John Howard has plane trouble too

Howard in Iraq plane drama 18 Mar 2007

An RAAF Hercules carrying Prime Minister John Howard was forced to make an emergency landing in southern Iraq on Saturday night after its cabin filled with smoke. All aboard were told to don oxygen masks. The emergency came just minutes after the aircraft had taken off from the Australian base in Tallil, an area known for its 'insurgents' loyal to Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr. #

It's not just Dick Cheney, it's his pal, John Howard as well. Perhaps they should both keep their boots on the ground...er, make that loafers.

Valerie Plame goes to Congress

After some requests I'm posting Valerie Plames's natal chart (sunrise) with this morning's transits set for Capitol Hill.

You see that tr Sun is conjunct her n Venus and tr Venus is conjunct her n Sun! Very appropriate given today's comments that she was a "platinum blonde" who looked like a "movie star" as she strode into the hearing room this morning.

On a side note--or is it?--Jupiter at 19Sag08 is conjunct the Chiron/Pluto midpoint of the Patriot Act chart (Oct 26, 2001)...that's Chiron/Pluto: plutocracy, oppression, racism, class warfare, and all that. And there's Jupiter (the judge--hey, that's Al Gonzales' nickname, isn't it?)...Jupiter to expand, over-expand, and/or broadcast the concept.

This morning, tr Moon conjoined tr Neptune, nebulous planet of obfuscation, veils, and covers...and the glamorous lady spy was in the House, her identity as a spy revealed for all to see. Glamour is also a function of Neptune, as you know, as were all the photographers present for her testimony.#

Solar Eclipse and a Pluto Eclipse

Space Weather News for March 16, 2007

SpaceWeather.com:

SOLAR ECLIPSE: On March 19th around 0230 UT, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, producing a partial solar eclipse visible from Russia, India, China and the northern reaches of Alaska. In those places the normally-round sun will turn into a crescent and cast strangely-curved shadows on the ground. Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information, and check back on March 19th for photos from the eclipse zone.

PLUTO ECLIPSE: Astronomers from Texas to California with be watching Pluto Sunday morning, March 18th, when the dwarf planet sweeps across a red, 15th magnitude star in the constellation Sagittarius. Pluto's atmosphere was discovered as a result of such an occultation in 1985. When a star goes behind Pluto, its light is not extinguished abruptly, as if hidden by a sharp edge, but rather gradually--a sign that Pluto is surrounded by a fuzzy layer of gas.

Astronomers now use stellar occultations to monitor Pluto's atmosphere. Pluto is receding from the Sun and at some point it may become so cold that its atmosphere freezes and falls to the ground. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is rushing to catch Pluto (ETA: 2015) before that happens. On March 18th, we'll find out if Pluto's atmosphere is still "up in the air."

Amateur astronomers with large backyard telescopes and CCD cameras should be able to record the occultation. Visit SpaceWeather.com for observing tips.#

Well, it seems good old Pluto does still have some cred in the astronomical community after all.

And the Solar eclipse 28Pis07 occurs at 10:42:31 pm edt, Sunday, March 18 for DC.

Mars 16AQ01 and Neptune 20AQ53 are snugged around the IC of the Eclipse chart with Saturn 19Leo02 Rx at MC--the only planet in the southern hemisphere, all by his lonesome, no one calling on the phone--which gives this picture:

Mars/Neptune = Saturn: instability; misdirected energy; unfortunate consequences as a result of a weak will; lasting weakness or illness; being taken advantage of; reticence; sense of futility; perservering in spite of fear; an epidemic.

Mars/Nep = MC: losing contact defensively; one's own world prevails; lack of energy; discontent; failures; state of weakness or sickness.

There's also this: Mars/Asc = Pluto: premature action; easily provoked to anger; intensity; violence; a love of quarreling; desire to rule others; subjugating others; forcible adjustment to new conditions and circumstances.

There's more but it's equally depressing so let's look at the Sabian Symbol degree for the Solar Eclipse..I'll be using "29Pis" rather than "28":

"A prism": VALIDATION...

pos: exceptional accomplishment through judgement of unusual accuracy (in DC?!);

neg/shadow side: fatuous pride of intellect (now that sounds more familiar sadly.)


This Solar Eclipse is in the 9 New North Series which began August 21, 1664, and has manifested in 1917, 1935, 1953, 1971, 1989, and will again in 2025.

In her excellent book, Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark, Bernadette Brady gives this Saros Series as being very physically expressive, including possibilities of accidents and violence.

Well, I didn't want to be the one to mention it, but there it is.



Midpoint info: The Combination of Stellar Influences, Reinhold Ebertin; Solar Arcs, Dr. Noel Tyl; "29Pis": The Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Dr. Marc Edmund Jones.

