Astrology

Modern Astrology recognizes the psychological aspect of using personal horoscopes to identify issues needing clarity and healing, as well as identifying personal potential energies that when integrated can bring optimum living. In addition, with the use of computers and the subsequent ready access to research and statistical analysis, modern astrology focuses on predictions to help mitigate difficult periods or cycles in an individual's life as well as to promote the use of positive energies that encourage potentiation and success. Since we are all winners, losers can't be born, astrology aids us in actualizing our winningness.

911- The cry for help,

but from whom?

Many years ago, Adano Ley, my astrology and spiritual teacher gave me a specific time to chart the progress of the U.S. I have mainly kept that chart to myself since very few other astrologers think to use it as it is not based on the Declaration of Independence but on the actual birth of the nation as evidenced by the signing of the Treaty at Yorktown a couple of years later. My teacher's thinking was that the Declaration of Independence equates to the conception of the country, while the Treaty which resulted in the final break from England is equal to the birth: the cord is cut from the mother (country), the same as in a person's natal chart. In the past, I could not say much about the Treaty chart until I had found some event which would conclusively indicate to me that I had the correct time. In fact, I had said a month before the terrorist attack that if something didn't happen that was totally shocking to our country by December, then the chart would be incorrect. Such an event was, of course, the terrorist attack of 9/ll. Whether it be coincidental or intentional, the terrorist attack in NYC happened on September 11, the same numbers we use to telephone for help. The question becomes: who is calling and who is answering? Here's where astrology can be helpful. If you look at the chart to the right, you will see two concentric circles. The inner circle is the placement of the stars at the time of the birth of our nation, and the outer circle is their placement for the time of the terrorist attack. For those of you who do not know very much (or nothing) about how astrology works, I am comparing the placement of the stars between two events in order to see what energies were at play. Astrology is very similar to meteorology but in the case of the former we are dealing with invisible energies. We can see rain or sunshine, but we can't see stress or joy. These are things we feel, but though unseen, propel us to action and perhaps in an even more forceful way: because we can't see them they have control over us. For instance, we may have some anger that we haven't dealt with…we haven't needed to. But suppose we go through an anger "storm" which increases our anger and forces us to deal with its source. We might very easily do something to bring it all to the surface: yell at our spouse, boss, shoot someone, or some other aggressive activity. After we get fired or divorced or go to jail we say, "Boy, I didn't know I was that angry…." as if we're surprised by our feelings. The joy of astrology is its ability to keep you informed and therefore forearmed against unnecessary adversity. Back to our chart. The first thing to notice is the planet Uranus shown by the glyph Ý. Look for it on the far left of the chart sitting on the strong horizontal line. We refer to this as Uranus conjunct the Ascendant and it means in the broadest sense shocking unexpected change. Uranus was in the exact same position 84 years ago when three merchant ships were bombed by Germany forcing the U.S. into World War I. Uranus makes his circuit around the Sun in 84 years, so you can expect something similar to happen again in 2085. Uranus is found in the 5th house of the U.S. 'natal' chart and indicates that, as a nation, our people (Uranus rules "the people") put our energy and muscle into procedures that create products. In other words we love technology, business, the money we earn, consumable assets and added value. In short, we are a materialistic society which thinks nothing of increasing productivity at the expense of the human element. Sorry, I'm not making this up, it's acceptable astrological interpretation! Over the years, the planet Uranus moves counterclockwise around the chart so that now, it is in the 12th house of change- by death, return, and retribution. The 12th house refers to issues of our undoing, where we go to jail for wrongdoing, or to the hospital to die or where things come back to haunt us. And good things can come out of all this: atonement, healing, making restitution. The 12th house is symbolized by two fish moving in opposite directions, BUT they are united by a silver cord. It's like the yin/yang symbol: in everything good something evil is contained and vice versa. Uranus has been moving through this house for the last 7 years and when a few months ago it hit the Ascendant (the heavy black line you see on the chart) the hidden