Search Term: Fomalhaut conjunct Ascendant

Fixed star Fomalhaut in infrared

(photo credit: Spitzer Telescope, NASA-ESA, December 2008)

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Fomalhaut is one of astrology’s ‘royal stars’ - all of which have been noted for their quality of ... well, some would say it’s karma and some might refer to it as ‘mythic fate,’ or even some peculiar form of prophesy.

Whatever you want to call it, wherever Fomalhaut falls in the chart, integrity is called for.

Mind you, this isn’t the mental integrity of fellow royal stellar object Aldebaran, which is sitting in Gemini. Aldebaran refers to ‘integrity of thought’ and such things as plans which both have integrity (they “hold water” and will get you where you want to go) ... and are an expression of an intent or goal which itself isn’t something mankind generally votes ‘thumbs down’ on.

No, with Fomalhaut, the subject is emotional, and the emotions are ours. Currently, Fomalhaut is at 4 Pisces, a somewhat feast-or-famine degree which operates greatly through various means people of different ilk would refer to as spiritual - maybe even mystical - all of which plays right into Fomalhaut’s call for integrity (lest all your effort come to nothing - or on occasion, less than nothing)(read: negative numbers).

Other people seldom understand our relationship to our inner Fomalhaut, as Fomalhaut is often bound up with emotional lessons we have to learn - which at the Ascendant means we learn them either through what we do/who we are, or the results of what we do/who we are.

-link to post-

Royal Stars of Persia (Pt. 4): Fomalhaut

In short, this is a call to do things with integrity - and to choose what you do with an eye to its integrity (and your integrity as part of the process). Ascendants being a calculated point (and not a planet or asteroid - an object which has physical mass) it’s harder to “keep track” of them all the time ... which means with Fomalhaut conjunct the Ascendant, not only are there likely to be temptations of various sorts from which to choose the thing ‘of integrity’ (or to not choose the thing of integrity and suffer the consequences), but if that which one does in life isn’t about working with (or possibly ‘fixing’) things which are all about integrity or possibly something which in or by its own nature is dependent on the integrity of some operation-construction-process (etc.), then the weight of all decisions must be constantly kept in mind (i.e., consciously held at the forefront of one’s thinking).

With Fomalhaut at the Ascendant, either we know that what we do matters and has an impact - or we learn that what we do matters and has an impact ... which in case we were lacking in same, teaches us to act with integrity.

How we feel about that, and whether we treat feelings (our own or those of others) with integrity is a trial and there is some danger of becoming over-involved with others. With that (fortunately) comes an internal grace - the ability to think through, recognize errors and learn from them.

Depending on the placement of Jupiter and Neptune and the overall nature of the chart, this may be an indicator of ability in areas like diplomacy, public service (either professional or voluntary) and the ability to earn respect through ‘helping’ efforts and any career which seeks to connect with others.
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Venus in Pisces

Vénus Astarté by Emile Jean Baptiste Philippe (1894)

Astrology has long spoken of the 'exultation' felt under that pearlescent mist of feeling which is so very Venus in Pisces. Whether or not we consider ourselves spiritual… attuned… or intuitive in that very special way which allows us to respond before we really ‘know’…all that is Venus in Pisces.

As is grief. And longing. To feel sorrow under Venus in Pisces is to sense the power of emotions as a maelstrom whether we succumb to it or not.

That is, as it happens, one of the greatest secrets of Pisces: to feel and to have sufficient presence of Self that we can feel our own reactions to our emotions…?

From that comes not the wisdom of knowledge but instead that of consideration - compassionate consideration. To win under the Piscean banner is to be willing to lose out on any untrue conviction, for Pisces embodies the precept of humility. To heal under Pisces means walking through the pain of our darkness and the depths of despair, for Pisces requires faith.

Faith in our Self…and how that Self is going about being who they are, maybe most of all.

Bringing all this to Venus, whatever latitude we give ourselves during the month following the Venus ingress of Pisces on April 6th at 8:32 in the evening (UT/+0 time)…that may play well or much to anyone’s displeasure depending on how fully any given person has accepted their place in what they’re doing. As part of this, everything which passes through our lives during this time will produce or show up some effect – and such effects come either from who we are being in the moment (a response or reaction), what we are currently doing (a reward or loss), or something which we’ve done in the past (a lesson learned or being learned now).

