AstrologyHawaii: Norma Jean Ream: Personal Astrological Consultations » Sirius Star Talk

Hydraulic Fracking: Next Investment Goldmine or Civil Rights Issue?

normajean — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:06:46 +0000

Today I viewed a video produced by an investment newsletter that promoted the process of “fracking” and the development of shale oil or “tight gas” as the next energy revolution that will bring the next powerful wave of prosperity to America. The author declared a convergence of three important factors: “discovery, technology, and demand.” He said these factors are present in the current trend about to take full flight in May 2012.

Last March, President Obama gave a speech at Georgetown University on America’s Energy Security. Within that speech, he spoke about the importance of developing natural gas. He said:

“But the potential for natural gas is enormous. And this is an area where there’s actually been some broad bipartisan agreement. Last year, more than 150 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle produced legislation providing incentives to use clean-burning natural gas in our vehicles instead of oil. And that's a big deal. Getting 150 members of Congress to agree on anything is a big deal. And they were even joined by T. Boone Pickens, a businessman who made his fortune on oil, but who is out there making the simple point that we can’t simply drill our way out of our energy problems.

So I ask members of Congress and all the interested parties involved to keep at it, pass a bill that helps us achieve the goal of extracting natural gas in a safe, environmentally sound way.”[1]

With this on the agenda for the coming months, it is now clear to me that the President’s focus ties in with the current cycle of Mars. The planet Mars is associated with drilling for oil. Mars is now in the retrograde or backward motion part of its cycle. It is transiting the Neptune of the United States chart, as well as returning to its place in Mr. Obama’s birth chart. Mars is in the Earth sign, Virgo, associated with techniques and systems thinking.

On one hand, the investors are looking at capitalizing on the production of natural gas. Not only the drilling companies will make tons of money, but the companies the build supporting technologies and equipment will boom if all of the shale fields get into action. The pro-fracking people ignore the devastation and pollution that results from the process.

In an article from Ellen Cantarow, a writer for TomDispatch, an alternative news source, we learn:

“Fracking uses prodigious amounts of water laced with sand and a startling menu of poisonous chemicals to blast the methane out of the shale. At hyperbaric bomb-like pressures, this technology propels five to seven million gallons of sand-and-chemical-laced water a mile or so down a well bore into the shale.

Up comes the methane—along with about a million gallons of wastewater containing the original fracking chemicals and other substances that were also in the shale, among them radioactive elements and carcinogens. There are 400,000 such wells in the United States. Surrounded by rumbling machinery, serviced by tens of thousands of diesel trucks, this nightmare technology for energy release has turned rural areas in 34 U.S. states into toxic industrial zones.”[2]

Fracking could be one of the biggest disasters to our environment, with a strong second in the form of leaking pipelines bringing tar-sand oil from Canada. Mars is contacting the USA Neptune, another planet with some association with oil. Neptune is more importantly the planet ruler of water. For the health of the American people, we should be very concerned with President Obama’s support and approval of the pipelines and additional drilling to reclaim these resources from American soil.

The investors might be very anxious to get stocks in these emerging industrial companies, but the result is likely to waste beautiful areas and poison the water for our children. Cantarow’s article concludes with reporting on the impressive number of opponents to fracking and the response of the Department of Environmental Concerns.

“In mid-January, DEC spokesperson Lisa King said that once all the comments are tallied, “We expect the total to be more than 40,000.” Earlier, agency officials had told the New York Times they didn’t know of any other issue that had received even 1,000 comments. (Ten thousand letters were mailed from the Catskills’ Sullivan County alone on January 11th, just before the commentary deadline.) Gannett’s Albany Bureau has reported that anti-drilling submissions outnumber those of drilling supporters by at least ten to one.”

“Part-time Cooperstown resident James “Chip” Northrup, a retired manager for Atlantic Richfield (ARCO, America’s seventh largest oil corporation), in one public agency hearing called the performances of pro-gas speakers “disgraceful” and the SGEIS “junk science.” Citing an industry study that shows 25% of frack wells leak after five years and 40% after eight, he said, “Everybody in the industry knows that gas drilling pollutes groundwater… It’s not… whether they leak. It’s how much.”

