World Lacks Food and Fuel for Soaring Population

(Reuters)- "The world is running out of time to make sure there is enough food, water and energy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and to avoid sending up to 3 billion people into poverty, a U.N. report warned on Monday.

As the world's population looks set to grow to nearly 9 billion by 2040 from 7 billion now, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by 3 billion over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially.

Even by 2030, the world will need at least 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water, according to U.N. estimates, at a time when a changing environment is creating new limits to supply.

And if the world fails to tackle these problems, it risks condemning up to 3 billion people into poverty, the report said.

Efforts towards sustainable development are neither fast enough nor deep enough, as well as suffering from a lack of political will, the United Nations' high-level panel on global sustainability said.

"The current global development model is unsustainable. To achieve sustainability, a transformation of the global economy is required," the report said.

"Tinkering on the margins will not do the job. The current global economic crisis ... offers an opportunity for significant reforms."
Read More
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Sustainability is the buzzword of our times, and the times to come. It's the financial, political, cultural, and environmental systems that are unsustainable in their current form that are starting to break down. This is natural law at work, and reflected by the epic Uranus-Pluto square in effect for the next 5 or so years.

The water element and related issues has been a focus since at least early 2003 when Uranus first entered Pisces, and will continue to be for the next 13 years with Neptune transiting Pisces, the last of the water signs. Pisces is signified by two fishes, and ruled by Jupiter and Neptune. Neptune is another name for Poseidon- god of the sea in Greek mythology, and 'earth-shaker'.

Radical Uranus the Awakener, was at the final degree (and minute!) of Pisces, when the Tohoku earthquake struck Japan, unleashing an epic tsunami that knocked out the cooling systems of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which is still leaking radiation. This is the worst environmental disaster to date, in my opinion.

Chiron- the so-called 'wounded healer', entered Pisces the exact day BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, and began spewing toxic chemicals for months and months. This was a massive environmental disaster, with long-term repercussions. Uranus does not leave Pisces until 2018.

The concepts of ecology, pollution, and sustainability emerged in the 60's coincidentally with the 3 Uranus-Pluto conjunctions (1965-66) in the sign of Virgo, signified by a maiden holding a sheaf of wheat. The waxing squares of Uranus and Pluto echo back to the birthing of this 128 year cycle, and marks it's first crisis phase. Astrologer Dane Rudyhar referred to the waxing square as 'the crisis of action' phase, as we tend to face challenges at this stage that require long and hard work in order to manifest the archetypal ideas implicit in the cycle itself.

Peace, love, and sustainability were powerful ideas that emerged in the 60's, but only took root in small pockets of society, and not across the collective spectrum. The consumer consciousness that goes hand-in-hand with a mainly materialisitc world-view, will come to an end when Jupiter and Saturn conjoin in Aquarius on the Winter Solstice of 2020. Of course, profound and fundamental change in lifestyle or consiousness does not happen overnight. But still, there's an astrological inkling of a much-needed paradigm shift on the horizon.

The term 'manifest destiny' was coined in 1842, when the grand conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn- the great chronocrators ('rulers of time') that shape geo-political trends, first occurred in an earth sign. This roughly 200 year period of mining natural resources indiscriminately without grokking our connection with Mother Earth, has led us to a tipping point, where we're now tittering at the edge of disaster ('against the stars'). The massive awakening slowly dawning, is that systemic change and reform is necessary in many aspects of society, but the talking heads and power elite that run the show are still in denial. Business as usual is no longer a viable option.

We might focus on the transit of Neptune through Pisces as a portent of spiritual vision and imagination, that may help us deal with collective crisis and upheaval. The world is a reflection of consciousness, and this is where we can initiate change, while trying to live a conscious and sustainable lifestyle.
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Blue Marble Earth

From Images 108

Behold one of the more detailed images of the Earth yet created. This Blue Marble Earth montage shown above -- created from photographs taken by the Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on board the new Suomi NPP satellite -- shows many stunning details of our home planet. The Suomi NPP satellite was launched last October and renamed last week after Verner Suomi, commonly deemed the father of satellite meteorology. The composite was created from the data collected during four orbits of the robotic satellite taken earlier this month and digitally projected onto the globe. Many features of North America and the Western Hemisphere are particularly visible on a high resolution version of the image. Previously, several other Blue Marble Earth images have been created, some at even higher resolution. (APOD)

Solar Eclipse over the USA

"Jan. 27, 2012: Mark your calendar.  On Sunday, May 20th, the sun is going to turn into a ring of fire.  It's an annular solar eclipse--the first one in the USA in almost 18 years.

