Kate Middleton – Another Capricorn Transformation

Posted on April 22, 2011 by ohioastrology

As Pluto transits Capricorn, we will experience transformation in the Capricorn area of our charts. If our sun is in Capricorn, transformation to the basic conscious self will be occurring. Mel Gibson & Tiger Woods have started this transformation – of their public images. I planned to write about another Capricorn loss of control with Nicholas Cage, but happened upon the fact that Kate Middleton, soon-to-be wife of Prince William is a Capricorn sun.

Middleton was recently one of the six billion people walking the earth that we don’t know about. After she marries, she will be the embodiment of an historical myth – royalty. Sounds like a Pluto transformation to me. To some it might sound wonderful. To me personally, it’s a burden I would never, ever want to carry.

Middleton has sun in ambitious Capricorn and the moon in the opposite home-loving sign of Cancer. Royalty does sound like a perfect fit to this conflict – a big family that can further one’s ambitions, if needed. Prince William is a Cancer sun / Cancer moon combination, so family life and belonging is the motivating factor in his personality. Kate, with sun in Capricorn, is the stronger personality in this pair.

Prince William’s sun/moon in Cancer square Mars in Libra. If 9:03 pm is the correct birth time, he has a Sagittarius rising. Ultimately he is a people pleaser. Sun/moon in the 7th house and quite a bit in the 10th suggest he loves socializing and being popular. He will not be the person in this marriage to tell the domestic help that the silver needs polishing.

Capricorn would prefer respect over being liked, although Middleton has some conflicts there as well. My guess is that she will end up being the true power broker while trying to maintain a positive public image. As a woman I am biased that this straddling can be more difficult for women than men. I suspect when Middleton is tough, she will receive critical response. The Capricorn in her can respond quite pointedly, but the moon in Cancer and Mars in Libra will tone it down or, if the Capricorn comes out, will feel guilty and apologize.

Comparing the charts, I think Prince William wants a strong personality to be his public face. That is the area I see the greatest conflict in the marriage. Good cop, bad cop with William saying the nice things. That only leaves one person to report that, really, there is a problem here . . .

Middleton and Prince William are only six months apart in age (she is older) so their outer planets are in the same signs representing that shared generation. Pluto recently passed over their mutual Neptune in Sagittarius suggesting that any illusions they had about each other and life in general have passed.  I think they are going into this marriage as clear headed as they can be. I also wonder if that Sagittarius energy didn’t make them think they could get married and move somewhere else . . . escape it all in some way . . .

If nothing else, I suspect they will have a little hideaway, as the sign of Cancer needs a protective shell, a place to retreat.

Both Middleton and Prince William are experiencing their Saturn returns. Saturn has a 28-year cycle and represents “settling down.” Saturn, owner of responsibility, makes us realize when we are 28-30 that there are limits, that we are mortal and makes us wonder what we are accomplishing in this life. While you are in school, you are told you can be anything. Out in the world at age 30, you realize there are limits to what you will accomplish.

Saturn’s return for these two is in the sign of Libra. Libra is the sign of partnership. That position natally indicates there is an insecurity about relationships. There may be a lot of wondering, “Does this person really like me?” The Saturn return means there is some lightening up of this insecurity. Both Middleton and Prince William are overcoming the feeling of “not being liked” and are accepting each other’s offer to be life partners.

Kate’s Mercury and Venus are in Aquarius. Aquarius is the sign of humanity so Middleton may continue her deceased mother-in-law’s work with groups of people with unique needs.

Good luck to Middleton in this ambitious life undertaking. Marriage itself is challenge enough. Adding the will of the people to this personal union is a challenge few of us can understand.

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Neptune in Pisces

Posted on April 15, 2011 by ohioastrology

Neptune has just entered Pisces, the sign that it rules. Neptune is an outer planet like Uranus and Pluto and represents a generation, “the times.”  For example, the “me” generation has Pluto in Leo (born 1940-1958). The Neptune in Libra generation, who I call the “make love, not war” generation, were born 1943-1955 and grew up in the late 1960s. Uranus represents what is invented or discovered, Neptune what is idealized or worshipped and Pluto what is being destroyed and transformed.

What have we been idealizing?  And what will we idealize?

Neptune is leaving the sign of Aquarius (1996-2011). Aquarius rules brotherhood, groups, originality and individuality. Although Aquarius loves groups, it is not an emotional sign. It is more interested in the ideals of society than in nursing souls. You see Pisces serving soup at the homeless shelter. Aquarius will be in an office raising awareness of the need for the shelter, and maybe even raising funds. Being inventive I see Aquarius as interested in technology, technology being an impersonal bettering of our lives.

