Nov 2011
Scorpions need not apply
28/Nov/11 07:55
You might think that as an astrologer I would like to see astrology in the news. I suppose I might, if the news were at all helpful to astrology, but that's rarely the case.
This past weekend, another example of "no news is good news" made it into the press, with the report that a Chinese firm has said that Virgos and Scorpios have strong personalities and are too moody, and they would not be hired. Apparently, Capricorns, Libras, and Pisces are especially encouraged to join the firm.
The story is a bit dodgy. It was reported through Yahoo News and it did not name the firm. In fact, it comes from a job ad posted at Wuhan University, through an English-language training company. And although they are in China, they are concerned about Western sun signs. If it weren't for the serious atmosphere in China, it might be dismissed as a hoax.
But no matter! Like the 13th zodiac sign that made the papers last February, controversy has been stirred up and astrology looks silly. The idea that one or two zodiac signs would not be good for a job sounds - and is - preposterous. I can imagine how many people are looking at their wonderful Virgo and Scorpio coworkers and shaking their heads at the stupidity of astrology.
Some fans of astrology might be tempted to say that the problem is with astrological sun signs. If you wanted to know how a person would do at a job, you'd need to see their whole chart. But even with all the signs and aspects taken into account, along with synastry, you still wouldn't know how the energetic pattern of the chart is manifesting. It's a complex Cosmos, and astrology is only one piece of the puzzle.
I did know a Gemini woman who was head of speech pathology department at a hospital. She unwittingly assembled a staff of about 8 other Gemini's, making an entire department of Twins! But that type of thing is a Mercurial mystery, not a plan for running a business.
Some astrologers were upset when Finland barred companies from taking astrology into account in hiring people, but I thought it was a good idea. They also banned psychological tests, and I liked astrologers being put in the same company with psychologists. And I also thought the reasoning in both cases is sound - hiring people ought to imply a degree of personal responsibility on the part of the employer, and tests (physical, psychological, or astrological) are likely to wind up discriminating against people who would do a fine job.
The damage is done. A story like this has about 30 seconds of news appeal before its gone. No one who thought, "how stupid!" is going to give it a second thought. Mercury is retrograde, and I'll bet he's laughing.
This past weekend, another example of "no news is good news" made it into the press, with the report that a Chinese firm has said that Virgos and Scorpios have strong personalities and are too moody, and they would not be hired. Apparently, Capricorns, Libras, and Pisces are especially encouraged to join the firm.
The story is a bit dodgy. It was reported through Yahoo News and it did not name the firm. In fact, it comes from a job ad posted at Wuhan University, through an English-language training company. And although they are in China, they are concerned about Western sun signs. If it weren't for the serious atmosphere in China, it might be dismissed as a hoax.
But no matter! Like the 13th zodiac sign that made the papers last February, controversy has been stirred up and astrology looks silly. The idea that one or two zodiac signs would not be good for a job sounds - and is - preposterous. I can imagine how many people are looking at their wonderful Virgo and Scorpio coworkers and shaking their heads at the stupidity of astrology.
Some fans of astrology might be tempted to say that the problem is with astrological sun signs. If you wanted to know how a person would do at a job, you'd need to see their whole chart. But even with all the signs and aspects taken into account, along with synastry, you still wouldn't know how the energetic pattern of the chart is manifesting. It's a complex Cosmos, and astrology is only one piece of the puzzle.
I did know a Gemini woman who was head of speech pathology department at a hospital. She unwittingly assembled a staff of about 8 other Gemini's, making an entire department of Twins! But that type of thing is a Mercurial mystery, not a plan for running a business.
Some astrologers were upset when Finland barred companies from taking astrology into account in hiring people, but I thought it was a good idea. They also banned psychological tests, and I liked astrologers being put in the same company with psychologists. And I also thought the reasoning in both cases is sound - hiring people ought to imply a degree of personal responsibility on the part of the employer, and tests (physical, psychological, or astrological) are likely to wind up discriminating against people who would do a fine job.
The damage is done. A story like this has about 30 seconds of news appeal before its gone. No one who thought, "how stupid!" is going to give it a second thought. Mercury is retrograde, and I'll bet he's laughing.
