Ohio Political Fight Club: Kasich and FitzGerald

Posted on August 25, 2013 by ohioastrology

The Ohio gubernatorial election has begun. Democratic contender Ed FitzGerald has found a perceived misdeed by current governor John Kasich in which to sink his political teeth. He’s accusing Kasich of conflict of interest by receiving money while governor from Worthington Industries as the company also received tax credits under a Kasich program.

Or something like that. I’m not sure I totally understand it.

Ohioans are rioting in the streets!

Well, not yet.

It can be a wee bit tough to get a rise out of people 436 days before an election. At this stage of the game, FitzGerald must hope (and pray) that Kasich does something like drop his pants at night in a public park. That’s the only way to get attention this early in the game.

And I doubt the moon in Capricorn Kasich will be caught with his pants down, literally or figuratively.

If I were an evil astrologer, and I swear I’m not, I’d suggest FitzGerald continue to look at the June 2011 to June 2012 timeframe when Jupiter transited Kasich’s natal Jupiter, Venus and sun in Taurus. Taurus is all about money and property and Jupiter bestows good luck.

Since I’m not an evil astrologer, really, I’ll have to offer Kasich equal advice. Early in 2012 Saturn transiting its last degrees of Libra opposed FitzGerald’s Saturn in Aries. This would be a good time to have some sort of offense that never made the official books.

While I dislike, really dislike, a mud-slinging, below-the-belt political street fights, if Kasich and FitzGerald are going to do this, they may as well do it right.

FitzGerald and Kasich – Good Cop/Bad Cop

Both Kasich and FitzGerald have moon in Capricorn. Kasich’s Jupiter, Venus and sun in Taurus is sextile (a positive relationship) with FitzGerald’s Mars, sun and Venus in Cancer. Kasich’s Mars in Scorpio is trine (a positive aspect) FitzGerald’s Cancer planets.

Kasich’s Uranus in Cancer creates impulsive emotional responses from FitzGerald.

FitzGerald might do better to work with Kasich than against him. These two could make an effective “good cop, bad cop” partnership. Kasich with the less emotional Taurus sun could be the bad cop while FitzGerald with the emotional sun in Cancer could be the good cop.

Both have moon in Capricorn which means both are still cops – whether good or bad.

The nastiest aspect occurring between the two men involves FitzGerald’s Saturn in Aries conjunct Kasich’s Mercury.

Ohioans are familiar with Kasich’s Mercury, which rules communication, in Aries, which is fiery and aggressive. That Mercury is square the moon in Capricorn so Kasich isn’t always, how shall we say it, diplomatic.

FitzGerald’s Saturn in Aries lacks confidence in self which will try to stifle Kasich’s ballistic speech patterns. The debates may be uglier even than last year’s debates between Sherrod Brown and Josh Mandel.

Kasich, full of earth signs, is being himself when he makes his blunt proclamations. Kasich is probably shocked by the reactions to statements he considers matter-of-fact. For Kasich, he’s just saying the sky is blue and everyone seems to be upset.

FitzGerald, on the other hand, was born during or near a full moon. The sun is opposite the moon so he swings between concerned comfort and cold detachment. If FitzGerald picks too big a fight with thick-skinned Kasich, he may get his feelings hurt – badly.

Pluto in Capricorn

Pluto is transiting Capricorn and will at some point transit each man’s moon. The transit will affect Kasich first and may be occurring while we speak. Without time of birth, the fast-moving moon is difficult to place accurately.

Pluto conjunct moon promises both men transformative changes with women and with the public. Those emotions that Capricorn denies will be forced into the ring.

Possibly neither man will be elected governor of Ohio in 2014?

“Twenty-four hours is a long time in politics,” notes Black Adder in “Black Adder the Third.”

And we have 10,464 hours to go.

Posted in Politicians - Ohio | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

What sign most wants to be liked?

Posted on August 24, 2013 by ohioastrology

Facebook has inadvertently created the world’s largest (albeit cyber) high school cafeteria. All the social anxiety we adults pretend to have shed in our teenage years has returned as we post something on Facebook and no one “likes” it.

While some revile Facebook for creating social tension as we develop a culture regarding how to respond social media postings, I’m not sure it deserves that stigma. Facebook has simply brought out into the open what actually occurs.

You don’t like some people and some people don’t like you.

The situation reveals another little secret – adults fear social ostracism as much as teenagers.

The current awareness of bullying is brought about by many in their mid-to-late 40s who were born with Pluto/Uranus (in Virgo) opposing Saturn/Chiron (in Pisces). Pisces and Virgo are extremely sensitive both emotionally and to the environment.

This is a generation with severe allergies, severe reaction to the particles in the air with the body and soul rising to fight off perceived threats.

This generation in their mid-to-late 40s have children with Neptune in Capricorn and maybe even Uranus and Saturn in that sign. The children are more serious, thoughtful and will be taking the social order into their own hands to shape and mold. The children have thick, Capricorn, skin and can handle what comes their way.

Who’s teaching whom here?

Which sign of the zodiac most wants to be liked?

To me, air signs are most concerned with what is called popularity and being liked, even the rebellious fixed air Aquarius. The other two air signs are mutable Gemini and cardinal Libra.

Air is interested in intellect and social interaction. More than other elements, air seems concerned with the image of things. Air would be the first to don the hippie gear, the Mohawk, the tattoo, the apron, the straw hat or any other affectation that provokes a vivid image and reaction in others.

Air can sometimes get stuck in image if the action-oriented planets and signs are not strong in the horoscope. The rebellious behavior that challenges unfair social systems is different from the rebellious behavior that simply wants to evoke a reaction.

Aquarius Johnny Rotten (moon in Libra) provoked British culture by looking disheveled, having green teeth and singing angry songs about the Queen. While he added to the history of music, he did not change the British monarchy.

