In the early 1970’s, a popular T-shirt exclaimed, “A Woman’s Place is in the House—and in the Senate!” But, as we near the halfway mark of the first decade of the twenty-first century, a question remains. Baby, have you come far enough to take up residency in that elusive address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

While a woman president would represent a great symbolic milestone for women, a more basic issue for millions of American families remains the question of equal pay for equal work. The Equal Rights Amendment first introduced in 1923, still has not passed and women are still not guaranteed equal protection under the Constitution of the United States.

Perhaps, astrology may offer clues for the future of women in U.S. politics.

The State of Women in the U.S. Horoscope

To assess the state of women in the horoscope of the United States, we look to the Moon, which symbolizes women and the feminine archetype. While there is a great deal of controversy over which chart to use for the U.S., most people agree that July 4, 1776, is the psychological birthday of the U.S., if not the legal one. The matter of what time on that date the U.S. was “born” is a matter of considerable debate, one that is far beyond the scope of this article.

On July 4, 1776, the U.S. was blessed with Moon in Aquarius, a hallmark of freedom and democracy. The Moon in Aquarius is associated with progressive and original-thought, but since Aquarius is a fixed sign it is often difficult to see another’s point of view. Feelings may take a back seat to the rational mind. And, while there is an inherent respect for the rights of the individual, there is, as well, a strong attachment to the principle of social order. Therefore, while fairness and justice for all might be an ideal our country aspires to, as a practical matter, the idea of equality is measured against the good of society as a whole.

So, when the ownership of slaves was considered to be in the economic interest of the nation, the principal of individual freedom was outweighed by the greater benefits that slavery held for society as a whole. Likewise, the right of women to work outside the home had to be measured against the preservation of the family unit and the impact working moms would have on their children.

Eventually, business leaders realized that women, who were usually immigrants or single women, provided cheap labor for our increasingly industrialized society. This need was counterbalanced against the more idealistic desire to protect the family. Despite a brief respite, when women were needed to “man” the factories during World War II, the role of women in the United States was largely confined to that of wives and mothers.

Family Values

With the Sun, along with Venus, the planet of femininity; Mercury, the planet of communication; and Jupiter, the planet of luck and overall well being, all in the sign of Cancer, family and family values, patriotism, and tradition are highly valued in the U.S. With all of this emphasis in the sign of Cancer, is it any wonder we use the phrase “it’s as American as Mom and apple pie” to describe those things that are quintessentially American? And, as a further reflection of Cancer’s influence, the concept of “Mom” holds an exalted place in our society—a concept that must be protected. Yet, the fact that many Moms must join Dads in the workplace in order to make ends meet seems lost on the many men and women who oppose initiatives like the Equal Rights Amendment and the Equal Pay Act.

Equal Rights and Equal Pay

A woman’s right to equal pay is fundamentally a family issue, not a feminist one. The fact that women earned $.73 for every $1 earned by a man (in 2000) impacts, in the short run, the ability of American families to survive on a weekly basis and, in the long run, a woman’s retirement income in the years ahead.

Clearly, the framers of the Constitution did not consider women as equal to men. Women were not given the right to vote nor were they provided with any of the other inalienable rights afforded to men. In July 1848, 300 men and women met in Seneca Falls, New York, to take up the cause of justice and equality for women. Not coincidentally, most of these people were abolitionists who saw the cause of women’s rights as a natural outgrowth of that movement.

At the first Women’s Rights Convention, twelve resolutions were adopted, including the right of women to vote. Women’s suffrage was considered the one right that would secure the other rights women so desperately needed. At that time, the progressed Moon of the United States was in the sign Libra, which represents equality, balance, justice, and fairness. The progressed Moon in the sign Libra also makes a difficult and stressful aspect to the four planets in Cancer in the U.S. birth chart. Though few took their pronouncements seriously, the women and men who met in Seneca Falls were daring to challenge the very fabric of American society.

Seventy-two Years Later

It took seventy-two years for the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, to be enacted on August 26, 1920. On that date, the progressed Moon of the U.S. was in Gemini, in conjunction with Uranus, the planet of freedom. The progressed Sun of the U.S. birth chart was in Sagittarius, in an opposition to Uranus, illustrating that the victory of women’s suffrage movement had a great deal of resistance. In fact, passage of the amendment hinged on the vote of a twenty-four-year-old legislator Harry Burn from Tennessee, who was urged to change his vote from no to yes by his mother.

In 1923, on the 75th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention, Alice Paul first introduced the Equal Rights Amendment, which would constitutionally guarantee American women equal protection under the law. The U.S. progressed Moon had moved to the sign Cancer and was close to a conjunction with progressed Jupiter, the planet of law, philosophy, and justice. The transiting Sun and Mercury were also in Cancer, activating the significant progression. This amendment was introduced in Congress every year from 1923 until March 22, 1972, when the Alice Paul Equal Rights Amendment to the constitution was finally sent to the states for ratification. Interestingly enough, the push for women’s rights again closely followed the drive for civil rights, just as women’s suffrage grew out of the abolitionist movement.

In 1972, the U.S. progressed Moon was in Aries and the progressed Sun was in Capricorn, again challenging the natal U.S. Cancer placements, and activating the progressions that were in effect when Alice Paul first introduced her amendment. Though the amendment itself did not impose a time limit for ratification, Congress placed a seven-year limit on ratification by the needed thirty-eight states. In the first year, twenty-two of the needed thirty-eight states ratified the amendment. But the ratification process slowed, and by the deadline in 1979 only thirty-five states had ratified the amendment. More time was needed.

Congress granted a three-year extension on the deadline. Though organized labor was finally behind the concept of recognizing the rights of women as citizens, opposition from social conservatives was strong and, in the end, the amendment failed to gain ratification. Ardent supporters of women’s rights continue to introduce the amendment each year though many people fail to see the need for it any longer. After all, the Equal Pay Act and dozens of other laws are designed to protect women. And, women have made great strides in every sector of society. However, proponents of the ERA point out that laws may be repealed and that the only true protection of women’s rights lies in the U.S. Constitution.

In 2004, the progressed Moon of the U.S. is once again in Cancer, just as it was in 1923. Perhaps, Alice Paul’s vision will finally become a reality during the movement of the U.S. progressed Moon through Cancer from 2004–2006.

Women Have Come A Long Way

Women certainly have come a long way in the arena of politics. After the 2000 election, there were thirteen women in the Senate. And, more importantly, in 2002, there were no less than ten women running for governor in nine states. While this may not seem like a staggering number, contrast it with the fact that up until 2002, only twelve women had ever been elected governor in the history of the U.S., and only seven more had served, completing the unexpired terms of male governors who had resigned or died.

Many believe that this focus on the corner office in the fifty state houses is a concerted effort on the part of women to finally be ready for a presidential run. After all, executive experience seems a likely prerequisite for the Commander-in-Chief, and four of the last five presidents were all state governors before winning the presidency. While senators, like Hillary Clinton and Kay Bailey Hutchinson, are often mentioned when discussing female presidential hopefuls, the movement dedicated to electing a woman president clearly believes that the best candidate will likely come from one of the State Houses.

Job Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have strong managerial skills and be able to make tough decisions. She needs to show herself, not as a soft and conciliatory female, but as a hard-nosed leader, able to steer the nation through difficult times. And, the State House seems like a logical proving ground from which just this type of woman leader may emerge. So, this brings us to the million-dollar question: is the U.S. astrologically ready for a woman president?

To help answer that question, perhaps we should look at another chart—that of the presidency cast for the moment of the inauguration of our first president, George Washington, on April 30, 1789. We will call this chart POTUS (President of the United States). The Moon is in Cancer in that chart, too, and there is a preponderance of planets in feminine signs. The Moon is conjunct Jupiter, and echoes the Cancer stellium of the U.S. birth chart.

Woman Candidates: Past and Future

The first woman to run for president of the U.S. was Victoria Woodhull. She announced her candidacy in 1870, just as the POTUS progressed Moon touched the planet Venus, another symbol of women. In 1964, Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith became the first woman to attempt to become the presidential nominee of a major political party. At that time, the POTUS progressed Moon was in Sagittarius, making a favorable aspect to Mars, the planet of competition and action, in the POTUS chart. In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the Democratic nominee for vice President, the first woman ever to run for that office on a major party ticket. The POTUS progressed Moon was making an aspect of opportunity with the POTUS natal Moon. But, it was also in a stressful aspect with the natal POTUS Saturn, planet of restrictions and limitations. Ferraro didn’t win but she still holds the distinction of being the only woman ever to be on the major party ticket for national office.