And in response to that…some of us will now be done, some of us will recognize the cost, the pain, the mistake – and some of us will receive broad based honors or some ‘outpouring’ which results from tapping into an innate ‘quality of nature’ which may be quite raw as it overtakes us, but which in the end is nothing more or less than our reality of this moment.

Some of us will understand the value of what they see. On the other hand, over the course of this month of Venus in Pisces we’re also likely to feel some shifting of our values and priorities – all of which reflects the process of our eclipsing who we have been coming into this time.

We know what we’re seeing. But do we only know what we’re seeing?

As a different way to look at the idea of the 'marketplace' mentioned in the Sabian symbol

for 0 Pisces, a 1939 photograph of activity on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

(photo credit Library of Congress, April 1939)

With Venus in Pisces, the reality can be anything. Moreover whatever appears first during this Venus passage is most often not the final nature or ultimate realization. So one must work with what happens, some of which will affect us more – at least in our own eyes – than what we felt going on around us.

That’s just the nature of this time. The things we do, whether required or optional, are all part of a process which in bringing us into periodic stress with our sense of Self inspires a ‘breaking away’ from something we have focused on…or maybe held onto for so very long.

The astrological origin here being Jupiter, our impetus comes from ‘beyond’ us.

Yet that which is empowered and emboldened begins within, as an awareness which, given where we are in time will become ever more of the eclipsing of some notion, some…valuation – which is where both the Sabian symbol for 0 Pisces and the magic rectangle set up at the ingress) seem to come into play.

The Sabian for 0 Pisces being ‘IN A CROWDED MARKETPLACE FARMERS AND MIDDLEMEN DISPLAY A GREAT VARIETY OF PRODUCTS’ this  Venus in Pisces passage pits us against the wanting (even longing) to ‘see’ things (at least in our own mind) the way we want them to be, or the way we like seeing them – against the need to deal with the reality that there are many choices, many voices to be heard (and either considered or dismissed, one by one)…and in general, an opportunity to ‘partake’ of much which commonly needed, bought into or desired by all of us for our own particular reasons.

The reference here being ‘products’ instead of ‘food’ (or nourishment), the normal Piscean feeling state which operates basically in terms of what we have in common with others is here “annotated” (if you will) to reference a more… Aquarian sort of reference, which isn’t unlikely as first and last degrees (0 and 29) of signs tend to display that they have just finished ‘learning’ about (the previous sign) or that they’re preparing to deal with (the sign ahead). With Venus being the ‘nature’ of the energetic implied, what we have or are which is different or unique is what creates the “Venusian” response “going into” this time (as the transit begins). Moreover, since the symbol references farmers and middleman (but not the ultimate consumers), we are being told that the ‘Venus process’ we move into and through during April is but a first step in the process.

Which when we think about how solar eclipses work…namely how events during the two months preceding the eclipse ‘breaks down’ some set of walls.

And of course the closer any point in your chart is to the eclipse (which in this case will be at 8 Taurus) describes the intensity of your process.

So the idea of Venus signaling the beginning of some process – whether that’s just thinking something through or actively doing it – fits. Moreover, we aren’t due for a shift in the ‘thrust’ of current dynamics until April 29th (the date of the eclipse for everyone east of the America’s Pacific coast).

Meanwhile, the tone for these weeks ahead is being set by a magic rectangle – an astrological figure which refers to a ‘golden’ sort of ‘everything working for me’…right up until the moment it doesn’t work for you – and maybe anyone else, in which case the situation isn’t working for you because its considered a negative by others.

Magic rectangles are often a sign of grace. But they are also astrological figures which if ‘broken’ (or violated) represents forces which seem daunting when we try to contemplate fixing things.

If we can fix things, that is.

This image is not the ‘standard’ sort of astrological figure (i.e., one made of planetary or dwarf planet placements) in that it’s composed mostly of fixed stars and the lunar nodes. But that too tells us something. Fixed stars tend to indicate ‘prevalent conditions’ (or standing/traditional methods, notions, emotional expectations or alliances) and the presence of the lunar nodes in this figure assures us that relationships and the question of relating is involved.

