Dateblog: The Week Ahead (May 29-June 4)

 Creation of the world XII by Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (1906/07)

With last week having uncovered what we don’t like, this week starts the process of what are we going to do about it? 

Mind you, the ‘what we don’t like’ part could be about ourselves – or the world around us. Or someone we know. Or how something we’ve been working on has turned out – or been received with less than sterling applause.

Last week’s Hybris and Nessus going retrograde in Aquarius was reflected in comparisons with others and dismissiveness of or from others.

But give us all a few days and most people get down off their high horse, whether that steed is named Resentment, Don’t Push or Missed the Mark.

To reflect once emotions settle down a bit…that’s just human nature. But have we forgotten? Probably not. Moments which have not gone as planned (or expected) will still be stuck to the side walls of our mind…and as we mentally pass by, they catch our attention. Some stick their tongues out at us, others are merely pinned to the constructs of our consciousness all crumpled and sad.

May 29th is a day of asteroids changing signs. Athena and Eos are first…signaling a ‘dawning’ (Eos) of new perspective which allowed us to reconsider and begin to move on from our ‘ouches’ to possible solutions for same.

After all, our aims are still our aims. So…how to get from here to there?

As Athena moves into Gemini, we know we need to understand. And we know we need to choose better if we are to get the results that we really want. That this change happens only a couple of days in advance of a Gemini Solar Eclipse is part of the whole ‘description’ being given to us on the astrological level about the changes which are necessary in our personal life – and life all around us. Athena in Gemini points to the need to make decisions based on knowing (acquiring the information from which to make a decent choice), a lack of emotionality (in a more logical and less passionate mode) and that the knowing person (the “Athena” mind) knows that choices must be made (dithering forever or stonewalling is not a solution)…that choices have consequences (Sagittarius as polarity sign to Gemini) and that once you make a choice, following through on that choice making adjustments as you go is part of the whole Gemini/Sagittarius mutable lesson. Just because you encounter a bump in the road does not mean the choice of that road is faulty. We weather the bump, we then move on.

Life is not smooth. The road of life is bumpy!

Eos makes this shift at 1:43pm, followed by Athena moving into Gemini at 1:44pm (both UT/+0).

About four hours pass, then at 5:59pm (UT/+0) Klotho – a signature of beginnings and bringing thing into being – enters Cancer.

With two solar eclipses about to happen successively in Gemini and Cancer, this ‘what am I going to do with or about my life?’ question is going around like a case of extremely contagious itchiness. At this point many are still caught up in the what-to-do, how-to-do-it more Gemini part of the question, but the Cancer realization that this is…

1. A time of opportunity. You can make something of yourself now.

and,

2. A time when what we do with our lives is going to determine how we live and basic options we will or won’t have in years to come.

….all that Cancer ‘this is important!’ stuff is really beginning to bubble up from within – Klotho (beginnings) hitting this point is an indication of how such issues are ‘rising to the surface.’

How will we cope? Well, in one of several ways. Some are likely to live through a period of what Thoreau so elegantly referred to as ‘quiet desperation.’ Others will go back and forth, torn by restless, logic-versus-emotion tug of war. Then there are others who really know what they need to do in order to get where they want to be. Those people will now begin moving into a new phase of laying (Cancer) groundwork, getting (Gemini) information and in general, organizing (or reorganizing) their (Gemini/Cancer) plan.

And if you catch from that last bit that the best thing we can do is fuse need and logical process into a plan to get us where we want to go, you get a cookie!

(And yes, a glass of milk with which to wash it down.)

As for Klotho against Eos/Athena, the signs and differences in time suggest that we get the ‘idea’ (Eos/Athena) then set about figuring out how to ‘spin it’ into reality – Klotho being the first of the Greek Fates and she who spins the thread out of ‘a raw yarn’ (the rough idea).

To illuminate this briefly and personally: you’re seeing changes here at astroPPM. They’re a result of my having learned a lot by push the ‘blog-bounds’ for myself and (quite honestly) the astrological community throughout the last year.

In doing that, I’ve learned much about astrology and timing (using astrology to time things) a bundle about blogging and a bushel and then some about the generalities of operating on the web.

That’s all very Gemini.

Against this is what I’ve also realized about what I need to do going forward in order to take care of myself. You heard one fluffle about this back in December as the Sun moved past the 29 Sagittarius (Sag being opposite Gemini) into Capricorn, the sign in opposition to Cancer.

Cancer is about all we consider basic: family, homeland, upbringing and culture. The roof over our head and how we make our way in the world - that's all very Cancerian.

For me, that Capricorn 'opposition' point was when I really began considering how to work this blog so as to give you the information you want while working to put a fiction work which has and is my goal into print.

We had a Capricorn eclipse in January...which we've seen has been about every form of 'how life/my life is structured' around. Now we face off against that: the picture moves from the worldly (governments, rulers, public demonstrations) into the realm of the local and personal.