Aquarius Rosa Parks (moon also in Aquarius), in contrast, sat in the “whites only” section of the bus and provoked true social change.

Facebook is the perfect venue for promoting image, the perfect venue for personal brand management. But does it provoke action?

It’s interesting too that to like something is represented by a “thumbs up” symbol. Aquarius Gene Siskel and Gemini Roger Ebert had a TV show for years that provided movie reviews where each gave a thumbs up or down for the movie. Two thumbs up was an indication of strong approval.

Thumbs up is interesting because Gemini rules the hands, the lungs, speech and fingers. Gemini also rules siblings and neighbors.

Is wanting to be liked simply a way to get along with the community? Is “like” the grease that keeps the social engine running smoothly?

Earth, Water and Fire Signs

And what about the other elements – do they want to be liked?

To be liked seems just one point on a longer continuum. The other elements might not want to be “liked,” but they want something else.

Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) want to be loved.

Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) want to be respected.

Fire signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) want to be admired.

If Facebook has only a “like” indicator, then it is serving only one of the four elements. We use the heart symbol for love, so water signs are covered.

Now we need “respect” and “admire” symbols.

Respect and Admire Symbols

Since Facebook clearly lacks the social acceptance indicators for earth and fire signs, it’s time we make some up.

Earth signs like authority so maybe the “respect” button can look like a badge or award of some sort.

Fire signs like to be heroes so maybe the “admire” button can look like a fireman or emergency medical squad personnel. Maybe a little fire truck?

If you agree, simply click on the “like” button below.

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America’s Material Evolution

Posted on August 17, 2013 by ohioastrology

American astrological aficionados know what’s coming up in 2022 – America’s first Pluto return. Pluto takes 246 years to revolve around the sun.

What does Pluto represent?

Pluto, you may recall, is the Lord of the underworld. About Astrology (About.com) informs me that the underworld is a wealthy place and Lord Pluto owns it all which is the origin of the word “plutocracy.”

About Astrology describes Pluto as ruling “extreme transformation.” Pluto’s discovery came about the same time as the atom bomb, the site says, which threatens us with total annihilation. On the other side of annihilation is rebirth.

That’s heavy stuff for a culture that produced Disney innocence (although Disney does have a character Pluto).

In what sign does Pluto reside in the US horoscope?

It resides in the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn. Capricorn, like Scorpio (which is ruled by Pluto) is a sign that takes the activities of life very, very seriously. Capricorn is the controller, the government, the career type who follows the rules until he’s at the top making the rules.

Both Scorpio and Capricorn are controlling signs. Scorpio is emotional control and Capricorn is physical and financial control.

What does a Pluto cycle that begins and ends at 27 degrees of Capricorn mean?

Pluto as Evolution

Self-described evolutionary astrologer Jeffrey Wolf Green describes evolution in this way:

“Evolution simply comes down to, and means, the changing of form, the changing of structure, the changing of energy, and the change of anything. The very word change implies evolution.

Evolution is always proceeded by another natural law called involution. What this means is that for a change or evolution to occur, relative to some structure, form, energy pattern, dynamics, etc., it is always proceeded by an involution, which simply means the ending or destruction of something that pre-exists.

That which pre-exists, when evolution or change becomes necessary, implies and means that some pre-existing something, a dynamic, structure and so on, is promoting a state of stagnation or non-growth. In all life forms, in anything that exists as phenomena within the totality of the Creation, there exists another natural law called survival. When this natural law is ignited or stimulated, for whatever reasons, it will always cause the natural law of involution, leading to evolution, to occur, so that the ongoing survival of a life form, structure, and so on can occur.”

Is America reaching a 246-year state of stagnation – Capricorn-esque stagnation?

In the 1970s the America had an economic state called “stagflation” which boggled the minds and disrupted the theories of economists who couldn’t believe that inflation and unemployment would increase at the same time.

Was that unusual economic stagnation a sign that we ignored?

Since the 2008 economic meltdown, America has had three rounds of “qualitative” or “quantitative” easing.

I love this term, by the way. “Easing” sounds so nice. It would be so “easy” for the bank to just put six zeros after my current account balance to “ease” the payment of my bills. Just six zeros, empty spaces really, bytes on a screen, would “ease” my life considerably.

Is that what’s happening to the US economy? Are we just adding zeros?

When Pluto returns, will adding zeros be enough to solve a complex economic problem?

The Taurus Owning Cycle

Before looking at the Capricorn Pluto cycle, let’s take a look at another American earth-sign Pluto cycle.

Taurus is the fixed earth sign that likes to accumulate. Virgo is the mutable earth sign that likes to work. Capricorn is the cardinal earth sign that likes to control. All earth signs have a focus, a theme, a foundation in material reality.

Slavery in America began with Pluto in Taurus. It has always boggled my mind that an individual could draft a nation’s bill of rights stating all men were created equal yet at the same time hold slaves. Viewing this as simple hypocrisy doesn’t make sense. When I began to think of freedom as a commodity in a capitalist system, the equal rights/slavery schism made more sense.

If you have less freedom, I have more.

The first slaves were imported into the United States in 1619 when Pluto was in nine degrees of Taurus. Taurus seeks material goods mostly for security and comfort. Owning people takes materialism to logical extremes.

When Pluto returned to nine degrees of Taurus 244 years later (1863), the slaves were freed.

Settlers in the United States also began “owning” the land in 1619, a foreign concept for Native Americans.

“My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave it to his children to live upon. So long as they occupy and cultivate it, they have a right to the soil. Nothing can be sold but such things as can be carried away” —Black Hawk

Pluto will be in nine degrees of Taurus next in 2107, 94 years from today. What will we own then?