An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the sun, but the lunar disk is not quite wide enough to cover the entire star.  At maximum, the Moon forms a "black hole" in the center of the sun.

The “path of annularity” is a strip about 300 km wide and thousands of km long.  It stretches from China and Japan, across the Pacific Ocean, to the middle of North America.  In the United States, the afternoon sun will become a luminous ring in places such as Medford, Oregon; Chico, California; Reno, Nevada; St. George, Utah; Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Lubbock, Texas.

Outside of this relatively narrow zone, the eclipse will be partial. Observers almost everywhere west of the Mississippi will see a crescent-shaped sun as the Moon passes by off-center.

"I like to compare different types of eclipses on a scale of 1 to 10 as visual spectacles," says NASA's leading eclipse expert, Fred Espenak of the Goddard Space Flight Center. "If a partial eclipse is a 5 then an annular eclipse is a 9."

This event should not be confused with a total eclipse.  In a total eclipse, the Moon covers the entire surface of the sun, bringing an eerie twilight to observers in the path of totality and revealing the sun’s ghostly corona.

"On that scale of 1 to 10," he adds, "a total eclipse is 'a million!' It's completely off the charts compared to any other astronomical event." The next total eclipse in the USA is in the year 2017.

Until then, May 20th of this year will have to do."
Read More-> NASA Science

Annular Solar Eclipse May 20, 2012: Hermit Eclipse

A Few Links

Neptune at Zero Pisces:
by Frank C. Clifford
Cosmic*Intelligence*Agency

The Timing of Paradigm Shifts:
by Richard Tarnas, PhD and Dean Radin, PhD
Noetic Now Journal

2012 AN Astrologer's POV:
by Rich Humbert
Celestial Weather

The Moon enters Aries, and Mercury moves into Aquarius today. Bring on the fiery Moon and airy Mercury. Enjoy the weekend.

Major Quake May Hit Tokyo in Next 4 Years

Jan 27- "Tokyo University study shows 70 percent probability of Tokyo earthquake in the next four years versus government estimate of 30 years."
Reuters video

Tokyo and Japan appear subject to massive uprisings and sudden upheavals in 2014, based on the Aries ingress (Vernal Equinox) chart of 2014, and a few major hits to the national horoscope by transiting Saturn and Pluto. Both the 2014 Aries and Cancer ingress (Summer Solstice) charts have Pluto (square Uranus) on the Ascendant in Tokyo.

From Asia & Mideast

Buildings Collapse in Rio de Janeiro

BBC News

The Dec. 10, 2011 total lunar eclipse (18 Gemini) sensitized the longitude of Rio de Janeiro. Both the Sun-Moon eclipse axis and the Moon's fateful Nodal axis aligned with the local meridian there. As a midpoint picture we have: Midheaven = 16 Sagittarius = Sun/North Node 16 Sagittarius = Ascendant 16 Pisces. Mars (in Virgo) will square and possibly trigger the eclipse degree twice more because of it's retrograde motion. These dates are Feb. 21 and June 8.

From Mundane Charts 2

Of course, if this eclipse hit a natal planet or angle in a personal horoscope, the activation of the eclipse degree by Mars may be a timing factor.

