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MAY 06
BE YOUR OWN GURU
It’s one of the largest growing industries in the western world. The bookshelves are full of self-help tomes. What began with titles like ‘Think and Grow Rich’, ‘The Power Of Positive Thinking’, or ‘Psycho-Cybernetics’, has become a money-spinner for the self-help gurus now proliferating the media. They profit from other's support and exacting effort.
One in twenty five books on the shelves are somehow connected to the self-improvement industry. It’s something that Wikipedia describes as “a postmodern cultural phenomenon in the late twentieth century.” The reasons given have been many. Politically it may be a spin off from a more competitive capitalist driven society.
Many self-help books equate material abundance and financial success with life fulfillment. It’s almost a reverse of the old spirituality that decried such material end gains. But not all stick to this philosophy. Many of the books preach simple home truths, albeit often behind typically immodest titles such as ‘Awaken The Giant Within’.
The gurus, like Anthony Robbins, communicate sophisticated success strategies, analogous to NLP discoveries, or behavioural psychology techniques. You may be surprised to know that there is now an ‘Idiot’s Guide To Self-Esteem’. And yes, it probably does come in a brown paper bag.
This successful series also publishes idiot guides to self-assertion, conquering fear and anxiety, and even one for ‘getting things done’. The latter involves, at some time, putting down the book. Which brings me to this week's astro-analysis.
While I’m all for promoting potential and whatever it takes to do that, sometimes matters can get a bit out of hand. In the case of self-help guru and boot camp dominator James Arthur Ray, that’s exactly what happened.
BOOT CAMP GONE WRONG
James Arthur Ray was born on November 22 1957. He has the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Saturn all in Sagittarius. If there is a fault to a Sagittarian overload, it can become the ‘know-all’. The disparaging kind that refuse to acknowledge information from others.
Those that irritatingly insist on telling it like it is – to their own satisfaction. The fire and brimstone preacher with the sensitivity of a brick. But while some of my astrology savvy readers may be chortling, remember I am emphasizing a negative quality here.
Ray’s father was a preacher. Not unusual, as the Sun and Saturn in a horoscope can indicate the father, and Sagittarius is likened to the teacher preacher. Yet while his father’s ambitions were frugally ‘Satinesque’, son James gravitated toward more manna from heaven.
James Arthur could not reconcile the paucity of childhood, and thought the Lord should reward effort more substantially. It led to his first book. ‘The Science Of Success’ followed later by the best seller, ‘Harmonic Wealth’.
Ray’s visionary Sagittarian Sun was positioned in square to Pluto, the ancient Roman money ruler. Pluto is also the planet of deep transformation, and Ray devoted his life to both.
Ray followed the self-made man philosophies drawn from disparate sources, wildly succeeding as a motivational speaker. He was endorsed by Oprah and appeared on Larry King. He swore by the ‘Law Of Attraction’ and ran ‘spiritual’ retreats and vision quests.
Ray’s methodology often consisted of pushing people to their limits, and sometimes past them. He played on the walk on hot coals and break the board gimmickry, sometimes with unfortunate results.
ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN
A New Jersey attendee broke her hand instead of the board, sustaining multiple fractures after being encouraged not to give in. Another man pierced his eyebrow deeply with an arrow shaft during a ‘Spiritual Warrior’ exercise.
Colleen Conway was at a James Ray International seminar in July 2009, where attendees were encouraged to dress as homeless people. When Colleen subsequently suicided, jumping from the Horton Plaza in San Diego, she bore no ID.
Finally James Arthur Ray’s spiritual adventures hit the rock of reality in the Arizona desert on October 8 2009. Here at the ‘Angel Valley Retreat Centre’ as a direct result of another ‘spiritual warrior’ excursion three people died.
Another eighteen were hospitalized suffering from either dehydration, kidney failure or breathing difficulties. And the survivors had paid up to $10,000 for the near death experience.
Attendees were left in the desert overnight with just a sleeping bag, although for an extra $250 a Peruvian poncho could be purchased. They then underwent a fasting before entering a sweat lodge supposedly based on native American tribal lore.
Instead of self-empowerment, hospitalization followed for many, as Ray pushed them past their human limits. The Latoka Nation has since criticized the Angel Valley Retreat Center as a desecration of their tradition.
KARMIC LAW
But the Law Of Attraction would come to haunt Ray. A week after the fatalities the the Yavapai County sheriff's office were reclassifying the deaths of James Shore and Kirby Brown as homicide. By the end of the month participants were issuing lawsuits. They ranged from inadequate supervision, lack of medical support, and insufficient warnings of the dangers involved.
What made Ray go so ‘over the top’ in October 2009? His progressed Sun was in square to the guru planet Jupiter. It was delivering a potent message – Jupiter’s success can be undermined by its excess. Sagittarians are ruled by Jupiter. It’s a planet with vision, but not so dedicated to the finer details. The square was urging restraint, and Ray knew little of that.
Additionally the warrior planet is Mars. In Ray’s progressed chart his Mars was meeting the brick wall of reality, that is Saturn. This conjunction aspect will handbrake your progress unless your actions are well planned and you take full responsibility for them. All of this was news to James Arthur.
Lastly Ray’s Saturn, his discipline planet, was also fielding a challenging aspect from progressing Jupiter, the planet of justice. This duo refer to the law both in spirit, Jupiter, and tradition, Saturn. As the progressed Mars hit the Saturn, it also activated the Jupiter. Also, as his progressing Sun was also squaring Jupiter, the law would have to act.
SUCCESS STORY JAILED
By May 2011 Ray was facing charges of manslaughter. The trial took over a month and drew on thirty-four witnesses. Finally on November 18 2011 Ray was sentenced to two years in prison. The spiritual warrior – progressing Mars – had come to meet mercenary Mercury. Through all of this he continued to run business as usual. But there is a time when enough is enough
If there is a message in any of these experiences it is that people are who they are. Change is always within logical limitation. No technique will make an apple turn to an orange overnight.
Ray’s hunger for success, and zealous belief in his own righteousness, are a lesson in humility. And humility is a much-underrated quality in achieving success. True success for many has little to do with outward recognition and riches, and everything to do with inner peace and harmony.
SUPERMOON
This week begins with a Full Moon in Scorpio reflecting the Taurean Sun’s rays. It’s technically a SuperMoon, a phrase meaning that it’s one of the closer approaches of the Moon (356,955 kilometers) during the annual soli-lunar cycle. This week also features a Sun Jupiter conjunction. Ambitious plans are getting the go ahead. How do they affect your sun sign? Read on…
APRIL 30
SLEEPLESS IN MIAMI?
He is becoming the human headline. He has been dubbed Australia’s Charlie Sheen. He is Matthew Newton, the Australian actor who is already making waves in the USA. In showbiz they say any publicity is good publicity. But that theory is about to get a real workout.
Matthew Newton’s public behavior has been well documented since October 16 2006, when he was arrested for assaulting then girlfriend and actress Brooke Satchwell.
Plenty of reasons have been proffered. There were initial rumors that illicit drug use had sent him over the edge. Matthew Newton has publicly stated drugs were never a problem. His parents talk of a teenage rage. Matthew claims it’s an ongoing illness. He’s not alone here.
THE HIRED HANDS
His lawyer claims he is bipolar, with an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The same lawyer presented a celebrity psychiatrist for Newton’s first assault trial. The medico stated he was rehabilitated, and would be unlikely to re-offend. It resulted in no conviction being recorded. The hired hands did an excellent job.
Newton was originally charged with four offenses, but after some negotiation ended up just facing one of common assault. Newton was duly found guilty of the lone assault charge. But then legal eagle Chris Murphy swooped, with an appeal to have the conviction order overturned.
The importance of that appeal and all criminal charges being quashed meant that the actor was free to work overseas. Evidence was tendered to the court that Matthew had been under the care of a psychiatrist for six years prior. He also received seventeen extraordinary references attesting to his character. The conviction was quashed.
THE PUNCH AND JUDY CAST
Six years further down the track, actresses Brooke Satchwell, model Rachel Taylor, along with cab driver Mohsen Khayami can all attest to Newton’s propensity to violence. At 4.59 a.m. May 17 at the Marriott Hotel, a Miami hotel clerk became the latest victim.
It was Newton’s second arrest this month since landing in Florida, essentially to resurrect his career. He was also forcibly evicted from a bar a week before, spending the night in a lock up. He faces court on May 11, and at worst could find himself behind bars this time.
There’s little doubt that his psychotic episodes have resulted not only in harm to others but also plenty of self-harm. In terms of his public life and career, Newton has gone from dizzying heights to a virtual outcast.
VENUS NEPTUNE - ART & GLAMOUR
Matthew Newton was born on January 22 1977 @ 3.37 pm in Melbourne, according to Australian cosmobiologist Elva Howson. His independent Aquarian Sun is angled to both Venus and Neptune, a combination that leans toward artistic appreciation and expression. The aesthetics of Venus and the glamour and imagery of Neptune make film an ideal medium.
These two planets also incline a certain idealism in relationships, and are associated with escapism. The negative side of which can be recreational drug use. Some famous celebrities who have had this Venus Neptune square in their horoscope include the late Whitney Houston and Stevie Nicks for example.
Matthew has displayed the talent and the sensitivity that the Venus Neptune square aligned with his Sun would suggest. But in real life Newton is infamous for more explosive outbursts.
MARS PLUTO - TIME BOMB
Mars Pluto is the alignment associated with extreme violence. Matthew was born with these planets in a challenging square. His father Bert, has them together. Often we see this 'planetary hereditary' duplicate through family trees.
Cosmobiologist Reinhold Ebertin described the negative side when he christened this duo as force and brutality. And Matthew has the same aspect evident in the horoscopes of people who made a living out of brutality, like Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee.
The curio of art imitating life may be when the Venus Neptune had Newton playing glamorous television roles. But they were also in Mars Pluto style crime shows such as 'Underbelly'.
People who know him well would see both sides of his character. But certainly someone who was a sensitive and artistic Venus Neptune, and then an explosive Mars Pluto could seem Jekyll and Hyde bipolar to most.
THE MOON AND SUBCONSCIOUS PATTERNING
The condition of the Moon at birth will tell a lot about early psycholgical conditioning. Newton's Pisces Moon is atop his horoscope. The Moon can represent the public and also the family. Matthew has come from a very public family. Father, Bert, and mother Patti have forged successful showbiz careers. They were the perfect TV couple. But there can also be a certain 'unreality' about a Pisces Moon.
TRIGGER POINTS
During May 2012 the planet of aggression, Mars, stationed in the heavens at 4 degrees of Virgo. It would oppose Newton's Pisces Moon and remain at the very base of his chart. This is a rare occurence for Mars at this degree. But for Newton it may involve prolonged emotional agitation.
As this occurred Neptune, the planet of unreality, and sometimes alcohol and or drugs, would be reaching the zenith - exactly opposed to Mars. It resulted in two incidents of arrest, both involving aggressive behaviour.
THE MARS PATTERN
In all of Newton's 'episodes' certain planets seem to play a role. The volatile Mars Pluto square (via progressed Venus) was active back in 2006 when he assaulted his partner Brooke Satchwell.
In 2010 his progressed Mars - we're talking god of war here - was in square to unstable Uranus when he attacked Rachel Taylor. Plus his progressed Midheaven was opposing his Mars. This would have been his most explosive time.
As I write this today his progressed Midheaven is squaring Mars. And his solar arc Mars is squaring Jupiter and his Ascendant. The problem will eventually dissipate.
MERCURY THE MIND
My feel is that Newton will have to be properly assessed, and properly treated for his ongoing psychological problems. And here we come to Mercury, the plant of mind, reason and communication.
