The Archetypal Astrology Podcast

Correlations

The Aries New Moon in Fukushima

The super hot Aries New Moon of April 3 is not only powerfully focused in Fukushima, Japan, by angularity, but is also activating the founding chart for the nuclear power plant located there. This highly charged lunation is triggering the stressful natal t-square between Mars, Uranus, and Chiron, which appears to suggest further volatility, and alarming developments at the site of the most serious nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, with possible health and environmental impact(Chiron).

Pluto's April 9 station-retrograde on the power plant's natal Mars(8 Capricorn) suggests all hell could break loose. Transiting Mars squares Pluto and then natal Mars from April 10-12.

From Asia & Mideast

An almost stationary Pluto is activating a handful of dynamic midpoints on the 90 degree dial. The harsh planetary picture, Pluto = Mars/Saturn, is direct and exact. R.Ebertin's COSI has for this configuration, "Brutality, the rage or fury of destruction. The intervening of a higher power; bodily injury or harm (murder, the death of a great many people)."
Transiting Pluto = New Moon/Mars-Uranus, evokes a similarly extreme tone.

From Mundane Charts

On a personal level, the impulse to actively pursue our individual agendas is clearly being stimulated in a big way, but doing so mindfully may be the cosmic lesson.

Steven Forrest on Neptune in Pisces

The transit of Neptune through Pisces is occurring along with the more tumultuous squares of Uranus and Pluto.

YouTube

The 2011 Aries Ingress

The 2011 Aries ingress(or Vernal Equinox) marks the the start of the astrological year, and sets the vibrational tone for the first quarter, if not the entire year.

Generally speaking, the 2011 Aries ingress alludes to the balance between hope and fear, and the prospect of making slow, steady progress despite tough conditions. World leaders can implement progressive reforms at best, or act out the Uranian impulse for change willfully, and add to our collective uncertainty. Revolutions and uprisings will continue to gain momentum, even as the plutocracy attempts to clamp down on the first stirrings of social and political unrest/protests.

USA
The first week in April is potentially volatile for the US on the home-front and abroad, as Mars conjoins Uranus in fiery Aries. Weather conditions may be especially erratic or unpredictable, and we can expect some agitated socio-political unrest.

From Mundane Charts

April 4: Neptune's first foray into the sign it has the most affinity, Pisces, suggests the mass urge to transcend mundane affairs through a spiritual/creative approach, or to simply check out and escape, will begin to receive subtle but pervasive activation. Tapping into our collective dreams, visions, and sources of inspiration may be helpful in guiding us through this time of accelerated change and profound upheaval.

On April 9 slow-moving Pluto makes it's annual station-retrograde and appears to move backward until Sept. 16. Pluto's tendency to make the unconscious conscious, and to eliminate the outworn or obsolete in order to regenerate the psyche and body, is focused even more intensely during it's retrograde period. Any process that involves purging and cleansing is thereby furthered.

Uranus transits the Aries ingress Vertex of 'fateful encounters', and the US natal Uranus/Pluto(midpoint) during the month of May- while the Scorpio Full Moon on May 17 appears particularly powerful in New Orleans.

The nation's concern and identification with health, employment, and environmental issues increases when the US progressed Ascendant moves from Leo into Virgo around the 2011 Autumnal Equinox(Libra ingress). But the opposition from transiting Neptune to this progressed Ascendant through 2011 suggests a loss of focus or some uncertainty, and unreliable alliances.

Chile
The Aries ingress for Chile shows a strong earthquake signature with Pluto on the Nadir or IC in Santiago. We may be able to determine when extreme weather or quakes are likely to occur here with more research, so stay tuned for updates. (The April 17 Full Moon in Libra does look a bit intense at the capital.)

From Mundane Charts

Japan
The 2011 Aries ingress for Japan does not appears overtly stressful, but the Ascendant near the malefic star Algol's ecliptic degree is somewhat ominous. The ingress Sun rules the 4th house of weather and earthquakes, and it's conjunction with Uranus is an indication of instability and highly changeable conditions.

The Apr. 3 Aries New Moon chart at Tokyo is dramatic, and could portend major developments or revelations regarding the nuclear crisis, as much higher levels of radiation in the seas around the Fukushima plant have just been detected. The May 3 Taurus New Moon also looks unfavorable for Japan, with the New Moon in the 8th house(death, loss, and debt), and Saturn exactly rising at Tokyo.

