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.

SNOWDEN AND SNOOPING AT THE NSA

On June 5, 2013, information about a top-secret government data collection program was leaked by a 29-year-old NSA contractor and published by the Washington Post and The Guardian. Edward Snowden is currently on the lam after fleeing to Hong Kong and then Russia in attempt to evade the long arm of U.S. justice, which considers him a traitor and a danger to national security.

            Snowden is a whistle-blower and his act of civil disobedience was designed to expose a clandestine program that deserves public debate. “This is what is happening,” Snowden said. “You (American people) should decide whether we need to be doing this.” It’s a valid point.   

            The astrology of this story is fascinating. Eric Francis obtained a copy of Snowden’s birth certificate and the natal chart is shown below (Chart 1). If we focus on the nodes, they clearly describe the motive, circumstance, and timing of the leak. Natally, Snowden’s North Node is in Gemini conjunct Mars (within 1°) and the Sun (widely at 4°). Although the two bodies reside in the 1^st house and are therefore able to act, they are far from the cusp, which decreases this capability. However, since the North Node behaves—actually is—an angle, the energy of both Mars and Sun is easily expressed outwardly and he is able to act with willful purpose. Snowden sees himself (Sun) as a fighter (Mars) and his weapon is information (Gemini). The ruler of the North Node is Mercury, conjunct the Ascendant and ruling the chart. This is a doubly powerful Mercury, strong in its own sign, and contributing intelligence and a propensity to gather information. Despite a lack of formal education, Snowden was a well-paid computer expert who dealt with data.

Chart 1 (click to enlarge)

            The South Node is in the 7^th house in Sagittarius conjunct Neptune, and Snowden martyred himself, sacrificing his life by leaking what he viewed as a necessary truth. Jupiter, the South Node ruler, brought both loss and service. In  the 6^th, conjunct Uranus, and ruling the 7^th, through his daily work with software, he accessed (unspecified) data, which he leaked in the interest of a higher good,  and in so doing,  invited open enemies into his life.  

            Snowden is of the generation with Saturn conjunct Pluto in Libra, sextile Neptune in Sagittarius, which reflects his utopian vision of an accountable, transparent government that has an open relationship (Libra) with the truth (Sagittarius). He is both willing to fight for this (Sun, Mars trine Saturn-Pluto) and sacrifice himself for it (Neptune sextile Saturn-Pluto).  

            The timing of the leak (Chart 2) is related to the Lunar Eclipse on May 25, 2013 at 3°58 conjunct natal Jupiter (the South Node ruler). The time came to release his secret knowledge to the world  On the day of the leak (June 5, 2013), a grand cross had formed, with transiting Mars opposite the eclipse degree at 3°43, transiting Neptune square the eclipse degree at 5°22, and progressed Venus square it at 6°19. Mars activated the eclipse, and information was leaked that compromised Snowden’s happiness and left him in limbo (Neptune), ultimately without a country to call home; he is in a tight place, backed against a corner, with limited options. Transiting Jupiter (carrying the energy of natal South Node ruler) was conjunct natal Mars and the North Node, an indication that Snowden’s act was conducted for what he believed would be the greater good. The transiting North Node was conjunct the natal Moon in Scorpio, further describing the release of secret information (Moon ruling the 3^rd), as well as Snowden’s fear for his life. With natal Venus at the South Bending of the transiting nodes, his level of personal happiness was at an all-time low.

Chart 2

            The government’s response is also shown in the astrology (Chart 3). Snowden’s Mars is conjunct the U.S. Mars, activating the natal U.S. Mars square Neptune; and the government, helped by the media, has painted a bleak and likely disingenuous picture of the hacker, who has reputedly put the country in sudden peril. With Snowden’s Mars landing in the U.S. 7^th house, he has become a formidable enemy. For at least the moment, Snowden’s goal to initiate a conversation has been over-shadowed by a grand chase across the globe, with the U.S. government lobbing threats and warning of dire consequences to any country willing to provide him a safe haven. But with Pluto coming to oppose the Sibly Sun (the President in a mundane chart) and forming a grand cross with natal Saturn and transiting Uranus, like Snowden, the President, who ran for office on a promise of transparency, will find himself backed into a corner and trying to defend top-secret programs, while explaining, once again, why telling the truth is an imprisonable offense, and why undisclosed mass surveillance in a so-called free world is both constitutional and legal.