Venus/Nessus being an ‘enduring’ method, legacy, orientation, belief (etcetera), in Pisces we would expect reactions to ‘that again’ or something which “simply will not die,” abate or go away, all of which adds to Venus’ passing through that most broad-spectrum of all emotional signs, Pisces.

Do you need to make an emotional effect? This may be the time to make it.

Of course…given the incoming eclipse, you may be in for something or someone provoking you.

And yes, both may happen during this April 5 - May 3 Venusian transit of Pisces. They may even both happen repeatedly. And in connection.

Or completely separately. It just depends. Astrologically we would look to where natal Venus is – the aspects, the house, the sign…and whether it’s retrograde or direct in the natal chart.

Then again, we could just think back on the recent Venus retrograde, an event which began on December 21, 2013 and which ended on January 31, 2014 (both dates UT/+0). To some extent, what we were experiencing then comes back to us now – mostly at a ‘playing out’ level. The North (lunar) Node at 28 Libra refers to a direction we should go in society or a ‘direction’ which should be taken with the degree (28 Libra) referencing the successive generations of mankind and our sense of connection to others, groups or collectives in particular - whether that’s a reference to strength, weakness, a need to be stronger, more gentle…or even the need to let something go.

To this Mirach/South Node adds the idea of being perfectly happy with what you’re doing…or the way things are, with the trine to/from Regulus creating a note of “nobility of intent.” Regulus in particular having a reputation for taking on the coloration of (and) being stronger when aspected in someone’s natal chart, that of course applies on an individual natal basis. But because such precepts also apply on a global basis, that Venus is in opposition to Regulus means that there’s a stronger Venus-Regulus emphasis on the plus-and/or-minus of nobility…and what exactly constitutes being or acting noble. Considering Venus’ rulership of Taurus as the sign of the incoming eclipse, being faced off by someone else – or maybe just questioning our own reasons and rationales has some meaning in the (magic rectangle) moment as Venus goes direct…and may well also ‘contribute’ to the overall purging of values and (e)valuations associated with the eclipse.

And that – in turn – will like as not trigger not our sense of worth, but our reasons for being who we are..some of which may be needing some review (in particular for those whose charts will directly aspect the 8 Taurus solar eclipse). 

On the other hand, considering how Venus also rules Libra we may now be asking whether what someone is saying is consistent with what they do as in the old ‘talking the talk’ as opposed to ‘walking the walk’ sort of thing – which in our minds may have us wondering whether anyone believes us. This may well be most apparent in those in whose life the magic rectangle is ‘broken’ – where everything it refers to is non-functional (or close to that). Most transiting magic rectangles tend to manifest more positively, but in the end energetics are simply what they are. So the ‘picture’ which offers advantages or strengthens the positive to some by harnessing abilities, timing and karmic grace harnesses…or it brings something pretty or comfortable to an end.

And of course because life is never just one single thing, in one part of life all may go well now…while in another things are inexplicably unworkable or uncomfortable.

Venus’ transit of Pisces is always a sensitive time. Those who can spent time in contemplation, study or simple appreciation of those precious personal moments… those who can take it easy… those who take the time to take that walk through nature, or enjoy simple pleasures in good company…they will find that in spite of life’s pressures there are moments to be enjoyed, moments which will get us through those other things.

Under Venus in Pisces, all that which is human provides us with the means to find commonalty and acceptance from others. That would be the exalted Venus promise.

But first we have to find our own most human humility.

That's the Pisces way.
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Pholus + Ras Alhague @ 22 Sagittarius

Binary star Alpha Ophiucus (known by it's older name, Ras Alhague, to astrologers) is about 400 Light Years from Earth. Near the top of this photo, the yellow star is royal fixed star Antares and at top left is IC 4592, the Blue Horsehead nebula.

(photo credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo, September 2012)

'It’s all in what you do with it,' people say. And since that’s probably a keyword for a period starting December 27th when centaur Pholus perfects its conjunction to fixed star Ras Alhague, I'm fine with people saying it.

(Like they asked me?)

Ras Alhague – also known as Alpha Ophiuchi (and apparently ‘a Oph’ to its friends) - is a binary star located in the constellation of Ophiuchus with a binary (self-orbiting) period of about 8.62 years.

