Scorpio Mud Slinging: Not Just for Politicians

Posted on September 7, 2012 by ohioastrology

My 12th grade political science teacher told me all I think there is to know about politics. I quote Mr. Silverman:

“Politics is power and it’s all about whose ox is being gored.”

It’s funny how you can learn the truth so early in life yet search for years for answers, in this case, for political answers.

Sports and Political Fervor

As the US election nears, I’m seeing more political talk on my social media. Political fervor reminds me a lot of sports fervor, such as with American football.

If I’m watching, say, an Ohio State University game and happen to be an Ohio State University alumnus, it is assumed I am rooting for “my team,” the Buckeyes. If I root for, say, The University of Michigan Wolverines, I will get both angry stares and possibly hostile responses.

If I root for the Wolverines, no one will call me “open minded.” If I root for Ohio State University, no one will call me “narrow minded.”

Yet when we make our political choices, it’s like we’ve picked a sports team and the opposing team hates us by default. It’s important to remember in the US we usually have only two viable choices and many like neither but still exercise their right to vote.

You have to vote for someone, right?

Politics, of course, is far more important than sports. If I root for the Wolverines, no one is going to take away my right to a fair trial or cutoff my only form of sustenance during a Great Depression.

I’m starting to understand why the US elections are held in the sign of Scorpio and am feeling the current Mars in Scorpio transit and am beginning to dread, just a bit, Saturn’s two-year transit of Scorpio that begins on October 5.

Scorpio – Life and Death

Scorpio is a fixed water sign. Fixed means steady in behavior and belief. Water means emotion. The combination creates an emotionally intense, sensitive, never-forget-a-slight personality who treats most matters as ones of life and death. Scorpio understands the motivations of others and is always looking under the surface.

Scorpio loves and Scorpio hates. In response, Scorpios are often loved or hated.

Sound like politics?

When we love our sports team or our political party, any disagreement is like an insult to one’s child – the response is quick and hostile. You can insult a person much more easily than his or her child which brings out a visceral protective and emotional response.

Mars in Scorpio this month has heightened and brought out early the natural intensity of the US election process, what is often called “mud slinging.” It’s going to be a nasty one.

But who’s being nasty? We complain it’s the politicians but I fear we have our own inner mud to release and politics is simply the way to do this, much like how people watch horror movies to release fear.

But politics is real, you say!

I agree and there is a segment of the population that is always engaged in politics. But the discussion of abortion and attendant anger and hostility we have every four years for many will recede the second week of November as the election passes and the holiday season begins.

The election is like a fight in the middle of the school yard – you have to go look. And when you become a spectator, you become involved. You might even root for one of the fighters, yelling their name and shaking your fist.

Letting Go

When you love or hate something intensely, you create attachment.

The lesson for the intense Scorpio is letting go, in hatred for sure, but sometimes in love too. Letting go has a religious term which is called forgiveness. I think forgiveness is emphasized in religion as it releases a person from his or her own emotional prison. It may also help the object of resentment, too, but I think ultimately helps the person doing the forgiving.

When Scorpio doesn’t let go, it falls into a default mode of obsession – that’s what you get when you mix a fixed mode with a water element.

There’s a line from an episode The Big Bang Theory I enjoy which relates to this. The character Sheldon is obsessed with hatred for Wil Wheaton, who is on the opposing bowling team. Wil Wheaton points at Sheldon’s head and says that is where he, Wil Wheaton, is “living rent free.”

Our obsessions allow others to live “rent free” on our energy.

Two More Years

The Scorpio energy originating now will move from an aggressive form (Mars) to a more constricted form (Saturn) for the next two years.

Whoever wins will have to deal with an obsessed, possibly depressed but inevitably emotional environment. While this energy can’t tell me who will win the election, it feels a lot more like Mitt Romney, Pisces sun and Scorpio moon, than Barack Obama, Leo sun and Gemini moon.