From Mundane Charts

Nuclear Japan

Japan's earthquake-tsunami-nuclear disaster is the first world event that's directly connected to the epic Uranus-Pluto square, partly triggered by Uranus' dramatic arrival at 0 Aries the next morning(JST). The Ascendant of the earthquake chart(epicenter near Sendai) is 17 Leo 42, and the transiting Uranus/Pluto (midpoint) is 18 Aquarius 37. So the most sensitive point of the event chart touched-off the most powerful aspect of our times, that suggests a process of building on the ruins on the old; radical, revolutionary upheavals; and tremendous uncertainty. Moreover, as Uranus entered Aries on Mar. 12(9:50 am-JST) the Moon(10 Gemini) was exactly rising in Tokyo and conjunct the royal star Aldeberan- eye of the bull, that has an affinity with nuclear energy, as do the planets Uranus(uranium) and Pluto(plutonium). (As of Mar. 21, Plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel(MOX) in the No. 3 reactor at the Fukushima plant poses the greatest risk of releasing highly toxic plutonium in the event of a meltdown. The fuel in the reactors is uranium.)

Another direct link between events in Japan and the epochal Uranus-Pluto cycle, is the current transit of Pluto to the 1965 UR-PL conjunction Moon at 7 Aries. This powerful(angular) Moon was setting in Tokyo, and as lord/ruler of the radix Midheaven, is related to the nation's status and role/place in the world.

From Asia & Mideast

Japan's nuclear crisis highlights the pressing need to develop alternative and renewable energy sources, and get off the oil(Libya, etc.), or suffer greater disasters in the future. The necessary paradigm shift may be invoked by dramatic crisis and upheavals, that force us to deal with our natural environment mindfully and sustainably. Consider that the current Uranus-Pluto squares mark a crisis point in their 128 year cycle, that began mid 60's with the conjunctions in Virgo(mutable earth), perhaps the sign most resonant with ecology.

The First Nuclear Chain Reaction and Japan:
Although there were many events leading to the discovery and development of atomic energy, the first nuclear chain reaction guided by Enrico Fermi in Chicago on Dec. 2, 1942 at 3:25 pm(CST), might be considered a birth moment for the nuclear age.

The chart for this reaction has Uranus(breakthroughs-innovation) and Saturn(structure-crystallization) rising in early Gemini, opposite the Sun(10 Sag), Mercury(11 Sag) and Venus(14 Sag) setting in Sagittarius. Saturn conjoined the royal star Aldeberan, eye of the bull, while the Sun aligned with another royal star known as Antares, rival of Mars- and these two stars define the so-called 'nuclear axis'(around 10 Gemini-Sagittarius) identified by astrologer Mark Lerner.

If we relocate this chart to Fukushima, Japan, where leaking nuclear reactors are contaminating food and water- the Sun, Mercury, and Venus are rising, while Uranus and Saturn setting. Saturn on Aldeberan set at the location of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Also note that Mars (9 Gemini) was conjunct the First Nuclear Reaction Saturn-Aldeberan, when the a-bomb ('Little Boy') was dropped on Hiroshima.

From Asia & Mideast

A criticality accident occurred on Sept. 30, 1999 at the Tokai nuclear fuel plant in Japan. Criticality accidents involve a self-sustaining chain reaction caused from mishandling large amounts of enriched uranium. The chart for this accident has Pluto rising(8 Sagittarius), opposing the Moon(9 Gemini) on the first nuclear reaction Saturn(9 Gemini) which set in Japan at the dawn of the nuclear age.

The First Nuclear Chain Reaction- AstroCartoGraphy

From Asia & Mideast

Mark Lerner's article: Pluto Triggers the Nuclear Axis

Eclipses and Disaster in Japan

The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century occurred on July 22, 2009 at the final degree(29th) of the cardinal sign Cancer(active water), signified by a crab. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow extended across India, China, several Japanese islands and the South Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse was seen within the much broader path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes most of eastern Asia, Indonesia, and the Pacific Ocean. (Fred Espenak)
Animated Eclipse Map

The astronomical reasons for the 6 minute 39 seconds duration of this solar eclipse, was the correspondence between the Moon at it's nearest approach to the Earth(perigee), and the Earth at it's furthest distance from the Sun.

If one applies the old astrological rule in determining the length of time this eclipse will have relevance to world affairs, we must conclude that it has an influence for about 6 years and 8 months. And although the central path of this extraordinary eclipse missed the mainland of Japan, it is remarkable that at the exact New Moon the eclipse Sun, Moon, and South Node('loss') was conjunct the Midheaven in Sendai and Fukushima, Japan. (The Midheaven is the most public point in any horoscope.) When disaster struck the Japanese nation on Mar. 11, both transiting Uranus(29 Pisces) and Neptune(29 Aquarius) were in aspect to the eclipse degree(29 Cancer)- thus activating it's latent power, and/or timing it's effects.