Chart 3

  

VENUS AND MARS CONJUNCTION

On Sunday April 7, 2013, at 12:57 a.m., Venus and Mars formed a conjunction at 20° Aries. This was especially significant since it involved the two rulers of the nodes (considering Mars as the co-ruler of Scorpio). With Mars ruling the North Node, we could expect Martian (war, guns, protests,) events to manifest. With Venus ruling the South Node, there would also be some form of sacrifice, physical loss, or spiritual enlightenment in the Venusian realm (money, love, happiness, relationships). So, what type of Mars-Venus events have transpired?

            North Korea is preparing for war. As a new 29 year-old leader readies an unused nuclear site for missile deployment, additional U.N. sanctions are slapped on the impoverished country. Outside North Korea, countries in power are ‘walking back their rhetoric’, trying to defuse a building threat. In the natal chart, Jupiter is at 20 Sagittarius (natal Moon nearby at 15 Sagittarius) forming a partile trine with the conjunction, suggesting the country’s optimism they will benefit from this grandiose aggression.

            On Sunday, March 31, in an Elite Eight game of March Madness, college basketball player, Kevin Ware suffered a debilitating leg injury that left 6 inches of his femur sticking out of his leg. In his natal chart, Uranus and Neptune are conjunct at 18 Capricorn and natal Mars is at 19 Cancer, forming a t-square with the transiting conjunction. The day following the accident, there were questions over who would pay the medical bills and whether or not Ware would retain his scholarship the following year.

            Hillary Clinton was back in the news last week, appearing in public without her glasses and looking healthy and fit amidst much discussion of a presidential run in 2016. In her natal chart, Saturn is at 21 Leo and formed a trine to the transiting conjunction, and pundits appeared ready to hand her victory in the next presidential election. Also at this time, the transiting North Node at 17 Scorpio is conjunct her natal Venus at 16 Scorpio, and the love for her is gushing.

            President Obama took a pay cut. In his chart, 18 Aquarius is rising, and was sextile to the transiting conjunction. In sympathy with those that have been furloughed due to the sequester, Obama proactively repaid 5% of his salary to the treasury. Since by law, he is not allowed to take a pay cut, he was forced to write a check to the IRS.  The same week, enraging his base, he submitted a budget proposal that would cut both Social Security and Medicare.  

            The Keystone Pipeline has also been in the news. Last week there were three significant crude oil spills, with the largest in Arkansas, where twenty-two residents were evacuated after a significant leak. This has impacted the ongoing debate/protests about the Keystone Pipeline that will transport Canadian tar-sand oil to the refineries in Texas. Intended for export, the pipeline will create few sustainable jobs and provide little economic benefit to the U.S.  In the U.S. natal chart, Chiron is at 20 Aries, suggesting the most recent spill is a wound that has upset and is certain to galvanize activists.

 Meanwhile, the battle over new gun regulation in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre rages on. Two weeks ago, it seemed the battle was lost after the Senate appeared reluctant to even hold a vote against tougher regulation, despite 91% of the population desiring more restrictions. On the popular news program 60 Minutes, the parents of the murdered children spoke out about their loss and vowed that their fight was just getting started.

            Cyprus has also made headlines after that government decided to ‘tax’ bank deposits. This act of aggression sent the country into turmoil and threatened a bank run as depositors swarmed the banks seeking to withdraw their money. On April 3rd, an agreement was reached with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) that promised new austerity for the country in return for a Euro bailout.

            These are just a few headlines in the recent news. In the next few days keep an eye out for additional developments that fulfill the Venus-Mars symbolism. The current headlines illuminate those events that are likely to reappear over the next year as these two planets realign by aspect.

