LOSS OF MH FLIGHT 17: IMPACT OF THE NODES

On July 17, 2014, while news reports were focused on Israel committing ground troops to Gaza, Malaysian Flight 17 was shot out of the sky. Three coincident nodal events characterized the day as one of significance. First, Mars, a well-known trigger, reached the April 15, 2014 lunar eclipse degree of 25 Libra 16, activating the previous Sun-Moon opposition. Second, and more importantly, Mars was conjunct the North Node, a position that facilitates the physical expression of Mars.  With Mars in Libra, the sign of his detriment, there is a high potential for acting-out (i.e. rash impulsive action that is not well-considered or conceived). Since Mars rules the South Node, the outward manifestation carried a high probability of observable loss.  Third, the Sun was at the South Bending, a position of physical vulnerability. The Sun (square the eclipse point) was square Mars, an aspect of self-centered aggression made more perilous due to the weakness of both the Sun and Mars.

            On Thursday, at 2.15 pm GMT, ground control lost contact with the plane approximately forty miles east of Donetsk, Ukraine at a local time of 4.15 pm (EEDT). In the event chart, 29°58 Scorpio was rising, which makes the debilitated Mars, the ruler of the chart. As in horary, the Moon shows the sequence of unfolding (and prior) events. Here, the Moon is in Aries, disposited by Mars, essentially acting as the red planet’s emissary. The Moon is separating from a square with Mercury, which is itself trine Neptune, suggestive of action taken as a result of anger that is misconstrued and based on confused or deluded facts. The first perfecting Ptolemaic aspect is a square to Pluto, representing wide-spread murder. Next the Moon conjuncts Uranus, an indication of sudden, surprising, and upsetting action or information that is expressed. Then the Moon squares the Sun and immediately opposes Mars, suggesting further aggressive action. While the Moon makes no more aspects, Mercury (ruling the 10^th from the 8^th) perfects its trine with Neptune (in the 3^rd), reflective of news with a spin, where all invested parties exploit the event to further their own agendas. With the Sun square Mars the last aspect made before the Moon leaves Aries, it appears the missile attack on MH Flight 17, will have long-lasting ramifications and may herald a new cold war conflict in a troubled time that is in desperate need for peace. Venus in late degree of Gemini, ruling the North Node (and thus a potential ray of hope), is missing in action. Disposited by Mercury and trine Mars, she also is pounding the drumbeat of war that has blown up to encompass the new world.

         [Nb: The time for this chart was derived from the 2.15 p.m. GMT report from Malaysia as the time ground control lost contact with the plane. Since Donetsk is 2 hours ahead of GMT, I adjusted the time by + 2 hours and use the local time zone of EEDT.]

THE MUSIC ISSUE

The latest issue of The Mountain Astrologer is amazing. The subject is music and the magazine was put together by guest editor Frank Clifford who gave the hard-working Tem Tarriktar an issue off. Aside from the routine daily forecast by Jeff Jawer, monthly lunations by Stephanie Austin, questions answered by Alexandra Karacostas, and regular submissions from the recovery sage Donna Cunningham, the entertaining and brutally honest Dana Gerhardt, and the software savvy Hank Friedman, there are a number of stunning in-depth articles certain to universally expand applied astrological understanding. (Full disclosure: I am a contributing writer to TMA.)

            Frank has written a ten page article that interprets the basic charts of 15 musicians. What’s great about his thumbnail sketches is that they show how he zeroes in on a chart's theme to reach the ‘heart of the chart’ (which is the title of one of his books). In the ‘Astrology of Pop,’ Neil Spencer looks at the mundane cycles of Neptune-Pluto, Uranus-Pluto, and Uranus-Neptune, and the corresponding types of music that resounded when these outer planets formed conjunctions. On a more personal note, Lynn Bell assesses the placement of the Moon in musicians’ charts to see how the natal luminary formed emotional connections with the public. Kelly Surtees looks at the charts of five musicians and how their personal transits resonated with their music. Kim Farley delineates the chart of Phil Spector in light of his life and his downfall. Bruce Scofield examines the history and music of Captain Beefheart from the view point of planetary aspects and midpoints activated by solar arc. Finally, in one of the most poetic and psychological insightful articles I’ve read, Austin Coppock explores the chart of Marilyn Manson who expressed the increasingly darkening shadow of the U.S. at a time when the country’s light was shining ever brightly.  

