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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

2011's Fixed Star Eclipses and the Eclipsing of the US Congress



 The US Capitol at night
photo credit: Diliff (2006)



In this moment, the United States is unhappy. It's sufficiently unhappy that it's even probably pretty fair to say it's unhappy with being unhappy.

A couple of days ago, as Eris was going direct and Typhon was going retrograde, a young man went on a shooting spree in Arizona. A child, a Congressperson, a Federal judge and regular people simply on the way to the market were gunned down and killed.

Didn't read that post? Well, maybe you need to? Watching astronomical objects taking station to go in and out of retrograde helps us see how they function. By understanding that, we can see related functions in our own lives. That's what astrology is about!

So here's the LINK.

Like I said...the United States isn't happy. This past weekend's violence is not only tragic on its face, it raises a ton of ancillary issues - from gun control to mental health funding to the rights of the society (or a school) to intervene in the life of a citizen or a family before something happens. The United States is at least in part built on the idea that people can't be convicted of an idea. Or even ridiculous bad taste, poor timing or even lack of facts in what they say.

Goodness knows that's true. There aren't enough prisons or mental wards to hold all the liars and silly speakers the US has to offer!

Anyway, not to debate who's for what in the US (if you're into politics you know, and in you aren't into politics I can only bore you fluffless by reciting details) but to have just had a solar eclipse in Capricorn reminds this astrologer how Capricorn is plainly about government, and how the eclipse of January 4th at 13 Capricorn was conjunct fixed star Vega - a star long held to be about the power of charismatic speech.

Miss that blog too? Okay...no biggie. It's still here - here's the LINK.



 Astrology's fixed star Vega, as photographed by the Spitzer Telescope
photo credit: NASA/JPL - Caltech



In the aftermath of the Arizona shooting, a major  discussion has broken out on the subject of heated political rhetoric in the United States. And although some have said 'Yes, but what about this young man? Who wasn't getting him help? What about his parents - wasn't he living at home?' which yes, seems applicable, a national conversation about proper levels of rhetoric seems to have truly been ignited.

That's very Vega. You know, 'charismatic speech'? That it centers on politics also seems interesting, as the January 2011 Solar Eclipse was in Capricorn - sign of government and rule of law, in theory and as the people who work to construct and enact same: members of Congress, Federal judges, political institutions.

But when you talk about speech...you're actually talking about Gemini, sign of communication, thought, mentality...and yes, education (schools), mental illness, and the choice of whether to say something or not.
Have we forgotten that the next Solar Eclipse is at 11 Gemini?

We touched on this a bit during the holidays in connection with the chart of Senator Mitch McConnell, a blog post which taught me that I'm no genius when it comes to the intricacies of governmental civics.

Alas. We all cannot be excellent at all things.

In any case, I thought it might be interesting to simply take a look at other leading members of Congress - just to see whose chart would or wouldn't be smacked by June's 11 Gemini Solar Eclipse. Or maybe even July's 9 Cancer Solar Eclipse.

That's right...for our mid-year treat we get two Solar Eclipses with a Lunar Eclipse slid right between.

More particulars on that later. Right now let's take a look at those charts. We've already looked at Senator Mitch McConnell's chart (link), so with Senator McConnell being the Republican leader in the Senate (yes, I looked it up) here's the current Democratic leader of the Senate, Harry Reid.



 Senator Harry Reid 



 December 2, 1939 - Searchlight, Nevada



Eleven Gemini is not hit by conjunction in this chart, but 11 Gemini is in very direct opposition to Senator Reid's 9 Sagittarius Sun. 

Two notes here before I get into trouble (again). One, all the charts being furnished here are devoid of the figure of the Moon. (And yes, there are at least half a dozen jokes we could make about politicians and no feelings, seeing as the Moon is the figure of emotions in a chart). The reason why is because we have no birth times for any of these charts - which is also why all these charts are presented as 'Aries wheels'...with zero of each successive sign on the house cusps.

The other thing is yes, in doing my homework I also took due note of the fact that technically, Harry Reid is Senat Majority Leader and that Joe (Joseph) Biden is not only Vice President, but as Vice President is also President of the Senate.

I know. That's far more civics than some of us want to swallow while thinking astrology. It's good to know yes, but sometimes a pain in the low back to have to contemplate.
Anyway...because of all this, here would be the Joe Biden part of this dicussion:



 Vice President Joe Biden
 


 November 20, 1942 - Scranton, Pennsylvania


The Vice President's Saturn is at 9 Gemini - very much conjunct the 11 Gemini Solar Eclipse to come. His Juno is at 9 Sagittarius, in opposition with this next Solar Eclipse to come.

The Eris of the Vice President's chart is at 4 Aries: square the 9 Cancer Solar Eclipse which will occur on July 1st (8:55am UT/+0)
Moving on to the House of Representatives, the current Speaker of the House is Republican John Boehner.