The Capricorn Corporatizing Cycle

Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, crystalizes, makes things tangible or official. Without this official-ness, we can’t identify and label and thereby understand ourselves in relation to that crystallized thing.

Marriage, religion, government, military and the corporation – these are some of the faces of Saturn on the activities of man (love, spirituality, law, war and commerce). I can have law, but with no enforcement, it is merely an idea.

Corporations are structured, controlled Saturnine manifestations where Capricorn types thrive. Corporations have a clear hierarchy so you know who is more important and who is less important. Pay is attached to that importance and therefore represents one “worth” in this world.

If the Taurus cycle was about owning, I’m wondering if the Capricorn cycle is about corporatizing.

For example, the corporation Monsanto owns food (not all food, just some). Not food production or land or some food that exists, but the very genetic material of food – food itself.

Monsanto might not own all the food at the moment, but isn’t it logical that it would try?

Food, water, natural resources and money itself – are these becoming corporatized? What does it mean when our food and money are owned by corporations?

Corporations are people, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney reminded us in 2011. He pointed out that “everything corporations earn ultimately goes to people.”

I don’t disagree with Romney, I simply think the statement isn’t finished. What corporations earn goes to “some” people. I think it works well for Americans because we get the benefits of corporate culture. Other countries sometimes, unfortunately, have to sustain the losses.

Haiti, for example, is not just poor but environmentally devastated. Where did that wealth go? Is the multi-national corporation simply a means to redistribute natural resources from one country to another?

Will the US begin to feel internally the effects of its external economic policies?

Corporations can do much more than individuals. As corporations have grown, our ability to work outside of a corporation is shrinking. When the 2008 economic collapse threatened large corporations, some were saved by the government, most especially banking.

2022

The year 2022 is the end of America’s Pluto cycle that began in 1776. To get a sense of where a cycle may lead us, I wanted to see where the cycle that ended in 1776 began.

The cycle that ended in 1776 began in the year 1530.

America is a word used by all of North America. When the US identifies as “America,” Central and South American countries recoil in exasperation because they, too, are America.

In 1492, when Columbus “sailed the ocean blue,” Pluto was in Scorpio. While Pluto transited Sagittarius, “exploration” occurred. Sagittarius is the great traveler of the zodiac.

Then In 1519, Spaniard Hernán Cortés sailed from Cuba to Veracruz in a land we now call Mexico. Just two years later in 1521, the entire Aztec empire fell.

Pluto was in ten degrees of Capricorn.

The Americas were conquered during Pluto in earth signs. Puritans in the north sought religious freedom while Conquistadores in the south had both openly material (“la sed del oro“) and religious goals.

Pluto in Capricorn, then, brings radical, overwhelming and uncontrollable changes to the entire social structure. Puritans in the north and Conquistadores in the south may have had different intentions but the results were the same – the annihilation of existing culture.

Pluto today is precisely in nine degrees of Capricorn.

The Americas, north and south, are in the second evolutionary cycle since colonization of the new world in the mid 1500s.

For the United States, the first cycle was ownership and colonization. The second cycle was independence and corporatization.

What’s the next Capricorn evolutionary level?

I consulted the astrological blogosphere to see what astrologers consider to be evolutionary cycles of Capricorn.

Rose Marcus of Astrolink has an extremely well-written, highly-informative blog on Pluto in Capricorn (“The Ending of an Era”). In her section entitled “The Evolutionary Push Forward,” she writes:

“Marking an essential restructuring phase for the collective soul and for individual evolution too, Pluto’s transit through Capricorn brings the conditioned consciousness and all of its manifestations to a maturation peak. Pluto’s transformative mandate will serve to create a progressively reordered state of existence itself. Countries, borders, and geography will be significantly and forever altered; so too, the political, economic, cultural and societal standards that regulate common everyday life.”

Later she writes:

“Collectively and individually, Pluto’s transit through Capricorn compels us to learn a new way of creating our everyday realities. That which can no longer support the evolutionary requirements will be dismantled and discarded. That which can house and support the evolving form will build greater dimension and definition. It is a testing time for the durability of existing structures, programs, and ideologies. Commonly accepted standards of economics, commerce, industry, business, politics, religions, customs, social ethics and hierarchies are put to the test. Also included in this list is humankind’s relationship to the manifested creation, or in other words, humankind’s relationship to the physical realms of the earth itself and the cosmos.”

Rose goes onto to talk about different evolutionary states. In the “Spiritual Evolutionary State,” she talks about “redefining the relationship to higher authority/the divine.”

Capricorn, which seeks respect, is the most respectful of authority of all the signs.

But what is authority?

Possibly changing views of authority will lead to colossal transformative cultural shifts, like the ones we saw in the 1500s. The current religious views of the Americas were imported, they did not grow organically.

Possibly the predominant religious figure of the Americas may be of some help to us during the Pluto in Capricorn transit – Jesus.

Jesus’ was born during Pluto in Virgo, the mutable earth sign. We celebrate his birthday at the winter solstice –

In the sign of Capricorn.

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Five Career Options for Anthony Weiner

Posted on August 14, 2013 by ohioastrology

You may be wondering if New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner is mad (“mad” like in hatter).

The short answer is: yes.

When Neptune conjuncts your natal Saturn (in Pisces) and opposes your natal Mercury, Uranus, sun and Pluto (in Virgo) you begin to see things a little, how shall we say it, differently. Your vision blurs.

Weiner isn’t the only “sex scandal” candidate running for New York office. Eliot Spitzer of call-girl fame is running for comptroller. Both men have the self-absorbed moon in Leo which brings a compulsive need for attention.

Spitzer, however, has much more Leo in the horoscope and some talk-em-into-anything Gemini with Jupiter in Scorpio squaring Leo which can force others into action by sheer will.