            Aside from music, the issue also contains a comprehensive and frightening look at the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor and the ongoing role of Chiron and Neptune in Pisces that corresponds to the poisoning of the ocean and the ecological wounds resulting from humanity’s short-term, short-sighted vision. Closer to my heart, Sandra-Leigh Serio has written about the meaning and importance of the ‘Prenatal Solar Eclipse.’ She reiterates my observation of the significance of the house of the PNSE and suggests the point should be marked in the chart as it is activated by transits over time.

            This review would not be complete without mentioning the useful monthly ‘Auspicious Elections’ report by Chris Brennan. I always mark on my calendar the dates he gives over a two month period that are fortunate for initiating new undertakings. If you are a star-gazer, Julene Packer-Louis’ Sky Watch gives the times and dates when planets and upcoming meteor showers are visible in the night sky. Lastly, in the ‘Book Reviews’ section, Mary Plumb summarizes the latest astrological publications. She is the kindest reviewer and gives an in-depth analysis of what each book has to offer and how the book compares to others in its category.

           If I have any criticism of the magazine it is that it is published too infrequently. I wish it came out every month. It’s always an exciting day when I go to the mailbox and find the latest issue waiting to be opened and explored. The layout is beautiful and the level of editorial input is extreme (thank you Nan Geary). Each issue is over a hundred pages long and offers a wealth of astrological insight from a large number of astrologers who use a wide array of techniques to translate the meaning of the planets as they travel across the starry sky. The Mountain Astrologer is a consummate bimonthly gift of knowledge delivered to your door (or tablet) that is guaranteed to expand your mind. For anyone who doesn't yet get the magazine and would like to subscribe you can sign up for the print subscription that includes free digital access at http://mountainastrologer.com/order.html   The digital-only subscription can be accessed at: www.mountainastrologer.com/members/welcome. The truth is, every issue is amazing.

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

photo credit

A number of people have asked me to explain my title: When Worlds Collide. Some pointed out that when searching for the lunar nodes it would be helpful to have these keywords at the beginning of the title. Favoring artistic style above search engine optimization, I stuck with my title. I’m a great fan of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, especially the song with the title I took, and the line: But when worlds collide, I’m going to get you some terrible thrills. If you watch for it you’ll see, stuff happens at the nodes.

     What are the worlds to which I refer? To borrow a term from the Game of Thrones, they are the Realm of the North and the Realm of the South. Our day to day exterior life takes place in the North. This is the world of matter, of physical reality, where people act out willfully for practical, tangible ends. The Realm of the South is the other world that is not defined by physical law and not amenable to the five senses. This is the realm of the spirit, which has its own rules (often at odds with those that govern physical reality). We live in a duality: we all are one, and, the one is all. Although as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, ‘We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience,’ the bottom line is, to varying degrees, we encounter both.

         The nodes and their rulers distinguish the two types of experiences quite clearly. If the North Node or North Node ruler is energized, it’s time for the ego to express itself visibly in the manifest world. If the South Node or South Node ruler is activated, it’s time for spiritual understanding, and/or to act as a part of an encompassing whole and contribute to the greater good.

          The two worlds intersect at the nodes. (In Greek, the word node means knot, which ties things together; the word also means swelling or complication). At the lunar node, contents from each realm are exchanged; the tangible world gleans spiritual insight, or, the spirit world becomes physically grounded. When a planet passes through a node, there is always an event.

         The North Node resembles the Ascendant and allows the outward expression of the ego. At the North Node, expect a human-type experience. At the North Bending (a point analogous to the Midheaven), anticipate a spotlight shining brightly on the ego (for good or for ill). At the South Node, physical accruements are shed, much like Inanna, the Sumerian queen, shedding clothes as she descended into the ‘Great World Below.’ The South Node is a place of loss, physical vulnerability, weakness, or self-sacrifice, counterbalanced by a strong spiritual force. Planets reaching the lunar South Node, typically encounter (from the point of view of the ego) substantial physical loss, or are required to labor on another’s behalf. There is a wounding; yet, as Rumi counseled, ‘the wound is the place where the light enters you.’ The South Node carries the promise of both injury and enlightenment. The South Bending resembles the I.C. and is the point furthest from the manifest world. Planets traversing this quiet wasteland are at a point of maximum spiritual receptivity and understanding. Here the main event happens on the inside, remaining largely invisible.

