Astrological Forecasts

This is one intense month, but it has a lot of built-in advantages.  Use Mercury and Virgo to achieve a lot on the writing front.  The sky changes, and the planets move on.  What some may consider oppression, we can bottle and pour into our work.  Look on the bright side, work hard, and be good to yourself!  Heads Up!

Heads Up!

(continue reading…)

Mon Aug 17 the Moon is in Cancer when Mercury conjuncts Saturn in Virgo. It’s a day made for editing, or for nailing down the details in that synopsis or new plot outline. Later, the Sun opposes Neptune retrograde. Critical reading is essential but can be taken to an ugly extreme. Later still, Mars trines Neptune retrograde. Magic is still alive and well, perhaps hiding out in some manuscript of yours. (continue reading…)

“Things are not the way they used to be.

I wont tell no lie; One and all have to face reality now.

Though I’ve tried to find the answer to all the questions they ask.

Its just impossible to go livin’ through the past –

Dont tell no lie.

Theres a natural mystic blowing through the air – If you listen carefully now you will hear.”

-Robert Nesta Marley

Before an at times, audibly skeptical audience, President Ahmadinejad took his oath for a second term as president of Iran last week. For better or worse, the very second that a candidate goes from being a ‘regular’ person to the exalted status of ‘president’ every person living within the borders of the country, in this case, Iran, becomes literally ‘subject’ to that moment in time. If Ahmadinejad, and his band of mullahs were hoping to quell the massive dissent that has risen since his contested June election; this was certainly not the best time to hold an inauguration. From the looks of it, at best, there will be a lot of double talk from this administration, at its worst, they may paint themselves into a corner from which they may not be able to recover.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s inauguration as Iranian president for a second term was marked by opposition walkouts, demonstrations and criticism from his own conservative camp today as pressure mounted on the disputed winner of Iran’s election.

 

Senior officials and clerics attended the ceremony at Iran’s parliament but it was boycotted by many opposition leaders and moderate politicians. Those of the reform faction who did attend walked out when Ahmadinejad started speaking, according to the opposition website Parleman News.

MORE

 

Virgo, the sign of minutiae, rises in the east. The sign Virgo can be likened to the old fable of the princess and the pea. No matter how high the pillows are stacked, there will always be a certain amount of discomfort. Perhaps it is the angelic half of Virgo being forced to face the ugly realities of life on this imperfect earth, that makes it the complainer of the zodiac. I don’t know. I do know that when we see Virgo rising in a world chart, its a good can bet the natives will be restless. The Sun is the brightest of all the celestial bodies. Without its light, we could not live. The king was considered god’s representative on earth. This is why the ancients made the Sun the natural ruler of kings and rulers, and the Moon to the citizenry. It is an all or nothing proposition, because the ruler and people are at odds, and are both in signs of fixity, so neither side will budge. Ahmadinejad’s attempt at compromise, choosing as he did, a reformist vice president, only served to harden the stance of the members of his own conservative party, some of whom, walked out during his ceremony. However, one should never underestimate, Ahmadinejad. He is not without friends. He is the Sun, strong and at home, in the royal Leo, and placed in the 11th.  Like the Sun, his inaugural speech repeatedly called for taking ‘great acts.’  This might imply his government will certainly try to dominate the will of his people. However, taking a closer look, it becomes apparent that without the support of the army, this administration is lost.  This is because there is but one solar aspect ahead, the weakest of all, a sextile to Mars, thus begging question, how many of your people can you beat and throw behind bars?

Why? First and foremost, this chart looks like a ship without an anchor. The type of sign rising was very important to the ancients, for it spelled out the durability of the event. We see double bodied or mutable signs on the angles (1, 4, 7 and 10). This is a shaky start. Mutable signs have the ability to exist two different worlds, simultaneously. Gemini (two people), Virgo (angels wings on human body) Sagittarius (half man half horse) and Pisces (two fish swimming in opposite directions). There is no doubt that this ‘morphing’ makes them the most versatile signs of the zodiac. However, it becomes easy to scatter their forces. Duplicity often results. There will be those who profess to be on the side of the president, but are not, and there will be those who profess to be reformers, but also are not. It implies, the see saw effect, in which the government starts out one direction, but will be forced to change course.

It should surprise nobody that the winged messenger, god/goddess of communications, Mercury, owns both the house both of the people, and that of the government. Mercury is strong in his own sign of Virgo, but all its brilliance is chained, imprisoned as it is, in the 12th. Lilly said that the 12th house represented:

‘Men who maliciously undermine their neighbors or inform secretly against them.’