Writing about Aquarius, I think of Facebook, the impersonal, detached “friending” of everyone we know. I formally brand Neptune in Aquarius the “Facebook generation.”  We have idealized technology and have used technology to join us in a society that is not as community-based as it once was. With Facebook, I do get more birthday greetings than ever, but fewer and fewer cards and phone calls (and the same with me to others). It’s much easier to keep in touch, but not as personal.

Prior to Neptune in Aquarius, Neptune was in Capricorn from 1984-1997. What happened then?  I heard one astrologer (I can’t remember who) call it “the idealization of greed.”  This brought in the dot.com bubble, the lead-up to the housing bubble, and complicated financial transactions such as securitizations that ultimately contracted around 2006-2007. Read about Enron in its heyday and the complicated, misleading financial transactions they created to mimic true cash flow. Enron is Neptune in Capricorn.

Neptune in Pisces is the idealization of spirituality itself. There is so much religion around me, I can’t imagine more. But I see a rise in what was called in the past “spiritualism.”  According to Wikipedia, spiritualism’s rise was 1840s-1920s. Neptune coincidentally was discovered in 1846.

On the positive side, Pisces is empathic and I imagine we will start to truly feel each other’s pain. American awareness of where consumer goods originate seems to be growing and Americans are ever more concerned that the products they buy do not hurt others either in their manufacture or distribution. That is one aspect of Piscean empathy – when I drink my cup of tea, I can feel what this means to the people on the other side of the world who grow the tea, harvest the tea and send it to my local grocery store. I think we will be helping each other more, not just with checks in the mail, but in personal ways.

On the negative side, Pisces is a believer, and is vulnerable to being manipulated by others. Religious and spiritual beliefs, to me, are the core of our being. In our world of commerce, people want to sell to all inner needs, including this one. And some simply want to use it to gain power over others. This is a regular challenge of life – being open while also protecting the self. I believe in the idea of possession, but not as ghosts or evils spirits inhabiting an individual. I believe it is the living who cause damage to the living, the living that “possess” the living. Possession is sometimes called “the inner . . .” such as the inner mother or inner father, etc.

All three outer planets have recently changed signs:  Uranus entered Aries, Neptune entered Pisces and Pluto entered Capricorn. Together I imagine:  discovery of self while idealizing the spirit and transforming the structures of society. Sounds fascinating. What an incredible time to be alive!

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Sherrod Brown – Don’t Ignore This Sleeping Lion

Posted on April 8, 2011 by ohioastrology

I almost forgot about Sherrod Brown, Ohio’s Democratic Senator. If Brown cared about this blog (which I’m sure he doesn’t), he would be offended. With a sun in Scorpio and moon in Leo, this is not a person to ignore. Or slight. Or suggest is “only human.”  The two fixed signs of Scorpio and Leo are very strong signs, filled with themselves. I have to admit there is probably good reason to think well of yourself with this sun and moon – Brown probably does have the energy of a few people inside one body.

Leo moon needs attention, adoration and respect. Scorpio sun does as well, but would never admit it. My experience of Leo moon is that it is practically insatiable with need for attention.  Did I mention that you can’t ignore Brown?

Jupiter is in T-square to the sun and moon, adding to Brown’s strong personality. He is so strong, in fact, that he is excessively stubborn. He will not change ideas quickly, but, if he does, will appear to have held that new view for a lifetime.

Good news for Brown is that American voters love, love, love fixed signs in office. Americans love a politician who holds clear, digestible views and does not waver. If Brown wants to move into national politics, which I’m guessing he does, he will probably find success.

Mars in Capricorn adds yet again to Brown’s strength and ambition, and adds a calculating aspect to his personality. Moon in Leo and sun in Scorpio can be very passionate and loving, but when they’re not, they are as cold as ice floes in the Antarctic. When Brown doesn’t like you, just go away. There is nothing you can do to change the situation.

A relief from this intensity comes from Mercury and Venus in Sagittarius. Brown’s love interests are able to provide him carefree fun and give him a break from his serious mission called “life.”  His Venus suggests that his mate is levity where he is gravity.

Brown most likely will get along well with Governor John Kasich who has sun in Taurus and moon in Capricorn. Both have stubborn, dogged persistence although Brown might have more insight into the motivations of others than Kasich does. These two will probably either completely agree or completely disagree with each other – neither will compromise. But they can co-exist well.