At the moment deep and cathartic Pluto sits right on Matthew's Capricorn Mercury.This is certainly the obsessive compulsive style aspect. Simultaneously it is being squared by Uranus. Together they speak of the collapse of the old order of things and the construction of the new.
This is no easy time for sure. It will involve greater soul searching than he has ever experienced. But the light at the end of the tunnel is that the Mars aspects will eventually dissipate. Sometimes a breakdown can be a good thing if it leads to better places. And we all hope that is the case.
BERT NEWTON
Matthew’s father Bert Newton, was born July 23 1938 @ 9 am in Melbourne. His stellar Australian showbiz career began on June 10 1952 voicing radio copy. Since then he has collected almost every major showbiz accolade, and has been awarded an MBE and AM. Newton’s teamwork with the King of TV Graham Kennedy, and later US born host and singer Don Lane became legendary.
Bert’s horoscope shows a concentrated and volatile trio of a Cancerian Sun, with energetic Mars and fixated Pluto. This is hidden in Bert’s twelfth house of privacy. It gives him enormous energy reserves and the potential for an explosive temper if not channeled constructively. Bert acknowledges he is a workaholic and even at 73 has no retirement plans. He protects and values his private life.
Publicly the audience sees his theatrical Leo rising with communicative Mercury right on the Ascendant and jovial Jupiter opposing. Bert is renowned for his quick and spontaneous one-liners. He is at home with an audience, a consummate communicator. He has a media driven Gemini Midheaven and his very public Moon is in the same sign.
FATHER & SON
Bert Newton’s Sun/Mars/Pluto is exactly on Matthew Newton’s Saturn and directly opposed to Matthew's birth Sun. This opposition would place a developmental tension in the father son relationship, despite what may be said to the contrary.
Matthew Newton’s talents were recognized early in the piece and he certainly had the right contacts. But there is still the struggle for individuality, something he achieved by moving into the acting field.
It’s not the purpose of this brief column to go further into the father son dynamics. But woven into the fabric of these two horoscopes is a psychological story worth unraveling for Matthew Newton’s sake.
Father son relationships make for compelling relationship studies. The presidential Bush family being an excellent case in point. George W’s Cancerian Sun had his father’s imposing and controlling Pluto right on it. Go back another generation to grandfather Prescott Bush. Here we find granpa puts the warrior planet Mars right on George W’s Sun. And didn't we see that play out in time.
To wrap up, Matthew Newton has judicial Jupiter moving across his Taurean Ascendant in May, just as it was opposing the same point in 2007 when he originally fronted the courts for his first assault charge. But perhaps it’s outside the legal world where this man's real battle now lies.
April 22
ELECTION 2012
The French Presidential election commences this weekend from April 22. It holds great ramifications, not only for the future of France, but the whole of the Eurozone, and even the USA. The new French government will administrate as the revolutionary Uranus and reformative Pluto come to square in the heavens from mid year.
We are entering a time of political reformation, with individual rights and national identities being the catalyst. In times of such accelerated change, the status quo have trouble holding power. This would already seem to be evident with the more authoritarian right wing government of President Nikolas Sarkozy, seemingly on the way out.
The French unemployment rate matches that of the USA. French debt is 90% of gross domestic product. Their AAA bond rate has disappeared. And not one of the leaders present from the 2008 global financial crisis has yet survived the next election. Sarkozy, born January 28 1955 at 10 pm in Paris hopes to be the first.
His 10 p.m. birth time seems rounded to the hour, and so the angles have to be accepted on trust. If they are precise then solar arc directed Neptune now opposes his Midheaven effectively sealing his fate. His secondary progressions, of popularity planet Venus opposing mass media Pluto is not a welcome sign. Nor is progressed Mars running aground on a difficult Saturn – a sign of frustrated actions.
Sarkozy’s most promising astrological dynamic is the progressing Venus moving toward Mercury, and nicely trining his Midheaven and therefore career ruler. It may suggest that whatever the outcome he lands on his feet with a substantially rewarding position. Sarkozy’s horoscope has a lot of 'get out clauses' in its fortunate alignments.
THE CONTENDER
The Socialist candidate, Francois Hollande, was born August 12 1954 barely ten minutes into the day at Rouen, France. His horoscope shows the intellectual and communicative sign of Gemini ascending at birth. The Ascendant acts as one’s window to the world. Hollande has authored a significant number of books and academic works.
Mercury, the messenger, and the ruling planet of his Ascendant, is also the most angular planet in his horoscope, lying right at the base. It shows education and communication to be paramount to his life. As a politician he would strongly support these areas of national development.
Hollande’s Leo Sun is positioned with deep and focused Pluto, showing a person unafraid of transformative change, personally and professionally. This committed Sun Pluto conjunction, in the fixed leadership sign of Leo, provides an inner toughness and solidarity. The Sun’s dominance is backed by a practical and administrative Capricorn Moon.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Francois' Sun Pluto also contacts the planet of revolution, Uranus, in the horoscope of the first French Republic of September 21 1792. This gives him an important historical connection with the national psyche.
It is not the only contact, as his own Venus mirrors the Republic’s Venus and Sun, linking national aesthetics and ideals to his own. There are numerous other planetary links, indicating that he would be a man of change for the nation.
One of the most important areas of Hollande’s horoscope is the union of expansive Jupiter with fast acting Uranus. It’s that area of his chart that has been most active and effective of late. The Ascendant in one’s chart progresses through the years mirroring different circumstances in life. Currently Hollande’s progressed Ascendant is meeting with both fortunate Jupiter and fast acting Uranus.
This combination is known as the ‘thank the lord’ position. It represents sudden breakthroughs and resolutions. If Hollande’s ten minutes after midnight birth time is entirely accurate, he looks to the next President of France. And it has all come about in the most surprising Uranian way.
UNLIKELY CANDIDATE
The former leading candidate, fellow socialist, Dominic Strauss-Khan, was sensationally arrested on rape charges whilst boarding a plane to leave New York. The controversy surrounding Strauss-Khan then head of the IMF, effectively ended his presidential hopes.
Strauss Khan had earlier proposed a new world currency, by pooling several leading currencies, to replace the dominance of the US dollar. As the charges against Khan were subsequently dismissed the strange series of events seemed nicely ‘coincidental’ and advantageous to his opponent Nikolas Sarkozy, a staunch US ally.
All of it inadvertently left the way open for Francois Hollande to step up to the plate. His 'sudden breakthrough' had arrived. In the ensuing days, as the transiting Uranus also sits at his progressed Midheaven, we will see if he can take it all the way. With his horoscope the Presidential position looks a distinct probability.
HITS, WRITS AND GREG HAM
On April 19 Australia lost a musical icon with the death of Greg Ham flautist and saxophone player for the distinctly Australian pop group ‘Men At Work’. Ham was born September 27 1953 in Melbourne, Victoria. He had the Sun and three other planets, Mercury, Saturn and Neptune, all positioned in Libra.
As Saturn has moved through Libra over the last two years life hasn’t been easy for him. Ham was also experiencing his second Saturn return, a significant astrological milestone. But on the completion of its first revolution he was propelled to superstar status with international number one hits.
On October 30 1982 the single ‘Who Can It Be Now’ reached number one on the US Billboard Top 100, after previously topping the Australian and overseas charts. Men At Work were the latest 'thing', and heading for even greater success. Following Australia’s victory in the prestigious America’s Cup of 1983, the land down under was suddenly on the radar in the US.
Men At Work’s single ‘Down Under’ did even better. It made number one on the US, UK and Australian NZ charts, and throughout Europe. Although the song’s success rested upon the original sound and popularity of the group and the distinctly Australian lyrics, some mercenary minded individuals later developed other ideas.
PLAGUED BY PLAGARISM?
The crisis began via a TV music trivia show, when ABC host Adam Hills asked panelists to ''Name the nursery rhyme this riff has been based on, as well as the man playing it''. Guest Jay Laga'aia, answered the 1934 Australian children's song ‘Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree’.
Hill had unwittingly set the copyright wheels in motion. Ironically the original writer of the 1934 song, Marion Sinclair, had not sought to make money from her creation. It was initially given freely. The new copyright owners Larrikin records took ‘Men At Work’ and their record company to court claiming the flute riff from 'Down Under' as their own.
Saturn is the planet of harsh judgment - the brick of reality. The flute riff, only a small part of the song, bore semblance to part of Sinclair's song, acquired by Larrikin for $6100 many years after ‘Down Under’ topped the charts. Ham had Saturn lurking around his creative Libran Sun.
Larrikin were ludicrously looking at between 40-60% of the songs proceeds. The Federal Court also found enough similarity in the flute riff to award in Larrikin’s favour. However it reduced the royalty amount to a more realistic 5%.
But for such a gigantic hit, covered around the world, that figure would prove imposing. It left Ham a shattered man, who detested being remembered for the court case, not the song. It also forced him out of his large house to a more modest dwelling.
MATES FOR LIFE
Fellow band member and chief songwriter, Colin Hay, now touring the USA, recently paid tribute to Ham breaking down several times doing the interview, "He was dearly loved and was a man with a golden heart, he was one of the great ones."
Colin Hay was born June 29 1953 at 10.20 a.m. in Kilwinning Scotland. His horoscope mirrors both his enormous success and his recent loss. At his birth place and time, the most elevated planet was Venus. It was placed in the musical sign of Taurus, sitting exactly above on his very public Midheaven. The world knew Colin Hay for his artistic talents.
Hay also has a sensitive but forceful Sun and Mars combination in loyal Cancer. Right now as Pluto, the planet of life and death transformation opposes his Sun/Mars, and Uranus the planet of surprise squares it, he is experiencing the sudden loss of a dear friend. Hay also has his progressed Moon in hard aspect to Pluto and his progressed Midheaven on the surprise planet Uranus.
Like many fellow musicians, Hay criticized the appalling opportunism that shadowed his great mate, prior to his untimely death. Greg Ham will be far better remembered for his achievements and character. He was an integral part of 'Men At Work', the last Australian pop group to top both the US Billboard album and singles charts at the same time.
Although suspicious circunmstances have been ruled out, mystery still surrounds Ham's sudden demise at home. It happened April 19 as deceptive Neptune in Pisces squared his progressed Sun in Sagittarius, and quincunxed his natal one in Libra. Such would suggest a heart attack brought on by either congenital weakness or perhaps prior substance abuse.
April 15
LUCKY 13
Friday the 13th is unlucky for some. Try the North Korean military. At 7.39 a.m. Pyongyang time, a few minutes after the launch, their $800 million dollar satellite rocket disintegrated. Certainly it was a massive cracker night for the impoverished nation, after inviting a large contingent of journalists to witness the launch. So what were the astrological indicators?
Mars is the planet of rockets, weapons and fireworks. At the moment Mars is in the sign of Virgo, and the country of North Korea was formed in September 1948 making it a Virgo nation. That means that the rebel country will be creating waves in typical Mars machismo fashion.
The trouble is that Mars is currently stationary in the skies. It has been drifting backwards through Virgo, and is now changing direction forward. That means that it spends a couple of days virtually stationary, as in going virtually nowhere. So unless the other planets are supporting it’s not so great for Mars, or for military activities. All of which includes rocket or missile launches.
To add to that Mars is opposite planet Neptune, the ruler of the seas. Neptune has a dissipating factor on Mars, and it’s very symbolic that a rocket would fall harmlessly into the Yellow Sea. Harmless that is, except for the fact that it was over $800 million dollars virtually down the drain. In a country whose massive military spending is estimated at over 20% of their gross national product that is still a lot of money.
HEY BIG SPENDERS
The biggest military budget by far is that of the USA, cutting just under $700 billion. That is six times the next highest of China, with just over $100 billion. The military industrial complex of the US is so dominant that you can combine China, France, UK, Russia, Japan and Germany and they still wouldn’t amount to half the US martial expenditure.
