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.