Right now transiting Saturn in Capricorn is probably causing Brown some frustration in ideals. It will pass by the end of 2012. As Pluto transits Brown’s natal ambitious Mars in Capricorn 2017-2018, if Brown is thinking national politics, this is when he will strike. The one area of politics in which Brown needs to continually adapt is frustration. It will always be there, others will never agree with you 100 percent, no matter how passionate your beliefs. Brown’s frustration threshold is low and others may not believe the obstacles are as great as Brown believes. Moon in Leo, sun in Scorpio is dramatic. It’s really not that bad.

I look forward to seeing this lion emerge from his den and take on national politics, if that is what he is thinking. Brown’s strength and fortitude will serve him well with the American public.

Posted in Politicians - Ohio | Tagged | 1 Comment

Jim Tressel

Posted on April 4, 2011 by ohioastrology

Jim Tressel is going to sit out five games of the 2011 OSU football season for violating NCAA rules by not reporting some players who were selling memorabilia. Tressel can watch the games at my place, if he wants. I will even buy him beer and snacks.

Not a big fan of football, I don’t really care about this terrible “transgression.” But rules are rules, so I do understand that Tressel must be punished. So what motivated him to hide this breaking of the rules?

Tressel has sun in Sagittarius and moon in Cancer. Sagittarius is a freedom-loving fire sign and Cancer is a home-loving sensitive water sign. My first guess on Tressel’s actions is that like me, someone who just doesn’t care about sports, the transgression doesn’t seem all that important. Sagittarius sun gives lots of license to others because Sagittarius is not very fond of restraints. The moon in Cancer signifies that Tressel has an emotional need for family and mothering. Tressel probably considers the football team his family. If you were a police officer and saw your beloved grandmother running a red light, would you give her a ticket? Or would you turn your head the other way?

We are all different. Some of us would give grandma a ticket (I wouldn’t) and some of us would. Tressel probably wouldn’t.

Tressel’s chart has quite a few conflicts, but enough checks and balances that his overall personality can remain balanced. The strongest conflict is a cardinal T cross with the moon in Cancer opposite Venus in Capricorn squaring a Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Libra.

The Saturn/Neptune conjunction is generational – the transit takes years to pass so it represents the trends, images and events of a generation. The conjunction in Libra suggests that relationships during this time were going through both spiritualization and restriction. I have always wondered about the images from the 1950s where women supposedly didn’t like sex. That would be the only 10 years in the last 10,000 where women weren’t actively involved in sexual attraction. But the images of the 1950s still prevail, for some odd reason. Those in the 1950s and born during the 1950s must feel that they grew up in an age where they were supposed to be pure like Doris Day and feel wrong and/or bad for not living up to this standard.

Venus in Capricorn suggests that while Tressel is open (Sagittarius) and loving (Cancer) to those around him, he is really quite selective about his inner circle. Tressel likes to hang with people of influence, people of authority and people respected in society.

Mars in Aquarius trine sun in Sagittarius draws Tressel to unique and unusual individuals. While Venus in Capricorn likes to dine with bigwigs, his Mars and sun draw him to interesting, quirky people.

I see Tressel as a man who has several spheres of friendships and relationships, none of which overlap. The weirdos, the family and the society. Which does Tressel like best, I wonder?  Because of the aspects of his chart, he is able to balance these different aspects of his personality and the different people they attract.

Another thing about Sagittarius – it is a gambler and risk taker. Sagittarius leaps before it looks so is often in accidents or unusual situations. This is probably not the first sticky situation Tressel has encountered in his life.

Jupiter in Taurus suggests that Tressel enjoys material comforts and also has always had material wealth. Moon in Cancer is a hoarder as well. While he might have some Sagittarian love of gambling, he probably always keeps a buffer of cash.

Rules are rules, I know and Tressel must be punished. Even if you wouldn’t give your grandma a speeding ticket, you know that, if caught, you will have to account for your actions. I’m guessing Tressel has often looked the other way in his life, but this time got caught.

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Uranus in Aries

Posted on March 29, 2011 by ohioastrology

An earthquake in Japan.  A nuclear plant leaking radiation.  Civil unrest in the lands of oil.  Welcome to Uranus in Aries.  Now you’re thinking, “Another astrologer predicts terrible events.  That’s why I hate this stuff.”  I get it.  But remember, the energy of the planets and signs is not “good” or “bad.”  It is what it is.  If you’re going to play with nuclear energy, you’d better be very, very careful.  And if the ground under your nuclear plant is unstable, you might want to think twice about what you’re doing.  Uranus in Aries did not bring bad things to Japan.  Japan and other nations are playing with energy that is very potent.  The half-life of some of man’s radioactive waste is up to two million years!  No planet or sign is responsible for this – man is.  The transits of the planets represent energies acting on what currently exists.  Nuclear plants in earthquake zones currently exist.  Uranus in Aries is simply saying, what if I throw a sudden spark of Arian energy on that situation?  Then what?

