Trains Collide near Caracas

Venus (New Moon disposiitor) and Saturn rose in Caracas, Venezuela at the 9/27 Libra New Moon. 30 or more people were injured today when two commuter trains collided near Caracas.

From August 13, 2011

Venus and Saturn were about 3 degrees apart at the New Moon in Libra, and today they form an exact conjunction. Once Venus enters Scorpio on Oct. 9, where it's debilitated, it will be the least dignified planet in the sky, and we'll see how currencies and relationships(both under signification of Venus) fare at that time.

Aurora Borealis

Incredible Video of Aurora Borealis

Enjoy.

Intense Geomagnetic Storm

Intense geomagnetic storm and a Libra SuperMoon, oh my.

September 26, 2011 – GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A strong-to-severe geomagnetic storm occurred today following the impact of a coronal mass ejection (CME) at approximately 12:15 UT on Sept. 26th. The Goddard Space Weather Lab reports a “strong compression of Earth’s magnetosphere. Simulations indicate that solar wind plasma has penetrated close to geosynchronous orbit starting at 13:00UT.” Geosynchronous satellites could therefore be directly exposed to solar wind plasma and magnetic fields. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for Northern and Southern Lights after nightfall. -Space Weather
EarthSky

Europa

“Spiritual and religious traditions, when shaped by the feminine principle, affirm the cyclical phases of our lives and the wisdom each phase brings, the sacredness of our bodies and the body of the Earth” ~Patrick Wynne

From Images 108

Milky Way over Mangaia

“My companion and I were alone with the stars: the misty river of the Milky Way flowing across the sky, the patterns of the constellations standing out bright and clear, a blazing planet low on the horizon.” ~Rachel Carson

From Images 108

From Sagittarius to Carina, the Milky Way Galaxy shines in this dark night sky above planet Earth's lush island paradise of Mangaia. Familiar to denizens of the southern hemisphere, the gorgeous skyscape includes the bulging galactic center at the upper left and bright stars Alpha and Beta Centauri just right of center. About 10 kilometers wide, volcanic Mangaia is the southern most of the Cook Islands. Geologist estimate that at 18 million years old it is the oldest island in the Pacific Ocean. Of course, the Milky Way is somewhat older, with the galaxy's oldest stars estimated to be over 13 billion years old.

Libra New Moon

The Sept. 27 lunation is actually a SuperMoon event as Luna is near perigee (closest to the earth) as the New Moon perfects. And since this New Moon is also translating the light of the formative Uranus-Pluto square, it's most certainly a portent of mass shocks and revolutionary upheaval- whether by man or nature.

The Libra New Moon's dramatic rise at Washington, DC, shows it's potent energy is powerfully focused here in the US- and we are likely to see extreme incidents like those of early August when Mars set-off the Uranus-Pluto square. In this case, the Libra emphasis suggests that situations that are out of balance must be addressed. Whatever social contracts or relationships that are unsustainable in their current form are under tremendous stress.

This intense SuperMoon triggering the Uranus-Pluto world transit is a flash-point for massive change and sudden upheaval. The transiting Uranus/Pluto (midpoint at 18.43 Aquarius) is now conjunct the 1965 Uranus-Pluto seed chart Ascendant (18.53 Aquarius at DC).

From Mundane Charts

A transformative sea-change is currently building like a global tsunami, and the first of seven exact Uranus-Pluto squares does not occur until June 24, 2012. While today's (9/22) deep plunge in the stock markets after grim warnings about the fragile global economy, would seem to underscore the significance of the Libra New Moon as a portent of radical upheaval(Uranus-90-Pluto) coming in October- driven by mass fear and uncertainty. But as the world is always a reflection of our consciousness, we can mitigate the collective evolutionary crisis by understanding the laws and principles of change as mirrored by astrological factors. Change is the only constant.

From United States

"What is lacking today... is a collective momentum and spirit" ~Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund

Autumnal Equinox

"Youth is like spring, an over praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes. Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits." ~Samuel Butler

From Images 108

CERN scientists 'break the speed of light'

Scientists said on Thursday they recorded particles travelling faster than light - a finding that could overturn one of Einstein's fundamental laws of the universe.