The major spenders relative to their budgets are the Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia 11%, Oman 9%, United Arab Emirates 7%, and Israel and Jordan at 6%.
North Korea ranks well above them all in those percentage terms and is also the most militarized country. It posseses the fourth largest army in the world. Around one in five of all males are engaged in military services.
These military beginnings came from the the political and ideological differences between the USA and USSR. The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea celebrate September 9 1948 as the day of their formal declaration. Nick Campion’s scholarly ‘World Horoscopes’ book also gives the 11th as being the official date.
Either way the Virgo Sun is in a hard aspect to military Mars positioned in vengeful and intense Scorpio. The September 9 1948 horoscope for the country sees the 2013 progressions with Mars conjunct the more expansive and successful Jupiter.
Also the messenger Mercury progresses to Mars increasing the rebel rhetoric. But this will be at the cost of social services. It may also attract economic sanctions as Venus also progresses to square the dissipating Neptune.
The final prognosis on all of this is that North Korea will continue with weapons development programs at the expense of their national budget. That's nothing new but the extent of it seems to be increasing over the next couple of years.
GENTLE REVOLUTIONARY RETIRES
On April 13 last week, Bob Brown, foundation member and leader of the Australian Greens decided to hang up his political ambitions. Brown, the first openly gay member of Australian Parliament, has generally been a radical in the conservative Australian political scene. Yet he has been effective in standing up for his causes and the Greens commanded 13% of the primary vote in the last Australian national election.
Brown, was born in Oberon NSW on December 27 1944 at 14.20 hours. This gives him an authoritative Capricorn Sun, but in opposition to the regimented traditionalist planet of Saturn. Brown has been no stranger in taking on authorities, initially as an environmental protestor in the successful 'Save The Franklin River' campaign, preventing a major damn construction.
DISORDER IN THE HOUSE
One of his most memorable moments was being ejected from Parliament house for interjecting in the address from US President George Bush. Brown was a vocal opponent of Australian military involvement in Iraq. His communication planet Mercury is aligned with fiery Mars in outspoken Sagittarius giving him a forceful voice to back his ideas.
Brown, originally a medical doctor, began with the environmentally based United Australia in 1972. In 1976 he held a week long fast on the top of Mt Wellington, Tasmania, against the docking of the nuclear powered warship the USS Enterprise. He then progressed to leading the Australian Greens by 1996 as a member of the Senate.
PULLING THE POLITICAL PIN
Brown has an earthy Taurean Ascendant which helps explain his love of nature. His Capricorn Sun (also earth) squares Neptune, indicative of one who may have a charitable nature. Indeed Brown has donated a 38 acre property to Bush Heritage Australia. He was gave over $100,000 of his own money to assist the release of Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan held captive in Somalia for 462 days.
The central feature of Bob Brown's horoscope is a dynamic T-Square pattern between his Capricorn Sun and Cancer Saturn, each squared by the Libran Neptune. Of late Pluto, the planet of major transformation has been moving across Brown’s Capricorn Sun. So something was brewing re changing his public role with that alone.
However from April the surprise packet Uranus in Aries has joined the picture, creating a cardinal Grand Cross pattern and fast tracking Bob’s retirement.
The combination of Uranus and Pluto are akin to pulling down one structure and replacing it with another. Apply that to Bob’s political career and you get the picture. Bob has done it all right on time with the appropriate planets.
April 8
The Dream That Became Reality
“She was the largest craft afloat and the greatest of the works of men…Unsinkable, indestructible, she carried as few boats as would satisfy the laws” It was an April night so chilly that all the passengers had retired within, under a star speckled sky. These were prophetic lines about a doomed ocean liner.
Eerily they go on, “…ahead on either hand could be seen through the fog a field of ice which rose to a hundred feet high in her track. The music in the theatre ceased, and among the babel of shouts and cries, and the deafening noise of steel scraping and crashing over ice…”. The mightiest ship afloat, the Titan, had hit an iceberg and was doomed to sink in the freezing waters of the north Atlantic.
Morgan Robertson’s visionary story ‘Futility – The Wreck Of The Titan’ was published in 1898. That was fourteen years before the real Titanic, the world greatest luxury liner, tragically fulfilled the prophecy on its maiden voyage. The similarity between the two boats in size and design was uncanny.
Robertson claimed to be psychic, and have an astral writing partner. In the same book he had written another story about a war between the USA and Japan and a radiation bomb.
THE FAMOUS MR STEAD
Robertson wasn’t the only psychic attached to the legend of the mysterious Titanic. On board when it sank beneath the icy waters was writer and spiritualist William Stead. He was also well known philanthropist who had a large public following. But Stead had foreseen his own death from drowning.
In March of 1886, he published an article titled, "How the Mail Steamer Went Down in Mid-Atlantic, by a Survivor”. It describes a collision of two ships with a great loss of life because of insufficient lifeboats. Stead thought enough to write after the story, "This is exactly what might take place and will take place if liners are sent to sea short of boats".
GHOSTLY WARNING
Later in the Christmas of 1892 Stead wrote another piece, this time about a White Star luxury liner called the ‘Majestic’. White Star were the owners of the Titanic. In Stead’s second story two spirits from a former shipwreck appear to a clairvoyant passenger.
They bear a ghostly warning to avoid dangerous Atlantic ice fields ahead. In Stead’s story the captain follows the advice. But little was William to know that he would eventually be aboard the most famous liner ever to sink at sea.
THE SCIENTIFIC THEORY
There are a lot of reasons for the loss of life on the Titanic. The lack of, and misuse of lifeboats was one of the principle ones. Scientists are now pointing to celestial influences. In the preceding winter the Sun and Moon both reached their closest distance to earth together virtually at the same time, an extremely rare occurrence.
This gravitational pull occurred at a Full Moon, which exerts a far greater effect on the tides. The theory goes that this may help explain the unusual amount of icebergs prevalent as far south as the shipping lanes the year that the Titanic sank.
THE FIXED STAR SCHEAT
Sherrynne Dalby, who has done enormous statistical research on the Titanic since the early 90’s, also noted the constant influence of the fixed star Scheat. This malevolent star, which lay near the end of watery Pisces, was renowned astrologically for maritime disasters. Here's a link to some of her work.
Its recurring influence is in the laying of the keel, sea trials, maiden voyage, and sinking. Scheat even shows up when James Ballard miraculously discovered the Titanic shortly after midnight on September 1 1985. Sherrynne also compiled a list of over fifteen hundred passenger's birth dates noting the planetary differences between those who survived and those who didn't.
On April 14 1912, on a clear moonless the Titanic hit an iceberg at 23.40. It would lead to the ship foundering two and half hours later at 02.20 am. This was the tragic completion of a celebrated maiden voyage begun exactly at noon, on April 10 from the docks of Southampton England.
SUN SQUARE NEPTUNE- KING OF THE SEAS
The Titanic sailed on a day that the pioneering Arian Sun was coming to meet the eclipse axis, known as the Moon’s Nodes. The Sun was also in a difficult square to the ruler of the seas Neptune. This was no auspicious sailing horoscope at all. Even the Midheaven of the sailing horoscope lay at the accident-prone Mars Uranus midpoint.
For every person that survived the Titanic another two died. The chief factor was not the iceberg, but the appalling lack of lifeboats, and the way they were deployed. Human error, ego, class discrimination and bad planning were the major factors above any of nature's causes.
One hundred years after Morgan’s prophetic book, Titanic the movie cleaned up the 1998 Academy Awards . It broke the billion-dollar mark for producer and director James Cameron. Until his successful Jupiter return twelve years later, and Avatar, Titanic was the highest grossing film of all time. It is now being re-released in 3-D.
MARKET WATCH
The 2012 DJIA figures have been impressive, rising from around 12400 at the start of the year to a high of 13264 on April 2. It was an increase of seven per cent. But the March 23 New Moon fell on the reversal planet of Uranus, as trading Mercury was also heading backwards.
Although the New Moon occurred during a week that the Dow fell 200 points, the figures bounced back.Leading into the Full Moon of April 6 however the Dow suffered its biggest one day fall.
There are astrological correspondences to that. Firstly the Full Moon generally delivers the promise of a New Moon. Additionally the planet of values Venus, had come to square volatile Mars and both would begin to connect with dissipating Neptune.
Neptune is the king of confusion – the spook planet. It aligns with irrational exuberance plus panic and fear. Venus came into play with Mars and Neptune and the Moon also came into play by the opening of the 3rd. Thus began the tumble dropping almost 250 points within the next twenty-four hours opening of the 3rd to 4th. Since then the market has been flat.
The New moon of the 23rd occurred a week after the IMF signed off on a second Greek bailout package. The recent Wall St fall coincided with the fear that the Spanish economy may not recover, and that the solutions could be as problematic as the actual problem.
The Venus Mars Neptune squares will dissipate, although the market may not recover as confidently for a little while yet. The sombre European outlook is kicking in, and mid April features an oppostion between the Sun and contracting Saturn.
April 1
BIRTH DEATH AND PLUTO
Pluto is the planet governing the underworld. It is the planet of birth-death-reincarnation, meaning total transformation. The far flung icy rock circling the Sun on the edges of the distant Kuiper belt Pluto represents the almost inaccessible inner self.
It deals with suppressed core issues. Pluto unmasks our deepest fears and taboo. Its penetrating depth holds the key to true metamorphosis. And it did for mountaineer Lincoln Hall.
At 8.53 am on the morning of May 26 2006 8,600 meters up the highest mountain on earth, climber Myles Osborne, nearing the peak, witnessed a miracle.
"Sitting to our left, about two feet from a 10,000 foot drop, was a man. Not dead, not sleeping, but sitting cross legged, in the process of changing his shirt. He had his down suit unzipped to the waist, his arms out of the sleeves, was wearing no hat, no gloves, no sunglasses, had no oxygen mask, regulator, ice axe, oxygen, no sleeping bag, no mattress, no food nor water bottle.
'I imagine you're surprised to see me here', he said. Now, this was a moment of total disbelief to us all. Here was a gentleman, apparently lucid, who had spent the night without oxygen at 8600m, without proper equipment and barely clothed. And ALIVE."
LINCOLN THE SURVIVOR
It was the Australian climber, Lincoln Hall, drifting between lucidity and hallucination, suffering from brain edema, a swelling associated with altitude sickness. Twenty-two years before, he had got to within a few hundred meters of the top when sickness overcame him. This time he’d made it, but at the apparent cost of his life.
His body had gone into shut down, with no sign of pulse, and no reaction to external stimulus. In the death zone the body draws blood from the extremities. It concentrates circulation purely toward the vital organs making frostbite inevitable for starters. His party was ordered to abandon any further rescue attempt and head back to base, with all survival gear.
Lincoln recalls awakening into a pitch-blackness and dreaming of being clothed in a gray cloak. He understood this to be the cloak of death. A Buddhist, aware of the eightfold process of death, he realized that he had experienced the first two stages. He envisaged the cloak as a death wrapping. He was in the process of removing the cloak when spotted by the advancing climbers.
In fact he was removing his 'real' clothing. For in the final stages of life the blood flows back to the extremities like a surge and the individual experiences a hot flush. Lincoln was experiencing this overheat when spotted by the climbing party.
What followed was a miraculous rescue by a team of sherpas. This was only possible as Lincoln, having regained consciousness, was able to walk. By the time he had reached base camp, lucidity was returning, and he was able to speak to make phone contact with his wife. Lincoln Hall was also meeting and cheating Pluto, the lord of the underworld.
THE PLUTO TRANSIT
Hall was born December 19 1955 in Canberra. His love of climbing began at a young age and his mountaineering achievements, including the Everest summit were many. He was awarded the Australian Geographic Society's Lifetime of Adventure award, an Order of Australia, and was a founding member of the Australian Himalayan Foundation.