July 22, 2009 Total Solar Eclipse AstroCartoGraphy

From Asia & Mideast

July 22, 2009 Total Solar Eclipse @ Fukushima

From Asia & Mideast

Eclipses have long been considered most significant for those locations where the eclipse is visible. And the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century was mainly visible in southern Asia. This super eclipse may be triggered again around Feb. 7, 2012 when Saturn stations-retrograde at 29 Libra 30 in square to the eclipse degree(29 Cancer 26).

Total Lunar Eclipse Dec. 21, 2010
The so-called 'Solstice Eclipse' of Dec. 21, 2010 (at 29 Gemini) is clearly related to Japan's crisis too- as it not only conjoined Japan's 1889 Moon(the people), but the waning Mars-0-Pluto ('superhuman power; force and brutality') set in Tokyo at this Full Moon eclipse, with Jupiter-0-Uranus('big shocks') in Pisces(mutable water) on the Midheaven.

Tomorrow's SuperMoon at 29 Virgo is square the Solstice Eclipse degree(29 Gemini), and could possibly trigger/activate that eclipse further.

From Asia & Mideast

NASA Scientist's Explain the SuperMoon

From SPACE.com:

"The tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan Friday (March 11) set the Internet abuzz with the idea that the moon, which will be at its fullest of the year on March 19, played a role in the devastating natural disaster.

The seed for the idea was planted by an astrologer, who contended that this large full moon – a so-called "supermoon"– would touch off natural disasters like the Japan earthquake since the moon would make its closest approach to Earth in 18 years. Scientists, however, dismissed the notion entirely and now a top NASA scientist is weighing in.

In a statement released Friday, noted NASA scientist Jim Garvin explains the mechanics behind the moon's phases and the causes of the supermoon. Garvin is the chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

"'Supermoon' is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon," Garvin wrote in the NASA statement. "So, the moon may seem bigger although the difference in its distance from Earth is only a few percent at such times."

The full moon of March will occur next Saturday on March 19, when the moon will be about 221,567 miles away from Earth. The average distance between the Earth and the moon is about 238.000 miles.

"It is called a supermoon because this is a very noticeable alignment that at first glance would seem to have an effect," Garvin explained. "The 'super' in supermoon is really just the appearance of being closer, but unless we were measuring the Earth-Moon distance by laser rangefinders (as we do to track the LRO [Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter] spacecraft in low lunar orbit and to watch the Earth-Moon distance over years), there is really no difference."

It was astrologer Richard Nolle who linked the full moon of March 19 to natural disasters. He claimed that this "supermoon" would trigger massive earthquakes, volcanoes and powerful storms when it arrived. But scientists assure that this is not the case.

Garvin, for example, said the moon's effects on Earth have been the subject of extensive studies.

"The effects on Earth from a supermoon are minor, and according to the most detailed studies by terrestrial seismologists and volcanologists, the combination of the moon being at its closest to Earth in its orbit, and being in its 'full moon' configuration (relative to the Earth and sun), should not affect the internal energy balance of the Earth since there are lunar tides every day," Garvin wrote.

But while the moon helps drive Earth's tides, it is not capable of triggering devastating earthquakes.

"The Earth has stored a tremendous amount of internal energy within its thin outer shell or crust, and the small differences in the tidal forces exerted by the moon (and sun) are not enough to fundamentally overcome the much larger forces within the planet due to convection (and other aspects of the internal energy balance that drives plate tectonics)," Garvin explained."

The Coincidences of Planetary Influences and Japan's Earthquake/Tsunami': Wall Street Weather

Earthquake Warning from Russia

Posted by Real News Reporter on March 12th, 2011

"A new report released today in the Kremlin prepared for Prime Minister Putin by the Institute of Physics of the Earth, in Moscow, is warning that the America’s are in danger of suffering a mega-quake of catastrophic proportions during the next fortnight (14 days) with a specific emphasis being placed on the United States, Mexico, Central America and South American west coast regions along with the New Madrid Fault Zone region.

This report further warns that catastrophic earthquakes in Asia and the sub-continent are, also, “more than likely to occur” with the 7.3 magnitude quake in Japan today being “one of at least 4 of this intensity” to occur during this same time period.

Raising the concerns of a mega-quake occurring, this report says, are the increasing subtle electromagnetic signals that are being detected in the Earth’s upper atmosphere over many regions of the World, with the most intense being over the US Western coastal and Midwest regions.

Important to note are that Russian and British scientists are at the forefront of predicting earthquakes based on these subtle electromagnetic signals and have joined in an effort to put satellites in space to detect more of them.