Aurora Over Norway

From Images 108

What's that in the sky? An aurora. A large coronal mass ejection occurred on our Sun five days ago, throwing a cloud of fast moving electrons, protons, and ions toward the Earth. Although most of this cloud passed above the Earth, some of it impacted our Earth's magnetosphere and resulted in spectacular auroras being seen at high northern latitudes. Pictured above is a particularly photogenic auroral corona captured last night above Grotfjord, Norway. To some, this shimmering green glow of recombining atmospheric oxygen might appear as a large eagle, but feel free to share what it looks like to you. This round of solar activity is not yet over -- a new and even more powerful solar flare occurred yesterday that might provide more amazing aurora as soon as tonight. (APOD)
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The strongest solar storm in six years bombards the Earth with radiation ... and other images from the universe.
The Washington Post
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Quote of the Day: The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy. ~John Galsworthy

Venus Eclipse of the Sun

Astrologer Mary Plumb blogs about a timely and unusual book: The Venus Eclipse of the Sun 2012, by David Tresemer.
TMA blog

The June 5-6 Venus passage is a highly significant event- especially in the context of the May 20 solar eclipse that conjoins the Pleiades, and the end of the 5125 year Mayan Long Count calendar on the Winter Solstice. The Mayan's believe they came from the Pleiades cluster, aka the Seven Sisters. And there's an intimate connection between the Venus cycle and Mayan culture.

The Maya Astronomy Page: Venus

The 2012 Transit of Venus: NASA

Huge Solar Eruption Sparks Strongest Radiation Storm in 7 Years

This massive solar storm coincides with the Aquarius New Moon, Mars stationary-retrograde, and the start of the Chinese New Year (Water Dragon).

"A powerful solar eruption is expected to blast a stream of charged particles toward Earth tomorrow (Jan. 24), as the strongest radiation storm since 2005 rages on the sun.

Early this morning (0359 GMT Jan. 23, which corresponds to late Sunday, Jan. 22 at 10:59 p.m. EST), NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught an extreme ultraviolet flash from a huge eruption on the sun, according to the skywatching website Spaceweather.com.

The solar flare spewed from sunspot 1402, a region of the sun that has become increasingly active lately. Several NASA satellites, including the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), and the Stereo spacecraft observed the massive sun storm.

A barrage of charged particles triggered by this morning's solar flare is expected to hit Earth tomorrow at around 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), according to experts at the Space Weather Prediction Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

According to NOAA, this is the strongest solar radiation storm since May 2005, and as a precaution, polar flights on Earth are expected to be re-routed within the next few hours, Kathy Sullivan, deputy administrator of NOAA, said today at the 92nd annual American Meteorological Society meeting in New Orleans, La."
...read more-> SPACE.com

Jupiter: the Largest

This video is an adaptation of the breezy 'Science on a Sphere' production by supremely talented members of NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio. This video explores Jupiter's role as the 800 pound gorilla of our solar system, with stops on its fascinating moons and the big red spot. Additional video from NASA JPL and ESA Hubble.
Forbidden Knowledge TV

22 Horses Die in New Jersey Barn Fire

"A fire has ripped through a barn at a farm in the US state of New Jersey killing 22 show horses, each worth tens of thousands of dollars. The fire destroyed the barn at Heritage Acres farm in Lafayette early on Saturday, killing the animals inside.

Farm owner Betty Hahn told the Star Ledger newspaper that the horses had appeared in shows across the region. "I'm so numb and so hurt that I can't cry. It would probably feel better if I could," she said.

She told the paper that the building was not insured, and said she would probably now sell the property.

State Police Sgt Brian Polite said the barn was engulfed in flames when emergency crews arrived at about 02:00 (07:00 GMT).

He said the fire was quickly put out, but all of the horses inside were killed.

Investigators are now trying to find out how the fire started, but police quoted in local media said it appeared to be an accident." (BBC News)

The Nov. 25, 2011 solar eclipse in Sagittarius, the sign of horses, had it's Ascendant at 23 Virgo in Lafayette, New Jersey. Transiting Mars (fires) is stationary-retrograde now at the 23rd degree of Virgo.

