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.

2009 happy new year

The New Year begins with several new cycles that give us different levels of changes to take advantage of, and initiate our own new beginnings. 2008 was a dramatic year in many respects. We had the theater of politics with new performing artists capturing our attention in a way that hasn’t happened for decades. The satire of the real politicians was almost as amusing first hand, as it was replayed by SNL. The collapse of the general marketplace is serious drama, with more layers coming. We will be letting go of more expanded habits and curbing our spending appetites in the coming early months of 2009.

The Winter Solstice is an important new cycle each year that sets the tone of many things. This year is especially potent for major renovations in foundational structures of business and economy, of systems and departments of governments, and down to personal patterns of responsibility and personal security. Where we have expanded beyond the solid boundary of black ink on the ledger, we will find ourselves in precarious territory. The forced purging of excess can also bring out interesting lessons and innovations. America is preparing to make major revaluing in all major areas of life. Our society is in need of major psychological review.

On the personal and local level, as individuals we will benefit from becoming more involved and acquainted to the people of our closest community. The time is passing for the level of anonymity that has become so common, especially in urban areas. Country people are much better at knowing their neighbors and creating communal support systems. When jobs are lacking, homes are foreclosed and businesses are failing, it becomes a blight in whole communities. To work for stronger local economies, we will need to pull together and not let each other fall to the gobbling corporate giants that will otherwise get the best of us for pennies on the dollar. New concepts of local people helping local people are the answers to these possibilities. 2009 will stimulate community brainstorming rather than hopelessness.

The Wall Street bailout is an example of the last gasp of the old guard trying to save themselves, but not the people. The plan happened under the last Mercury retrograde period. Mercury retraces its path from January 11 to February 2. This is a period of review and not one of clear-minded new decisions. The financial issues will loom large all year because of the wasteful decision to give the banks funds without oversight. There will be a lot of time and talk given to undoing the decisions of last October. The new administration comes into office knee deep in old business that demands reevaluation.

The end of January and early February is excited by eclipses, which tend to bring out themes of change. The focus relative to the United States chart is on resources and debts. The high potential is that the new government goes right to the task of revitalizing the American workforce with jobs of new technologies and future oriented training centers. At the same time, Americans are swamped with high interest debt. The sacrifice should come from the big banks that are holding back the real help that is needed for the lower income masses. Tax changes and debt forgiveness programs could help the country as much as the CEO’s giving their last five years of gravy back to the people. (Wishful thinking is going to get us through these times.)

Barack Obama will take his oath of office with his own important cycles taking him to great heights in the eyes of the world. While his new administration settles in, the team spirit will be a growing positive influence on everyone’s sense of future goals. The first steps will be to unify the cabinet and Congress. The Mercury cycle will key in to bringing disclosures from many areas of government business as leftovers from the outgoing managers. The news could be very interesting over the coming weeks.

The influence of the Lunar eclipse February 9 will likely give us relief to save people from losing their homes by working out new debt programs, and relief from piling interest and fees from credit card companies. The potential for people to see benefit from such changes could be as early as the end of February. It is also possible at that time to see the innovation of individuals come out with community plans and cooperatives to support each other locally. The themes of the cycles initiating 2009 focus on the group and the good of all. Many hands working together build harmonious futures.

Revolutionary Energies

What an amazing time this is! There are strong, revolutionary energies at work now. On Election Day, two slow moving planets meet in opposition to each other, marking a cycle of 43-45 years. Their last such meeting was 1965, a very volatile period of American history. By Thanksgiving, another important astrological event occurs that calls out our pre-Constitution history. Over the next 18 months, these three planets will move into a pattern that connects them in a powerful energetic alignment that will focus on collective, global events. These planets will trigger monumental changes as they enter what is called the Cardinal Climax. November 2008 is the “kick-off” to the whole party.

The Presidential campaign has been a good illustration of the opposition of Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces. Saturn represents tradition, authority, and the “status quo” of government and business. We often see Saturn represented as the older, “father-figure.” Saturn is moving through Virgo, the sign of details, analysis, health, and service. When Saturn entered Virgo in September 2007, the housing bubble burst. Now, the government has taken on the regulation and assessment of the financial sector, the super banks. Saturn limits and restricts, and calls for accountability. This is the Senate Hearing Committees calling failed bankers to explain their actions.

