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Planet Weather for
Weeks 10/2 and 10/9/11
NewsBits: Obama’s Re-election. Some
commentators are saying (or perhaps wishing) that Obama will be a one-term
President. In two lectures given over the past year, using a method I created
called Planetary Resonance, I’ve already gone on record to say that
Barak Obama will be re-elected. That aside, let’s take a look at the
traditional ways of analyzing Obama’s chart and the patterns and cycles affecting
him in the months leading up to the 2012
Election.
Barak
Obama was born on 8/4/61 @ 7:24PM, Honolulu, HI. (Yes, it’s an authentic birth
certificate!) At this moment, we can be fairly certain that Obama is
specifically focused on resolving unemployment. Mars is currently in Leo and
traveling through Obama’s H6 (House 6), traditionally associated with work,
workers, unions, armies, and the workplace (as well as health and diet). H6 is
the natural realm of Virgo. Obama has two planets in his H6, Mercury and the
Sun, both in Leo. These positions give Obama an underlying understanding of the
common man and the plight of workers, or to put in another way, his life is
somehow more connected to these areas of life because he holds energy in this
environment via planet placements. Adding to this H6 theme are Obama’s two
planets in Virgo, his Pluto and Mars, in H7. He does have a common-touch or
common understanding, despite his communication skills, way with words, and
exceptional education. We must also remember his early life – he saw a great
deal of poverty in Indonesia and he suffered through being different, which
surely left its impressions and deepened his compassion and understanding.
While
Mars is in Leo and because Obama has three planets in Leo, nearly 1/3 of his
planetary energy is highly activated. On 11/12/11, Mars moves into Virgo,
beginning Obama’s Mars return cycle, a condition that takes place for everyone approximately
every two years or so. I think you will see a great deal of activity from
President Obama during this cycle. We are likely to hear new and better plans
and resolutions for both unemployment and the economy. The last
time Mars traveled through these two signs (where 5 of Obama’s planets are
located, and his North Node) was in Winter 2009, Spring,
and early Summer of 2010 and that’s when the history-making first ever National
Health Care bill was signed into law. I expect we will see something equally
monumental this current cycle. There’s an oddity about these two signs and
their cycles, worth noting. In 12/09, Mars turned retrograde in Leo adding to
its energetic emphasis and for Obama being a Leo, it fueled his determination.
This time, Mars turns retrograde in Virgo on 1/25/12, within a degree of
Obama’s birth Mars and again adding emphasis to his need to take action and
work towards his goals.
Mars
rules the topmost point of Obama’s chart, traditionally recognized as having to
do with one’s career or commitments. When Mars is in a retrograde cycle it
extends the time it spends in the sign from about 6 weeks to more than 7.5
months, in this case until 7/4/12! This will be a massive effort for Obama and
will surely be part of his legacy. This is not to say that all will be smooth
sailing, since Virgo can be quite prickly but also very hard-working. It’s the
details that trip one up, or the distractions by small things that can lead the
focus away from the main goal. I’ve always thought of Virgo as an aspect of
infrastructure, the systems in the body/mind, the structures that make daily
life manageable – or not. This is one main arena that I believe Obama will be
focused on and he has already made an initial proposal in this direction. The combination
of this dynamic two-sign cycle will bring forth some great resolutions and are
in part what will turn the tide and bring him re-election. There’s more to say
about Obama’s progressed chart and his Relationaship chart
with the USA, both of which are favored for re-election but since we’ve run out
of time, we’ll have that discussion in another issue of PlanetWeather.
Barak
Obama is the man for the moment, whether you like him or not.
Sky Watch for the week of
10/2/11
Moon phase for the week
of 10/2:
10/3 -- The Moon enters Her First Quarter phase at 11:15 PM EDT, at 10 degrees
of Capricorn, the sign opposite the sign of Her rulership,
Cancer, and thus the sign in which She is said to be “in detriment” (hopefully
not to the detriment of those who worship Her beautiful light). In terms of
close approaches, not much is happening this week. All week, Jupiter remains
big, brilliant, and high in the midnight sky, as befits the King of the gods.
Planets visible in the morning sky are Mars and Jupiter. The only planet
visible in the evening sky this week is lonely Venus. Saturn is currently too
close to the Sun to be visible.