In other words, Mercury in the 12th, is the epitome, of the Judas, who smiles so sweetly to your face, professing undying loyalty, while selling you out for 30 pieces of silver. Watching ones back, may be not only be good advice, but the way to survive. When we see both citizen’ and government in the so placed, that old cold war cartoon, ‘Spy vs. Spy’ comes to mind, where nobody can be fully trusted.  In such a situation,  sabotage becomes the norm.

Ever break an old fashioned thermometer? Remember trying to scoop up the pieces of the Mercury, and how it would slip from your fingers? The same is true of words. No matter how hard they try, the messages will get out. It is time for the mullah to face reality. There is a whole other world out there. Dialogue with the opposition is a must. Even the most sophisticated surveillance equipment will not bring submission.

Since the same planet owns both citizen and president, we turn to the natural rulers for specifics.

After all, a nation is only as good as the people that inhabit it. They want more freedom, and represented by the fixed Moon in Aquarius, Ahmadinejad should not discount their tenacity. After all, Aquarius is a sign of stubborn thought. Strong arming the people will only serve to strengthen their resolve. Given that more than 40% of the population is under 30; time really is on their side. With the Moon in early degrees, this defiance is only in its gestation.  Saturn hovering at the Ascendant, increases the dissatisfaction. Oil,the national product, is on the decline. The government will not be able to give as generously to their support base as they had in the past. This story is far from over. Mercury’s upcoming September retrograde may give this administration something to think about.

Sun Aug 09 the Moon conjuncts Uranus retrograde in Pisces, then goes void of course. Whenever the Moon approaches the end of Pisces and the start of Aries, brace for a shift of gears in your daily life. With the planet of surprise in the equation, your personal perspective may experience an even bigger shift. (continue reading…)

August begins on a Saturday with the Moon in Sagittarius.  What a glorious start for a writer’s month.  Think, act, and live big, at least in fiction.
Venus opposes Pluto today.  Contemplate the price paid by beauty in times of chaos.

Sun Aug 02 the Moon enters Capricorn and conjuncts Pluto.  All month long, the Moon weighs in on the side of big changes.  Is your writing in a rut?
Maybe you can break out now.  Later, Mercury leaves Leo and enters the sign of Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury.  Nocturnal writers and editors, this is your time.

Mon Aug 03 the Moon is in Capricorn all day. Mercury trines Pluto today.
Look for some constructive intensity in your words.  Working hard may be easier and less stressful than usual.  Go for it.

Wed Aug 05 is the Full Moon at 13Aqu.  It’s also a lunar eclipse.  Stay cheerful, on an even keel, and let the psychodrama play out in your fiction.
Your readers will love it, and you’ll stay sane and productive.  The Moon is in fixed signs on Wednesdays this month.  Perseverance furthers.

Thu Aug 06 the Moon conjuncts Jupiter retrograde in Aquarius.  Think more objectively about luck.  There may be lucky aspects about your work that you’re overlooking.  About four and a half hours later the Moon conjuncts Neptune retrograde.  This is about ‘show, don’t tell.’  Take your characters off the soapbox and have them do what they need.

Fri Aug 07 – Sat Aug 08 the Moon is in Pisces when Mercury sextiles Venus.
This aspect can add a little sparkle to anyone’s prose.  Music and colors will be brighter.  Enjoy!

Kathy Watts is a life-long stargazer and writer.  Her love of almanacs stems from a deep fascination with the lives and works of Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe, and the days when astronomy and astrology were most strongly one.  She intermittently appears at San Francisco Astrology Society meetings (for whom she’s given a few presentations over the years).  Follow her under the name of kdirewolf on livejournal.com, facebook, and twitter.

As of this moment, the ousted president of Honduras, President Manuel Zelaya and his supporters are sitting on the border of Honduras trying to return to his country and regain his presidency.

I had some free time recently to finally take a look into the Honduran situation. For a quick recap, a coup d’ etat, took place in Honduras on which took place several weeks ago on June 28th. The coup ousted elected President Manuel Zelaya and has been roundly condemned by governments all over the world. As usual, the Solar Ingress chart, better known as the Summer Solstice, once again, furnishes a great many interesting clues which help our understanding of the facts.

I find in the pages of Flowers of Astrology by Abu Ma’shar translated and available through Ben Dykes (http://bendykes.com) some remarks about the role of fixed stars afflicting significator on the chart.

June,20. 11:46 p.m; Tegucicalpa(87w13/14n6) Asc:28 Piscis 35; M.C. 28 Sag 56

A list of stars is furnished by Abu Ma’shar and Ptolemy, are said to be of the nature of Mars and Saturn, and therefore, will be the object of our consideration, which I will not, however, be presenting now (begging your pardon ;-).

