Category Archives: Current Events

Just a Little AstroEssence 2 April 2014: Defining Ourselves

02 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Current Events, Grand Cross/Grand Square

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Notice the wings on the angel with uplifted arms. 'Vision of the Throne of the Lord (The Paris Apocalypse)' c1400 by an Unknown Miniaturist working in Liege {{PD}}

Notice the wings on the angel with uplifted arms. ‘Vision of the Throne of the Lord (The Paris Apocalypse)’ c1400 by an Unknown Miniaturist working in Liege {{PD}}

There’s a current Cardinal Grand Square with Earth-Zeus, Pluto, Sun-Uranus, and Jupiter. This brings four contrasting inclinations into contact, and probably conflict: material ambitions, change or the existing power structure, a need to be seen for the uniqueness and originality of our Purpose, and the social sphere. Each of us may experience a different equation involving these elements, but the overall meaning is one of better defining ourselves, especially knowing who we are and what we want. That’s a very good thing to know, in anticipation of the Grand Cross and the eclipses. Make sure you’re honest with yourself and others about what you need and want; if you’re not, it will not only make it impossible for the Universe to deliver what you need, it will also mean what you’re hiding won’t remain a secret for long–and even if it’s modest or mild, information hidden comes off like we’re trying for deception–not the best for either finding your tribe or fulfilling your Soul’s intent.

This is from the current issue of ECLIPSE; see it and order here–

Ukraine on Fire

21 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by in Current Events

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‘The Triumph of the Genius of Destruction’ Mihály Zichy 1878 {{PD}}

‘The Triumph of the Genius of Destruction’ Mihály Zichy 1878 {{PD}}

This post appeared first in the current issue of ECLIPSE, and was written on 20 February. As we turn our attention now toward Venezuela, we need to remember that what burns, burns–going through hell is no different in Europe than it is in South America, or anywhere else. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll have a great weekend–and if you’re looking for the forecast, please subscribe!

Rioting in Ukraine, centered in the capital of Kiev, has reached a crisis point, with deaths in the double-digits as of this morning—and other than Russia, which hopes to bring Ukraine back under its control, the rest of the world is slow to react. Let’s look briefly at what the astrology might tell us.

Ukraine adopted a Declaration of State Sovereignty in July 1990, but it wasn’t until 24 August 1991 that the parliament officially created Ukraine as an independent state, putting into practice the declaration of Ukrainian law over Soviet law, with a formal dissolution of the Soviet state in December of that year. With a noon chart for the August date, set for Kiev, we get a Sun at 00 Virgo, appropriate for an area that has, as long as it’s existed, been seen as just a region of another nation, until this point; this also fits the character of the country well, as Ukraine was long known as an agricultural producer, the ‘breadbasket’ of the region. The Aquarius Moon is within a day or so of culmination at Full, suggesting a national character both emotionally mature and intellectually astute. There are a slew of planets in retrograde: Venus, Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, Juno, and Saturn; in order, this suggests difficulties surrounding finances/ trade, communications/ free speech, truly remaining independent, in either creative abilities (there may be too much reliance on agriculture, for instance, and too little on entrepreneurial innovation or manufacturing) or this could suggest an inability to clearly understand the way they come across (Neptune is sextile the country’s Ascendant, though we must remember the angles are unreliable)—but Neptune is also trine Sedna (confusion about their own hidden urges, a serious ‘blind spot’) and Neppy also conjuncts Juno and Uranus—again with the independence, empowerment, and perhaps confusion or inability to see how to achieve these. The Saturn retrograde is of special note; it could suggest a government that can’t keep up with the times, that is disorganized, that is always one step behind, a country in total that is perpetually unhappy with those in authority (the quincunx to the Sun—and their history supports this), or where the authorities may have had a poor idea of financial realities or management (shown by Saturn retro plus Venus sesquiquadrate Neptune, with Saturn quincunx the Sun and the Sun out-of-sign conjunct Venus).

Now an unpopular leader has turned away from a trade deal with the West and toward greater enmeshment with Russia—and the people are seriously unhappy about it, resulting in about a month of riots so far—and they turned deadly in the double digits this week. When we look at current transits (as of the 20th) we see what I read as an overripe situation, with lots of significant contact just a degree or so past contact to origin chart energies, suggesting a great deal of tension, issues that have been presented but with no progress achieved. Now we look at what’s still in contact by degree even if past exact, and at what’s immediately approaching—that will tell us which way the whole situation may fall.

