Dateblog: December 2014

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I know you're expecting to see a post on Mars entering Aquarius. This would not be that - which makes this me cutting in on my own digital conversation, an act which is curious even for moi.

But the clock is striking December, so it's time for another  edition of DATEBLOG.

As for the above (the chart, I mean), it’s probably rather easy to come away from doing a survey of December’s general planetary movements with two very different impressions, one being that there’s something ‘orderly’ about December (after all, look at how neatly the Sun, Mercury and Venus are marching along through the signs!)... and the other being all about those four white blocks denoting two major planetary stations (anything from Jupiter on out being astrologically considered ‘major’) plus two notices of major planets (again) finishing their 2014 cycles and initiating their 2015 cycles.

In the most general of terms, this spells two very high energy moments during the month. The will be felt almost as soon as December begins; with Jupiter going retrograde as Saturn opens the metaphysical wrapper on its box full of 2015 challenges on December 8th what goes on the table will be about us and affect us personally, but not be exclusively about us.

(In other words, use a non-individual framework.)

The second high energy district is highlighted by Uranus going direct on the 22nd (UT/+0) just before Pluto crosses the line into its 2015 Plutonic Work Zone on December 25th (hopefully after Santa gets home).

More importantly, both of these moments occur pretty much just in the wake of transiting Uranus squaring transiting Pluto on December 15th - just as Saturn reaches 29 critical (read: intense) degrees of Scorpio.

Stand by for that - in terms of the blog post, I mean. But considering how this is a ‘break’ or ‘breakthrough’ (Uranus) in some process which seems ‘inevitable’ (Pluto), those of us who are - or maybe more importantly who have been working through what it is inside us which (Pluto) drives us to put our Self into such “inevitable” positions...

...let’s just say that where Uranus is concerned, flexibility is always key - and that applies whether you’re someone working to create/recreate your (Uranus in Aries) Self or the life that Self is living.

Let’s also say that between Jupiter going retrograde on the 8th, Uranus squaring Pluto on the 15th, Uranus going direct on December 21st and Pluto entering its 2015 Transformation-in-Progress work zone, we probably shouldn’t plan on doldrums until about a-quarter-to-New-Years.

Of course before we lock that thought in cement, we should at least consider December’s astrological flow of the more elemental kind...



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Yes, there’s a whole lot of fire going on. Visions, being a visionary, our ability to envision and (on a more everyday basis) the simple idea of the thing, the seeing of anything (physical vision) and the passion, the fervency which fire signs are so known for...there’s a whole lot of December ‘that’ which will be going around.

That could be great. It could also be awful. And whatever it is, with one planet (Mars) and a Full Moon early on in the month in air, this isn’t a month likely to be known as much for the idea of the thing as for that which inspires.

Yet around the 17th, things start getting elementally earthy - which is to say a bit more pragmatic (and for many a bit less frivolous). Using holiday terms (which would seem to be apt, this being December), we aren’t necessarily talking about anything unpleasant, but more like a shift from joy to warmth - even if Saturn changes signs (into fire) on the 23rd (UT/+0), promising boundaries and barriers yet to be broken.

But that’s after New Years. which is not what December is about...and that being my last comment for the moment, I'll now return us both to my previously scheduled conversation.
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Sun in Virgo…Mercury in Virgo

 Inca-style agricultural terracing in Peru

(photo credit: Alexon Scheppa/released into public domain)

Come 11:03 in the evening (UT/+0) time on August 22nd, the Sun will enter Virgo, beginning a couple of weeks where earth sign influences rise to the fore. The greater backdrop to this will still be the ongoing evolution of water sign emotionality. So all we do, everything we deal with during the solar month of Sun in Virgo will have emotional overtones and considerations.

Once Mercury joins the Sun in Virgo as of August 23rd at 10:38 in the evening (UT/+0) time, Virgo’s focus on all things ‘health, work’ service’ will bring up all sorts of questions about what we’re doing, how well we’re doing it, whether things are headed in the right direction…and, in tossing in ongoing water sign (trine) effects, the health of our emotionality, mentality, choices, relationships, economy and attitudes will all be on the table.

But for one day…that first day of Sun in Virgo…it’s all about the Sun. And since Royal Star Regulus is sitting at 0 Virgo (which I’ve come to think of as the celestial frequency at which self ‘decontamination’ or ‘purification’ is mandated and cannot be shifted off onto someone else), that one day will start us into a new phase by set a Virgo tone which will apply for the full solar traverse of Virgo (August 22nd through September 22nd) and other such ‘dealings with life’ – ours and that around us.

We’ve already been visited by this year’s Venus in Virgo transit – to recall, that began on July 22nd and ended a few days ago on the August 18th…and for one, I didn’t have a whole lot of fun with it.

(Was it productive? Yes. Was it fun? Not really!)

My point is that the nature of Venus in Virgo which is more about ‘finding where things can be improved so as to produce the effects we want’ are now coming into solar focus – meaning our life becomes a vehicle through which we will experience what works and what needs some improvement.

Once Mercury moves into Libra on September 8th/9th (depending on which time zone you're in) that ‘experiencing’ becomes more mental (take that as you will – all forms apply!) and more detailed. So as a ‘subset’ of the total Sun-in-Virgo period, the August 8 through September 9 Mercury-in-Virgo sector marks a time when we have an opportunity to assess what’s going on with ourselves, with others and with the total functionality of our experience…and when our mindset – or our experiences – will be ripe for helping us figure out how to improve things, whether that’s what we’re doing (or how well we’re doing it) and even if what we’re doing is going to get us where we want to go.

And if not, why not.

And if not, whether that means that maybe we don’t’ really want to go…or get there. Let’s face it, we all have ‘oh I wish I would…’ things in our lives. But if we spend all our time doing something else, it seems sensible to ask ourselves whether we actually want to accomplish (or be) that other thing?

Just as an example…one of the areas many (many!) of us have issues is in the relationship arena. We don’t think of Virgo as being “about relationships” but since there is no real ‘isolation’ in the circle of life, that’s just an example of how Virgo can get you so absorbed in the details that you don’t see the forest for the trees…or the life or lifetime which is slipping by while you’re not doing what you know deep inside you want to do, creating the life you really want to have.

So I have this friend who, throughout the more than several years that I’ve known him has been picking women who he knows are the ‘wrong girl.’ (His term, not mine.) But he just keeps picking them.

What’s that about? Don’t be too quick to dismiss this as a Virgo trait, because whatever the third sign to any given sign is speaks to the ‘nature’ of our thinking on the subject.