Uranus is the energy of breaking out of old restrictions and inventing new systems and techniques. In the ‘60’s, Uranus was joined with the power planet, Pluto. Then, we witnessed the overthrow of a social system that was built on a power hierarchy that disenfranchised minorities. The transformation of laws and social ideas is refreshed in our awareness now as these planets once again connect and redistribute power and wealth. Money has taken on the greatest power in the world. The shift at hand will bring our attention back to balancing our relationship with nature and humanity.

Uranus in Pisces represents the youth movement of consciousness and green living. Pisces is a sign of inclusiveness. It rules the oceans and the type of unifying things like atmosphere, breath, and the way water disperses everything it contains. Uranus is the idea of change, unexpected and unique. It always brings surprises.
In this Presidential contest, people appear to be strongly leaning toward the CHANGE candidate, but the outcome could be a shocking surprise. Consider how electrical energy can seem to come out of nowhere. A stray lightening bolt can travel miles and ricochet in wild directions. When lightening strikes water, it affects every molecule. The close of the poles in Hawaii features Neptune, planet of confusion and deception on the top of the chart, suggesting that we may have another long, vote “clarifying” process. It might be two to three weeks before the election is decided.

The New Moon, just before the election, has the influence of a face-off of rational ideas versus passionate emotions. The week before the election has the power of a steam-roller generating an undercurrent of emotional distortions. The Full Moon, a week after the election, introduces practical assessments. There will be better news on the economy after the 13th. This period will have many announcements and agreements that will move the economy forward, if a bit cautiously over the next few months.

The Sagittarius New Moon on Thanksgiving Day has a theme of hope and optimism. My projection is that Barack Obama wins the Presidency. This lunation has strong contacts to the horoscopes of both Obama and McCain, and to the Vice Presidential candidate’s charts. Senator Biden’s chart suggests he is taking on more responsibility. Sarah Palin’s chart appears to send her home to Alaska. McCain’s chart receives harsh challenge from the slow planets that create this remarkable period. Obama and his family move into the spotlight.

This New Moon hosts the movement of Pluto into the sign Capricorn, which represents corporations and large structures such as governments. Pluto represents power and transformation, as well as the power of money. Plutocrats are people with too much money, like the parachuting CEO’s of the fallen banks and insurance companies. The next 15 years will be comparable to America’s pre-Constitution struggles with England. In the next 5 years, Pluto’s influence will be affecting the US treasury and the entire global financial system. Pluto represents metamorphosis, so get ready for a new form of currency. New types of businesses and ways for people to survive the death of the old system will be the talk of coming months.

Astrologically, 2008 is a step toward evolutionary social changes. The long step to connecting with our past is to see the similarity to certain patterns that occurred between 1762 to 1776. The events that pushed the colonists to stand up and take their power to be self-governing were largely economic. Colonists were well established and their growing population felt that they deserved self-governance and representation for their financial interests. This was the beginning of the American Revolution. The financial foundation of America was established during this period. People were innovative and became more socially unified because of their circumstances.

Two other periods of social change have cyclic contacts with current trends as well. One dramatic period of social change relative to current time was 1965-66, and the other less marked period is 1988. The mid-1960’s was the larger revolution of civil rights, the wasteful war in Viet Nam, and the seeds of the technological revolution. In the fall of 1987, we had the stock market crash of the internet stocks, “Black Monday.” By the summer of 1988, we had a 14-year low of unemployment. The themes that link all of these periods are human rights, economic struggle, and a demand for political changes. These periods each have dramatic astrological signatures that correlate to collective change based on universal principles. Later this year, begins another of these important geocosmic signatures that will stimulate evolutionary and revolutionary changes.

What we must do is be alert to the trends at the community level. Through July, the natural influence is to give time and loving energy to family and friends. It is natural to have more social gatherings and family playtime. During such events, we have the perfect opportunity to discuss and share our circumstances and build support. We can pool our experiences and brainstorm ways to work together for more security.

The energy is good for taking action, where we have had a very sluggish year for productivity. It is a good time to be strategic in our plans for the next few months. Early July has the perfect pairing of energies for having a vision of long-term goals and the motivation for discipline to restructure habits. Service projects are a great use of the energies this month. Cleaning, restoring, reorganizing will give a good feeling of accomplishment and clear the path for new activities. This energy lasts most of the month. The full moon on July 17 will emphasize the benefit of group energy and community focus.

By the last week of July, there is very high energy for peaceful actions. There could be an opportunity for resolutions in international relationships. In the year of so following the turning points I mention above, some very positive events led to peace agreements, new industry, and some improvement in the overall economic climate. Personal relationships are favored as well in this phase.

Sound Money?