 Solar Eclipse of June 1, 2011, 9:04pm (UT/+0) at 11 Gemini

Aries Wheel - Location Not Specific

As I experimented, I came up with the monthly Dateblog idea. That's been sufficiently popular that now I’m broadening its use so you can continue getting your astro-trend information while I get more space in which to write different kinds of posts…plus have time/energy left with which to edit my book.

We work in cycles. I keep saying that and this is a pretty good example of how such things evolve. With Uranus now in Aries poised against our June 1st Gemini solar eclipse…that spells “opportunity.” But it’s the sort of opportunity which only comes to life when we each ‘seize the moment’ and learn to operate the parameters of whatever it is we’re going after.

Uranus’ impending square-by-sign to the July 1st Cancer solar eclipse? That challenges us to break out of old molds. They may be comfy, but even from where we sit, we can see they can’t last (or work)  forever.

With that much said…

May 30th has asteroid Amor moving into Gemini at 9:55am (UT/_0). Amor is ‘warmth’ as opposed to Eros, which is passion. Think friendship instead of lovers and companions or compatriots as opposed to partners.

With the Moon moving into Taurus at 1:03pm (UT/+) in anticipation of its Gemini eclipse moment on Wednesday there is a quality of ‘worth’ (or worthiness) getting tossed around here. People who have self-worth problems are likely to feel quite agitated in ways which very much point to unresolved issues which they’d like to think are about others (or “their fault”) but which in reality have to do with a lack of respect for Self. When something about us doesn’t ring ‘right’ with us, we struggle. When we are unable to face the facts and deal with them, we hurt.

Feelings of helplessness or frustration with being unable to ‘get it right’ are likely to pop up now. Try to find the real source. No, it won’t be easy.

Try anyway. This being the opening of Pallas’ station and considering how Pallas is named for Pallas Athena and that pretty much automatically underscores everything said about Athena moving into Gemini. So especially when/where/if things are difficult, don’t just buy into the emotion – try to learn where it’s coming from. It may involve opening a whole new (or old) can of worms. If so, open it. Getting to real reasons may cause a lot of walls to come a’tumbling down, but this would be the time for walls to be coming (what with a Gemini solar eclipse about to happen) so dig, dig, dig! Ask questions! Be willing to hear the truth, ugly or beauteous.

Go for the knowing. What you learn now may change everything.

May 31st: All of the May 30th issues get a little more convoluted as Tantalus entering Cancer at 4:29am (UT/+0) which remember, is still May 30th if you live in the Americas or Pacific Basin. Tantalus in Cancer? An invitation to undermine ourselves through attempting to ‘manipulate’ the situation so we don’t have to a.) face facts…or, b.) change.

And though I’d like to say ‘good luck with that!’ and just move on, given that May 30/31st have the Sun fused with Aldebaran (integrity) and in opposition to Antares (obsession)…all this barely in advance of the Gemini eclipse really does set the stage for some new highs in lows and truly bad judgment.

The old slogan ‘check it once, check it twice’ doesn’t even come close to it here. With TNO Typhon moving on station, situations in everyone’s life will be provoking us at very personal and primary (even primal) levels which are individual to each one of us. 

And yet…if we acknowledge that the Gemini-Sagittarius polarity process is all about learning more and learning (among other things) to master the art of perspective on self this makes sense as part of a greater period about getting a grasp on what needs changing and the reality of life and our lives.

Those who are honestly willing to evolve, learn better, accept responsibility and all that good stuff? This may not be their favorite moment in all of life, but those are the people who will come out of these next few months knowing they’ve learned more and better.

They (meaning you!) may even have done something you’re really proud of yourself for doing because you’ve learned something new.

June 1st is Eclipse Day!

A solar eclipse occurs today at 9:17pm (UT/+0) at 11 Gemini, a degree which is by definition ‘mentally emotional’ (read: intensely whatever it is) and traditionally sort of childish, childlike…or maybe ‘surface oriented’ or just plain shallow.

The simplistic form of this polarity is that some will just try to do ‘just enough’ and some will tear off the veneer and in doing away with that, really get at the heart of the matter.

Known as a 'solar map' to astrologers, the above is how

modern astrological software pictures an eclipse track.

software: Solar Fire Gold (v.7)/Esoteric Technologies (alabe.com)

Interesting (at least to some!), the actual date of a solar eclipse often seems rather peaceful and inconsequential. Lunar eclipses? Boy, they go off with a bang! But solar eclipses? Usually not so much…but don’t be fooled! A season may not change in a day, but spring will become summer, fall will become winter, and the whole of the process is very much unavoidable and unstoppable.

 A close up (detail) of the same solar map reveals the eclipse path beginning

in the Far East - the beginning and end points of the eclipse (and often, points

all along those longitudes) being points of stress and activity particularly when

the eclipse is a total eclipse, which this one is not.

So it is with eclipses. In fact, seasons and eclipses are very much about the same sort of celestial mechanics. Sun, Moon, Earth…together they make seasons and years and tidal cycles and eclipses: all the basic stuff.