Transiting Ceres is currently square origin chart Saturn, and just moving past sextile to the o Sun/ trine o Earth=Ceres likely represents the protesters, people recognizing their own authority and trying to exercise it in relation to the authorities and in-place system of their country—and so far those in charge are oblivious. T Saturn (current authorities) is on its way to sextile origin chart Mars (violence) and then square Jupiter (the public, word getting out, and possibly specifically word getting out via social media—for all its modernity it’s a very Jupiterian thing)=in other words, more violence and trouble ahead, but it may be bad enough that the world really takes active notice, not this half-hearted acknowledgment of problems that’s going on now. T Pluto is trine o Sedna=a blind spot for the rage and violence, and Pluto is also at the midpoint of o Uranus-Neptune=this could imply that rage and the desire for change could suddenly get very radical—maybe in ways the authorities have failed to imagine—or there could be abrupt upheaval that creates something no one anticipated (Neptune rules Ukraine’s Earth, and this could mean some direct material effects to the country itself). T Venus is at 20 Cap—the next thing she aspects is Mars, by trine=violence will cost, thoroughly and easily more destructive than anyone anticipates, and it will take a human toll.

T Mercury and Sun are both near/ poised to opposition to their origin chart counterparts, promising that prevailing energies will certainly test the nation’s identity, even existence, and its ability to process what’s happening and to communicate with each other. T Chiron is sextile Sedna, and so putting its two hurtful cents centered on wounds deep-seated in the Ukrainian psyche via the Plutonian blind spots/ rage expression. T Juno is opposed o Mars=clearly the struggle and violence are over who holds the power, which translates to who holds status and calls the shots—but in opposition, it doesn’t seem the riots will have the effect the demonstrators are hoping for. T Uranus is square itself and makes a Grand Cross with t Jupiter and o Pallas=growing pains! and susceptibility by the public to taking radical, erratic, and unusual measures to try and achieve that desired sense of freedom, as they are convinced this is the wise thing to do—they are willing to risk revolution. The Nodal axis will soon hook into o Venus, the SN by trine=old issues of money and old relationships may end up sending them back toward Russia’s influence. T Sedna is trine o Mars=again, participants in this drama are unaware of the true effect their violence will have. T Zeus squares o Juno=this suggests that ambition and desire are squaring off with a want for empowerment and status—a clash that has yet to resolve, of course.

T Mars sextiles the o Venus-Mercury midpoint and catches o Zeus at the midpoint of the sextile=action is driven by ideas, money, and ambition—but you didn’t need astrology to tell you that! And finally, t Vesta is at 29 degrees conjunct the t North Node=it’s both a crisis in highest values and a crisis in the direction the country’s headed—but honestly, is there anything else worth making revolution over?

 

On the Olympic Games Winter 2014

07 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by in Current Events, ECLIPSE magazine, Sochi Olympics

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'The Skating Minister' Henry Raeburn c1790 {{PD}}

‘The Skating Minister’ Henry Raeburn c1790 {{PD}}

Here’s a little something I wrote a couple weeks ago (in ECLIPSE) speculating on how the Sochi Olympic games might pan out; considering the reports that are coming out of there this evening, I think it’s time to share.

As far as I can figure out, the games themselves actually begin on the 6th, with the very first events scheduled for 10 AM local time (Men’s Slopestyle Snowboarding and Women’s Freestyle Moguls, in case you’re wondering), and with the opening ceremonies scheduled for Friday evening, the 7th, probably for the convenience of much of the broadcast audience. I think using the advent of the first contest, rather than the opening ceremonies, makes good sense—recall the death of the luger at the Vancouver games in 2010, which occurred before the opening ceremony, suggesting that significant things can indeed happen prior to the ‘official’ beginning of the games. So we’ll look at this point in time, the beginning of the contests, against the inception chart for the modern version of the Olympic Games.

The first modern games were held beginning 6 April 1896, but the structure and international, committee-style governing body was created 23 June 1894 in Paris; we don’t have a time, but a noon chart seems to suit the proceedings, with the Sun and Zeus (ambition and desire) conjunct in Cancer (suggesting the ‘waxing and waning’ nature of the original, 4-years-between-games schedule) in the 10th, making for high public visibility and establishing these as games that carry status (there had been others in various places at various times post the ancient Greek games, but none had the international scope or prestige the original version of the current games almost immediately took on). We also note Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto conjunct in the 9th in Gemini=sports, glamor, and power communicated on an international level—and countries have been taking the Olympics very seriously since this inception, seeing wins as reflecting the nations themselves. Venus sits in the 8th in Taurus, trine Ceres and Vesta, suggesting the extent to which reverence for the Olympics has turned the games into cash machines for entire nations, never more so than in the past twenty years, when related production, infrastructure improvements, merchandising, and endorsements for athletes have skyrocketed, and the quest for new sports to award medals for goes on and on, sometimes to a ridiculous extent (BMX Cycling, Table Tennis, Curling—anyone?) And Saturn trines Jupiter, setting in stone, so to speak, the games for some time—and though there have been boycotts, delays, and a few cancellations, they always come back stronger than ever.