        Thus, by looking at transits from the perspective of the nodes, the astrologer can predict with great accuracy the quality of an event.  Nodal connections point to the times when the outer and other worlds intersect; and when worlds collide, a door momentarily opens and facilitates an exchange of wisdom between the two realms. 

MISSING FLIGHT 370

     The missing Malaysian airplane that vanished over the South China Sea is one of the most curious aviation incidents in memory. The twisting sage of hope and despair is mind-numbing. For those with loved ones on board, the days of endless waiting must be agonizing and I hope the craft is found quickly.

      So where is the plane? What happened to it? An event chart drawn up for the moment of takeoff at 12.41 a.m. Saturday March 8, 2014, has the answer. 

   The plane is at the bottom of the ocean. Why? In an event chart the end of the matter is shown by the 4^th house, which here has Pisces, with Neptune ruling the house, and in the house conjunct the cusp within 2 minutes. That the Moon is separating from Neptune indicates the plane was doomed before it ever took off. The aspect also describes the confusion and contradictory information output that have plagued news reports ever since the plane went missing.

     What happened? Given that the Moon is conjunct the 7^th cusp definitely points to some kind of assault. The plane came under siege. By whom? The Moon in Gemini suggests a woman, a Cancerian, or a young emotional person. (I would like to know the birth data of the pilots, the flight crew, and all suspicious passengers.)The plane itself is shown by Jupiter which rules the Ascendant and is posited in the 8^th house of death. It forms a t-square with Uranus and Pluto that was activated after take-off by the transiting Moon.

     By following the Moon's aspects, we can deduce the unfolding events. The first aspect the Moon makes is a sextile to Uranus, which points to a sudden, but not catastrophic upset. With the sextile there is hope. But Uranus is in Aries, disposited by a weak Mars, indicative of a person acting from weakness. Very soon after the sextile, the Moon makes a quincunx to Pluto and square to Chiron: there is a life threatening event. I suspect at this point the plane crashed—likely from intentional (Uranus square Pluto in Capricorn) structural sabotage or a deadly malfunction.

     It is after this that the plane is reported missing (Moon trine Mercury), along with much confusion as to when it last made radar or audio contact (over-arching influence of Neptune on an angle). Mercury is square Saturn which suggests authorities and officials holding back information, and the difficulty they encountered when collecting information. The Moon’s next aspect is a trine to Mars, which is connected to Neptune by anticia. The plane will be found (before too long) in poor condition (Mars is retrograde, in fall, ruling the South Node and conjunct the North Node, which manifests visibly). 

     It’s interesting that in this day, a massive plane outfitted with the latest aviation and tracking devices can just vanish. In this great age of technology, we forget how big the world, how vast the ocean, and how uncertain science can be.

A UKRAINIAN SPRING

      Last week, while the world watched the Olympic games beaming out from Sochi, Russia, the capital city of neighboring Ukraine, began to burn. Unrest and peaceful protests had been growing since late November after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a deal with the European Union and strengthened ties with Russia. Fighting broke out the day after Russia bought $2 billion dollars worth of Ukraine’s government bonds, an act which solidified ties with the East.

      According to the New York Times, the protest turned violent ‘shortly before 8 p.m.’ on the evening of Tuesday February 18, 2014 in Independence Square when riot police began firing on the protestors. By morning, over eighty were dead and over eight hundred were wounded. Then, change came quickly. By the weekend, an imprisoned opposition leader had been freed and the president had left the capital. A warrant has been issued for his arrest for murdering his people.

       Astrologically, the fighting began less than 3 hours after the nodes changed signs with the North Node moving into Libra and the South Node into Aries. Prior to this time, the North Node was in Scorpio, ruled by Pluto,which is currently embroiled in a t-square with Jupiter and Uranus, which was activated that night by the Moon. The immense power struggle between those in power and the people came to a peak. In the Ukraine, where Pluto rules the 10^th house (the president), as long as Pluto ruled the North Node, the balance was tipped in the president’s favor.

         But when the nodes changed sign, with the North Node in Libra, Venus became the new ruler. In the Ukraine chart, Venus rules the 4^th house of the opposition party and was transiting conjunct the country’s North Node, showing a shift of power that now favored the opposition. The fighting lasted a few hours and when the smoke cleared, a new day was dawning.

