Jun 2012
huh. (!)
29/Jun/12 12:08
I don't mind saying I was surprised by yesterday's Supreme Court ruling upholding President Obama's health care act. The generally conservative court upheld most parts of the law, including the "individual mandate," something even staunch supporters of health care reform - like myself - find troubling (the government can force us to buy insurance from private companies without a government option?).
The astrological stew this week has included too many important factors to judge in advance. Especially the powerful Pluto-Uranus square that simultaneously demands change and opposes it. But we also have to come in one level of magnification when we look at this week's rulings on health care and Arizona's law on illegal immigrants, and that's the Neptune-Jupiter square. This aspect tends to favor progressive social changes - although with Saturn stationing within minutes of the exact aspect, it seemed progressive change could be thwarted.
The Jupiter-Neptune square was the opening square of a cycle that began in 2009, as Obama began pushing for healthcare reform. It is no surprise that the first great test of the law comes now.
The ruling was made with the moon void of course in Libra, the sign that Saturn is now visiting. Saturn is stern, and in the sign of the scales, a dour but fair judge is suggested - fair at least in the sense of following the law. The scales of Libra are after all reminiscent of the scales that justice holds.
A ruling coming with the moon void means that the decision had already been made. It was a big deal, but a fair accompl at that point. But as the moon trudged into Scorpio, the sign of power, we began to see active reactions - reactions that will be especially hot with the sun aspecting the real movers and shakers (Uranus and Pluto) today.
As almost one in three Americans are under a heat advisory, it seems even the weather is playing along.
ABC News said it very well... The Supreme Court Health Care Ruling Inspires Creative Vitriol
The astrological stew this week has included too many important factors to judge in advance. Especially the powerful Pluto-Uranus square that simultaneously demands change and opposes it. But we also have to come in one level of magnification when we look at this week's rulings on health care and Arizona's law on illegal immigrants, and that's the Neptune-Jupiter square. This aspect tends to favor progressive social changes - although with Saturn stationing within minutes of the exact aspect, it seemed progressive change could be thwarted.
The Jupiter-Neptune square was the opening square of a cycle that began in 2009, as Obama began pushing for healthcare reform. It is no surprise that the first great test of the law comes now.
The ruling was made with the moon void of course in Libra, the sign that Saturn is now visiting. Saturn is stern, and in the sign of the scales, a dour but fair judge is suggested - fair at least in the sense of following the law. The scales of Libra are after all reminiscent of the scales that justice holds.
A ruling coming with the moon void means that the decision had already been made. It was a big deal, but a fair accompl at that point. But as the moon trudged into Scorpio, the sign of power, we began to see active reactions - reactions that will be especially hot with the sun aspecting the real movers and shakers (Uranus and Pluto) today.
As almost one in three Americans are under a heat advisory, it seems even the weather is playing along.
ABC News said it very well... The Supreme Court Health Care Ruling Inspires Creative Vitriol
A true tale of Venus retrograde
27/Jun/12 11:11
On the face of it, Venus retrogrades aren’t what we would consider romantic periods in our lives. In fact, when the Goddess of Love spins into reverse, this area of life is generally considered to be on hold.
Yet one facet of Venus retrograde is just dripping romance - the possibility that past loves will return. This is the one thing about Venus retrograde that most people have heard of, and it stands out perhaps because it hold the promise that there will be romance during these 40 day (and we can’t go 40 days without romance, can we?).
Well, it happened to me this retrograde, and my story is more or less what the return of past loves is like during these times...
In middle school, I had a terrible, wonderful, crush on a girl I’ll call Beth. It began towards the end of 7th grade, and it was in full bloom as the last months of 8th grade turned the spring into summer. Alas, girls mature faster than boys, and Beth was ahead of the curve for a girl while I - well, let’s just say if you needed to know something about the Planet of the Apes movies, I was your go-to guy.
Despite the reputation cool kids have for being aloof (generated in part by uncool kids), Beth was always very nice, and that got me thinking I might investigate some of the cool stuff she was into. I got my first Bob Dylan album because she quoted one of the songs one day. My crush went nowhere, but that was the start of my real interest in and love of music.
After middle school, I didn’t see any more of Beth. Maybe she moved away or something - I had no way of knowing. I saw her once, about seven years later, I guess, for just a moment. It was a fast-moving situation, and I had no idea what to say besides, “Hi.”
But Venus retrograde stepped in a few weeks ago. Arriving at my Facebook home page, I saw that I had a friend request, and I scrolled down to find her name. I won’t say that my heart skipped a beat like the time she called my house (she just wanted the homework, but I was thrilled), although it fluttered a little. After all these years! Wow! Really!
So I went to her page and looked at some pictures (including one of her back in middle school days), and read a little about her life. It was nice. I don’t even know that we reconnected - I don’t know how connected we ever were, except for having a common middle school - but I got to reminisce about my 8th grade crush for a few minutes. And that got me thinking about my subsequent crushes on other girls, and my first real girlfriend, my enseignant de l’amore, and so on...
And that is the kind of thing that we mean when we talk about old loves returning during Venus retrogrades.
You can read more about Venus retrograde by clicking here, or watch a video by clicking here.
Personal and Connective
25/Jun/12 11:09
No typo.
I often write about how astrology works on two levels, the personal and the collective. Basically, the personal level is about our individual lives, feelings, and adventures, while the collective level is about our shared cultural experiences, social issues, and political changes.
Yet there is another side to astrology that needs to be emphasized, and that is the connective dimension. The connective dimension to astrology is not another level somewhere between the personal and collective. Rather, it’s about the way we see and use astrological information. It is rooted in the ability to see that our personal lives are embedded within our relationships, our families, our communities, our social groups, and our entire culture. Who we are personally is to a great extent a matter of who we are in our connections to others.
Exploring the connective dimension of astrology - and our lives - means recognizing that all astrological energies are expressed in our relationships (of all kinds). We often say things like “I have Venus in Leo” or “I have Mercury in Virgo,” as though those energies are contained within us. But it is just as valid - perhaps more valid - to say, “I relate through Venus in Leo” or “I communicate on the Mercury in Virgo dimension.” After all, we can’t really express our Venus, Mercury, or any other planet in isolation. They only become real when we connect with others.
Astrology is a great tool for learning about yourself. But it shouldn’t be just about exploring your personal toolbox to see what’s in there. We only really know how the tools work when we take them out of the box to use them - and that’s almost always done with others. Our potentials become realities when we connect our energies with those of the people in our lives.
You can feel how astrological energies work through introspection, but you can see how they work through your relationships. Appreciating both perspectives is part of an integral approach to astrology.