Lincoln’s horoscope shows an athletic and adventurous Sagittarian Sun, well configured with expansive Jupiter and obsessive Pluto. He frequently spoke of this love of the ‘intensity’ (a Pluto adjective) of the mountain climb. That day on May 26, when he was found miraculously alive after descending to the underworld, Hall had deep and dark Pluto sitting right on the degree of his Sagittarian Sun.
PEACEFUL FAREWELL
At 11.45 pm on March 20 this year Lincoln finally did slip into that final netherland. He did so not on a mountain, but quietly and in the company of close companions. Hall died of mesothelioma apparently contracted innocently from his youth playing in a cubby house containing asbestos fibers. This time Pluto had been moving across his Mercury, associated with the nervous system and lungs.
Hall’s progressed Mercury had also come to join Uranus and Neptune, a combination cosmobioligist Reinhold Ebertin dubbed, ‘loss of consciousness’. Hall was only fifty-six, but proved it’s the quality of your days, not the quantity that counts. His Buddhist teachings had led him to believe and inadvertently prove that there is indeed life after death.
THE REBELLIOUS NEW MOON
Collectively we remain in the transiting lunar cycle of a rebellious New Moon. It occurred March 23 as the Sun, Moon, and Mercury aligned with the revolutionary planet Uranus in the initiatory sign of Aries.
It has already brought some political surprises. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, also formed on March 23 1928, have reversed their promise not to run a presidential candidate. The Brotherhood, who succeeded more than any other party in last year's Egyptian elections are becoming increasingly unpopular with the ruling Egyptian army.
In Burma elections take place April 1 which finally allows revolutionary leader, Khin Maung Swe, popularly called the Nelson Mandela of Burma, a people's vote. Khin Mau will front the National Democratic Force, in an election that the world closely watches.
Since the rebellious New Moon Spaniards have taken to the streets to protest government austerity measures. With an unemployment rate of twenty three per cent the population is at breaking point plus also facing cost of living increases.
The Spanish riots occur as Pluto (9 degrees Capricorn) returns to the same degree it occupied during the massive Spanish riots of 1766, which also occurred on March 23. But I feel that these and other European riots will coincide with the economic difficulties and European insurrection often accompanied by the closing Uranus Pluto square now active.
TROUBLE IN SPAIN
At the Federation of Australian Astrologer’s biennial conference, held this January in Melbourne, I gave a presentation entitled “Times To Come – 2012”. Much of this was centered on the historical effects of the Uranus Pluto closing square, which reaches exactness from June to September this year, and is ongoing over the next three years. Spain and the US and European economies were central subject material.
A studied analysis of the Uranus and Pluto planetary phenomenon corresponds with repeated financial crisis. Such was the case back in 1819 when the USA experienced its first ever money melt down following the Napoleonic Wars. Uranus, then in Sagittarius was forming an approaching and closing square to Pluto in Pisces.
US exporters had greatly benefited from the decimated European farmlands of the war. Coincident with this business boom, banks were lending more capital and taking greater risks. The financial meltdown of 1819 was the bust to this boom. Europe recovered and US trade slowed as its debt ballooned. Meanwhile in Spain a political upheaval was taking place.
THE LIBERAL TRIENNIUM
The Liberal Triennium (1820–1823) was a Spanish Revolution led by General Rafael Riego. Essentially the military uprising wanted to create a republic. However King Ferdinand VII agreed to the revolutionary’s liberal demands. But the revolt was put down by the military intervention of the crowned heads of Europe, Britain, France, Netherlands and Austria on January 22 1823.
At the next Uranus Pluto closing square of 1876, monarchists and republicans were at it again with the Third Calista War, which closely followed the Restoration period. The closing square of 1932-34 witnessed the beginnings of Spain’s political division of the 1930’s, with the election of a right wing government and leftist uprisings.
The Asturia’s miners strike led to full-scale revolution from the evening of October 4 1934. The government’s armed response saw three thousand miners killed, with ten times that amount taken prisoner. The uprising was eventually quashed but this sparked further hostilities leading Spain down the road of civil war.
SPAIN 2012
As a result of the global economic crisis Spain now has an unemployment rate of twenty three per cent. Spain is now ruled by a conservative government under the People’s Party leader Mariano Rajoy Brey.
Spain’s new Prime Minister was born March 27 1955 in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. This gives him a Sun position at six degrees of Aries and configured in a challenging relationship with both conservative Saturn and aggressive Mars.
Mariano Rajoy Brey assumed office on December 21 last year, as powerbroker Pluto squared his Sun. It’s no surprise that he would virtually spend his birthday watching riots across the major cities of his home country as Uranus the planet of rebellion and insurrection now crosses his Sun.
It’s also no surprise that the Uranus Pluto square, historically linked with political revolution in Spain, and now reaching exactness should signal the increasing social unrest.
As all this unfolds the monetary crisis is said to be under control. Yet it was under the same Uranus Pluto closing square of the early 1930’s that the central European bank collapsed.
It’s not doomsday stuff. It doesn’t say that Spain will go down the same road it once did, or that the Eurozone will collapse. But the challenge is to learn from the past, as the planets re-align. And it’s something that humanity has a real problem mastering.
MARCH 26
ONE MAN’S WAR
Robert Bales was born June 30 1973 in Norwood, Ohio. His horoscope shows a patriot Cancer Sun in a motivating square to the aggressive war planet Mars in the martial sign of Aries. The Sun also squares intense and obsessive Pluto. The Mars Pluto axis was one that the German cosmobiolgist Reinhold Ebertin referred to as occasioning ‘superhuman force and brutality’.
Ebertin goes further, describing a sociological correspondence of people disabled in war. He also portrays those who like to use force or compulsion at every occasion. Such are the kind of descriptions that would define both war heroes and war villains. But there was nothing heroic about what Sgt Bales is facing a military court over.
INTENSE AGGRESSION
The Mars Pluto axis is one for the aggressive competitors. Boxing great Muhammad Ali, who made hostility an art form, had his Mars exactly square Pluto with his Capricorn Sun also involved. The Mars Pluto square is in the horoscope of Albert De Salvo – otherwise known as the ‘Boston Strangler’, the French serial killer Henri Landru, and the ‘Monster of Florence’ Pedro Pacciani.
General Patton was another who had the Mars Pluto in square. Was he born a warrior? Patton thought so. The general believed in reincarnation, and that he was descended from a line of warriors. Patton, according to Patton, was previously a Roman legionnaire, a Scottish Highlander, and even fought under Napoleon. When touring a Roman amphitheater he swore he could "smell the sweat of Caesar's legions."
BALES THE COMPETITOR
Robert Bales was an accomplished sportsman in his youth. And up until the Kandahar massacre he was a decorated soldier. Despite this, he was overlooked for further promotion. Information now seeping forth about his personal life exposes incidents of anger management counseling following assault on a female, drunken encounters with the law, and financial fraud.
The latter, involving the savings of an elderly couple, came just before he rapidly changed career paths and joined the army. Bales was also under economic stress just before the April 11 killing spree. His family home near Tacoma, had been placed on the market. Sometimes it just takes the right, or should I say wrong environmental conditions, to bring out the worst.
At sometime around 2.30 am on April 11, on duty in the Kandahar district, he is accused of a crazed killing spree that left seventeen Afghans, including nine children dead, and others seriously wounded. Some of the bodies were burnt. This shocking incident, on the back of the NATO Koran burning debacle, has cast a sinister shadow over US Afghan relations.
The bleak personal situation, a fourth tour of duty, and alcohol are the terrestrial combination that potentially forced Bales over the edge. But the planetary evidence would rest on rebellious Uranus and extreme Pluto arriving now to fire up his already volatile Sun Mars Pluto birth combination.
ACT OF VIOLENCE
Ebertin’s description of Uranus and Pluto to Mars is apt. He writes, “Fantacism, an act of violence, the mania of destruction…the stage of bending or breaking”. These explosive planets are not about to go way. But there’s little danger Bales presents behind the walls of Fort Leavenworth military prison.
The damage to the US Afghan mission is enormous. Afghanis wanted him tried in their own country. Kuwait refused to hold him. Had it happened to western civilians, the press would have called him a crazed terrorist, and demanded the death sentence.
Experts of military law suggest Bales will plead insanity. They point to the fact that although President Reagan did amend the law to allow a President to virtually sign the death warrant of a soldier, proving the case will be difficult. It requires witnesses, DNA, and uncontaminated evidence. Bales may be lucky that the US got to him first. But the damage is done.
SOCCER SHOCK
It was 18.13 April 17 2012. For just over an hour time would stand still for a young international soccer player. An FA Cup match would be sensationally abandoned. And doctors would administer fifteen separate shocks using a defibrillator. All in a desperate attempt to engage the heart of Fabrice Muamba.
In sensational circumstances the Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch during the FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur. Muamba, was taken by ambulance to hospital, where doctors continued trying to revive him. At 19.31 the same night his heart started beating again. Miraculously he is now alive, joking and recovering, despite having been ‘dead’ for seventy-eight minutes.
Muamba is one of England’s top soccer players, representing the U’21’s national side thirty three times. He is an Aries sun sign, born April 6 1988 in Kinshasa, Zaire. At first there looks nothing abnormal in his horoscope to suggest such a bizarre occurrence. Except that he has Mercury positioned at the start of Aries and in a testing square to Uranus the planet of shock and awe, and also Saturn. Mercury is the nervous system.
THE GREAT TRANSFORMER
Mercury and Uranus together suggest sudden surprising (Uranus) news (Mercury). Here we have the planet of the reporter connected to the planet of the unusual or fantastic.
At 16.13 on April 17 Mercury and Uranus united in the skies. As they did they also hovered over Fabrice Muamba’s birth Mercury, which as I mentioned was already square Uranus anyway. And the young soccer player became the source of a fantastic story.
It’s not the whole picture. Astrologically the Sun is attributed to the heart. And the Sun in our horoscope progresses slowly forward at around one degree per year of life. This year for Muamba, his Sun is opposed to Pluto the planet of death and rebirth.
Pluto is the great transformer. The event has no doubt totally changed Fabrice’s life, even allowing for the fact that doctors anticipate a full recovery.
Deaths in soccer matches are not as uncommon as thought. Italian Renato Curi has the Perugia home stadium named after him following his fatal heart attack playing against Juventus on October 30 1977. Renato, born September 20 1953, had his progressing Sun joining potentially debilitating Neptune, and squaring the surprise packet Uranus when this happened.
There are cases of players heading a ball only to collapse into fatal coma. Or the extraordinary instance where Erik Jongbloed, son of the Dutch national keeper, was struck by lightning as his father watched. The same happened to Tony Allden of Highgate United on Feb 25 1967. Fabrice Muamba is one of the lucky survivors, alive to tell a bizzare tale with a fortunate ending.
March 18
NEW MOON CONJUNCT WILD CARD URANUS
On Thursday March 22 a significant New Moon will appear in the heavens. It will be joined to newsworthy Mercury and defiant Uranus. And it will mark the beginning of the new astrological year, known technically as the Aries Ingress and Equinox. It stamps the rebellious Uranian emblem indelibly into year 2012.
Countries such as Pakistan, who celebrate the birth of their Republic the following day, will feel this destabilization more than most. It was at 7.05 local time on Friday March 23 1956 that the Republic was born. The erratic New Moon arrives as their Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced he would rather be jailed than to bow to the Pakistan Supreme Court order that he request Switzerland to re-examine graft cases against President Al-Zadari.
The Uranian flavor strongly suggests defiance and changes at the very top levels of Pakistan government. It also comes at a time when NATO supply routes to Afghanistan remain closed, with a reported 5000 oil tankers lying idle. This impasse follows the accidental killing of 24 Pakistani’s by US drones. U.S. officials while expressing sincere regrets for the loss of Pakistani lives, have issued no formal apology.