Uranus is the planet of awakening, sudden awakening.  That awakening is moving into a fire sign saying the awakening will come through fiery energy, in impulsive and rash bursts.  As I say again and again, this energy is in all of our charts depending on our particular time of birth.  Uranus in Aries is transiting your chart.  Where will you have sudden bursts of awakening?  Have you built a nuclear reactor on a fault line in your life precipitating a dangerous “accident?”  Or did you decide in the past to either build your nuclear reactor on stable ground or not build it at all?  You, then, will not be facing this dangerous situation.  Make sense?

Let’s take a look at Uranus in Aries in the charts of Ohio politicians and see how sudden, fiery energy will affect their planets.  I don’t have the full horoscope for our Ohio politicos, so can talk only about the planetary aspects.  I won’t know there “where” of the transit, such as “love life” or “home life” or “career.”

John Kasich, Governor – This transit will affect his communications.  Kasich has already shown a tendency toward impulsive speech and it will probably get worse.  The impulsive speech will arise from a sense of frustration.  In the coming years, I see outright distortion of information, probably, again, from very frustrating circumstances.

John Boehner, Speaker of the House – This transit will affect his love and home life.  The public/private tensions will increase.

 Frank Jackson, Mayor of Cleveland – This transit will have multiple effects on this complicated man.  Like Kasich, who shares a moon in Capricorn, there will be frustrations in person relations, especially with women.  But the transit also provides some freedom and relief from Jackson’s sense that his early life was not fair.  Jackson will also have unexpected sudden recognition for things accomplished in the past.

Michael Coleman, Mayor of Columbus – This transit does not affect Coleman as strongly as his fellow Ohio politicians.  I think Coleman will stand back and wonder why those around him seem so crazy and out of control. 

Mark Mallory, Mayor of Cincinnati – This transit will energize Mallory.  Mallory will be filled with buzzing energy that makes him try new things and leap into the unknown.  Mallory will have the energy to accomplish his missions, no matter how outlandish.

Kasich, Jackson and Boehner all have aspects involving the moon which represents emotions and women.  This common thread makes me wonder if there will be a female politician or power broker involved in the lives of all three in the coming years.

To see where sudden, fiery, awakenings will occur in your life, contact your local astrologer.

Posted in Planets and signs, Politicians - Ohio | Tagged , | 2 Comments

A Tale of Two Capricorns: Tiger Woods and Mel Gibson

Posted on March 23, 2011 by ohioastrology

As you are now aware, having assiduously kept up with this blog, Pluto is transiting Capricorn. Our horoscopes contain all signs of the zodiac so we all have Pluto transiting a particular house in our charts. If you are a sun sign Capricorn, you will have Pluto transiting your sun at some point in the next 20 years.  Pluto, the great destroyer and transformer, will be challenging your Capricorn traits – practicality, responsibility, reputation, serious mindedness, rigidity, authoritarianism. Two famous Capricorns have already taken the hit – Tiger Woods and Mel Gibson.

The astrological key phrase for Capricorn is “I use.” Capricorn likes to make use of the world, to be productive, to accomplish something. Capricorn is related to authority and ambition and loves being on the top of the organization chart. The ultimate desire of Capricorn is to be respected.   Capricorn wants an old-fashioned “good reputation.” When Pluto comes a knockin’, all that will be challenged.

Tiger Woods and Mel Gibson both have Sun in Capricorn. They share ambition to be top dog, top-of-the- ladder authority figures.  Congratulations to both on making it. That’s nothing to sneeze at.  How to remain top dog is the current challenge for both men.

Gibson’s natal moon is in Virgo, Woods’ is in Sagittarius. Gibson is much more serious than Woods.  Woods’ moon is Sagittarius is the same moon placement as Charlie Sheen. Both are living it up, but at the expense of their practical, earthy sun signs.

While it was recently revealed that Woods was having extramarital affairs, astrologically his big transformation with women came back around 2000 when Pluto was transiting his moon. My guess is that something very disillusioning happened in a romantic relationship at that time.  Woods’ natal Neptune is conjunct moon suggesting a great idealization of women. He probably idealized someone to the point where that person fell from grace. Woods is a Capricorn, so at some point he got critical and noticed his goddess was just a mortal woman.