"Antonio Ereditato, spokesman for the international group of researchers, said that measurements taken over three years showed neutrinos pumped from CERN near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy had arrived 60 nanoseconds quicker than light would have done.
"We have high confidence in our results. We have checked and rechecked for anything that could have distorted our measurements but we found nothing," he said. "We now want colleagues to check them independently."

If confirmed, the discovery would undermine Albert Einstein's 1905 theory of special relativity, which says that the speed of light is a "cosmic constant" and that nothing in the universe can travel faster."
The Telegraph

Missing Planet Explains Solar System's Structure

"The solar system once had five giant gaseous planets rather than the four it has today. That's the conclusion from a computer simulation of the solar system's evolution, which suggests the fifth giant was hurled into interstellar space some 4 billion years ago, after a violent encounter with Jupiter.

Astronomers have struggled for decades to explain the solar system's current structure. In particular, Uranus and Neptune couldn't have formed where they are today– the disc of gas that congealed into the planets would have been too thin at the edge of the solar system to account for the ice giants' bulk.

A more likely scenario is that the planets were packed close together when they formed, and only spread out when the disc of gas and dust from which they formed was used up. The tighter orbits of extrasolar planet systems support this idea.

But the great gravitational bullies of the solar system, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, would not have gone quietly to their new homes. Previous simulations show that at least one planet, usually Uranus or Neptune, should have been ejected from the solar system in the shuffle."
NewScientist

Myth as a Foundation for Astrology

The Mythic Signature in Your Birth Chart, by Demetra George:

"The astrological natal chart is a map of the heavens at the time and place of a child’s birth, depicting the zodiacal positions of planets, asteroids, and fixed stars. Many of the celestial bodies in our solar system and galaxy are named after figures from Greek and Roman mythology. From early times, astrologers saw the mythic attributes of the planetary deities shine forth their individual meanings to human and terrestrial experience.

At the dawn of a recorded astrology in ancient Mesopotamia circa the second millennium BCE, there was a direct and explicit correlation between the planets and the deities. The planets were considered to be one of the manifestations of the gods or the places where they lived. When a planet made an appearance in the sky, the god was thought to be communicating a message. A cuneiform tablet tells us, “When Ishtar stands on high, lovemaking on the land.” This was interpreted as when Ishtar, the goddess of love, culminates in the night sky, she inspires amorous activity on the earth."
Read More

On a personal note- I have a close friend who is dealing with some deep-seated food issues rooted in an early childhood trauma. And I just realized this morning, that the asteroid Persephone is part of a grand cross in her birth chart which includes the Midheaven, Ascendant, and fateful Nodes. Mythic Persephone was separated from her mother Demeter- goddess of nature, when abducted by Pluto and taken to the underworld. Persephone myth

Transiting Pluto (profound regenerative change) began opposing my friend's natal Persephone(8 Cancer) in April 2011, and Uranus (the awakener) will transit the same beginning Spring 2011.

Pleiades Deep Field

From Images 108

Have you ever seen the Pleiades star cluster? Even if you have, you probably have never seen it like this: all dusty. Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the bright stars of the Pleiades can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a light-polluted city. With a long exposure from a dark location, though, the dust cloud surrounding the Pleiades star cluster becomes very evident. The above exposure took about 30 hours and covers a sky area several times the size of the full moon. Also known as the Seven Sisters and M45, the Pleiades lies about 400 light years away toward the constellation of the Bull (Taurus). A common legend with a modern twist is that one of the brighter stars faded since the cluster was named, leaving only six stars visible to the unaided eye. The actual number of Pleiades stars visible, however, may be more or less than seven, depending on the darkness of the surrounding sky and the clarity of the observer's eyesight.

Alcyone is the central star of the Pleiades cluster. Alcyone- the weeping star

Scientists on Trial Over L'Aquila Earthquake

From BBC News:
"Six Italian scientists and a former government official are due to go on trial for manslaughter over the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila. The 6.3 magnitude quake devastated the city and killed 309 people.