THE CONJUNCTION OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH NODE RULERS

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A number of notable events occurred on the day (Wednesday January 16, 2013; 8.43 pm EST) Venus and Pluto conjoined. The conjunction brought the rulers of the lunar nodes together and marked the beginning of a year-long cycle (ending November 16, 2013). The themes that appeared this day, should arise with regularity whenever the two planets aspect each other in the coming year. What were these events? 

            Although quickly passed over by the mainstream news, I was excited to see the resurrection of the proposal for single payer health insurance in the form of a bill Democratic House members are planning to introduce in attempt to lower health care costs. Given Venus is the planet of money and Pluto the planet of death and transformation, it is an auspicious time to start talking about a reasonable cost necessary to protect health.

            On this day, a number of expatriates working in a B.P. oilfield in Algeria were kidnapped, suggesting that next year the procurement of oil from undemocratic countries may be a problem. The kidnapping itself evokes images of Persephone (Venus) being kidnapped by Hades (Pluto) as she innocently collected flowers (oil) and was transported to the underworld. True to form, the personal accounts of those who lived to tell the tale of terror, sound harrowing.

            The third thing that happened and which received much attention, was President Obama’s twenty-three point plan to enact sensible gun regulation in the wake of the Newtown massacre. The conjunction reflects the murder of innocents, with the mutual reception between Pluto and Saturn suggesting legal regulation becoming a reality. However, with Saturn set to station and move retrograde away from Pluto back in the direction from whence it came, the moment of opportunity may pass without much transformative change.

            The following day, three additional events occurred, with two coming from the sports field. Lance Armstrong, America’s premier cyclist came clean after years of denial to using banned drugs. In his confession to Oprah he appeared uncontrite and unapologetic: he did what he had to do to win. This un-repentance seems reflective of Venus with Pluto in the sense that although he cheated, deceived and played dirty (Pluto), he did so for the best of reasons – he wanted to win and feel good about himself (Venus). It will be interesting to see what the legal response to his confession will be.

            Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te-O also made news, when it came to light that his long-time girlfriend who died from leukemia in September and was such a source of inspiration to him, was not real. He either made her up, or was the victim of a hoax. Venus with Pluto tells the tale of corrupt love, a dead woman and romance, and relational deceit.  The legal fallout from this should also be interesting, although it is unclear to me, why this is such a scandal. Perhaps at any other time, it might not have been.

            Lastly, the stock market rallied on Thursday with the news that Republicans would not hold the debt ceiling hostage and would agree to raise it without a fight in order to pay the bills the country has accrued, thus temporarily protecting the currency from further downgrade and the country’s fledgling recovery. In essence, Congress was going to play nice (Venus) in order to protect the profit of big business (Pluto) who stood to lose the most in another currency downgrade. However, the problem wasn’t put to rest forever, but for three months, when Venus and Pluto will make their first square. Expect more action on this front at that time.

            

MYSTERIOUS PLANE CRASH

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Hillary Clinton has been in the news again and was featured in the ISAR ezine (vol 720), where Marguerite dar Bogga provided links to reports that the Secretary of State was injured in a plane crash in Iran that left her ‘unconscious and bleeding profusely,’ and a Navy Seal dead. The date of the crash is unclear, but reports seem to place it on or around Friday, December 14, 2012. On this date, ABC News reported that a U.S. plane made an emergency landing in Iran. According to government officials, the Navy Seal reputedly killed in the crash, committed suicide in Afghanistan the following week, leaving behind a wife and daughter.

            Until her hospitalization, Hillary had not been seen in public since December 7.  She was said to have been ill with the stomach flu that left her dehydrated and resulted in her fainting. She hit her head, which led to the concussion that sent her to the hospital and the MRI discovery of the blood clot. She was hospitalized on December 31 and stayed three days. Her release under the spotlight of the press came on January 2. However, her release was brief and she was readmitted within the hour. Nonetheless, she returned to work on January 7^th, looking healthy and in high spirits.

