option Sun-Moon blend of Scorpio-Cancer:

This is the 'mailed fist in a velvet glove' combo of energies (which some would say describes Harry Reid!) with a strong sense of duty. Shrewd and charismatic, the blend denotes deep feelings, nostalgia for the past, serenity, and self-sufficiency. However, subjective hunches may trump objective reasoning and self-pity (Mitch McConnell?) may become evident.

Here are the three Images for Integration for this Sun (conscious mind)-Moon (unconscious) combination as given by Charles & Suzi Harvey in their book, Sun Sign-Moon Sign:

"A surgeon develops life-saving methods...A mother eagle defends her babies with immense courage...A mother passionately defends her delinquent child and pleads for a compassionate verdict."

Let's close with two quotes from famous people who were born with the Sun Scorpio-Moon Cancer blend:

"There is a homely adage which runs 'Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far..." - Theodore Roosevelt ('big stick' = nuclear option? Well, Harry Reid certainly speaks softly!);

"So live that you would not be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip." - Will Rogers (quite impossible in Washington DC, isn't it?)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! jc

Horoscope: LBJ Sworn In on November 22, 1963

Horoscope: Lyndon B. Johnson Sworn In On Board Air Force One

by Jude Cowell

With this Friday, November 22, 2013, being the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, much of media is devoted to bringing the public all manner of programs concerning the Day America Died and the conspiracy theories which continue to swirl about. For one, Friday evening beginning at 7:00 pm EST, MSNBC airs topical programs which crescendo at 9:00 pm est with Rev. Al Sharpton hosting 50 Years of Guns.

Here's a round up of TV coverage concerning the 50th anniversary of the assassination.

Yes, wallowing in the eternal mystery of JFK's murder seems to be required for the 50th anniversary and it's certainly understandable considering The Coup's subsequent effects upon our nation including Johnson's escalation of the Vietnam War and the lucrative expansion of the US military. But how about a view of the horoscope of Lyndon Johnson's presidential swearing-in on board Air Force One prior to its take-off from Dallas on November 22, 1963? The record shows the ceremony occurred at 2:38 pm.

Naturally, the planets remain in their zodiacal positions from 12:30 pm, the time of the shooting with the Aquarian Moon moving one degree closer to depressive Saturn, and the cusps changing signs--Ascending in the swearing-in chart you see below is 5Aries45 (ASC was in Aquarius with Saturn and the Aquarian Moon barely risen at 12:30 pm.) This makes Mars the LBJ presidency and oath-taking chart-ruler with the sign and house position of Mars @20Sag35 (Sagittarius being the natural sign of the 9th house of Foreign Lands and Philosophies) all important. And perhaps a chart-ruler applying to no other planets is similar to the out-of-bounds (OOBs) condition: no one can interfere with what's intended to be done, and/or things will not turn out as expected.

You also notice that LBJ is in process of a Jupiter-to-natal-Saturn transit, a time when one may rid oneself of a restriction (as noted in my scribbles, upper right of the chart.) Well, he is credited by some researchers as the executor of the JFK assassination, or at least, may have had a part in the charade. LBJ, did, after all, benefit greatly from Kennedy's death. Or he assumed he would as 'leader of the free world'!

Hour: Sun; Mercury, Venus, and Mars are OOBs; LBJ's natal Saturn is his first natal planet to rise along with transit Jupiter @9Ari48 Rx, and LBJ's natal Uranus-NN midpoint of radical politics is caught up, too...Ura-NN = n Saturn: encountering difficulties with others; accepting control by group vote; Ura-NN = tr Jupiter: the big opportunity comes to those who demand it (Tyl.) The Sun (leader) remains at a critical crisis 29th degree but rounding up we have: '30Sco' = "A Halloween Jester." Sun is also involved with the cruel Saturn-Pluto midpoint which denotes much toil and sparing no pains in one's work. (Tyl.) This must apply to JFK and then to LBJ.

Two YOD patterns with crisis and 'special task' implications, are seen (please click image to enlarge) with NN @11Can55 the apex of one YOD, and the Uranus-Pluto conjunction at apex of the other (though this YOD was tighter at 12:30 pm.) Uranus-Pluto on one level denotes 'overturning the status quo' and this somebody or some group obviously did in the showiest way imaginable. As far as the Grassy Knoll theory of at least two shooters, it's always seemed interesting to me that the Sabian Symbol for '10Virgo' (the position of anarchistic Uranus) is: "Two Heads Looking Out and Beyond the Shadows." And of course, vengeful Pluto is the assassin and the saboteur--or, the wealthy patron of such criminal actions.

You'll also note that oath-taking Mercury @9Sag53 conjoins Antares whose keywords show an obsession with success and leanings toward war.

Let's close with the Water-Air Sun Sco-Moon AQ blend's 'Images for Integration' to describe that sad day in Dallas: "A hovering hawk surveys the world, at one with nature" which reminds me of the book depository window in Masonic Dealey Plaza, and "An exotic moth emerges from its chrysalis, in perfect form, a specimen of the sublimity of nature's intelligence." (Charles & Suzi Harvey.)