Prosecutors allege the defendants gave a falsely reassuring statement before the quake after studying hundreds of tremors that had shaken the city. The defence argues that there is no way to predict major earthquakes even in a seismically active area.

The case has attracted the attention of the scientific community. More than 5,000 scientists have signed an open letter to Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in support of the defendants.

The seven were members of a government panel tasked with assessing the risks after hundreds of low-level tremors had rattled the medieval city in the months before the earthquake struck. They issued a reassuring statement, while also saying that it was not possible to predict whether a stronger quake would occur- and recommended stricter enforcement of anti-seismic measures, particularly in building construction.

On the night of the quake, many people remained in their homes and died because of this advice, while others who had decided to remain outside in the street survived, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

The prosecutors accuse the seven of "negligence and imprudence... of having provided an approximate, generic and ineffective assessment of seismic activity risks as well as incomplete, imprecise and contradictory information".

The defendants, who include some of Italy's most distinguished geophysicists, face up to 15 years in jail as well as paying more than $30m in damages to plaintiffs in a separate civil case if found guilty."

L'Aquila man explains why he sought seismologists trial

The summer constellation L'Aquila, the eagle, was rising as the earthquake struck the city of L'Aquila on Apr. 6, 2009. L'Aquila starlore

Mars in Leo

Mars entered the complimentary fire sign of Leo yesterday, wherein the red planet is much better suited to fulfill it's imperative for direct action and initiative, then it was in crabby Cancer. Energetic Mars in passionate Leo tends to do things with dramatic flair, in order to affirm the self and gain recognition. Sexual and creative desires run a bit hotter during this transit.

Until Sept. 29, Mars moves through the first 6 degrees of Leo informed by expansive Jupiter. Fortunate actions and the spirit of enterprise are thereby furthered. When motivation and enthusiasm go hand in hand, many things are possible.

Spontaneous and inventive efforts- along with the willingness do try something new, are supported by the Mars-Uranus trine of Sept. 23.

Mars enters the pragmatic sign of Virgo the Maiden on Nov. 10-11.

Doomsayers Beware, A Bright Future Beckons

“We cannot absolutely prove that those are in error who tell us that society has reached a turning point, that we have seen our best days. But so said all who came before us, and with just as much apparent reason.” ~Thomas B. Macaulay

John Tierney - New York Times

Severe Earthquake Rocks Sikkim

New Delhi: A severe earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale rocked Sikkim on Sunday evening resulting in at least 20 deaths and injuries to many others. The epicentre of the quake was 64 km from Gangtok in Sikkim, causing major damages in the area. IBN Live

The AstroCartoGraphy map for the earthquake shows Venus, Uranus, and Pluto all angular at the epicenter. Venus has been translating the epic Uranus-Pluto square of revolution and evolution, and these are sharply focused in the earthquake chart. Uranus is rising, Venus is setting, and Pluto is culminating. These simultaneous angularities are know as parans. Pluto just stationed-direct on Sept. 16 so is virtually stationary now, and thus it's power is concentrated.

From Mundane Charts

Sikkim Quake Update 9/21

Solar Flares & Nuclear Holocaust

Solar flares could unleash nuclear holocaust across planet Earth, forcing hundreds of nuclear power plants into total meltdowns

Sept. 13, 2011- by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger and Editor of NaturalNews.com

"Forget about the 2012 Mayan calendar, comet Elenin or the Rapture. The real threat to human civilization is far more mundane, and it's right in front of our noses. If Fukushima has taught us anything, it's that just one runaway meltdown of fissionable nuclear material can have wide-ranging and potentially devastating consequences for life on Earth. To date, Fukushima has already released 168 times the total radiation released from the Hiroshima nuclear bomb detonated in 1945, and the Fukushima catastrophe is now undeniably the worst nuclear disaster in the history of human civilization.

But what if human civilization faced a far greater threat than a single tsunami destroying a nuclear power facility? What if a global tidal wave could destroy the power generating capacities of all the world's power plants, all at once?