When we put the start of the upcoming winter games in Sochi in comparison to the Olympic inception chart, we see a Taurus Moon for the current events—there may be lots of reporting about accommodations and conditions for the athletes, food and comforts available to them—and this Moon opposes the original Uranus, with UR ruling the 5th and the Moon the 10th=sudden events, risky and surprising, that affect the status of the games as well as the nature of the ‘business’. Pluto (ruler of the original 2nd) of the current games sextiles the founding chart’s Uranus and quincunxes the original Neptune, ruler of the 6th=there are going to be some destructive surprises surrounding money, in the events themselves, and the sense of obligation for the host country. Current chart’s Jupiter forms a perfect Grand Trine in Water with current Chiron and founding Uranus=the public and/ or the athletes, injury, and those surprise elements again, creating an emotional maelstrom. And the current Saturn opposes the founding chart’s Venus, suppressing the one thing that has driven the games to ever bigger, but not necessarily better, displays and commercialism: money. Overall the impression is one of minor or major disasters of a stripe that cause chaos and suppression or denial of revenue—but does that equal terrorist activity?

When we look at the more disruptive influences, we see some activity (Pluto to some founding placements and opposed current Jupiter, aspects to current Chiron) that suggest destruction, particularly explosions or other surprising events, and injury to the public or to revenues (current Pluto in fact falls at the midpoint of founding Uranus and current Chiron). These same contacts, though, could imply minor disasters or unexpected events that are blown all out of proportion, and certainly, any kind of protests, for example those that may surround the participation of gay athletes (by the athletes themselves or other groups) could have a rage factor that can read in the chart as dangerous. But, with the games experiencing a Pallas return, the biggest impact may actually be from having to face what the committee has created in the present form of the Olympics; the wisdom or lack of it in current arrangements may be abundantly clear at this time. The chart interaction also suggests that the results may resonate most strongly in the economic area, and in a loss of sponsor and nation support (Saturn opp Venus, the latter ruler of 1st and 8th, the former ruler of the 4th of foundations). Current Vesta in a Grand Trine with founding Moon and Mercury say that the genuine beliefs and values of all the participants will be front and center, that emotional perspectives may prevail, and that all of it will be communicating exactly how everyone feels. Perhaps it will mirror the kind of terror that comes when we face ourselves, and the world we’ve created, whether the effects were intended or not.

Go here and scroll down to see the charts–and the new ECLIPSE is out! Have a great weekend!

Comparison of Knox and Kercher Natal Charts from October 2013 ECLIPSE

01 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, Consciousness Explored, Crime, Current Affairs, Current Events, relationship astrology

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Knox-Kercher Natal ComparisonThis is a re-print of an article that appeared exclusively in ECLIPSE last October; it may be of interest to those following Knox’s case now.

The Crying Game: the Amanda Knox Re-Trial The phrase ‘murder will out’ has two meanings: in the first it implies that a murder will always become a public event, and the second is the more general idea that secret or hidden crimes will not remain secret forever. The phrase apparently appears in the English language as far back as the work of Chaucer, and it carries an old superstitious implication, as well: that if the murderer comes near the corpse of the murdered, the corpse will begin to bleed once again. How convenient if this were true! But alas, all we have is the court system, and all we can do is inspect, again and again if need be, the evidence.

The Amanda Knox murder re-trial is in the news once more; a new appeal. brought by the prosecution, began in Perugia, Italy, on 30 September. I thought it might be appropriate to look at the victim, Meredith Kercher, in relation to Knox, via the natal charts. Up to now I’d only looked at Amanda’s natal horoscope and transits at the time of the murder, hoping for some idea if she was really involved–now I think an examination of the relationship between the two women at an elemental level is in order, if only to shed some light on what kind of interaction may have laid the basis for the death of one, which so thoroughly affected the life of the other.