Canatrow’s article concludes:

“This past November, Sandra Steingraber told a crowd of hundreds of activists why she was donating her $100,000 Heinz Award to the movement. The money, she said, “enables speech, emboldens activism, and recognizes that true security for our children lies in preserving the… ecology of our planet.”

She raised a jar of water. “This is what my kids are made of. They are made of water. They are made of the food that is grown in the county that I live in. And they are made of air. We inhale a pint of atmosphere with every breath we take… And when you poison these things, you poison us. That is a violation of our human rights, and that is why this is the civil rights issue of our day.”

This is an important topic to watch. This Mars retrograde period lasts until April 13. The drilling season is set to start with the end of winter weather, which is May. Mars completes its process on these issues by June 23, with its final pass over USA Neptune and President Obama’s natal Mars. We must impress on Obama and Congress that this is not the next best wave of America’s economic opportunity.

[1] http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/30/remarks-president-americas-energy-security

[2] http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/fracking_gets_its_own_occupy_movement_20120125/

President Obama and the State of the Union 2012

normajean — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:23:50 +0000

The President will give his State of the Union address tonight, January 24, 2012. There are some interesting connections between the current planetary positions and contact to points in the 2009 Inauguration chart. We can also observe the relationship of both these charts to the national chart.

First, the Inauguration chart contained features that many astrologers had concerns about, but in the beginning, we were unsure how things would manifest. One important point was Mercury, planet of communications, decisions, and oaths, was retrograde in the very heart of the Sun. Jupiter was also there. Mercury and Jupiter had influence over financial matters. As it happened, the President had problems in taking the oath of office and had to “redo” the oath. This is very significant. The later results that have manifested leave us wondering over the President’s allegiance to the people, or to the corporate powers.

The Moon in the Inauguration chart was at the very last few minutes of the sign Scorpio. The Moon represents the people of the nation. The condition of the Moon in this chart suggests a potentially deteriorating situation for the people. We have since seen that Congress, the Banks, and even some State legislators have broadly disenfranchised the American people. We were blind to the potential of continued devaluing of America.

There was a larger cycle phase between two planets going on at that time. Saturn represents Congress and things representing structure and status quo. Uranus, planet of “change” and revolution was in opposition. We could observe through the election process that these two planets were representing the new, young, and technologically savvy Obama, facing off with the elder Statesman McCain, representing conservative values and traditional political behaviors. It was a tug-of-war between status quo and change. It’s looking a lot like status quo has won out.

Mars is the planet of action, drive, motivation and doing. It can represent the military, workforce, and war-like activities. Today, when the President speaks, Mars is retrograde, which means that action is stalled; a retreat is in order. At the time of the address, Mars will be rising at the horizon. It will reflect the President’s intentions for his presentation. For President Obama, Mars has just returned to its place in his personal horoscope. This begins a new two year cycle of action. The fact that this contact will happen three times emphasizes his personal plan of action. We expect that to be focused on re-election.

In connection to the Inauguration chart, the current Mars is passing three times over Saturn. If we assign Saturn to represent Congress, as a body, we can expect the continued criticism of the President. The Republican rhetoric in anticipation of the President’s address is they expect the same actions the President has given in the last three years, “more debt, more regulation, more big government.”[1]

The high side of Mars’ retrograde phase is that many things will be reexamined, and this could include changing legislation. Negotiating, debating, and strategic planning are part of this process. If Congress is at all willing to implement legislation that releases unnecessary restrictions on people’s rights, we could see some interesting changes in the springtime.

President Obama is likely to profess his allegiance to the American people tonight. His plans for the coming year will surely stress a focus on the workforce, including jobs for the returning military troops. He will try to raise enthusiasm and hope by calling on the ideals and collective dreams for making things better. He will be recounting his accomplishments, in spite of an uncooperative Congress. The people will be listening critically, craving truth and wishing for the promised change.

Mars will make the final contact to President Obama’s Mars on June 18. This will be the time that we can really assess the statements and promises he makes tonight. The results will make or break his campaign. It will also reveal the true contender in the Presidential race.