With Neptune going on station now there will be many really enjoying the ‘magical’ quality so part of any eclipse. And the combination of Neptune going on station and Pallas (factual wisdom) is a promise of insight to those who are wiling to see not just what they want to see, but the realities of things.

Yet, with Pallas going retrograde at 15 degrees of Aquarius (one of four cross-quarter degrees) it is implied that there are many in worldly power (or just ‘in power’) who are reluctant to let go of the reins (aka for some, their stranglehold and control). Cross quarter degrees always separate the more ‘mine’ from ‘the greater concern’ as pertains to each zodiac quarter and when it comes to the 4th quarter (which is public, pro-active and worldly) the question is whether the few or the many are in control…or even the point of the effort.

The zodiac as an Aries Wheel showing the cross-quarter points plus

approximations of Neptune's station/retrograde and the Solar Eclipse position. 

Today, we get to hear a lot of interesting, inspiring ideas – and probably a whole lot of nonsense. Telling them apart? That’s the important thing!

June 2nd: With Typhon (basic needs and urges) going direct in Virgo today at 11:18am (UT/+0) AND Mercury entering its ‘home’ sign of mental Gemini at 8:04 in the evening (UT/+0), there’s hope and reason to believe we can get some sort of productive activity under way.

Well, except for the right to scatter things about that so many take to be the 'purpose’ of Gemini! They’re so, so wrong of course – if that was true, none of us would ever get anything worthwhile done! Where we see scattered attention, disorganization, lack of priorities and an inability to cope with realities, astrologers look automatically to Mercury, Gemini-Sagittarius (as a polarity) and the 3rd house of a natal chart, that being Gemini’s native house.

The combination of Typhon/Mercury spells a focus on the important stuff…or on how to disrupt that which is truly important to someone else. When these things function together in ‘first person personal’ we see the surfacing of personal problems, eruptions of long-buried feelings, needs or resentments - and with some, the exacerbation of mental illness.

All of this – from top to bottom – depends on our ability (and willingness) to cope with whatever our challenges and/or vulnerabilities (weaknesses, flaws, lacks of information, etc.) really are.

June 3: As Neptune goes retrograde at 0 Pisces – a degree known in Sabian Symbols as emblematic of the ‘marketplace’ the play of Mercury against Neptune for one, incites grandiose statements and the more-than-occasional lie.

(Sorry, I just tell it like it is!)

Whether the lie gets told now or it gets uncovered now depends on your life, your chart, your mindset.

Whatever the situation, there is the side of ‘knowing’ and the side of ‘feeling’ and here they are tested not to see whether you can withstand one or the other, but so we all can measure within our Self how realistic our life is…how real our estimations are…and how well we actually deal with reality on a whole.

Those who try to (as put by show host Adam on Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters) … ‘reject your reality and substitute my own!’ will feel caught up in a vortex not of reality versus fantasy, but of insecurities which result from an internal awareness of the difference between ‘your reality,’ ‘my reality’ and REALITY.

Only the third one works.

June 4th:  House being the emblem “being at home,” has this asteroid moving into Gemini at 3:17pm (UT/+0) on the 4th, reinforcing the idea of thinking things over – and the need to think things over.

Especially with Jupiter moving into Taurus at 1:57pm (UT+0) and Polyhymnia entering Leo this is a fine day for art, romance, social festivities, personal creativity – and especially with Neptune still on station (if now in retrograde) we are in a ‘negotiable’ mood and willing to talk things over with someone.

Can bygones be bygones? Can something which seemed mired in eternal tar and hopelessly stuck get moving now? Quite possibly yes. And to those who have business matters who are running to check their calendars, June 4th is a Saturday. But no, all is certainly not lost! So groan if you’re one of those ‘I need my answer NOW!’ types, but otherwise think of what you could say to whoever your issue is ‘stuck’ with and formulate a well-humored communication. This is when the fine art of knowing the benefit of leaving the message or sending out that email which will get read two days hence…when all that comes into play.

The real issue is your generosity of spirit and your willingness to be realistic. Business efforts and aims should all stress the market and the broadest possible appeal, not the ‘me’ and ‘mine’ and ‘I need to know’ part. If you’re looking for something strictly ‘flash in the pan’ (the one-time hit) that may work now, but don’t plan on it working two weeks from now. Maybe not even two days from now.

And for those who are looking farther down the road? Let your imagination lead the way – don’t lock yourself in to some small and narrowly defined niche. When we look around we see the prevalence of multi-national corporations, conglomerates which own many different kinds of companies and people parlaying success in one areas into an entre into another.

The balance now is what is really possible against what could possibly be. 

So good luck…and have a great week!

Oh – before I go - expect blogs to go up on the eclipse (June 1st), Mercury’s Gemini ingress (June 2nd), the Neptune station (June 3rd) and Jupiter entering Taurus (June 4th).

And be good to you!