From United States

New Moon in Aquarius and Mars stations retrograde: Astrological Journaling

Saturn's Hexagon Comes to Light

From Images 108

Believe it or not, this is the North Pole of Saturn. It is unclear how an unusual hexagonal cloud system that surrounds Saturn's north pole was created, keeps its shape, or how long it will last. Originally discovered during the Voyager flybys of Saturn in the 1980s, nobody has ever seen anything like it elsewhere in the Solar System. Although its infrared glow was visible previously to the Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn, in 2009 the mysterious hexagonal vortex became fully illuminated by sunlight for the first time during the Cassini's visit. Since then, Cassini has imaged the rotating hexagon in visible light enough times to create a time-lapse movie. The pole center was not well imaged and has been excluded. This movie shows many unexpected cloud motions, such as waves emanating from the corners of the hexagon. Planetary scientists are sure to continue to study this most unusual cloud formation for quite some time. (APOD)

Saturn's North Pole Hexagon Mystery Solved? DiscoveryNews

Saturn is stationary retrograde Feb. 7 at the 29th degree of Libra. Astrological Saturn is structuring and restructuring the Scales of Justice (Libra), along with our personal relationships until Oct. 5, 2012. The 29th degree of a sign is a degree of endings, and endings are often difficult.

Strange Sounds In The Sky

"Do you have an explanation for all of the strange sounds in the sky that have been documented all around the world lately?  Over the past few weeks, Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere have been absolutely buzzing about these strange sounds.  At the moment, they remain a great mystery because nobody can seem to explain them.  Some are calling them "apocalyptic sounds".  Whatever they are, they are very loud.  Those that have heard the unexplained sounds in the sky compare them to the rumbling of a train, a sonic boom or a trumpet.  In this article, we will discuss some of the most popular theories about these sounds, but the truth is that right now nobody really knows what is going on.  But what we can say is that this is truly a global phenomenon.  Strange sounds in the sky are being recorded literally all over the world and are being uploaded to YouTube at a very rapid pace.  If someone was trying to fake this, it would be quite difficult to get people all over the planet to cooperate.  In some instances, entire communities have heard these sounds.  So it appears as though something is definitely happening.  Perhaps there is a very basic explanation for all of this.  Perhaps there is not.  In any event, the fact that we simply do not know what is going on is rather unsettling."
Read More-> Before It's News

Rense & Charles Smith - Mysterious, Frightening Sounds Worldwide: YouTube

Days in the Sun

From Images 108

From solstice to solstice, this six month long exposure compresses time from the 21st of June till the 21st of December, 2011, into a single point of view. Dubbed a solargraph, the unconventional picture was recorded with a pinhole camera made from a drink can lined with a piece of photographic paper. Fixed to a single spot for the entire exposure, the simple camera continuously records the Sun's path each day as a glowing trail burned into the photosensitive paper. In this case, the spot was chosen to look out over the domes and radio telescope of the University of Hertfordshire's Bayfordbury Observatory. Dark gaps in the daily arcs are caused by cloud cover, whereas continuous bright tracks record glorious spells of sunny weather. Of course, in June, the Sun trails begin higher at the northern hemisphere's summer solstice. The trails sink lower in the sky as December's winter solstice approaches. Last year's autumn was one of the balmiest on record in the UK, as the many bright arcs in the lower part of this picture testify. (Image Credit & Copyright: Regina Valkenborgh)

The Metonic Cycle and the Saros

From the Royal Greenwich Observatory

The Metonic Cycle:

The Greek astronomer Meton, in the fifth century BC, discovered that the dates of the phases of the Moon repeated exactly after a period of 19 years.

Mathematically, it uses the fact that 19 tropical years contain 6,939.60 days while 235 synodic months contain 6,939.69 days.

Since it is almost equal to 20 eclipse years, 6,932.4 days, it is possible for a series of four or five eclipses to occur on the same dates 19 years apart.

The metonic cycle was used to determine how intercalary months could be inserted into a lunar calendar so that the calendar year and the tropical (seasonal) year were kept in step.

The Saros Cycle:

Edmund Halley, whose name is associated by most people with the comet carrying his name, was interested in classical writings, especially those concerning astronomy. He mistakenly connected the naming of a cycle of 223 synodic months by the tenth century Greek lexicographer Suidas with the eclipse cycle of the same period. The name given to the cycle by Suidas was the Saros.

This cycle was almost certainly known to the ancient Babylonians and was possibly used by Thales around 585 BC.

Eclipses of the Sun and Moon can only occur at New or Full Moon respectively and these have to occur close to the nodes of the Moon's orbit.

The nodes are the places in the orbit where the plane of the Moon's orbit and the ecliptic cross.

The time between successive passages by the Moon through one of its nodes is called the Draconic month and equals 27.212220 days.