The outlook for 2004 suggests that the time may again be right for a woman to be on the ticket as a vice-presidential candidate for a major party. At that time, transiting Saturn conjoins the POTUS Moon, indicating responsibility and achievement; and, the progressed U.S. Moon is in Cancer, activating much of the U.S. natal chart during 2004. While it may not be in the immediate future, there is no doubt that the U.S. will eventually have a woman president—it is just a matter of time.

As we draw close to the end of the Age of Pisces, we bear witness to an incredible time of change and crisis for Christianity. Uranus, the planet of sudden change, technology and disruption, entered Pisces for a seven-year stay in 2004 while Pluto, the planet of evolutionary change was already more than halfway through its journey through Sagittarius, the sign in a stressful square to Pisces that symbolizes philosophy and religion in general. By the time that both of these planets move on to new signs at the end of the first decade of the new millennium, Christianity as we know it will likely have undergone an “extreme” makeover in order to survive. Let’s explore the state of Christianity today, how it has been impacted by similar planetary transits in the past and how it may change in the next few years.

In the Catholic Church, the clergy sexual abuse crisis calls into question the Church’s moral authority over the laity. The victims of abuse are not the only ones wounded by this crisis. There is a growing loneliness and despair among good priests, who suffer from guilt by association. Those under their stewardship can’t help but wonder if or when their bishop or priest might be indicted for abuse or, equally as bad, for covering it up. The numbers of priests are decreasing at an alarming rate while the Church steadfastly resists the ordination of women and married men to the priesthood. While the Catholic Church continues to decry abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research and cloning, their fundamentalist Christian brothers see those practices not only as evil but also as a war on Christianity itself. But that is not the only battle the fundamentalists are fighting.

In the United States, the doctrine of separation of Church and state emanates from the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion by prohibiting the establishment of an official state religion. To the horror and dismay of many Christians, especially the fundamentalists, Federal and state courts around the nation have used this principle as the basis for outlawing the display of religious symbols such as the nativity, crosses and the Ten Commandments on public property. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals even declared the use of the words “under God” unconstitutional in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and a movement is afoot to have them stricken altogether from the Pledge. No matter that our money still affirms that “In God We Trust,” the conservative right would have us believe that the very right of Christianity to exist in this country is now at stake and that liberals are the enemy not only of a balanced budget but of the Christian religion itself.

As Uranus enters Pisces, there are glimpses of a revolution afoot. Amidst much controversy and opposition within its ranks, the Episcopal Church of America elected its first openly gay Bishop. Still, the relatively rare ordinations of practicing homosexuals and celebrations of same-sex unions generally occur in violation of most national denominational standards-or in “gray areas” that those standards leave to the discretion of local Churches. And, at the same time, the popularity of Dan Brown’s “The DaVinci Code” opens up the question of whether or not Jesus lived as a celibate and portrays Mary Magdalene as His wife, chief advisor and mother of His child. According to Brown, after Jesus’ death, Mary Magdalene found herself in a power struggle with Peter and the other apostles, which she lost. And, in order to discourage women from seeking leadership roles in the early Church, Church leaders falsely portrayed Mary Magdalene as being a repentant prostitute, quite likely making her the first victim of sexual discrimination in the workplace.

An examination of the history of Christianity shows that many major turning points occurred while Uranus was either in Pisces or one of the other mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius). Often, as is currently the case, Pluto was also in a mutable sign. In the early Church, priests were allowed to marry and there is evidence that women may also have served as priests. With Uranus in Sagittarius, the Council of Elvira Spain declared in 206 AD that a priest who sleeps with his wife the night before Mass would lose his job. In 352, with Uranus in Gemini, the Council of Laodicea declared that women are not to be ordained, suggesting that before this ordination of women was allowed. In 580, while Uranus was in Pisces, Pope Pelagius II declared that he would not bother married priests as long as they did not hand over Church property to wives or children. In 836, with Uranus conjunct Pluto in Pisces, the Council of Aix-la-Chapelle openly admitted that abortions and infanticide took place in convents and monasteries to cover up the activities of uncelibate clerics. St. Ulrich, a holy bishop, argued from scripture and common sense that the only way to purify the Church from the worst excesses of celibacy was to permit priests to marry. However, the Church did not heed his warning. In fact, in 1545 with Uranus in Virgo, the Council of Trent declared that celibacy and virginity are superior in virtue to marriage. This was the predominant view of the Church right up to 1962 when, with Uranus and Pluto in Virgo, Vatican Council II pronounced that marriage is a sacred vocation, equal to virginity. In 1966, with Uranus conjunct Pluto in Virgo, Pope Paul VI granted celibacy dispensations under special circumstances until 1978 when John Paul 11 put a freeze on such dispensations.

With Uranus ruling inventions and technology, it is not surprising that conflicts between religion and science have occurred during transits of Uranus through Pisces and the other mutable signs. As advances in stem cell research and cloning come about, it is inevitable that Church authorities will challenge the ethical consequences of the new technology. In fact, creationism vs. evolution is still a hot button issue in some conservative school districts in this country. Interestingly enough, it was during the most recent prior transit of Uranus through Pisces that the Scopes Monkey trial took place in 1925. A Tennessee high school biology teacher, John T. Scopes, stood trial for violation of the Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of any theory that denies the story of Divine creation as outlined in the Bible in public schools. Rather than arguing that Scopes was innocent of violating the law, the defense instead set out to prove that evolution was valid and that it was indeed compatible with certain interpretations of the Bible. Scopes lost the case and was fined $100 though this decision was later reversed by the state supreme court. Even though he lost the case, many view the Scopes trial as a victory for evolutionists and rationalism since it put a spotlight on the beliefs of fundamentalists and engendered widespread rejection of their anti-science stance.

Earlier in the history of civilization during the transit of Uranus through Gemini in 1277, one of the first scientists, Roger Bacon, was arrested for heresy for advocating scientific experimentation. In 1543, with Uranus in Virgo, another scientist, Nicholas Copernicus refused to publish his “De Revolutionibus Orbitum Coelestium” out of fear of censure by the Church. In 1633, with Uranus in Virgo once again, Galileo was forced by the Inquisition to renounce the theories of Copernicus despite the fact that many Church scholars had already accepted the Copernican theory as accurate. Far worse than promoting heliocentrism, Galileo believed that science had to replace theology as the Church’s principal mode of understanding and, needless to say, the Church did not agree.

Benjamin Franklin’s lightning rod was introduced in 1752 while Uranus was in Pisces. Though the invention was to eventually save many a Church steeple, many ministers railed against Franklin’s brainchild because it shattered the fabric of theological meteorology, which attributed storms to the “Prince of the Power of the Air.” As late as 1770, the debate over the propriety of the use of the lightning rod still raged. Though the lightening rod eventually carried the day, the formulas for conjuring off storms, for consecrating bells to ward off lightning and tempests, and for putting to flight the powers of the air were allowed to stand in the liturgies for years after Franklin’s discovery.

In our post-September 11 world, the conventional wisdom is to view terrorism as a clash between two cultures, the East and the West. While political leaders in the West may claim religious tolerance and remind their citizens that terrorists are not representative of an entire religion, the problem seems to be reawakening the age-old battle between Islam and Christianity that started with the Crusades. The desert religions of the Middle East – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – seem to be locked in a mortal struggle that has no apparent solution save the ultimate destruction of one, two or all three. With Uranus in Pisces in 1085, at the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade against Muslims in the Holy Lands. During the next two centuries, all but one of the seven Crusades launched against the Holy Lands, began with Uranus in a mutable sign. And, in 1291 with Uranus in Virgo, the capture of Acre, the last Christian oupost in Palestine by the Saracene armies officially ended the Crusades.

During the next several years of Uranus through Pisces coupled with Pluto in Sagittarius, we have every reason to expect that the Church will again experience some rather remarkable transformations, challenges and conflicts. In the Catholic Church, groups like Voice of the Faithful will certainly press for a greater participation of the laity in Church matters. We are likely to see a greater role for women in the Church, perhaps as deacons if not priests. And, we are likely to finally see the end of celibacy as the numbers of priests dwindle through death and attrition. The battle between biotechnology and Christianity is certain to raise ethical questions and considerable debate. But, technology is likely to win because the quest for knowledge as well as the promise of cures for a variety of horrible diseases will trump the objections of believers. And, the perennial conflict between Islam and Christianity will probably escalate rather than come to an end. We may have to wait until we are well into the Age of Aquarius before we see religious and racial differences melt away.