William and Kate: A Marriage Royal, A Human Relationship

 William placing the ring on Kate's finger

photo source: CNN

Anyone and everyone who cared about the grand affair which was the wedding of William and Kate got their chance to watch…once, twice...many times. The whole event was broadcast live, then re-broadcast over and over and over again.

Astrologically, the marriage is one chart – a chart timed for the moment when the vows are sealed.

 April 29, 2011 - 'Let No Man Put Asunder'

But the relationship which underlies that wedding? 

That’s a whole other thing. And when we talk about that 'whole other thing,' you'll even hear two versions talked about there.

One version is the astrological 'composite' chart. We take the Sun of one chart, the Sun of another, we translate the zodiacal positions into 360 (numerical) notation and divde that by two.

The composite chart is a great picture of what one person 'thinks' of the other.


What it isn't is the 'living' chart of the relationship...as in, "honey, we have to go away for the sake of the relationship." Instinctively we seem to recognize that when there are two people in the room there are three entities present: person one, person two, and the relationship which lies between them.


That relationship is a dynamic thing. A composite chart isn't. You can't look up its "date" in an ephemeris because it doesn't have one. Not even computer software will let you calculate with a composite chart because it's 'midpoint' construct does not reflect an actual point in time.

The 'actual point in relationship time' chart is called a "Davison chart." It's a chart erected for a midpoint in time, space and birth location between the two people involved.

I'll spare you the rest of this recitation...but trust me, I've done my homework here and Davison charts are for real.

 ]

 William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Davison Relationship/Aries Chart (No Time Known for Kate's Chart)

So we have one chart which is the chart for the sealing of the wedding vows. That's a regular, everyday  real-time chart which, given modern satellite technology and my watching the wedding in real time can only be mere seconds off the actual moment of sealing the marriage vows with the traditional ...let no man put asunder speech.

Against this we have the chart for William and Kate as a couple – the relationship chart. There we have a bit of a problem as there has as yet been no time confirmed for (as she’s now known) the Duchess of Cambridge’s birth. All we know is that Catherine was born on January 9, 1982 in Reading, UK.

For William, there's exact data – of course! But given that we don't have Kate's time, we do well to cast the Davison in Aries Wheel format.

The other thing we have an issue with because we don't have Kate's birth time is how we need to own that while the Moon of this relationship is more than likely in  Cancer, we can't swear to that.

But it is likely - and that's an interesting item to note seeing as we know William’s Moon is in Cancer and it's very highly mostly really likely Kate’s is too.

(And in case you're thinking that would be "automatic," it isn't. It's easy enough to have two people with Moon in Virgo and have the Davison Moon come out in any sign but!)

However! As we say this we do have a whole bunch of 'absolutes' and 'givens.' And that list starts with the lunar nodes of the Davison being positioned at 18 Cancer (North) and Capricorn (South)...which makes an  interesting statement.

How's that? Well, the North Node is what we should do. And this North Node being in Cancer speaks to how important it is for this relationship to be about family, heritage, one’s personal life and - since this is a royal couple - 'the people’: one’s native population and homeland.

Against this we have a South Node - the 'easy thing' - in Capricorn. Especially with Capricorn’s ruling Saturn strongly positioned in Libra, it's 'easy' for this couple of follow the rules. They will find things easier if they 'color inside the lines' - royal and otherwise.

This also suggests that when the day comes that William becomes King, his work will easily come first even though they know as a couple that in order to be figureheads for their nation they need to keep working on their relationship.

It's something of a dichotomy...and no, not at all easy.

Sitting at 19 Libra and the apex of a t-square with the lunar nodes, this Saturn is not quite conjunct Pluto at 25 Libra...and it's a couple of degrees out of strict Ptolemaic (5-degree) conjunction orb with Pallas at 12 Libra.

It's something of a picture of being between the rock and the hard place. And since in this picture the 'hard place' is pictured most immediately by the lunar nodes, the issue is social and societal obligation.

Then we add in Eris - aka Eris Discord. Conjunct Sabine (entrapment, slavery) in emotionally expressive degrees of Aries, Eris is in opposition to Saturn and square to the nodes, making this not a t-square but a grand square (also known as a grand cross).

Since all astrology is a two-way swinging door, this tells us that there will be times when the 'public call' is simply a pain in the low back and very frustrating. But there will also be times when discord strikes in the world and in response this couple of will react as a matter of course.

In other words, they're really very human.

 ]

 Westminster Abbey witnesses yet another royal marriage

photo source: CNN

And this Eris/Saturn 'inconvenient timing’ issue doesn't end there. Though at 19 Libra Saturn isn't strictly conjunct a 12 Libra Pallas (wisdom) which is itself conjunct a 10 Libra Mars and Eros/passion, Eris IS positioned to be in opposition to Saturn and - SEPARATELY - opposition Eris...which is conjunct the couple's strong 10 Aries Sun.

Sun in Aries is very strong. Conjunct Eris and Sabine and in opposition to Pallas-Mars-Eros (and let's be reminded: Mars in Libra is hardly Mars at its most assertive!) this suggests that as a couple, William and Kate will defend their right to have a personal life.