The Mud Slinger in All of Us

Scorpio is a sign that likes to dig in the mud to see what it can find. That makes Scorpio the ultimate detective.

The US elections occur during Scorpio and seem to represent a time of digging into others’ mud as well as our own.

Don’t forget that the other event that occurs in Scorpio is Halloween, a holiday where we dress up as ghouls and goblins and knock on people’s door asking for candy.

Sounds a little like politics too, doesn’t it?

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Henry Rollins: Rebellion Times Two

Posted on September 4, 2012 by ohioastrology

What’s the most rebellious sign of the zodiac? For me, rebelliousness is independence with a bumper sticker. One of my votes for most independent sign goes to Aquarius (Sagittarius ranks high too).

What if you have both sun and moon in Aquarius?

That makes you independent to the point you might want to move to Uranus (the planet that rules Aquarius). I think it was Jeanne Avery who said of Aquarius that it’s the sign that says, “Stop the world and let me off.”

To Aquarius, the world is a nutty place. To the world, Aquarius is the weird one.

What do you think?

Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins, former lead singer of the band Black Flag, has sun and moon in Aquarius. His moon could be in Pisces, but his intensity suggests that he has a double dose of a fixed sign (Aquarius is fixed air).

[Painting by J. Gray]

What Rollins also has is the 1961 conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Capricorn. Folks with this aspect seem to sway toward 1) following the rules 100 percent or 2) not following the rules 100 percent.

Why?

Jupiter is social convention. Saturn represents the rules that uphold the convention. In Capricorn, these individuals grew up hearing, “This is how you SHOULD do things,” and “What will the neighbors think?”

In response, sensitive souls with sun in Cancer or Pisces might very well alter their lives to the liking of the neighbors. Those born under more rebellious signs, say Aquarius, smash the neighbors’ Halloween pumpkin and steal their lawn ornaments in response.

By the way, the band “Smashing Pumpkins” was formed by a man with the 1967 Uranus/Pluto opposite Saturn aspect – another “stick it to the man” formation in the skies.

Rollins has two planets in Aquarius and two in Capricorn; neither sign near what is called “emotional.” Rollins has some ideas for a better society and you ought to listen. If you don’t, he will simply repeat it for you – again and again.

But he’s not totally unemotional under those tattoos – Rollins also happens to have a grand water trine with Mars in Cancer, Neptune in Scorpio and Mercury in Pisces. He’s driven by emotions but swayed by logic and reason.

Venus in Aries is, for me, the image I most see when looking at a photo of Rollins – intense, physical, sexy aggression – the kind of aggression that separates the men from the boys.

Lastly we have Uranus in Leo and Pluto in Virgo. Pluto in Virgo came to clean up the planet, make us give up Styrofoam cups and is the Official Planetary Sponsor of hand sanitizer.

Uranus in Leo opposes Rollins’ sun in Aquarius adding a slightly quirky edge to an already weird and unique personality.

I wonder if Rollins is trying to get his ship to beam him off this crazy planet?

As Pluto transits Capricorn for the next 20 years, Rollins may find that the world finally knows what he’s been talking about his whole life.

Uranus transiting Aries is tromping on his love life – sudden changes will occur.

Neptune in Pisces is moving toward Rollins’ Mercury in Pisces making an already misunderstood person a little more obtuse. However, as Neptune continues in its own sign, more people will understand what Rollins is on about.

Oh, to be understood – finally!

Now the big question for Rollins – can he handle being understood? What do you do when people finally start to get it?

Posted in Musicians | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Astrology of Diamond Wedding Rings

Posted on September 4, 2012 by ohioastrology

This blog on “Venus Square Saturn: Love the Rock” made me think of diamond wedding rings. They represent, ostensibly, love, and they are also called “a rock” as in, look at that rock on her finger!