For example, Planet A, Mars is at 13 degrees of Gemini, Planet B, Jupiter is at 19 degrees Sagittarius, Planet C, Venus is at 25 degrees of Taurus and Planet D, Saturn is at 7 degrees Capricorn. Except for a wide opposition between Mars and Jupiter, these planets would at first seem to be unrelated. However, they actually work in tandem because of their symmetrical relationship. Using whole circle notation we see that:

A + B – C = D
Mars (73) + Jupiter (259) – Venus (55 degrees) = Saturn (277)

A + B = C + D
73 + 259 = 55 + 277

A – C = D – B
73 – 55 = 277 – 259

A + B div by 2 = C + D div by 2
73 + 259 div 2 = 55 + 277 div by 2

The system also investigates sensitive points, which are expressed in a similar fashion to Arabic Parts, i. e. A + B – C. When these points are completed by a natal, transiting or solar arc directed planet, the completed symmetrical picture is formed. Though many people believe that the system uses thousands of points, the fact of the matter is that the experienced practitioner looks only for these completed symmetrical relationships.

These symmetrical relationships are most easily seen using a rotating dial. Most Uranian astrologers use both the 360-degree dial and the 90-degree dial. Some use dials of other harmonics as well, most notably, the 45 degree and the 22.5 degree dial. The 360 dial divides the zodiac into 12 30-degree segments according to sign. The 90 degree dial divides the circle by four so that all of the cardinal signs are placed in the first 30 degrees of the dial, the fixed signs are posited in the second 30 degree segment and the mutable signs are found in the last 30 degrees of the dial.

On a 360 degree dial, there are arrows marking 0 degrees of the cardinal signs and a marking, usually a large dot, indicating 15 degrees of each of the fixed signs. These eight points are collectively referred to as the Cardinal Axis or the Eight-Armed Cross. In essence, these markings divide the 360-degree circle by eight. These special markings, therefore, also indicate the hard aspect series, i.e. the opposition, square, semi-square, sesquiquadrate. There are additional markings on most 360 dials as well as a marking for each segment of 22.5 degrees (16th harmonic aspect). The soft aspects, semi-sextile, sextile, trine and quincunx are also easily viewed on the dial by using the sign boundaries. Therefore, the dial is not only a tool for examining symmetry but it is a wonderful aspectarian as well.

Uranian astrologers use the cardinal axis or eight armed cross to represent the world at large. With the pointer on the Cardinal Axis, the astrologer looks for planets symmetrically arranged around the axis or in aspect to the axis. When the midpoint of two planets falls around the 0 Cancer/0 Capricorn axis, they are said to be in antiscia. The use of antiscia is not unique to Uranian astrology but finding antiscia using the 360-degree dial is. Contra-antiscia, symmetry around the 0 Aries/0 Libra axis, is also easily visible using the dial. But, Uranians take antiscia even further and also examine the symmetry or midpoints of planets around 15 degrees of Leo/Aquarius and Taurus/Scorpio. Not only is this technique useful to describe world events on a particular day or place, but we can also use the position of the planets at birth relative to this eight-armed cross to describe the unique connection of the individual with the world at large. After all, the planets are constantly moving in relationship to one another and thereby define the course of human history in the broadest sense as well as in every day ways. How a person fits into this universal, ever-changing rhythm is quite elegantly defined in how the planets were arranged around the cardinal axis at their specific time and place of birth.

In fact, the Cardinal Axis is the first of the “personal points” of the Uranian system. It is the outer personal point that represents our connection to the world in general. The second “outer” personal point is the Ascendant. This point describes how a person relates in their immediate surroundings and it rules the “place.” The third outer personal point is the Moon’s Node. Through this point, we may examine a person’s intimate connections, those that are of a karmic variety.

The next three personal points are considered “inner” personal points. The first is the Sun, representing the will and ego of the individual. The Sun also rules the “day.” The Moon is the second inner personal point, representing the emotions of the individual. The Moon also rules the “hour.” Finally, the last of the inner personal points is the MC. The MC represents the person’s unique individuality, soul or spirit of the individual. It rules the moment or “minute.”

One popular misconception about Uranian astrologers is that they don’t use houses. In fact, the seasoned Uranian astrologer uses six house systems for each of the personal points. The Meridian House system is probably the most important of the six since it represents the native’s point of you. This house system is divided along the equator rather than the ecliptic and, therefore, the houses are more or less equal in size. The First house of the Meridian system is also known as the Equatorial Ascendant and describes how the person sees himself. The point known as the Ascendant may actually fall in the 12th house of the Meridian house system.

The Earth Horoscope or houses of the Earth have 0 Cancer as the Tenth house or MC and 0 Libra on the First house. Therefore, a person with Sun in Sagittarius would have the Sun in the Third house of the Earth. The Earth Horoscope represents the earth and the generality; it is how the person operates in the world.

The Ascendant is the First house of the Ascendant Horoscope. Subsequent houses occur at equal 30-degree intervals. The Ascendant Horoscope represents the person’s connection to their environment and how they operate in a specific locale.

The Sun Horoscope is found by using the Sun as the Fourth house cusp. Subsequent houses occur at equal 30-degree intervals. The Sun Horoscope represents the physical body as well as the relationship to the father.

The Moon Horoscope is found by using the Moon as the Tenth house cusp. Subsequent houses occur at equal 30-degree intervals. The Moon Horoscope describes the emotional life of the individual as well as the Mother.

The Node Horoscope is found by using the Node as the First house cusp. Subsequent houses occur at equal 30-degree intervals. The Node Horoscope represents the intimate or karmic connections.

The hypothetical or “trans-neptunian” planets are probably the most controversial aspect of the system. However, after the discovery of Neptune, it was very much in fashion for astronomers to postulate the orbits and existence of new planets. The orbits of the planets were derived by looking back through events and charts and filling in the missing threads. The first four planets were proposed by Witte alone and the second four were proposed together with Sieggrun. The planets are: Cupido, Hades, Zeus, Kronos, Apollon, Admetos, Vulcanus and Poseidon. The fastest of the eight, Cupido, moves slightly more than one degree per year. The slowest, Poseidon, moves about ½ degree per year.

Ð (Cupido) rules marriage, family, groups, society, the arts, cliques and clannishness.

Ñ (Hades) represents poverty, suffering, garbage, filth, secrets, loneliness, decomposition, antiquity, service in the highest or lowest sense.

Ñ (Zeus) signifies fire, weapons, the military, machinery, conception, creativity, purposeful action, drive and obsessions.

Ó (Kronos) rules authority, government, rulers, nobility, mastery, independence, anything about average, superiority.

Ô (Apollon) symbolizes great success, expansion, multitudes or the many, open spaces, peace, commerce and trade, science, great intellect, the “big picture” as opposed to the details.

Õ (Admetos) represents the beginning and the end (the wheel of life), endurance, depth, focus, specialization, the few, raw materials, real estate, standstill, death and blockages.

Ö (Vulcanus) has to do with great strength, power, might forces, fate, destiny, control issues, violent eruptions.

× (Poseidon) symbolizes enlightenment and wisdom, the life force, spirituality, light, universality, mediumistic, visionary, intellectual.

Reference: NCGR Journal, Winter 1991-1992. National Council for Geocosmic Research. Articles by Wayne Booher, Gary Christen and Arlene Nimark.

Saturn, the lord of limits, boundaries and responsibility is the foundation of societal structure. It gives us messages like “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” or “what goes around comes around.” Saturn deals in the world of material reality. It is the great rule-maker, the cosmic scorekeeper that demands payback for that which may have come too easily. With Saturn, individuals and nations reap what they have sown. Neptune, on the other hand, seeks to dissolve all boundaries and structure. It is the planet of illusion that knows no limitations. Neptune abides in the world of the spirit where that which is invisible is more real than that which can be seen and touched. Neptune is about faith and belief, about sacrifice and martyrdom. Neptune sounds the message that “we are the world” and that “love is all we need.” It beckons us to dream the impossible dream and lures us with visions of an ideal, utopian society.