More ominously in this report are Russian scientists confirming the independent analysis of New Zealand mathematician and long-range weather forecaster, Ken Ring, who predicted the deadly Christchurch quake and this week issued another warning of a quake to hit on or about March 20th."
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Uranus Shakes Japan

From today's BBC News:
"Japan's most powerful earthquake since records began has struck the north-east coast, triggering a massive tsunami.

Cars, ships and buildings were swept away by a wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude quake, which struck about 250 miles north-east of Tokyo.

A state of emergency has been declared at a nuclear power plant but officials said there were no radiation leaks. The death toll is unclear, but police say 200 to 300 bodies have been found in the port city of Sendai. Many more people are unaccounted for.

In Tokyo, even though it wasn't the epicenter, the quake was still felt very powerfully. The ground rolled and rumbled underfoot and you could hear the great skyscrapers creaking and cracking as they swayed.

The tremor, measured at 8.9 by the US Geological Survey, hit at 1446 local time (0546 GMT) at a depth of about 24km.

A tsunami warning was extended across the Pacific to North and South America."

The planet Uranus- significator of shocks, rebellion, and sudden, unexpected disruptions, enters the forceful and sometimes violent sign of Aries tomorrow morning in Tokyo. And the chart for this powerful ingress reflects not only today's massive earthquake-tsunami, but links up with Japan's 1889 'Meiji' horoscope, and the chart for the first nuclear chain reaction(12/2/42) as well.

From Asia & Mideast

The epic Aries Uranus ingress Ascendant and rising Moon at Tokyo are conjunct the royal star Aldeberan- eye of the bull. And Japan's 1889 chart(noon) Ascendant = 10 Gemini = Aldeberan. Astrologer Mark Lerner coined the term 'nuclear axis' for the degree area defined by the Aldeberan-Antares opposition at 10 Gemini-Sagittarius, as key charts for major nuclear events/developments tend to have planets near these two royal stars. Antares means 'rival of Mars'. (Mars at 9 Gemini conjoined Aldeberan when the atomic bomb devastated Hiroshima.)

Aldeberan is generally a favorable influence unless the power it bestows is abused- but perhaps the square from Mars(13 Pisces) to the Uranus ingress Moon and Ascendant(Tokyo) is a crucial factor. As Mars rules Aries, and is therefore the dispositor of Uranus in Aries, it's condition determines how Uranus(in Aries) will tend to manifest. (Transits from Mars are often triggers or timing factors in themselves.) Mars (force-violence) rose in Tokyo at the March 5 Pisces(oceans) New Moon that squared the local meridian(140 east). Furthermore, at the moment Mars first entered Pisces on 2/22/11 the Ascendant(Tokyo) was 26 Taurus, conjunct the most malefic star Algol- which suggests a violent, mass loss of life in Japan during the transit of Mars through Pisces, Feb. 22 - Apr. 1.

Japan's Feb. 12, 2011 solar return shows Uranus(28 Pisces) powerfully placed on the IC(4th house cusp) of weather; land and foundations. While return Jupiter- ruler of both the Ascendant and the 4th house, resides in the 4th square Pluto of extremes, crisis and upheavals.

From Asia & Mideast

Solar return Uranus is tightly square the nation's 1889 Moon at 28 Gemini, significator of the people. Moreover, the 12/21/10 solstice eclipse on the red star Betelgeuse conjoined Japan's Moon, and the Lunar South Node('loss') is now crossing this same Moon. Interestingly, the 9/11 attack Moon was conjunct Betelgeuse, as was the Indian Ocean earthquake-tsunami Moon of 2004.

SuperMoon, by Richard Nolle

The March 19 Full Moon in Virgo is a SuperMoon as Luna will be at perigee(closest to the earth) as She aligns with the Sun by opposition.

Richard Nolle article

Chankillo Solar Calendar in Peru

From BBC News:

Professor Brian Cox visits a giant desert solar calendar in Peru in his quest to understand the nature of time in creating and ending the universe. The 2,500-year-old solar calendar in Chankillo was built by a civilization of which very little is known.
Wonders of the Universe video

A clever use of Google Earth and Starry Night in deciphering Chankillo:
Armchair Archaeoastronomy

Will the Earth Cross the Galactic Plane in 2012?

From EarthSky:

"Yes, Earth will cross the galactic equator in 2012. As seen from the sun, the Earth does this every year– twice. However, the Earth won’t be physically passing through the plane of the Milky Way galaxy anytime in the near future.

Here's some background. The galactic equator is an imaginary great circle that divides the equally imaginary celestial sphere into two equal halves. The celestial sphere is– of course, a fiction. It’s the same fiction that so confounded the early stargazers, that, as seen from Earth, we appear to reside in the center of a great globe of stars. In modern times, the fiction of the geocentric view of the universe enables astronomers to use a workable coordinate system for mapping the sky."
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