Sky Watch for the week of
10/9/11
Moon phase for the week
of 10/9:
10/11 – The Moon reaches Perfect Fullness at 10:06 PM EDT, at 18 degrees of
Aries. In Native American and folklore traditions, this Full Moon is variously
known as the Frost Moon, the Beaver Moon, and the Hunter's Moon. When the frost
is on the pumpkin, beavers busy themselves at some dam thing or other, while
hunters busy themselves trapping the poor beavers. Skywatching
events for the week: 10/13 – The waning Full Moon makes a close pass by
Jupiter, with their point of closest approach happening just after noon as
viewed (or actually not viewed, as both are under the horizon) from the US East
Coast. Planet and Moon will rise together in the East about an hour after
sunset. Planets visible in the morning sky are Mars and Jupiter. Planets
visible in the evening sky are Mercury and Venus, with Venus being by far the
brighter of the two. Saturn remains too close to the Sun to be visible.
Space News and Weather: Maybe Star Wars was not so much science
fiction after all. Science fact seems to be catching up with the planet Tatooine featured in the first film of the series. Recall,
if you will, the eye-catching fact that Luke Skywalker's home world featured
not one but two suns in the sky. Now NASA's exoplanet-hunting
satellite Kepler has discovered a distant planet that
orbits two stars. Called Kepler 16b, the new exoplanet is roughly the size of Saturn and too cold at
-100 degrees Celsius to sustain life. However, Kepler
16b is the first exoplanet discovered that orbits
what is called a binary star system, so astronomers are all excited by the
discovery. And they believe future discoveries may indeed reveal a world in the
so-called "habitable" zone that orbits a binary star system. Luke
Skywalker, go home! - Go
out! Look up!
Knowing when VOC Moons
occur is key to planning your successful week!
The Void-of-course (VOC) Moon is
a kind of limbo. As it reaches the end of a sign, the Moon makes no major
aspect to another planet before it enters the next sign. VOC is best for less
outcome-oriented activity, since VOC often means detours, distractions,
drifting, or delays. If you want specific outcomes, or if timeliness is
critical, don’t use a VOC Moon time. VOC is best for processing, imagining,
creating, and open-ended activities, like parties, research, or cleaning your
desk/closet for instance! It is said that when a new action is initiated during
VOC, “nothing will come of it,” or energies go in unplanned directions, which
may not necessarily be negative.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Week of 10/2/11 – Monday, Thursday, and Friday are the
most active days energetically – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement
with others, projects, and stimulation for producing results, or demands/challenges
on your energy. On 10/3/11, the
Moon is VOC/Sagittarius from 1:38AM to 4:16AM EDT – On 10/5/11, the Moon is
VOC/Capricorn from 1:58AM to 11:18AM – On 10/7/11, the Moon is VOC/Aquarius
from 6:08PM to 9:13PM – On 10/8/11, the Moon is VOC/Pisces from 12:51PM to
8:57AM on 10/10/11 (nearly two days later!) This long a VOC is somewhat rare.
Week of 10/9/11 – Sunday (Moon VOC all day -Venus
enters Scorpio), Tuesday (Full Moon), Thursday (Mercury enters Scorpio) are the
most active days energetically – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement
with other or projects, and stimulation for producing results, or demands/challenges
on your energy. On 10/9/11, the
Moon is VOC/Pisces all day until 8:57AM EDT (next day!) – On 10/12/11, the Moon
is VOC/Aries from 8:08PM to 9:35PM EDT – On 10/15/11, the Moon is VOC/Taurus
from 6:52AM to 10:15AM EDT.
Quote of Note: “There’s nothing you can do
that can’t be done. Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung.
Nothing you can do but learn how to play the game. It’s easy. All you need is
Love.” – John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
– With the Sun in Libra - in honor of John Lennon who was a Libra.
Summary: On 10/3/11, the energies
suggest taking risks and overindulging or over-dramatizing something and this
day has other intense energy combinations to make life challenging but help you
focus on priorities. After that, the next two weeks, for the most, appear to be
fairly quiet. But soon we move to the crescendo of this month’s Full-Moon Aries
(10/11/11), which emphasizes Martian energies and relationship drama. Next we
head for deeper processing when three planets one by one enter powerfully emotive
Scorpio – first, Venus on 10/9, then Mercury on 10/13, and finally the Sun on
10/23/11.