When you marry, in the United States, you complete paperwork and buy the female (in the  heterosexual version of marriage) a ring, for most a diamond ring. These two elements – wood (paper) and earth (rock) are what makes hanging out with another person and, maybe, having sex with them, into a Marriage.

I remember in the mini-series “Roots” the slaves jumping over a broom to make official the marriage. Brooms are wood.

The day before you get married and the day after are the same – you are two separate individuals. The marriage is in the commitment.

The ring and paperwork are symbols of the physical, spiritual and emotional commitment. Earth and wood are part of earth and the symbols of marriage relate to earth.

Really, you can’t make another person play by any rules unless you tie them to you physically with rope (i.e., the old ball and chain) or lock them in a room (as some do).

The rock, the diamond, represents the crystallization, the grounding, of the relationship into a marriage. The diamond represents making the intangible tangible.

What sign does that?

Saturn

Those beginning their study of astrology might learn that the planet Saturn was the ancient Great Malefic, creating burden, responsibility and duty. Just when you learned to dislike him, some astrologer comes by and tells you that without a strong Saturn connection between you and your loved one, marriage might never occur.

Saturn is the three-dimensional world of matter. Turning the feelings of two individuals into a “marriage” is Saturn.

Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn. Capricorn loves marriage in the same way it loves all rules and institutions military, political and religious in addition to Hoyle’s Rules of Games and Robert’s Rules of Order.

Venus is the planet that rules pleasure, which includes love, a great pleasure. When Venus is in Capricorn in a person’s chart, pleasure involves concrete, tangible items. In Capricorn (as opposed to the other earth signs of Taurus and Virgo), the tangible items ideally represent status and position.

Venus in Capricorn evokes for me the image of the diamond wedding ring.

When I saw the blog title, “Venus Square Saturn: Love the Rock,” I thought immediately of a diamond wedding ring. The blogger fears that Venus square Saturn will ruin the night’s date. Maybe the blogger will be surprised that the evening’s date might have a diamond ring attached, or a request for commitment. I’ll have to check in to see how Venus square Saturn played out.

Without Saturn, it’s just a date.

Posted in Planets and signs | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Tornado – America’s National Storm

Posted on September 3, 2012 by ohioastrology

At lunch the other day, my co-workers were talking about tornadoes and asking a European at the table about tornadoes in Europe. It seems there are few twisters on the Continent.

Are tornadoes uniquely American, I wondered?

My Google search revealed that tornadoes can occur anywhere in the world but the Continental United States has the majority although Bangladesh may have more per square mile and has had some of the worst. Who’d have thought that the United States and Bangladesh had anything in common?

The United States

The United States has sun in Cancer (water) and moon in Aquarius (air). Tornadoes, swirling wind, develop in “warm, most air.”

The Cancer is the warm, moist air and the Aquarius is the wind, the wind that can pick up your car and move it hundreds of feet away.

Aquarius is fixed air, the air of idealism and brotherhood. Swirling air seems more like Gemini, the sign some consider the rising sign for the July 4, 1776 chart. The U.S. does have Mars in Gemini.

Interestingly, current U.S. military intervention often begins (or is only) in the air, with military aircraft dropping bombs.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh was formed on March 26, 1971 when it split from Pakistan. That puts sun in Aries (fire) and moon in Pisces (water).

There’s not much air in the chart except for Uranus in Libra opposite the sun in Aries and Venus in Aquarius.

Fire and water together – what does that make?

Petroleum? This Wikipedia article calls it a “flammable liquid.” Sounds like fire and water to me. Bangladesh does have petroleum.

(I found this lovely fireplace site while searching).

In addition to tornadoes, Bangladesh seems to have its share of floods, cyclones and monsoons, all great water in the spirit of Pisces, the ocean.

Pisces seems to want to engulf Bangladesh.

The current square of transiting Pluto in Capricorn with Uranus in Aries is sitting right on top of Bangladesh’s sun in Aries square Mars in Capricorn.