Pluto is a planet with a very long cycle. It doesn’t show up in your chart one day and bring new trouble. The transformations you experience under a Pluto transit are the result of build-up and break-down of the energies and patterns of all the planetary cycles in your chart. Your inner development affects how this transit will manifest.  Woods’ current fall from grace appears to have happened off-TV several years ago. Pluto has simply said, “By the way, Mr. Woods, it’s time to get that situation out of your system.” The Woods we are viewing now is the Woods that has existed for some time.  Woods’ hasn’t changed; Pluto simply said that it’s time to review that pattern.  Because Woods is famous, we get to experience this with him.

Gibson should have an easier time during this transit, although Pluto is also exposing elements of his past. Gibson, with moon in Virgo, is actually a great worrier. I’m guessing the angry outbursts are a result of excessive worry and fear of losing control. Capricorn hates to lose control.

Gibson has Mars and Saturn conjunct in Scorpio. Natal Pluto in Leo squares this volatile conjunction.  While Capricorn is not always known to be a “nice” sign and Virgo is critical and discriminating, this conjunction in Scorpio adds to a general nastiness. Sexual politics are rife with this configuration. As with Woods, the effects of the Pluto transit did not occur in a void.  Pluto is razing issues not resolved. For Gibson, there are sexual control issues stemming from the early 1990s.The early 1980s was advent of a new sexual disease – AIDS. Those sowing their wild oats in the 1980s had a great black cloud looming over their sexual adventures. For hyper-married Gibson, there may have been great changes in his marital sexual relationship at that time. He may not be affected with a communicable disease, but he caught something at that time, something that is unresolved today.  Pluto makes a sextile to that Scorpio energy so I believe Gibson will resolve this conflict peacefully.  If he weren’t famous, maybe he would not have gotten drunk and had hissy fits in public. Gibson’s isn’t a chart of drinking; it’s a chart of extreme criticism. I’m sure he’s as hard on himself as he is on those people he lambastes.  Drinking is probably a means to simply relax that worrying, nagging mind.

The moral of the story is that Pluto pulls out the weeds of your life and throws them on the ground in front of you. If you’ve consistently plucked your weeds and kept your soil nourished, you should be okay in the Capricorn area of your chart. If you have not, Pluto will clean the soil for you (no thanks necessary) to allow you to grow your next batch of flowers and vegetables without toxins.

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Lindsay Lohan: Tough Girl?

Posted on March 21, 2011 by ohioastrology

Remember this about your Sun in Cancer friends who act tough and talk rough:  your friend is hiding. Cancer is a very sensitive water sign and I regularly find Cancers who hide this behind an exterior of toughness. I wouldn’t suggest they do otherwise. If a sensitive gazelle stops to smell the flowers and help a beetle across the road, it will probably get eaten by a lion. Sensitivity needs protection just like your skin needs clothing and sunscreen.

Not all Cancers, of course, hide behind toughness. Some just hide in their homes, probably in the kitchen. When Cancer is threatened, it retreats. Just watch a crab on the beach. You walk past and it darts into a shell. Don’t knock on the shell; it will do no good. The crab will only emerge when you are gone and it feels safe.

Lindsay Lohan has Sun in Cancer and seems to be putting on the tough act. Her moon is in Taurus, which is a strong, grounded earth sign. The combination suggests a love of home and hearth, inviting friends and family to share a home-cooked meal. This actress who wants to play Linda Lovelace probably doesn’t want to be seen as a woman who could be very happy as a wife and mother. The moon in Taurus is a very sensual placement that enjoys physical life, from being touched to eating food. Taurus is materialistic in a positive sense meaning it truly gets enjoyment from the physical aspects of life.  Materialism gone bad is when we buy things in a hope to get more than material pleasure such as status, respect, love, etc.

Lohan’s Mars in Capricorn opposes the Sun in Cancer which suggests that raw ambition is also part of Lohan’s personality, but in conflict with a desire for a more peaceful life of cooperation and belonging. Because Mars is in opposition, it suggests that others in her life are pushing her to be ambitious (her mother?). This opposition probably causes Lohan grief because other parts of her personality (Sun and Moon) do want to maintain peace with others. Her own ambition must make her feel guilty.

Why the drug use?

Drug and alcohol abuse is commonly associated with water signs and Neptune.  Cancer is a water sign, but I believe Lohan’s drug use stems from a lack of meaning in life and an inability to see problems from a detached and imaginative point of view.

First, Lohan’s chart lacks air (rising sign is not known).  Air is about socializing and communicating and is known for its detachment which allows air to move to new experiences.  Secondly, Saturn in Sagittarius suggests that Lohan does not see the bigger picture, the meaning, of life situations.  And third, Moon in Taurus can be quite literal, sometimes lacking an imaginative approach to life.