According to the great master, Abu Massar, “when the lord of a house in the ingress chart is in conjunction with some star, it will affect the matters of that house.” (Ben Dikes’ commentary on Abu Mashar’s “Flowers”).

Here we see that Mercury, the lord of house 7 is conjunct the fixed star, Aldebaran. Abu Massar says of this, “…If the lord of the 7th house from ascendant of the revolution of the year is with any of these stars, litigants and those making war against the king will be multiple, and will kill each other… society will torn apart by much discord (chapter 6 of “Flowers”). [ed.note: while this is not the Spring Ingress, there is no reason we cannot use the same rules for all seasonal ingresses of the Sun that Abu Massar presents).

Sagittarius is on the cusp of the house of kings and rulers, the 10th house. Notice, that the lord of the 10th, Jupiter finds itself in a cadent house. Cadent houses, were called, ‘falling’ houses. In this case, this places Manuel Zelaya’s planetary representative in the 12th house. This was said by the ancients to be the house of exile and prison. We also notice that the natural ruler of kings and presidents, the Sun sits in the house of the opposition, while at the same time the ruler of the 10th, Jupiter is being applied to by the lord the crisis and death house ruler, Mars. The perfection of which, took place in just a little more than a week after the Summer Solstice. And history follows suit, on June 28th, President of Honduras was arrested and sent into exiled by the military.

We notice also that the Lord of the Part of War, the Moon, is with the fixed star known as the ‘Bull’s Eye’ Aldebaran. The part of War is calculated by considering the relationship of the planet of the grave, Saturn to the natural rulers of the common people, the Moon and the Ascending degree.

We can infer from where the threat came, by the fortitude of the planets. Mercury, [ruler of the 4th] which we saw represents those who oppose, and make war against the “king” is in his own domicile, Gemini, his own house, and also in his own triplicity. When ”a planet is in his own house, evil will arise from their own domestic friends and alliances. If it is in his exaltation, say it will proceed from some of the nobles, princes, dukes, or such that are in high power and authority or near unto the ‘crown;’ but if in his triplicity, from such as have their dependency on the aforesaid nobility” (Ramsey-Astrologia Restaurata,book 2 section 2 available from Todd Carnes website http://carnesoft.net).

In this case, we see, Mercury which shows the alliances of the king. This may refer to those in the legislature, deputies; those have dependency on the nobles. There is evidence that this could indicate the military generals who are allies of the dominant class- because Mercury is also with military star Aldebaran.

OCOTAL, Nicaragua —” When Ángel Hsiky, a farm worker, heard his ousted president’s call for supporters to help him return to Honduras, he threw a change of clothes in a knapsack, kissed his wife and 9-month-old boy goodbye and headed to the Nicaraguan border… “We’ve come to bring our president back home,” said Mr. Hsiky, 23, who is from Mr. Zelaya’s Olancho Province in central Honduras.

“Since Mr. Zelaya arrived here on Friday to taunt the de facto government that exiled him a month ago, hundreds of Hondurans have answered his call to join him just across the border in Nicaragua.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/world/americas/28honduras.html?_r=1&hp

How did it come to this? 

How did Manuel Zelaya lose power?

Gerson Pelafsky takes a look:

Roll with the punches but keep your head high. Even the lowliest flower has its moment in the sun and lives with dignity. Writing can be a brutal way of life, but it has nobleness like none other. Pick up that pen or fire up that computer and write like a Leo, because by the end of this month, you are. Heads Up!

Sun July 26 -28th the Moon is in Libra when Venus trines Jupiter retrograde. Enjoy good luck wherever you can find it.

Wed July 29 the Moon is in Scorpio all day. Retreat to your office and be serious about your work. If you aren’t, why should anyone else?

Thu July 30 the Moon is still in Virgo when Mercury opposes Jupiter retrograde. It’s fine to scrutinize generosity and good luck, but don’t turn it into negative criticism. We’ve all had more than our share of that.

Fri July 31 the Moon is in Sagittarius all day. This is favorable to all things writerly, especially regarding publication. Think acceptance. Mercury opposes Neptune retrograde. Actively resist thinking about rejection. Later, Venus changes signs and enters Cancer. No matter what the outside world thinks of your work, there’s no place like home. Treasure it.

Kathy Watts is a life-long stargazer and writer. Her love of almanacs stems from a deep fascination with the lives and works of Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe, and the days when astronomy and astrology were most strongly one. She intermittently appears at San Francisco Astrology Society meetings (for whom she’s given a few presentations over the years). Follow her under the name of kdirewolf on livejournal.com, facebook, and twitter.