It also suggests that the 'being apart' we saw in their dating life may yet happen again. That may be all about necessity, that may be because they need a bit of a break, that may be simply because William's work - whether in the military or elsewhere - that may take him away.


If this couple learns to handle the 'unevenness' of schedule to their advantage, they'll thrive. Is this likely? Well, Saturn's strength in Libra and the Sun's resilience in Aries says they have better than the average chance.


It also suggests this is a couple which knows how to disagree. And that life isn't all cupcakes and rose petals.

Another aspect of this is how the Mars-Eros-Pallas speaks to their understanding that they represent something to literally millions of people they will never meet. And how this couple is aware of the difference between the way they live and the lives of non-royals - which will like as not become far more evident and/or important William comes to the throne.

Even before that, one suspects.

Leaving that for a moment, let’s consider the Davison Juno at 7 Capricorn. This is Juno positioned as the apex of another t-square which might be a grand cross, though we can't know without having a birth time for Kate.

As it is, Juno sits at the half-way point between Sun in Aries and Mars-Pallas, which is clearly (among other things) the overhanging, omni-present fact that William is a member of "the Firm"...British royalty. Learning how to manage that? That's a huge piece in the relationship puzzle.

But without that Moon....?

The difference between t-squares (which are solvable) and grand squares (which are eternal challenges in one's life) is huge.

A grand square (or grand cross) is a figure of being pulled from all sides. In an individual’s natal chart, grand squares ask that we ‘pull all the corners together’ (symbolically) before we do any “heavy lifting” - or at least have any success with same. About the best image here I could give you is collecting everything off a table by pulling all four corners of the tablecloth together before you hoist; in a chart, the one ‘corner’ you miss will be the place where all sorts of havoc spills out, ruining your effort to get ahead.

Against this, the t-square is a hurdle. You have to understand where you're coming from, where you're headed and what about yourself (the 't' is part of your chart, right?) you have to get past or "over" in order to reach your goal.

In pragmatic terms, the difference between the t-square and grand square is one of degree of complexity…the number of details one must ‘pull together,’ as it were. In real world terms however...t-squares are often found in the charts of great achievers where grand squares are found more often in those who rise and fall at least a few times before figuring life out.

Still....whether or not the Moon is in aspect to Juno or anything else in this chart, by sign the Moon and Sun are in square. This is a classic indication of problems with timing. We saw some of this (or at least thought we did) with Kate’s having appeared to ‘decide’ William was her guy before he decided she was the woman he wanted to marry. Another form will like as not be a clashing of schedules we will never see – and perhaps never even hear about.

That Pluto (symbol of emotionally transformative experiences) had gone on station and retrograde at 7 Capricorn – the degree of Juno – is exactly what we would expect to see in the chart of a royal couple about to get married. Capricorn is traditionally the sign of ‘head of government’ and Juno a symbol of domestic leadership. With the wedding having happened with the Sun moving across first Sedna at 6 Taurus (the maturation process) on April 26 before ‘triggering’ Pluto’s 7 Capricorn station (and the Davison chart Juno) on the 27th…we get a real picture of this couple recognizing the enormity of the event their wedding would be.

Conversely, this also signals the wedding as an enormous public moment.

 Crowds lining the street, enjoying the moment

outside Westminster Abbey, London

photo source: CNN

For those who are dedicated royal watchers, there’s also the contemplation that in having gone into retrograde, Pluto will return to 7 Capricorn 39 on January 9th with the Sun doing a ‘lesser' trigger to this Pluto cycle on December 28/29 – which will be an interesting moment to watch. Will we be hearing more news from the Duke and Duchess as either of these dates roll by?

Yes or no, this is something interesting to watch for and very much how astrological research is done.

Meanwhile, the marriage chart…with it’s regal 15 Leo rising…it’s a lovely picture of a public royal wedding. Leo has always been known as a sign of royalty even though governance is a Capricorn attribute. The difference…rulership versus governance is one of perspective. But here we have the Sun which rules that 15 degrees Leo rising intercepted in the 10th house – a signal which on one hand speaks to the marriage being a matter of duty (interception) to the not just the (10th house/MC) nation.

And with 28 Aries on the MC/Midheaven of this wedding chart, with the Mars which rules that 10th house cusp in a triple conjunction (Jupiter, Mars, Eris all at 21 Aries) …all four of these points in degrees between 20 and 29 degrees (that being the 3rd decanate of the sign) we know…for absolute sure that everything which comes of and from this marriage will be reacted to by the public and ultimately ruled and regulated by that same public – and the world.

So much for a private union between two people, right?

As for 15 degrees of Leo, like 15 degrees of any fixed sign (there being for fixed signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) we are speaking of a ‘moving into the next phase’ or ‘taking a step’ in life – which marriage truly is.