Can you see the newly emerging President Johnson in the horoscope and in the Image!

For your further consideration, here are three previous posts, one concerning the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, one that contains a video presentation on the mysterious death of JFK Jr, and the third post on the Sun Sco-Moon AQ blend of the JFK assassination. May all three Kennedys rest in peace.

London Mayor warns George Bush book tour to avoid UK (video)

Well, I'll be! The Mayor of London says, Don't come knockin' or sellin' your book, George, or else you could finally face your war criminal trial:

If memory serves, wasn't it the country of Georgia that named an avenue after George W. Bush? Well, if so, all roads must come to an end and all little red wagons bought on someone else's credit card must be paid for eventually. *If* authorities can catch up with you, that is.

Nov 16, 2013: Comet ISON now visible in eastern sky

Space Weather News for Nov 16, 2013

COMET ISON UPDATE: Comet ISON is now ten times brighter than it was on Nov. 13-14 when an unexpected outburst propelled the sun diver into the realm of naked-eye visibility. Observers around the world confirm seeing the comet as a faint smudge low in the eastern sky before sunrise.

Backyard telescopes reveal a riot of gaseous streamers trailing behind the comet's brightening (and possibly fragmenting) core. With almost two weeks to go before ISON plunges into the sun's atmosphere, it is already one of the most beautiful and active comets in years.

Current images and observing tips may be found at SpaceWeather.com.

11.28.13: US Progressed Moon-Saturn conjoin for a "House Raising"

On Nov 28, 2013, US Progressed Moon Meets Progressed Saturn @3Sco10

by Jude Cowell

The Secondary Progressed horoscope that issues from America's natal horoscope (July 4, 1776 5:10 pm LMT Philadelphia, PA) shows an important conjunction becoming exact on November 28, 2013. Here's America's SP horoscope with transits for that moment and date (3:10 pm EST), set for Washington DC:

Secondary Progressions: Hour of Mercury (20AQ27 Rx in 6th house of Daily Rounds, Work, Service, and Health); SP Pluto @29Cap16, a critical or crisis degree, remains out-of-bounds of the earthly plane and has moved into SP 5th h--SP South Node @26Cap15 is closer than ever to Pluto indicating the US War Machine as the military arm of Pluto's forceful agenda; chart-ruler Sun @9Pis06 is in SP 7th h denoting a 'giving away' of control to others (Sun = leader) and transit Chiron currently conjoins this Sun showing the wounds now being inflicted upon President Obama, many of which involve the failed debut of the ACA website (Neptune = webs, networks, falsehoods, failures, losses); SP Jupiter Rx @15Can24 continues its conjunction to the Pentagon's natal Ascendant showing the bottomless money pit that Washington politicians through the decades have allowed our military misadventures to become.

(America's SP Jupiter Return occurred in September 2013 when transiting Jupiter 'caught up with' SP Jupiter in mid-Cancer); our natal Jupiter Return occurred on July 22, 2013 and a 12-year report may be ordered in this blog's sidebar.)

As you see (click image to enlarge), transit North Node (NN,a Jupiterian point of encounters and alliances) is moving nearer the SP Moon-Saturn conjunction which will separate at the end of December 2013 so we may expect the usual rush of excited energy for New Year 2014, at least until vinegary Washington politicians sour things the way they apparently prefer them. Single digits! Did you hear that Congress' approval rating has now dropped to 9%? Wonder what's the matter with the 9%? As some say, that's counting their family members and friends!

(Blog Note: as I began to type this post a look at my Solar Fire software was warranted and I discovered that Mercury's current position a few minutes before 11:00 am EST is: 3Sco10. Hmm.) '3Sco' = "A House-Raising" in the Sabian Symbols and what this could mean for Congress and the American public who holds their sorry antics in low regard is your guess and mine. Of course, real estate and property values may also be denoted.

Now if you look to the 2nd house of the National Treasury and Values, you see the transiting Ascendant (the WHAT? Point) on November 28, 2013 at 3:10 pm (another '3:10'!) is @18Lib25 and so brings up US SP Mars @18Lib22 and retrograde since Summer 2006. '19 Lib' is the "A Gang of Robbers in Hiding" degree with its negative expression: 'abnormal mistrust of everything worthwhile" (Jones.) But robbers? The world has gracious plenty of those for every occasion.

In 4th house, the transiting Saturn-Pluto midpoint of loss, cruelty, and hard work, now conjoins US natal Ascendant which indicates cold feelings, melancholy, working with powerful or influential people, and/or, silent power (Ebertin; Munkasey.) This echoes the Saturn-Pluto opposition which conjoined the US natal ASC-DESC axis for the 9/11/01c coup. ASC-DESC = Self and Others, and Saturn-Pluto's activity in our natal chart also supports the depressive aspect of the SP Moon-Saturn conjunction.