            So, what happened? Unfortunately, without a timed chart, it’s hard to tell. Regardless, a noon chart set for Ahvaz, Iran, viewed in the context of her natal and progressed chart, shows interesting features. As mentioned in previous blogs, she’s undergoing a half-nodal return. The North Node is transiting her Ascendant, activating the natal South Node, Mercury and progressed Chiron (which we now know expressed as mental loss arising from a head wound). Around this time, transiting Venus, ruler of the transiting South Node, was conjunct the North Node: loss associated with the South Node ruler manifest outwardly through the channel of the North Node. Venus rules the 6^th, 7^th, and 11^th houses, so the loss affected her health, partnership (including open enemies), and hopes and dreams.

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The biggest threat to life is shown by the progressed Moon at the midpoint of progressed Saturn and Pluto, a violent midpoint that when aligned with the Moon, presents a planetary picture Ebertin considered ‘the tragic destiny of a woman.’ The transiting Sun was trine natal Saturn and transiting Mars formed a yod with the natal Moon-Saturn quincunx, suggestive of a serious accident. The possibility of the involvement of an airplane (Uranus) is reflected by the opposition of the transiting Sun to natal Uranus, and the yod formed between transiting Uranus, the natal Sun, and progressed Mars. However, this could also be interpreted as a sudden, unexpected, accidental blow to the head.

The threat to life is shown by the exact conjunction of transiting Pluto to the progressed Sun, and transiting Chiron conjunct the IC forming a grand cross with progressed Mars, transiting Jupiter, and transiting Mercury.  Extending the orb from 4° to 5° draws in transiting Neptune at the IC and natal Jupiter in the 1^st (activating the old and new rulers of the 4^th house, and the end of the matter). Taken together this complex alludes to a fundamental wound and a serious accidental injury (progressed Mars sextile transiting Saturn) that cannot be discussed, with truth hidden in a nebulous shroud.

            That’s not to say the truth won’t come out. As the transiting North Node retrogrades across Hillary’s Ascendant and conjuncts natal Mercury and the progressed South Node, and squares progressed Saturn (at the South Bending of the transiting nodes) between January 28 and February 6, there will likely be news, as Scorpio’s secrets leak out into the open, leaving the administration (Saturn) in a vulnerable position.  As for Hillary’s health, it remains at risk as long as transiting Pluto is conjunct her Sun, and the progressed Moon is conjunct Saturn (the Grim Reaper). The May solar eclipse is also threatening since it opposes natal Mercury (ruling the 8^th house) and is square Saturn, while the lunar eclipse falls on her Sun, dimming the life force. 

A NEW YEAR’S BLOW

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Hillary Clinton’s current health issue can be tied to the transit of the North Node to her Ascendant where it is conjunct natal Mercury and the South Node in a half nodal return. When she fainted following dehydration around December 10, 2012, the aspect was activated by transiting Venus (ruling the 6^th house of illness) crossing the recent solar eclipse point (21°57 Scorpio) and contacting her Ascendant and the natal and transiting nodes. 

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With Venus involved, the injury probably appeared more benign than it actually was. However, since Venus rules the transiting South Node, there was loss associated with the lesser benefic (a loss compounded by the influence of Scorpio where Venus is in detriment). Transiting Venus, carrying the energy of the transiting South Node was conjunct natal Mercury and square natal Saturn, which expressed outwardly (conjunct the transiting North Node) as an injury to the brain in the form of a concussion (Saturn ruling the 3^rd house of the mind).  Structural damage to the skull and thinking process is further indicated with natal Saturn situated at the South Bending of the transiting nodes.
             Three weeks passed before an MRI showed a blood clot in the brain. By now, transiting Mars (blood) was in Aquarius square her natal Sun, reflecting the life threatening event.  Natally, Hillary has the Sun and Pluto in mutual reception, and Mars is conjunct Pluto in Leo, suggestive of a genetic blood disorder arising from circulatory issues (heart’s pumping capacity). This aspect is currently trine progressed Jupiter (which magnifies everything) and was activated by transiting Venus (ruler of the transiting South Node) when she was hospitalized. Although Hillary is said to be responding well to treatment, the transiting North Node is still approaching the Ascendant, the solar eclipse degree, natal South Node and natal Mercury, and square to natal Saturn, an indication she is not yet out of the woods.