Weiner, in contrast, is a worrying, anxious Virgo with nervous, toe-tapping Mars and Venus in Cancer which just wants to hide under a rug, mommy’s rug. Or maybe crawl in bed with mom during that awful thunderstorm which sounds like a confederate infantry coming to invade the house.

The current transit of Saturn in Scorpio is involving itself in Weiner’s natal Neptune (in Scorpio) and Jupiter (in Taurus) opposition. Weiner may simply be running for office because he’s broke and needs money.

That’s where OHA can help. Astrology does nothing if not helping people find the right career. Weiner needs help finding the right fit in this world before Neptune causes what’s called a nervous breakdown.

Five Career Options for Anthony Weiner

  1. Kindergarten teacher – Elementary school is a Leo moon’s playground because you like kids and the kids admire you. If you’ve ever had a group of five-year olds sitting in a circle avidly looking at you to see what you have to say, you will be hooked. It’s also less pressure than politics because the kids don’t know when you’re wrong.
  2. Biker – Virgo Lance Armstrong is also having some public relations problems. Weiner and Armstrong could swap roles – each other’s scandals are mollified in the different arena. Sex scandals don’t exist in sports and having blood transfusions doesn’t seem to come up in elections. Weiner seems plenty lean enough for the Tour de France.
  3. Hat seller – While this profession doesn’t really exist anymore, lots of retro things are returning like old TV shows. I’m speaking of large hats with feathers that you wear to church. Hats go on heads and Leo loves hair. It’s a great way to work with beautiful women in an innocent manner.
  4. Documentary Film Maker – Neptune rules film so it’s a good time to follow other political retirees to the TV screen. Rather than moderator or pundit, documentary film would help Weiner feel a natal Saturn-in-Pisces desire for contribution to the world.
  5. Psychiatrist – Rather than seeing one, Weiner might want to consider being one. Virgo is the clear-eyed diagnostician and Saturn in Pisces is the empath. Be sure not to take on the feelings of others in this difficult role.

This site lists some other Virgo career paths.

Posted in Politicians - Not Ohio | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Astrological Habit and Addiction

Posted on August 11, 2013 by ohioastrology

Habit and addiction seem to me to have a tight relationship. While habit is considered normal, addiction by definition is a bad.

If I take a vitamin every morning is this habit or addiction?

If I have a beer every night is this habit or addiction?

Vitamins are “good” therefore a habit. Beer is “bad” therefore an addiction. Can we be addicted to good things?

Definition of Addiction

This Medical News Today article defines habit and addiction clearly:

What is the difference between a habit and an addiction?

Addiction – there is a psychological/physical component; the person is unable to control the aspects of the addiction without help because of the mental or physical conditions involved.

Habit – it is done by choice. The person with the habit can choose to stop, and will subsequently stop successfully if they want to. The psychological/physical component is not an issue as it is with an addiction.

The difference between addiction and habit is clear and is about control. Yet I wonder how many habits we have that we really can’t stop at will?

I suppose that’s when habit becomes obsessive-compulsive disorder which is habit-as-addiction.

What does astrology say about habit and addiction?

Astrology of Habit and Addiction

In my search on the astrology of addiction, I found lots of blame put on Neptune, the mystical planet of merged consciousness.

Neptune makes sense in terms of the traditional addiction to intoxicating substances. Life on earth can be a hard slap on the face because we imagine wonderful things (and see movies that make us imagine and dream even more) and even when we get what we imagine, it’s never quite the same as in our mind’s eye.

Romance, of course, is the most obvious place where this occurs. When your lover first farts, corporeal reality has intruded on all of your projections. (Could this be the mystical reason for flatulence?)

That’s life on earth.

Neptune, then, seeks escape.

Is escape addiction?

This Astrolada article has for me the most interesting and insightful take on the astrology of addiction. Rather than blaming poor, abused Neptune, research done by the writer indicates the moon in hard aspect to Mars, Saturn, Uranus or Neptune are all indicators of addiction.

I’d been suspecting the moon all along.

The Foundation of Your Home

In thinking of habit and addiction, the image that comes to mind is of a basement. The walls are like habit. We want strong, sturdy walls to keep the house upright and free from intrusion from insects, robbers and nature.

Saturn, which rules structure, is like the walls of the basement.

Because no structure is 100 percent solid or seamless, there are going to be areas where the wall is challenged by the environment. There may be cracks, fissures or holes that appear over time. If the structure is solidly built in the first place, repairs should be easy.

If the structure was not solidly constructed or there is a natural disaster, the structure is at risk. Then one must re-grade or re-build entirely the foundation of the house.

The environment, with its constant changes, points for me to the moon. The moon is the stuff that comes at us daily. The moon is our reactive nature. If we have any problems with Saturn, which is considered a problem in its own right, the reactive nature kicks in which seeks safety and comfort.

Saturn is considered the planet of karma and often our Achilles Heel or weakest link. Aspects to Saturn indicate if our basement can survive the rain. If not, the moon brings the mop and buckets – and a cup of tea because it just feels bad to have to mop the basement.

If the basement wall is filled with holes, the moon will react more often with its bucket, mop and comforting cup of tea. As the mopping becomes more frequent, the tea may change to coffee and then to Red Bull and then to whisky.

When moon and Mars are in hard aspect, then maybe insects are constantly trying to invade our basement. Insects are called “bugs” and when someone does something we don’t like we say they are “bugging us.” It’s frustrating to have all those people out there getting in our way.

When moon and Saturn are in hard aspect, then maybe our foundation was never built well to begin with. It is constantly threatening to bust at the seams which creates the need to constantly reinforce. This is habit-as-addiction.

When moon and Uranus are in hard aspect, it’s more like sudden, unexpected weather threatens our basement every few years (like seven). We might go through periods of addiction due to unusual circumstances and periods of non-addiction.