(I do love it when scientists give you this ‘about’ thing and then list things out to infinitesimal fractions. It’s so geeky!)

Over twice the size of our Sun, Ras Alhague’s astrological meaning goes along with it’s placement in Sagittarius, a sign which is as much about finding out about what is wrong (so that you can correct it, or at least consider it) as learning or trumpeting the right, the truth, the opinion and that which is a touch over-opinionated.

You know…just ever so possibly over-opinionated.

As for the star, Ras Alhague (and no, I wouldn’t Ras you about this) is about two associated, if very different things: harming and healing. Wherever we see Ras Alhague – or wherever and whenever we see it being set off by some other energetic, we know that whatever is at ‘stake’ (the other object’s energetic) will either flow in one of the two stated directions…OR there will come to be a very Sagittarian sort of learning about which is which and what is appropriate when considering some fact or known parameter. Additionally, that these ideas – the healing and harming concepts – are associated with a star in Sagittarius should tell us that we are talking less about the actual incident of a physical injury than the idea of it. Or the theory about what to do to a.) cause it…or b.) fix it. And that very much goes along with the fact that Sagittarius is also the sign of law and medicine as bodies of knowledge.

In Sagittarius, we think, we talk, we discuss, we muse, we explore. We grow our understanding of what works and what doesn’t work – and from that, we make choices which will be most productive and effective for us.

You know, everything that the Sagittarius/Gemini polarity is about - and exactly what Ras Alhague embodies as an overall or ‘backdrop’ to some of our various live situations. Located in the head of the Ophiuchus wrestler fighting with a snake, the star Ras Alhague symbolizes our choosing to use what we learn or learn about to ‘heal’ or ‘harm’ ourselves or others. Ras Alhague is also about how others ‘heal or harm’ us…and theoretically about what happens to us in life as we’re going about trying to reach our (Capricorn) aims - so that WE learn something.

Pholus meanwhile, represents our cyclic processes of retreat specifically from others or from what we are able to do but choose not to do - inclusive of asking why we choose what we choose to do or not do. Next to Ras Alhague, Pholus comes off more as the motivation next to the action. And thus, since conjunctions signify times when we are so ‘close’ to something that we don’t see it (but tend to embody it) OR times when we become highly aware of a certain attribute, whatever this Pholus-Ras Alhague period means to you you’re going to see, feel and probably hear a lot about it. That conversation or ‘sense’ may be wholly internal – or it may be between you and someone else. Or you and some life circumstance. There is no ‘rule’ here about whether we’re the actor or the witness, so what we could learn now spans the gamut from how we may have harmed our own efforts to how others have – knowingly or unknowingly - helped or harmed us.

Mind you, this isn’t an ‘instant’ process. It hasn’t been hasty pudding getting here and it won’t be ‘just add water’ changing anything. Coming from Sagittarius as an emotionally-driven centaur and (more to the point, perhaps) a fixed star, Pholus and Ras Alhague probably represent mindsets more than anything else, though in this case we are given to know that said mindset at least in part concerns a “centaur-type” conflict. Any time we see an astronomical centaur the astrological meaning is described as being challenged by one’s willfulness or more emotional/primal nature.

Does this mean we’ll learn more about such challenges and our willfulness (and/or lack of same) at this time? Probably. And if we decline the invitation to do a little mind-searching on our own, chances are life will provide a few…uh…incentives.

You know, those charming little incidents which mean so much to us in all the most ouch-ish of ways?

But again…this isn’t anything we’ve arrived at overnight. Pholus came into (standard 5-degree) orb of Ras Alhague back in January 2011, pretty much right in the wake of a Capricorn solar eclipse at 13 Capricorn – a degree Pluto is going to conjunct and ‘transform’ during 2014. For those whose charts answer to 13 Capricorn whether by planet, node, chart axis (horizontal or vertical) or dwarf planet, you probably remember the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 very well. (And maybe not all that fondly.)

Put simply, IF at that time you ‘initiated’ (or began) to pull back or pull away or ‘shut something out’ of your life, you now have the ability – again, if you choose – to understand more about what happened then now and turn things around. At the very least you may now see ‘how you got here’ and thus become able to ‘heal’ something in your own life and going forward, profit from that rather nicely.