AFGHANISTAN IN CHAOS
It’s not the only problem facing the military engagement in Afghanistan. The incineration of Koran copies at Agram airbase by US military personnel, and the slaughter of sixteen Afghan civilians by a battle fatigued US soldier, has run Afghan Prime Minster Hamad Karzai out of patience.
Karzai, born December 24 1957 (time unknown) has the upcoming independent New Moon Uranus in a testing angle to his own birth Sun and communications planet of Mercury. He subsequently ordered US soldiers from Afghan villages.
Karzai issued a further statement declaring, "Afghanistan is right now ready to completely take all security responsibilities, so we demand a speedy transition and the handover of responsibility to the Afghans."
The original withdrawal window was year 2014, and such seems inevitable. The bombing and invasion of Afghanistan began (following the 911 attacks), on October 7 2001 at 9.05 pm Kabul time. This horoscope will have Uranus moving in opposition to the Sun in early 2014.
Already t he invasion horoscope currently has tenuous Neptune moving across the Midheaven, obscuring the leadership and objectives of the mission. These objectives seem in disarray and disappointment if Neptune is any guide.
The reality brick of Saturn, is also moving across the negotiating Mercury of the 2001 Afghan invasion horoscope. This suggests a serious rethink of strategies and communications regarding the whole initiative.
Australian deployment to Afghanistan was announced from Canberra at 10.15 am on October 7 2002. This horoscope currently reveals somber Saturn dimming the Sun suggesting the Australian leadership will come under increasing scrutiny regarding their justification of this war between May and July of this year.
GREECE STILL SIMMERRING
Also affected by the New Moon energies is the Eurozone. Greece, who celebrate their independence from Ottoman rule on March 25 are another country that may feel the insurrectionist Uranus energy. Already Greece has been a battleground for the war between European banks and national sovereignty. The Greek populace, already far removed from their representatives due to imposed austerity measures, may provide the real test case of people power.
THE CONSUMATE URANIAN
Julian Assange Wikileaks posed a very relevant question to the world of journalism. “How is it that a team of five people has managed to release to the public more suppressed information, at that level, than the rest of the world press combined?”
Whatever side of the freedom of information debate you take, it’s obvious that the truth for some is too hot to handle. Suppressive or corrupt governments and administrators stand to lose most from the revelations of Wikileaks.
Assange writes in his ‘Unauthorized Autobiography’ that he was born at 3 p.m. in Basel Hospital Townsville, Australia on July 3 1971. Being a Cancer with a Scorpio Moon it is water heavy. He feels strongly and acts on those feelings. This is his horoscope link.
The horoscope has strong Scorpionic undertones with a loaded twelfth house – the house of secrets. Rising in the east at his birth was Neptune, the ethereal shape shifter, and the deity that walks through walls. Neptune’s covertness makes it the ideal undercover agent. It also endows him with a certain public perception charisma.
On his seventh house – the house of relationship – is Saturn. Saturn, the tribal elder planet, implies responsibilities and restrictions through others. The voice of the establishment is firmly against Assange here. And Saturn’s close opposition to the clandestine Neptune plays out right across his (Ascendant/Decendant) relationship life.
FREEDOM FIGHTER - AQUARIAN MARS
At the very base of Assange’s chart is the agitating warrior planet Mars. Underneath he is a fighter. Mars in Aquarius denotes the freedom fighter for the larger collective. Assange really is about letting the majority know what the minority is up to. And his rebellious attitude is fuelled by a close challenging square between his expressive Sun and the insurrectionist Uranus.
Sun square Uranus individuals have their own inimitable take on existence. The eminent philosopher and writer Emmanuel Swedenborg was one who challenged religious thought postulating that heaven and hell were living states of mind, not places we went to after death. Galelei Galileo was imprisoned by the Catholic Church, for sticking to his scientific truths. Oliver Stone’s alternative approach led to controversial classics, ‘The Fourth Of July’, ‘JFK’, ‘Midnight Express’ and ‘Platoon’.
Governments who operate at a covert level diplomatically have been the most highly critical of Assange’s revelations. The Prime Minister of his homeland, Julia Gillard, branded the leaks ‘an illegal act’ and her government discussed possible treason charges being laid against the whistleblower. They were humiliated to be advised by their own Federal Police that Assange had broken no Australian laws.
But the establishment acted quickly on Assange. Economic sanctions were imposed. US companies such as MasterCard, Visa, Paypal and other financial institutions withheld contributions to Wikileaks. Assange poignantly sends them up in this video clip.
RON PAUL DEFENDS THE WHISTLEBLOWERS
US Republican Senator Ron Paul made the telling point that the 1971 publication of the Pentagon Papers by the New York Times did not lead to imprisonment for the investigative journalist Daniel Ellsberg. In fact they were inserted into the Congressional records, and Ellsberg is now widely respected for his revelations of government lies and cover up. Ron Paul aptly quoted the words of Thomas Jefferson, ‘Let the eyes of vigilance never be closed.’ This links to a video clip of his speech.
EXTREMISTS CALL FOR EXECUTION
Right wing extremists like Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh have virtually called for the assassination of Assange. Julian too believes that the US is out to get him. But the question of government and corporate transparency will be a major issue as revolutionary Uranus squares off with controlling and underworld Pluto in mid 2012 and over the next three years.
All of this seems destined to propel Assange to folk hero and/or martyr status. It happens as the Uranus Pluto square links in with his Cancerian Sun. It also happens as sacrificial Neptune squares itself, his Saturn and his Ascendant. And so we may never know the complete truth surround the mysterious Australian cyber spy.
A THOUGHT
Do we really want to be limited to the omnipresent celebrity pulp fiction of mainstream media? Do we trust a media, sustained only by commercial interests, to be objective in reporting on these same commercial interests? Can we rely on the truth coming out of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan on the evidence we have seen thus far? Or do we look for a more independent, albeit often anarchic, approach.
March 11
REMEMBERING SENDAI
Sunday March 11 will represent the first anniversary of one of the worst three earthquakes of the last hundred years. The magnitude 9 undersea fracture off the coast of Sendai Japan, created monster waves that peaked at just under 50 feet in some areas, completely devastating the nearby countryside.
There were just under 16,000 confirmed deaths with thousands more missing, and a combined loss of $235 billion, making the Japanese quake the most expensive national disaster in history.
The energy expended by the quake would have powered a city the size of Los Angeles for a whole year. It moved Honshu, Japans largest island, 2.4 meters east and shifted the earth’s axis in the process.
MOON POWER
The Sendai eruption, occurred only a fortnight after a catastrophic earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Both were wedged between two SuperMoons, a term describing the Moon’s closest approach to earth, coinciding with either Full or New moons.
This year’s SuperMoons (coined by the US astrologer Richard Nolle) will occur with the Full Moons of April 6, May 6, and June 4 respectively, along with the New Moons of November 13 and December 13.
New and Full Moons, due to their additional gravitational pull, impart an extra strain on the earth’s tectonic plates. This makes them ideal candidates for chaotic conditions like earthquakes.
When it came to the Japanese quake, apart from the tales of human courage and determination to rebuild, it is hard to imagine anything positive to arise out of such a tragedy. But humanity’s awareness around the viability of nuclear power may have been the the accidental ecological godsend.
THE NUCLEAR QUESTION?
Not long after the quake hit the shores of nothern Japan, the nearby Fukushima reactors began to melt down under the water pressure. At 15.36 (JT) on March 12 2011, there was an explosion in Reactor 1 at the Fukushima power plant.
The government set up an exclusion zone of twenty kilometers around the plant, as panic of a meltdown gripped the nation. Although not as bad as Chernobyl, traces of increased radiation have been detected in the vegetable chain up to 200 klms from the nuclear plant.
PLANETARY COMBINATIONS
The construction dates of the four reactors tells its own story. They are
1 –
July 25 1967 – operational March 26 1971
2 – June 9 1969 – operational July 18 1974
3 – December 28 1970 – operational March 27 1976
4 – February 12 1973 – operational October 12 1978
Without wading through laborious detail, it was not at all surprising to find that the construction on the first reactor also began on a day that the Sun squared explosive Mars within the degree – and that deadly Pluto was linked in with the Mars by aspect as well. By solar arcing such a horoscope to guage future prospects, it would become very explosive around 44-46 years later – ditto 2011.
Reactor two began with the Sun square eruptive Pluto. In March 2011 fiery Mars was activating that as well. Reactor 3 began with its Capricorn Sun square Pluto – and reformative transiting Pluto moved across it’s Sun during the meltdown. And reactor 4 was built with Mars square Pluto and had both Uranus and Pluto activating that square. Fukushima became a defining moment in the history of Japanese nuclear power generation.
THE URANIAN FACTOR
An examination of momentous nuclear events reveals a patterning of regular planets involved. They are Mars, Uranus and Pluto. The combination of this trio represents superhuman force, linked to technology. Uranus is particularly evident.
When the Hiroshima bomb was launched on August 6 1945 Mars and Uranus were together directly above Hiroshima and the Sun just moving past Pluto.
When at 4.30 am on December 2 1957 the first nuclear power station began supplying electricity to the USA from Shippingport, Pennsylvania, Uranus was directly above on the Midheaven, and water king Neptune rising.
When Chernobyl began to melt down at 1.23 am on April 26 1986 Uranus was rising at that exact Ukrainian location and in a difficult geometric aspect to the Sun and Pluto.
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
The result of the Fukushima meltdown has led to Japan moving toward renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and away from nuclear power sources.
In August 2011 the Japanese government gave the green light to subsidizing alternative energy research and sources. Is this the silver lining in the atomic cloud.
There are reports of Japan planning to build up to 80 floating wind turbines near Fukushima over the next eight years. Only two of fifty-four reactors remain in operation. Germany is following suit.
If these major economies can replace nuclear power generation with alternative renewable sources they will lower the cost of these technologies. As a result nuclear power may become even less cost effective. And the world a safer place.
SECRETS OF A VIRAL VIDEO
One of the information shifts of the Internet is the emergence of social media and its ability to capture the minds of the masses. The 'Britain’s Got Talent' programmers have previously made great use of that, along with leading recording companies.
Ex mobile phone salesman Paul Potts rendition of Puccini’s "Nessun dorma” loaded June 10 2007 became an Internet sensation now racking up close to 90 million YouTube hits.
On April 11 2009 Susan Boyle singing ‘I Dream A Dream’ did the same becoming an Internet sensation. But the greatest video act is Justin Beiber with over 715 million views for his Baby video uploaded February 19 2010.
Beiber, who has utilised the medium better than anyone, was launched with a Venus Jupiter (successful art) conjunction in diffusive Pisces in a supportive sextile to mass media Pluto. In fact all the successful Internet posts exhibit positive planetary alignments.
ENTER KONY 2012
Last week the film ‘Kony 2012’ captured over 60 million viewers on the Internet platforms of YouTube and Vimeo. But this was no pop performance. It carried a disturbing social message about Ugandan massacres.
What made this one different was that it targeted children – in both film content, and its YouTube platform. It also directly asked for donations. And it was close to 30 minutes long. But it worked.
In a few short days film maker Joseph Russell had succeeded in making the evasive Ugandan warlord, Joseph Kony, the most hated man on the planet. However Russell's movement has also been accused of not distributing funds equitably, and being a brainwashing tool for further US intervention into a foreign country.
The film cleverly and subliminally uses images of Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden, and concentrates on atrocities committed on children. As such the 'Kony 2012' is highly emotive. It makes no secret of influencing celebrities and politicians in its cause of bringing Kony to justice.