Scorpio!

Does our November 28th Moon-Saturn conjunction in Scorpio, sign of Regeneration, Surgery, and such, give us an astro-picture of the public's (Moon) depression over and delays (Saturn) in the health insurance sign-up process? In a previous post I mentioned that transit Mercury (websites, technology, signing up, contracts, negotiations, news, etc) will leave his retrograde shadow, the degrees he retraced during Rx phase, at the end of November 2013 which tallies with what the White House hopes will be the date by which the Obamacare website will be operating on or near its best performance level. And all of it encounters our SP Moon-Saturn conjunction!

Yet could the SP Moon-Saturn conjunction may be timing improvements more accurately? If so, their separation by at least one degree at the end of December 2013 may denote a brightening of the American public's prospects in the realm of healthcare and health insurance.

So what is a Progressed Moon-Saturn conjunction telling us about ourselves and our society for Saturn, along with Jupiter, are the societal planets?

SP Moon to Saturn indicates a period of dealing with basic survival for many Americans as we seek safety for ourselves and our families--perhaps another reference to the benefits of Obamacare, if those who need it can get its coverage. During this "don't rock the boat" conjunction, productive work wards off anxiety and depression and each person must do what they have the power and opportunity to do--then, let go. Plus, Pottenger and Dobbyns have called a Moon-to-Saturn conjunction in Progressions a "cosmic report card" concerning "how we are handling the rules of the game."

Well! Since the collective must necessarily include members of our 9%-approved Congress, I suspect their report card shows a big fat F minus next to the president's F, don't you? Perhaps demonstrations and protests are on the public's menu--but let's not give up on America, just on those who undermine our nation!

Another factor I must include is tr Mars' visit to US natal Neptune and SP Neptune (unwise decisions and actions, disguised culpability, hidden motives), as you can tell by Mars' position @24Vir59 where Mr. Quarrels has just entered the SP 2nd house with its cusp @23Vir19. And there in 2nd house awaits our SP Mars @18Lib22 Rx so there are multiple references to Mars-Neptune issues and concerns that have America's natal and problematic Mars-Neptune square 'running in the background'. The square's 'misdirected energy/misguided actions' inclinations just keep on tripping us up via the self-undoing of the political establishment's overly enthusiastic plans for conquest, domination, and fraud.

Additionally, President Obama is not left out of the situation since his natal Mars in Virgo conjoins US natal Neptune, a synchronicity between 1776 and 1961 that helped create the 'rock star' vibes of 2008 which made him popular, and which veils or obscures the public's clear view of his actions and motivations (she's blogged a zillion times before!) Yet with the president's approval rating now below 40%, it seems that the Inauguration 2013 horoscope wasn't kidding about a drop in his popularity with its 1st house Moon (the public; popularity) near the 1st house South Node of the Moon, a Saturnian point of separation and disfavor.

So we can't discount the possibility that the November 28th SP Moon-Saturn conjunction is descriptive of the low point in President Obama's approval ratings so if his popularity climbs in December--which one assumes it may once the ACA website is workable and more people have discovered better insurance and the amounts of their subsidies--we may assume that the SP conjunction correctly timed the president's ratings bottom and marks the start of a gradual improvement in public opinion.

Well, as you see, there are many more factors worth noting from both the November 28, 2013 SP chart and the planetary transits on what is our annual Thanksgiving Day, but my blogging time isn't as expansive as it once was, so I'll hush for now and publish what I have so far. As always, your comments and/or analyses are warmly invited!

~:~

Correction to the SP horoscope: near the top of the chart, I have wrongly labeled Mercury's SP position as '23Ari41' though it's noted above that SP Mercury is @20AQ27 Rx in 6th house. '23Ari41' is actually the position of SP Venus! And on another note: astrologers such as Nicholas DeVore call '3 Scorpio' the 'Fall of the Moon' degree which, if so, may only make matters more difficult for the length of time the Moon-Saturn conj is in effect through 2013. Obviously, its opposite degree, '3Tau' is the 'Exaltation of the Moon' degree and is considered to be fortunate; also, it is the degree of Chiron in its Discovery chart of November 1977 (3Tau08 Rx). jc

A Search for the Real Monarch of Britain (video)

Then Is Queen Elizabeth II lost? No, silly!

by Jude Cowell

Though I'm studying US Progressions for November 28, 2013, there's not much time for blogging today so here's a curious video, a 48-minute tale of Tony Robinson's search for the Real Monarch of Britain. No, I have not had a chance to view the entire presentation though of course I've previously read about the King who eliminated all those he could murder of Plantagenets from the face of the earth thus diverting into an alternate direction, the Royal Blood Line of Ascendancy to the British Throne:

Am I to guess that much of history is written by successful usurpers?

For more videos visit Forbidden Knowledge TV where knowledge isn't so forbidden after all...