Will there be another revolution in Bangladesh? Aries is independence and Capricorn self-reliance, but who would this country break away from at this time?

Or maybe Bangladesh will unite with another region for more Capricorn political authority. Will it join OPEC?

Brothers in Weather

The United States can add tornadoes to the list after apple pie as a cultural identifier. We have the most tornadoes.

Still, the United States and Bangladesh may be brothers in weather. The only difference is that Bangladesh carries the weight of so much destructive weather in a much smaller area. And would Bangladesh fight the United States for the rights to a National Storm?

Two countries – so different, so far apart, yet sharing the same weather. Who’d have thought?

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A Grand Earth Trine is Coming to the Democratic National Convention

Posted on September 2, 2012 by ohioastrology

By noon on Tuesday, the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, the moon will have moved into Taurus. And there it will stay until the end.

Moon in Taurus will trine sun and Mercury in Virgo and trine Pluto in Capricorn. You know what that means – grand earth trine. The trine is a little wide, yes, but still a lot of earth coming to the party.

Lots of earth, especially Taurus, should bode well for the Democratic Party because earth represents not just practical daily matters, but the “thing” we all seek – money.

Vice President Joe Biden, with sun in Scorpio and moon in Taurus, will probably be passing the hat around while his sun-in-Leo running mate stands on stage attracting the lights.

Biden is also having a Mars return (in Scorpio) so he will be unusually charismatic during this time. Biden will probably be doing the “work” of the convention, whatever that is (I really don’t know).

Mars in Scorpio is also conjunct Obama’s Neptune in Scorpio so I’m guessing these two will come dressed especially well and may even receive notice for how they look physically.

That’s what earth does – it notices the stain on the wall, the pimple on your face and dust bunnies in the corner. The details will be taken care of with sun in detail-oriented Virgo.

Jupiter transiting Gemini will be conjunct Obama’s moon and Biden’s Uranus/Saturn conjunction. Biden may want to speak more rather than passing the hat in dark corners and making sun-in-Scorpio promises for moon-in-Taurus money. Biden wants to speak but may be prevented from doing so.

Obama’s sun in Leo, moon in Gemini loves to talk and with Jupiter above in Gemini, Obama will talk until he drops. Leo loves attention and if you laugh at its jokes, it will continue telling the same joke until it’s not funny anymore. Succinct and concise are words not in the lexicon of a Leo/Gemini.

The other side of earth, besides the ability to earn money and accumulate goods, is stability. While many if not most of us seek stability, stability is, how shall we say it, a little boring?

Conventions, to me, are 100 percent boring, but boring like other adjectives is in the eye of the beholder.

The only “fun” or unexpected events come from Uranus in Aries, exactly square Pluto in Capricorn. Uranus in Aries brings headstrong, impulsive outbursts, of the fiery kind. This aspect has been occurring for a little while now and will create exact squares a few more times, I think.

Let’s see, what weather conditions involve lots of earth and a little fire or spark? Hmm. Maybe a volcano erupting? That’s a Uranus in Aries sudden explosion with lots and lots of earth.

Will a volcano erupt at the Democratic National Convention? Is Clint Eastwood coming?

Posted in 2012 Presidential Election | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Clint Eastwood – The Man Behind the “Cool”

Posted on September 1, 2012 by ohioastrology

Poor Mitt Romney. His week in the spotlight at the Republican National Convention was stolen by two tougher men – at the beginning by Isaac (as in the hurricane) and at the end by Clint (as in Eastwood, the actor).

It’s like Romney has middle child syndrome, ignored because his windy older brother demands attention and his capricious younger brother is more engaging.

The good news for Romney is that I saw my very first “Romney for President” bumper sticker, and it’s just September.

Clint Eastwood posters, on the other hand, are ubiquitous. Even if Eastwood ruffled a few feathers, he’s sold enough posters and bumper stickers for his entire lifetime.