Such a scenario is not merely possible, but factually inevitable. And the global tidal wave threatening all the nuclear power plants of the world isn't made of water but solar emissions."
Read More

NASA's Journey Above Vesta

Cool Video: Dawn Flies Around Vesta

Sept. 16, 2011: A new video from NASA's Dawn spacecraft takes us on a flyover above the surface of the giant asteroid Vesta.

The data obtained by Dawn's framing camera will help scientists determine the processes that formed Vesta's striking features. It will also help Dawn mission fans all over the world visualize this mysterious world, which is the second most massive object in the main asteroid belt.
NASA Science News

The asteroid Vesta(Hestia)- keeper of the sacred hearth flame, is currently stationing at the 6th degree of Aquarius. "In the birth chart, Vesta shows how we use our sexual energy to deepen our relationship with ourselves, integrating and regenerating on inner levels so we can focus and dedicate ourselves to our work in the outer world." ~Demetra George

More information regarding the astrological meaning of Vesta can be found at Astro-Wiki .

Pluto: A Neo-Vedic View

This excellent article by Dennis M. Harness about the astrological significance of Pluto is especially relevant now, as Pluto made it's annual station-direct yesterday at 5 Capricorn, and is barely moving for the next few weeks. Any planets or points in a horoscope located between 4-6 degrees of a cardinal sign(Ari,Can,Lib,Cap) is receiving powerful activation from Pluto now.

"The discovery of Pluto in 1930 by astronomer Percival Lowell reflected the beginning of a new era of powerful dictators such as Hitler and Stalin and the exploration of nuclear energy leading to the development of the atomic bomb. Pluto themes of transformative as well as destructive power would pervade the events of the 1930’s and the decades to come. At the time of this writing, the bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occurred reflecting the challenging Pluto/Saturn opposition of 2001/2002. In mythology Pluto, the god of the underworld was also called Hades which means “invisible” or “to make invisible”. The origins of Vedic astrology credited to the great sage Maharishi Parasara occurred at least several thousand years before Pluto and the other outer planets were “visible” to astronomers.1 Therefore, in traditional Jyotish or Vedic astrology, the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) are not utilized. Instead of focusing on the outer planets, a traditional jyotishi emphasizes the chaya grahas or shadow planets: Rahu, the north node of the Moon and Ketu, south node of the Moon. According to the ancient jyotish texts, Rahu is said to act like Saturn and Ketu is similar in nature to Mars. In my own astrological practice, I have observed the additional effects of Rahu to reflect the Uranus energy of sudden change while Ketu is somewhat similar to mystical Neptune. Pluto seems to be a combination of both of the lunar nodes representing powerful transformation and death/rebirth themes."
Read More

Distant Planet Has Double Sunset

NASA's Kepler spacecraft detects a planet with a double sunset.
Reuters video

Rare Venus Transit 2012

"A transit of Venus occurs when Venus passes directly between the sun and earth.  This alignment is rare, coming in pairs that are eight years apart but separated by over a century.  The last transit of Venus was a thrilling sight in 2004.  After June 2012, the next event occurs in 2117."
Rare Alignment


Whether and when you can see the 2012 transit of Venus depends on your location.  Key highlights include the four "contacts" near the beginning and end of the transit when Venus appears to touch the edge of the sun.  Most of North America sees the beginning of the transit in the afternoon and evening on June 5, whereas much of Eurasia sees the ending of the transit in the morning on June 6.

Fred Espenak's global map showing visibility of 2012 transit of Venus:

From Mundane Charts

"The transit of Venus is essentially an annular eclipse of the sun by Venus."

Astrologically- the June 4, 2012 lunar eclipse (14 Sagittarius) occurs as Neptune is stationary-retrograde (3 Pisces), conjunct the 'spiritual' star Fomalhaut the Fishes Mouth. While the first of seven exact Uranus-Pluto squares is June 24, 2012- four days after the Solstice, and five days after a New Moon (29 Gemini) near the red star Betelgeuse that has an affinity with natural disasters.