Planet Patterns and Cosmic Headlines (Detail):
Mars in fixed, fire Leo square (90deg.) Jupiter in
fixed, earth Taurus on 10/3/11. This aspect is best
utilized on a stage! Got one? Well then, great! If not, try not to overwhelm,
overindulge, strong-arm, or plow-down your friends, associates, and significant
other. If making a point, please don’t force the issue, instead use this energy
at the gym or on a 30-mile bike ride like I just had with friends in Amsterdam.
(Ha!) If you’re trying to contain or control this energy forget it – it’s
expulsive, so being active will take the edge off the desire to dominate the
situation. Why not dominate yourself instead? Other than that, it’s a joyfully
bombastic energy and can generate a round of hearty laughter, given the right
circumstances or personalities. The keyword is expansion, stretching,
optimizing, and sometimes opportunity. If you’re hasty, it can mean misjudgment.
Check the brakes!
Venus enters fixed, water Scorpio on 10/9/11 until
11/2/11. Venus leads the charge to enter the underworld
of Scorpio and its nearly incessant processing. Venus acts quite differently
placed in Scorpio, not to be trifled with and certainly not especially
light-hearted. Now if you want passion, depth, a touch or obsession and a tang
of jealousy and possessiveness – this is the Venus for you! No matter, you will
likely experience some of these feelings during the time of Venus’ transit of
Scorpio, since Scorpio intensifies every encounter a notch or two. This
position of Scorpio is on a vertical rather than horizontal energy trajectory.
It abhors skimming the surface and relishes getting entangled and enmeshed
whether physically (body contact) or in discussing the deeper mysteries, unseen
politics, and shadowy, often unspoken elements of life. Taboos don’t scare this
Venus. In fact, it feeds on them. If you have a curiosity about something or
someone, this super-sleuthing Venus will dig up the dirt and get to the bottom
of the mystery. There’s a love of research and a commitment to continue, once
engaged. Letting go is hard for this Venus when it puts 1,000% of its energy into the situation.
Mercury enters Scorpio on 10/13/11 until 11/2/11. Much
of what was said above applies to Mercury in Scorpio and particularly the
mental curiosity to research and discover what’s beneath the surface. This Mercury
has what I like to call a steel-trap mind – it remembers everything and forgets
little, especially what it considers betrayals. The
ability to tune-in and strategize and tap deep healing and resourcefulness also
goes with the territory of Scorpio. Deeply feeling and often psychic, Scorpio
understands other’s emotions and the complexity of conflicting dimensions of
human emotion. This Mercury is an excellent counselor, therapist, or surgeon –
someone who can get to the deeper issues, find solutions and offer resolution
or assistance. Ever alert, this is a great Mercury for
an emergency situation, as it quickly assesses the landscape and springs into
action.
The Sun in cardinal, air Libra conjuncts (0deg.) Saturn/Libra
on 10/13/11. With
Saturn placed in Libra, the Sun inevitably meets it in various aspects four
times a year. In a conjunction, a cycle both closes and a new one begins. This
is the last year that this aspect happens in Libra because by next year, Saturn
will be in Scorpio and they will conjunct in that sign. So, the cycle that is
completing is from last year, around this time, when Sun/Saturn conjoined in
Libra and the messages are all about relationships, alliances, and the
commitments that bind us together and then assessing whether the values that we
appreciate are still consistent with the current state and past history of the
engagement. The aspect is definitely about reevaluating the bonds we’ve formed
and whether the value received is a fair exchange.
Currently Active Paradigm-Shift Patterns -- Back Stories: Repeats and elaboration of the
major configurations affecting all of us currently.
Pluto turned Stationary Direct @ 4 Capricorn on
9/16/11 until 4/11/12. Anytime an outer planet slows down, stops, and
reverses direction, its characteristic energy is amplified. Pluto is our
slowest moving planet [Yes] and for several years now it has been processing
the growing discontent with systems that have failed us and failed to provide
the kind of security society expected. We’ve experienced various breakdowns
collectively and personally yielding quite a bit of instability and insecurity.