The Saturn/Neptune Cycle

Saturn travels around the zodiac in about 29.42 years while it takes Neptune 163.74 years to move through all 12 signs. Saturn joins Neptune in a conjunction aspect about every 36 years with the opposition aspect happening about halfway through the cycle. Here is a listing of the Saturn and Neptune conjunction and opposition dates for the years 1846-2010:

Sat Cnj  Nep    Apr 3 1846      27°Aq18′ D     27°Aq18′ D

Sat Cnj  Nep    Sep 4 1846      26°Aq19′ R     26°Aq19′ R

Sat Cnj Nep    Dec 11 1846    25°Aq42′ D     25°Aq42′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Nov 5 1862     01°Li26′ D      01°Ar26′ R

Sat Opp Nep   Mar 11 1863    03°Li03′ R       03°Ar03′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Sep 4 1863      05°Li18′ D      05°Ar18′ R

Sat Cnj Nep    May 12 1882   16°Ta28′ D      16°Ta28′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Feb 16 1899    22°Sg02′ D      22°Ge02′ R

Sat Opp Nep   May 2 1899     22°Sg57′ R      22°Ge57′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Dec 14 1899    25°Sg41′ D      25°Ge41′ R

Sat Opp Nep   Aug 16 1900   28°Sg39′ R      28°Ge39′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Oct 4 1900      29°Sg15′ D      29°Ge15′ R

Sat Cnj Nep    Aug 1 1917     04°Le45′ D      04°Le45′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Mar 21 1936    14°Pi59′ D       14°Vi59′ R

Sat Opp Nep   Oct 4 1936      17°Pi26′ R       17°Vi26′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Jan 17 1937     18°Pi45′ D       18°Vi45′ R

Sat Cnj Nep    Nov 21 1952   22°Li46′ D      22°Li46′ D

Sat Cnj  Nep    May 17 1953   21°Li38′ R       21°Li38′ R

Sat Cnj  Nep    Jul 21 1953      21°Li12′ D      21°Li12′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Jun 25 1971     00°Ge51′ D     00°Sg51′ R

Sat Opp Nep   Nov 27 1971   02°Ge52′ R     02°Sg52′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Apr 19 1972    04°Ge45′ D     04°Sg45′ R

Sat Cnj  Nep    Mar 3 1989      11°Cp54′ D     11°Cp54′ D

Sat Cnj  Nep    Jun 23 1989     11°Cp14′ R     11°Cp14′ R

Sat Cnj Nep    Nov 13 1989   10°Cp21′ D     10°Cp21′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Aug 31 2006   17°Le52′ D      17°Aq52′ R

Sat Opp Nep   Feb 28 2007    20°Le14′ R      20°Aq14′ D

Sat Opp Nep   Jun 25 2007     21°Le46′ D      21°Aq46′ R

Communism and the Saturn/Neptune Aspects of the Twentieth Century

Beginning with the Russian Revolution of 1917, some of the major events in the history of communism have coincided with the Saturn/Neptune conjunctions and oppositions. It’s interesting to note that the government of Czar Nicholas II of the Romanov dynasty was toppled with Saturn and Neptune in Leo, the sign of royalty. The degree of the conjunction was exactly square to the natal Pluto placement in the chart of the Romanov dynasty (March 3, 1613 NS, 12 PM, Moscow). The revolt against the Czar occurred quite spontaneously in February 1917, when the people took to the streets to protest the tyrannical regime. There were severe food shortages and a growing dissatisfaction with Russia’s involvement in the First World War. The protests turned violent as large numbers of citizens clashed with police and soldiers. However, when the bulk of the soldiers joined the protests, the uprising turned into a full-fledged revolution leading to the abdication of the Czar to a provisional government. The provisional government proved quite ineffective and, in November 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, came to power, marking the beginning of the spread of communism in the twentieth century. And, with perfect Neptunian symbolism of faith and revelation, in 1917 near Fatima in Portugal, three children claim to see the Virgin Mary. During these apparitions, the Virgin warned that Russia would spread her errors throughout the world and, as many believe, presaging the Communist Revolution that would take place later that year.

After Lenin’s death in 1924, Joseph Stalin and two others led the Communist party in Russia. However, Stalin did not achieve absolute power until the Great Purge of 1936-8, during the time of the Saturn/Neptune opposition from Pisces to Virgo. The Great Purge is the name given to the campaign to remove all dissident elements from the Communist party. One of the most notable dissidents was Leon Trotsky who, while in exile in Mexico in 1936 wrote The Revolution Betrayed, a critique of the Soviet Union under Stalinism. In this prophetic work, Trotsky argued that the Soviet state had become a degenerated workers’ state controlled by an undemocratic bureaucracy, which would eventually either be overthrown by a second socialist revolution or become a capitalist state.

After World War II, Communism spread throughout Eastern Europe. By the time of the Saturn/Neptune conjunction of 1952-3 in Libra, there was considerable backlash against communism in the United States. In 1952, the U.S. government established the National Security Agency (NSA), which is responsible for both the collection and analysis of message communications. The Executive Order creating the agency was itself classified, remaining a secret for more than a generation. McCarthyism, named for Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin who led the famous Senate hearings into “un-American” activities, reached a fever pitch during this time. In 1953, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory for the so-called “red scare”. Though the Crucible deals with the Salem Witch Trials of the late 17th Century, it makes a powerful statement about the dangers of hysteria. Miller, himself, was sent to jail for withholding information about presumed Communists. In 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in Sing Sing prison in New York for committing espionage on behalf of the USSR, despite protests in the U.S. and abroad. Even Pope Pius XII appealed to President Eisenhower on their behalf.

Across the sea in 1953, Joseph Stalin, who had ruled the Soviet Union for almost 30 years, dies. Nikita Khrushchev was named head of the Soviet Central Committee, a major step towards becoming Premier of the Soviet Union. He will become famous for this promise made to Western diplomats, “We will bury you” and for banging his shoe at the UN where he raged against their interference in the Congo. Also in 1953, a worker uprising in East Germany is quelled by Soviet troops and the Korean War ends when the U.S., China and North and South Korea sign an armistice agreement.

In 1971-72, during the opposition aspect of Saturn in Gemini and Neptune in Sagittarius, despite the war in Vietnam, several events occurred that marked a warming up of the “cold war”. In 1972, the US and the USSR signed the SALT I treaty limiting the build up in arms. And, in 1971, the US ends its trade embargo with China and, in 1972, President Nixon makes an unprecedented eight-day visit to China and meets with Chairman Mao. And, on the diplomatic front, the two Germanies recognize each other.

But, in 1989 with Saturn and Neptune conjunct in Capricorn, the sign of government and material power, a number of crucial events occurred. The most notable of these is probably the fall of the Berlin Wall, two years after Ronald Reagan gave his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate challenging Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union to “tear down this wall”. Mass demonstrations against the East German government led to the lifting of travel restrictions between East and West Germany and the fall of the wall was the first step to the reunification of Germany. In the Soviet Union, the first free elections for parliament go against the Communist party. It was also in 1989 that Hungary removed its border restrictions with Austria and the Solidarity party is victorious in Poland, leading to peaceful anti-communist revolutions in other Eastern European countries. This would include the “velvet revolution”, a bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the government there. A bloody revolution does occur in Romania, however, and the communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu ends with his execution and that of his wife. In China, students carved “the Goddess of Democracy” and erected the statue in Tiananmen Square. Because of growing inflation and corruption in the government, the students enjoyed widespread support from workers in Beijing and other cities in China. However, the Chinese government declared martial law and forcibly ended the protests by killing and wounding hundreds of citizens, seriously damaging the reputation of China in the West.

Civil Rights and Other Social Movements

During the Saturn/Neptune opposition of 1862-3, the United States was fully engaged in the Civil War. It was at this time that the Emancipation Proclamation was issued declaring that all slaves in the states that had seceded from the union were now free. Of course, the Federal government could not enforce this policy in those seceded states making the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation largely symbolic. However, it still represented a major step toward the ultimate abolition of slavery in the United States. It’s interesting to note that the Cotton Gin, invented in 1793 during another Saturn/Neptune opposition, is believed to have allowed the slavery system in the U.S. to become more sustainable. In 1936, during yet another Saturn/Neptune opposition, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind was published. Historians regard the book as having a strong ideological commitment to the cause of the Confederacy yet the book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. In 1971, during yet another opposition of Saturn and Neptune, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled unanimously that forced busing of students may be ordered to achieve racial desegregation. The Attica Prison riots also occurred in 1971 bringing public attention to prison conditions and how American prison systems operated in regards to race issues, as many of the prison guards were seen as bigots. Saturn/Neptune conjunction or opposition years also marked milestone events in politics for African-Americans. In 1937, William Henry Hastie became the first African-American appointed to a Federal judgeship. And, in 1972, Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress, declares her candidacy for the U.S. Presidency. Also in 1972, the first Rainbow Gathering takes place in Colorado on the fourth of July. In 1989, Douglas Wilder wins the gubernatorial race in Virginia becoming the first elected African American governor and, in New York City, David Dinkins is elected the first African American mayor of that city.