The Ides of March by Cindy Sheehan

Title above links to AfterDowningStreet post by Cindy Sheehan, our Niobe spokeswoman.


FACT OF THE DAY from The Scotsman

One of the most notorious war crimes of modern time was perpetrated today in 1968, when soldiers of the US Army's Americal Division killed as many as 500 Vietnamese civilians in the village of Mai Lai. The act prompted a significant shift in public opinion against the war. Despite being convicted of the killings, Lt William Calley, who commanded the soldiers responsible, served only 3 1/2 years of house arrest before being released. Nearly 20 years later, many compare the war in Vietnam with the difficult situation US and allied forces find themselves in Iraq.

Sununu Calls Time Out for Gonzo

You'll want to read this Sununu Calls for Gonzales' Dismissal if you haven't yet but one cannot help thinking of an improvement, ...Calls for Gonzales' Arrest...that'd be more in line with fair reward for Gonzo's devious actions.

It seems to be: laws mean something VS some who think themselves above all laws...the law-makers, the system-breakers.

(See Chiron-Uranus Types in Government if you wish.)

Must be difficult not to be arrogant when you have that much power within society.

Still! may we not forget for Whom he did these things...for the commander-in-thief, as Thom Yorke put it so early on. And I couldn't agree more.

Rummy: Sep 10, 2001

In his speech to a bunch of war industry reps inside the Pentagon on September 10, 2001, a day-before above many days-before, Donald Rumsfeld told of his plans to hobble, undermine (and otherwise line his pockets with the blood of) the US military.

July 2006, US sec Mars goes Rx (station) and we've seen and heard only a fraction of what this administration has done to the US military while vulturing upon their sense of patriotism in order to profit obscenely bwo war--and from oil booty.

Rummy's friends Cheney, Bush, and others were game as were their shadowy backers. It was a chance for the Robber Barons to bolt back into the saddle again...just kidding...they were never out, just more visible at times--like now.

Jane Smiley's excellent article on HuffPo, Whoops, is just what should be read for a clear assessment on psychopath Rumsfelled, or Rumsfled, as I've cheekily called him before. It's too late to apologize now.

Happy 226th Birthday Uranus!

Shown in the above horoscope, the planet Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781 by German-born astronomer William Herschel. Uranus is now the second-farthest planet from the Sun, leaving Neptune the farthest away after Pluto was last year downgraded to a dwarf planet (now restored!). Follow the latest news and features on science & technology at The Scotsman.#

In the discovery chart of Uranus, formerly Ouranus, the Sky God, ruler of lightening bolts, uprisings, revolutions, originality, awareness...the creative spark.

The Sabian Symbol for Uranus, The Witness, whose discovery expanded the known universe from its former limit, Saturn, is:

"25Gem": "A man trimming palms"...ENHANCEMENT:

pos: an exceptional gift for bringing all things to an effective service in some over-all achievement;

neg: an empty display of trivial excellencies.

You'll notice that Pluto has been opposite Uranus of late, and plowing through the Mars/Saturn conjunction.

Mars/Saturn = tr Pluto: forcing an issue; taking control; strong anger.

Refer to the Discovery chart to see Chiron at his own discovery degree, and today's transits snugged around the chart in my usual chicken-scratch fashion. As you know, centaur Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus.

Today's Mars/Saturn midpoint conjuncts Uranus' Moon 15Sco04...

Mars/Sat = Moon: feelings about losing something; moodiness; depression.

You see the 29Leo MC (Aspiration Point) which is conj Fixed Star Regulus, keywords: success if revenge is avoided. Also at MC at discovery is the asteroid Morya. Morya nowadays hangs out ominously with Pluto. You notice that natal Pluto is at the "Medina degree."

Chart-ruler, Venus, not a nice lady when scorned, is conj IC, the HOW Point, the Foundation of the chart...and in nebulous Pisces. The US secondary progressed Sun is thereabouts resulting in a nebulous and murky view of America--internally and externally.

At discovery, perhaps Venus represents Herschel's sister who did more than hold his ladder but never got the credit she deserved (Pisces.)

Sec Sun in Pisces may relate to the rumors of globalist desires to morph America into the North American Union with Canada and Mexico...and perhaps South America, George? They sure don't like ya down there, but you can stay in your Paraguay compound if you like, I wouldn't miss ya.

Well, with no more time to celebrate the 226th Birthday of Uranus just now (yes, I say: yur ahn' nus) I wish the best of the day to this quirky planet so active in the US chart, so disruptive on the world stage.

McGovern prefers Nixon to Bush-Cheney

Yes, it's true. The Nation has some measured words from George McGovern concerning Bush, Cheney, and the Constitution.

He evens gives a "looks awfully good" to a certain Dem candidate--although he's giving no official endorsement yet (natch)--you know this one's name oh yes you do!