This station could very well deal with financial issues and the pragmatic
concerns of unemployment, but more directly where the money is, who is holding
it, and why lending isn’t forthcoming. It is quite possible that a bottleneck
will open and more money will flow to fuel jobs and fund business. At least
these seem to be the issues surrounding this Pluto Station. (The
gold bubble and Germany’s bailout in the Euro crisis with defaulting Greece.)
Jupiter entered fixed,
earth Taurus on 6/4/11 until 6/12/12. Jupiter stays in
Taurus without moving back into the previous sign, even when it turns
retrograde on 8/30/11(it remains in Taurus), which only happens about every
three Jupiter cycles (3 years). Jupiter turns Direct @ 0deg. on 12/25/11! Most
of the time when Jupiter turns retrograde in any sign, it moves back into the
sign before and then its retrograde cycle moves between the two signs. We might
speculate that this can grant us greater relaxation and stability from the fast
and furious and sudden changes that we’ve all witnessed since the beginning of
this year, at least, while Jupiter was in fiery Aries. Stable and practical
with a certain amount of sweetness, abundance, or favor is the message of this
giving Jupiter in a Venus-ruled sign. There are possibilities, if we look for
them.
Neptune in mutable, water Pisces turned Retrograde @
0degrees on 6/3/11. Almost two months after Neptune first entered
Pisces, it made its station retrograde and left Pisces on 8/4/11 to complete
its cycle in the previous sign, Aquarius. Neptune returns to Pisces on 2/4/12
for the extent of its stay – until 3/31/25. So, we’ve had a taste of Neptune’s
dissolving energies and the power of the water! Anyone with planets near 0deg.
of any sign has been especially imprinted with Neptunian themes such as
paranormal experiences, illumination about some life themes or experiences, and
secrets leaking out, or even some funky illness.
Neptune energies can also manifest as melancholy as we review dreams that may
not have materialized, make necessary adjustments, all the while maintaining
our faith in life, spirit and the meaning of it all.
Neptune entered mutable, water Pisces for the first time in 164
years on 4/4/11. Neptune turned Retrograde on @ 0deg. on 6/3/11 – Neptune
returned to Aquarius on 8/4/11. Neptune re-enters Pisces for the duration of
its 14 year cycle on 2/4/12. This planet’s sign change is the
biggest news in April and has consequences for the next 14 years. Now we have
the third outer planet making a sign change since January 2008, setting in
motion a series of conditions and events that have global long-term effects.
There is much to say about this momentous passage and we only get a taste this
year, since Neptune will retrograde back to Aquarius from 8/4/11, through
2/4/12. Neptune is entering the modern rulership of
its own sign Pisces and expresses itself quite naturally here according to its
intrinsic nature. We can expect the need for greater sensitivity and
environmental protections, as the harm we have done to the planet becomes more
obvious. [And Gaia thinks seriously about giving us an eviction
notice.] We may witness the formation of new religious groups and a
reformation of existing religion as we know it. Secrets may be exposed and more
leaks of information that some people may not wish to be revealed. On the
positive side, new artistic accomplishments will flower in all fields,
especially music, but all across the artistic spectrum. In essence it is a
cultural call for greater refinement and attunement to what we often take for
granted or fail to notice.
Neptune was discovered in 1846, and entered Pisces on 4/26/1847
through 1861. Oddly enough, Uranus was also in Aries (although farther along in
the sign) when Neptune entered Pisces for the first time (since its discovery).
This is only the second time, after Neptune came into our consciousness
awareness, that Neptune is transiting Pisces! Both Neptune and Pisces are
tricky. They operate on a completely different level. Pisces is known for its
hyper-sensitivity, compassion, diffusiveness, spirituality, dream-like
imagination, second-sight, idealism, patronage of the arts, and the ability to
dissolve barriers of all kinds for greater unity. Negative manifestation
includes: dissipation, neglect, addictions, deception, drugs, theft, scandals,
and secrets. Neptune leaves Pisces on 3/31, 2025. A few highlights of Neptune’s
last transit through Pisces include: new social movements, such as Marxism,
emancipation of slaves, the start of the US Civil War, the California Gold
Rush, the Romantic movement in music, and
transcendentalism. You can be sure we’ll be discussing Neptune’s amazing
journey through Pisces in future issues of PW.