The June 4, 2012 lunar eclipse aligns with the Great Attractor located at 14 Sagittarius, which is probably a massive supercluster whose intense gravity has been pulling the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies towards it. The heliocentric Nodes of Uranus that carry it's high vibrational energy, are now on the 14 Gemini-Sagittarius axis. And the sabian symbol for the 14 Sagittarius according to astrologer Lynda Hill is, "A vast panorama of sand and time is unfolding; the pyramids and sphinx in their glory rise before the eye."

I'll be writing more about the major Venus transit of 2012, as it's clearly tied in with the projected Mayan Long Count end-date on the 2012 Winter Solstice.

Venus in Libra

The creative power of love and art is emphasized over the next few days as Venus aligns with Uranus and then Pluto. Venus enters her home sign of Libra tonight, where she is most happy, gracious, and peaceful. But the early degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are currently degrees of profound change, and any planet moving through this hot-zone is subject to extremes or disruptions.

The partnership asteroid Juno conjunct Saturn in Libra, suggests that commitments and responsibilities are key issues for all one-to-one relationships. The integrity and long-term sustainability of personal or business alliances are being tested. Good relationships can get deeper, but any weaknesses will be hard to ignore.

It's time to get crystal clear about what we want and need in relationship.

50 New Exoplanets Discovered

From BBC News:
"The bumper haul of new worlds includes 16 "super-Earths"- planets with a greater mass than our own, but below those of gas giants such as Jupiter. One of these super-Earths orbits inside the habitable zone- the region around a star where conditions could be hospitable to life.

The planets were identified using the Harps instrument in La Silla in Chile.

The new findings are being presented at a meeting called Extreme Solar Systems in Wyoming, US, and will appear in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Lead author Dr Michel Mayor, from the University of Geneva in Switzerland, said the haul included "an exceptionally rich population of super-Earths and Neptune-type planets hosted by stars very similar to our Sun".

He added: "The new results show that the pace of discovery is accelerating."
Read More

Pluto and Uranus

Pluto stations-direct on Sept. 16 at 4.53 Capricorn, after being retrograde since April 9. As this dwarf planet moves so slowly, it's virtually stationary the entire month of Sept., but will be extremely powerful mid month as it changes direction. As astrological Pluto embodies the drive/energy to unearth the truth no matter how painful, and to bring regeneration to whatever has stagnated- many will be dealing with their personal dramas, especially those with planets at 4-6 of the cardinal modality(Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn). Authenticity may feel like a matter of life or death now.

Uranus retrogrades back over the equator at 0 South declination on Oct. 16. If we cast a chart for the exact crossing, we find Pluto on the Midheaven at D.C.(and Lima, Peru) square Uranus just above the horizon- and thus the epic world transit(Uranus-90-Pluto) is powerfully focused in the US capital. Uranus, the awakener, was actually rising in Tokyo and Fukushima on April 9, as it crossed the equator at o North. But Uranus had entered fiery Aries already Mar. 12, just after the Mar. 11 earthquake and tsuanmi knocked out reactor cooling systems at Fukushima Daiichi, triggering meltdowns and radiation leaks. (9/10 Reuters: "Radioactive material released into the sea in the Fukushima nuclear power plant crisis is more than triple the amount estimated by plant operator TEPCO, Japanese researchers say.")

The highly changeable and often shocking energy of Uranus will be potently concentrated around Oct. 16, and again on Dec. 10 when Uranus stations-direct after being retrograde since July 10. The drive to be ourselves on our own terms and break free of conditions deemed repressive is heightened- coincidental with the emotional intensity of a total lunar eclipse(18 Gemini) also Dec. 10.

My colleague Peter Stockinger, a traditional astrologer, blogged about the Dec. 10 lunar eclipse at Stars and Stones.

Comet Elenin's projected closest approach to earth is also Oct. 16. And the synchronous occurrence of Uranus crossing the equator and Elenin's closest approach, may be significant regarding the timing of important world events.
Comet Elenin

The global event planned for Oct. 15 perfectly fits the archetypal symbolism of Uranus in Aries squaring Pluto in Capricorn.
World Revolution for Real Democracy

Deadly Pipeline Blast in Kenya

"More than 100 people have died after a petrol pipeline explosion and fire in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, police say.