For all her fame, I sense the Lohan just doesn’t find any meaning in it and finds it boring.  I think the drug use stems from a desire to relieve the boredom.  I don’t think, with her lack of air, that she will ever find a compulsive social life meaningful.  Her chart suggests that meaning will be found in home, family and what are called “simple pleasures,” such as planting a flower.

If Lohan does engage some sort of spirituality, it will probably be an established religion.  Neptune in Capricorn suggests her spirituality is found in an established, older religion.  Maybe she will follow Madonna into Judaism.

As a sun in Cancer, Lohan needs to find her roots and a place to belong.  I don’t think that prison is where she belongs.  I hope she looks for the meaning of her life a little closer to home.

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Bedknobs and Broomsticks: Gemini and Sagittarius

Posted on March 20, 2011 by ohioastrology

Years ago while watching Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, I wondered how this very light story with corny special effects could have become so popular. The boy gets the princess – how many times have we seen that?  Why do people want to watch the same story over and over again, I wondered?  Later, I discovered the answer.  Through my study of astrology I began to understand archetypes. Star Wars was popular for the very reason I thought it should be unpopular – it’s an archetypal story that we do want to see over and over again. Star Wars is another version of the hero quest. Had I understood that the hero quest involves sons and fathers, I would have known immediately that Darth Vader would be more than simply a disgruntled old curmudgeon in a black mask. The hero quest involves us in the energies of courage and becoming ourselves and we like it whether in Star Wars or The Lion King.

Now when I view popular movies and TV shows, I look for the archetypes. The four characters in Sex and the City can fit into the mutable cross:  Carrie is Gemini the writer, Samantha is Sagittarius the independent crusader, Charlotte is Pisces, the empathetic art lover and Miranda is Virgo, the discriminating critic. Whether a writer cares one whit about astrology, there is still a need for balancing characters in a story that provides distinction to make them real thereby creating believable conflicts (such as judgmental Miranda telling fickle Carrie to break up with her boyfriend).

One of my favorite movies as a child was Bedknobs and Broomsticks, a Disney movie that involves witchcraft, something I bet Disney wouldn’t today have the courage to touch. (You can tell this blogger was meant to be an astrologer.  Give me witches, not princesses). Bedknobs and Broomsticks is set in WWII England. Three children are sent from war-torn London to live in the countryside with the spinster Eglantine Price.  Price is bothered by having three little guests.  For one, she’s not motherly, as we can see when she serves nettles to three youngsters who are craving sausages.  Secondly, she’s an apprentice witch enrolled in the Emelius Browne Correspondence College of Witchcraft.  Price is working on a spell for “substitutiary” locomotion in an attempt to help with the war effort.

Price is doing pretty well with the substitutiary locomotion spell, but needs the final page.  Unfortunately Browne has sent a letter informing his students that the College has suddenly and unexpectedly closed.  Using a traveling spell, Price and the kids hop on the bed, use the bedknob to activate the spell and travel, bed and all, from the countryside to London to find Browne.

Price and the kids do find Browne, who is the quintessential con artist selling magic tricks on Portobello Road. Upon facing one of his “students,” Browne tries to flee until Price, using one of “his” own spells, turns him into a rabbit.  Shocked to discover the spells work, Browne joins Price and children in the continuing magical quest that takes them to different parts of London then under the sea to an entirely submerged kingdom.

Browne, as con artist, is the Gemini.  Gemini, a mutable air sign, is known for its native intelligence, interest in surroundings, constant boredom and need for continual stimulation.  Gemini rules the hands, which, according to magicians, are quicker than the eye.  Browne, living in bombed-out London, is surviving on his wits, squatting in an old mansion.  The old mansion has an equally old library with ancient manuscripts, including a dusty old tome of magic spells.  Browne has simply done what he needs to get by and when trouble arises, he flees.  There is a big bomb, however, right in front of the mansion which is why the occupants are no longer there.  Trouble, obviously, is imminent.

Price, as the believer in magic spells for her crusade to help the war effort, is the Sagittarius, a mutable fire sign.  Her belief in the spells makes the spells work (which is a bit Piscean as well).  Sagittarius is known for its optimism and aversion to any input that is contrary to its ideals.  Price is the doey-eyed idealist, sure that her mission will be accomplished.  She travels (Sagittarius loves travel) to London on her bed to find Browne then uses the bed to continue the magical quest to find the last lines of the spell on substitutiary locomotion.  Late astrologer Howard Sasportas associated Jupiter, which rules Sagittarius, with the quest for the sublime, the quest for our own “greatness.”  How sublime to sit on one’s bed and travel to other dimensions. (Hey, don’t we do that every night when we sleep!)