[1] Both Mitt Romney and House Speaker Boener used these words in reference to the President’s speech. Sound bites used by CNN, Jan. 24, 2012.

December 2012

normajean — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:49:50 +0000

In the year 2011, so many things have shifted dramatically and the masses of people globally have begun to speak in voices of solidarity. I remember last February when the Egyptian people had protested with enough mass solidarity that their President Mubarak stepped down. I felt that we were seeing the beginning of major changes that move the regimes of power in the world into witnessing the rising movement for democracy that serves the people.

It took most of the year before similar energy gained momentum to constellate mass demonstrations in America. Now the Occupy Movement has morphed into serious action in favor of the little people who the banks are forcing out of homes and into financial ruin by the economic crisis. Moving into the winter months the tenor of voices takes on a new approach and new dialog.

The astrological energy of December is building up some exciting trends. We have the power of eclipses revealing what has been working in the collective the masses. This time is similar in the energies of the revolutions of the 18th century that shifted the power and wealth, creating new governments, new economic structures, and igniting innovation.

Western Astrology is very different from the ancient Mayan calendar that people talk about which comes to its end next year. There is no connection between the two systems. I personally expect that 2012 will bring us changes that can break down structures, which have crystallized in ways that no longer serve the greater good. I do not fear “the end”, but look forward to new ways of living that are closer to the heart, the hearth and the community.

This month we have three planets completing their retrograde phases. This point in a planet’s cycle is an opening, an increase in action, and tends to clear up issues slowly that have been pending. The shortest of these is Mercury, whose turning points connect with the eclipses of November 24, and December 10. From this, I expect that new decisions will become clear and insightful. This time can reveal truth behind lies, and push hidden activity out into the open.

The planet of revolution turns direct on December 10 with the total lunar eclipse. It is at 0 Aries, the beginning of the zodiac. This point is sensitive to the world at large. It is relative to the global mass movements. It is also relative to each of us being aware of what is authentic to our own being. Energetically, it moves us to be sensitive to what we need that will support our personal growth and evolution. It calls out invention and innovation that improve the quality of life.

The last time Uranus, passed through this zodiacal area there were many exciting inventions and life changing new things. Transatlantic flying, the mass production of automobiles, talking pictures, color television, long distance telephone and the Holland Tunnel were innovations of the last pass. With the speed of advancing technology, this time is quickly connecting all people with instant communication and changing the way information is shared.

It is often easy to disengage from the activities going on around us, especially if we are not inclined to join in. Inherent in the energies of this time is the stirring that shows us we are all one. The power of our sharing is expansive and serves to unite and empower us to participate. We can witness this in how the OWS movement has become a community taking care of their members. This energy to volunteer, to give service, and to be a participant is a growing influence.

Winter Solstice is December 22 and followed by a New Moon on the 24th. Jupiter will turn direct on December 25 at 0 Taurus. Each of these events has an influence of something new, and all are of the earth element, which is practical and tangible. This helps us move toward the New Year with a feeling that we have the power to improve our circumstances in ways that are constructive and productive. It is a good time to take advantage of opportunities to work with others on mutually beneficial projects. There is potential for solving problems that have until now seemed impossible. There is a ray of hope in this solstice that can brighten unseen benefits, suggesting the best results come through cooperative actions.

Fall Equinox 2011

normajean — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:23:10 +0000

September is a transitional month, when the Sun completes its pass through the northern latitudes bringing us back to equal day and night hours. The Sun in Virgo brings our attention to practical preparation for winter. Virgo is a mercurial sign, changeable and analytical. Little details catch more attention as we summarize what has occurred, analyze our best strategy and try to plan for the rest of the year.

At the national level, our Country is at a turning point. The Autumnal Equinox chart for September 23 has some striking features that suggest Congress will continue their volatile discussions over finances and the economy.

Unexpectedly, hurricane Irene was a costly storm that now means big repairs of infrastructure in a huge number of communities. This, followed by drenching rains from hurricane Lee, brought record breaking flooding to the northeastern areas. This puts big stress on the FEMA budget. There may be more unexpected weather related events in the season ahead with the emphasis of planets in Air and Fire signs.