When moon and Neptune are in hard aspect, then we have decided to live on a house boat. Water underneath will never be entirely stable. Addiction might be more continual with this aspect (poor Neptune) since we can’t make the house stop rocking.

Habit as Addiction

Habit becomes addiction, possibly, when we want to avoid basement problems by constantly, every day, reinforcing the basement. Nothing on this earth lasts forever so trying to create a basement that can survive anything man- or nature-made is to try to create a bunker.

Habit, then, is Saturn gone bad trying to create a bunker with 50-year food stores to survive a nuclear disaster.

What if there was a disaster and you could live in this bunker for 50 years? Would you really want that?

Is excessive habit the polar opposite of addiction?

The Basement and the Roof

In the horoscope, the fourth house is at the bottom of the horoscope and the tenth house is at the top. The fourth house is ruled by Cancer and the moon. The tenth house is ruled by Capricorn and Saturn.

Oh, look – the moon and Saturn.

The fourth house is considered our foundation, our early home environment which molded our personality.

The tenth house is considered our social conscious and relates to our career or how we’re seen in the world.

If the fourth house is the basement, maybe the tenth house is the roof? If the basement is our foundation then the roof is our covering.

Capricorn covers through social identity – aka success, career, position, reputation.

It’s Never Too Late to Fix the Basement and Roof

“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood,” is a quote from novelist Tom Robbins. Robbins has moon conjunct Neptune in Virgo opposite Saturn in Pisces. Jupiter in Sagittarius forms a T-square. He also has four planets in watery Cancer (Mars, Pluto, Mercury and the sun).

Robbins’ basement is flooded as it’s an inch from the ocean while the roof is taking the hit of a million tiny rain drops. Jupiter provides relief and inspiration through travel and reckless behavior.

If Robbins can have a happy childhood, then all of us can have a clean, dry basement and sealed roof no matter what rains or blows upon us.

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Why David Plotz Hates August

Posted on August 4, 2013 by ohioastrology

David Plotz, editor of Slate, wants to get rid of August.

Who in their right mind wants to get rid of a month of summer vacation?

Plotz lists some mighty-fine reasons for getting rid of August including lots of wars starting in the month of “Augustus.” It’s true – folks in the cold north often wait for spring to launch an attack. Winter should be considered a season of peace by those above the 40th degree of latitude.

Good point. Yet . . .

You’re reading an astrology blog so you know what’s coming – the real reason that Plotz dislikes August.

Grand Square

Plotz probably dislikes square dancing as much as he dislikes August. Here’s why.

Plotz has sun and Venus in fixed air Aquarius, Jupiter and moon in fixed water Scorpio and Saturn in fixed earth Taurus.

That’s three of the four fixed signs. Three fixed signs (within similar degree of longitude) create a fixed T-square. Squares in general are considered an angle of tension. It’s not full opposition – no one is against you. It’s a frustration, the kind where you 50 percent understand your lover but still can’t make the relationship 100 percent right.

The fixed T-square creates a strong, determined, controlling and obsessive personality. It’s a “lead, follow or get-out-of-the-way” placement where the preference is that you get out of the way.

August, a bright and sunny month filled with Leo birthday parties containing ostentatious displays of love and warmth, is difficult for those born in northern climate winter months (like February-born Aquarians). When you’re born in February, people don’t come over to play sand volleyball on your birthday. Often they don’t come to your birthday party at all because February is flu season and they are home with a sore throat and runny nose.

August, as you see, is ruled by the fixed sign Leo which is opposite Plotz’ fixed air Aquarius and makes Plotz’ natal T-square into a transiting grand square.

That’s a lot of tension. And now there’s an opposition of Leo/Aquarius-people do truly oppose you.

More than heat and war, this is a month where others of a more optimistic nature are prone to challenge the seriously-intense Plotz.

August is difficult for Plotz because it’s time to lie on the beach and put away that Dostoyevsky novel and instead read some light fiction, a beach book that stimulates the humorous or romantic portions of the brain allowing room in the brain to hear the lapping of the waves.

Others are doing just this and probably are commenting on Plotz’ reading material and serious nature.

That’s what OHA thinks is going on here. August is a month where people are on vacation and Plotz is probably never on vacation. Leo-time is also a bit too emotionally expressive for this Aquarius sun wants to share radical ideas, not personal experiences.

It’s interesting to note one’s favorite and least favorite months to see where the sun is in the horoscope at that time. It can lend insight into tensions in the horoscope or times when we should take it easy, even if we don’t want to.

December

If Plotz hates August, I’m guessing he likes its opposite winter, especially the time from Thanksgiving to the end of February.

Around Thanksgiving, the sun is conjunct his natal moon then soon moves into Sagittarius conjuncting his natal Neptune. Early December is probably when most of his ideas form. Early December is positively magical. It’s when good and unusual things happen.

Then in January when the sun conjuncts his serious Mercury in Capricorn people start to listen. That is when the skies are gray, we are back to work and the beach is closed. People finally get serious again with resolutions to lose weight and save money. And they resume their reading of serious articles in serious journals.

Then in February the sun conjuncts Plotz’ natal sun (called “birthday”) and also his natal Venus in Aquarius. February is when people meet indoors for those long wine-laden dinners and even-longer late night conversations about life on other planets. Now that’s interesting!

April isn’t too bad a month either for Plotz, with natal Mars in Aries. That’s a good placement suggesting healthy competitive energy.

But May’s a bit of a downer with natal Saturn in Taurus – makes sense – that’s when people go back outdoors. May through the end of September are a little rough for Plotz then the beginning of October gets intellectually interesting again as the sun conjuncts Plotz’ natal Uranus in Libra.

The Beach

OHA recommends that the August-hating Plotz take the entire August off and go to the beach. While there, engage in some Leo leisure which can often involve doing nothing. Sleep. Lie around. Find a TV and a remote and change channels for an entire day. Become one with August.