Both Gemini and Sagittarius want to know.  Gemini travels near and Sagittarius travels far.  Both signs have an attraction to things “foreign.”  Your Gemini friend is the one who, on that drive downtown, spots a new store and has to stop and see what it is.  Your Sagittarius friend is the one who might say no to a night out but will spend a night in poring over travel books and dreaming of far-away lands.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks joins the Gemini con artist with the Sagittarius believer on a magical quest to find a “spell” that will help end the war.  What a mission.  I now realize I didn’t initially like Star Wars because the hero quest doesn’t appeal to me personally.  The quest for the sublime, on the other hand, I can watch over and over.

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Barack Obama: The Ohio Astrology Profile

Posted on March 14, 2011 by ohioastrology

While looking at Obama’s chart the other day, I realized his moon is in Gemini, not Taurus as I had thought.  Hmm.  That’s an astrological Freudian slip on my part and worthy of exploration.

Obama’s sun is in Leo, a fixed fire sign, represented by the lion, the king of the jungle.  Leos have strong egos and are natural leaders because of their preternatural belief in themselves.  Taurus is also a fixed sign, an earthy one, which would have added more stubbornness to an already fixed sign and also a little sensuality and groundedness.  The story that Obama always tells where Michelle asks him to stop on the way home for milk (or was it bread?) sounded plausible with a Taurus moon kind of guy.  Not so much with a Gemini moon kind of guy.  With moon in Taurus, you ask him to bring milk home because this earth sign likes to eat.  With moon in Gemini, you ask him to bring milk home so that he actually comes home.

Using 8/4/61 with a birth time of 7:24 pm in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama has an Aquarius rising and moon in Gemini.  The natal Leo sun is in the 6th house with Saturn and Jupiter in the 12th (in Capricorn and Aquarius, respectively).  The first sense I have of this chart is that Obama has to work harder than he’d like and often finds himself in positions beneath what he feels he deserves.

The 6th house relates to work, service, health and pets.  The house is ruled by Virgo, a sign I believe has a fragile ego because big egos and service are not compatible.  Now put a sign like Leo in the 6th house and you have an inherent problem.  Leo is about royalty, not service.  He could, of course, be very proud of being of service.  Even though I know he’s President of the United States, I still get the sense he feels he’s not getting the full ego-benefits of this position, for whatever reason.

Saturn in the 12th house signifies, to me, the loss of a father or father figure.  Father figures relate to archetypes of authority and I find those born during the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction in Capricorn tend to have issues with authority and established religions.  Buried deep in Obama’s 12th house, this conjunction suggests to me that Obama is a rebel with issues regarding authority.  What I mean by issues with authority is an inability to respect anyone in a position of authority simply because they are in authority.

Now onto Moon in Gemini, the subject that brought you this blog today.  As I’ve mentioned in past blogs, the American electorate has never been too fond of Geminis, those political wafflers.  Gemini is a mutual air sign known for its intellect, curiosity and constant need for mental stimulation.  Obama’s Gemini moon is in the 4th house signifying a great emotional restlessness.  Gemini, the sign of the twins, is often seen as having more than one personality because of Gemini’s ability to see all sides of a situation.  Because of this ability and the ability to talk persuasively, Gemini is also associated with con artists.  Gemini is unpredictable and changeable, something the American public appears to dislike.

The moon in Gemini squares Obama’s Pluto in Virgo in the 7th house.  I consider the moon/Pluto square to be the mark of a politician.  Pluto is the planet of transformation and the moon is the “planet” that represents our emotional reactive nature.  Pluto square moon suggests a controlling person, and someone who is or has been controlled by a female, probably the mother.

In summary, Obama is a more complicated person than he appears.  He is not simply a family man who decided to go into politics.  He is a man deeply embedded in authority and power structures.  Obama is a rebel who worked to be in control.  He is clever and knows what he’s doing, every inch of the way. More power to him, as they say.

Uranus, the great awakener, has just moved into Aries and into Obama’s second house, the house of values and property.  Uranus will be making positive aspects to his sun and moon, energizing him.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I think Obama will be seeking some sort of financial independence, possibly kicking someone off of the payroll.  It appears to be in his personal life, not political life.  It will be a good thing for him, something that will make him feel free.

Neptune will be moving into Pisces, further away from Obama’s Aquarius ascendant, but still in the 1st house.  Aquarius, the rebel, will be replaced with Pisces, the savior.  I suspect that Obama will either become more spiritual or will bring some sort of spirituality into the public sphere.  He needs to be careful who he trusts, obvious advice for a politician of course, but still relevant to Obama as an individual.