Clint Eastwood

Eastwood’s speech at last week’s Republican National Convention has been labeled unscripted and improvised.

Makes sense – Eastwood is a Gemini sun with transiting Jupiter overhead. Eastwood is not worrying about his comments and his fans probably aren’t either. Jupiter is goodwill in addition to excess. With Gemini, excess often involves what Gemini rules – communication.

From some news stories, Eastwood’s ad-libbing caused embarrassment to the candidate and the party.

Maybe those that booked Eastwood thought he’d be more like the late Charleton Heston? Maybe they didn’t pay attention to the fact that Heston is a man who played Moses while Eastwood is a man who played Dirty Harry?

Heston has moon in Leo, according to the Astrotheme chart, which makes him love attention. If all Leo moons were actors, the world would be a better place. Acting is the perfect outlet for Leo moon’s love of attention, positive outgoing energy and general dramatics and passion.

I may also have confused Eastwood with Heston because I thought he was a Libra. While Leo moon is definitely attractive to the opposite sex, Eastwood has a certain ethereal quality that I think makes people see a character like Dirty Harry as a bedroom poster.

It may be Eastwood’s Neptune in Virgo square sun in Gemini that brings on that “cool” and ethereal quality. The fine features of Eastwood are probably in the realm of Virgo (rather than Aquarius or Libra). Neptune in Virgo is not its favorite place so Eastwood is not one to jump into the collective waters for a bath. He’s independent.

Natal Mars and Uranus in Aries speak to Eastwood’s outward projected and at times aggressive personality.

With so much air and fire, Eastwood is energetic, outgoing, assertive and aggressive, positive thinking and probably completely immune to any underlying emotional currents. Since he always jumps out of bed to greet the new day with a positive attitude, you should too.

I’m starting to see why he’s perceived as “cool.” This is a man who, with Mercury in Taurus, tells it like it is, has a positive attitude and doesn’t mope or dwell on the past.

That is kind of cool.

Romney’s Lesson

What’s interesting is Eastwood’s energy in relation to Romney’s energy. While Eastwood is outgoing, confident and could give a crap about what you think, Romney is sensitive and introverted (Pisces sun and Scorpio moon) with a tendency to dwell on the past and hold grudges. While Romney truly feels the pain of others (unlike Eastwood), leaders and heroes are born from confident and bold actions, not from listening to you on the other side of the confessional.

Maybe rather than being embarrassed by Eastwood, Romney might take a few lessons from him. When you reach out to others, you sometimes slip on a banana peel. Others will laugh and if you do too they just might love you for it.

For people to follow you, they must like you. To like you, they need to see something aspirational in you. Feeding the poor might be what religions tell us to do, but, unfortunately, it is not aspirational.

I wonder what would happen if Romney went on the Sunday morning shows, all by himself (without a wife or a Veep candidate next to him) and said he laughed his ass off at Eastwood’s speech?

Posted in 2012 Presidential Election, Actors | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Are the Gods Telling Us Not to Vote Republican?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by ohioastrology

The Chinese Mandate of Heaven described how the emperor had earned the right to rule. Ancillary to the mandate, there were signs that a ruler had “lost” the Mandate.

From About.com on Asian History:

“Signs that a particular ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven included peasant uprisings, invasions by foreign troops, drought, famine, floods and earthquakes.”

At this beginning of the Republican National Convention, a hurricane is blowing past, creating enough threat to convention-locale Tampa to disrupt the process yet moving toward New Orleans and taking all the news stories with it.

I must admit I feel sorry for Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential nominee. If you want a lesson on the dark or shadow side of Pisces it is this – Pisces is the last sign, the sacrificial goat and the victim. Sometimes stuff like this just seems to happen to Pisces and at other times Pisces seems the stand in the “Victim” line waiting for things to change.

If Romney wanted to convince me that President Obama had the ability to create weather patterns to perfectly disrupt the convention, I would believe him. It’s the perfect storm and confluence of events to ruin Romney’s moment in the spotlight. It’s like having Newt Gingrich back on the podium.