Russell originally returned from filming the conflicts in northern Uganda, debuting his findings on June 22 2004. Since then he has targeted schools and the youth of the USA, in spreading the message. As for rebel militia leader Joseph Kony, head honcho of the Lord’s Resistance Army, he has been a target of the US since September 11 2001.
‘Kony- 2012’ has received enormous, if often unquestioning financial support from millions. It has also engendered criticism from security advisers and some Ugandan commentators. While Internet users have picked up on the message, other damning videos such as 'Phony 2012' have appearred.
So why has 'Kony 2012' succeeded? The answer is easy enough. The cause is a heart tugger, the film maker even uses his own infant son, and it has specifically targeted the celebs. When Oprah starts to Twitter people take note. But there are also plenty of planetary factors at play.
ARMCHAIR ACTIVISM
On Monday evening March 5 when armchair activism went viral, Mercury, the planet of the newsworthy subject, had moved into entrepreneurial Aries and was joined to electronic and shock factor Uranus.
Mercury and Uranus represent electronic communcition and computers. Meantime pervasive Neptune, in the dispersing and sacrificial sign of Pisces was favourably receiving the combined energies of popular Venus and mainstream Saturn.
The Moon, a fluctuating barometer of the public mood was originally in the demonstrative sign of Leo, and moving toward fullness. The Full Moon would form across the victim savoir axis of Pisces and Virgo. Like most internet sensations, the posting had the appropriate timing. And the not for profit 'Invisible Children' movement is considerably richer for it.
March 3
ISRAEL - USA – IRAN
This week Israeli Prime Minister Ben Netanyahu will visit Washington and meet with US President Barack Obama. Hot on the agenda will be Iran, and their nuclear developments. The US, and now Eurozone, have imposed economic sanctions on Iran. The US have also pressured China and India to join in crippling the Iranian economy. Further Netanyahu’s government have hinted at pre-emptive military strikes.
Iran are exploiting the elephant in the room hypocrisy of Israel’s own weapons of mass destruction, and powering ahead with their nuclear program. Meantime other gulf states, including the oil rich Saudi Arabia, have also expressed interest in developing nuclear power. But the prospect of escalating nuclear technology in such a hotbed of political instability, is a recipe for impending disaster.
THE SLEEPING POWDERKEG
During a press briefing in May of 2008, the former US President and Nobel Peace prizewinner, Jimmy Carter, claimed that Israel had about 150 nuclear warheads. In the same interview Carter claimed "One of the greatest human rights crimes on earth is the starvation and imprisonment of 1.6m Palestinians." This is a core issue of Middle East instability, and gradual global isolation of Israel.
Netanyahu, whose own brother was killed by terrorists, is considered one of Israel’s most hawkish of leaders. He has resisted the Oslo Accord. He has presided over illegal Israeli settlements, and the subjugation of Palestinians, in defiance of United Nations condemnation.
This has also tested the relationship with President Obama, despite public displays of diplomacy. At the 2011 G20 meeting Obama is reported replying to the French President Nikolas Sarkozy’s criticism of Netanyahu with "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day."
Ben Netanyahu was born October 21 1949, with his Sun and Moon in Libra. Although Libra is known as a sign of negotiation and relation, having the Sun and Moon close together gives a one pointed approach. His Sun is also favorably aligned with the war planet Mars. And not so favorably positioned to the excess of Jupiter.
More importantly Netanyahu’s last progressed New Moon, (dating from April 2009) was square the combative powderkeg planet Mars. And that is about to be ignited. The US is Israel's greatest supporter - brothers in "arms" in the literal sense. Obama is walking a diplomatic tightrope between another Middle East conflict and his 2012 presidential aspirations.
MARKET VERSUS OIL PRICE
Obama is aware that military conflict with Iran could disrupt oil supplies from the Gulf, and throw the world economy into disarray, just as the US shows signs of financial rebound. This could also do irreparable harm to his Presidential campaign. But this week’s talks will take place as the Sun moves through Pisces and opposes war planet Mars.
Mars at the moment is spending an exceedingly long time in Virgo, where Obama’s own Mars is situated, and where Netanyahu’s progressed Mars was situated. In plain language this means they are inadvertently, and possibly even unwillingly, united in taking action. Obama would prefer the US has the call. Netanyahu is playing his ace card of pre-emptive Israeli action to force the President’s hand.
JUNE BRIDES
Obama’s next Mars return is mid June – Netanyahu’s progressed Mars is activated again in late June. Even the birth horoscope of Israel sees the ‘brick of reality’ Saturn moving across their Ascendant in June, with the revolutionary Uranus Pluto square impacting on their birth Sun. Whatever comes of the upcoming talks, the month of June looks a volatile one for Israel the USA and Iran.
AUSSIE USED CARR ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Showing all the assurance of a used car salesman, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has now wheeled out former NSW Premier Bob Carr as the new Australian foreign affairs minister. Carr will replace the outgoing Kevin Rudd, soundly defeated in last Monday’s Labor leadership spill.
Julia’s resounding 71-31 popularity among the Labor caucus reversed the overwhelming public preference of Rudd over Gillard. But Labor is now in damage control, and Bob Carr is seen as a potential savior.
Last week’s caucus result was never in doubt as the concerted factional forces cornered Rudd and his supporters. In last week’s article I illustrated why the planets favored Julia, and she would live to fight another day. Astrology can be surprisingly simple, and always works best when it is. But here is the detail.
Her own popularity planet of Venus – it’s also the ruler of her eleventh house of friends - was receiving a supportive trine from, not only the powerbroker Pluto, but also the success planet Jupiter. At 10 am last Monday the Taurean Moon was moving in to join the Jupiter and reinforce this stellar success pattern for the Australian PM. It was her moment in the sun. Simple as!
If Julia’s mother’s comment of noon was actually correct regarding her birth time, (there are several rectified charts on the net) then her progressed Midheaven – a signature of her professional standing – would have reached progressed Venus. And that same progressed Venus is nicely angled to prevailing Pluto. And so it goes – but what of Carr?
BOB CARR’S HOROSCOPE
Bob Carr was born September 28 1947 in Sydney. The long time President of the Sydney Astrological Research Society, Val Dowling, rang his home to enquire about his time. Bob said he didn’t know precisely, and thought it was 12.30 in the morning. He then co-operatively passed on his mother Phyllis’ home phone number.
The answer given by Bob’s mother was ten to one in the morning. When quizzed as to why she could be so accurate, Bob’s mother replied, ‘Because he was my first, and a mother never forgets her first.’
I have supplied this explanation because there is also a time circulating the net of 11.32 p.m. for Bob Carr. This time, which I also had on my database, dates back twenty years, and I believe that it was from a rectification. So to his chart.
Bob’s Ascendant is history-loving Cancer, and Bob’s expertise is the US Civil War. The USA (July 4 1776) is a Cancerian country, and Bob has close ties there.
Bob has a Libran Sun in the third house of communications. He was originally a journalist for the ABC and esteemed Bulletin magazine. Bob also worked as an education officer. Information planet Mercury, also in Libra, lies at the base of his horoscope.
Venus and Neptune together complete a quadruple Libran horoscope. They also illustrate his love of the arts. Bob’s empathetic Piscean Moon (also indicative of public face) nicely trines the fellow water sign Cancerian Ascendant. It connects him with the public.
PREMIER ALIGNMENT
On April 4 1995 as his progressed Midheaven, Moon, Venus, and Jupiter formed significant aspects in his progressing horoscope, Bob Carr was elevated to Premier. By the August 3 2005 date of his shock resignation, he had become the longest continually serving NSW premier. At that time his progressed Moon was opposing sacrificial and secretive Neptune.
Most political pundits expected Carr to enter Federal politics immediately. But Bob made a strange, yet prophetic, comment at his press conference. He said that would be a matter for when the planets align. He has been in the political background for over six years. Come Friday March 2 2012 the planets spoke.
Bob being propelled into Federal politics was shock factor stuff. He was the wild card in the deck of the Labor party. How were the planets aligned in Bob’s own horoscope?
His progressing Midheaven – the part that describes your public role – had come to join ‘bolt from the blue’ Uranus. His progressing Sun – now in the travel and cultural sign of Sagittarius – had come to meet successful Jupiter.
Bob is set to become a new Labor senator on the shock resignation of Senator Mark Arbib. He has been appointed as the new foreign minister on the sudden resignation Kevin Rudd. One must ask the question – did Bob’s third house curiosity read up on astrology after Val Dowling’s birth time request. Or does he just intuitively know when the planets are aligned?
February 27
Monday morning February 27 presents the inevitable showdown between Australian PM Julia Gillard and the man she is accused of politically assassinating, Kevin Rudd. With circumstances heavily weighted in Gillard’s favor, the public will again be left out of the equation. But this is not the end of Labor’s woes, there are more acts and bad actors in the political soap opera to follow. And the planets will inevitably unmask their roles.
RUDD RESSURRECTION?
Former Prime Minister John Howard was the best example of a leader knifed more than once by his own colleagues, and coming back from the wilderness. He jokingly referred to himself as Lazarus with a triple bypass. Howard wised up, patiently becoming Australia’s second longest serving Prime Minister.
Rudd, born September 21 1957 in Nambour, (see Rudd article) is a vastly different proposition. His impatient Sun Mars jackknifed him headlong into a premature leadership challenge. It was ably assisted by a carefully orchestrated smear campaign from the Gillard ministry – all who fear a reshuffle. The faceless factions, garishly came out of the shadows, much like poison oozing from a boil.
Rudd was remorselessly hammered for his personal shortcomings. But revealing that Kevin is an angry man is like saying the weather is cold in Antarctica. Rudd is an aggressive Sun/Mars conjunction in critical Virgo. He goes for the jugular, is impatient, a workaholic, and has a withering tongue. All sufficient to alienate some colleagues.
Under a PR hammering at the ungodly hour of 1.20 am on Wednesday February 22 in Washington, with the warrior planet Mars directly above, Rudd announced his resignation as Foreign Affairs Minister. The battle had begun. Rudd had pre-empted his own sacking.
10 a.m. Thursday at Adelaide, with reformative Pluto ominously on the Midheaven, Gillard called for a party spill. Pluto is the planet of dredging up the buried secrets and it certainly did. Pluto is also the boots and all lord of destruction and reformation.
Rudd returned from Washington and took his time accepting the challenge. At 1.42 pm Friday the 24th of February in Brisbane, rebellious Uranus was exactly above on the Midheaven and about to be met by the public Moon. The planet of surprise and turn arounds is one that will haunt Gillard in 2012 as it opposes her Libran Sun. Rudd had some surprises up his sleeve, and they will appear on Monday.
At 3 pm Gillard responded with a withering attack on Rudd, and a fiery defense of her own character and achievements. But as she did her own Sun was at the nadir, or bottom of the horoscope of the moment. The speech featured a new and repetitive media catchphrase. It was a repeat after me, “I am the person who gets things done!” Not surprisingly it showed an unusually angry and stressed Gillard determined to push her case to the public.
LANCING THE BOIL
Throughout this ugly confrontation, those with eyes of future leadership, play their cards closer to the chest. Bill Shorten born May 12 1967 sports a media conscious Sun/Mercury amalgamation in patient Taurus. It lies opposite clandestine Neptune in potentially devious Scorpio. While staying publicly loyal to Gillard, Bill also kept his sword in its sheath on Rudd. Shorten, courtesy of a current progressed Sun over affectionate Venus, is playing the perfect diplomat.
Rudd also has an attention grabbing and potentially egotistical Leo Moon - Howard had his Sun and 'Lazarus like Pluto' in the expressive Leo sign. Leo dramatics are the perfect fit for political theatre. Rudd is lavishing the ‘Kevin Rudd Show’ as his progressing Moon returns to its Leo birth position. But in this Greek tragedy the odds seem stacked insurmountably against him. A valiant people’s hero falling on his sword, and hoping the wound won’t be mortal.