We all knew Astrologers were lucky to live in glorious San Francisco Bay Area, but now we just got even luckier!!!  Since Timing really is Everything; we will have a great opportunity to hone our skills in this tricky art because our very own, Nina Gryphon, will be speaking on a topic lose to my heart, Electional Astrology!! 

Don’t misss ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY FOR LOVE, WAR, AND MONEY with Nina Gryphon, speaking at Fort Mason,  San Francisco, California next Wednesday evening.

ELECTIONAL ASTROLOGY FOR LOVE, WAR, AND MONEY – Nina Gryphon

Wednesday, July 22nd 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM, Building C, Room C205

Electional astrology is the art of finding the most astrologically auspicious moment for your ventures.  Whether we are getting married, starting a business, trying to conceive, or going on a journey, we can get the most out of any activity using basic astrological principles.  Learn how to find the best times for just about anything at this hands-on workshop with Nina Gryphon.

Nina Gryphon (a web pseudonym) is an astrologer and corporate lawyer living in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. She has been practicing astrology professionally for several years, and studied horary and natal astrology with John Frawley. She writes numerous articles for the astrological community in print and on her astrology website: www.gryphonastrology.com. This is a traditional astrology website with a wealth of articles, predictions, and free readings.  Useful astrological information geared toward all levels of proficiency, from beginners to advanced astro-wizards.

Advance Registration Rates: $12 NCGR Members / $15 Non-Members.  Day of Event Rates:  $15 NCGR Members / $18 Non-Members

For more info:

http://ncgrsanfrancisco.org/

This Fourth of July, as the Oedespedotes, of North Korea, Mars, trudged over the binary eclipsing star, Algol, and atthe same time, the Scorpionic star, Antares was occulted, a two pronged attack was launched. The first was outright; the launching of seven ‘scud like’ ballistic missiles. The second was far more subtle. As of this writing, no government agency is pointing fingers, at least, not officially. Off the record, however, the word is that not only did the North Koreans brazenly defy the U. N. and launch their scuds, but they are said to have also conducted what social scientists are dubbing ‘the war of the future,’ a full out cyber attack on government computer networks in both South Korea and the United States.

(continue reading…)

There were more aggressive moves made by the North Korean Government. This is not surprising, given that the fixed star Antares was occulted by the Moon on July 4,according to IOTA’s site:

http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota/bstar/0704antares.htm

The occultation was visible in Japan and Hawaii. Antares is a military star.  This suggests  troop movements or affairs related to weapons, which may affect those places where the occultation would be visible in the sky – Hawaii.  In fact, North Korea has launched missiles prior to this. Most of which were  directed towards Japanese waters. In the last few days, however, there have been many more threats.  Of course, there is the added symbolism of the July 4 celebrations surrounding Independence Day in the United States. They say that they have the capacity to reach the waters near Hawaii. Thus, according to recent news, an anti-missile defense system has been put into action in Hawaii.

By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer Kwang-tae Kim, Associated Press
Writer   – Sat Jul 4, 9:49 am ET

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea fired seven ballistic missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, a violation of U.N. resolutions and an apparent message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day.

MORE

[editor’s note, Gerson wrote this on July 3rd 2009, and today we see, once again, he is right as we see below]

Thus, according to recent news, an anti-missile defense system has been put into action in Hawaii. Can we locate this thread by the analysis of the recent Cancer ingress solar chart?

June 21,2009  2:46 P.M. Pyol’chang- North Korea-  126E26/39N17

A brief look shows us that Mars is quite angular, which gives it the ability to act, in house 7, which is the house of others. Since Mars is a very aggressive planet, its placement in this house, clearly shows the military threat directed to the “enemies.” In his Book of Astronomy, Bonatti gives directions to find the lot of war. [editor’s note: an excellent translation of Bonatti’s masterpiece is available, at  http://bendykes.com  on sale, soon, but in short supply].

“The part of warfare and boldness is taken by day from Saturn to Moon and then projected from the Ascendant.”  We can translate this to the following:

Asc 28 Libra   + Moon 7 Gemini  – Saturn 15 Virgo 57  =    19 Cancer

By system of quadrants, this places the lot of war at 19 Cancer, squarely in the 9th house of foreigners. This affects not only the 9th, however, but also the government and leadership of Korea because the ruler of the 10th house of governmental leadership, has Leo on the cusp, and the Sun is in the same sign, the ultra patriotic sign of Cancer.  Therefore, there is much identification between the ‘king’ or in this case, dictator. The Moon, is lord of the Part of Warfare, and sits in the house of terror and death, the 8th, very close to the red eyed bull, Aldebaran, which is one of the ‘royal stars’ and very much related to Cor Scorpio, also known as Antares which links both the occultation chart and the ingress.