Counting Virgo as “one,” the third sign to Virgo is…what? SCORPIO. And yes, though Virgo isn’t “known” for compulsivity, there is a definite ‘thread’ of Scorpionic “obsessiveness” which is part and parcel of the Virgo vibe.

This is one of those factoids which as an astrologer didn’t make sense to me until I noticed this interesting habit every Virgo I know (and have known) absolutely has. And when I started asking around, I found out that every Virgo everyone else I know knows also does the same thing.

What did I find? Virgos (we’re speaking principally Sun sign Virgos here) all seem to live by the slogan “when in doubt, eliminate it.” And when we get to the ‘cut it out’ thing, we’re talking Scorpio.

And Scorpio IS the third sign to Virgo.

And the third harmonic to any sign is about the ‘nature’ of our mentality – the habits we bring to our mentality, regardless of what’s on our third house (of mentality and thought) or where our natal Mercury is…or where Mercury is by transit.

This gives us a big clue about why Virgo is the sign of making things more effective or efficient in order for us to (eventually) reach our goals. In Virgo lies an enormity of potential and mental power – this latter being the signature of Scorpio as Virgo’s 3rd harmonic.

So if Virgo is about ‘perfecting’ our act and getting ourselves in shape (be that physically, mentally, emotionally or – at some level especially spiritually/universally, considering the polarity sign is Pisces)…the ‘focus’ which at some level does seem to amount to an obsession with Virgo folks and thus with everyone else as the Sun ‘lights’ up this area of our lives, then the question becomes very much one of getting to the root of why we think or do or choose as we do so that we are able to deal with that…and thus eliminate whatever the ‘toxicity’ (non-functionality) is in our lives so that we can move forward more freely and get where we want to go.

Bearing this in mind, then we go back to that idea of what we continue to do the way we do it (or in the company of those we choose to do it with) where we aren’t improving. Where we aren’t moving forward in our life or getting any closer to those dreams we all have for ourselves.

It’s easy not to think about it, and let’s be real here – the Sun’s yearly transit of Virgo is a prime and primal time during which it’s absolutely easy to just ‘keep on keepin’ on’ while making excuses for why we aren’t getting to that thing which will fulfill our dreams or provide us with some measure of spiritual or emotional (Piscean) balance.

So as the Sun moves into Virgo, we can expect some realization of what’s not working…or what we want to capitalize on by ‘working it’ at an even higher level…to come upon us. For some of us it will merely be that earthy sense we feel stirring in our innards. (Virgo is very into those ‘innard functions.’) Then again, life may well present you with issues which challenge your functionality. Or sense or even you desire for accomplishment.

With Mercury entering Virgo a day after the Sun, we take a breath…and then we take the plunge. But let’s not think results are instantaneous. Being the astrologer on board here (yes, I need one of those signs to put in my car) I can look ahead and see the major road signs coming down the energy pipeline. We’re about to hit a Sedna station on August 25th and that speaks to Virgo’s first week being about reckoning with the need to evolve.

This station comes with a bit of a surprise – call it a twist on the cosmic theme. And that we’ll discuss in the next post here on the blog.

The September portion of the Virgo run (read: our experience of Life and Mentality through the Virgo lens) there will be a whole slew of challenges headed out way. We’re going to hear (on the celestial level) from influences generated by the relative positioning of Ixion and Pholus (which yes, for you who know this pair is enough to make your toes curl) shifts of signs coming from the Ceres (planning) and Pallas (wisdom born of dispassionate perspective), Mercury romping on into Libra just as Venus moves into Scorpio (suggesting there are emotional issues yet to come from people in our lives or with regards TO people in our lives)…

....and then we’ll also get a revisiting of the still-ongoing conjunction of Pluto to fixed star (nebula) Facies. 

Pluto-Facies is the experience of complicated issues which we know will compromise us unless we deal with them. But how to deal with them?

All that and (dare I say…?) we’re in for the onset of the next ‘breaking down’ period which precedes the November Solar Eclipse at 11 Scorpio.

Yes, that eclipse.

Let us also remember that what we’re talking about here is the Sun and Mercury moving into Virgo – the recognition, the realization, the having to think it through and think about it and get some clarity on things part of the process. With Mars initially positioned in Cancer as this pair of ingresses sweep through we can not like whatever we don’t like and life will still insist that we pay attention.

Or…alternately…we can take the Mars energetic in hand and get to work on that thing which is so hard for us. Cancer being the eleventh sign (aka 11th harmonic) from Virgo this points to all those things we really do want to achieve in life.

Since Mars is just ending its transit of Cancer, the likelihood is that life is going to focus us on what isn’t yet done and what isn’t working properly…and some of us will take that on and carry forth into a development of solutions (or at least a willingness to venture into risky waters) as Mars moves on into Leo.

Others will greet the challenges and be content to slide by. Or problems may arise and then seemingly settle back down (which strikes me as a bit of a dirty trick as the problem unsolved is the problem which until it’s solved remains unsolved).

But the Virgo point here is that Mars will enter Virgo come mid-October. So here’s your choice: you can tackle your issues (denials, obsessions, challenges, lacks, needs, tendency to over/under focus) now and be in better shape to deal with life more productively come Mars-in-Virgo, or you can play and skate and goof around and temporize and cope without fixing now and meet up with consequences come October and November (read: during the most intense portion of a Solar Eclipse period which – surprise! – is going to take place with Mercury in retrograde).

 A photo taken by NASA's Spirit rover of the Columbia Hills inside Gusev Crater on Mars

(photo credit: NASA-JPL April 2005)

We choose to make our life what it is. The compromises we make or refuse to allow ourselves to make, the efforts we invest or choose not to invest in this relationship, that habit, this way of doing things, that way of spending our time…they all amount to the truth of what we want.

That truth may be a happy one. That truth may be a painful one. Whatever it is, step one is knowing what it is and that it is what it is.

Then we get to apply that Scorpio 3rd harmonic to our Virgo essence…which for these next few weeks is ‘highlighted’ and made more accessible to us than at other times. The operative question is why…and that applies to the happy, unhappy, productive and destructive choices we make. There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ here, merely the identifying the ‘what’ and deciding whether you think that – in the long run – is going to help you be satisfied with your life, how you’ve lived your life and the humanity you’ve allowed yourself to embody and experience in being human.
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Sun in Virgo/Mars in Scorpio: A Cake Walk Life

 The Harvesters by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

 (1565, Metropolitan Museum of Art,  courtesy of Google Art Project)

Whether you live in the northern or southern hemisphere, the sign of Virgo is about the idea of the harvest at two different levels.