Better yet, find some silly, frivolous book to while away the time, like Linda Goodman’s sun signs.

That’s a fun one.

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Attack of the Introverts?

Posted on July 31, 2013 by ohioastrology

This week several articles were shared with me that explained how to work with introverts or myths about introverts. Here are two (one and two).

Have introverts come out of their shells?

Should I lock the windows?

Who is their leader?

Should we fear introverts coming out of their homes or should we fear them more when they stay in their homes, studying our ways and analyzing data about our behavior in order to know more about what we are doing than we do ourselves?

Why are there no articles about understanding extroverts? This is clearly an extrovert-biased world, extroversion being “normal” and introversion something to be studied (which, of course, is done by introverts).

What has created the need to understand introverts?

Earth and Water

When looking at a natal horoscope, the elements of earth and water suggest introversion or at least shyness. The other two elements, air and fire, are more extroverted.

As the articles say, introversion doesn’t mean one doesn’t like people. Water signs love to connect emotionally but they are extremely sensitive and often must spend time alone to recharge.

Earth, on the other hand, is probably busy with work and chores, which come before socializing. Earth also is simply not expressive in the water, air and fire ways. Earth may be hungry, angry or happy, but you might not know it.

A natal horoscope has ten “planets” with a variety of elements (and modes) which creates balance in our personalities. The rising sign also has a lot to do with how we interact with the world. A chart with lots of earth and water with a fire rising sign may be more extroverted that a chart with a fire sun and water rising sign.

Rarely is a person 100 percent introvert or 100 percent extrovert. As one of the articles mentions, extroverts must often introvert (verb) to bring their ideas to fruition.

Transiting Grand Water Trine

Today, seven of the ten planets are in an earth or water sign. In a couple days when the moon moves into Cancer, the count will go up to eight. Uranus is in fiery Aries for a few more years and the sun is in Leo for the bulk of the month.

A grand water trine is also in effect involving Mars and Jupiter (in Cancer), Saturn (in Scorpio) and Neptune (in Pisces). Jupiter will be in Cancer until next July, Saturn has over a year more in Scorpio and Neptune will be in Pisces for ten more years.

Water, water everywhere.

More than an introvert world takeover, I think what is occurring is that the skies are forcing us into introversion. The current focus on introverts is simply that the extroverts are stuck in the house with introverts right now and don’t know what to do. Water forces us to look inward at our emotions – something extroverts do, but not for long periods of time.

Water in the form of rain has created more than a few “rainy days” both literally and figuratively. If you are old enough to remember this, there was a time when you “saved for a rainy day” and had “rainy day activities.”

Today we don’t save.

Introverts can keep themselves occupied during a rainy day (or rainy year-long transit), but extroverts do not fare so well when stuck in the house. Extroverts forced into small spaces with emotions not entirely positive, or people with deep or negative emotions, have the desire to flee or find something fun to do.

Water puts out fire, you know. Water and air create humidity, which we’ve had a lot of in Ohio. Humidity creates difficulty in breathing. Fire and air signs, you see, don’t fare well under a deluge of water.

Extrovert Rescue

Rather than fearing an introvert invasion, we must fear extroverts stuck in the negative emotional states of others. Extroverts when forced into seclusion with introverts can also feel ignored and neglected. As with all elements not able to express, havoc can result.

Fire havoc is excessive fighting and air havoc is excessive mood swings.

Save the extroverts!

The introvert articles are possibly desperate attempts to get information to extroverts (fire and air signs) that are stuck in the whirling eddy of a grand water trine and watery people.

What should fire and air signs do?

Fire and air signs should remember that water provides fun and entertainment just as the other elements do.

Isn’t the beach one of the most popular vacation locations? Think of this grand water trine as a cosmic beach arriving at your doorstep. Fire and air must employ their creative energies as the beach floods into the house.

Going to actual water may also help the fire and air signs both physically and emotionally. Fire and air signs going to the water should take those earthy and watery family and friends. Water can absorb and dilute intense emotional states.

Air signs like to communicate so now would be a great time to start (and finish) that novel. What else is there to do on a rainy day?

Time to monitor the introverts

Before extroverts run to the beach, they may want to hold for a moment and see just what it is that introverts are doing all day, since the opportunity has presented itself.

An activity loved by introverts and hated by extroverts is to sit all day in front of a set of data to analyze it. Jupiter in Cancer opposing Pluto in Capricorn (earth sign) is bringing to the public’s awareness the analysis of public phone records. Cancer is home and Capricorn is government so this opposition has “homeland security” written all over it.

The government is analyzing what is called “Big Data.” This type of work is Scorpio in nature (learning others’ secrets) and covert in nature (very Pisces), which is a quality carried by introverts. While you see one of two people in the news addressing the criticism of analyzing phone records, there are a horde of behind-the-scenes analysts doing the work.

They are quiet.

Before we rescue the fire- and air-sign extroverts from drowning, these two elements might want to contribute to the discussion, bringing their fire and air sign energy. Fire brings leadership, enthusiasm and energy. Air brings rational discussion and mediation. The imbalance of earth and water needs a rebalance with fire and air.

After the fire and air signs have done their work and contributed their energy, they can then go play.

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Giggle Alert

Posted on July 28, 2013 by ohioastrology

Columbus, OH – In addition to flooding rains, a daily desire to sleep through the alarm and a general sense of lethargy, the current transiting grand water trine involving the Mars and Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces could also lead to uncontrolled fits of giggles.

Giggles may occur at inopportune times such as when attending the symphony, during a stockholders meeting or while watching a serious documentary. Simple, common statements such as “We need that by the end of the day,” may cause waves giggles of the type that are usually experienced at slumber parties.