Or maybe it’s a message from the Gods not to vote Republican. I can’t quite decide . . .

Which Gods are Speaking?

The God Pluto passed over the moon yesterday to transform the convention. Pluto is evolution so the convention will evolve from its planned state to a state where it responds to the environment.

Pluto was conjunct moon in Capricorn on August 27, never a fun time. Storms and earthquakes were the news (as well as a little fighting in Syria).

The good news is that today (August 28) the moon moves into Aquarius. Brotherly love will prevail. While I wouldn’t call Aquarius emotional, the one-day delay may release some very sincere demonstrations of sharing and communing.

Yes, communing. That’s what Aquarius does.

The two-day Age of Aquarius will last through Wednesday.

Romney may want to listen to the voice of his own God Neptune (ruler of Pisces) and hold off on any speech until magical Thursday when the moon is conjunct Neptune (although he must watch out for the void of course moon which is described well on this site).

With the God Neptune involved, Romney can share his pain and he might be advised to do just that. Sensitivity is the order of the day, not toughness. I know, I know, act sensitive and they might call you a wimp. Dramatic Leo Bill Clinton cried with the masses (and was believed), so Romney could take some lessons from a pro.

Are the Gods Telling Us Not to Vote Republican?

Hmm. I’d love to say, “Yes,” but I think the gods are telling Republicans to transform ideas of what the convention should be.

Pluto over the moon might be saying, “Dumb rigid rules, I’m getting rid of them.” Neptune will then come around to gather the dust and arrange it into an etheric and emotional whole.

At the end of the convention, I’m imaging there may be talk like “this is the best thing that could have happened to us.” The Aquarius moon will bring the ideas together and Pisces moon will forge emotional connectedness.

Posted in 2012 Presidential Election | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

The Journey to Neptune is Through the Self

Posted on August 27, 2012 by ohioastrology

Pluto, if you consider it a planet, is technically the farthest planet from the sun. Because Pluto’s orbit is elliptical, Neptune sometimes is farther.

In astrological symbolism, the planets from Mercury to Saturn are the inner planets and Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are the outer planets.

Personal Self

The personal self, the one we see in the mirror, is a sun, moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars phenomenon.

The sun is the conscious self, the moon the reactive self. Mercury is how we communicate, Venus where we find pleasure and Mars how we assert ourselves (in defense of the sun).

This is the self you identify with first – I like chocolate ice cream, I’m Irish, I’m a good dancer, I’m different than others.

Social Self

After Mars comes Jupiter and Saturn, which is where we learn that we have to share our toys. Why?

We share the planet with others. In order not to run into each other at intersections and kill others just because they get in our way, we create moral and physical rules for our society.

The Jupiter rule is that I don’t run through red lights because I might kill someone and killing others is bad. Saturn is the red light that enforces the rule.

Jupiter and Saturn describe how we play with others in our social sphere. Do we organize our society around religious or intellectual ideas? Do we ban rule breakers or confine them in a prison?

Jupiter brings the teachers and religious and spiritual leaders and Saturn brings the authority figures like military leaders, political leaders and cops.

Sometimes Jupiter and Saturn trade places – the priest acts more like a cop than a teacher (and metes out punishment) and the cop comes to the community to help the people (sharing in their community, not just patrolling it).

At one time, Saturn was the last known planet. Saturn, authority and boundary, was the limit. The limit was the limit.

Beyond the Self

Uranus begins, with lightning shock, where we disembark from the social order. As such, Uranus is unsettling and is felt by the personal and social selves to be anarchy.

How can we live with others if we don’t share beliefs and rules?

Too strong a dose of Uranus can affect one’s ability to adapt on earth. A small dose of lightning provides insight and a large dose electrocutes.

After Uranus cracks us open electrically, we face Neptune and Pluto.