Kepler's Drawing of Ophiuchus, one made in the wake of a supernova in 1604 in the constellation's 'foot.' For those who may hear of the often-circulated rumor that constellation Ophiuchus is (or should be) made a sign of the zodiac, that answer is 'no' by the simple definition of what the zodiac is: a list of constellations which lie on or across the ecliptic, Earth's path around the Sun. Pure and simple, Ophiuchus doesn't quality. But that doesn't stop the rumor!

Even if the end of 2010/beginning of 2011 doesn’t mean a lot to you, this here-and-now time still matters. (When doesn’t time matter?) Pholus’ initial conjunction to Ras Alhague will only last through January 17th, though it will retrograde back into 22 Sagittarius (the degree of Ras Alhague) next May 27, after which it will remain at 22 Sagittarius until early December, 2014.

And that’s a long time.

These two periods may represent two different situations or aspects of your psyche. Then again, it may represent the ‘inkling’ of an awareness now which comes more into focus – for clarification or  rehabilitation (of your own approach), or for the ‘switching’ of sides – come next year.

A lot of the diversity (some would say the conflict) involved here comes from Ras Alhague. More comes from the internal emotional testing we experience through the energetic we call Pholus. Apart from this, some also from the nature of 22 Sagittarius, a degree known variously as sympathetic and supportive and unfeeling, manipulative and perfectly willing to take advantage of others.

And what divides these two extremes? That would be an interesting and seldom spoken-of Sagittarius concept: the need for attention. We often think of Sagittarius as a place where we excel and ‘shine’ but few of us talk about the very real and human need for attention. Ras Alhague’s various pluses and minuses react to and are driven by the need for attention (whether that’s too much or too little attention) meaning that we manifest from this psyche quadrant, positive or negative aren’t always…or even generally about who we’re dealing with. They’re about us and our ability to cope or respond to situations which trigger our better or lesser natures.

In other words. Ras Alhague – the star which arrived at 22 Sagittarius in 1968 and which will be resident in this degree until 2040 – is all about our Self. And thus Pholus, in conjuncting Ras Alhague asks us whether we are ready to take a step back so that we can heal as opposed to taking a step back because we haven’t.
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Mercury Exits Retrograde Shadow Tomorrow (May 11, 2011)

If Mercury is exiting the shadow of its March-into-April retrograde tomorrow, why talk about it today?

Simple: because today would be the day when in some areas of life we ‘wrap up’ matters which began back in March…and where in other areas of life we have our last chance to change things which have been hanging on – or which (frankly) we really haven’t wanted to deal with.

That this ‘final moment’ (aka ‘last chance’) idea is so very emphasized by Mars being at the critical ‘do or don’t do’ point of 29 Aries? Considering that means Mars is about to move into Taurus (a passage which typically makes personal change difficult to face, never mind do!) again underscores this Mercury moment as one to be aware of.

So what might this be about? What might you do well to take into account?

The first thing which jumps of the page here is Mercury’s transiting conjunction with Venus and Jupiter. Astrologically this would rather clearly point to discussions and decisions (or the need for) money, an exercise of one’s personal values or a confrontation at some level with how you really feel about who you are.

With Venus and Jupiter united, we have a clear indication of ‘expansion’ – or the desire for more. And with Venus emphasized by the fact it rules  asteroid Niobe’s 29 Libra positioning (in direct opposition to Mars) there is a note of disappointment.

But is that with ‘them’? Or is that with yourself – or what you have perhaps done, chosen or ignored?

This would be a classic sort of moment to expect an ‘I told you so!’ IF Niobe was direct. But Niobe (boastful pride) isn’t direct here. So this is a moment when we reflect. Or when the news comes home that we aren’t ‘all that.’ Or even when what we really need to do is stick our pride in a drawer and do something because it simply needs doing, never mind our blessed ego!

That others or some outside force is involved here – maybe just as a consideration, but certainly as part of the mix - is pretty well underscored by Mercury’s rulership of the South Node in Gemini and Jupiter as ruler of the North Node in Sagittarius. Considering this, the suggestion would probably be more about ‘learning better’ (maybe just ‘learning’) or putting out the effort to do the right thing.