On one hand, Virgo represents the actual harvest – that which we create through thoughtful effort put in over a period of time. As the second of the zodiac’s three earth signs, Virgo is not the ‘mission accomplished’ that Capricorn represents. Rather, it’s the process of making sure that accomplishment comes to be.

Being earthy, Virgo deals in the tangible. It’s focus is on what we CAN do about anything, which implies using the tools and resources you have on hand and knowing (or learning) how to use those tools or resources.

Like each of the zodiac’s elemental cycles (earth, air, fire and water), Virgo is ultimately about getting where we want to go…where we need to go…where we will feel fulfilled by going. And lest you think otherwise, that goal doesn’t stop at Capricorn. Like all things zodiac, elemental cycles are continuous….think of them as a spiral to ascend through success not in society’s eyes, but in our own self-regard.

What this means is that we start with all the Taurus self worth and self regard…the willingness to take hold of something and try it on, the native attributes of whatever kind we bring to the task. That move through the Virgo ‘application’ phase, during which we figure out how to ‘make things work’ so that we can reach the desired (Capricorn) goal.

Think of it as baking a cake. Taurus (which by the by, is the sign of food resources in your pantry, restaurants to eat from and the whole farmer-grocers-grocery stores chain which gets food to us)…the Taurus phase is the deciding that you’re hungry for a cake (or that there’s an occasion which calls for a cake) and that you’re going to bake one. (Whether you’re a pastry chef or a novice doesn’t matter.)

You go to the cupboard and sort through what you have (very Taurus) and what you need in order to have your cake and eat it too (also Taurus).

The link between Taurus and Virgo is the going to the store…the setting things in motion. Taurus is a fixed sign, so all it’s deciding and sorting and making lists is a ‘static’ sort of operation. Virgo, on the other hand, is a mutable sign – and mutable signs do this, try that, go here, go there. Mutable signs are all about connecting the dots and moving the process along, replete with course corrections and wiping stray flour off the counter.

The cake comes out, you worry about whether its any good while it’s cooling on the rack, then you gather up your wits (and decorating tools) and go to town with the frosting.

That’s all Virgo. Virgo is whatever the process is which connects the making a decision that something is worth doing to the having it done. So if you bake the cake and put it out on the platter, we’re all good with that – you’ve reached the Capricorn goal and you have a cake to show for your efforts.

Eating the cake is the enjoying the accomplishment, the goal…or to put this in standard Capricorn parlance, the ‘what you have built through your efforts.’ In Capricorn we savor our accomplishments – whether alone or in the company of cake devotees with whom we have decided to share.

This is the ‘societal’ or ‘commerce’ aspect of Capricorn: who you would invite to partake of your cake depends on a.) who you like, and b.) who you think will like your cake. If you don’t like them or value them enough, you won’t invite them to partake. If you think they might not like your cake you’ll invite them to attend and tell them they don’t have to eat it, but you’d like them there to celebrate the creation of your caloric masterpiece.

And once the scene (and table) are set, that’s where Capricorn vaults leads back to Taurus – in the tasting of the cake, the fulfilling of our hunger.

But when we taste that cake, one of several things happen. Either we get all filled with cake and after the inevitable sugar high get all dozy with satisfaction that we have ‘done good’ and fulfilled our aims…or at that first bite of cake we realize we have a lot to learn about cake baking.

Or maybe that first cake is so much fun we want to start making plans to make other cakes.

We are now back at Taurus, and we will begin a new round of ‘hungering' – whether that’s for another cake, for a cheap source of milk to go with that cake, for an exercise routine with which to work off the calories taken on eating that cake, or better skills (or equipment) with which to make cakes in the future.

In other words, so long as we’re alive, we’re never satisfied in the finite sense. And whether it’s learning how to make cakes (plural) to the point of being a master of all things pastry, whether it’s developing an exercise routine to compensate for all those slices of cake we eat, whether it’s trying to work out a schedule which will get us to the market on a regular basis to pick up our ingredients (or to the dentist to inspect our teeth, since we’re eating a lot of sugar)…all the processes which connect the initial concept and decision to do something we think would be satisfying with the accomplishment – those processes are Virgo.

(We will now pause while I clean up the kitchen.)

Truly the glitch with Virgo is not carrying through on the job. That can happen when we spin our wheels thinking or talking about the thing instead of doing it, that can happen when we don’t keep ourselves focused enough to carry through and get the project from start to finish…or at least through to where our yeast dough needs to rise for a while.

(I know…that yeast thing applies more to bread than cake, but just go with it please?)

There are those of us who like to be ‘eternally’ doing. They don’t want the job to end. You may have heard of fear of failure, yes? Well the ‘eternal doer’ is another interesting human quirk – namely the fear of not having anything to do.

You’ve maybe heard that Virgo is prone to worry and nattering endlessly over details? This is because Virgo energy is motion oriented. (Just ask my cousin the Virgo who never sits down!)

So as the Sun moves into Virgo on (Wednesday) August 22nd at 5:08 in the evening UT/+0 time, and throughout the solar month of Virgo, there is energy which needs using. It’s a good time to get things done and for figuring out how to get them done well.

Because Mars will be in Scorpio for the whole of this period, there will be opportunities to try things out and test your ideas to see if they’re edible.

Just don’t count on huzzahs and sugary compliments. As an isolated concept Mars in Scorpio represents that challenge to find the way (Mars is always an action verb) to get where we want to go. And at the level of Scorpio doings, there’s always the need to risk approval. Or to not get the response you want – all of which explains why in anything Scorpio we have a tendency to try to control the outcome. Or at least our input!

Whenever Mars transits (the fixed sign of) Scorpio we tend to be very focused – almost to the point of being myopic. We know what we want…with the challenge being whether we can take into account what other people’s aims (wants, values) are in the process of going about our business.

Plus there is that emotion thing, too. Scorpio is a water sign – so what’s at stake is our experience of our emotions. This is one of the really grizzly parts of Scorpio, seeing as that ‘risk’ thing plus the ‘emotion’ thing (which frequently leads to the ‘I’d really like to control what happens here’ thing) tends to have us all doing exactly what we shouldn’t do – that being getting defensive.

In Scorpio, particularly when what’s being put through the Scorpio lens is Mars-type assertions and assertiveness energy, what results is often that oh-so very human ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ thing.