I’ve put Amanda’s chart on the inside as she has a reliable birth time and so angles (9 July 1987 2:47 AM PDT Seattle Washington USA), while we have no birth time for Meredith (28 December 1985 ntk Southwark United Kingdom). The first thing that grabs my attention is the way M’s Chiron is conjunct A’s Ascendant=this may have felt to A like M ‘played the wounded one’ in relation to A’s attempts to ‘meet the world’ (one of the functions of the Ascendant); M’s Chiron is also semi-square A’s Sun, this suggesting both an interaction that may have felt like a minor affront to A’s Soul and identity, as well as M feeling to A like someone who carried the continual threat of injury–and this threatened injury likely echoed injuries A herself saw as her own (both natal Chirons fall in A’s 1st). Strangely, sometimes when we encounter someone who carries the same wounds we do we feel almost offended, as if something that is ours has been overrun and claimed by an interloper (and this attitude likely shows an over-identification with the wound, so that we are possessive of it). M’s Pallas is conjunct A’s Vesta and opposed A’s Ceres, and sextile A’s Jupiter=this suggests M took an ‘I know better than you’ stance of superior wisdom (consciously or not), especially regarding both education and social matters, that violated A’s highest values; this may have felt to A like M took a disparaging view of the attitudes most important to A–and if A was running any kind of ‘social game’ (which I am convinced is an integral part of her personality), then this could’ve felt highly invasive, even as if M were challenging her ‘power’ as a woman at an elemental level.

Meredith’s Capricorn Sun lands exactly on Amanda’s Neptune (M sought solid, real-world contact at a Soul level, but found she received only A’s projections about herself and what she has to give the world–Neptune rules A’s 11th–so that M may have felt continually frustrated and/ or bamboozled!) Further, that places M’s Earth at the midpoint of A’s Venus-Mercury in Cancer (and these of course opposed M’s Sun)=M may have looked for A’s ‘message’ of warmth and caring to be reflected in material matters–and though M probably continued to seek that message with the Sun’s energy and through interaction, she may have felt perpetually mislead or that A came up short. And with M’s Moon undoubtedly in Cancer, she may have been open to that message and highly vulnerable to those prone to withhold those qualities, and so repeatedly disappointed.

This also places M’s Earth as part of A’s Water Grand Trine, consisting of A’s Pluto, Juno, and Merc-Venus, and also sites M’s Sun-Earth axis square A’s Nodes. The feeling for A may have been that M was trying to draw off A’s personal power by making material demands, and certainly, with the Nodes involved, M’s very presence may have felt life-altering to A–and with M’s Earth trine A’s Pluto, the desire to destroy M’s material circumstances, or to see them as an outlet for rage, could’ve been second nature to A.

Meredith’s Ceres, Vesta, and Jupiter all hook in to Amanda’s Sun-Earth axis, and all three challenge the personal power, material security, and the social role of the younger girl (Amanda)–not the easiest subjects to handle in personal relationship during the college years. M’s Mercury also aspects this axis, suggesting that what she thought of Amanda as a person she was quick to communicate–and with that Merc conjunct A’s Saturn, those communications may have felt extraordinarily judgmental, and perhaps spurred the natural desire on A’s part to suppress both M’s words and thoughts.

And a tidbit for past life proponents: Meredith’s Venus is quincunx Amanda’s Mars (and A’s Sun potentially conjuncts M’s Moon), suggesting a relationship (with M the female and A the male) where one or the other had to adjust or sacrifice in some way (the quincunx), in what was at least potentially a sexual relationship (or, also likely, a relationship where A, as the male, held all the power)–which may be its own ‘pre-echo’ (see a later article in this issue) of this current life, as sexual games have been cited as the circumstance leading into Meredith’s murder, and such a need to once again exert her power could’ve played on Amanda’s perceptions, leading her to such an extreme response. But, considering these two young women have opposing Venus placements, we may just be looking at an outright contest, female against female, which can certainly be just as serious.

With M’s Pluto-South Node-Mars conjunct A’s Pluto, sextile A’s Neptune and trine A’s Venus-Merc, Meredith may have had a strong urge to destroy Amanda, just as Amanda seemed to have natural urges to aggress against Meredith. On Meredith’s side, the feeling may have been that she wanted to knock Knox off the ‘image throne’ she spun around herself with the view of an older, wiser woman–and Amanda was having none of it, feeling her personal power threatened and her Neptunian image seen through. When I look at the contacts between the two charts, I see a contentious relationship where each side was aggressive in its own way, where Meredith felt what she saw as her superior knowledge and wisdom should be appreciated, and where Amanda not only resented the judgments but felt threatened by Meredith’s attempts to see through the Neptunian fog–and exposure is just about the worst thing you can do to someone like Knox.

Am I saying Meredith brought on her own murder? Absolutely not. What I am saying is that what happens between two people in some climactic moment doesn’t just spring from the ether fully formed–instead it lurches forward from the primordial interaction of two beings, and finds its origins in those energies that are irreconcilable to each other, that will clash, and clash, until they reach the release offered by separation, no matter how achieved

 

Amanda Knox & the Italian Court Ruling

31 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in astrology, Current Events, Transit Effects Explored

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I'm now using Whole Sign charts; previous analyses used Placidus. Got to the ECLIPSE chart page and scroll down for Knox and Meredith Kercher's charts together.