Neptune is merging with all that is and Pluto is transformation. Which comes first?

Merging and transforming may change places occasionally in the solar system because they are a cycle. Our sun will blow up one day and die, just as the self will die. After it explodes, its remnants become cosmic dust and form new planets, solar systems and selves.

Energy can’t be destroyed, I hear.

How does one travel safely to Neptune?

Turning into cosmic dust and becoming a new star is a bit threatening to the self. It’s because the self doesn’t always see itself as cosmic dust, a bunch of molecules spinning in space, but holds onto the image of the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Travel to Neptune involves passing through the orbits of all the inner planets and Uranus. If you make it that far, the sun is but a speck, another little dot in a sky filled with dots.

While packing for your trip to to Neptune, don’t forget to bring a nice bottle of wine to open when you get there.

Posted in Meditation, Planets and signs | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

War with Iran?

Posted on August 26, 2012 by ohioastrology

Having watched the election process more closely than ever before, especially the Republican debates, I’m now convinced that much of what is called “news” is actually a deliberate attempt to define the national dialogue.

When you go to a party and meet someone new, a subject arises. It might be based on the party theme, the people you know in common, a recent sports event, the weather – something. The conversation has a beginning focal point before it bounces around like a linked Wikipedia article.

If the person you meet mentions they recently went to Las Vegas, you respond by talking about your own trip to Vegas, slot machines, gambling in general and maybe the Nevada desert. You normally don’t respond by talking about the strawberry shortcake you baked last summer. You go with the flow of the topic (if you are anything close to a conversationalist).

Watching the Republican debates and now listening to Republican candidate Mitt Romney in the news, I’m convinced one of the topics that the Republicans, at least, are trying to make familiar and a topic of dialogue is war with Iran. The topic has arisen and now we respond.

Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers (thanks to whom?) and have great tension. Why is this never in the news? And what’s up with North and South Korea? Hey, aren’t mainland China and Taiwan in some type of eternal stalemate?

Iranian Spring

The birthdate of Iran as an Islamic Republic is April 1, 1979. The sun was in Aries (fire), moon in Gemini (air). Aries and Gemini are nothing if not expressive – talkative and outgoing.

Most of the planets in the April 1, 1979 chart are undergoing the aspects of conjunction or opposition.

The planet Uranus is now in Aries and will be exactly conjunct Iran’s sun in May 2013. Expect sudden changes to the identity of Iran with impulsive outbursts. That’s what an Aries would do and that’s what Iran did in April, 1979. It may occur again next spring for another round of “Arab Spring,” this time as “Iranian Spring” as Iranians are not Arabs.

Pluto transiting Capricorn will be in square to Uranus at that time, adding economic tension to an already explosive situation. Capricorn is the voice of authority and Pluto is transformation, of the rug-pulled-from-under-you kind. Will Iran challenge authority or will authority challenge Iran? As Capricorn is structure, maybe new embargoes are on the way in an effort to dissemble Iran’s current structure.

Jupiter is in Gemini and recently conjunct Iran’s moon in Gemini. Gemini is the twins so maybe Jupiter has created more differentiated factions. Gemini is also good fun so it might be a light, fun time in the country of open dialogue and festivals or other community events.

In July 2014, Jupiter will return to its natal place in Iran’s horoscope – at 29 degrees of Cancer. Cancer is about family, home and hearth. Iran may become home and nurturer to refugees or have an influx of returning natives.

As Cancer is a water sign, excessive rain or floods may occur. It’s an auspicious time for agriculture.

Saturn is still transiting Libra and will move into Scorpio at the beginning of October. Saturn was conjunct Iran’s Pluto in Libra at the end of last year. Saturn conjunct Pluto is a nasty combination, creating great discord with others, regardless of sign. In Libra, the sign of partnership, Iran may have broken a major partnership with another country.