results of what we have been doing in the world became apparent by subversive attack. You could almost say we have done this to ourselves by our incorrect materialistic past actions and they have come back to haunt us. When Uranus crosses the Ascendent it is a wake-up call whether it happens in your natal chart or the chart of the U.S. Uranus cares not what he does so long as it produces some level of enlightenment. I am including some excerpts from a letter from Deepak Chopra that give us some ideas where we need to lighten up. What else did the event chart say? Remember that Pluto/Saturn opposition I have been writing about for so long? In the Spring issue I wrote: "Beginning in April, Saturn will have jockeyed its position to face off or confront Pluto's in the cosmos. In other words, the entire planet will experience the energies of these two powerful forces at odds with one another. It's the Fascist at war with the Authoritarian. Astrologers often speak of war when two such stalwart planets face off. It's the energy of the professional eliminator and regenerator, the alchemist and transformer of base metal into gold. It's the "vale of unshed tears" due to emotional repression. It's ruthless determination and a fanatical adherence to one's principles. It often results in the loss of one's fortune and self-destructive energy but at its best it is magical, tenacious and tough. The exact phase occurs between 12-16 degrees of Sagittarius/Gemini and the greatest intensity will most likely be felt beginning in July lasting for about a year, until the summer of 2002. In the chart of the USA this energy appears in the 10th house of the president and conjoins with the USA Saturn in the 10th house. To be more specific, Pluto rules political undergrounds, espionage, plots, anarchists and terrorists. And the attack was focussed on everything they hate about us: our materialistic society, or aggressions and our politics. (Our Pluto and Mars conjunct in the US natal12th house indicating we are subversively aggressive ourselves.) This energy will be strongly active for the entire country until the end of May, 2002 when Saturn begins to move away, but Pluto will continue to put our President in jeopardy for another year before all this is over. Saturn transiting through the 4th house of the US chart indicates Americans are homebound which is exactly what is happening (as well as the lower real estate values that I predicted). Try to keep in mind the alchemical nature of this energy and see how this event can transform you personally. In addition during the event, Neptune in the 12th was at the midpoint of Pluto and Mars. Ebertin says this energy signifies "irreconcilableness, cunning and deceit, the tendency to cause harm to others secretly and a disaster or catastrophe caused by (in this case) air." For those of you who have strong feelings of paranoia you may well be correct. Unfortunately that is no excuse for not continuing to grow and gain insight. Lack of clarity and confusion is often a window of opportunity to see things differently. Joseph Campbell tells us in the Power of Myth that we must be able to find ourselves in any environment. Here are some other transits of note, although you can't see them on the newsletter chart. 1.) The directed Sun is currently conjoining the lowest point in the US chart indicating a way of life is complete and that a fresh start is available. When last this occurred, in 1641, the colonists were fighting the native Amerinds, Virginia was established as a colony (and Virginia is where the final battle against the British was fought), New England formed its Confederation and The Great Migration of Puritans occurred in Massachusetts. What we can gain from history is that this may be the time when Americans take more interest in politics through a grassroots effort. The last election did not indicate that but it may take more problems at home before we see that doing nothing is doing something. John Burke said many years ago, "All it takes for evil to reign if for good men to do nothing." 2.) The progressed Moon was conjoining Saturn in the 10th house indicating that the President was targeted, and that the public is on his side (and Jupiter in the 5th indicates his popularity) but that this will change in the next year. 3.) the transiting NorthNode was conjoining the natal Uranus pointing to the fatedness of the attack, the joining of forces with others (i.e., Hollywood coming together to raise money for the Red Cross)., and the possibility of each individual's growth. What does the near future hold? Uranus makes one last conjunct to the Ascendent on January 11, 2002 (for those of you into numbers, that's 1/11) ending the unexpected and unpredictable. Saturn ends its trine to Mars by the end of February signifying the end of war. The Sun trine Uranus in March brings positive change at least in the marketplace. These energies lead me to conclude that the worst could be over by then even though we still have some unfinished business with our president and those in positions of authority.