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.