The blast took place in the city's Lunga Lunga industrial area, and police and troops cordoned off the area as firefighters battled fierce flames in the surrounding shanty town.

The pipeline runs through the densely populated Sinai slum area between Nairobi's city centre and the airport.

More than 80 casualties have been taken to hospitals, officials said.

Reports suggest Monday's blast may have been sparked by a cigarette butt being thrown into an open sewer that was filling with fuel."
Read More

I'm only mentioning this violent and tragic event in relation to my earlier post about the 9/12 Full Moon square the Lunar Nodes. The Full Moon chart for Nairobi shows this dynamic grand cross most sharply focused at Kenya's capital by angularity.

From

The Moon Wobble

By Rob Tillet - Astrology on the Web:

The Moon Wobble
destructive cosmic phenomenon affects us all

The regular triggers for terrestrial disasters, whether natural (earthquakes; tidal waves; eruptions etc) or manmade (wars; terrorism; crashes, etc) seem to be the eclipses and the Moon Wobble. Rob Tillett, one of the founders of Astrology on the Web, explores the meaning of this major cosmic phenomenon. If you thought Mercury retrograde was a problem, compare the Moon Wobble!

"In addition to the planets, asteroids, comets and moons that revolve in our solar system, astrology considers the effects of two "Shadow Planets" called the Moon's Nodes, the Dragon's Head and Tail. These nodes are not real rocks, like the Moon, Mars or Venus, but sensitive points that mark the movement by declination of the Moon from the southern celestial hemisphere to the northern (the North Node) and vice versa (the South Node), where the path of the Moon around the Earth sweeps across the ecliptic, intersecting the apparent path of the Sun. The nodes form an axis, so the South Node is always directly opposite the North Node in a stately cosmic quadrille. Nevertheless, the Moon's Nodes are vitally important in terms of the destinies of all who dwell on Planet Earth."
Read More

The Sept. 12 Pisces Full Moon occurs at the Moon wobble phase, with the Full Moon axis square the Moon's Nodal axis. A planet square the Nodes, is also referred to as being 'at the bending'.

According to astrologer Mary Plumb, "Planets at the South Bending are related in meaning to the South Node, that is, they signify a point of release- experiences are internal and have difficulty being expressed outwardly. The North Bending resembles the North Node, which is a point where energy comes in; events and experiences will manifest in the outer world."

The Pisces Full Moon of Sept. 12 features the Moon at the north bending with the Sun at the south bending.

Newly Discovered Supernova

"Skywatchers- grab your binoculars and telescopes, and head for some clear dark skies. A new supernova has been discovered near the Big Dipper.

Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California, Berkeley caught the supernova just hours after its explosion, a rare feat made possible with a specialized survey telescope and state-of-the-art computational tools. The researchers note that this supernova belongs to a special category of events called Type Ia, which are used as cosmic distance markers to measure our universe's expansion.

According to astronomers, this is the closest and brightest supernova of this type detected in the last 30 years and will be closely studied for years to come. In this video, Berkeley Lab's Peter Nugent explains how to find the event with a small telescope or pair of binoculars.

At a mere 21 million light-years away from Earth, a relatively small distance by astronomical standards, the supernova appears so bright that you may be able to see it with a good pair of binoculars over the next few weeks. The best time will be in the first few hours after sunset."

The Sept. 12 Full Moon will not be optimal for supernova viewing.

Sept. 12 Pisces Full Moon

The Sept. 12 Pisces Full Moon completes a mutable grand cross with the fateful Nodes of the Moon. Mutable signs represent changeable conditions- while a grand cross signifies heightened tension. And the Nodes are considered shadowy points with karmic significance- especially as they pertain to relationships.

The Pisces-Virgo polarity is about work, health matters, service, sacrifice, and redemption. A Full Moon in Pisces may inspire in the best possible way, or simply reflect emotional states of feeling out-of-sorts, or unfocused. Creative and spiritual inspiration is easier to tap into around this Full Moon. However, Piscean inspiration requires grounding and practical effort in order to bring actual improvements, and that's what Virgo is known for.