We’ve only had four months of Neptune in
Pisces, which we have not experienced for 166 years! As we begin to integrate
with this complex novel energy infusion, you may notice a greater sensitivity
or subtlety. Neptune dissolves barriers and that is one of the reasons a
positive Neptunian response often allows greater compassion for human error and
human frailty. Neptune deals with the unseen and the unnoticed and often
accounts for spiritual breakthroughs and even paranormal experiences. I believe
that this transit of Neptune through Pisces will loosen the boundaries between
the material realm and the spiritual or energetic realms. Many of us will
experience more than can be easily explained through the measurable functions
of science. This can be a time of high magic but also the stripping away of
illusions and deceptions and unless one has a strong inner core, the
disillusionment we find may destabilize us. Practice faith in the joy of being
alive and the true mysticism of that fact alone, no matter what your religious
beliefs may be. Neptune is magical and a component of magic is addiction, as we
seek to recreate the transcendence of blissful states that allow us to escape
the harsher realities of everyday life.
Uranus re-entered Aries on 3/11/11, and remains
there until May 2018. This is the biggest news of March and beyond, and
heralds a new upward spiral in social and cultural evolution. Last summer,
Uranus teased us by parking itself and remaining only at 0deg. Aries (the
powerful degree of the Spring Equinox) from 5/27-8/13/10. Now it really means
business – it has engaged into its full cycle. Any planet in the first sign of
the Zodiac wants to start a fire, begin something new, innovate, and create or
reinvent something in its own image. This combination can certainly be
aggressive, bold, courageous, willful, and because of the influence of Uranus,
unexpected and explosive. Most of the previous text was written well before the
popular uprisings (conflagrations) in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and other parts of
the Middle East. We are seeing the effects of individuals asserting
themselves in their striving for personal freedoms that they believe are their
birthright. Repressive regimes will no longer be tolerated. Aries represents
the new and renewal – as it emerges from the dreams of the previous sign,
Pisces. It burns with the fire of justice and courage to be free at any cost.
Saturn in cardinal, air Libra turned Stationary Retrograde (Rx) @
17deg. on 1/26/11. Saturn remains Rx until 6/13/11. We’ve
had our share of challenges, burdens and tasks, now haven’t we? When a planet
makes a station, it is demanding that we recognize its energy and pay
particular attention to the message it is transmitting in our lives. In
general, Saturn in Libra addresses the questions of balance, fairness,
relationships, negotiations, and compromise. With Saturn there is always some
kind of evaluation, some testing of standards met or not, and have we achieved
what we set out to do in the various areas of our life? If we feel we are out
of balance, then we will want to rebalance, or renegotiate the contracts we’ve
made. Saturn will be backtracking now, to refine those imbalances and to test
the rebalancing that you’ve begun. What is it exactly that makes for harmony
and contentment in your life? All Libras, Aries, Cancers and Capricorns are
feeling this testing more – and this current retrograde segment affects those
born between early to mid-April, July, October, and January. Ask your
astrologer where and how this Station degree affects your chart.
Saturn entered cardinal, air Libra on 10/29/09. The full cycle
lasts until 10/6/12. Saturn retrograded back into the last
three degrees of the previous sign, Virgo, from 4/8/10-7/22/10. What
can we expect? Let’s speak to the greater implications of this 2.5-year
Saturn-sign cycle. Saturn is exalted in Libra. This so-called “essential
dignity” means there’s more of a commitment to promote cooperation and harmony
among equals. Or, we can say, that is the primary striving in this combination.
The collective will be more focused on what is fair and equitable and what is
not. Generally, the message is to find the imbalances and rebalance as needed.
Where are you giving your commitment and attention? Are the returns you receive
what you really want? If not, then adjust those commitments and relationships
for greater equality and fairness. Saturn in Libra also asks – what matters and
what is valuable? When there is real value, it is easier to make a commitment
for a longer time and with greater attention and intention. All major relationships
and, in particular, those with Libra/Aries Sun, Moon, or Ascendant, will be put
to a greater test. Saturn in a cardinal sign is more proactive than in other
signs, and you may find that you seek order from recent chaos and productivity
from prior stress and mess.