Or the ‘how DARE you not like this cake I baked!’ thing. Never mind that the person is on a diet…never mind that they may be diabetic and your cake is solid sugar…never mind that they may just have eaten or that your cake is chocolate and they like vanilla…there’s just something about Mars in Scorpio which all too frequently fosters resentment. Or resentment’s snarky cousin, jealousy.

So, elemental baker, don’t be shocked if during the Mars transit of Scorpio….(which runs from 3:23 p.m. on August 23 through 3:22 a.m. on October 7, both times being UT/+0 calculations)…don’t be shocked if someone is jealous of what you’ve done. Or maybe just jealous that you’re doing something when they’re doing nothing even though they know they should be doing something.

And yes, this means that during this period you may feel daunted – even threatened in some obscure way – by someone who is really good or really accomplished in some area which you want to work in your life too.

It’s probably worth mentioning as well that Scorpio is also the ‘middle sign’ of an elemental triad.

That means that Scorpio is also the ‘processing’ sign, and therefore – because it’s a water (i.e., emotional) sign to begin with – it represents the processing of our emotions. (Hence Scorpio’s association with psychology.) And because this means Scorpio would ALSO represent all the things which entice, excite, provoke or evoke those emotions, that would be why Scorpio is the sign of death, taxes, conception, war, inheritances, the grieving process, power struggles, sex, debt, investments, violence…and so on.

So to have two of the five astrological ‘personal planets’ (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) in signs which are about ‘the process’ or ‘the process of’ or ‘processing’ means there’s a lot going on focus-wise, even in those moment or on days when or if it seems like not a whole heck of a lot is actually happening. In keeping with Sun in Virgo and Mars in Scorpio, these weeks ahead will a time when thinking through all the parameters – and not just yours, but yours and those of the people you’re likely to interact with – is the thing which is going to get you that Mars-in-Scorpio gate pass…approval…reaction you really want.

That Mercury will exit the shadow of its Leo retrograde on (Tuesday) August 21st before the Sun enters Virgo on Wednesday and Mars enters Scorpio on Thursday means we are also moving into a period when new (Mercurial) parameters will be tossed into our hats. With Mercury passing through the latter (3rd decan) degrees of Leo as all these new thoughts, approaches, attitudes and perspectives begin to arise means most of this ‘newness’ is being thrust at us, and the smart money is on listening and not reacting until you’ve figured out where such statements are coming from.

Why do people feel the way they do?

Once Mercury moves into Virgo with September’s arriving we’re all going to be more focused on the details and ‘how to get from here to there’ aspects of life. And that takes us roughly to mid-September, when a handful of other issues arise, all of which seems a bit distant to contemplate at the moment.

However…! One small word to the wise: before a planet changes signs and enters zero of the ‘next’ sign it’s at 29 maximal and critical degrees of the previous sign. That tells us that Tuesday the 21st (of August), which is when Mercury exits its shadow, is also the date of the Sun being at 29 degrees of Leo.

Expect a sense of ‘a push’…or maybe pushy, depending. Self-willed versus artistic versus courageous versus ‘when was it you decided to live in your own private world again?’ will be the theories of the day.

Life is setting us up to be hungry – for something! And life is always so creative!

Then, as the Sun enters Virgo on the 22nd, Mars is at 29 critical degrees of Libra – a curious combination of strong and weak. If you know people who like to undermine and overthrow (just because they can) this is one of those kinds of days. (And yes, they may be acting out!)

This can also be a day when weaknesses come to light. Or when someone overplays their hand.

And the Sun in Virgo now asks: yes, that’s all well and good, but does it work?

Ah yes…Virgo. Here’s to functionality, achieving goals and sharing with others, near and far!

Mercury Goes Direct

                                                                                                                                                                    

Good news! Mercury goes direct tonight.

That's right - tonight, September 12th at 11:10 GMT.

So we've made it through another Mercury retrograde. And now all those things which have been out there  hanging, misunderstood or badly said, unanswered, unexplained and undone - they'll all begin getting straightened out. Much will get into gear instead of being blathered about. A few missing pieces will be found or begin falling into place. People will start hearing, never mind all that faux  'I'm listening!' stuff.

Not that Mercury retrograde doesn't have positive uses, mind you! Retrogrades - of any planet - though annoying, do serve a purpose. They're about getting us to reflect and catch up with ourselves. They're about solidifying gains and cutting our losses.

In this case, Mercury is going direct at 5 Virgo. Simply on the face of it, 5 Virgo falling between 0 and 9, makes it a first decan degree. And first decan degrees always refer to something physical or action-oriented. So this is about something you do or something being done, which needs doing, or which has been done...and maybe not done all that well. Maybe brilliantly, yes...but maybe not.

Occurring in the tangible earth sign Virgo, the whole 'real' and 'reality' quotient is underlined. So know the score. Deal with the facts. Opinions count less than theories, likes and dislikes or results now. This is about workability. Functionality. Does it work? Does it not work? Those are the questions du moment.

Lore on this degree is rather interesting. On one hand, 5 Virgo is spoken of as a karmic degree all about duty. So having Mercury, our metaphysical 'mover' of thought, mentality and everyday doings making its turn in/at this degree heralds a 'turn' in operative parameters...the what you're doing, how you're doing it or how you've prioritized things in your mind or life.

Note here please...this doesn't say how things are going to turn out. Nor does it indicate whether you're starting, changing, or working to perfect (or even undo or repair) something. That's all about Mercury in you personal and individual chart.

But we do know that Virgo is all about productivity and being productive. It's about tending to necessities and everything which not only builds for tomorrow, but maintains today so there is some tomorrow to build for.

Into all this now comes Drakonia, the asteroid symbol of the player, being played and game playing. Drakonia being also at 5 Virgo at the moment fuses it's meaning with that of Mercury. So maybe we need to play along? Or maybe we need to toe some line and 'play the game' by the rules? Possible. Then again, maybe we're being fooled that something needs to be done. Maybe we're even fooling ourselves!

About what? Well, again...the specifics have greatly to do with where 5 Virgo falls in your chart. But considering that Virgo is all about the real, the tangibly useful, the responsibility, the ability or skill and what's 'healthy' in every sense, that's a pretty universal place to start.

Oh, and did I mention that Niobe is also at 5 Virgo? Ah yes...Niobe, the woman whose pride in her children (her "creations") made her the object of immortal wrath.

Pride being the primal factor leading to loss here, ask yourself: have you been too proud to see something? Has a lack of pride made you unable or unwilling to see some realistic truth? Have you been kidding yourself to such a degree that like Niobe, you will draw the pointed arrows of exposure (Apollo) or instinctual reaction (Diana) to you and get 'shot down'?