Mundanely speaking- today's fatal airline crash in Yaroslavl, Russia, has some linkage with the current lunation cycle, as the Nodes align with the Cancer ingress (Summer Solstice) Ascendant there (Yaroslavl) at the Pisces Full Moon -90- Nodes. And this Full Moon conjoins the MC-IC axis at Yaroslavl. The debilitated Mars (in Cancer) rising in SF and Sacramento at the Full Moon, is a fleeting portent of fires and/or violence. But the 2011 Libra ingress(Fall Equinox) chart for Sacramento features a hot Mars-0-Moon (in Leo) rising with Saturn on the Nadir. And as this mundane chart covers the Fall season, we have strong indications of hot conditions, angry unrest, fires, violence, and earthquakes (Saturn -0- Nadir) in California during Fall, with the generally malefic planets (Mars & Saturn) both powerfully placed at the capital.

From California & San Francisco

Famine in Somalia

From BBC News:
"As many as 750,000 people could die as Somalia's drought worsens in the coming months, the UN has warned, declaring a famine in a new area. The UN says tens of thousands of people have died after what is said to be East Africa's worst drought for 60 years. Some 12 million people across the region need food aid, the UN says.

"In total, 4 million people are in crisis in Somalia, with 750,000 people at risk of death in the coming four months in the absence of adequate response," the UN's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit(FSNAU) says.

Neighbouring Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda have also been affected by the severe lack of rain."

Somalia's famine is the worst tragedy in the world at this time. But despite the heart-breaking horror, we astrologers need a certain detachment when analyzing such painful and seemingly senseless events of mass violence or suffering. The planets are not responsible for such disasters, but simply mirror them, as everything is interconnected in a holographic universe.

Uranus-Pluto Conjunction Oct. 9, 1965:
The first of the 3 Uranus-Pluto conjunctions(10/9/65) that marks the birth of a 128 year cycle, seeded the collective ideas/impulses coming into their 'crisis of action' phase(Uranus-Pluto square) over the next 5 years. The prevalent notions of the 60's- peace, love, and ecology, never fully took root, and now we're facing the consequences of our folly.

The famine in Somalia is the result of a drought exacerbated by global warming, and the civil wars that have wreaked havoc there over the last 20 years.

The 1965 Uranus-Pluto seed chart for Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, features both the Sun and Moon angular (powerfully placed), and is receiving transits from Pluto(and Saturn) now, with major Uranus(sudden change, shocks, revolutions) transits starting Spring 2012. The whole world has been experiencing the upheaval producing transit of Pluto to the 1965 seed chart Moon since early 2011. But this Moon- significator of the common people, is most prominently placed (Ascendant ruler conjunct Midheaven) at Mogadishu. And thus the extreme, life-and-death struggle generally associated with a Pluto-Moon transit correlates with Somalian events for all to see(Moon conjunct Midheaven). Moreover, the 1965 seed chart Ascendant(7 Cancer) and Midheaven(7 Aries) were first hit by Pluto Mar. 2011, which set-off these location specific points of manifestation. And Pluto's activation of these sensitive mundane angles(Mogadishu) until Nov. 2012, reflect that dark and destructive forces(Pluto) are sharply focused in/on Somalia. All aspects of life there are subject to massive change and revolutionary upheaval or overthrow. Somalia is a flash-point for the archetypal energies signified by the epochal Uranus-Pluto world transit.

From Mundane Charts

A further confirmation that the 1965 Uranus-Pluto seed chart is indeed working, is to note that today(Sept. 6) the progressed Ascendant(Mogadishu) = 18.34 Leo = transiting Uranus/Pluto 19.07 Aquarius- and the orb is tightening. Simply put, this planetary picture suggests a highly stressful environment, wherein the process of building on the collapsed ruins of the old order, is most dramatically undertaken by dire necessity. The profound archetypal complex that informs the current zeitgeist, has special significance for Somalia, by determining and/or mirroring the nature of events in this African nation.

"Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity." ~Pema Chodron

Mayan Cosmology and 2012

An explanation of how the Maya came up with 2012 as the zero point of their Long Count calendar system: NeptuneCafe

Alignment 2012: John Major Jenkins

Typhoon Talas Hits Japan

"At least 19 people have been killed and more than 50 are missing after powerful Typhoon Talas ripped through western Japan, local media reports. The storm brought heavy rain and winds of up to 68mph after making landfall on Shikoku island on Saturday.

Talas has now moved over Japan and into the Sea of Japan (East Sea), Japan's Meteorological Agency said on Sunday. But it warned that heavy rains and strong winds would continue - raising the threat of floods and landslides.

Some 460,000 people in parts of western and central Japan were issued with evacuation orders and advisories, Kyodo News agency reported. Some of the worst hit areas appeared to be in the western prefectures of Nara and Wakayama."
BBC News

Today is first quarter phase of the lunar cycle that began at the Virgo New Moon (-180- Chiron) of Aug. 29/30. This New Moon conjoined the Midheaven in Nara and nearby Wakayama, suggesting these profectures would make the headlines(Midheaven). The New Moon Ascendant at 26-27 degrees of Scorpio opposes the malefic star Algol- often prominent in the horoscopes for fatal incidents. (Seems like whenever an angle of a mundane chart falls at 26-27 Scorpio or Taurus it spells trouble.) And Neptune (Poseideon)- god of the oceans, squaring the New Moon's Ascendant reflects the nature of typhoon Talas quite clearly- specifically as it relates to local conditions in western Japan.

From Mundane Charts

The lunation charts appear time and again to be key timing factors in personal and mundane astrology.

Venus Star Rising

"One of the primary images of Venus that has been handed down to us through the ages from mythology is that she is the goddess embodying love, beauty, harmony and peace. Actually, she brings this to us through her lineage: the gods Harmonia and Eros were her offspring. But, is this a myth?

In fact, science shows us the myth is real, and in Venus Star Rising, Arielle Guttman weaves together the fabric of mythology (which includes astrology) with science (astronomy, geometry, mathematics) to produce the evidence that we have all come to know and honor about Venus: harmony, beauty, love and passion are all indeed her products. Arielle further concludes that if we are in sync with Venus, we too are subject to these same bountiful gifts. Further, we are able to attract those delightful and joyful energies to us, as well. In Arielle’s 35 years as an astrologer, she acknowledges that these are the things that most people are seeking in their lives.

Venus Star Rising introduces a little-known fact about Venus, one which will intensify people’s hunger to know more about it. The secret is that Venus produces a beautiful, almost perfect, five-pointed star pattern in the heavens every eight years. When one star is complete, another one is formed, and another one. The artistry of Venus weaving her beautiful embroidery upon the celestial tapestry of our night sky is more than simply a lovely image to behold. This Star pattern actually affects you and everyone else in the world."
Venus Star Rising

Women, Politics and the Virgo Star Point: Arielle Guttman

Japan Earthquake and Venus

Journey to Pluto

Primordial organic material on Pluto?

Find out about the dwarf planet and what researchers think may be on its surface.The New Horizon spacecraft is en route to Pluto and carries one of the highest resolution interplanetary telescopes ever flown, the imagery promises to be tantalizing.
SPACE.com video

Uranus is known in astrology as the 'great awakener', the planet of shocks and surprises, revolutions and technological innovations. And Uranus will still be in it's epoch shaping aspect to Pluto when the New Horizon spacecraft reaches it's intended destination.

Astrology, Fate, and Free Will

"A child is born on that day and at that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with one's individual karma. His horoscope is a challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and it's probable future results…The message boldly blazoned across the heavens at the moment of birth is not meant to emphasize fate– the result of past good and evil- but to arouse man's will to escape from his universal thralldom. What he has done he can undo. None other than himself was the instigator of the causes of whatever effects are now prevalent in his life. He can overcome any limitation, because he created it by his own actions in the first place and because he possesses spiritual resources that are not subject to planetary pressure." ~Swami Sri Yukteswar, guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi

Farley Malorrus on Karma and Astrology

Predictive Astrology- Understanding Karma, Fate, & Free Will