 A lovely photograph of Queen Elizabeth II being greeted by

the Dean of Westminster as she arrives at Westminster Abbey

to attend her grandson's wedding.

photo source: CNN

The Ascendant being conjunct Photographica at 11 Leo puts the marriage in the public eye and tells us that it was carried out with an eye to (and on) the public.

But then things get…a bit less candid. That intercepted Sun is positioned in a difficult degree: 8 Taurus is known for sensitivity to teasing – which we know will come from the tabloids, never mind the public and possibly (?) the royal court. This degree is known for ‘fighting shadows’ and a general defensiveness which suggests an internal frailty which develops as demand outstrips ability to comfortably comply.

Added to this is fixed star Hamal plus Byblis, a more than difficult commentary. Hamal equals  independence and is known to take on the coloring of whatever else is present. Considering that the Sun itself is often an image of males and that Sun in Taurus is security and/or privilege of wealth, this can well speak to William’s already-demonstrated ability to eschew the trappings of royalty.

Then we add in Byblis. Byblis is an asteroid which is all about defending the indefensible. And thus we ask: will this couple run afoul of their very caring for common people and/or a ‘regular’ way of life? Will they prove sufficiently ‘independent’ as to offend those still ‘married’ to an older and more traditional role for royalty?

Phaeton/Hera speaks to the 'impulsiveness’ and ‘headstrong’ quality of ‘the mate’ – Hera usually being the wife. Does this mean that William will ultimately decide he chose a bride too early? Or will we end up seeing yet another example of a couple which in becoming entrenched in the duties of royalties rebels against it?

With Bali (paradise) and Deucalion (finding the moral path) in direct opposition to the Sun of this chart (and thus intercepted in the chart’s 4th house) we do understand that the marriage will always be understood to be of import to the public. Positioned at 9 Scorpio the underlying dynamic is emotional commonalty or agreement – that being the Scorpio part. With 9 Scorpio being a 1st decan degree (between 0 and 9) we know what this pair does is ‘the proof of the pudding.’

That this Bali/Deucalion is intercepted in the 4th says a lot about this marriage being founded in a (Scorpio) inheritance of native…and yes royal…tradition. And for those who wonder whether this royal couple will continue in what is seen by some as ‘a life of excess’ which has so typified so many royal households, that answer is ‘maybe not.’

Why not? Because fixed star Arcturus is exactly conjunct Spica as the objects closest to the 4th house cusp with Saturn (retrograde) at 12 Libra farther back in the 3rd house and in opposition to Venus at 10 Aries, Pelion at 11 Aries and Mercury at 14 Aries in the 9th.

Saturn retrograde in the 3rd either makes one pessimistic or says you think before you choose to do or what you do. In Libra, there’s a built in concern about what others think or how they’ll react.

Meanwhile, that Aries Venus-Pelion-Mercury in the 9th is something we already have heard about – the British Royal Family’s concern about how to hold a royal wedding during a period of financial struggle. Pelion is the ‘great mountain’…it can either be something you climb or that thing you’re sitting atop looking down at everyone else from. Add in Venus in Aries (the appearance) and Mercury in Aries (what I say, what people think of me) and you have a royal couple who is “saddled” with being emotionally aware of others.

Yes…its just William and Kate in this marriage. Plus the rest of the royal family. Plus the press. Plus the citizens of the UK and anyone else who cares to watch.

Neptune – pictured at 0 Pisces in this chart - is at this moment about to go station/retrograde. Come next June (2012) it will go retrograde at 3 Pisces, right atop the 8th house cusp of this chart. Since this 3 Pisces is also the position of Damocles (the dangers we don’t recognize until we take the job on) in the Davison relationship spot, it’s very likely this is a moment when a soft spot in the royal relationship is found, resulting in at least a bit of bruising.

 With festivities having begun inside Buckingham Palace,

people linger in the streets, still celebrating

photo source: CNN

Speaking of the Davison chart, June’s 24 Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse bisects the split between Black Moon Lilith/Ascendant at 21 Sagittarius (plus Ras Alhague at 22 Sagittarius) and Neptune at 27 Sagittarius conjunct fixed star Acumen at 28.

Acumen being ‘all we’ve learned’ in conjunction with Neptune is likely to be what some call ‘fuzzy math.’ With Black Moon Lilith (what you don’t want to admit about the world and what the world doesn’t or shouldn’t know about you) conjunct Ras Alhague…?

Ras Alhague is the really iffy coin toss here. Sometimes it’s a healing force and sometimes it’s the ripper (or ripping) which creates the need for healing. Given that this is about the Ascendant, IF William and Kate determine at this point to do something for others (or even issue a delightingly sensitive statement of some kind) …then can could count this for a plus.

But with Black Moon Lilith on the Ascendant/Ras Alhague of this chart virtually guarantees some sort of ‘paparazzi war’ at some point…if not consistently.

And let’s remember: the 11 Gemini solar eclipse happens June 1st. Occurring in that emotionally challenging 12th house, it’s in trine to Pallas/Mars and sextile Sun/Eris/Sabine…so something’s going on which is of an evolving/evolutionary nature. Keep your royal ears tuned in and take whatever happens during June/July seriously – take it as the start of a  process.