Diana and Apollo Piercing Niobe's Children with their Arrows

(Jacques Louis David, 1772)

 

A last note on the defining portion of this cosmic turnstile comes from fixed/royal star Fomalhaut at 4 Pisces - which let's face it, is pretty much totally in opposition to 5 Virgo.

Very much in keeping with Pisces as a sign all about experiencing our feelings and our feelings about our own emotions, on the face of it Fomalhaut in early Pisces is a sign of cherished dreams. And yes, we all want to feel good about life.

One might say Fomalhaut stands in support of arriving at the end of our rainbows and the finding of that pot of gold (with or without the Leprechaun).

Rainbow over Grenoble, France
photograph by Remi Guillot

But like all fixed stars, Fomalhaut carries with it a warning. It warns us about corruptions. If how we go about achieving or building them is corrupt, then where Fomalhaut is concerned the grasping at the golden ring shall itself be an act of self-corruption and thus bring about a big fall. If the dream itself is corrupt, we'll end up miserably disappointed (emotionally corrupted) if and when we get what we so thought we wanted.

Or maybe even worse. Like the other great Royal Stars of Persia (Regulus, Aldebaran and Antares), to run afoul of Fomalhaut is to create such detriment to our life that we realize we would have been far better off never going after the dream to begin with.

Taken together, this Mercury-Drakonia-Niobe (opposition Fomalhaut) asks us to consider, particularly where situations of the moment elicit pride or the urge to skirt some issue ("playing") just because we don't want to face or deal with the reality of things. Ask yourself...what's really at stake here? Am I kidding myself? Am I merely heeding some secret longing? Am I perhaps being 'played'?

Any time Mercury goes direct, the days right around the station/direct point (here September 12 at 11:10 GMT) are typified by everything from feeling like time is standing still to thinking you can't cope or choose because everything's so in flux. And if you have any planet, axis or nodal point at 5 degrees of any sign (or within a couple of degrees plus or minus of 5) this station is going to be particularly intense in your world...to say nothing of the fact that Pluto's about to go direct too!

But that's another blog (and don't worry - it'll get posted soon enough!). In the meantime, in the first few days after Mercury goes direct, expect things to be sticky slow. But within a week or so, they will pick up. Often you'll get news or information pertaining to things which happened either when Mercury was just entering the shadow of its retrograde or the retrograde itself (in this case, the end of July/beginning of August).

Whatever the case there, between now and September 28th when Mercury exits current shadow(ed degrees), we will all be sorting through and taking care of matters left over (or laid aside) since that late July/early August time. Then we move on to things new, fresh and totally not-yet-conceived of.

And that's something, right? So happy Mercury direct!

Astronaut John Glenn (a modern day Gemini figure to be sure!)

enters the Friendship 7 module as part of the Gemini

space program - source: NASA

The Astrology of Groups: It's elemental, my dear Watson!

 

 Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes (my favorite Sherlock Holmes)

I worked for almost twenty years in the motion picture industry as a production accountant.

You know, the person who pays all the bills? Sorts out all the costs? Listens to crew members explain why they need just one more (fill in the blank) while bosses are getting totally bent because expenditures they approved, signed for and maybe even ordered has now run things over budget?

Yes, that person.

And while I have a huge respect and enthusiasm for the art form that movies are, I'm also of the opinion that what really goes on behind a camera while a film is getting made is often far more entertaining, frightening and astonishingly unlikely.

Some of the story lines there...? If you put it in a movie, everyone would say 'aw, that NEVER happens!!' But it does. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

Anyway....as production accountant, I was keeper and guardian of the payroll records, said records including that most basic of astrological information: birth date data. Because of this, in rare moments when it wasn't raining check requests and I wasn't trying to wolf down cold scrambled eggs (production teaches you to eat what you can, when you can, regardless of temperature)...at least once a picture I would haul out the start cards and survey all the Sun signs. If I had time, I'd break it down by department, too.

What I found was a very interesting correlation between crews and film subject matter. To name a couple I remember best, I worked on Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2... a classic sort of 'fantasy' horror film. It's crew was overwhelmingly composed of fire and water signs. Considering that fire signs are all about imagination and things imaginary while water signs are feelings and emotion, that rather fits.

As does the idea that the rather huge crew which made Shy People (a story about a family's values being tested amidst the glory of alligators and bayous)...that crew was very much tilted in the direction of water and earth Suns. Family is typified by Cancer - a water sign. Values are typically Taurus, an earth sign.

And bayous? How much more water + earth = mud, silt and swamp do you want?

What I'm saying here is that groups seem to have applicable astrological cohesiveness. It's not always as obvious as crew versus film story type - I know of one extended group of associated people whose abilities to direct others seems expressed by the prominence of Juno in their charts.

But whether it's government administrations or social interest groups, the themes are definitely interesting. And useful. After all, even if planets are scattered all over the zodiacal map, when you're dealing with a group (or just trying to grok them), knowing the 'elemental' truth about who they are AS a group can give you the clue on how to appeal to them as that group!

For instance: back when I was being the Bank of Boots on films I'd use what I knew about a given crew when choosing my words and approach to certain problems. And as shooting wore on and the crew got more tired, I'd fine tune messages and conversations even more. Not to manipulate, but in order to minimize misunderstandings and not try tired brains.

You know - so we could get the job done.

And this didn't just apply on location. Whenever I'd take up habitation in some office at a new studio I'd ask around about birthdays. My cover story was always the same - I need to know so I know when to wish you happy birthday. In most cases you don't need the year to determine a sun sign, and let's face it - people are into that birthday thing. It's nice to know someone cares.

And yes, I did put their birthdays on my desk calendar and make sure they got congratulated.

But at the same time I was able to see what kind of group I was working with.

...Was the office especially airy? If so, I'd put everything out there in question form and possibilities. And when writing memos, I'd make my tone rather literary.

...If I was in a group which was greatly earthy, I'd speak of things in tangible, practical terms, emphasizing values.

...For watery groups, feelings are always in style - whether in writing or verbal form. Always start with how are you feeling today and remember their concerns.

...And those fire signs? Well, fiery folks like fun. Even if the subject is terribly serious they'll always appreciate an interesting comparison or anecdotal metaphor.

It all comes down to appealing to, and being understood by your audience. Call it appealing to the masses...or simply getting along with masters of industry (or the miss or mister of your choice). 

it's simply elemental, Watson...

....You know, that ever so human quality one calls 'elemental lingo.'