The time between successive New or Full Moons is called the Synodic month and equals 29.530589 days.

If we take 223 synodic months (6,585.321 days) and compare them with 242 draconic months (6,585.357 days) we can see that they are almost the same. This period is the Saros and it amounts to 18 years, 10 and a third days.

This means that eclipses can be expected in families whose members are separated by the length of the Saros. Thus knowing the date of one eclipse allows the prediction of others.

It also happens that the Saros is also nearly equal to 239 anomalistic months (the time between successive closest approaches of the Moon to the Earth) and so the length of the eclipses in each cycle will be approximately the same.
Royal Greenwich Observatory

The upcoming May 20, 2012 solar eclipse falls in the 1st degree of Gemini, as did the May 21, 1993 solar eclipse 19 years earlier.

From

How General Relativity Solves the Metonic Cycle

Eclipses and the Saros Cycle

Asia Expects Birth Jump in Year of Dragon

"Taiwan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, but you wouldn't know that from visiting the obstetrics department at Taiwan Adventist Hospital. The hallways were abuzz this week with dozens of women lined up for ultrasound checks and other appointments with obstetricians.

It's not just a baby boom. It's a dragon baby boom.

The Year of the Dragon begins Monday, and the Chinese believe that babies born in this iteration of the 12-year Zodiac cycle are gifted with prodigious quantities of luck and strength. In ancient times the dragon was a symbol reserved for the Chinese emperor, and it is considered to be an extremely auspicious sign.

"We haven't had a scene like this in years," said hospital official Hung Tzu-chu.
Read More
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At midnight on January 23, 2012, Chinese people around the world will welcome the new year, ushering in the Year of the Dragon.
EarthSky

The Wolf's Moon

From Images 108

A Full Moon rising can be a dramatic celestial sight, and Full Moons can have many names. Captured on January 8 from Ötersund, Sweden, this evocative moonrise portrait might make you feel the cold of winter in the north. If you can also imagine wolves howling in the distance then you probably understand why Native Americans would have called it the Wolf Moon, their traditional name for the first Full Moon in January. The photographer reports that no wolves were heard though, as he watched this beautiful Full Moon rise in fading light over the eastern horizon, echoing the yellow color of the setting Sun. Of course, due this year on February 7, the next Full Moon will be the Snow Moon. (APOD)

Quote of the Day: "When they are alone they want to be with others, and when they are with others they want to be alone. After all, human beings are like that." ~Gertrude Stein, Author, Sun Aquarius-Moon Virgo

The Costa Concordia - One Unlucky Cruise

My friend Dorothy J. Kovach wrote about the ill-fated Costa Concordia.
worldastrology.net

Costa Concordia satellite image

Advancing Sunspots

"A phalanx of sunspots is turning toward Earth. Their advance is documented in this two-day movie from the Solar Dynamics Observatory: SpaceWeather.com

The large one in the middle, AR1401, has a "beta-gamma" magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. At the moment it is unleashing one such flare every day, such as this flash recorded during the late hours of Jan. 19th. Eruptions from AR1401 will become increasingly geoeffective in the days ahead as the sun's rotation aligns the active region with our planet."

The Season of Aquarius

The annual season of Aquarius begins Jan. 20 (8:11 am, PST) when the Sun enters the sign of the Waterbearer. But today (12/19), the Sun forms a square with serious Saturn, which will station-retrograde Feb. 7 at the 29th degree of Libra the Scales. And the New Moon at 3 Aquarius occurs Jan. 22 (11:40 pm, PST).

Saturn is the ancient ruler of Aquarius, and Uranus is considered the modern ruler. The Aquarian archetype embodies the ideal of community wherein we can all be unique, and make a unique contribution to the betterment of society.