Sagging hopes?
22/Nov/11 13:39
As the sun moves into Sag each year, my Leo heart breathes a sigh of relief. There's something about Virgo-Libra-Scorpio (the time of year, NOT the people!) that is difficult for me.
It may not be a Leo thing: Thanksgiving (and Christmas before the calendar change) is a Sag holiday. The external darkness of this time of year somehow calls us to make our own light: Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza are all about light. It is odd that the time before the solstice, when the light is reaching its minimum, that turns to corner for so many of us.
Usually, there's a bit of light in the mood when the sun hits Sag. We've waded out of the dark Scorpionic waters, and are floating above the ground, taking the long view. There seems to be so much potential in Sagittarius, like the arrow that is about to be let loose from the archer's bow.
As I've been saying (but I'll say it again), since the eclipses last June and July, the tension of the cardinal t-square has been growing. Things really came to light when the sun was in Libra, and Scorpio featured all the power struggles associated with that sign.
So, will things calm down with the sun in buoyant Sag? Not likely.
For one thing, we're in for the duration as far as the t-square goes. All we need these days is the moon to be in a cardinal sign (which it is 1/3 of the time) for square to be set off. So the avalanche of change will continue no matter where the sun is.
But we have to remember that Sag has a darker side. It's a great sign for searching for the truth, but when it thinks it's found it, watch out for dogmatic insistence on the One True Path.
What we're likely to see, in politics and protests, is more entrenched views and high-minded positioning on the issues. OWS may come out of the next month freed from the accusation that it doesn't have specific demands or a direction. But the ideological attacks on the protesters (as a rationale for more physical attacks) is likely to grow. We may also see a resurgence of the Tea Party, and perhaps a new force coming to play in the picture.
The rhetoric will be Sagittarian, but these are Uranian/Plutonian times. We see the action through the Archer's lens this month, but it is those two giants who create the scene.
It may not be a Leo thing: Thanksgiving (and Christmas before the calendar change) is a Sag holiday. The external darkness of this time of year somehow calls us to make our own light: Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza are all about light. It is odd that the time before the solstice, when the light is reaching its minimum, that turns to corner for so many of us.
Usually, there's a bit of light in the mood when the sun hits Sag. We've waded out of the dark Scorpionic waters, and are floating above the ground, taking the long view. There seems to be so much potential in Sagittarius, like the arrow that is about to be let loose from the archer's bow.
As I've been saying (but I'll say it again), since the eclipses last June and July, the tension of the cardinal t-square has been growing. Things really came to light when the sun was in Libra, and Scorpio featured all the power struggles associated with that sign.
So, will things calm down with the sun in buoyant Sag? Not likely.
For one thing, we're in for the duration as far as the t-square goes. All we need these days is the moon to be in a cardinal sign (which it is 1/3 of the time) for square to be set off. So the avalanche of change will continue no matter where the sun is.
But we have to remember that Sag has a darker side. It's a great sign for searching for the truth, but when it thinks it's found it, watch out for dogmatic insistence on the One True Path.
What we're likely to see, in politics and protests, is more entrenched views and high-minded positioning on the issues. OWS may come out of the next month freed from the accusation that it doesn't have specific demands or a direction. But the ideological attacks on the protesters (as a rationale for more physical attacks) is likely to grow. We may also see a resurgence of the Tea Party, and perhaps a new force coming to play in the picture.
The rhetoric will be Sagittarian, but these are Uranian/Plutonian times. We see the action through the Archer's lens this month, but it is those two giants who create the scene.
black & white
21/Nov/11 09:55
Today, the moon is in Libra, the sign of balance. It's a placement that is usually associated with a drive for emotional harmony. Consideration of the other is such a prime part of the Libran picture that it is often considered to be a fault - the sun, symbol of the sense of self, is in fall in Libra.
Yet as soon as the moon left Virgo last night, I felt the growing tension. There was no surprise, however, because since at least the eclipses this past summer, things have been very edgy every time the moon goes into a cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn).
No wonder, when we consider that the moon's first order of business was to oppose Uranus in Aries, then Luna went on to square Pluto in Capricorn. Tomorrow, she's meet up with Saturn. The moon is reminding us, over and over again, of the cardinal t-square between those three heavy planets.