In 1863, The International Red Cross is established and the group received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1917 in recognition of its work in World War I. The Geneva Convention, which sets standards for international law for humanitarian concerns, especially during the conduct of war, was first signed in October 1863. And, in1882 at the time of a Saturn/Neptune conjunction, the U.S. ratified the First Geneva Convention, because of the efforts of Clara Barton. In a similar vein, in 1952, Sister Theresa becomes Mother Theresa and begins her charity work in Calcutta.

1882 was the year that Labor Day was first celebrated in the United States as a day to commemorate the worker movement. In 1936, the newly formed United Auto Workers union staged sit-down strikes against General Motors plants in Atlanta, Georgia and Flint, Michigan. This powerful union set the standard for other unions in terms of fighting for fair wages and benefits for workers. However, in the early 1970’s (during another Saturn/Neptune opposition), as a result of auto imports from outside the U.S., the UAW found itself in the position of having to give back many of the benefits it had fought so hard to win for its workers. 1989’s Roger & Me, a film directed and narrated by Michael Moore, chronicles the negative impact of General Motors summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 40,000 people their jobs and economically devastating that city.

Neptune is also associated with drugs and alcohol and it is interesting that many events surrounding addictive behaviors began during Saturn/Neptune aspects. In 1935, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith met for the first time in Akron, Ohio and thus began the movement known as Alcoholics Anonymous. During 1936-37, their work gains momentum and meetings begin to spring up around the country. Also, in 1937, the Marijuana Tax Act is signed, killing the US hemp industry just as it was about to benefit from new technology that would make it competitive with cotton and wood pulp. In 1953, Narcotics Anonymous holds its first meeting in California. And, in 1971, the U.S. bans cigarette advertising on television.

Money and the Economy

The Saturn/Neptune conjunctions and opposition also seem to correlate to major events in the financial world. For instance, the Buttonwood Agreement, an agreement signed by 24 stockbrokers in 1792 during a Saturn/Neptune opposition, started the New York Stock & Exchange Board (now called the NYSE). And, in 1971, during another Saturn/Neptune opposition, the NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) began as the world’s first electronic stock market. In 1998, during a Saturn/Neptune square, a federal judge approved a $1.03 billion settlement against dozens of brokerage houses that were accused by investors of participating in a price fixing scheme on the NASDAQ.

Back in 1863, during a Saturn/Neptune opposition the Untied States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency was established to ensure the safety of the banking system and ensure fair and equal access to financial services to all Americans. In 1900, the Gold Standard Act was passed, establishing gold as the only standard for redeeming paper money and stopping bimetallism, which had allowed silver in exchange for gold. In that year, William Jennings Bryan was defeated in his Presidential bid by William McKinley. He ran on a platform of populism and was famous for chastising the Eastern monied classes for supporting the gold standard at the expense farmers and the working class. However, the last gasp of the 19th century gold standard came in 1937, the year of a Saturn/Neptune opposition when the attempt to balance the U.S. budget lead to the “Roosevelt Recession.” Even the most ardent gold advocates conceded that until it was possible to balance the budget, a gold standard would be impossible. In 1971, the U.S. dollar floods the currency markets and threatens European currencies, especially the Deutchmark. Several major European central banks halt currency trading. Later that year, President Nixon announced that the U.S. would no longer convert dollars to gold at a fixed value, effectively ending the Bretton Woods Gold Standard. And, in 1971, the U.S. dollar is devalued for only the second time in its history. Finally, in 1999, during a Saturn/Neptune square, the Euro was introduced in a non-physical form (the height of Neptunian symbolism) such as travelers’ checks, electronic transfers, etc. This single currency system increases the ease of trade between EU members and decreases the differences in prices helping to foster competition.

Science, Technology and Pop Culture

Both Urbain LeVerrier and John Couch Adams independently discovered Neptune itself in 1846 at the time of a Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Aquarius. But, befitting Neptune’s symbolism of deception, evidence later revealed that Adams did little more than some interesting mathematical calculations and that credit should go to LeVerrier alone for both predicting the planet’s placement and convincing astronomers to search for it. Important medical breakthroughs have occurred with the Saturn/Neptune cycle. In 1882, Robert Koch isolates the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and in 1899, the Bayer Co. registers aspirin as a trademark. In 1952, the first open heart surgery is performed and, in 1953, the first mechanical heart and blood purifier is used for 29 minutes during a surgery. Also in 1953, Jonas Salk announces the polio vaccine and Francis Crick and James D. Watson publish on the molecular structure of nucleic acids, describing the double helix structure of DNA.

Technology for the masses seems to be a theme of the Saturn/Neptune cycle. In 1846, Elias Howe patented the sewing machine, allowing clothing to be mass produced and Adolph Saxe invents the saxophone. In 1900, New York City Mayor Van Wyck breaks ground for a new underground (Saturn) and underwater (Neptune) “Rapid Transit Railroad” that would link Manhattan and Brooklyn. This marks the beginnings of an extensive subway system that links the five Boroughs, which were consolidated into New York City a year earlier also during the Saturn/Neptune opposition. 1900 is also the year Kodak introduced the Brownie camera, an easy-to-operate, affordable camera that will make photographers out of ordinary citizens. In 1917, the first commercial jazz recordings are released by the Original Dixieland Jazz band, making good use of that saxophone discovered under that earlier conjunction of Saturn and Neptune. Jazz is the people’s music and spreads like wildfire. And, it’s interesting to note that the careers of Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley all began under Saturn/Neptune conjunctions or oppositions. Once the largest dam in the world, the Hoover Dam, completed in 1936, is located on the borders of Nevada and Arizona and is a principal source of flood control, irrigation and electrical power in the Southwest. It paved the way for the growth of the Southwest into a major population center. In 1953, the UNIVAC 1103 is the first commercial computer to use random access memory, paving the way for RAM junkies throughout the world. In 1971, the UNIX programmer’s manual is published, Intel releases the world’s first micorporcessor, the 4004 and a man named Ray Tomlinson sends the first email. In 1989, both Sega Genesis and Nintendo’s Game Boy are introduced, changing the Christmas wish lists of children of all ages forever. In that year, the first of 24 satellites of the Global Position System (GPS) is placed into orbit. And, in 1989, the Toronto Skydome, an architectural masterpiece of structure, form and vision, opened just as Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams was hitting the movie theatres. Indeed, if you build it, they will come.

Saturn/Neptune and the Environment

There have been a number of deadly tornadoes, hurricanes and floods as well as record cold weather that have occurred with the Saturn/Neptune aspects. But, the one really worth mentioning is the Great Smog of 1952, which caused over 4,000 fatalities in Great Britain over four days in December 1952. Another 8,000 deaths through March of 1953 are also attributed to the effects of the smog. Laced with sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides

and soot caused by a combination of the introduction of diesel transportation and the burning of coal during record cold weather, a dense smoke-filled fog enveloped the city of London. The event resulted in the coining of the word smog and with being an important force in the environmental movement.

In 1972, The Club of Rome raised considerable public attention with its report The Limits to Growth, which is the best selling environment book in world history. The report predicted that economic growth could not continue indefinitely because of the limited availability of natural resources, particularly oil. According to its website, The Club of Rome is composed of “scientists, economists, businessmen, international high civil servants, heads of state and former heads of state from all five continents who are convinced that the future of humankind is not determined once and for all and that each human being can contribute to the improvement of our societies.” This mission statement of the Club of Rome speaks eloquently of government structures (Saturn) taking responsibility (Saturn) for working (Saturn) towards the common good (Neptune).

In 1989, Union Carbide agreed to pay $470 million to the Indian government for damages it caused in the 1984 Bhopal Disaster. However, the company never did admit responsibility for the negligence that caused the disaster. Also in 1989, the European Community nations agree to a ban on all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the 20th century. And, in that same year in Alaska, the Exxon Valdez tanker runs aground and spills about 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. The repercussions of the spill on the fishing industry and its impact on wildlife were considerable and the effects still linger long after 1989. In fact, a 2001 study indicated that about 20 acres of shoreline are still contaminated with oil.