Arizona's Bill 1070: Getting a Grasp on Status

 
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed Bill 1070 on April 23^rd at 1:32 pm (MST) after weeks of debate public and private.

The bill authorizes Arizona law enforcement to stop people on ‘reasonable suspicion’ and question them on immigration status, opening the door for challenges based on bias, racial profiling, police misconduct and other forms of state and federal infringements, constitutional and jurisdictional (immigration being defined as the job of the federal government).

Question: without looking at the bill per se (beyond this basic description) what can the chart of its signing tell us?

Answer: a lot.

The first and perhaps most obvious thing concerns a bill being a legal document written in text and meant to communicate instructions, boundaries, rules and priorities. As such it plainly falls under the purview of Mercury, symbol of thought, writings and all forms of communication. With this bill being signed under Mercury retrograde, several interesting things are thus suggested.

To understand how this works we may do well to recall the basic rule of all retrogrades: that they are about internal reflection and consideration/reconsideration rather than external prompting and action. Mercury retrograde is known as a good time to discuss and research, but not one when we try to finalize anything. Things undertaken during Mercury retrograde can turn out just fine, but they seldom turn out to be what you thought they were ‘at the moment.’ So it’s not surprising to hear Governor Brewer say in the news conference after the bill’s signing that she has already asked various governmental departments in Arizona to review the new law and make suggestions before year 2010 plays out.

In other words, she’s signing into law something she is thinking might have to be modified. That’s an internal discussion. Or since this is politics, perhaps a ‘back room’ discussion. Whatever it is, this is not the picture of a Governor signing a bill expecting it to be set in concrete at the moment of signing.

Does this mean the Governor signed it in order to get conversation on this subject or action in this very touchy area of immigration moved from simple debate into action mode?

Possibly.

Could this be the Governor angling for press attention for herself? That’s possible too, and even more likely since during the press conference she brought up the idea of media grandstanding. The first rule of psychological pathology is I will accuse you of my own ‘worst faults’ – and whether or not this is a ‘fault’ (or even good or bad), for the Governor to cite and critique what ‘others do’ suggests she may be doing it herself. She may not even know…but she may be doing it: the Saturn (government) of the signing chart is squarely conjunct the midpoint of the Governor’s Libra Sun/Neptune and Lilith – pretty much a double image of what she doesn’t see/doesn’t want to see about herself.

With the Mercury retrograde of this moment being in Taurus, values and resources are plainly on the spot. Being that one of the most obvious ‘symptoms’ of values and resources is money (money being a reflection of how much we do/don’t value ourselves and how willing/able we are to utilize personal resources/talents)…thus we have to ask whether this law can actually do what it’s intended to, given Arizona’s budgetary constraints and manpower?

Alternately, does this bill uphold, violate, compromise or harness the truth nature of the spirit of the people as invested in their government OR the spirit of the government (state and/or federal) as inculcated in whichever constitutional articles? The very fact that this the moment of signing has Mercury at 11 Taurus underscores these ideas, 11 Taurus being a degree all about strong ambitions which because they are an ‘overextension of reach’ may end up being tempered.

Nor is the Mercury operating in a vacuum. Ruled by Venus conjunct fixed star Algol this bill embodies and arouses (Venus) a great deal of passionate intensity (Algol). With this Venus/Algol in the 10^th (most public) house of the signing chart, the action while plainly governmental is also being put out there for everyone to see. It’s not just a bill being signed, in other words – it really is a statement.

Being that this is a statement being made in the 10^th house of goals, life structures and achievements, we look to the Midheaven itself which at 20 Taurus is a third decanate (last third of the sign’s) degree. Any 3^rd decan degree always puts something out there to test its functionality, a concept which works very well with the Mercury retrograde and the Governor’s statement that she wants input and by implication, is willing to consider amending the bill as signed.

As for 20 Taurus, this is a conflicted degree. On one hand it represents being willing to work on a goal. Yet sometimes it carries with it (or incites) envy and jealousy which tears efforts down simply for the sake of destroying them. This can even occur within the Self, opening the door to discussions on what this bill might do which far from protecting Arizona/Arizonans (and by implication, the rest of the United States), might undermine it, creating far more problems than it’s worth. When such charges arise (and they’re likely to) telling the genuine objection from the envious or manipulative one will be difficult.

Into all this comes Sedna at 21 Taurus – the highest substantiated symbol (i.e., object having mass) of any size in this chart. Sedna is all about the power we don’t own until we let go of what we’ve gotten accustomed to and become ‘comfy’ with (nonfunctional though it might be!) and thus the bill is both about saying ‘we need to change the status quo’ and likely to arouse mass protest among those who may know things are bad now but who are unwilling to go through what it takes to make a better future. Sedna is all about the latent immaturity and childishness in us all.

It’s also about literal immaturity: childhood and young (non-adult) people in general – a fact we will get to in a minute or two.

Going back to Mercury however, the Mercury of this chart is in opposition to Pallas (wisdom). And Pallas is conjunct Lachesis (temporal durability). Both these symbols are in Scorpio, a testing sign which asks us to deal with what it takes to take the emotional risk though an investment in attempting to change the status quo. The whole subject of immigration and racial identity and dealing with obvious questions like who doesn’t get that the world ILLEGAL is part of ‘illegal alien’?…this is all part of the Scorpio requirement that we face truth, not simply go with slogans of mental/moral/emotional convenience. Can the people deal with the (Lachesis) process it will take to get there?

That this Pallas/Lachesis is positioned at the bottom of the chart (the Nadir) tells us that this Scorpio issue is literally and figuratively foundational. The bill is attempting to talk about the foundation upon which Arizona is built and exists. The Nadir being the cusp of the 4^th house of the people, this is about the citizenry and as distinct from that, the population. With this Nadir being at 20 Scorpio (the polarity degree to the Midheaven) the foundation of this chart is empowered and tested by tenacity of emotional focus which is affected and perhaps afflicted by passion. We’ve already seen this question of passion expressed by Venus/Algol – now we see it positioned at the Nadir and in Scorpio where it calls upon not the concrete recognition of Taurus but the emotional depths and those tests of spirit which allow us to plumb our feeling depths so associated with Scorpio.

Being that Scorpio is ruled first by Mars and then by Pluto, with the Mars of this chart being in Leo and the 12^th house, we can expect to hear a lot about the ‘fate of children,’ plus and minus – children who are at threat perhaps by resources being drained if the status quo is left in place and children who may be at risk if resources are diverted to implementation of this bill. With Mars in the 12^th religion may also be brought into the mix whether seen or unseen (meaning people may site scripture, clergy may speak directly to the media or congregants who have been spoken to by clergy during services may feel they need to speak out).