As spring becomes evident across the northern hemisphere, the most pervasive topic is the challenge of economics in the Western world. The American dollar has been shrinking in value and the ripple effect is bringing undeniable attention to sustainability. Real changes in American values are going to mean personal sacrifices and general economic discipline.

The significant astrological factors that set out the themes of seasons and cycles for 2008 stimulate a disquieting alert for the spring and summer seasons. The series of earth changes, social and political changes make it difficult to continue practices of waste, pollution, and extravagance. Curbing urban pollution and reducing oil dependence go right along with changing personal eating habits, driving less and recycling everything. It all comes down to a reality crisis of how we have gone out of bounds with spending what we don’t have and consuming what we don’t need. The collapse of corporations is a symptom of our inflated and exaggerated way of life that grew up over the last thirty plus years. Our myopic, self-satisfying focus on increase has brought us to a phase of cycle, which will force simplification, moderation and a wider view of future possibilities.

May is the time of the Sun’s travel through the fixed sign of Taurus, and it is joined throughout the month with Venus near by. Venus is the planet that governs Taurus and is associated with beauty, love, and values. As Venus entered its own sign, it immediately gains strength. On April 30, for the seventh time since early September the prime rate has been reduced another fraction of a percent to support the general economy and keep the US dollar steady. While such actions help to maintain the banks, we might be concerned about the long-range potential of our economy.

Venus will be traveling under the Sun’s beams until early August. The fact that Venus is invisible to us is symbolic of the “backroom” management of everything to do with economics. The good thing for the month of May is that the potential for harmonious agreements is higher than it has been for months. We may actually see good conclusions to looming decisions that will effects sustainable agriculture on a global level.

Venus makes a temporary, but very positive uniting of the forces of necessity and the financial giants. Two slower moving planets are involved in the picture and their 36-year cycle is at a phase that supports the growth of power through large corporations. Their current cycle began in 2001 and gained through the power of fear as the marketing tool for war in the name of security. We are already seeing the super corporations like Halliburton standing outside national law. This advance of power through economic might is an important component to the powerful decisions that corporate moguls are making in early May. The picture of the US economy is tenuous.

The most conscious path for the coming months is to be aware of the simple ways that we not only save ourselves money, we also support the global family by being financially conservative. We need to return the resourceful thinking of the depression era; how to make more out of less. The Green Revolution has begun. May is the perfect time to start living like there is a tomorrow.

The first half of April has the headlong energy of the ram, butting into anything in the path. The prime use of such energy is with a grain of caution and a truckload of planning. IF plans have been coming together for sometime over recent months, then it is going to feel projected very quickly into motion. A lot of action can happen in the short span of these first two weeks of April. Try to avoid impulsive starts to projects now, as they could be very short-lived. 

The New Moon has some action contacts to the USA chart and important links to President Bush’s horoscope. This lunar period holds high tension that could bring hidden matters out into the open. The rumblings of revolutionary attitudes are still at a relatively low level. The coming months will be building up even more tension right up to Election Day. The contacts in later April have an aggressive edge. 

Although we keep hoping to see accountability, it may be unrealistic to think there will be any real action by Congress. At this point, we can wonder why our Legislators have allowed the Presidency to extend beyond the Constitutional boundaries. With only 8 months and counting to the end of the term, we should all be hoping strongly to HAVE an election. The scenarios of the potential actions that this leader might ‘allow’ to occur are a bit scary. A new book by Stephen Alten, The Shell Game, just published at the end of January, 2008, plays with ideas tallied from actual events since 9-11 and makes this “cautionary tale” a must read for this pre-election period.  

April will be a highly charged month with increased stability later in the month. The Full Moon on April 20 has good action for business and financial growth. It could start the first period of financial improvement since last September. April will be like a sunny day, compared to the confusion and delusion of March. It is a good month to make new contacts, be pro-active to nurture good business relationships. When the trust factor is strengthened, there is better potential for lasting relationships. 

By May 3-5, the real machinery of business gets moving again. This ‘improvement’ is a temporary trend, but good for infusing some confidence in the economy for a little longer. Projects started around this time might have a slow start, there is good potential for long-range stability. Make the most of April and the beginning of May for personal intentions. There will not be a better time in all of 2008 for new ventures.

March is the month of transition from winter to spring. The Spring Equinox is March 20 and this will be a turning point of energy. Save your big leap to new ventures until after this date. The potential for clarity and confidence in decision-making will improve.

The earlier part of the month has influences that are unstable and a bit radical. The New Moon on March 7 looks better for personal self-improvement than for making life-changing decisions. It will be better to use these first two weeks looking at all the options before taking big risks. There is excitement in the air, however. There is hopefulness that we are about to collectively make a change.