What to Expect in 2006-7

So, what does all this mean for 2006-7. It’s safe to say that there will be political developments in the countries that formed during the 1989-91 fall of the Soviet Union. A number of these countries have Pluto in the range of 15-20 degrees of Scorpio and the Saturn/Neptune opposition in Leo/Aquarius will make a T-square with that Pluto placement. Some of the charts touched in this way are of the countries of Romania, Czechoslovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Armenia, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgysztan, and Russia itself. There may be some attempts by Russia to regain some of the territory formerly held by the Soviet Union. Or, several of the smaller countries may join together in some economic or political fashion. North Korea and Communist China both have their Plutos in Leo, near where the Saturn/Neptune opposition will form. Reunification of the Koreas may very well take place and it is likely that China will continue to move away from communism towards capitalism. National security is likely to remain a major concern in the U.S. and the details of the activities of the National Security Agency (NSA) may become a focus. Currently, we know little about this agency except that its electric bill nears $21 million annually and, in a partnership with Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, the NSA operates the ECHELON system, which monitors a good deal of the telephone, fax and data traffic of the world.

In the U.S., the debate about “moral values” continues to be an issue in the mid-term congressional elections. There may be considerable backlash from the populace against the policies of social conservatism and it may even be great enough to overtake the Republican majority in the Congress. The price of goods and services essential for life, such as food and oil, will increase while the price of luxury items like plasma TVs will fall. Look for a rise in small groups of “like-minded” people who will advocate personal responsibility for their health, their lifestyle and the environment. The “simple living” movement, alternative health cooperatives, group living and fair traded goods and services are all concepts that are likely to take hold at this time. The Social Security system will likely be a major focus and the economic implications of privatization become a major issue. The debate between individual accountability vs. governmental responsibility becomes quite vocal. It’s even possible that the Euro overtakes the U.S. dollar as the currency standard for OPEC oil transactions, causing the American economy to decline rapidly.

As the world moves closer to a global economy and grows even smaller through science and technology, we explore as never before the interrelatedness and interdependence of all nations. In the end, this examination moves us nearer to the highest expression of Neptunian symbolism, to the understanding that we are all one. And, who knows, we may even come to expand that vision beyond planet earth.

“The negativity of the last two thousand year cycle is being collected now so that it can be discharged and transformed, so that the next cycle of two thousand years which starts with the next beginning cycle of twenty-five thousand years and the next beginning cycle of one hundred twenty-five thousand years, all three simultaneously, can begin fresh.

This is what this present situation and moment upon our Earth is about: the birth of very different opportunities, opportunities to release patterns that are no longer necessary. The more Light, literally, the more en-Lightened that you are, the more you will choose different ways.”

So, we stand on the threshold of this new age where we will have the choice to release patterns of fear and negativity that are no longer appropriate and have nothing to do with who we are and what we are becoming. When we look at this amazing chart of “The Harmonic Concordance,” we can see that this may be one of the ‘bellwether” charts of the new age of “en-Lightenment.”

What is so special about this Harmonic Concordance chart? Let’s start with what’s so special about the predominant pattern, The Star of David. According to Don “Moby Dick” Jacobs in his book, Astrology’s Pew In Church, the double grand trine configuration in King David’s chart is the origin of the sacred Hebrew Star of David. David painted this symbol on his shield to warn his enemies of the powerful combination in his horoscope that afforded him power, luck and, most of all, God’s blessings. The two grand trines are also in sextile to each other so that we have six planets in sextile. The sextile is the aspect of opportunity, combining compatible elements so that each planet can support the next.

The Star of David in the Harmonic Concordance chart is best seen when set for, of all places, Jerusalem! It involves the Sun, Mars, and Saturn in one grand trine with Moon, Jupiter and Chiron in the other. When we first examine the energies of these two configurations, we may conclude that they are quite opposite in influence. Certainly, no planetary combination in astrology has a worse “rap” than Mars and Saturn. Despite the favorable trine aspect, we are looking at a midpoint structure or planetary picture that has Saturn at the midpoint of Mars and the Sun. We can say that the Sun and Mars are primarily strong, vibrant and physical – they want to act, to move forward while Saturn tends to question, deny or impede. However, we can choose to look at this combination differently by saying that Saturn provides discipline, structure and meaningful limits. Mars and Saturn are in aspect in the charts of both Mother Teresa and St. Teresa of Avila. Both of these women “walked their talk” – they led contemplative, prayerful lives that were an example to others. They both eschewed materialism and lived and taught in spirit. The other side of the coin is the grand trine of Moon, Jupiter and Chiron. These planetary energies clearly speak of healing on a mass level through prayer, faith and illumination. And, combine the two trines and we have a very special blend of energy that can open us up to a new spirituality that is more real and more tangible than the world of materiality.

As astrologers, we can easily pick at this chart, examine every nuance, look at every midpoint, add the trans-neptunian planets, throw in thousands of asteroids and let’s not forget fixed stars, the Black Moon and Transpluto. But, to do that, belies the essence of the chart, which is its simple message: move beyond the earthly constraints into the realm of spirit. Leave behind fear, doubt, and negativity for those are useless to the soul. In “A Course In Miracles,” we learn that the opposite of fear is love and that there are really only two emotions – love and fear. They do not co-exist; one will always crush the other. And, we have the choice to live in fear or to live in love.

While we’re on the subject of living in fear, let’s look at another startling chart – the Solar Eclipse of August 1999. Most astrologers viewed this chart with great trepidation. Before the eclipse, many wondered what this particularly ominous eclipse would bring. Would it signal war, pestilence, a stock market crash, terrorism, the death of a great leader, earthquakes, or floods? The eclipse path went right through Western Europe and the Middle East. And, the chart had a grand cross configuration – no peaceful grand trine like our Concordance chart. And, the planets that made up this grand cross are the Sun/Moon, Mars, Saturn and Uranus. It was enough to make the mere mortal astrologer quake over her keyboard. Like clockwork, in August, there was a devastating earthquake that killed over 13,000 people in Turkey, a country right in the path of the eclipse.

Was there a bright side to this eclipse? The earthquake caused Turkey to move geographically closer to Europe by about 4 feet! But, the earthquake also moved Turkey politically and emotionally closer to its European neighbors including its historical enemy, Greece. Recognizing that they would be neighbors forever, the two countries vowed to improve their relationship. And, when Greece was struck by an earthquake in September 1999, Turkish rescue workers came to their aid.

This eclipse chart connects so beautifully to our Harmonic Concordance chart. The degree of the Mars/Saturn opposition in the August 1999 Solar Eclipse Chart is the exact degree of the Lunar Eclipse in the Harmonic Concordance chart. What’s more, Venus in the Concordance chart is conjunct the Pluto of the August Eclipse chart. We might, therefore, conclude that the Harmonic Concordance may be a fulfillment of what is begun in August 1999. But, perhaps the real message is that we do not have to wait for 2003 to live in this new reality. We can choose to move closer to peace, in ourselves, our relationships and even in the world, just as the Greeks and Turks chose to set aside their differences in the wake of tragedy.

As astrologers, it is our purpose to help people to see the larger scheme of things – that no matter how difficult life may be, it is all part of a divine plan. Let’s look at this “difficult” eclipse chart and try to see the “divine” in it. Christians believe that Christ died on the cross for the salvation of humanity. Is that the purpose of pain and suffering – those grand crosses of life? Is it for our ultimate salvation, so that we can break free of our own mortality and live in spirit?

While the energies were difficult in the August Solar Eclipse chart, that chart spoke to choice just as the Concordance chart rings of opportunity. In August 1999, we may have been presented with a choice that allowed us to break free of the bondage of negativity and fear. Perhaps we were placed in difficult or even tragic circumstances – the choice was found in how we reacted. Did we let go of our patterns and see the opportunity to move forward to a new form of being or did we remain stuck in our old familiar but worn-out habit patterns? If we chose to act differently, to live in love and not in fear, then we really will be able to glimpse into that “new age.” In that choice, we can finally come to know real freedom.

During these two eclipses, four and ¼ years apart, we have the opportunity to work towards that new spiritual reality. This idea was certainly tested following the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. While the government reacted with military might, people all over the world reacted first with prayer and then by reconnecting with their own humanity. What once seemed important has changed for countless people. In the chart of the attacks, Venus is conjunct the degree of the 1999 Solar Eclipse. And, the 1999 Eclipse Uranus, the planet of surprise, is at the midpoint of the Mercury and Saturn of the 9/11 chart and making a grand trine with those planets. And, there are a number of connections to the Concordance chart as well. The Saturn of the attack chart makes a stressful aspect to the Jupiter of the Concordance chart and the Mercury/Ascendant conjunction of the attack connects in a difficult aspect to the Saturn of the Concordance chart. Certainly, this indicates that the 9/11 attacks were an important step in how we handle negativity and fear.