 Speaker of the House John Boehner



  November 17, 1941 - Reading, Ohio



The closest aspect (by orb) to the 11 Gemini position of the upcoming Solar Eclipse is the inconjunct to Venus at 11 Capricorn. That this Venus (and Ceres at 14 Capricorn) position would have been hit head on by the January 13 Capricorn is curiously but obviously evidenced. Boehner had only just come into the position of House Speaker with Congress' return from holiday break in the wake of the mid-term elections. And no sooner had Me. Boehner assumed leadership of the house than the tragedy in Arizona happened. Quick to respond with horror at the attack, one wonders whether the Speaker has spent any time thinking of his own high rhetoric statements of the past couple of years.

Everybody does it sometimes in politics, yes. What seems interesting to note is that as in other areas of life, it seems to be those who hold to the most bare bones 'fundamental' positions who tend to speak with the greatest vehemence.
Pressing on...the House Majority Leader (see what a little homework will do?) is currently Republican Eric Cantor...



House Majority Leader Eric Cantor



 June 6, 1963 - Richmond, VA



...and yes, if there is a Majority Leader, surely there is a Minority Leader, right? Yes sir! And that would be none other than Nancy Pelosi.



House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi



 March 26, 1948 - Baltimore, Maryland



In Eric Cantor's case, his Sun is at 14 Gemini - plainly conjunct any 11 Gemini Solar Eclipse. As a sidebar comment here, Mr. Cantor's Chiron is at 14 Pisces - a perfected square in his chart (telling us he is like as not most effective as a politician when he represents the greatest point of view, not a favored point of view)...and a square to the upcoming 11 Gemini Solar Eclipse.

That 14 Pisces Chiron is also trine July's 9 Cancer Solar Eclipse, an eclipse which will perfectly trine Ms. Pelosi's 9 Pisces Mercury. (And oh, the political conversations between those two must be fun....not!)
As for the 11 Gemini Solar Eclipse which will come upon us on June 1st, that is perfectly trine Ms. Pelosi's 11 Libra Neptune, a headache sort of semi-sextile to her 12 Leo Pluto and trine the calculated Lilith (aka Black Moon) at 16 Aquarius.

Not all Solar Eclipses aspect all charts. To have this many charts of leaders of the US Congress aspected by these incoming eclipses says something rather pronounced...especially since any 11 Gemini Solar Eclipse will obviously be conjunct fixed star Antares and opposition Aldebaran.

Both are powerful fixed star symbols and both promise success IF a single human trait can be avoided. With Aldebaran, that quality is integrity. With Antares, the quality is obsession. That these two stars stand in opposition to each other is in itself a vital statement. Oppositions are about balance. Go too far in one direction and you lose yourself - you "fall" by that quality. To be overly obsessed with integrity is still to be obsessed! To be obsessed with a lack of integrity is...well, probably a bad idea.

Of all these charts, it's interesting that it's Ms. Pelosi's which may actually give us the best clue as to what is going on - the trine to the Black Moon Lilith, a symbol all about where the Moon's orbit comes closest to earth during any given rotation - that is a symbol of that part of society we have ignored confronting us.

Or our coming into a place where we have to confront that about society we have so wanted to deny.

(And in case you missed the blog on Lilith...here's that link too!)

It's probably something worth a bit of thought. And a bit of further examination as the days roll on. If nothing else, this January's Solar Eclipse conjunct Vega taught us what solar eclipse/fixed star effects can actually be. That which was 'no longer useful' (the eclipse factor) about various kinds of charismatic speech (Vega) was brought to light in an unavoidable manner.

In this case, it apparently took the Eris' station to time the event out. And yes, this is a United States 'take' on the situation - which doesn't mean that I think the United States is better than anywhere else, it simply means I live here. I'm quite sure January has brought other examples of this 'Vega Eclipsed' quality out in other countries. I'm just here - so I write about this version of it as I'm familiar with various details.



'Dog Star' Sirius - one of the brightest stars in our sky.
photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech



The next eclipse is conjunct Antares. But maybe as a saving grace (one would hope), it's also conjunct Rigel, a star all about  'sitting at the foot of the teacher' and learning to be civilized and by that, protected.

July's eclipse is conjunct Sirius - the dog star, a symbol of small actions which can have great consequences and how one sometimes has to just do what needs to be done because the needs of the collective are more important than your own desires or point of view.
Sirius is a much beloved star. For those who love and get great hope from the many stories - real and authored - about the one 'little person' who gives enough of a darn to do something about the seemingly impossible problem...this is your star.

It also is perhaps a note on how we all need to stop talking about heroes and start being decent people, doing things which may be small but which ultimately may prove to be heroic.

Will everybody take note? No - they won't. But for each person who does make life a little bit better, life as a whole Is a bit better...and stands to become a bit better. This is not about hope or optimism or prayer or anything passive. This is how we live our life.

Stars are not just to look at or wonder at. They're to learn from and in emulating...even with just a spare twinkle...to in some way become. 



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