Although it presents great hardship for individuals and whole communities, it is also an opportunity for building the economy. What an opportunity for renewing community bonds. Congress needs to act for their struggling constituents! If they do not answer the need, things are going to heat up among the people. There are some stormy astrological patterns in the months ahead.

The Equinox occurs with the waning Moon joined with Mars in Leo, which is at the degree of President Obama’s Mercury. We can expect the President to continue his call for a productive jobs bill that will make him look like a hero to the people. His campaign for reelection will take on more of the feel of a crusade to save the country.

The Equinox chart and the following New Moon, September 27, display the grouping of planets in Libra gathering with Saturn, which will promote commitment to action toward solutions developing through the next lunar cycle. Last April into May, all of the planets were stacked against Saturn, which gave us a lot of debate and fighting without clear direction toward action. We can hope for some solution oriented discussions in Congress of a different tone this season. Necessity will prompt negotiations that will stimulate action.

At the individual level, this fall has good energy for getting involved in groups and in community activities. The month of October will be good for socializing. Venus in Libra promotes good will and congenial negotiations. Sun in Libra through the month highlights topics that arise gradually in discussion and come to a sudden conclusion. Become part of the discussions that direct attention to improving local situations and finding solutions to issues that affect the general community. Even at the family level, this month can be a good time to make being together more fun for everyone.

normajean — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:59:30 +0000

Sun Enters Aries

The Sun has entered Aries and spring has arrived! It helps to shift our focus toward expectations. Our mood lightens as more light enters our atmosphere.

Aries in the Tropical western zodiac is measured by the Sun’s arrival at the Equinox point, representing the equal hours of day and night. The Sun begins to climb in the Northern hemisphere and warm the earth. The Sun reaches its highest angle to the earth when it enters the sign Cancer at the Summer Solstice. The Sun has reached the zone of the Tropic of Cancer and begins the decent back to the Equator and down into the southern hemisphere. The Sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn for the Winter Solstice. The tilt of the earth in its rotation is the reason for our seasons.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. The symbol is the Ram. It represents the renewal life with the birth of young animals symbolizing the thrust of life. The season is the warming and drying of the earth after the cold, wetness of winter. All around us, we see the fresh new beginnings. The Sun is exalted in Aries, giving the Sun power in this sign, second to Leo, the home of the Sun.

The energy of Aries is impulsive, impatient and self-centered, like a baby. One can easily direct, satisfy, and humor a baby. Movement, sound and action attract an infant’s short attention span. Curiosity is a trait of learning. New information is exciting to Aries.

Aries is ruled by the planet Mars. Mars is all about action, motivation, movement, impulse, and heat. The style of Aries is to be aggressive, pushy, demanding, assertive, and independent. As a leader, Aries tends to plow the path, but is not concerned whether anyone is following. The themes of Aries can oscillate between heroism and villainy.

Aries is a Fire sign, which ignites the passion of life. There is an impulse to take risks and to act without forethought. It follows the attitude that it is easier to apologize than ask permission. Aries is all about “me”, “myself,” and I. There is little awareness of others in the way that an infant is self-aware. Everything comes from the center of self. It has to be “my way” for Aries.

Current Time

This is an unusually potent Aries season in 2011. Through March 20 through April 20, we will have a swelling cluster of planets passing through Aries. The Sun immediately connects with the planet Uranus, which entered Aries on March 11, 2011. The drama of this cosmic shift correlates with the pulse of revolution that is sweeping all social areas of corruption, inequality, and disempowerment. It also correlates with dramatic earth changes, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and major storms.

Already ahead in Aries are Mercury, planet of communication, contestation, and commerce, and Jupiter, planet of expansion, exaggeration, and ratification. These two planets rules two sets of opposing signs. Because they have recently come together in the same sign, they are currently working in agreement. This supports mergers of corporations, big deals, and agreements of different factions to work together for a shared cause.

Mars is currently in the sign Pisces. Mars actually has some power in water signs, especially at night. Yet, Mars does not operate strongly in the sign Pisces, which represents being without boundaries. Decisions made can be impulsive and without a goal or long-range intention. It makes the actions taken seem without substance and it causes mistakes. Mars is more of a martyr in Pisces than a hero. There can be acts of compassion, but bravado can be over the top. Actions will become more specific and defined after Mars enters its own sign Aries on April 2. As it does, it will immediately join up with the revolutionary energy of Uranus, which can be like an explosion!