An Aries chart of Mercury exiting its retrograde

shadow (location not specific).

Remembering that the Nodes move backward through the zodiac it’s also reasonable to take note of the idea that said North Node – currently at 23 Sagittarius – will in the tick of a celestial moment move back into 22 Sagittarius, the degree of fixed star Ras Alhague. Known as a difficult star the better side of which involves healing, Ras Alhague’s position in Sagittarius’ 3rd decanate implies some sort of news or notification which though uncomfortable is actually real or true or the way to solve some dilemma, whether we know it (or like it) or not.

Given that we all like the easy way out of things, we’re all likely to ‘want’ to do the South Node thing – which at this point is pictured as a South Node sitting between Arachne (entanglement) and fixed star Bellatrix, emblem of difficult communications.

Maybe the best way to think of this is that Bellatrix (and its neighbor, fixed star Phact) – in being respectfully at 21 and 22 Gemini extend their confounding, confused, often excuse-ridden influence to approximately 26 or 27 Gemini. Meanwhile, fixed star Betelgeuse at 28 Gemini (with an orb which stretches between 23 Gemini and 3 Cancer) overlaps that Bellatrix/Phact ‘district,’ giving us the picture of a period when the easiest thing is to try and avoid problems ‘out there.’ Or situations which would cause us to re-evaluate our relationship with the world. With the Nodes now at 23 Sagittarius and Gemini, a good many of us are going to be clinging to wanting things to be easy while others (and sometimes those self same people!) are also complaining about how nothing’s getting done. How nothing’s changing.

And how it needs to change. The North Node’s perfecting trine to Eris Discord at 22 – a trine which becomes perfected as the North Node solidifies its conjunction with Ras Alhague – that speaks volumes to the fact that our choice is social/societal disruption or renovation. It’s something we each need to think about. And though optimally we would each do our part, it can’t be ‘about’ us. We live in this world – the world doesn’t operate at our behest.

Confuse that, and nothing will change. It may even become something of an excuse to not try, which for some may be the object as the whole idea of looking in the mirror to get a grip on why your own world is so screwed up, messy or problematic is because of your decisions? Or maybe because you won’t stand up and do something about what you say you really stand for?

Complaining? That’s easy now! Mars at 29 Aries is all ripe for fury and Venus in Aries (which is going to continue for a few days yet) is notoriously a time when our difficulties with the world get translated as being about ‘them’ and not about how we have chosen much of what we have and in some measure the path we’re currently on.

Can we change that? Yes! That’s a whole other side of this whole configuration and it would be a great moment to commit – at least to yourself – that you indeed intend to dedicate yourself to growing or changing your life.

Tomorrow…as Mercury exits its shadow and as Mars enters Taurus, those who don’t have a thought or a plan or a handle on how their choices create their results. They’re going to be the ones who experience the classically Mars-in-Taurus ‘sticky wicket’ thing. Those who have a plan, who are working towards their goals, they will make slow progress. It won’t be easy, it may not be all rose petals, champagne and fun, but advances can get made and much depends on what you decide you are willing to do, become, and let go of.

That would be the contemplation for today and as we head not just into tomorrow, but into all our tomorrows.

Egypt: Mubarak and Beyond

 Egypt's Announcement that Mubarak has Stepped Down

February 11, 2011 - Cairo, Egypt - 6:02pm (EET/-2)

One of the more interesting things about the chart for the announcing of Mubarak’s relinquishing of the Egyptian Presidency is the fact that fixed star Regulus is at the Ascendant.

Every one of the Royal Persian stars, promises great success IF a certain human trait can be avoided. In the case of Regulus, that trait is vengeance.

Anyone who has listened to the protests in Egypt can think of how this very much embodies the lack of violence on the part of the protesting thousands. It also says a lot about astrology and how charts work; Regulus at the Ascendant is the ‘now’ of what ‘happens’ – the reward for having not gone another way.

And for those less than astrologically inclined, the 28 Leo Ascendant isn’t known as ‘now’ for any airy-fairy reason. The Ascendant represents the point on the eastern horizon – directly east of wherever the chart is cast for. That eastern point is where the Earth is rotating “forward,” which is why the Sun rises in the east. The Earth keeps turning, that eastern ‘moment’ keeps moving on ‘into time.’ It is Now.