I heard someone relate the story of a young boy and his grandfather, who were discussing their feelings about September 11. The grandfather said he felt like there was a ferocious dog inside of him, barking with anger and revenge. But, there was an equally powerful dog inside which was barking for compassion and forgiveness. The boy asked which dog would win and the grandfather wisely said “the one that I feed.”

If we want to change our lives and our reality, we need to change our intentions. How do we forge this new path? Perhaps, these words from Mother Teresa will help.

“The fruit of silence is prayer.

The fruit of prayer is faith.

The fruit of faith is love.

The fruit of love is service.

The fruit of service is peace.”

We are blessed to live at this momentous time in the history of the world and to be a part of this great spiritual revolution. Let us rejoice in it.

In calculating a chart, the astrologer uses the date, time and place of birth to find out exactly what part of the zodiac or signs was on these angles and examines the chart to find out if any planets are near those angles. But, astro-mapping takes place out of the equation. Here, lines are drawn on a map of the world showing exactly where, at that precise moment in time, the planets are on their four angles. So, while the sun may be rising in New York City, it is culminating in Baghdad, setting in Perth and at its lowest point or anti-culmination in the Yukon Territory. Lewis, as well as the handful of other astrologers to first use this technique, plotted the lines on the map by hand, a painstaking process to say the least. Thanks to the computer, a map with such lines can be drawn in a matter of seconds, another reason why this technique came to popularity in our modern world.

John F. Kennedy’s astro-mapping is a fascinating example of the power of this astrological method. Let’s look at one of the very first places in the world that brought Kennedy to fame – the location in the South Pacific where the patrol torpedo boat he commanded, the PT-109, sank during World War II. A few of the crew members perished and Kennedy, who sustained a chronic back injury, managed to save the life of one of his crew members, towing the man several miles to shore by holding the strap of the fellow’s life jacket in his teeth. The location of this event, quite close to Gizo, Solomon Islands, is under the influence of three planetary lines: the Sun and Venus rising line, and the Moon at anti-culmination. The Sun represents the hero in us all and places where the Sun rises afford an opportunity to shine. Certainly, Kennedy acted bravely and the situation truly brought out the best in him. And, with Venus rising nearby as well, the incident ultimately buoyed Kennedy’s popularity with the electorate that would soon send him to the House, Senate and the Presidency. And, with Moon at anti-culmination, representing one’s nurturing and traditions, it is likely that Kennedy’s Catholic upbringing played a part in the extraordinary effort Kennedy made to save his shipmate. Oddly enough, Kennedy gained even more fame as a result of the incident. While he was recuperating from back surgery necessitated by the injuries he sustained on PT-109, he penned the 1957 Pulitzer Prize winning Profiles in Courage, a book about two Senators who risked their careers to do what they believed to be right.

Though he was only President for 1,000 days, there are certain places in the world that are forever identified with Kennedy. One is Berlin, where Kennedy showed solidarity with the citizens of that city that found themselves divided by the Berlin wall, when he uttered the famous words, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” And, while the Cold War sizzled, Kennedy’s Venus setting line in Berlin insured that he would be much loved by the people of West Berlin. Mars, the planet of war, is at its low point in Moscow, seat of Nikita Kruschev’s Russian government. With this placement, Kennedy saw Russia and communism as a threat to his heritage as an American. After all, Kruschev did vow to “bury” democracy. But, it would be in Cuba, where the battle between Kennedy and Kruschev would be fought during the Cuban missile crisis. Here, we find the Moon’s South Node, a point of karma culminating, suggesting that Kennedy’s Presidency would be inextricably connected to this place. In addition, Saturn, the planet of leadership and discipline, is also culminating nearby, indicating that he could achieve greatness in this locale. Certainly, Kennedy’s diplomatic and cool-headed handling of the crisis averted what could have easily become a third World War and, at the same time, he safeguarded the Western hemisphere from the constant threat of Soviet attack.

Kennedy’s quest for the Presidency began with his winning the Democratic nomination in Los Angeles, a location along his Sun culmination line. Here, the hero achieves his career aspirations and, in Kennedy’s case, he also realizes the goals that his father, also represented by the Sun, had set for him. But, perhaps there is no place more associated with John Kennedy than Dallas, the city where he was assassinated. Found close to the line where Pluto, the planet of power, transformation and death, culminates, Kennedy’s death not only ended his Presidency but it also began his legacy as the much-loved, martyred President.

Astrology Horoscope: Benicio Del ToroBorn on February 19, 1967 in San German, Puerto Rico, Benicio’s Sun is in the compassionate, mutable water sign of Pisces.* Noted for their sensitivity and imagination, Pisceans are the idealists of the zodiac. They are true visionaries, forever seeing the world as it could be, but not necessarily as it is. Life for a Pisces is often bittersweet because they are capable of dreaming the most beautiful dreams and experiencing profound disappointment when reality doesn’t measure up to their imaginings. The nitty-gritty details of everyday existence are often put aside for more lofty pursuits. Del Toro seems to fit this mold pretty well. Rather than pursuing the family business of law (both his parents and several other assorted family members were attorneys), he opted for an ever so practical and reliable career as an actor.

When you add a favorable 120-degree trine from the Sun to a well-placed Mars in Scorpio, one of the signs it rules, there is a sensual and erotic quality to his aura that is, in a word, captivating. Mars is the planet of passion, and in such a helpful relationship with the Sun it gives Del Toro a boost of energy and charisma to add to the Pisces mystique.

But, the Piscean influence doesn’t end with the Sun. Del Toro also has Mercury, Venus and Saturn in Pisces. Mercury, the planet of communication, in dreamy Pisces gives him a rich imagination and an intuitive mind. These individuals take in information differently. They absorb ideas and can deal quite well with abstractions. However, clarity may not be a strong point, either in thought or speech.

It’s interesting that Del Toro tends to mumble his lines and that he made his mark with the role of the inarticulate con man Fred Fenster in The Usual Suspects. The deep and transforming planet Pluto in detail-oriented Virgo opposes Del Toro’s Mercury, challenging him to dig down inside and literally become his character. He calls it “excavation” and never regrets the parts he doesn’t get because each character is so much work. And, his several portrayals of drug-dealing thugs are intriguingly symbolic of his Pisces (drugs) Mercury (deals) opposing Pluto (powerful and violent).

Del Toro, who once wanted to be a musician or painter, has a rather artistic placement of Venus, the planet of relationships, art and values, in Pisces. Those with Venus in Pisces seek to merge with the universe in a cosmic orgy that lifts them to the heights of ecstasy. Because they are willing to give all to a relationship or a cause, Venus is said to be exalted, or at its best, in Pisces.

With Saturn, the planet of rules and restrictions, conjunct Venus, however, Del Toro probably experiences an emptiness that is hard to fill. Moreover, restless Uranus opposes his Venus and Saturn, lending an air of detachment and instability. In his case, it is also likely that the Moon, planet of feelings in airy, dispassionate Gemini challenges the combination, making the emotional void even more profound. His mother died when he was only nine years old and the loss was understandably huge. His choice of an acting career also alienated him from his family for a time. This planetary combination seeks out solitude and needs to walk the road less traveled.

This preponderance of planets in Pisces gives Del Toro a curious sort of anonymity. Like water, which takes the shape of its container, Pisceans can adapt to be what they need to be at the moment-a truly remarkable gift for an actor. When you see him in a film, he almost hides in his characters. You don’t see Del Toro-you see the cop, the gambler or the gangster.

However, the trek of transiting Pluto, which will make a harsh 90-degree square all of his Pisces planets before it leaves the sign of Sagittarius in 2008, is bound to transform Del Toro from a brilliant character actor into a much sought after leading man. Pluto symbolizes power, among other things, and when it contacts such “personal” planets as the Sun (self), Mercury and Venus in a person’s chart, that person can’t help but be noticed. Along with the loss of his anonymity, Del Toro will lose his privacy. His first thought when he heard he had been nominated for an Oscar was “oh no.”

Flying as High as a Kite

As if all that weren’t enough, Del Toro’s Venus is in a grand trine with lucky Jupiter in Cancer and creative Neptune in Scorpio. A grand trine consists of three planets that are each trine, or 120 degrees from each other. Together they form a triangle. The opposition from Uranus to Venus turns the grand trine into what astrologers call a “kite” formation** (if you draw lines between the planets on a chart, the configuration looks a bit like a kite).