          For the next eighteen months, while Venus rules the North Node, the opposition will be empowered to act. However, in the short term, with transiting Mars co-ruling the 10^th and conjunct the transiting North Node and ruling the South Node, a weakened and embittered president is taking a stand. Now safe in Russia, Yanukovych has called the take-over a coup, while Putin has ordered 150,000 troops to the shared western border for training exercises.  While in the days to come there will be much posturing and instability, the astrology shows definitively that Yanukoych’s power is gone.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THE LUNAR NODES CHANGE SIGNS

     At 9.50 am on February 18, 2014, the lunar North Node will leave Scorpio and enter Libra, while the South Node will move from Taurus into Aries. Due to the role of Venus shifting from ruling the South Node to ruling the North Node, the ingress will significantly impact the public’s mood and priorities.

     To know where we’re going, we need to know where we have been. Since August 29, 2012, at 11.06 p.m, the North Node has been ruled by Pluto (and Mars), and the South Node by Venus.  During this period, the country has been under the extreme influence of far-right conservatives (Pluto in Capricorn). We have been at war, threatening more war, and the covert killing by drones is on the rise. Corporations are having a heyday--their influence over elected officials is unabashedly obvious. When looking at minimum wage, gun laws, social programs, it’s quite clear who elected officials represent. Recently, especially with Saturn in Scorpio in mutual reception with Pluto, political scandals have come to light, along with the astonishing revelation that what would appear to be corrupt practices by our politicians are legal and protected by law.

     With Venus as the ruler of the South Node during this time, the Federal Reserve has been printing money (quantitative easing) and cheap money has flooded the economy. This has been a great boon to the stock market, but not so helpful to the pocketbooks of everyday people who have seen their personal wealth decline. It has not been a good period for women – who are generally paid three-quarters of what men are paid to do the same job. Women have also seen restrictions and invasive intrusions in regards to their physical bodies and what is, and should be, their private, personal business.

      When the nodes change signs, and the North Node moves into Libra, there should be some restoration of balance, of diplomacy (trumping war), and the recognition that fairness affects relationships (whether it be same sex marriage or women seeking birth control), and that compromise, cooperation, and finding the middle ground is conducive to a positive outcome. After all, sugar attracts more bees than vinegar.

With the South Node in Aries, the dominating patriarchal influence should ebb, as should the continual drumbeat calling for war. There will be less emphasis on ‘me’ and more on ‘us.’ We are, after all, in this together.  

       The chart at the moment of the ingress provides more information about the upcoming twenty-one months when the nodes traverse Libra-Aries. Set for Washington D.C., Venus sits atop the chart at 19° Capricorn, and has dignity by triplicity. At the Midheaven and ruling the Ascendant and the intercepted 6^th house, the country’s and people’s resources, workers, and health issues, will be among Venus’ primary concerns. In the sign of Saturn, we can expect more women law-makers, and more lawmakers to take women’s issues seriously.

       Mars in Libra, ruling the South Node and conjunct the North Node, poses more of a problem. Mars is in detriment in Libra, though has some dignity by Terms. Typically, a planet in detriment has a tendency to act badly, and since Mars is the ruler of the South Node, the action will likely lead to loss, which will be outwardly expressed given Mar’s conjunction to the North Node. Mars in Libra can be a warrior in the name of peace. Associated with the South Node, it can pick battles it’s too weak to win. At least Mars is helped by the trines from retrograde Mercury and the Sun that is in the final minutes of Aquarius. Perhaps Mars can learn from previous mistakes and try something innovative and far-sighted that will be in the best interest of humanity. At least with Mars in Venus’ sign, he is constrained by her pragmatism: there’s no will or money for war; perhaps the time has come for diplomacy and lots of sugar.

       The moment of the ingress is marked with an emphasis on the aspect of the day, which is the square between Uranus and Pluto, currently activated by Jupiter in Cancer, and at the time of ingress, by the Moon—forming a tense grand cross. The Uranus-Pluto square can be viewed as the conflict between the populace and corporate power. It is increasingly apparent that laws (Jupiter) are undermining the will of the public. Add the Moon in Libra into the mix, and what the people want is a level playing field. This is thwarted by the squares, and domestic laws that protect and enable corporate power (Pluto).  The opposition of the Moon to Uranus suggests that the struggle to force meaningful change will be thwarted. Some have argued that we have no government for the people and that the country is being run by corporate representatives. Over the next twenty-one months we should see the awareness of this and the conflict it engenders playing out on the national stage.