 The happy couple...happy (probably among other reasons) for

having gotten through the ceremony without any giant faux pas!

photo source: CNN

This is underscored certainly by the July solar eclipse (at 9 Cancer) being in opposition to the Davison Juno and maybe conjunct the chart’s Moon, though without an exact birth time for Kate we can’t be sure. Certainly in square to the Sun/Eris and Mars/Pallas, this becomes a testing time for the relationship.

What’s it about? Call it this: now that they’re married, now what?

Presidential Politics 2012: Candidates, Anyone?

 Eisenhower inauguration, January 20, 1953

photo credit: National Archives and Records Administration

With candidates deciding (and deciding when to decide) about whether to run for President of the United States in 2012, I thought it would be fun – not to mention educational – to look at a couple of charts at a time.

This is not going to be an examination of natal charts, except where we need to do so for reference. What we’re going to look at are transits on Election Day 2012 (November 6th) and Inauguration Day.

The ‘rule’ for Election Day, should you not know it, is that elections are held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Yes, it’s one of those governmental mouthfuls. Basically, if the month begins on a Tuesday…or any day from Tuesday through Saturday, Election Day falls in the following week. If November starts on a Sunday or Monday, Election Day falls in the month’s first week.

Now that we’re all ready for a civics test question on that, you may be wondering how why we would look at both Election Day and Inauguration Day. The answer there is that for some people, winning just isn’t everything. On Barack Obama’s winning election day, his transits didn’t proclaim I Am President. That his transits were much stronger on Inauguration Day suggests President Obama is less interested in the glory of winning a contest than tackling the job.

So it does depend on the person.

And if I get really good at this, maybe prospective candidates will start checking in with me before they spent all that time and energy (not to mention money) running for office.

Then again, considering the egos of some politicians, maybe not!

One thing to note right off the bat: Election Day 2012 is going to feature Mercury on station, going retrograde. That it’s doing so in Sagittarius – a sign Mercury is notoriously “sloppy” in and also the sign of law and legalities makes one wonder right off the bat whether there are going to be some legal challenges.

Is America in for another round of recounts and dangling chads? Oh, the suspense!

An election worker looking for a hanging chad on a Florida

punch card ballot (2000 Presidential election,  December

2000 - photo credit unknown)

The first politician we’re going to consider is RON PAUL (b. August 20, 1935), who being the consummate Libertarian and not bad at all at formulating a concept which will get people to talking indeed did just that rather recently.

Ron Paul - August 20, 1935 - Pittsburg, PA

(no time known)

You may have heard the ‘Ron Paul fluffle’? Taken out of context, he seemed to be campaigning on a platform which included the idea of legalizing heroin and prostitution. The reality of his specifics I’ll leave to you to research saying only that a Libertarian position is pretty much summed up as ‘less government rules: let people run their own lives and make their own mistakes - treat people as adults.’

Ron Paul, official Congressional photo portrait (c. 2007)

Ron Paul’s Election Day 2012 features nothing in particular except the Mercury station. Occurring at 4 Sagittarius, this station squares Ron Paul’s natal Mercury and his natal Saturn, which sounds like delay or disappointment. Mercury’s station trines Ron Paul’s Eris (discord). Will he be resigned to how people just continue not voting for those ideas he so believes in – or is this his listening to some giant hassle?

If there’s a problem on Election Day we would expect to see that shown across every chart we look at today an on any other day. So let’s bear that in mind and move on.

On Inauguration Day (January 20th) Ron Paul has one personal transit: Venus trine Black Moon Lilith. Venus being the ‘concreting’ of things and Black Moon Lilith being (generally) “societal denial” this suggests that the society is headed in a direction Dr. Paul (yes, he is a medical doctor) doesn’t approve of.

In the big world of transits, none of this says anything “pronounced.” If you were elected President, don’t you think it would be a giant red-letter day in your life?

This probably means Ron Paul isn’t going to be elected President. But he's often really interesting to watch.

NEWT GINGRICH (b. June 17, 1943): There’s what’s known in astrology as some ‘dirty data’ on the time of Newt Gingrich’s birth. Here’s that chart…

Newt Gingrich - June 17, 1943/11:45pm - Harrisburg, PA

(time not verified)

For good measure, here is an Aries Chart cast for the same day without the Moon. Since the Moon moves about one degree every two hours (roughly), when we don't have the time of birth it often seems sensible to simply omit the Moon from a chart.

(And yes, there are those who say omitting the Moon from political charts is particularly apt!)

Newt Gingrich - June 17, 1943 - Harrisburg, PA

(Aries Chart/No Moon - Location Not Specific)

Either way, the 4 Sagittarius Mercury station is in direct opposition to Gingrich’s Mercury/Uranus conjunction in early Gemini. Mercury Uranus being something of the ‘shock,’ ‘surprise’ or ‘innovation,’ this could seriously make us wonder.