Mars in Cancer, from mid-July to mid-August, will increase these fits of giggles. Neptune in Pisces will increase the urge to drink intoxicating substances which also tend to lead to giggling at events others may consider serious, such as a political rally.

The tendency to both drink adult beverage and giggle like a child will continue through July 2014. However, this month (mid-July 2013 – mid-August 2013) with Mars involved, the urge will be stronger and may often take one by surprise.

Readers are advised to practice and refine their poker faces and serious demeanor for use as necessary until July 2014.

This Giggle Alert is provided to you by Ohio Astrology.

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Ed FitzGerald – Where Were You Born?

Posted on July 27, 2013 by ohioastrology

If you live in Ohio, exciting times are in the near future. Ed FitzGerald sent an email blast this week (July 22) with the subject line: “What ‘Ohio Miracle?'” More than one of my emails received this pressing message.

Who’s Ed FitzGerald? Do I hear you asking this?

Ed FitzGerald is a Democratic Ohio politician who wants to run against incumbent Republican Ohio governor John Kasich.

That election for Ohio governor is a mere 465 days away (470 at the time of the email). It’s going to be 465 days of fun.

This email was refreshing since it’s been a whole seven months since I’ve received a political email, seven months since Sherrod Brown said his thank you and disappeared into the mist.

By the way, since OHA always tries to help where it can, a little political marketing advice is offered here, free of charge. The email from FitzGerald looks like a Sherrod Brown email with the FitzGerald name attached, like one of those old form letters where your name was typed crookedly on the top line with the font a different type or size than the rest of the letter.

Get your own brand, Ed.

Also, before I get back to astrology, I haven’t received a political email in seven months then get this inane tagline that should have waited until at least September 2014.

Develop your own strategy, Ed.

Okay, now back to astrology, the real star of this universe.

Where was FitzGerald born?

When you’re an astrologer, the first thing you do upon researching a person is to find the three elements that allow you to cast a horoscope: date, place and time of birth.

For this blog, I rarely find more than date and place. I then consult Astrotheme which sometimes has time of birth. Yet, the veracity of those times is also questionable.

If you’re not an obsessive-compulsive astrologer, you might congratulate me on not getting lost in insignificant detail . . .

Time of the birth allows us to cast a true horoscope with house placements. Just knowing the date means the ever-changing moon may have changed signs.

Place is important because a day in England is the following day in Australia. Looking up at the sky on January 1 in England shows you different patterns than looking up at the sky from Australia on its January 1.

Where was FitzGerald born?

Both Wikipedia and FitzGerald’s website make pains to express his love of Ohio, but neither says he was born in Ohio. Neither shows any place of birth.

I smell a scandal.

Was FitzGerald born in a foreign place? Maybe Indiana? Maybe Kentucky?

Maybe even Kenya?

OHA demands to see his birth certificate – with time of birth, of course.

FitzGerald’s Marketing Brand

Brand FitzGerald is sun in Cancer (happy birthday, by the way) and moon probably in Capricorn (although it could be Aquarius). It’s quite fun to note that the new royal baby George has this same sun and moon placement.

For both FitzGerald and the royal baby, Dad is the more loving, nurturing parent. Dad is mom and mom is the dad, making the rules, being emotionally distant and letting you know right from wrong in everything from chewing your food to getting married. Rules for hugging, rules for crying, rules for love, rules for friendship and rules for every other thing emotional that wants to come pouring out from you like sticky syrup from a bottle.

But Dad understands.

With Mars and Venus also in Cancer, FitzGerald positively adores his dad. I’d put that in the commercials (again, free advice).

Cancer and Capricorn are opposing signs. If you recall, we currently have Jupiter transiting Cancer which will oppose the current Pluto-in-Capricorn transit.

Family or authority? Emotions or rules?

Jupiter in Cancer will be quite soothing for FitzGerald. Jupiter will be in Cancer until July 14, 2014. That day will be 113 days before the election. That’s when the election will truly begin for FitzGerald.

At that time, Jupiter will enter Leo and Mars will transit four signs (Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn) before the election. In Libra, the partner has had enough; in Scorpio there is disillusionment; in Sagittarius there is frustration let loose and in Capricorn there is the challenge of holding it all in.

In October 2014, transiting Mars and Saturn will meet in Scorpio making a conjunction to FitzGerald’s natal Neptune in Scorpio. This will be a highly unpleasant time of disillusionment and also below-the-belt Scorpio attacks.

Remember, we vote in the sign of Scorpio. That’s why the few weeks leading up to the election get so emotionally intense. If we had the elections in, say, June, they would also be intense, but possibly of a different energy, maybe a more intellectually-stimulating intense.

FitzGerald’s natal horoscope has Saturn in Aries which creates a T-square to Mars/sun/Venus in Cancer and moon in Capricorn. Uranus is currently transiting Aries (back and forth) and is striking the chord of this tension over and over.

This is where one of those time-of-birth charts comes in handy. It would be interesting to see FitzGerald’s rising sign to see how he carries this Saturn/Sun/Moon T-square which suggests a lack of confidence in self.

Aries is “me” and quite happy to offer “me” as all you ever need in life. Cancer and Capricorn are singing a different song (family and authority) and fall back on rules and tradition when in a pinch.

If I were an evil astrological political advisor, and I swear I’m not, I’d suggest sending FitzGerald into the heat way before July 2014 to see if he comes out fried, blackened, Cajun-spiced or simply burnt.

FitzGerald has worrying nature with Cancer, Capricorn and Virgo energies. Jupiter, Pluto and Uranus are all in Virgo in the natal horoscope.

And FitzGerald should be worried about July 2014. That’s when Jupiter in Leo will test FitzGerald’s true confidence level (if he were a Republican, I suggest a heart-to-heart talk with Mitt Romney).