BRIDGEGATE

As the North Node passes through the final degrees of Scorpio, the revelation of the misuse of political power has been nothing less than jaw-dropping. A case in point is Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, and a crisis that began on September 9, 2013, with the closing of two of three toll booths on the George Washington Bridge reserved for Fort Lee residents that backed up traffic four days.  The story was reported in the press on October 1, 2013, along with the suggestion that the traffic jam was retaliation against the Fort Lee mayor for refusing to endorse Christie’s re-election. The governor dismissed the report, blamed the snarl on a traffic study, and declared that no one in his office had anything to do with it. The scandal exploded on January 8, 2014, when reporters obtained emails documenting that the order, in fact, did come from his office and a deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly.
        Freedom of Information Requests (FOIA) for emails are an absolute boon for astrologers because they contain the time a correspondence was sent. We thus have a precisely timed chart for the scandal which began with Bridget Kelly’s 7.34 a.m. email: Time for traffic problems in Ft. Lee. An event chart can be interpreted using horary techniques and is reproduced below. Here, the central question of the event is: who ordered Bridget Kelly to send the email. Did she act on her own initiative or did someone higher up give the green light?

Aug 13, 2013; 7.34 a.m. Trenton, NJ

        Since Bridget is the one initiating the action, she is represented by the 1st house. Her boss is shown by the 10^th. Both these houses are ruled by Mercury, which provides an important piece of information—they’re on the same page. Since Mercury can’t rule both the worker and the boss, and because the 1^st house holds Venus in Virgo, representative of a female worker, I will assign Venus to Bridget, and leave Mercury in Leo as ruler of the 10^th for Christie. Immediately, from the principle of rulership, we can answer the question: to whom does the aide answer to? The answer is Mercury, for Venus is in Mercury’s sign. (If Venus were in her own sign, she would answer to herself.)

        What can be said about Mercury? If we turn the chart and re-number the houses from the perspective of the 10^th (i.e. using the 10^th house as the 1^st), we find Mercury in the 3^rd house of communication and cars, and by extension, traffic. Mercury is in Leo, describing a leader, and fitting symbolism for the governor.  Mercury is in a partile quincunx to Pluto, the planet of rage, retribution and revenge, that is sitting on the cusp of the turned 8^th, which is the storehouse of contents of the personal unconscious that contains unprocessed emotion; planets situated here have a high potential of acting out destructively. According to news reports, the most likely explanation for the traffic jam was political playback to the mayor of Ft. Lee for refusing to endorse Christie’s upcoming re-election bid. The quincunx is an aspect of frustration and a situation that one can do nothing to about. Christie (Mercury) doesn’t have enough power (Pluto) on his own to punish the mayor for this slight. However, Pluto is opposite Jupiter in Cancer, and the byzantine state machinery has the clout to extract revenge.

          Mercury is separating from a square to Saturn in Scorpio, which is in mutual reception with Pluto in Capricorn, an apt description of a top secret scheme to use government power to get revenge. As a former federal prosecutor, Christie is well-aware of the evidence required to obtain a court conviction for political corruption. He will do his best to leave no paper-trail that authorities can use against him (Mercury square Saturn). Saturn is in Bridget’s 3^rd house and she too knows this has to be kept quiet from the public (Saturn conjunct Moon).

       Mercury is trine Uranus in Christie’s turned 11^th house of friends, and when the NJ state legislature held a hearing about the lane closures, Christie’s friends invented a cover story of a scientific traffic study (Mercury trine Uranus).

      In a horary or event chart, the Moon is always a major player and will illustrate how the story unfolds. Here the Moon is in the 3^rd and the event began with a message to shut down traffic. Separating aspects show the past and the Moon is separating from a trine from Neptune in Pisces conjunct the turned 10^th house. Christie’s short-term plan is to win a far-reaching re-election on a platform of bipartisanship that will sweep him onto the national stage. Then the Moon made a conjunction to Saturn, and some elected officials refused to afford Christie his coveted endorsement.  His response was a secret plan to punish lesser minions that had the temerity to stand against him (Saturn in mutual reception with Pluto). The email is sent out and  the plan for traffic problems (Moon square Mercury) is put into play with the help of appointees at the Port Authority (Moon sextile Pluto trine Jupiter).