Technology unites the world today. The trend of today’s youth is a higher degree of social contact beyond the limits of geography. There is also a wider level of artistic creativity. This stimulates new business opportunities, even new industries. The themes coming out in 2008-9 will reflect a renaissance of thinking that could be compared to the mid-1960’s. The youth movement of this decade will take society on a quest of uniquely new ways to work and play with people anywhere at anytime. The cell phone turns into the “everything” connection, unlimited mobility.

The challenge will be to maintain our rights to freedom of communication. In a press conference in late February, President Bush said he wanted to know “who is talking to whom?” Certainly, the government can have a concern for terrorist activities. But, do we have to be concerned for every conversation we have over the airwaves? One of the things this president has done is massively extend the power of the presidency. With that in mind, we need to be concerned about the future of civil rights.

Did you ever wonder what kind of bills are voted on, and passed in the middle of the night? In this past year, there were several that dealt with matters of civil liberties and the expansion of homeland security structures. These are matters that should be of high enough priority that conscious attention is given to the vote. The percentage of Senators or Representatives not in attendance is another questionable matter. We should all care that Congress has voting in the middle of the night.

I mention this topic because the Spring Equinox chart and the Full Moon chart about 13 hours later contain a high degree of challenge and volatility around legislation, legal issues concerning the President or leadership in general. The power behind the scenes symbolism of these charts suggests that some important events may occur that are under the control of decision-makers that we do not know about or are acting covertly.

The economic factors appear to be delicately balanced. The relationship of the US with the countries of strong currencies could be making some deals. Foreign relations and economic negotiations are a highlight of the Equinox chart. The debt of Americans is becoming an international issue. The US banking system could be under review and the lending practices revised dramatically to stabilize world markets.

This spring will bring us options for change. We can’t see too far ahead of ourselves just yet. It is a great month to use feeling and intuition before leaping into action. Many situations will not be what they first appeared to offer. Be cautious and alert to the over promoted “great deal.” Save your next big steps for next month when the energies give a boost to clear thinking, fast action, and good agreements.

One top story at the time the slowest planet, Pluto, changed signs into Capricorn (January 25) was about a report of a study done by two non-profit journalism groups. These organizations are the Center for Public Integrity and Fund for Independence in Journalism. The report concludes that the Bush administration collectively made 935 FALSE statements about the security risks from Iraq and the involvement of al Queada with Iraq, during the two years following September 11, 2001. The report reveals that our President, who claims that killing Saddam Hussein was “the right thing to do”, took action against Iraq by building the national sentiment through lies.

Pluto is the planet of power, control, transformation, and the death-rebirth process. Its cycle is nearly 250 years. The last time it entered Capricorn was January 8, 1762. This was in the early years of the Seven Years War leading to the American Revolution. The underlying issues were about the reach of government through taxation and financial controls. In 1766, the Sons of Liberty organization rose up in response to British policies in the form of the Sugar Act, the Currency Act, and the Stamp Act. These policies targeted city-based products, industry, trade, and financial activity.

If we are alert to similarities of the large cycles, which affect the masses, we can see that the credit industry, war, and a greedy leadership are mirroring history. The earlier period galvanized the United States into a union of states. Under the influence of our current trends of political polarity (Blue and Red states), financial decline, and a suffering international reputation, it may be timely to revisit our country’s early history. Certainly, if we consider the process of experiences that encouraged the development of our constitution, we can recognize this period as a distillation of learning from the entire cycle.

The sign Capricorn is about the structures of life. It is the winter-time of low light, the energy of survival is attentive to waste, so there is controlled use. The sign of deep winter is cold and dry. It is disconnected, separate, and can become limited in vision and action, tight in controls and limitations. Social trends will naturally adjust to recycling, stocking up for the future, building social networks of local support, and growth comes through careful planning.

We start the month of February with the planet of communication, commercial activities and contestation in its apparent backward motion. This marks a period of reviewing, rethinking, and reorganizing. However, it is also joined with the planet of deception, idealism, and visionary messages. Not everything will be what it appears to be. It is easy to be fooled, or influenced. Only later, we learn that we have been deceived or that we have been blind to the truth. Let your inner radar guide you. If something tells you that it sounds good, looks good, but you feel funny inside, it’s probably not what it seems. Beware.

Since mid-November, the planet of action and motivation has been in its backward motion. It is emphasizing the territory of the USA horoscope that lies between the Sun, representing the President, and Mars, representing the military. It just turned to forward motion in the last days of January. This next phase of six weeks will bring many things to the surface of our awareness that have been happening behind the scenes since November, which brings me back to lies. 