The other side of this is more Plutonic: Pluto being in the 5^th house of this chart (conjunct Ceres, a symbol of nurturing and providing for one’s needs), this bill plainly echoes’ the Governor’s stated concerns that Mexican drug cartels are having an ever-expanding influence in Arizona which has an effect on overall quality of life. Who controls what Arizona is like? That is part of what is being spoken to in this bill. With the 5^th house of this chart being Sagittarian (and thus ruled by the 8^th house Jupiter) the Governor is plainly saying that it is up to Arizona to use its resources to create the life/lifestyle Arizonans want. She is also saying that Arizonans should want to do that it takes to get to that quality of life.

Given that the Scorpio Pallas/Nadir is just opposite the Midheaven/Sedna, this bill is meant to face uncomfortable problems. It expresses a conviction that the status quo doesn’t work anymore and that the people and the government need to get it together and grow up!

Apart from that, it also represents the Governor’s desire to act (and to be seen as acting) responsibly for the benefit of her state. And in this regard, the Midheaven/Nadir formulation is very reflective of an Arizona government expressing concerns of both a security and fiscal nature. With Sedna in the mix and Venus/Algol being widely conjunct June (parental leadership) this is not only the Governor acting as ‘parental-head-of-state’ (which is not a slight) ….but also as an image in which Arizona may be seen as a ‘child’ of the United States as a nation. Thus we could even ask whether some of these concerns the Governor is dealing with are fuled/supported/fed by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

The flip side of this is that given how Sedna as an individual symbol is not specifically in standard opposition to Pallas, there may be no specific knowledge (i.e., a known ‘plan’ of attack or compromise) but merely a serious and ongoing concern in this regard based on history. With Pallas at 16 Scorpio there is an aura here of ‘defending with strength’…and that there’s a good probability that some kind of fiscal concerns AND financial tracking has participated in the mounting and signing of this bill. So what Washington says to Arizona about financial support counts. What Washington and/or Arizona may understand about money flowing back and forth across the border (or how it’s being otherwise siphoned off) – that counts too.

Yet the Pallas-opposition-Mercury with Mercury (thought) in the legal/application-oriented 9^th house of the chart indicates haste. What would be the result there? One would be that which is reflected in the concerns of those protesting – that law enforcement may (as it were!) jump their own gun in who they stop. More to the general point, it’s likely that all the legal ducks and means/methods through which this law would be applied are not yet in a row. Certainly the Sun/Mercury in Taurus plus all four axis points also in slow-to-move fixed signs suggests this law is not ready to go right out of the signing box.

Another interesting figure in this chart is the Ascendant/Descendant line – the horizontal axis which here represents the ‘reaching out’ to the people and media on this subject. Electronic media being signified by Aquarius, with 24 Aquarius on the Descendant conjunct asteroid Lilith (the shadow self) potently positioned at 22 Aquarius, the media as individual corporations may or may not take a direct position attacking this bill. But as a mass collective, it’s to be expected that media in every form (with an emphasis on those which are electronic) will act as a vehicle through which attacks are made.

Given that 24 Aquarius is associated with ‘unsuspected harm’ and ‘intelligence which lacks common sense’ we can also expect a variety of opinions – some of which are more reasonable/well informed than others. This is particularly likely as there are two groupings of celestial objects above and below the Descendant line, a literal ‘horizon’ which in any chart separates the visible (above the horizon) from the unseen (below the horizon). Here we have Damocles (danger through assumptions) and Nessus (self-serving interests which incite destructive action) just below the horizon. This suggests a need to be careful when listening to the discussion as it’s going to be hard to know who among the many are speaking out of their own conviction and who is serving some ‘other master’ (Drug lords? Power politic players?)

Not that the asteroids presented above the horizon are so much better: Icarus exactlyexactly conjunct Neptune gives us patriotic idealism, idyllic ideas of what ‘protection’ means and well meant ideas which in reality are either totally untrue or nonfunctional. Merely to have Neptune lingering here just above the horizontal axis in a bill being signed during Mercury retrograde is not the most helpful signal; Mercury retrograde is famous for misunderstandings and Neptune is ‘the fogging of the situation’ personified. conjunct Tantalus amounts to ‘hasty presumption that someone’s out to get you’ and Hera exactly conjunct Neptune gives us patriotic idealism, idyllic ideas of what 'protection' means and well meant ideas which in reality are either totally untrue or non-functional. Merely to have Neptune lingering here just above the horizontal axis in a bill being signed under Mercury retrograde is not the most helpful signal; Mercury retrograde is famous for misunderstandings, and Neptune is 'the fogging of the situation' personified.

So this law may take time to sort out…and it should be sorted out thoroughly. Neither side has the ‘might of right’ here: in the end this bill is going to be all about the planetary symbols which are numerically highest in this chart. Those are the Virgo Saturn in the 2^nd (the need to care for one’s responsibilities in a responsible manner), the Aquarius Neptune (altruism versus economic realities) and the Taurus Venus in the 10^th (we need to do what we can do, but only what we can do).

But before that we are likely to experience much tra-la. On the Ascendant side of this horizontal horizon line we have Vesta. Vesta is a signature of service, and that it’s sitting behind the 24 Leo Ascendant with both conjunct the Governor’s personal Deucalion (the moral path), Sphinx (willing to ask questions and wait it out) and Pallas (wisdom) tells us that Governor Brewer (b. September 26, 1944 – Hollywood, CA) absolutely believes she is acting for the best even if this bill sparks controversy and challenges. With a Libra Sun conjunct Neptune in her personal chart, Governor Brewer is willing to make sacrifices not merely as a definition as a civil servant (personal exposure, loss of personal time) but in taking on the fight against those who may oppose her. With the planets of highest degree in her chart (her “outcome”) being a strong Libra Venus trine a Gemini Juno (head of household) conjunct Betelgeuse (uncomplicated success) however…we can suspect in the end Governor Brewer will be respected for her efforts even should this bill be struck down.

Against all this we have several other axes of astrological statements in the signing chart.