I’m now using Whole Sign charts; previous analyses used Placidus. Go to the ECLIPSE chart page and scroll down for Knox and Meredith Kercher’s charts together.

I did say I would look a little more at the case of Amanda Knox, who yesterday had her murder conviction upheld by an Italian court. The transits are set for 3 PM local time (Seattle), which is approximately when word came down that a decision had been rendered. To my understanding Knox gets an automatic appeal of this decision; only if she loses on the subsequent appeal would extradition be on the table.

On examining the natal chart and transits, we see a few striking things, the most telling of which to my mind is the conjunction of the transiting North Node to the natal Vertex, with only an 8 minute gap. That implies this entire process is unquestionably her fate, no matter what the final outcome; think of it as playing a role–we all have these scenarios–this is hers.

There’s a Water Grand Trine formed by t Jupiter, t Juno-Chiron, and Amanda’s natal Pallas. We see a broadcasting of hurt and its effect on empowerment, freedom (Jupiter) threatened–certainly one loses both freedom and empowerment when imprisoned–but the contact to Knox’s natal Pallas implies she knows the wisdom of what’s happening, or perhaps of this particular ruling. This may be nothing more than her recognition of that role indicated by the NN-Vertex contact, or it could be the expected result, from her point of view–or it could even be the unstated recognition of the appropriateness of the ruling, should she in fact be guilty. In any case, this is playing out on an emotional plane (the Water element)

The New Moon occurred in Amanda’s 9th; not surprising that a ruling in a foreign country opens a whole new chapter for her. t Zeus creates a T-square with the Sun-Earth axis=we’re seeing the results, material and spiritual, of the desire nature acting out–but does this say she’s guilty, and that the ruling is the result of her own choices, or that the desires of the Italian prosecution are bringing conflict to her Soul and Material Purposes? It could be either.

We also see a Mixed Element Grand Trine of t Ceres and Mercury, both at 29 degrees of their respective signs, in aspect to Amanda’s Chiron-Vesta conjunction in the 1st, and out-of-element to her natal Venus in the 2nd–in fact, the midpoint of her placements is the 29 degree point that fills in the Trine perfectly. ‘A stressful message from authorities, who are themselves under stress’ certainly describes the transiting energies; this impacts Knox’s sense of herself as a woman, her Self-worth picture, her relationships, and her finances, as well as a sense of herself as wounded that she may consider sacred (Chiron-Vesta). But, a GT carries an implication of energy balance, and this could suggest that the situation allows Knox to express those affected natal characteristics effectively and perhaps Self-righteously, as well. After all, the most effective defense against a charge of murder (the attitude that makes you most believable in your denial of responsibility) may be your own view of yourself as a victim whose status as such is sacred, not to be questioned.

t Mercury at 29 tense degrees of Aquarius also quincunxes natal Mars in Leo; Amanda’s ego may be frustrated by what’s being communicated–when the court’s speaking, she’s not in control of the message. t Neptune is within orb of her n Juno in the 10th, and t Mars is also sesquiquadrate=she may feel she’s under attack, and be confused about her reputation, about the impression she makes, about what may actually be empowering to her and what isn’t, and perhaps she may be prone at this time (while Neptune lingers) to partner with others who may raise her status but not truly serve her cause (a la Juno).

t Neptune also fills in a Grand Trine with Amanda’s natal Venus and Pluto=illusion, Truth, and beauty are evenly matched at this point. Since this Pluto and Venus both belong to Knox natally, it seems it will be the function of Neptune, strong in its own sign, to sort it out. Truth (and maybe rage) express through her values, her relationships to people and money, and her idea of herself as a woman, but Neptune’s presence may exaggerate the ‘mirror’ quality Knox has anyway, and make current opinions reflective of what each of us thinks we see. It also could imply that, until Neptune moves on, we may have no chance at getting to the truth.

t Sedna is apex to a Finger of God with base of n Ceres-Uranus-Moon in 7th (drawing a picture of someone who may believe that all the authority, privilege to act as one pleases, and emotional sensitivity belongs to others) sextile t Mars. The Finger takes that natal complex, combines it with aggression both given and received, and concludes that this will create both a primal result (speaking to the deepest held urges and qualities) and that these factors may obscure who’s really attacking whom.

My sense is that Knox is at a crucial point: she has many energies working in her favor right now, especially ones related to being able to create, if not precisely the image she wants to, then one that obscures the reality picture. This won’t last forever; the cover of Neptune and the ‘blind spot’ of Sedna will move on, and she will appear differently to onlookers–the question is, what will they see when the influences change?