It will be time to tell the truth. People at high levels of government and through the hierarchy of corporations will be coming forward with the ‘truth.’ What it does for us as citizens is bring forward our reasons to be strong in our local communities, selective of our leaders, and resistant to accepting the unauthorized actions of government. We must demand accountability to the people, who are the true lawmakers of this country. This means paying attention, discussing events with your neighbors and being proactive when it is really important.

The impact of a few important 2007 astrological cycles is only beginning to come to the surface of our general awareness. Not surprising, the keyword will be ‘fraud’. We will learn some harsh lessons around trustworthy business practices from our hindsight experiences. Various aspects of government will also begin to tell the truth as we delve into cover-ups and frauds. What we learn will take us to greater consciousness of honest practices by the route of awareness from painful experiences. Watch what comes to the surface later in the year that will reveal the truth about the boom from the fall of 2007 housing foreclosures.

We can look forward to transformative events, some good, some difficult. The year 2008 will be a year of cultural changes that will make important history. It is a time to ask harder questions of our leadership. Many secrets are still to be revealed of the Bush-Cheney administration. Paying attention to the strategies at play will make a big difference in maintaining the POWER of the people. I have repeatedly written about the power of “we the people” this year. It is important for us as citizens to participate in the legally established process of elections and to press our government to uphold the legal process. Record-breaking turnouts at the election polls will make it more difficult to achieve another questionable election.

The Winter Solstice chart set for Washington, D C gives focus to communication, near and far. The contrast will be strong between the local perspective, and the international reputation of our country. The United States has an image problem that is going to be very hard to correct and will result in the continued failure of the dollar on the world market. It will be hard to shake off the ‘bully’ image and our allies may be hesitant to support our continued efforts to expand our war further.

The Solstice chart connects with the USA chart bringing attention to the President and the Congress. With a new “spin master” in place, it is a major effort to sell the practical achievements of this administration as they prepare to leave the White House. The President is likely to sign some important bills into law that focus around ecology, where he has vetoed such bills in the past. He might even give a little on bio-fuels and address global warming measures that he has previously ignored.

Resources in 2008 are in poor condition. The value of the dollar is in trouble, but the American people seem to be in denial. The leadership of the country is putting on a false front that it can all be handled by infusing liquidity in foreign markets. Yet, before spring, we could see difficult times as the world rejects the dollar. The continuation of the war for oil is depleting resources, including our young people. There is strong potential for very big cuts in military spending, which will translate into our troops not having the level of equipment and training they need to be safe.

One of the most disturbing issues ahead of us is the collusion of media and government. We witnessed this when the news media finally had to release the story of illegal wiretapping. The toll of this activity, the suppression of information from the people, is a serious movement toward martial law. When it begins to look like government officials can intimidate or buy complete collusion, we are in big trouble. The only difference between the Bush administration and Nixon’s is how brazen Bush is about his conduct. The solstice chart has a serious signature of control through propaganda. People should seek alternative news sources on the internet to get any truth about what our government is doing. Be alert to times when public interest stories take over the news for days and weeks. Honestly, something more serious is happening.

The Spring Equinox brings out the strong elements of power. There are strong influences stacked around leadership and the President. In fact, the equinox and solstice points each have the Sun in hard aspect to the planet of power, influence, force, and enforcement. The links with the USA chart emphasize military action. Economics will be generally changeable for several weeks in the spring.  It will take some time to see whether it hits the common people with loss, or whether there is some economic relief.

The Summer Solstice again emphasizes the USA making a strong display of force, perhaps in a domestic way. July and August carry some heavy astrological patterns that bring out the contrast between honor and abuse of power. We must strive to call our government leaders to their higher actions. We must not allow force and intimidation to replay history in our great nation. An eclipse in early August makes direct contact in the President’s chart. Let us hope that he is making wise choices to protect our democracy. The eclipse to the USA chart symbolizes a collective event, most likely to affect our economy.

The Fall Equinox appears to be calmer waters. There is less intensity around government controls, although there continues to be a picture of military activity. Over all, the year ahead seems to me to be a pivotal time historically. It may be that our President has good reason to protect the nation. I would just like him to do it in accord with the Constitution.

It will be better to focus our lives to be more practical and thrifty. As citizens, we need to be alert, not sleeping through the slow disintegration of civil rights. Having stronger community bonds will help to maintain our local governments. Stay informed and be proactive in 2008.