With Orcus (consequences) at 2 Virgo standing with Regulus at 29 Leo, this is the ‘idea/ideal/will to create’ (Leo) becoming a tangible (Virgo) reality. For what has been done (Orcus), now there is born a new moment (Regulus/Ascendant).

Yet let's be basic and real. As Mubarak leaves, and the Egyptian people undertake to reorganize themselves and their nation, the country is under the guardianship of the Armed Forces Supreme Council. And anyone who has watched world politics for any amount of time knows that the old saying ‘power corrupts: absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ So while the Egyptian military seems to be an organization loyal to the people of Egypt, until things are more settled down, there well may be good reason to wonder.

The reason to bring this up is that this chart is not only that of Mubarak leaving, but of the military taking over. So they need to act with a high regard for what has gone before, too – which we certainly hope they do!

With Neptune (at 28 Aquarius) exactly at the Descendant of this chart, it’s natural the people of Egypt are jubilant – and that people around the world are happy and hopeful for them. With Amphitrite (overwhelming) positioned with Neptune we get the very picture of the jubilation being caught by cameras beaming image streams out and around the world.

The flip of this symbol is how ‘other things’ may or may not still be getting out of Egypt. Or how this moment of elation may very well cloud the very real work Egypt now need to undertake in reorganizing its country.

This work would be symbolized by the 6th house of this chart, a 6th house which pictures mentalist Mercury with Hel at 12 Aquarius, nurturing Ceres with universalist poet Sappho at 15 Aquarius, Mars (energy/assertion) and the Sun (will/intellectual thought) at 21 and 22 Aquarius with Nessus (poisonous jealousy) and Charybdis (continuous effort).

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 Sappho by Gustave Moreau (1893)

There’s a LOT of hard work ahead. That Ceres/Sappho stands at cross-quarter point (15 Aquarius) seems particularly apt as all cross-quarter points mark the moving from the ‘building up energy’ point to the ‘moving ahead with it’ sector of that astrological quadrant. The quadrant here being the 4th, the subject matter is social, societal, humanistic, governmental – and we certainly understand that application.

But let’s remember that the 6th house of any chart is also the native realm of jobs, the civil service and the military. Thus, though we love this moment of such happiness, it’s obvious (on the astrological level) that there are still problems and hidden pockets of dismal, dreadfully vicious feeling (Nessus) hidden and yet to be dealt with.

Because Nessus is traveling within range of Damocles (LINK to article) we know that some of these problems will not be encountered until things move ahead.

And when will that happen?

Well, there are a lot of ‘1’s implied in this chart. We’ve already seen the first: the Ascendant being at 28 Leo with Regulus at 29.

There’s another pictured at the fabulously apt image of the IC (Nadir – the chart’s foundational point) standing at 25 Scorpio with Sphinx at 26. Scorpio being a fixed sign of ‘joint emotionality,’ and the IC/Nadir and 4th house it leads into being the house of the homeland and native population, there is hardly any better image of the Egyptian people having stood solid as the Sphinx, holding out for what they wanted.

Another “1” – The Midheaven (MC) at the opposite point to the Nadir being at 25 Taurus is conjunct the Taurus Moon at 26 Taurus. This is great display of the people’s values (Taurus) having won out in reasonably short order – the Moon in 10 always indicates something which is quicker than it might have been otherwise. So though Mubarak may have been an unpopular leader for many years now, in terms of the populist movement to oust him which began at the January 2011 Saturn station, having Mubarak leave office not even a month later is pretty quick work.

Moon/Algol images the passion of the Taurus values which went into this effort. It also – like as not – pictures the passion with which both sides of this event (Mubarak and the people) viewed each other.

With the Moon being not just values but resources and thus money and business money at that, set here set in the 10th house of government, commerce and the world we should also not wonder that almost as soon as Mubarak was out the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland) ordered its bankers to look for what may be national Egyptian assets siphoned off by its now-deposed leader.

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 Switzerland

August 1, 1291 - Bern, Switzerland

Maybe the fact that Switzerland’s 29 Leo Mercury conjuncts this Ascendant tells us that Switzerland is with the Egyptian people? Did they know this was coming? Had they been forewarned from within or without?