       But then the Moon hits the North Node, the story leaks out, and investigators begin to dig more deeply into the closures and new upsetting revelations come to light (Moon quincunx Uranus): Christie may have used federal funds for the cleanup of Hurricane Sandy to reward political friends (Moon trine Chiron in Pisces) and penalize political foes.

        Following this (the period we are now in) the Moon is moving through Scorpio and making no contacts. We are awaiting the outcome of multiple investigations. The next aspect the Moon will make is a trine to Mars, which bodes well for the governor. Mars rules the radical 8^th house of investigation and 9^th house of law, and it seems unlikely a smoking gun will be found. There will be no hard evidence that ties Christie directly to the crime. However, almost immediately, the Moon squares the Sun in Leo, an indication that signals the end of Christie’s reign. His presidential hopes are over.  He is damaged, possibly impeached. Next, the Moon sextiles Venus (Bridget Kelly), which suggests the aide Christie called an ‘idiot’ will not betray her boss. She is still in his sign and on his side. How much help she can give him is questionable though, as Venus in Virgo is in fall and without dignity or standing. The final aspect the Moon makes before leaving Scorpio is a contraparallel to Mercury, a reiteration of the early square, and a difficult aspect for the 10^th house ruler, suggesting a conclusion for the governor that does not end well.  

The end of the matter is shown by the 4^th house ruler, Jupiter, which is activating the square of the moment between Uranus and Pluto. The outer planet square began in June 2012 and will last until March 2015 and brings to light the conflict between the common people (Uranus) and a government that works for the wealthy. What Bridgegate has brought to light is the manner by which elected officials use the state machinery (Jupiter) to reward and punish (Pluto) friends and foes, while completely disregarding the harm, hardship, and inconvenience inflicted on the public (Uranus) whose interests elected officials are supposed to represent.

        Since this is a blog on the nodes, I will end with a summary of the scandal as shown by these points and their rulers. Saturn and the Moon in Scorpio are conjunct the North Node, a statement of dark political retribution acted upon outwardly. The North Node ruler is Pluto, in mutual reception with Saturn, sextile the Moon, and opposite Jupiter, telling a tale of usurping state power for personal revenge. The South Node ruler, Venus in Virgo, shows the source of vulnerability: an aide who left a written record. Mercury, the radical 10^th house ruler is at the South Bending of the nodal axis—a definitive statement of a long fall from a high place.  

WHY HIM?

While everyone on the planet experienced the mundane expression of the transiting Sun at the North Bending of the transiting lunar nodes, the impact of the aspect wasn’t the same for everyone. Of course it is the effect on the natal chart that affects the outcome.

     In the last post (Sun at the North Bending of the Nodes) I looked at the chart erected at the moment the Sun perfected the square to the nodal axis and mentioned the Sun at the North Bending shines a spotlight on a leader. With the rulers of the nodes conjunct, I expected a fall from grace, and the former governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell exhibited such a fall. If we look at his natal chart and just the aspects to the nodes, we can see what happened.

   The transiting North Node at 2°50 Scorpio was in partile conjunction with the governor’s natal Saturn at 2°59 Scorpio, with both squaring the transiting Sun. On its own, Sun square Saturn denotes a time of hardship and burden, and given the involvement of the North Node, this became visible for all to see.  Transiting Venus and Pluto, the transiting nodal rulers, were conjunct the governor’s natal North Node, an aspect describing the outward expression (North Node) of corrupt (Pluto) financial (Venus) shenanigans. {The aspect also describes the governor’s wife (Venus) who actively solicited substantial financial favors from powerful (Pluto) friends}.

   This trio was opposite the natal South Node-Mercury conjunction that was conjunct transiting retrograde Jupiter. Without a birth time it’s impossible to see exactly what Mercury symbolizes, but in general, Mercury stands for information and news.  Jupiter represents truth and the law, and typically magnifies whatever it comes into contact with. Here, news of an indictment made widespread headlines that outlined in excruciating detail the stunning fall (South Node) of a recently rising star.

   While there were other aspects in play, and no doubt progressed and solar arc aspects perfecting as well, the theme of the moment is clearly told by the nodal contacts. 