As we move through these next few weeks, we can be attentive to what is attracting our attention and what new ideas or trends are vibing our participation. It is a good time to begin our study of astrology from the beginning.

2011 and Breaking Old Habits

normajean — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:55:17 +0000

We enter the year of 2011 with potentially high hopes of better things to come. The impact of 2010 was disrupting for a huge number of people, and yet others prospered. The Winter Solstice occurred with a potent Total Lunar Eclipse, marking the progress into the New Year with a general sense of the need to make a greater effort toward the changes we wish to bring about.

The beginning of the first business week of the New Year greets us with a Solar Eclipse and the union of two potent planets, Jupiter and Uranus. The chart for Washington, DC holds the emphasis in the arena of money and resources. The Eclipse opposes the Sun of the USA horoscope. The eclipse series started August 14, 1776, the lunation following the birth of our nation. According to astrologer Bernadette Brady, the eclipse series is associated with “large, ambitious group projects. These group projects will require a separation or the breaking of a bond that already exists.”

There is a strong influence for the PEOPLE to take up a different approach to getting changes made than waiting for Congress to agree. The power of invention and ingenuity is stirring at the grassroots level. Along with the influence of the eclipse, we have the potent new cycle beginning between the planet of expansion and the planet of freedom and invention.

They first met last June (2010) for a short time, again late September, and they now complete their third contact to kick off the new 14 year cycle. The conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus is known as the signature of the Kitty Hawk flight, man’s first venture into the skies. Their contacts initiate new social and economic themes of change.

The last time that Jupiter and Uranus entered Aries together was 1927. There were many new breakthroughs relating to expanded territory. Charles Lindberg made the first intercontinental flight from New York to Paris in May. In July, the first commercial airline flight started in Hawaii. Park College, America’s oldest school of aviation opened in August. The first movie with soundtrack, The Jazz Singer, opened in October. The first underwater auto tunnel, the Holland Tunnel, opened in New York in December. This history suggests that 2011 will offer another big leap of expanded territory and possibilities that come out of the impulse to innovate.

While we continue to experience a frighteningly bleak winter economy, the collective urges to breakout of the desperation of joblessness is prime fodder for the fuel of a new independent workers network. Americans generally want to be working and supporting their families. When the government and the large corporations don’t meet the needs of employment, people start doing whatever they can to earn money.

Jupiter is the energy of opportunity, optimism, and thrives on group energy because it’s social and needs interaction. When it enters Aries on January 23, it will also be entering the territory of home and family in the USA chart. This contributes to the surge toward new opportunities driven by a spirit of “I Can! and I Will!” Uranus will enter Aries on March 11 contributing to the emergence of new independent contractors operating on mobile technology at the speed of light. Keeping up will be about the newest Aps!

Neptune, planet of blending, mergers, ideals and visions will enter Pisces April 4. The topics of natural resources and universal rights will be a theme for the next 15 years. Water rights and clean water become more of a concern worldwide. Neptune’s change of signs often ushers in new fashions and new music styles. These things universally influence people. Spirituality and consciousness is another aspect of Neptune’s influence. Entering the sign that most represents the universal and collective without distinction, we can expect Neptune’s shift of style to bring people together by weakening the boundaries of judgment and exclusion.

Neptune has a cycle of 164 years. The last time in concluded its travel in Aquarius, and entered Pisces was 1847-48, the year of Neptune’s discovery on July 10! The Mexican-American war began. The first telegraph company was started in February. The Post Office issued the first stamps. New York State establishes the Board of Commissioners of Emigration. The American Medical Association was founded. Brigham Young and is Mormon followers arrive at Salt Lake City. The shipwreck disaster off the coast of Ireland leads to the construction of the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse. Chloroform is first used as an anesthetic (another Neptune theme of conscious/unconscious).