The sun's time in Libra this year was another powerful trigger to the square (the OWS movement really began to heat up when the sun was entered the cardinal sign in late September). I'm sure things will reach another peak when Sol goes into Capricorn. If you count all the triggers - including the upcoming eclipses - we'll be busy for the next several years.
I want to reflect a moment on the pace of change we have been feeling, and the rapid acceleration of change we are about to experience. The cardinal t-square has been working subtly for a long time, stoking up the engines of transformation. Since Pluto went into Capricorn, or at least since the economic collapse of 2008, tension has been growing. The riots in London this summer were perhaps the flagship moment of eruption, and it's been just one thing after another since then.
When Obama was elected in 2008, I remember many of my friends breathing a sigh of relief that change was on its way. Most of them were sorely disappointed very quickly. Although efforts to vilify Obama for economic conditions that developed over the decade before he was elected are childish, the truth is that his administration represents business as usual. From the hiring of a Monsanto executive to oversee aspects of agriculture to the DEA's attack on medical marijuana in California, Obama has disappointed those who thought we were headed for real change.
But although Obama was not the catalyst for change many people had hoped for, change is on its way. The Tea Party began the process, and although much of the Tea Party is just a cardboard cutout of the Republican party, it is fueled by the same genuine discontent with the system that we see with Occupy Wall Street.
The demand for change is often not clearly thought out, and strategies for implementation are lacking in both cases. This is often used to dismiss the movements, but that is a grave mistake. The American - and French - revolutions got started without much more in the way of a mission. The American constitution wasn't wasn't written until about a decade after the Declaration of Independence. That's the way revolutions happen - make the change and develop an alternative plan later.
Yet we don't know where the next level of change will come from. The Tea Party seems to have been eclipsed by OWS. Although the Occupy movements are strong now, what will happen next is unclear. Just as it now seems quaint to think of the election of Barrack Obama as the turning point, so we may look back to the relative innocence of the Tea Party and OWS.
As the wheels of change spin, we come to see that even the most absolute, black and white distinctions fade to shades of grey. That's a reason for great hope, and considerable fear, when we consider that the Uranus-Pluto square is not exact until pretty deep into next year.
Yet as soon as the moon left Virgo last night, I felt the growing tension. There was no surprise, however, because since at least the eclipses this past summer, things have been very edgy every time the moon goes into a cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn).
The sun's time in Libra this year was another powerful trigger to the square (the OWS movement really began to heat up when the sun was entered the cardinal sign in late September). I'm sure things will reach another peak when Sol goes into Capricorn. If you count all the triggers - including the upcoming eclipses - we'll be busy for the next several years.
I want to reflect a moment on the pace of change we have been feeling, and the rapid acceleration of change we are about to experience. The cardinal t-square has been working subtly for a long time, stoking up the engines of transformation. Since Pluto went into Capricorn, or at least since the economic collapse of 2008, tension has been growing. The riots in London this summer were perhaps the flagship moment of eruption, and it's been just one thing after another since then.
When Obama was elected in 2008, I remember many of my friends breathing a sigh of relief that change was on its way. Most of them were sorely disappointed very quickly. Although efforts to vilify Obama for economic conditions that developed over the decade before he was elected are childish, the truth is that his administration represents business as usual. From the hiring of a Monsanto executive to oversee aspects of agriculture to the DEA's attack on medical marijuana in California, Obama has disappointed those who thought we were headed for real change.
But although Obama was not the catalyst for change many people had hoped for, change is on its way. The Tea Party began the process, and although much of the Tea Party is just a cardboard cutout of the Republican party, it is fueled by the same genuine discontent with the system that we see with Occupy Wall Street.
The demand for change is often not clearly thought out, and strategies for implementation are lacking in both cases. This is often used to dismiss the movements, but that is a grave mistake. The American - and French - revolutions got started without much more in the way of a mission. The American constitution wasn't wasn't written until about a decade after the Declaration of Independence. That's the way revolutions happen - make the change and develop an alternative plan later.