The conjunction has passed so the worst is over for Iran in relation to that partnership. The pressure is off as Saturn takes over a year to move onto Iran’s Uranus in Scorpio. Around January 2014, Saturn conjunct Uranus may see a sudden change to financing from others.

Embargo or sanction again comes to mind.

Neptune is transiting the early degrees of Pisces, conjunct natal Venus in Pisces. It will take about eight years for Neptune to transit Iran’s Mars and Mercury in Pisces which are at 25-27 degrees.

Neptune on Venus will bring an aura of mystery to the country. Like Iraq, Iran is home to some of our earliest, continuous Western civilizations. Iran’s other name, Persia, may come more into vogue. “Persia” is exotic and ancient while “Iran” is a modern political name that Americans were taught to dislike in the 1980s.

Tell someone you have a Persian rug and tell someone else that you have an Iranian rug and see which receives more oohs and aahs.

Branding and advertising are quite Neptunian. Neptune is what makes a pair of tennis shoes into Nikes.

Persian Dialogue

I’m expecting by next spring Iran will be in the American news much more often. In advance of that dialogue, maybe we can all brush up on our knowledge of ancient and modern Persian culture.

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=aa65

http://www.slideshare.net/guest17283/ancient-persia-presentation

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/293595/ancient-Iranian-religion

Posted in Nations / States / Institutions | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Akin Report

Posted on August 23, 2012 by ohioastrology

Satire is dead. How can one satirize the news when it’s ridiculous in its natural state?

The Colbert Report and regular news are converging at a fast pace. When Colbert says he’s running for an office, is it truly satire? Al Franken made the leap from satire to politics and I’m guessing Colbert may also have real dreams of being in politics.

For that reason, I was avoiding the Todd Akin news story. In case you haven’t heard, Akin is a Missouri Congressman who said recently in an interview (link from the New York Times) about rape and abortion:

“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Mr. Akin said of pregnancies from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”

Even though I hadn’t planned to blog on Akin, I was curious to check out his background and know if he had a wife and some knowledge of female anatomy.

Trying to keep an open mind, I also entertained the idea that Akin might have a magical, mysterious method for women to “shut that whole thing down” and avoid pregnancy.

Think of how the world would change if women could do that!

I got a little lost imagining a world where women could block pregnancy (without contraceptives). Back to the blog, and to reality.

Todd Akin

Akin’s chart has water (sun and Mercury in Cancer, Jupiter in Scorpio) and a grand air trine (moon in Aquarius, Mars/Uranus/Venus in Gemini, Neptune in Libra) and a dash of fire (Saturn and Pluto in Leo).

What lacks in Akin’s chart is earth. Lack of earth means lack of grounding, practicality and connection to the body.

With the abundance of Cancer and Gemini, Akin is actually a moody and changeable personality. He’s by turns loving and aloof, next to you one minute then across the room the next.

Cancer is generally a loving and nostalgic sign, concerned with belonging. As such, it rules mothering and family and home. Moon in Aquarius is much more aloof but seeks group involvement. The moon could possibly be in Capricorn which has a similarity to Aquarius. Both are unemotional, but Aquarius seeks groups while Capricorn seeks authority and rules.

Whether he has Cancer-Capricorn or Cancer-Aquarius energy, Akin needs to belong.

As I wonder if Akin truly believes what he said, I’m guessing he was simply playing politics, trying to support the team he belongs to by not giving in to rape questions when defending the belief that there should be no abortions.

There are no stupid questions

When you take a class, the teacher often says that there are no stupid questions, that the question you have is also in someone else’s mind.

I believe, too, that what Akin said is probably in someone else’s mind. And if Akin is trying to feel part of the gang, his belief is probably in many more minds.

Rather than trying to get Akin to shut up and go away, I think we should let him be. One reason is that we all harbor beliefs that others find stupid and/or erroneous (which is why we have this “free speech” idea).

The second reason is that for those of us who find his statement outrageous, it might be important to see who else shares this belief.

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