Neptune’s movement into Pisces brought many changes in governments and political ideologies. The Communist Manifesto was written. Sicily accepts a new Constitution. The Mexican War ends and the US acquire Texas, California, New Mexico, and Arizona. The 2^nd French Republic proclaimed. A revolution breaks out in Hungary and the Hapsburgs must meet reforms, leading to a constitutional monarchy. The first Women’s Rights convention was held July 19 in Seneca Falls, NY. Slavery was abolished in the French Territories. First Women’s Medical school opened in Boston, November 1. These many events show the influence of Neptune in Pisces to even the playing field and bring unification and fairness.

The big planetary shifts expected in 2011 and 2012 will bring out what is needed to improve the quality of life for all. Historical events show us the impact of changes that affect general society when the slow moving planets change signs. Nothing comes about without a certain level of suffering that highlights the need that changes must meet. Extremely high joblessness shows us that our values must change. Ingenuity is the spark that will take us into better times.

Got ideas? This is your year to express your unique talent and create. The world is ripe and ready for new ways of doing things that serve the greater good!

It’s Spring!!

normajean — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:36:36 +0000

Yes, it’s Spring! It is the season of new growth, renewed vitality and the increasing pulse of action. Coming right up to the point of the Equinox was the debate over health care reform. It is interesting to notice that before planets move into Cardinal signs, they must pass through the sluggish last degrees of Mutable signs. Even though the Sun has now passed this celestial threshold, there is more to come on a larger scale to initiate the shifts and changes that emerge from the slow planets entering the signs of new seasons.

The last two weeks of March stirred up contention on many fronts. Perhaps you noticed increased tension in communications and decision-making in your personal life. The push of force was stronger than the willingness to come to consensus. Leadership is taking the upper hand now as an energetic of spring. This will be an advantage in business and in politics.

For a few weeks of late March into April, the power of leadership and strong intention will outweigh the struggle between the old ways of political negotiation versus the urge for radical change to get something done. Since Obama took office, the dueling forces in Washington have made it almost impossible to make real improvements for the nation. As a result, dissatisfaction and anxiety are mounting as a general state of the people. We might be surprised to see the President act powerfully in April.

This is a good time for gearing up to make personal changes. Physical energy in general is high. You might notice the urge to take a walk, get some exercise and be active. Take this in to account in your business planning. Use the energy as initiative to start new routines. It is a good period for sorting, recycling, and reviewing what you have learned in the winter.

April 18 to May 11 is that regular review phase we see three times a year. This time the focus will be around what we need to be more secure. In that, we find what we are willing to release. Social connections are a positive way to renew friendships and build alliances. Swap parties can be a way to find new homes for the “stuff” you don’t need anymore, while getting together with people you haven’t seen for a long time.

It is good to feel the energy in forward motion again after such a sluggish winter. There is potential for creative activities in the spring season that is exciting to watch unfold. The current of energy has brilliant and inspired ideas. There is a quality of achievements possible in this time that can bridge giant gaps of need and desire. If YOU have a great idea, pursue it. This can be a time of breakthrough and discovery. Just look at the level of genius some of our young people are displaying, like the winner of this year’s Intel Science Talent Search.

“Erika Alden DeBenedictis, 18, of Albuquerque, developed a software navigation system that would allow spacecraft to exploit low-energy orbits for the physics & space sciences project she submitted to the Intel Science Talent Search. According to the NASA-approved Interplanetary Superhighway concept, the gravity and movement of planets create a network of low-energy opportunities that allow for more efficient transit routes through the solar system.” (http://apps.societyforscience.org/sts/69sts/DeBenedictis.asp)

The spring of 2010 is the early bursting through of new social concepts, new answers to solving some of our community and national problems. While we still face a few dynamic hurtles in the way of big planet transits this month, they are a part of the ripening process of a changing world.

Renewed Time of Action Mid-March

normajean — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:55:32 +0000

Spring brings action

If it has felt like slogging through a bog in trying to move life forward these recent winter months, you can soon look forward to a change of energy. Mid-March will find us ready to put plans in action and take up new causes. This slack time is useful for review. From this, we learn what needs changing. In a time when the economy is so uncertain, we become more creative and inventive.