"The ancients envisioned the floods that accompanied the sign's (Aquarius) culmination and seasonal passage as periods of refreshment, when the land, newly baptised, was cleansed of sin. The month of February is so-named in honour of the ceremonies of purification that were held during the Sun's passage through Aquarius (Latin: Februa = to purify + arius = pertaining to), with society's attention turned to ritualistic purification of the home, body and soul. In being cleansed, we are made new again, and classical symbolism also captures the element of youth and innocence by identifying the waterbearer as Ganymede, the young boy whose grace and beauty so captivated the heart of Zeus that he stole him away to replace Hebes, the goddess of youth, as his cup bearer." ~Deborah Houlding: Aquarius the Waterbearer

Currently, Saturn is just shy of exact aspects with both Jupiter and Neptune. But close enough to give the urge for growth (Jupiter) and transcendence (Neptune) a bit of focus. The Jupiter-Saturn opposition reflects the somewhat unfavorable economic trends, as we move into the waning phases of their 20 year cycle that began May 2000.

The Aquarius New Moon's aspects with Uranus and Jupiter suggest it's a great time to begin something new, original, and expansive. As Mars shifts direction Jan. 23 the red planet's energy may be palpable now- however, the retrograde period (Jan. 23 - Apr. 13) is not optimal for launching a brand new project, but favors doing the ground-work that could be essential later on. That said- we can usually be successful with the right attitude and right effort. Latent anger or irritability reveals that your energy may be out of balance.
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The exquisite Helix Nebula is located in the constellation of Aquarius.

Orion the Hunter

From Images 108

Begirt with many a blazing star, Orion, the Hunter, is one of the most easily recognizable constellations. In this night skyscape from January 15, the hunter's stars rise in the northern hemisphere's winter sky, framed by bare trees and bounded below by terrestrial lights around Lough Eske (Lake of Fish) in County Donegal, Ireland. Red giant star Betelgeuse is striking in yellowish hues at Orion's shoulder above and left of center. Rivaling the bright red giant, Rigel, a blue supergiant star holds the opposing position near Orion's foot. Of course, the sword of Orion hangs from the hunter's three belt stars near picture center, but the middle star in the sword is not a star at all. A slightly fuzzy pinkish glow hints at its true nature, a nearby stellar nursery visible to the unaided eye known as the Orion Nebula. (APOD)

More About Mars Retrograde

The following was written by Vedic astrologer James Kelleher. Keep in mind that he is referring to the sidereal ('reckoned by the stars') zodiac where Mars is currently transiting the sign of Leo. Mars is transiting Virgo in the tropical zodiac, of course. But either way, his observations may be useful.

By James Kelleher

Mars Goes Retrograde: January 24 to April 13, 2012.

January 24, 2012, Mars will turn retrograde. This means that Mars will appear to go backwards in the sky for about two and a half months. During this time Mars is exceedingly strong. Its energy will be overflowing in the heavens, stimulating a strong impulse toward ambitious action, taking initiative, physical activity, and the expression of occasional anger.

One of the interesting features of this event is that it causes Mars to remain in one sign for a very long period of time. Normally, Mars moves through a sign in a couple of months. In this case, however, Mars remains in Leo for nearly 8 Months, entering on October 30, 2011 and finally leaving on June 20, 2012. This will affect the Leo's among us by making them even more fiery and assertive than usual. The rest of us will also be affected in specific positive or negative ways, based the house Mars transits in our individual charts.

The good news is that Mars will also receive the aspect of Jupiter for nearly all of that period, making this transit in Leo relatively benign in its effect. During its retrograde period, Mars can still stimulate conflict however, so it is a good time to tread softly in interpersonal relationships. On the global level, military conflicts often start or are exacerbated by the retrograde motion of Mars.

On the positive side, the period of retrograde Mars is a good time to do anything to improve or transform things related to Mars. For example, it is a good time to do yoga, physical therapy, Tai Chi, body work, or any other healing activity that gets energy moving through the body. It is also a good time to repair technical or mechanical objects or projects.

During its retrograde phase, Mars will also be transiting in the Nakshatras of Uttara Phalguni and Purva Phalguni. Both of these nakshatras are related to wealth. This period is a good time for rethinking and refining your investment portfolio or for generally modifying and improving your approach to earning or investing money.

In general, Mars' retrograde period should not be a big delay, but if you feel that Mars is causing some kind of aggravation in your life during this period, you can try chanting the Mantra to Mars. Om Hreem Mangalaya Namah.