This is not the end of the Gillard’s challenges, and she instinctively knows the sword of Damocles dangles precariously. The reason is simple. It shows in poll after poll. The public simply will not wear Julia Gillard. They never have. But the Labor party powerbrokers will.
Even in her
honeymoon period, the Gillard government was formed via independent support,
not at the polling booth. It was masterful negotiating, and showed her
at her best. But despite denials, if politicians didn’t worry about
polls we would never have snap elections. Truth is - politicians live
and die via polls.
MY KINGDOM FOR A POLL WIN
By the start of 2012 Julia achieved the dubious honor of becoming the most unpopular Prime Minister in Australian history. Her public approval rating had dipped to a disastrous 33%. It came on the back of classic quotes, “There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead,” something she’s now championing. Her “Now you will see the real Julia Gillard”, revealed the ice thin veneer of political reality. A monotony of crafted political catchphrases flowed from the PR machine, each alienating her more than the last.
Julia Gillard, was born September 1961 in Barry Wales, at a time her mother recalls as noon - all other times are rectified from that. Julia’s horoscope (click here for chart) is strong in mutability, meaning changeability. Her Moon is in dualistic Gemini in the seventh house of alliances. Her Sun lies in the balance – but two edged - sign of Libra. Can you see the pattern developing? A superb networker! Her skill is in negotiation, conciliation and compromise; her weakness in constancy.
In recent days Julia has boasted that she never once publicly undermined her Prime Minister prior to the eventual Labor coup. She thought it showed admirable character not to publicly denounce him until the last moment. All of which had certainly given Rudd a false sense of security.
Julia also has a ‘life is a battlefield’ stealthy Scorpio Ascendant. Her communicative Mercury joined to combative Mars suits aggressive debate. She gives as good as she gets, and more often than not, better. That tenacity combined with her Libra/Gemini flexibility has helped Julia to the very top of the tree in the predominantly alpha male world of political power.
THE
POLITICAL REALITY
Julia has utilised her Libran duplicity to adroitly ascend the political
ladder. She was originally elected deputy opposition leader to Kim Beazley.
But she deserted Beazley to join the Kevin Rudd bandwagon, when it offered
better electoral prospects.
Beazley reflected, "I had some very loyal supporters for which I'm grateful when I was opposition leader. And I also had some very effective people who were not so supportive. And she's one of them."
By mid 2010 Kevin Rudd was about to experience a Beazley. Whilst daily denying that she would ever challenge him for the top job, Gillard was secretly complicit in a backroom party coup, personally handing to her Labor colleagues copies of secret internal polling designed to undermine his leadership. The coup became the only time in Labor’s history that a first term Prime Minister was overthrown, without facing the polls.
Politicians may be short on honesty but show me one short on ambition. Unfortunately Gillard’s tenure has revealed the backroom dealings of the Labor machine more than any other PM. It has detracted from the government’s achievements. Some cohorts would make Frank Sintara look like a choirboy. And it’s not something that sits well with the general populace. All of which has set Labor on a road to nowhere.
THE AUSTRALIAN HOROSCOPE AND PRIME MINISTERS
Some say simply being a woman is the primary reason for her opposition. But her airy Sun and Moon, whilst strong on communication, also lack emotional connection. More importantly her horoscope is a thorny match with the Australian Federation horoscope of January 1 1901 at 1.36 pm Sydney. This chart set for the swearing in of the first Federal government ministry is a revealing barometer for Australian Prime Ministers.
Long lasting PM’s, like marathon man Robert Menzies (19 years in the job) or Howard (ruled for over a decade), have horoscopes that merge easily with the Australian Federal horoscope. In contrast controversial Gough Whitlam, removed from office before an election by the Governor General, do not align so well. Whitlam’s Cancerian Sun Saturn directly opposed the Australian Federations Capricorn Sun Saturn.
The most revered Labor Prime Minister, wartime leader John Curtin, has his Sun, Mercury and Mars all in Capricorn – a perfect fit. The first Australian Prime Minister Edmund Barton was a Capricorn. Paul Keating was another.
But the most popular sun sign of all for Australian Prime Ministers is the fellow earth sign of Virgo. Here we find Chifley, Scullin, Fisher, Lyons, Gorton and Rudd – six of twenty-three PM’s. Throw in the Taurean Malcolm Fraser – and the earth signs comprise almost half of Australian leaders. It’s way beyond chance factor.
In stark contrast Gillard is an airy Libran, whose Sun is in a testy square to the Capricorn Sun Saturn of the Australian government horoscope. The only other Labor Prime Minister with a Libran Sun was the deeply divisive Billy Hughes.
Originally a hero of the workers, Hughes duplicity eventually split the Labor party. Hughes crossed the floor merging with the Liberal Party. On the 50th anniversary of Hughes parliamentary career one tribute described him as a man "who sat in every Parliament since Federation – and every party too".
THE FUTURE
These thoughts are not written in retrospect. In my World Predictions 2012 article I forecast when and why Gillard would face these challenges. My concern for her tenure rested upon several astro specifics. The obvious one was the unpredictable and unreliable Uranus opposing her Libra Sun, exact by April 2012 and returning exact in September. If truly born at noon it would now be impacting on her progressed Ascendant.
Secondly her progressed Venus, planet of popularity, was coming to meet dissolving Neptune. Thirdly her progressed communications planet Mercury is also moving to meet her progressed Neptune. This murky combination of potential political spin – Mercury and Neptune is the real storyteller aspect - will work against her. If people don’t believe Julia now, they will believe her even less tomorrow. She may also be let down by her own allies further down the track.
Fourthly, the reality planet of Saturn squares her birth Saturn. This tests the foundation of her leadership, and by mid April it will be exact. All of which means that attacks can come from all sides - rapidly and out of the blue. A Prime Minister on toast? When one considers that the Gillard government rules only with the consent of independents, it paints an ominous picture of ongoing instability.
SO WHAT'S THE GOOD NEWS
Gillard does have the power planet Pluto well aligned to her own Venus. She may well have enough support to survive an initial onslaught. But the pressure surprisingly mounts. By April the war drums will beat again and mid July they will peak again. I will add to this in the coming weeks.
Despite the outcome, history will still record Julia Gillard as Australia's first female Prime Minister. But now the leadership Sun is gradually moving away from the feminine Moon in the Australian Settlement horoscope, (January 26 1788 @ 5.23 am Sydney) representing the people.
There are many who see this simply as one man’s blind ambition to take what he feels was unjustly taken way from him. There are many who see Kevin Rudd as the real bad apple in the Labor barrel. But when it comes to polling the Australian public, he is seen as one of the few digestible fruits amongst a load of rotten apples, and still by far the preferred PM from either side of politics.
Australians have always believed in a fair go, and a 33% rating for the PM shows that in twenty months she hasn’t been able to regain their trust. She is a parody of in her own words, 'a good government that has lost its way.'
With her difficult
planets it will take a negotiation of miracle proportions to change that
scenario. As in the days of Nebucahdnezzar - the writing is on the wall…it
is certainly in the sky later this year.
February 19
HOROSCOPE OF IRAN
On the 1st of February 1979 millions of Iranian citizens descended on Teheran airport to witness the return of their political messiah, Ayatollah Khomeini. The religious and political leader, was returning home from a fifteen year exile. It was a homecoming, witnessed by millions of his countrymen. And all part of a shock revolution, before a transfixed world press.
According to Nicholas Campion’s World Horoscopes reference manual, the moment Khomeini touched down on home soil was 09.33 hours. The horoscope drawn for this time captures the tension and emotion of the moment. It has an self-determining Aries Ascendant with the Moon (representing the public) rising, and also in the sign of the warrior. Click here to see the horoscope of Iran.
The significance of this today, is that Uranus, the planet of rebellion and independence, is now in Aries. And on March 22 this year there will be a New Moon at 2 degrees of Aries, near the rising point of the Iranian chart. It will occur with the planet of not only revolution, but also technology, in Uranus along with newsworthy Mercury. These four celestial bodies coincide at a time that Iran’s own advancing technology is under scrutiny by the west.
THE NEW MIDDLE EAST
The Iranian Revolution was one of the defining political events of the 20th century. The Shah of Iran, who had ruled for over 38 years, was overthrown by his own people.
The root cause was his allegiance with western oil interests, and his support for a U.S. and UK backed coup d'état against Iranian Prime Minister Mosaddegh in 1953. In December of 1978 more than 10% of the country’s population marched in protest against the Shah. It was people power at work.
On January 16 1979 the Shah flew out of Iran, never to return. The incoming Ayatollah’s nationalistic address stressed eliminating foreign influence, and what he called fifty years of corruption. Under the Ayatollah - a devout religious leader - Iran became the first theocracy of the Middle East. Their opposition to the US, who were termed the Great Satan, immediately escalated.
HOSTAGE CRISIS
At the end of October 1979 the Shah sought asylum and medical treatment in the USA. Within days protesting Iranian students had raided the US Embassy in Teheran holding 52 Americans hostage from the early morning of November 4.
The students demanded the return of the Shah to face trial in his homeland. The stand off with the most powerful country in the world was to last 444 days. The US applied economic sanctions, froze Iranian assets and ceased oil imports.
President Carter negotiated a solution, which involved the US freeing up Iranian assets. The hostage's release was timed to take place shortly after the swearing in of the new Republican President Ronald Reagan. But the diplomatic breakdown between Iran and the US has been ongoing. It led to the US supporting Saddam Hussein in the 1980-88 Iraq Iran War.
ASTROLOGICAL SIGNALS
At the time the Iranians seized the hostages the revolutionary Uranus and warlike Mars were impacting on the Ascendant of the Iranian Revolution horoscope. Uranus is about to make an even stronger impact on this chart during 2012.
It is not only the New Moon of March 22, but also earlier in the month around the 7th, and from May 26 to June 6. These dates have greater volatility when compared with the Iranian horoscope.
Iran, who were encouraged to go nuclear under the western backed Shah, are now forbidden to tread that path. And already rumors are rife that Israel will make a pre-emptive strike on Iran, if the US does not act. The consequences are enormous. Apart from fracturing national alliances, the oil supply chain would be placed under enormous pressure.
IRANIAN CHANGE IMMINENT
One thing does appear very likely. Iran does look to be undergoing considerable political change within the next twelve months. That is evident from the rebellious combination of Uranus and Pluto affecting the very public Moon in the Iranian Revolution horoscope. This effect is even stronger in the second half of the year.
The other horoscope used for modern Iran is the founding of the Islamic Republic. This came into effect at 3 pm in the afternoon of April 1 1979, as a result of Ayatollah Khomeini’s political restructuring. The leadership Sun in this horoscope is also in combatant Aries. It also will feel the effects of the reformative Uranus Pluto cycle across 2013.
The nature of Uranus and Pluto is the collapse of an old order and the establishment of a new. It accompanies a greater need for independence and freedom.
Iran are certainly the rebels to the establishment, and the Uranus Pluto duo strongly suggest that their technology is fast advancing. They also hint that they could even have rebellious elements within their home land. And that something has to give within the time limits mentioned above.
NEW NATIONAL DAY OF OBSERVANCE
On Sunday morning February 19 at 9.58 am, seventy years after the tragedy, Australians commenced their first official national memorial of the bombing of Darwin. Previously it has been a local event only. The Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott attended the opening. This will now become a national day of observance.
The commemoration comes on the heels of a military build up in the South China seas that will by 2017 see 2500 US marines stationed in Darwin. The Australian horoscope (January 26 1788 @ 5.23 am Sydney) reflected the invasion of the Japanese on February 19 1942 with deadly Pluto reaching the seventh house of war.