The first is Saturn (retrograde) opposition Uranus/Jupiter in Pisces. Saturn is in the 2^ndth is willing to risk all and Saturn/Uranus in opposition (which is here pictured with exactitude) is very much the superhero effort to save a broken situation being ever-threatened by evil bad guys. Jupiter in the 8^th speaks to what it will take to clean things up; not hooked into the Saturn/Uranus but exactly inconjunct Vesta and exactly semi-sextile Lilith, this bill is all about getting people to look at a reality they really don’t want to face. Can a state (or nation) battling recession afford and to give non-citizens what it gives citizens? Where does the need for caution come into conflict with the idea of stereo-typing? That this bill is being signed scant days after the anniversary of the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City is a clear reminder that not all the terrorists are identifiable by ethnicity. Saturn is in the 2nd house of values and resources – a clear sign that says we need to use what we have properly so as to insure a good future and we only have so much. Uranus in the 8th is willing to risk all and Saturn/Uranus in opposition (here pictured with exactitude) is very much the superhero effort to save a broken situation being ever-threatened by evil bad guys.

Jupiter in the 8th speaks to what it will take to clean things up; not hooked into the Saturn/Uranus but exactly inconjunct Vesta (indicating an adjustment in service) and an exact semi-sextile to Lilith (a disturbance of all we don't want to deal with) makes this bill one which forces people to look at realities they really don't want to face. Can a state (or nation) battling recession afford to give non-citizens what it gives its own legal citizens? Where does the need for caution come into conflict with the idea of stereo-typing? That this bill is being signed scant days after the anniversary of the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City is a clear reminder that not all the terrorists are identifiable by ethnicity.

And yet if you’re Arizona and you’re sitting right there on the border with the violence of the drug trade right there, a certain amount of realism has to be faced. Until Mexican cartels go gringo (or something else) the tendency to look at Latinos a little harder – isn’t that reasonable if who you’re looking for are members of some Mexican cartel?

This chart also displays things which though not specified in the bill have probably been discussed in political back rooms in Arizona (and elsewhere) as concerns immigration in general. This starts with an image known astrologically as a grand trine. Single trines signifying ‘ongoing’ energy (matters which are implicitly tied together) when three trines link together (think: equilateral triangle) what results is a nearly inextricable connection: one thing affects the other which affects the other – they all flow together, they support and hinder each other and everything changes…or nothing changes.

The first part of this grand trine is a Virgo Moon in the 1^st house of this chart. This is about healthy functionality as primal essence (or rationale) and the need for skill in methodical achieving of the goal, monetary practicality and serving the primary need – in this case of a state or state society.

The second part of this trine is a Capricorn Ceres-Pluto-Charybdis in 5^th house. With Capricorn being ruled by the Saturn we saw pictured in the house of values and resources, there is a concern expressed here of having limited resources which need to be used to best effect. More conservative than liberal, this 2^nd house Saturn rulership of 5^th house is also structural and aimed towards providing for a better future – which in societal terms is an automatic reference to children. Resources are thus to be aimed at children, asking the vital question of how many children can be taken care of properly; the late Virgo Saturn in the 2^nd house would pose this question as ‘quality or quality?’ and opt for quality).

Being that Charybdis carries with it a ‘flavor’ of “continuing action” this 5^th house problem which could affect children needs continuous monitoring and/or attention ad infinitum, suggesting that the question is not just one of needing to keep on something and keep after it but that the growth in the number of children here is part of the ‘future equation’ – an idea which incorporates Pluto’s obsessive fixation and Ceres distinct aura of ‘nurturing’ as a combination which speaks to ‘lots of kids’ or ‘big families.’

The third part of this grand trine is the Taurus Sun in the 9^th conjunct Pandora (many difficulties which have to be sorted through before one has hope)…Pandora of evils-in-the-box fame seen here in the 9^th house of things foreign, as-yet unassimiliated and certainly unknown is easily seen as the drug trade – specifically the importation of violence and trouble (echoed by Eris Discord being also present in this 9^th house).

Taken all together, this is a formidable grand trine in earth signs, earth being the symbol of ‘things tangible.’ So this is a tangible issue – it’s one which actually affects people. Notorious for being ‘ongoing issues’ and thus a status quo coming into the moment of the bill’s signing, that this grand trine is affected through the Saturn/Uranus-Jupiter opposition is the very indication of something changing. Grand trines (even single “regular” trines) are only interrupted or dynamically changed for better or worse when set off by hard aspects. Here we have Saturn/Uranus squaring Ceres/Pluto plus Jupiter semi-sextile Eris as a very interesting image of law enforcement in action; Jupiter rules law and coming from the 8^th house represents the will of those empowered to control resources.

Again, with a Virgo Saturn in the 2^nd there is righteous need to prioritize. Prioritize what? With Jupiter ruling the 8^th and the 5^th and the Sun in the 9^th, the values and rights of one’s own citizens (this is a political chart, remember) with particular emphasis on children and the need for proper education of legally residents seems implicit, lest the United States undermine its own future.

There’s another issue pictured here too – one probably no politician or pundit wants to touch with a twenty-foot pole. That’s the continuing anomaly of “anchor babies”: the United States is greatly unique in granting citizen status to children born to non-nationals who just happen to be on US soil when their baby is born. Nevermind the simple questions - can anyone envision interviewing pregnant women during the visa process or at customs, barring entry to those beyond ‘x’ number of months?

So what’s going to happen here? Considering that the upcoming June 26, 2010 lunar eclipse at 4 Capricorn is going to activate the Ceres-Pluto-Charybdis of this chart and the solar eclipse to follow on July 11^th will highlight the South Node of this chart we, can expect some emotional fracas around that time. It may be legal – but it may not be; neither of these images are directly indicative of court challenges – they are populace and fiscally oriented to this chart.

If there is to be a court challenge or a bill amending this one, it will likely be connected with the January 4, 2011 solar eclipse at 13 Capricorn which in activating the North Node of the bill signing chart speaks more to what one ‘has to do to, even if they don’t want to.’ Prior to that, expect a lot of discussion and slow moves towards consideration of how to implement this law; once Saturn moves into the third house of this chart (in late September 2011) we are likely to see the reality of this discussion take shape.

And in all this, let us also remember that solar eclipses take a full three years to evolve. They begin with a ‘breakdown phase’ and in most cases lead somewhere you couldn’t have suspected starting out.

As for Governor Brewer, without an exact time of birth we don’t know whether this summer’s solar eclipse or that of January 2011 will oppose then conjunct her natal Moon (though it is a distinct possibility) – but what we do know is that this summer’s solar eclipse at 19 Cancer will conjunct her North Node and the January 2011 solar eclipse at 13 Capricorn will oppose her Saturn. The Governor thus has miles to go before she can rest on this laurel, lest it turn into a bed of thorns only delicately scented with the perfume of rose petals as they prick.