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MANIFESTATION OF PLUTO: NEWTOWN

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Eric Francis has posted the noon birth chart of Adam Lanza, the twenty year old who gunned down twenty-six people last week, and there, at the November 13, 2012 solar eclipse degree of 21°57 Scorpio is Adam's natal Pluto at 22°6 Scorpio. As the late Robert Blaschke has said: solar eclipses are malefic. The eclipse stimulated Adam’s Pluto (natally trine Mars and sextile a partile conjunction of Uranus and Neptune), and last week when transiting Mars cast a sextile to the eclipse degree and the transiting North Node, he grabbed his weapons. In addition, transiting Uranus was conjunct natal Mercury at the North Bending of the natal nodes, trine transiting Mercury, when something in his brain, snapped. Given the involvement of transiting Neptune, psychotropic drugs may have been involved.

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            It is important to remember that the speed of the nodes is extremely variable. Their movement slows as an eclipse approaches and they can remain in a single degree for two months. For example, at the November 13^th eclipse, the transiting North Node was at 26°3 Scorpio, and it stood at this degree throughout October and November. In early December, the node entered 25° degrees, and by January it will be at 24°. By then it will have picked up speed and will cover 8° by April. At this time, it will slow again in advance of the May 10, 2013 solar eclipse at 19° Taurus. Because of this variable speed, any planet near an eclipse degree can be doubly activated. The planet is first thrown into crisis by the eclipse, and then stimulated for a prolonged length of time by the transiting node. For Adam, with the transiting North Node conjoined (3° degrees) his eclipse-activated natal Pluto, what he expressed outwardly was the archetypal energy of the dark planet.

What a sad statement of our society that this troubled twenty year-old youth felt so disconnected from others that this was his answer to whatever was disturbing him. If Pluto symbolizes the personal unconscious, that part of our psyche that is irrational, cruel, heartless, resentful, and raging, which ‘normal’ people manage to lock up and safely contain, well his materialized and broke free last Friday morning. The carnage was from Pluto, unleashed in the outer world. 

HILLARY AND THE VENUS-NORTH NODE CONJUNCTION

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Last week, Venus conjoined the North Node and two powerful women made news. The first was Hillary Clinton, preparing to end her term as Secretary of State amidst wild speculation she will run in 2016 for president. According to a Bloomberg National Poll published the day of the conjunction, 70% of Americans have a ‘mostly or favorable view of Clinton.’ Since Venus symbolizes a woman, the North Node indicates physical manifestation, and Scorpio represents power, that a powerful woman would make news was not too startling.

            But why Hillary?

The transiting conjunction provides no context, which is only obtained through the interactions of the transits with the natal chart. So, I was surprised to see the transiting North Node and Venus conjunct the natal South Node. Hillary was having a half-nodal return, a time when the North and South nodes exchange notes about the manifest and unmanifest realms. Since the transits activate the nativity, with the South Node stimulated, I was expecting some manner of loss. Typically, no matter how spiritual the South Node may be, its activation almost always coincides with suffering or loss. Yet, what was expressed here was high standing and professional accolades. This was doubly puzzling since the transiting North Node was square natal Saturn at the transiting South Bending, further suggesting some outward loss for Saturn (standing, authority). Nonetheless, here she was, practically being elected president four years in advance (transiting Venus-North Node trine natal Moon). I interpreted the meaning of the natal South Node as service; she is sacrificing herself for the country.

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            However, yesterday, news surfaced that at the ‘beginning of the week’ (likely Monday or Tuesday, December 10-11), Clinton picked up a stomach virus, became severely dehydrated, fainted and suffered a concussion. As a result she would be unable to testify on the Hill this week about the Benghazi attacks. On Monday December 10, 2012, transiting Venus was at 23°27 Scorpio, in partile conjunction with her natal South Node (applying 7'), conjunct the Ascendant, natal Mercury, progressed Chiron, and square natal Saturn. Here was an unhappy loss (Venus conjunct the natal South Node) from a manifest (North Node) head (first house) wound (Chiron) that negatively affected her health (Venus ruling the 6^th), left her unconscious (natal Mercury in the 12^th) and unable to fulfill her professional duties (Saturn at the transiting South Bending).