The first half of the month will work better if you tune in to your gut instincts and be attentive to the subtle things going on around you. Socially, it is a great time for connections, networking, and sharing insights on how to get by in tough times. In fact, this is a great time to collaborate with others. Be sure to keep your communications as clear and too the point as possible. This is a time when there can be confusion because we don’t articulate precisely what we mean. Watch out for vague commitments. Substance may be lacking. This will improve after the New Moon on March 15. Real promises can be taken seriously from the 17^th to 20^th.

Spring arrives on March 20, setting the stage for releasing the growing pulse in the undercurrent of society. Government is becoming increasingly a stupid game among the governing crowd to see who can create the biggest mess and not take responsibility for a country in distress. I might even suggest some potentially sinister activities being planned behind the scenes. Heaven forbid.

On the national level, there is a powerful force working to contain and control. President Obama is using Executive Orders to move presidential powers beyond the logjam of Congress. We do not hear about these things on the evening news. (You can learn about it on the internet, however.) There is a very slow transit coming on to the USA Moon, which represents the people of the nation that is likely to contribute to increased disillusionment, increased anxiety and fear, as well as an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. How do we combat massive collective depression? By working to support each other within the community and sharing information on ways to work together for our own security at the local level.

This time last year, I was expecting something like the Tea Party movement. I am surprised at who actually became the key players. Sarah Palin is becoming a major flag bearer for the movement. She is serving as an icon authority for the creation of delusion, disinformation, and inflammation of negative feelings. She speaks the language of fear and anger. There is a growing faction of opposition building up toward a crescendo in August. The energy of revolution is rising.

The last days of March are the turning point relative to the eclipses of December. The energies will support completion of projects and final tweaks before presentation. The Full Moon, March 29, will feel like a release of pressure. Solutions to problems will surface as we move into April. In the tradition of spring-cleaning, the first week of April will be a perfect time for things to come to the surface, whether that’s information or lost items.

2010 Tucson Gem Show Stars

normajean — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:54:45 +0000

My dear friends Robert Simmons and Kathy Warner, owners of Heaven and Earth Jewelry are regulars at the Tucson Gem Show. I had the opportunity to work with them a few years in Tucson. This little bit about the astrological influences at the start of the show this year is dedicated to them and all the great people who make the show a Cadillac experience.

The official opening of the show was 9:00 am on January 30. The Tucson Gem Show is a long running event that brings together many of the same people year after year. The bonding and camaraderie is the thing most people look forward to in this annual celebration of rocks.

The astrology of the shows opening gives a good picture of the group energy behind the scenes. The public is important to the overall prosperity of the show. Yet, the vendors and their staff have a great scene that makes all the hard work of the three-week show worth doing every year.

While the economy is down, it may seem that everyone is looking harder for that great deal. People are going to spend their money on things that have unique qualities and lasting value. Jewelry with powers to protect, energize or heal will get special attention.

In the atmosphere of multitudes of people in an almost continuous movement, small moments of connectivity will be connecting people in a most magical way this year. The reason is that we are more sensitive to the emanations we receive from crossing paths with people of like vibration. New alliances are another theme of this show. People are intuitively responding to the urge to come together as a conscious force.

There is joyousness in the commingling of so many people from diverse places. The excitement is growing for the empowerment of conscious people to be awake against power forces at the collective level. Conversations will connect many people who will work together bridging diversity and bonding for the common good.

The Tucson Gem Show 2010 is a great social experience. While wandering and looking, be alert to those around you. Communities are blooming and this is a wonderful opportunity to further positive connections of people who participate in the strengthening the new vibration.

Mercury’s Retrograde Connections

normajean — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:20:35 +0000

My December article on my blog, Sirius Star Talk, addressed the issue that even though the White House is talking about creating jobs, there is not going to be a surge of people returning to the regular workforce any time soon.

In an article titled “Brace for a Jobless Decade”, appearing December 28 on www.CommonDreams.org Mary Bottari, Director of Center for Media and Democracy, wrote:

“While the stimulus package passed by Congress was big and slowed the pace of job loss, the problem was even bigger. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that the Obama stimulus bill has created or saved between 170,000 and 235,000 jobs per month starting in the second quarter of 2009. Yet, Princeton economist Paul Krugman says that the country would have to produce an additional 300,000 jobs per month for five years to achieve full employment.