That, we don’t know. Will we ever know? Maybe.

Meanwhile, back to Algol…often thought of as a difficult star, Algol represents the kind of passion and intensity which can be useful or destructive. That it is strictly reactive (yin) by nature tells us that the measure of what we do where Algol is concerned must be tempered and thought through. In Taurus, this is possible. Yet because Algol is in Taurus’ third decan where it tends to represent a threat to us or our feeling threatened, it’s easy to see where Algol get’s its questionable reputation.

Question: will this change of government actually replace the Arab Republic of Egypt (astrologically) as was founded in 1953? If the country rewrites its constitution, yes. If it merely reorganizes under the old constitution, no.

Meanwhile, it is astrologically interesting to note that the main transits transits on the Arab Republic of Egypt chart for today are Juno conjunct the Ascendant (at 7:28am, EET/-2), Jupiter sextile North Node (at 8:07am, EET/-2) and Pallas square Saturn (at 8:22am, EET/-2).

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Arab Republic of Egypt - June 18, 1953

Juno being a sign of leadership, you can see this either way – that it was the leadership of the people or the news that their leader had left reaching the Egyptian people. Either way, this conjunction to the Ascendant is very much the statement of the Now.

Jupiter being knowing and expansion (of knowing) with the Lunar Nodes always being society, this become the people of Egypt bursting into celebration or the world press/audience getting the news that Mubarak had stepped down.

Pallas square Saturn is the sobering note here – the ‘wisdom’ (Pallas) in knowing there are many, many challenges and much work (Saturn) yet to be faced.

And lest we not think about it…what is today like in Mubarak’s life?
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 Hosni Mubarak as photographed by US

White House photographer Eric Draper in 2002

Backing up a transit search to yesterday (seeing as heads of state hardly ever make a decision to abdicate and dash out the door in five minutes)…we find Ceres conjunct Pallas, Pallas sextile Mars and Vesta sextile Ceres on February 10th, Ceres inconjunct Pluto on February 11th, and simply because we’re here (meaning, I have the report on my screen) Juno inconjunct Jupiter for tomorrow, February 12,

Ceres being nurturance or in this case, more probably ‘advice’ or ‘an advisor’ in conjunction to Pallas (wisdom) is the proverbial handwriting on the wall. That happened early in Mubarak’s morning – at 5:33am, local time.

Pallas sextile Mars and Vesta sextile Ceres happening at 4:08pm and 4:22pm respectively suggest it took most of the day to get the ‘what to do’ sorted out: Mars here is the ‘doing’, Pallas remains wisdom (and thus the ‘smart’ thing to do) with the sextile being opportunity. Vesta is the sign of the servant, in sextile with Ceres tells us that Mubarak got or accepted someone’s help doing something.

For those who are hoping he’s having a bad day, your hopes aren’t reflected until 9:43am on February 11th (local time) as Mubarak’s chart shows Ceres in an approaching inconjunct to Pluto. When our Pluto gets hit, karma gets delivered on the emotional silver platter.

No, he’s not doing any Snoopy happy dances.

Underscoring this is Juno in a departing inconjunct to Venus at the tender hour of 6:54am February 12th (EET/-2). This is rather a classic notice of encountering one’s ‘come down-ance’ in the world – you are used to having something work one way (Venus) and along comes the news that someone else (Juno) has nixed that.

Going back to the national chart, that the Juno-Pallas-Jupiter of this chart will be eclipsed in early June 2011 as Saturn is reaching the other end (and station) of its January move to retrograde in opposition to Eris/Kallisto says there is much, much more to come.

But for the moment, we can cheer with the Egyptian people – most of all because they have accomplished their human aims without the massive spilling of human blood which has all too often typified such moments. All those “1”s we have seen imply that there are all sorts of ‘single’ steps to be taken – and that this story will continue unfurling in one day, one week, one month, one year, and so on.

So bear that in mind as you applaud – but let's do applaud! For the people of a country to have acted with such a consciousness of their own ethics and morals, choosing not to do what has been done to them is very much the better nature we can hope to see as part of the incoming Aquarian Age – and good on (and for) them!

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