The 2014 Ohio Governor Race

FitzGerald will be running against the caustic John Kasich, with sun in Taurus and moon also in Capricorn. Both men are filled with earth and water which means this race could be, how shall we say it, a little boring? A little like watching two men throw sand bags at each other, maybe?

OHA will take a look at compatibility between FitzGerald and Kasich sometime in the future. Maybe February 2014, when the Ohio skies are gray and we’re stuck at home because of ice and snow (Jupiter is in Cancer, there will be ice and snow). In February 2014, we’ll be much closer to the race – just 276 days.

I’ll mark my calendar.

Until then, I’ll be at the pool, then watching the leaves turn pretty colors, then watching snowflakes fall all the while throwing pointless political emails into my trash folder.

Unless, of course, those emails stop looking like a Sherrod Brown template and begin to contain fun and interesting content.

Has anyone seen my coconut suntan lotion?

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Happy, Horrific Hollywood

Posted on July 22, 2013 by ohioastrology

While in Scotland recently, the tour guide was telling us of movies set in Scotland or about Scottish history. She mentioned some Hollywood movies about Scottish heroes, which, she informed us, were not historically accurate.

I wondered, once again, why Hollywood is so averse to historical accuracy. History is not boring.

I think Hollywood shies away from accurate history because the stories are not clean-cut. The good guys sometimes chop off heads of a few thousand foreigners. The bad guys sometimes love their mothers and buy them castles. And if you want to make a movie about the War of the Roses, you’d better have it move slowly so we can keep up with changing alliances, kings who disappear then reappear and a bunch of people with the same title or name.

Hollywood doesn’t like that.

But this thought intersected with another thought I’d been having recently about the American love of horror. While we Americans like our Hollywood happy, we also love our true crime and reality shows where people yell at each other for being ugly and lazy. Horror films are hardly uncommon.

There we have it! Americans don’t need everything happy all the time. It’s a myth.

What might be happening is this: In America when we eat meatloaf and mashed potatoes and corn, we keep all three items separate. When the British (I know, Scottish is not British – I hear the criticism as I write) eat meatloaf and mashed potatoes and corn they put it all together (brilliantly so) and call it Shepherd’s Pie.

Americans like their happiness and their horror, just not in the same casserole dish. We are not a nation avoiding happiness-free movies. We just eat our horror in a different bite.

Hollywood

Hollywood, like its famous directors, is ruled by Scorpio. The city was incorporated on November 14, 1903.

The sun was in Scorpio, the moon in Virgo. Mercury in Scorpio is conjunct the sun. This is a talking Scorpio city.

Scorpio is a fixed water sign, emotionally intense with deep, dark eyes. Scorpio is the tall, dark loner of noir films. Scorpio is the stranger in the cape that haunts Amadeus. Scorpio is the vengeful lover in Fatal Attraction. Scorpio is brutally honest like Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment.

Scorpio is the shark that attacks the late, sexy Scorpio Roy Scheider in the deep, dark sea in the middle of the night. Scorpio is the emotional upheaval of a hundred Holocaust films. Scorpio is the passionate movie that makes you break up with your boring lover on the way out the door.

Scorpio is the mood.

Moon in Virgo is the dialogue, the lyrics of the moving picture. The dialogue must be Scorpio – clear and direct. Unless you have made it through “My Dinner with Andre,” you probably need the dialogue to move the plot, to have meaning, to be more than the practical words of daily life.

Pluto, Scorpio’s ruler, is in the sign of Gemini and opposes Uranus in Sagittarius. These were the times when communication was transforming into mass communication. It was the beginning of a control that comes through the ability to communicate to the masses in a common language. Moving image excites us.

Seems so easy now – to communicate to everyone – it was not so easy in 1903.

The moving pictures often convey ideas that later become part of the national dialogue. There were certainly eccentric writers in dark corners talking about the matrix and aliens and such prior to the rise of Hollywood. Only Hollywood taking on such ideas gives them social acceptance.

How did seeing Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City affect the sale of Manolo Blahnik shoes? Nevermind that this character writes one column a week which is probably not enough to even eat ramen noodles in New York City let alone have an apartment, drinks at new restaurants and $800 shoes.

And how much do our ideas of family and romance originate from the moving picture?

Hollywood has Venus in Libra. Combined with Scorpio, we have Marlene Dietrich, a serious, sensual and deep-voiced vixen, born close to the time of the incorporation of Hollywood.

Before you think Hollywood is about mood and image and cathartic emotional experience, notice that Mars is in Capricorn. All that art stuff is nice but we’re here to make money, to have the status that comes with making a lot of money.

Saturn in Aquarius seems quite anti-union. Let’s not get too enmeshed in high-minded ideals that are the subject of dissertations and law precedents but are no fun in the movies. Movies are not humanitarian exercises. They are mass personal experiences.

Jupiter in Cancer and Neptune in Cancer provide the comfort to know that if you please the Scorpio energy, all other emotions are allowed.

Saturn in Scorpio

Saturn is coming up on one year of its two-point-something long transit. That transit will put a strain on the finances of Hollywood, which likes to make its Mars-in-Capricorn money but needs sun-in-Scorpio lending to do it.

Pluto is transiting Capricorn so possibly Hollywood will find itself under some new, restrictive governance or some new laws.

Scorpio is known for sex so maybe we will have a one-year backlash against all those dirty movies until Saturn enters Sagittarius and we don’t care for the next two years. In Capricorn, we’ll care again.

Will Hollywood, like Detroit and Orange County, go bankrupt? Difficult to imagine, but who knows. Maybe Hollywood has borrowed and hedged itself into a financial problem.

We’ll see. Whatever happens, I’ll ignore it in the news. To discover the truth these days, I wait ten or twenty years until it all passes and no one cares then watch the documentary.

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