The prolonged air attack by 242 Japanese warplanes took between 250 and 320 lives and flattened Australia's northernmost capital. US and Australian warships were sunk and Darwin's airfields destroyed. Most of the military were deployed further south and the city sufferred sixty more bombing raids over the course of WWII.
It was during these years that the US entered the battles of the Pacific and forged a military alliance with Australia. Powerful Pluto also represented the US coalition. It may be no coincidence that the commander of the US forces in the Pacific, General Douglas Macarthur, was born on January 26 – Australia Day.
BOMBING OF DARWIN
Darwin was bombed from 9.598 am on February the 19th 1942. It was first homeland attack of World War Two. This commemoration coincides with a military build up and greater expenditure on military and air defense.
This inevitability of that build up is shown via the connection of the planet of flight and technology, Uranus, and also that of powerful Pluto with the war planet, Mars, in the Australian horoscope.
The commemoration of the bombing of Darwin also cements the Australia/US military alliance. Its announcement came during a November visit by US President Barack Obama to Australian shores to announce the US marines being stationed permanently on Australian soil.
The horoscopes of the USA and Australia exhibit a strong military connection. The Cancerian Sun of the USA (July 4 1776) falls on the Mars of the Australian horoscope (January 26 1788). The Aquarian Australian Sun is also angled in sesuisquare the US Mars. In both charts there is a connection between the leader, the Sun, and the planet of war, Mars.
The commemoration of the bombing of Darwin allows Australia to reflect on an event that was previously largely overlooked. Its timing also gives support the governments of the USA and Australia to the military build up, and increaed expenditure in the South China seas, that will grow significantly in 2013.
Feb 12 2012
WHITNEY HOUSTON SHOCK DEATH AT 48
Last weeks Full Moon in Leo, fell on Whitney Houston's birth Sun. It held the promise of greater publicity. As it did the Aquarian Sun and newsworthy Mercury came to her Saturn. But this weekend's headline was one of disbelief. At the premature age of forty eight superstar Whitney Houston has died.
As a vocalist her lineage was impeccable, being the daughter of Cissy Houston, the cousin Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin. Wikipedia describes her as the most ‘awarded singer of all time’. She won numerous Grammy’s and Billboard awards, and racked up over 170 million singles and album sales.
During the mid 80’s and early 90’s Whitney’s career soared with hits such as ‘How Will I Know’, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’ from the popular film "The Bodyguard". Professionally she could do no wrong. Her gospel trained vocals belted out soul after soul hit, but inside her real soul was deeply troubled.
Houston's much publicized abusive relationship with rapper Bobby Brown led her down a path of drugs and desperation. At the peak of her career her personal appearances only confirmed what the pop magazines were printing. Houston fought a long battle with cocaine, her relationship and her fame. In the end it was a battle that destroyed her image and her voice.
WHITNEY’S HEALTH HOROSCOPE
Whitney Houston (Newark, NJ August 9 1963 at 20.55 hours) was born with her creative Leo Sun in close opposition to Saturn. Click here for her horoscope. This aspect may bring trials and tribulations through others. Coupled with an eighth house Neptune also squaring her Sun, it also manifested in health concerns. The Saturn Neptune axis is well documented as the ‘health axis’ particularly in the studies of cosmobiology.
Whitney was born with Saturn and Neptune in a challenging angle to her Sun. In a health sense the Sun represents one’s vitality, and has connections with the heart. Whitney’s Sun lay in the sixth house of her horoscope, the house governing physical health. Whitney was also born with Saturn in retrograde motion, so the longer she lived, the closer Saturn progressed to perfecting that opposition to her Sun. At her death it had become exact.
She also had a close square between Venus the ruler of her eighth house of death with watery Neptune positioned in her eighth house. This also opened the possibility of escapism and recreational drug abuse.
VENUS NEPTUNE MUSICAL TALENT
Whitney also had her artistic Venus positioned in expressive Leo. Venus was positioned in a close square to Neptune. This aspect is connected with extraordinary musical ability. Singers such as Tina Turner, Madonna and Stevie Nicks are just three who have Venus in square to imaginative Neptune. All have experienced troubles with partners and/or drugs.
During the mid 80’s Whitney’s progressing Sun joined with loving Venus as her career skyrocketed. The Sun and Venus progresing across the vocal Mercury and mass media Pluto, also coincided with phenomenal financial success. The outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus were also favorably aligning with her Sun and Venus as she signed the richest contracts in recording history.
The cause of Whitney’s Houston’s untimely death is yet to be released. Born with sensitive and impressionable Pisces rising, and the planet of legends Neptune, now heading into that sign, mystery may still surround her passing.
Its shock suddenness can be aligned to Uranus now opposing her progressed Libran Sun. It’s tragedy is decribed by progressed Saturn now exactly opposing her birth Sun. Whatever the coroner’s report, the once extraordinary voice of Whitney Houston will ring out hauntingly for decades. And her story will frequently be told.
SYRIA CIVIL WAR
As western countries close their embassies in Damascus, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fights a growing revolution within his own homeland. Driving the revolution is the memory of a brutal crackdown. Just as the deadly rebellion against former Libyan leader Mahmoud Ghaddafi took a prison slaughter many years before as inspiration, so the al-Assad family is haunted by the shadow of the Hama massacre.
THE
HAMA MASSACRE
The Hama massacre occurred during the command of Bashar’s father,
Hafez al-Assad - the strong-arm ruler of the Ba-athist Party. At 2 a.m.
on February 3 in the rebel city of Hama, his army discovered the hideout
of the rebel local command.
What followed was a ferocious battle, with the rebel town of Hama turning against the Syrian army. The president, faced with an Islamic insurgency, inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood movement, ordered a massive crackdown. It eventually became known as the Hama massacre.
In the days after the uprising, al-Assad’s crack troops combed through the city eliminating all opposition. The besiegement of Hama lasted the entire February of 1982. At its end the respected independent political correspondent Richard Fisk numbered the dead at around 20,000. It established the tenure of al-Assad’s iron fisted rule, and crushed all opposition to his government.
THE REBEL HOROSCOPE
The horoscope of the Hama massacre depicts the rebel planet Uranus rising opposite the public Moon. In the normally mediating sign of Libra sits the war planet Mars, with control planets Saturn and Pluto.
This triple combination (Mars, Saturn and Pluto) has featured in scores of human catastrophes from the Crusaders taking and losing Jerusalem in the Middle Ages to the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks. What is significant now is that today represents the ‘Saturn return’ of the Hama massacre.
THE SATURN CYCLE
A Saturn return period is an important milestone. A perfect example of a Saturn return cycle is the Berlin Wall. The wall was erected in 1961, with the control planet Saturn in the governance sign of Capricorn. Its purpose was to separate the capitalistic West from the Communist East.
Yet the wall proved deeply unpopular, dividing as it did the once great German city, and its populace. At the Saturn return period of 1989 the wall came tumbling down with the collapse of the Eastern Bloc across Europe.
Another example of a Saturn return period concerns the World Trade Centre in New York. The Twin Towers were opened with Saturn in the sign of the twins, Gemini, on April 4 1973. As Saturn returned to the middle degrees of Gemini on September 11 2001 two passenger jets were flown into the Towers, causing the annihilation of both. This time Saturn had returned with destructive Pluto in exact opposition.
SATURN IS BACK
For Syria the Hama massacre is a dark period in the national history, and the rule of the al-Assad family. And in the thirty-year period that has followed a lot of things have changed. For starters, the Muslim Brotherhood has emerged as the strongest force of the resurgent Arab Spring. They have risen to the most powerful political entity in Egypt for example.
Secondly a youth rebellion sweeping through Arab lands has challenged autocracies from Tunisia to Yemen, over the last year. In the firing line are established family dynasties such as that of Bashar al-Assad. On July 1 last year hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Hama to remember the massacre and protest against the government.
THE WEST FUELLING THE OPPOSITION
The protests were further fuelled by the US and French ambassadors standing by the dissidents, encouraging a certain civil war. This forced the Syrian army’s hand and many civilians were killed in the suppression of the uprising. Since then the west along with supporting Arab nations have supplied weapons to the rebel forces.
Is it coincidence that a day after the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the Hama massacres another would take place in Syria? This time it was the city of Homs. And it came on the heels of Russia and China vetoing UN moves to force President Bashar al-Assad to stand down and declare a new election. But he may have little choice.
DAY OF RECKONING
Saturn will not go away. At the moment it is moving back through the heavens and will return close to the place it held at the Hama massacre during June and July. The Saturn cycle is a powerful one, as evidenced with another Arab leader, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, being ousted on the Saturn return of taking office. Bashar al-Assad now treads the same path, in a battle that looks to have further international consequences.
Jan 08 2012
PRESIDENTIAL RACE 2012
Over the next few weeks I wish to preview the US presidential race of 2012. The USA has had four Piscean Presidents, beginning with George Washington, and also including James Madison, Andrew Jackson and Grover Cleveland. Republican front-runner Mitt Romney is aiming to be the fifth, in what promises to be a year of political surprises ahead.
Mitt Romney is a Pisces. He was born March 12 1947 at 10 am in the motor town of Detroit, according to a public notice posted by his father George. In choosing a political career, Romney has followed the footsteps of his dad, a former Governor of Michigan.
The rounded 10 am time seems reasonable, especially when taking a life-changing event into consideration. On June 16 1968 a car shot a bend and careered into the Citroen Romney was driving near Bazas, France. One of his passengers was killed and Mitt was badly injured. He was initially assumed dead. The brush with death forced a fast maturation for the twenty one year old.
The accident occurred as transiting Pluto, ruler of the underworld and a planet of mortality, closely opposed his birth Sun. But also a quadruple combination of Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars also threw a testing square to Romney’s Sun, whilst surprise packet Uranus was in its opposition phase to the Sun as well. And for the more advanced astrologers reading this, the quadruple combination above sat on the solar arc directed Ascendant.
POLITICAL CAREER
His political career took off by January 2003 when he was installed as the Governor of Massachusetts. On the morn of 13th February 2007 he announced candidacy for the 2008 presidential race, subsequently losing to John McCain. Romney revived his presidential hopes on June 2 2011. He is now widely regarded as the favorite for Republican Party nomination for the November 2012 Presidential election.
Romney’s overall public acceptance may be measured by popular Venus positioned atop his horoscope in the universal brotherhood sign of Aquarius. The same Venus is aligned with idealistic Neptune, and both are well positioned with his communicative Gemini Ascendant and North Node. The Neptune emphasis may help explain his evangelical background. The probing Scorpio Moon sitting with philosophical Jupiter would also lean toward a religious upbringing.
IS HE REALLY IN THE RACE?
The 10 am time, although probably reasonably accurate, also sounds like a rounded figure. So we have to be a little cautious with forecasts. However in the positive sense he does have the solar arc directed Midheaven closing on a productive trine to powerbroker Pluto toward the years end. It doesn’t fully complete the aspect however until the last quarter of 2013. But it is still a plus.
The secondary progressed Moon also angles nicely to the Midheaven and Pluto during September and October. The transiting planets do not add too much to the picture peaking somewhat in mid-July, which could represent a successful polling period. In fact the year of 2013 looks much more promising than 2012 in the career sense.
On January 20 2013 at midday in Washington, the traditional swearing in time, Romney’s transits are much better. Expansive Jupiter is at his Ascendant and nicely trine the Midheaven along with Uranus moving into an improved position with the status bearing Midheaven.
I would prefer these planets a little closer. But with an earlier time of birth they would be, and then he would not be out of the race. I'll be updating this as more information comes to hand.
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Click Monthly Horoscopes & look at the bigger picture
Planetary Cycles tracking the Outer Planets and their generational significance
Articles & Predictions Analysing and forecasting world news and events