More on Knox, Her Conviction Upheld

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Current Events

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Tarentine funerary relief of a woman and warrior standing near an altar. c315 BC Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen (2011) released under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic

Tarentine funerary relief of a woman and warrior standing near an altar. c315 BC Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen (2011) released under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic

This is the full text of the article on Knox back at the time of her acquittal. Most of this was in a post here on the blog, though scroll down for the transit analysis, which only appeared in ECLIPSE. I still plan to look at these latest events, probably tomorrow or over the weekend, as the Italian court upheld her conviction on appeal and announced it today, the 30th.

Tried and acquitted for the 2007 murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, while both were students in a study-abroad program in Perugia, Italy, American Amanda Knox found that the Italian justice system allows for the prosecution to appeal the verdict, a step unheard-of in the United States system without the surfacing of new evidence. A new trial will now go forward, though at present it does not appear that Knox will be required to attend, and if convicted, there will be an automatic appeal; only after a final conviction would Italy then move to extradite Knox, though her American lawyers have already sited our ‘Double Jeopardy’ rule (where an individual, once tried and acquitted, cannot again be tried for the same offense) as a reason not to hand her over. Of course, how sorry is Knox that her book is coming out in just about one month, concurrent with her first interview since her release? Not too, I’m thinking, as I assume her publishers were watching proceedings in the Italian Supreme Court, waiting for just such a sales-spurring ruling.

Do I sound cynical about this case? Yes, I am, largely because from the very beginning, I felt that one’s perception of Amanda Knox was based on just how willing an individual is to see what’s really in front of them. She’s the classic Rorschach test for each and every observer: for those who are co-dependent, who carry someone in their own life they want to see in a soft light (and so must see that in others who ‘fit the profile’), those who want to pretend darkness doesn’t exist, or those who genuinely don’t see the evil in others, because they don’t have it in themselves, these individuals seem to feel her trial is a travesty, that such an obvious innocent couldn’t have bound and slashed another young woman, slowly torturing her to death. For those who can accept that a book is not so easily summed up in its cover, there are dimensions to be seen in Knox, and possibilities, both for the night in question and for other choices and statements, to be examined–but we will look through the lens of the natal chart, for what it may tell us.

Amanda Knox (9 July 1987 2:47 AM Seattle Washington USA) has a natal chart that perfectly describes this mirror quality, this way in which others look into her physical being (and this is an important point–more in a minute), and see only what they are capable of believing. She has her Earth (the material state we must create in order to live our Soul–Sun–Purpose) in Capricorn conjunct Neptune in the 8th of other people’s resources=we think we are looking at hard realities, but we’re seeing an illusion that bounces back what’s within us. With this conjunction, it’s even easy to forgive the too-generous assessments of Knox’s character; these reviews are informed with an idealism (Neptune) imported by the observer. The key to seeing Knox clearly, though, isn’t found only in the ability to withhold one’s projections, it’s also found in the realization that the physical beingness (Earth) is providing the illusion (Neptune). We read her and think we ‘know’, but we are taking cues from the physicality that are deceptive, not necessarily deliberately, but certainly played upon by the canny Knox. The Italian and world tabloid press dubbed her ‘angel face’ and ‘foxy knoxy’ during her trial, a good illustration of the physical influence.

With Sedna obscuring things from the unconscious 12th, in generous trine to both Earth and Neptune, Knox may keep a lot riding on this combo: it may allow her to project the image she wants, without too much conscious thought, making the image seem all the more valid to onlookers, and hiding the life-death-life associations, and the play between roles and expectations, even from herself. And speaking of identity, the Cancer Sun in the 2nd quincunxes the 7th House Saturn in Sagittarius, uniting the 4th and the 8th and 9th, family/ feelings about deepest Self, other people and their resources, and foreign travel, among other things, suggesting that the Self is uneasy in situations that combine these, and/ or that the Self is uneasy in reality itself (Sun qnx Saturn). This little complex, and a lot more, was activated on the day of Meredith’s murder.