Pluto is still transiting Obama’s 11th house, the house of friends, associations and groups.  Pluto will stay in that house throughout Obama’s presidency, one or two terms.  It will leave Obama’s 11th house and enter the 12th around 2016, the time when a two-term presidency would end.  At that time, Obama will begin dealing with those hidden authority issues.  Maybe after being one of the top authority figures on the planet, Obama will explore what it really meant to have power.

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Charlie Sheen the Perfectionist

Posted on March 5, 2011 by ohioastrology

I feel for Charlie Sheen.  He’s paid $1.8 million an episode to play himself.  Then, when he gets off work, he acts like himself and gets in trouble.  Then he arranges TV interviews where he acts like himself (and his character on Two and a Half Men) and people think he’s a jerk.   Then the show where he plays himself is canceled because of all this.  Charlie Sheen is confused.  If his character, Charlie Harper, which is essentially Charlie Sheen, is so attractive to the television audience, why isn’t he attractive in real life?

Charlie Sheen is a Sun-sign Virgo.  There was another famous Sun-sign Virgo who also had this trouble with identity – Michael Jackson.  Is this a Virgo problem?

Virgos born during the late-1950s through the mid-1960s have been blessed or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with Uranus and Pluto transiting Virgo at the time they were born.  That means in the charts of these Virgos, Uranus and Pluto are conjunct their natal suns.  Many years ago I pondered why the Virgos around me seemed so extreme, a quality I associated more with Aquarius than Virgo.  I then remembered that Uranus, the planet of sudden awakenings and Pluto the planet of transformation, were conjunct and sitting on the top of the sun-sign Virgos of my generation.   Virgos born during this time will experience lives of awakenings and transformations.  Since Virgo isn’t a sign necessarily seeking these kinds of extreme experiences, it can be difficult for them.

Virgo born during the late-1950s through mid-1960s have the typical qualities of discrimination, perfection, service and interest in health & diet, but in extreme.   If these Virgos go on a diet, they don’t merely count calories.  They eat celery and cranberry juice only for six days then have a seven-course meal on Sundays.  Now you know where the weird diet fads have come from.  As I write, I realize anorexia and other eating disorders have increased with this generation.   Anorexia is perfection in extreme.

So how does this relate to Charlie Sheen?  In addition to Sun in Virgo, Sheen has Moon in Sagittarius, Saturn in Pisces and Jupiter in Gemini.  The astrologers out there recognize this as a very intense mutable grand cross.  Sheen has most of his chart in mutable signs indicating he is moody, changeable and unpredictable.  When in trouble, Sheen avoids.

The public image Sheen is creating relates mostly to the Moon in Sagittarius, a freedom-loving fire sign that is not known for responsibility and boundaries.  The open drinking, sexing and partying is Moon in Sagittarius talking.  I’m sure Sheen’s moon is having a good time.  But how is Sheen’s Sun in Virgo feeling?

I suspect that Sheen’s Sun in Virgo does seek perfection in extreme and because perfection is not truly achievable, he reacts by becoming the bad boy.  I’m guessing his internal talk goes something like this, “Since I can’t be perfect, I may as well be bad.  Entirely bad.  Perfectly bad. ”

Also involved in this grand square is Saturn in Pisces, opposing the Virgo wall of perfection. While all this partying and reaction against perfection is in place, Saturn is whispering in Sheen’s ear that he is really worth nothing, and that true spiritual connection with those around him will never occur.  With a message like that, it is difficult not to feel what is called “depression.”

This generation of Uranus conjunct Pluto opposing Saturn occurred during the Hippie Movement.  Remember when people dropped out and fought against the establishment?  Those born during these times have this energy in their DNA.  Sheen has an inner hippie, fighting against authority.

This is complicated stuff.  Virgo and its opposite sign Pisces do not have the strong egos of other signs.  I believe that is because both signs relate to service and to be of service to others, you can’t carry a strong ego with you.

So why do we like Charlie Harper but not Charlie Sheen?  My guess is that we use television to vicariously live and feel aspects of ourselves we don’t want to create in daily life – which I consider a good thing.  I can watch a horror film of someone being chased with a knife, feel the fear and scream my own inner fears and frustrations into the movie theater.  I’d prefer not to have the actual knife and masked pursuer in my life.

Charlie Harper the character can help Charlie Sheen the person express and feel the negative aspects of his personality before he self-destructs.  Hopefully Sheen can learn the difference before it’s too late.  Sheen’s recent interviews suggest he doesn’t understand that Charlie Harper will never die, but Charlie Sheen will.

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