Unfortunately, the economy is weak and far from producing such spectacular numbers. Economist David Levy, says the country faces a new era of chronically high unemployment, averaging 8 percent or more over the next decade. He calls it the “New Abnormal.”"

The astrological factors we face going into the next decade are the dynamic phases of several long cycles that historically show theses periods to be about great social and civil changes. For most people who do not track the process of political and economic shifts, this may seem like just a slow down and there is no reference to cycles, or phases of cycles. Yet, the clockwork of the universe operates on links between the faster and slower planets.

The planet with the shortest cycle is Mercury, which is most relative to mental processes, communication factors, and commerce. As Mercury orbits the Sun, it appears to backup in the zodiac periodically. In fact, every three months it retrogrades for about 3 weeks. Over the course of a year, Mercury will travel around the zodiac and link up with the zodiac sign it turned direct in 3 retrograde periods before. It is overlapping its retrograde place from a year before and near the same time. Thus, we can track issues and topics that take time to resolve.

I will use the bank bailout scenario as an example. Just going back to July 2007, right before the housing bubble burst, Mercury retrograded over the USA Sun, Jupiter, and Venus in the sign Cancer. These planets represent our national status, expansive power, and values/resources. The economic risk factors, nationally and globally, were already causing an increase in mortgage foreclosures and bank failures. On August 10, 2007, President Bush declared, “The fundamentals of our economy are strong. … Job creation is strong. Real after-tax wages are on the rise. Inflation is low.”

The first real shock of the housing collapse came in September 2007. On October 26, 2007, Congress passed The Tax Reduction and Reform Act of 2007. Mercury was retrograde in Scorpio going back into Libra, and the USA 10^th house of government business.

One year later, Mercury was retrograde in the same area September 23 to October 15, 2008. Congress created the bailout of the “too big” banks, resulting in the Troubled Asset Relief Plan of $700 billion. Most recently, Mercury was again retrograde through September 2009 in Libra, backing into Virgo and making contact with the slow planets that will become the ‘hot topic’ of 2010. During this phase, Congress again reviewed the TARP plan and its results. When asked by Congress whether the Treasury planned to end TARP at the end of the year, Secretary of Treasury, Tim Geithner replied that it was “important that we not declare victory too soon.” Neil Barofsky, TARP Special Inspector General, said that commercial real estate “might be the next proverbial shoe to drop, threatening to increase the pressure on banks and small business alike yet again.”

On December 26, Mercury turned retrograde in Capricorn and the 2^nd house of the USA chart. The 2^nd is the house of finances and resources. Mercury will turn direct on January 15, 2010 at 5 degrees Capricorn. This is important because this is the degree where powerful Pluto will also turn retrograde on April 6. This is the degree opposite of the USA Jupiter, the planet of expansion, growth, and opportunity. Pluto brings major dramas. It is known for the power struggles that affect the masses, for causing upheaval and devastation. As an example of Pluto’s influence in creating major changes, it was on the Ascendant of the USA chart when the 9/11 attack occurred. It has since made the word “terror” a common word used by governments to employ control over the masses.

Mercury is relative to the minor things like travel, standing in lines, and having proper documentation. This phase of Mercury’s retrograde travel has already shown us heightened security measures, delaying travel and slowing down progress through lines. This may seem minor to some people. We do take it in stride. However, as we move into 2010 we will see more evidence of tighter controls, increased “security”, and more reasons to be detained.

We can keep our focus on the little things the Mercury retrograde gives us, lost items, miscommunication, and poor decisions. We can make the most of the retrograde period by reviewing things before we put them in the mail, reorganizing the office to regain productivity, and cleaning out clutter in general.

Let us also keep a focus on government policies and pay attention to our shrinking personal freedom. We are in the closing phase of Pluto’s large cycle of 248 years in relation to our government. If you review pre-Constitutional history, you will find that much of the struggle for independence was the result of the financial debt created by war and taxation without representation. The current financial crisis of the United States and the rest of the world could be just the beginning of a new revolution.