On the day of the murder, t Mars was moving quickly toward conjunction with Amanda’s Sun (aggression/ assertion characteristic of the Soul, given or received), t Saturn filled in a Grand Trine with n Neptune and Sedna (easy to have a lack of clarity, or outright delusions, about reality at this time), t Venus closely conjuncted Zeus (valuing the ambitions and desire state–jealousy possible! which was the contention of the prosecution), t Sun was just past conjunction to n Pluto, but that puts the t Earth conjunct Sedna (‘shining a light’ on darkness/ not seeing the physical repercussions of things), t Jupiter was at the natal Saturn-Moon midpoint (setting the Self free from emotional restrictions–plus natally that unites the matters of 8th and 9th–Capricorn–with matters of the 1st and 2nd–Cancer–implying the possibility of a ‘what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine’ orientation), t Pluto exactly trines n Jupiter (only 2 minutes off–letting rage out, broadcasting darkness, big change, and study of death has come to associate Jupiter with it, so possibly, facing/ creating death could have been, relatively speaking, easy), t Chiron was just past conjunction to the MC (had there been some public humiliation or wounding beforehand?) t Uranus squared n Saturn (a lot of ‘wilding’ energy challenging the status quo behaviors long-term), and t Vesta conjuncted Neptune (illusions, delusions, ideals and fantasies are sacred, as are one’s idea of home and the mate). And that’s just what a cursory inspection shows.

Did Amanda Knox murder her roommate? Her frequently changed story in the early days of the investigation did not help her case; she blamed a lot of other people, at various points, with further court actions aplenty. I have a very strong opinion on the case–but so do many others, and all of us may be under that Neptunian spell, judging nothing but our own illusions.

With the New Moon, a New Take on Knox

30 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Current Events, current events in the sky

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Preparatory sketch for 'The Justice of Cambyses' Gerard David 1498 {{PD}}

Preparatory sketch for ‘The Justice of Cambyses’ Gerard David 1498 {{PD}}

Happy New Moon, everyone! Just as we see the conjunction of the Sun and Moon in Aquarius, and are on the verge of the Venus direction, we hear of the re-conviction of Amanda Knox in Italian court. Those two events suggest to me a new intellectual take on the case will dominate, as will a beauty/ Venusian values assessment shift in the way Knox is perceived. I plan on writing more on this later; Here’s what I said about it previously

A new mega-issue of ECLIPSE comes out tonight! And did I mention that all through February my books will only be $5 each for subscribers? And ‘The Elevation of Chiron’ will be free!–order here

A Look Back: Egypt’s Morsi

01 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in Aspect Delineation, Astrology of Careers Vocations and Callings, Current Events, ECLIPSE magazine, Transit Effects Explored

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'An Arab Caravan Outside a Fortified Town in Egypt' Jean-Leon Gerome c1900 {{PD-Art}}

‘An Arab Caravan Outside a Fortified Town in Egypt’ Jean-Leon Gerome c1900 {{PD-Art}}

This originally appeared in ECLIPSE just after Morsi’s election on 30 June 2012–thought it was worth another look now:

The new president of Egypt, Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Isa al‐Ayat, was born 20 August 1951, ntk, in the Sharqia Governorate, in northern Egypt‐‐since the birthplace is not pinpointed, and the province itself rather small, I chose the capital city, Zagazig Az‐zaq. Morsi’s rise is meteoric only in the sense of his arrival on the world stage; he was a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but gained the globe’s attention when, in the wake of the Egyptian Revolution, he became the candidate of the newly formed political arm of the Brotherhood, the Freedom and Justice Party. Now, with his election to president, Morsi brings unquestioned loyalty to the Brotherhood and their beliefs to a previously secular post‐‐and, having seen other instances where religious figures rose to political power within the Arab world, the West watches and waits to know the direction its one‐time ally (Egypt) will take.

Public life may be a challenging road, one that fills personal ambitions for Morsi, if he can continue in creating the illusion that he has so far‐you’ll see why I call it an illusion in a moment. He has Jupiter, his relationship to and attitude toward the social sphere, in aggressive and independent Aries‐‐right away he may have problems in the social arena, if he doesn’t get to be the leader! With the exception of one aspect, Jupiter is harshly contacted‐‐but oh that one aspect: it’s a trine to Pluto, suggesting that a powerful leadership position is just the thing for him, and easily attained.

The other Jupiter aspects, though, tell the rest of the story, with the most startling perhaps being the sesquiquadrates to the Sun and Juno, which create a Fist of God with Jupiter apex=if he can mesh the identity‐Soul needs with his empowerment options (which are in some way at odds with the Soul, my guess being that his Leo Sun would simply prefer to be dictator!) then he will actualize the potential leadership role‐‐done and done. Sun, hZeus, and Pluto are all conjunct in Leo, in fact, painting a portrait of someone power‐hungry and focused on acquiring that power for the Self‐‐the Fist, and so the public, simply becomes a way of fulfilling personal goals. Jupiter also is quincunx Mercury (adjustment to speech and writing is necessary for harmony with the public) and square Uranus (the individuality and urge to uniqueness and rebellion were easily channeled against the previous regime, but really want to express as total independence from having to answer to those who put him in place‐‐we must remember that Jupiter is also religion and religious hierarchy). Jupiter also opposes Neptune, placing it firmly (and possibly literally) in opposition to ideals, and we note that Neptune rules both the North Node and Ceres, suggesting a fundamental rejection of both what is ’natural’, and of the future; this is a ‘live in the moment’ guy.