Yet we don't know where the next level of change will come from. The Tea Party seems to have been eclipsed by OWS. Although the Occupy movements are strong now, what will happen next is unclear. Just as it now seems quaint to think of the election of Barrack Obama as the turning point, so we may look back to the relative innocence of the Tea Party and OWS.
As the wheels of change spin, we come to see that even the most absolute, black and white distinctions fade to shades of grey. That's a reason for great hope, and considerable fear, when we consider that the Uranus-Pluto square is not exact until pretty deep into next year.
fog
11/Nov/11 09:14
This has been quite a week. We began energized by the moon in Aries. Mars, the Warrior, aspected Neptune, blending Arian energy with Neptunian illusion. Then Neptune stationed on Wednesday, casting a deep fog across everything. On Thursday, Chiron stationed in Pisces, Neptune's home sign. And on Friday, the last aspect before the moon goes void is a square to Neptune.
All week long we have been rolling through Neptunian uncertainty, but we've been driving with our foot heavy on the accelerator rather than the brake, thanks to Mars (as I learned in my Safe Driving course, people actually do tend to drive faster in the fog). Neptune is associated with sacrifice and martyrdom, and Chiron is often referred to as the Wounded Healer.
The news this week was certainly full of confusion, especially on Wednesday, when Neptune stationed. Rick Perry probably drove his presidential campaign off the side of the road by forgetting which three federal agencies he would cut if he were to win the election. The Republican debate on Wednesday night was apparently quiet Neptunian.
Mars/Aries has a sexual energy, and indeed this week has seen a lot of sexual news, although heavily tinged with Neptune/Chiron. Herman Cain's presidential campaign has had a monkey wrench thrown into the work by multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. Cain's self-defense has been anything but clear.
But the most obvious Mars/Neptune/Chiron issue this week has been the charges against Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, who is accused of sexually abusing boys for years (and at the college). Legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno was fired, as was the college president. Paterno reported the abuse to his boss, but did not call the police. However you feel about Paterno getting fired, Penn State students apparently decided to make him a martyr, and rioted on his behalf. Martyrdom is another Neptunian theme.
Other Neptunian themes in the news this week included the economic markets' dips and recoveries amid new fears about the Euro, both from Greece and Italy (Greece's Prime Minister was also sacrificed this week, after pushing too hard in the wrong direction). Bangkok's floods are the worst in decades, and very Neptunian. The conviction of the leader of a U.S. "kill team" in Afghanistan is yet another Mars/Neptune saga.
We've seen extremes this week. Various victims (Neptune), including those of sexual (Mars) abuse and war (Mars) have had their voices heard, and perhaps some healing (Chiron) will take place. In other stories, we've seen people going off half-cocked, fired up with Martial energy but aiming with Neptunian uncertainty.
All week long we have been rolling through Neptunian uncertainty, but we've been driving with our foot heavy on the accelerator rather than the brake, thanks to Mars (as I learned in my Safe Driving course, people actually do tend to drive faster in the fog). Neptune is associated with sacrifice and martyrdom, and Chiron is often referred to as the Wounded Healer.
The news this week was certainly full of confusion, especially on Wednesday, when Neptune stationed. Rick Perry probably drove his presidential campaign off the side of the road by forgetting which three federal agencies he would cut if he were to win the election. The Republican debate on Wednesday night was apparently quiet Neptunian.
Mars/Aries has a sexual energy, and indeed this week has seen a lot of sexual news, although heavily tinged with Neptune/Chiron. Herman Cain's presidential campaign has had a monkey wrench thrown into the work by multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. Cain's self-defense has been anything but clear.
But the most obvious Mars/Neptune/Chiron issue this week has been the charges against Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, who is accused of sexually abusing boys for years (and at the college). Legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno was fired, as was the college president. Paterno reported the abuse to his boss, but did not call the police. However you feel about Paterno getting fired, Penn State students apparently decided to make him a martyr, and rioted on his behalf. Martyrdom is another Neptunian theme.
Other Neptunian themes in the news this week included the economic markets' dips and recoveries amid new fears about the Euro, both from Greece and Italy (Greece's Prime Minister was also sacrificed this week, after pushing too hard in the wrong direction). Bangkok's floods are the worst in decades, and very Neptunian. The conviction of the leader of a U.S. "kill team" in Afghanistan is yet another Mars/Neptune saga.