THE SUN AT THE NORTH BENDING

In Washington D.C., on January 22, 2014, at 5.57 pm, the transiting Sun made the exact square to the nodal axis from the position of the North Bending. In a mundane chart, the Sun represents a leader, and I was watching this transit, wondering what it would bring to the political landscape.

     The North Node was in Scorpio, wrapping up its 18 month long journey through the ‘dark sign’ which ends on February 19^th. The North Node is ruled by Pluto, currently in Capricorn, where it has been exposing governmental practices that are typically buried and beyond public scrutiny. The South Node was in Taurus, ruled by Venus, presently retrograde, and in approaching conjunction with Pluto.  As noted in previous posts, the union of the two nodal rules is all but guaranteed to bring visible spectacular fireworks. With the South Node ruler associated with downfall or loss, and the North Node ruler representing outward manifestation or expression, the combination of the two can denote an overt fall from grace. Factor in the Sun (leader) at the North Bending, a placement of high visibility, and there is a potential of political disgrace.

What happened during this transit? On January 21, 2014, Bob McDonnell, the newly-former governor of Virginia, received a 43 page indictment with 14 criminal charges, for accepting gifts in return for political favors.  According to the Washington Post, ‘The criminal prosecution marks a stunning crash for a politician who was considered for the Republican vice presidential nomination in 2012 and who, just a year ago, was considered a credible prospective candidate for president.’

     Allegedly, during the last two years, the governor and his wife received over $165,000 from a wealthy donor in the form of low interest loans, stock, vacations, and a wedding reception. The donor, Jonny Williams, is the owner of a small company that once made cigarettes and now sells a dietary supplement of dubious value that is not approved by the FDA. According to the indictment, the governor’s wife, Maureen, told Williams she would help him, but needed financial assistance. In apparent exchange, the governor used the influence of his office to introduce Williams to relevant state and university officials who could aid the company.

       What is perhaps most surprising to me about these charges, is that McDonnell maintains that despite accepting these gifts, he did ‘nothing illegal.’ This is just politics. You can take hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts as long as you don’t make your rich friends any promises. Why not go ahead and help them out? After all, part of the governor’s job is to promote business in the state!

       So here is Pluto in Capricorn, in mutual reception with Saturn in Scorpio, digging deep and exposing what clearly appears to be an abuse of office that the perpetrator considers perfectly legal (Pluto opposite Jupiter). 

WHY THE NODES MOVE RETROGRADE

     Hi Everyone. Let me first apologize for my long sabbatical. I was busy on another project and am no mutable multi-tasker. I’m happy to say I’m done and have greatly missed my typically intense engagement with astrology and am so pleased to be back.

     Many people have asked me why the nodes move backwards and it’s a great question. The answer is the same reason that explains the earth’s precession—the influence of the Sun’s gravity. The lunar plane is tilted 5 degrees off the ecliptic (Earth’s path around the sun) and the force of the Sun’s gravitational field is trying to pull the lunar plane closer to the ecliptic. The pull is opposite to the movement of the Moon (and Earth), which is west to east (Aries to Taurus to Gemini etc), and counter-clockwise motion from the vantage point of the North Star.

        To visualize the Earth’s precession, imagine a spinning top that is wobbling. Draw a line between the apex of the top and the sky. At the moment, the line would intersect the North Star, although this has not always been the case. In 13,000, the line will intersect Vega, in Lyra; and in 13,000 years, Polaris the North Star again. Due to the wobble, the line will trace a clockwise circle (the direction opposite to the Earth’s travel) in the sky.  It takes about 26,000 years to complete this circle.

       The plane of the Earth is tilted 23.4 in relation to the celestial sphere, and like the lunar plane, the Sun’s gravitational force is trying to overcome the tilt. Due to this force (precession), the intersection of the Earth, ecliptic, and celestial equator, shifts slowly retrograde (in the direction opposite the forward motion of the Earth). Two thousand years ago, the three were united at 0° Aries. Today, the three unite earlier in the ecliptic, in late Aquarius. Basically, every year the Sun reaches the Aries Point a little bit earlier and earlier (in less than one full year). For this reason, the Aries Point is seen to move retrograde (backwards along the ecliptic).

      It is the exact same phenomenon with the nodes. If you visualize the North Node as the Aries Point, every day it is slipping backwards along with ecliptic. Only with the North Node, it slips backwards a lot faster and completes a cycle in 18. 6 years.