Saturn, which would logically make a significant appearance in the chart of someone strongly involved with a religious hierarchy, barely shows up, here sitting at 00 Libra, so that the idea of hierarchy, discipline, rules are all ’new’ to him; and in Libra, the philosophy presented was likely one of co‐operation, where following the rules and Self‐discipline are not just sacred, they define one as a man (sextile to Mars‐Vesta conjunction). Morsi recognizes the wisdom of this (Saturn trine Pallas), yet justifies his own use of sincere religious principle to further his own wants as required payback for past injury (Saturn square Chiron).

Astrologically speaking, Morsi appears to be an individual who has fooled (or maybe just used) the Muslim Brotherhood for his own, power‐hungry ends; but will this marriage last? Without House cusps, it’s very hard to say, though from the transits, I’m thinking the honeymoon might last awhile, though not indefinitely; Jupiter is in Gemini, soon to square his Nodal axis, signaling that ’people talk’, and though not enough to bring him down, information or gossip propagated now may sow the seeds of his eventual fate. t Chiron is conjunct the natal NN right now, suggesting that his use of very personal and specific skills have led him in his destined direction. t Pluto is moving to oppose natal Uranus, and t Chiron to trine it, suggesting that, as long as he can downplay the individuality urge, the rebelliousness within him to the Brotherhood (because for him it’s all about him, not any kind of religious ideal), and promise healing to the masses, he’ll remain in place. Having attained a pinnacle with the presidency, the vaunted Self‐regard and insistence on doing as he pleases shown by his Sun‐hZeus‐Pluto conjunction will not allow him to ever back down or let go.

t Neptune’s upcoming contact to natal Saturn by quincunx says that Morsi may successfully obscure his own goals or create an illusion that satisfies others, but it will take effort on his part; however, t Pluto trines the natal SN once again in January 2013, possibly stirring those old power urges and prompting a grab, and around August of next year (2013), t Jupiter conjuncts natal Uranus‐‐with this meeting we may watch as his individuality is ’seen’, by religious leaders, or by the masses, and considering that t Saturn will have recently squared natal Mars, reality ’threatening’ his manhood, we may see some fireworks, rebellious behavior, radical responses, or a ’beginning of the end’, as it seems to me a violent finale may be inevitable for this ambitious, would‐be dictator (that Sun‐hZeus‐Pluto natal conjunction in Leo, a human powder keg to which someone, probably himself, will eventually set a match).

A Little More on the Pluto Retrograde

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in Current Affairs, Current Events, current events in the sky, Pluto, Retrogrades

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Another day, another time. 'Rainy Day, Boston' Childe Hassam 1885 {{PD-Art}}

Another day, another time. ‘Rainy Day, Boston’ Childe Hassam 1885 {{PD-Art}}

The bombings in Boston yesterday are, like all such events, horrific, and asto enthusiasts may note this occurred with the Sun-Mars conjunction in Aries–a fiery and martial placement and combination–and with these two sextile Vesta, and widely conjunct a distressed Venus at 29 Aries. This points to values as the motivating force, and, considering the kinds of injuries involved (shrapnel and limb, especially lower limb) and the choice of place and time (Patriot’s Day, a world-renowned marathon) my thought was that this was sparked by rage at such injuries, which are distinctly the kinds created by war, and especially by IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device). I believe the perpetrator (and I think there’s only one) has either suffered this kind of loss him- or herself, or that this has happened to a loved one, and shattered their respective worlds. No matter what their pain, it is no excuse for inflicting the same on others. I send my thoughts and prayers to those who were injured and traumatized, and my gratitude to those who ran toward the blasts, to help–and I’m sure most, likely even all, my readers do, too.

The bombing can be seen in the light of the Pluto retrograde, as part of the need to express that often surrounds a change in direction point. I had planned to talk a little about venting those smaller matters that we bury until such an astrological event cracks open the cellar door, as described in the previous post by the retro’s sextile to Chiron, signifying mild hurts; but of course this applies to deeply seated rage, to passion and obsession, as well, if that is what has been suppressed or ignored. I think we’ll find our personal subjects for the retro period in the House(s) in the natal chart ruled by Scorpio; at least, that’s where I’m finding mine! What House is Scorpio on for you, and what experiences have you correlated with the Pluto retro over the past few days–and are these the same areas, or do they differ?

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