            What of the other woman? Read on…

SUSAN RICE AND THE VENUS-NORTH NODE CONJUNCTION

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On Thursday, December 13, 2012, one day after the partile conjunction of transiting Venus and the North Node, Susan Rice withdrew her candidacy for Secretary of State amidst the political brouhaha over the Benghazi attack. In Republican circles, she has been widely criticized, particularly by Senator John McCain, for reiterating White House talking points on the Sunday morning news shows. Pundits have opined that his wrath is a response to her aggressive stance against him in the run-up to the 2008 election when she campaigned for Obama.

            As is too often the case, Susan has no recorded birth time. In these instances, a fountain of information can be gleaned from the nodes. Natally, Mercury rules the North Node, and Jupiter rules the South Node. This year, progressed Mercury will conjunct the progressed South Node, an indication of some manner of loss for Mercury. On Thursday the transiting Sun was conjunct this pair, activating the aspect. As a result of misinformation, received and delivered, she withdrew her name from consideration(Mercury ruling the North Node outwardly expressing the loss of the South Node).

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Meanwhile, the transiting Venus-North Node conjunction was conjunct the natal Sun. A repetition of aspects is a signal to pay attention: something important is happening. (Here the combination was between the Sun and a node). The natal Sun is square Saturn in Aquarius that was at the transiting North Bending. What appears to have materialized in Susan’s life was John McCain’s heavy hand of authority: he did not appreciate her power (or sincerely believes she has used it inappropriately – transiting Venus in detriment in Scorpio). In addition, the White House that provided the talking points, did little to support her (Saturn square Sun). Realizing her own weak position, Susan decided not to pursue a higher position of responsibility. Although the houses would shed further light on the circumstances, the nodes and the planets conjunct and square them, often supply sufficient information to tell the story.  

THE NEWTOWN MASSACRE

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The event chart of the elementary school shootings that killed twenty young children and six adults highlights the nodal axis and the South Node ruler. At 9.40 a.m., the time CNN reported the shooting began, the transiting North Node was conjunct the event MC. As I describe in my book, the angles and the nodes are astronomically – and astrologically – similar. I envision the angles and nodes as windows that allow the entrance of the astrological energy that brings aspecting planets to life. With the node and the MC together, the window is broad, and the incoming force is all the more powerful.

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            In the event chart, Venus, the ruler of the South Node was conjunct the North Node. In Scorpio, the planet of happiness, relationship, and love, is in detriment and more likely to express negatively. Since planets conjunct the North Node manifest outwardly, and the South Node ruler is typically related to loss, sacrifice, or sorrow, this was what Venus brought to bear to a children’s school on a cold December day: heartache, sadness, and loss of love.

            Pluto, ruler of the North Node, was in a yod with Saturn and Jupiter. Pluto is currently in partile sextile to Saturn and the planets are in mutual reception; both were quincunx Jupiter, debilitated by sign and retrogradation. The configuration was activated by the Moon, which had just left the degree of the apex planet, Jupiter, and its conjunction to Pluto. I view yods as a frustrating combination of energy that has no resolution. This yod expressed in the irrational actions of a twenty-year-old with assault weapons, and helpless children and teachers with no avenue of escape. The configuration describes the outward manifestation of terror and death to innocent children in an environment under the control of authority and typically assumed to be safe.

            Mercury in detriment in Sagittarius is also significant as it is in the degree of its first station on November 6, 2012 – a degree activated by the station. Mercury was opposite the November 28^th lunar eclipse degree of 6°47 Gemini, while the debilitated Jupiter was conjunct it. A lunar eclipse denotes culmination and events that unfold quickly and have far-reaching effects.

            I suspect that when the birth data of the shooter (and victims) are known, that the eclipse degree, nodes and yod will contact significant points in natal charts. Until then, the investigation continues, and a heartbreaking weekend ten days before Christmas unfolds without twenty children and six teachers who leave behind presents under joyless trees and loved ones asking ‘why’?