We've seen extremes this week. Various victims (Neptune), including those of sexual (Mars) abuse and war (Mars) have had their voices heard, and perhaps some healing (Chiron) will take place. In other stories, we've seen people going off half-cocked, fired up with Martial energy but aiming with Neptunian uncertainty.
this is only a test...
09/Nov/11 09:25
Today is a busy day in the skies!
The Taurus moon meets up with Jupiter at 10:20a EST, creating enthusiasm and perhaps a bit of overindulgence (I don't know how much we can overindulge at that hour in North America, but our European friends should have fun!). The moon goes on to make an easy trine to Pluto, suggesting that decisions can be put into action later in the day.
Can be. But probably shouldn't be. Neptune stations to go direct today at 1:54p EST. We feel Neptune stations a day or so on either side, but they are most intense right around the station itself. The feel of Neptunian times is, like the planet itself, somewhat unclear and confusing.
On the upside, Neptune stations can help us to get in touch with other realities. Neptune can open us up to nonmaterial planes, both higher and lower.
At best, we can feel our connection to each other, to all other beings, to nature, and to the Cosmos. To one degree of intensity or another, we can generate compassion and realize our common experiences of love, joy and pain.
But Neptune, particularly when applied to the material world (as the lunar aspects today may tempt us to do), can also create false hope, misplaced faith, and poor judgment. That's why today might be a better day to meditate and dream than to put ideas into action. This week, thus far, has encouraged us to go off half-cocked - much energy saying "Go!" while Neptune has blurred the lines of reality.
It becomes very interesting when we see that FEMA has chosen to test the Emergency Broadcast System at 2p EST today, just six minutes after Neptune stations. It's harder to imagine a better symbol for Neptune (which can create fear and a sense of hopeless uncertainty) stationing in Aquarius (the sign of mass communication) for the last time (for the last time in about 132 years, anyway).
Maybe the test will go smoothly. After all, the very idea of the test is scary enough. The EBS is a holdover from the Cold War. We all knew that had it been an actual emergency, we were toast. But look for signs that what we are hearing about the test and the system are not quite what is said. I don't want to sound paranoid (another Neptunian trait), but perhaps the real point of the test is to remind us to be afraid.
The Taurus moon meets up with Jupiter at 10:20a EST, creating enthusiasm and perhaps a bit of overindulgence (I don't know how much we can overindulge at that hour in North America, but our European friends should have fun!). The moon goes on to make an easy trine to Pluto, suggesting that decisions can be put into action later in the day.
Can be. But probably shouldn't be. Neptune stations to go direct today at 1:54p EST. We feel Neptune stations a day or so on either side, but they are most intense right around the station itself. The feel of Neptunian times is, like the planet itself, somewhat unclear and confusing.
On the upside, Neptune stations can help us to get in touch with other realities. Neptune can open us up to nonmaterial planes, both higher and lower.
At best, we can feel our connection to each other, to all other beings, to nature, and to the Cosmos. To one degree of intensity or another, we can generate compassion and realize our common experiences of love, joy and pain.
But Neptune, particularly when applied to the material world (as the lunar aspects today may tempt us to do), can also create false hope, misplaced faith, and poor judgment. That's why today might be a better day to meditate and dream than to put ideas into action. This week, thus far, has encouraged us to go off half-cocked - much energy saying "Go!" while Neptune has blurred the lines of reality.
It becomes very interesting when we see that FEMA has chosen to test the Emergency Broadcast System at 2p EST today, just six minutes after Neptune stations. It's harder to imagine a better symbol for Neptune (which can create fear and a sense of hopeless uncertainty) stationing in Aquarius (the sign of mass communication) for the last time (for the last time in about 132 years, anyway).
Maybe the test will go smoothly. After all, the very idea of the test is scary enough. The EBS is a holdover from the Cold War. We all knew that had it been an actual emergency, we were toast. But look for signs that what we are hearing about the test and the system are not quite what is said. I don't want to sound paranoid (another Neptunian trait), but perhaps the real point of the test is to remind us to be afraid.