With brilliant and inventive Uranus as the focal point of the configuration, Del Toro has the juice he needs for his electrical performances. This may account for the high praise that Basquiat co-star Claire Forlani gave Del Toro in a recent article in Talk magazine: “It’s about creativity for him. The most powerful thing I could impart to you about working with him is that he frees you. When you’re acting with Benicio you feel like you’re flying.” And, now that Del Toro’s kite and career have finally taken off, it’s likely that he’ll be flying high for a long, long time.

Notes

*If Del Toro was born before 4:24 am, his Sun is in Aquarius, not Pisces.

**A kite is formed when a planet opposes one of the three planets in a grand trine and, by definition, therefore sextiles (makes a 60-degree angle) the other two planets. Enormous talent and success is possible with this formation, which combines the ease of the trine with the opportunistic aspects of the sextile and the awareness and challenge of the opposition.

Originally Published on StarIQ.com

Astrology Horoscope: Kate HudsonBorn on April 19, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, Kate is an irrepressible Aries. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and is therefore associated with beginnings and being first. Kate’s Sun, in the 29th degree of the sign, makes her a walking advertisement for the Arian qualities of spontaneity, assertiveness and independence. There are 30 degrees in each sign, and each sign starts at zero degrees, so the 29th degree is the last degree of a sign.

While having your Sun in any degree of a sign means that you personify the energies of that sign, having your Sun (or any planet) in the 29th degree of a sign is sort of like getting your fries “super-sized” at the drive-thru. There is extra emphasis on the sign. Interestingly, with the Sun at the 29th degree of a sign, the person often desires to experience the gifts of the next sign as well—been there, done that, got the t-shirt, let me move on to another theme park. In this case, the next sign is Taurus, which is known for its love of comfort and luxury. As the daughter of a famous and well-paid actress, Kate in many ways is a child of privilege.

Besides having the Sun in Aries, Kate also has Mercury, the communication planet, and Mars, the planet of energy and passion, in the fiery sign. She has personality plus and lights up the screen with her presence in the way that only those with true star quality can. Though barely an adult, Kate has already exhibited her strong will by rejecting a college education in favor of an acting career and by choosing to marry a man that some consider to be more like the prince of darkness than prince charming. By now, you may have guessed that you won’t get far by telling Aries personalities what to do—they have a mind and a resolve of their own.

Personality Plus: Sun Square Jupiter

Kate’s Sun is squaring Jupiter in the 29th degree of Cancer, magnifying all the more the attributes of her strong-willed Sun. With this contact from Jupiter, you can expect tremendous self-confidence, lots of luck and a good dose of self-centeredness. Her older brother notes that Kate always gets what she wants. Her husband states that her best friend is her Platinum American Express card.

Lest we think that her life has been perfect, however, Kate does have a problem stemming from her relationship with her father, Bill Hudson. She rarely sees him and says that she barely knows him. Though she has had the benefit of a strong and loving father figure in Kurt Russell, her mother’s significant other since Kate was three, there is a sense of emptiness around the subject for Kate.

Perhaps, this deeply hidden wound is what she draws on to create the vulnerability that lies beneath the whimsical surface of her screen characters. And, just like you have to dig a little to find this bittersweet side to Kate, you have to look a bit deeply into her chart to find that her Sun (her self) is at the midpoint (the point halfway) between restricting Saturn and uncertain Neptune. The combination spells disenchantment—a ping-pong match between reality (Saturn) and illusion (Neptune).

Merging With the Beloved: Venus in Pisces

Vulnerability also comes with the territory for someone like Kate with Venus, the planet of love, in Pisces, the sign with no boundaries. They are the ultimate romantics who believe in the magic of love. For these individuals, love transcends all reason. They seek to find bliss in the perfect union of two souls, yet they often choose less than perfect mates.

On New Year’s Eve, Kate married Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, a Sagittarian born on December 20, 1966. We all know the old cliché about opposites attracting, and Kate’s marriage to the thirty-something rocker seems to be a case in point. She is all sweetness and light; he is dark and mysterious. She’s used to penthouses adorned with gossamer, glitter and gold; he lives in a downtown loft with blood red walls, overflowing ashtrays and skulls galore. Her career is on the rise; his is at its ebb. But, their fiery Suns are in a beautiful and harmonious angle called a trine, making for a natural compatibility between the two.

A Meteoric Rise

Just like her mother before her, fame has come early for Kate Hudson. She’s both critically acclaimed for her work and adored by her growing legion of young fans, making her a hot ticket at the box office. She’s the front-runner to win her own Academy Award, a never before achieved mother-daughter accomplishment. In the ephemeral world of Hollywood, only time will tell if her career or, for that matter, her marriage, has staying power. But, for right now, she seems destined for a lifetime of being very famous.

Originally Published on StarIQ.com

Astrology Horoscope: Laura BushLaura Welch Bush was born on November 4, 1946 in Midland, Texas. With her Sun in Scorpio, Laura possesses an allure that is powerful and charismatic. Scorpios are naturally magnetic; they’re mysterious, sexy and passionate about life and, if you’re lucky, about you. Though Laura and George W. lived in the same small Texas oil town, they weren’t childhood sweethearts. In fact, they didn’t meet until 1977 and George, who had a reputation for being a bit of a ladies’ man, fell quickly and hard. They were married three months later.

Scorpios are notoriously tough—former First Lady and Senator Hillary Clinton is also a Scorpio. During the campaign we were told: “Don’t mess with Texas.” During the next four years, we’re sure to learn: Don’t mess with Laura. And don’t mess with the people she loves, either. Scorpios are fiercely loyal friends and formidable enemies. Though Laura Bush is sweet and demure, she is able to hold her own in the competitive Bush family. On being asked what she does by George’s grandmother, Dorothy Walker Bush, she replied, “I read and I smoke.” (She has since quit smoking.) And, there are rumors that George W. stopped drinking because she gave him the ultimatum that wives of alcoholics often do—stop or else.

But, there is a darker side to the Mars and Pluto-ruled Scorpio nature. At some point, they must confront life and death issues. For Laura, those lessons came at the tender age of seventeen, when she went through a stop sign and hit a car driven by a school friend, who died as a result. This tragedy would haunt her for years and have a profound influence on her life.

Laura’s Sun is conjunct her Jupiter, magnifying her already forceful Scorpio Sun. And, as is so typical for those with Saturn square the Sun, Laura is quite serious and reserved. She asked only one promise from George before agreeing to marry him, that she would never have to give a political speech. So much for promises from politicians! And, a square from Sun to Pluto accentuates her personal power, giving her the ability to rise to any challenge. Clearly, she has been able to overcome her natural shyness to become a tremendous political asset to her husband.

A Compassionate Heart: Moon in Pisces

Laura Bush shares another astrological trait with Hillary Clinton, a Pisces Moon. Both women are caring mothers with close ties to their daughters. The Pisces Moon softens the Scorpio Sun, and this very intuitive combination gives both women good instincts about people. Both are their husbands’ cherished confidantes, though Mrs. Bush is likely to take a much less visible position in her husband’s administration. With a Pisces Moon, you can expect her to take a compassionate approach to her role and to be the “heart” in her husband’s otherwise conservative and militaristic inner circle.

Tell It Like It Is: Mercury and Venus in Sagittarius

Laura Bush has both Mercury and Venus in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius. Her love of reading is well publicized and she will likely focus on literacy as her main issue as First Lady. But, what is less known about her is her love of adventure which is also typical of Sagittarius placements. She often takes vigorous vacations with girlfriends, to Belize for bird watching or to the Grand Canyon for rafting. And, like many with Mercury in Sagittarius, Mrs. Bush can be outspoken and brutally honest. When a reporter asked her if she agreed with her husband’s position on the death penalty, she replied, “’If I differ with my husband, I’m not going to tell you about it, sorry.”

Behind Every Great Man

The next four years as a First Lady of the United States are certainly more than Laura Bush bargained for when she married George W. Bush back in 1977. Then, she considered herself a Democrat, if anything at all. Twenty-four years and two Jupiter cycles later, she will take her place in history just behind Hillary Clinton and her own mother-in-law, Barbara Bush. It’s not likely that she’ll be politically vocal or controversial, but in her own quiet way she’ll gently influence her husband. And she’ll probably win our hearts just as she won his, no matter what she wears to the Inaugural Ball.

Originally Published on StarIQ.com