Except for…well…in this chart we have a grand trine which is composed of two points at critical degrees: Neptune at 29 Virgo (which is Neptune weakened by being in the sign of its fall) and Ceres at 29 Taurus, a sign of being able to lead on the merit of one’s personal self worth and values being vitally important.

The third point here is Juno at 27 Capricorn. Capricorn being the sign of government and Juno being a ‘head of household’ energy, it’s not surprising that Newt was at one point the Speaker of the House (of Representatives). Then again, he ended up resigning from the legislature after proving to be one of the great polarizing figures in American politics of the day.

That ability to polarize is very Uranus/Mercury. And with Ceres at 29 Taurus with natal Mercury at 3 Gemini plus Uranus at 5 Gemini, plainly Neptune is in an out-of-sign trine with Mercury.

Neptune/Mercury is the sign of someone who lies…or, when a configuration like this grand trine is involved, the sign of someone who is seen to ‘not be who we think/thought he was.’

And this Mercury opposition transit to natal Mercury?

Well, it’s not a classic plus, although… 

This is one of those moments when you really wish you knew your data was good, as the time we have for Newt Gingrich would give us Juno opposition Moon on November 3rd and Jupiter opposition the Moon on November 10th with Juno trining Newt’s Pallas (wisdom) and Mars (assertion) on the 7th – the day after the election.

Newt Gingrich speaking at CPAC 2011

photo credit: Gage Skidmore (February 2011)

Well, gosh. Let’s look at Inauguration Day to see what that says, shall we?

January 20th has Mercury trine Mercury (ongoing affairs), and Mercury opposition Black Moon Lilith – a facing off against the denial of society. With Pallas (wisdom) sextiling Mercury on the 19th, there does appear to be some positive activity going on in Newt’s life,  thought it doesn’t seem exceedingly…Presidential.

One more note here. With the impending Lunar Eclipse of June 15 (2011) happening just a couple of days prior to Newt's birthday, we can guess 2011/2012 is going to be a very exciting (intense?) year for him, come what may. The fact that this Lunar Eclipse precedes his birthday suggests matters which originate in his past are up for discussion...we'll just have to see what happens!

At writing, MITT ROMNEY (b. March 12, 1947) hasn’t declared himself openly, though he does have an ‘exploratory committee’ contemplating another run and he’s all over the Presidential polls.

Mitt Romney - March 12, 1947 (9:51am) - Detroit Michigan

(from official biography)

What does a poll of his natal chart say?

Election Day for Mitt Romney has Mercury going stationary conjunct Romney’s South Node, in opposition to his North Node and trine his natal Saturn. 

If nothing else, this sounds rather like the transits we would associate with a candidate – as does Mars trine Sedna (personal hopes) early in the morning followed by Venus sextile Pluto (feeling empowered) mid-way through the afternoon.

But then…?

The same Neptune which will go retrograde on June 3rd (2011) will be turning direct as part of its 2012 cycle on November 13 (2012). And that 2012 station - the one just after the election? That will be square Mitt Romney’s natal Moon and Jupiter.

Add in the solar eclipse which will occur on November 13th at 21 Scorpio (trine Romney’s Sun, square his natal Pallas, and trine his natal Ceres) and it certainly looks like Romney’s life is changing in a very big way. And that he’s finding out that he doesn’t know quite as much as he thought he knew.

If Mitt Romney does become President, one guesses he will find that he's bitten off a very large mouthful. Expect he'll go gray faster than the average Presidential office-holder - which is pretty fast, indeed!

 Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts

To Inauguration Day, which is preceded by a secondary progression (internal recognition) symbolized by Mercury opposition Romney’s 6th house Moon – a rather classic picture of taking on or relinquishing responsibility.

A 3-time Pluto square Neptune transit begins for Romney on January 18th. Given its 8th house/5th house combination, it’s a real-time echo of the secondary progression.

And on Inauguration Day itself we have Venus sextile Mars (convivial interactions), Sun trine Ascendant (matters already in motion coming into personal focus) and Mercury opposition Saturn, maybe the most interesting of the three.

When these transits are run for Washington, D.C.,  this Mercury opposition Saturn occurs at 12:34pm, with the Sun trine Ascendant happening about two hours later.

Are we looking at evidence that a new President will be inaugurated come January 2013? Or is this the message of a man with the 'winning' opinion that his party chose the wrong candidate in not nominating him?


Vindication can be very, very sweet for those who in not getting a chance to win never lose, one supposes.

As mentioned, Neptune will go retrograde on June 3rd, 2011. It will go direct again on November 9, 2011. If Mitt Romney does decide to run and if such an announcement occurs around either of these days or on one which sets off his natal Neptune…astrologically that would be news worth an eyebrow-raise. Maybe even two.

As an astrologer, I wouldn’t bet my computer’s bottom digital dollar until the tickets are announced. After all, it’s the Presidential Ticket which actually wins. But we have already discovered some interesting information which says something about the lives of these three men no matter what else happens.

More to come...!