Mars will be over USA Sun & Rahu in February and June 2012, bringing conflicts!
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Quote of the Day: "I don't know quite how to say this.  I want to wake up.  I don't want to live half-assed anymore." ~Kaya McLaren

Cygnus-X

From Images 108

How do stars form? To help study this complex issue, astronomers took a deep infrared image of Cygnus X, the largest known star forming region in the entire Milky Way Galaxy. The above recently-released image was taken in 2009 by the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope and digitally translated into colors humans can see, with the hottest regions colored the most blue. Visible are large bubbles of hot gas inflated by the winds of massive stars soon after they form. Current models posit that these expanding bubbles sweep up gas and sometimes even collide, frequently creating regions dense enough to gravitationally collapse into yet more stars. The star factory Cygnus-X spans over 600 light years, contains over a million times the mass of our Sun, and shines prominently on wide angle infrared panoramas of the night sky. Cygnus X lies 4,500 light years away towards the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus). In a few million years, calm will likely be restored and a large open cluster of stars will remain- which itself will disperse over the next 100 million years. (APOD)

Leap Second Showdown

From HuffPost Science:
"It's high noon for the humble leap second.

After ten years of talks, governments are headed for a showdown vote this week on an issue that pits technological precision against nature's whims.

The United States, France and others are pushing for countries at a U.N. telecom meeting to abolish the leap second, which for 40 years has kept computers in sync with the Earth day.

Leap seconds are necessary to prevent atomic clocks from speeding ahead of solar time. They are added at irregular intervals, effectively stretching atomic time by a heartbeat to make up for the irregular wobble in the Earth's rotation.

Critics warn that the scrapping the leap second would break the last link between the passing of time and the course of the sun across the sky. But backers say machines shouldn't any longer be tethered to the imprecise cycle of sunrise and sunset.

"This would be an important decision because the problem of introducing the leap second would disappear and we would have a more steady time than we have today," Vincent Meens, an official at the International Telecommunication Union who has chaired technical talks on the issue, said Tuesday.

Operators of cell phone networks, financial markets and air traffic control systems could then rely on the near-absolute precision offered by atomic clocks without having to worry about stopping their systems for the length of a heartbeat every year or two.

"Most of the people who operate time services favor discontinuing leap seconds," said Judah Levine, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado.

"The main problem is that the leap second is usually implemented by stopping the clock for one second. However, the world doesn't stop," he said.

Satellite navigation systems like GPS don't use leap seconds, which adds confusion, said Levine. "In addition, the leap second occurs in the middle of the day in Asia and Australia, which is particularly inconvenient."

In a world increasingly reliant on computers for mission-critical measurements, any glitch could be costly as well as fatal, said Elisa Felicitas Arias, director of the time department at the Paris-based International Bureau of Weights and Measures.

"You can make a dramatic error if, for example, you are trying to land an aircraft," she said, noting that rocket launches, too, are never scheduled on days when a leap second might occur. "This is something we are trying to correct."

Critics say the risks are overblown and leap seconds have been used successfully since 1972, despite being hard to predict more than six months in advance.

China has warned that any change could hurt astronomers, who need to be able to compare observations spanning thousands of years as part of their work.

Canada, too, has raised objections to the proposed plan, while Britain has warned that it could spell the end of Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT, as a meaningful measure.

"Leap seconds are an inconvenience to the telecommunications people, but there are many other users of time who should be considered," said Ken Seidelmann, director of astrometry at the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Killing off the leap second would also result in atomic clocks slowly outrunning the solar day by a rate of about 90 seconds a century. After many thousands of years, atomic clocks would say it's midday when outside the sun has yet to rise.

"This is replacing a small problem with a big problem further down the line," said Daniel Gambis, an astronomer at the Paris Observatory and the man who alerted timekeepers around the world to the next leap second, due on June 30.

Arias said solutions could be found for such problems, but conceded that severing the link between the proposed new standard time - as measured by atomic clocks - and the solar time people are accustomed to might seem troubling to many.

Still, the time for change has come, she argued.

Unless a last minute consensus is reached, delegates at the ITU meeting in Geneva are expected to vote on the issue Thursday or Friday."

The Witch Head Nebula

A fitting image for the Moon transiting Scorpio.

From Images 108

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble -- maybe Macbeth should have consulted the Witch Head Nebula. This suggestively shaped reflection nebula is associated with the bright star Rigel in the constellation Orion. More formally known as IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula glows primarily by light reflected from bright star Rigel, located just below the lower edge of the above image. Fine dust in the nebula reflects the light. The blue color is caused not only by Rigel's blue color but because the dust grains reflect blue light more efficiently than red. The same physical process causes Earth's daytime sky to appear blue, although the scatterers in Earth's atmosphere are molecules of nitrogen and oxygen. The nebula lies about 1000 light-years away.

Quote of the Day: "The truth, at first hurts, then it heals." ~Rinon Hoxha

Good Heavens! Oldest-Known Astrologer's Board Discovered

From LiveScience:
"A research team has discovered what may be the oldest astrologer's board, engraved with zodiac signs and used to determine a person's horoscope.

Dating back more than 2,000 years, the board was discovered in Croatia, in a cave overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The surviving portion of the board consists of 30 ivory fragments engraved with signs of the zodiac. Researchers spent years digging them up and putting them back together. Inscribed in a Greco-Roman style, they include images of Cancer, Gemini and Pisces. 

The board fragments were discovered next to a phallic-shaped stalagmite amid thousands of pieces of ancient Hellenistic (Greek style) drinking vessels. 

An ancient astrologer, trying to determine a person's horoscope, could have used the board to show the position of the planets, sun and moon at the time the person was born."
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War of the Worldviews Interview Part1 - Life

Our self awareness makes us human. We have free will and we are consciously making choices. We feel that our existence have a meaning and our life have a purpose. Deepak talks about how our positive thinking may influence our genes, improve them and if this theory will be prove, how our consciousness, and learning about our consciousness, could redefine life as we know it.
Deepak Chopra video

Deepak's-> horoscope .

Mars Retrograde in Virgo 2012: Getting the Plan in Order

Written by Tony Howard

"Welcome to 2012. It sure feels like "full steam ahead" in my neck of the woods. If you're feeling a forward whoosh of energy, you're right on track, as we head towards an earth trine of Mars in Virgo to the Sun in Capricorn on January 12. We're just coming out of a Jupiter retrograde cycle, in which you likely did some re-visioning of your big picture plans. You might be itching to put some of those plans into action. If there are projects that have been waiting in the wings, now is a great time to get them moving. These are good days to spend a little more time working, and less time playing. Take care of the details, get the structure in order, establish the foundation. Because just a couple of weeks later, it's going to be time to put the brakes on.

The planet Mars relates to our personal will, our ability to take action and assert ourselves, and our sense of "I want." Every two years, Mars has a retrograde cycle which lasts for about 2 1/2 months. But like Mercury retrograde, our experience of the cycle is actually a bit longer, encompassing the entire span of degrees which Mars will traipse back and forth over, emphasizing that sign and house in our chart."
Read More-> AstroRaven
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Transforming the Brave Heart

The Little Ghost Nebula

From Images 108

This pretty planetary nebula, cataloged as NGC 6369, was discovered by 18th century astronomer William Herschel as he used a telescope to explore the medicinal constellation Ophiucus. Round and planet-shaped, the nebula is also relatively faint and has acquired the popular moniker of Little Ghost Nebula. Planetary nebulae in general are not at all related to planets, but instead are created at the end of a sun-like star's life as its outer layers expand into space while the star's core shrinks to become a white dwarf. The transformed white dwarf star, seen near the center, radiates strongly at ultraviolet wavelengths and powers the expanding nebula's glow. Surprisingly complex details and structures of NGC 6369 are revealed in this tantalizing image composed from Hubble Space Telescope data. The nebula's main ring structure is about a light-year across and the glow from ionized oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms are colored blue, green, and red respectively. Over 2,000 light-years away, the Little Ghost Nebula offers a glimpse of the fate of our Sun, which could produce its own planetary nebula only about 5 billion years from now.

Saturn's Iapetus: Painted Moon

From Images 108

What has happened to Saturn's moon Iapetus? Vast sections of this strange world are dark as coal, while others are as bright as ice. The composition of the dark material is unknown, but infrared spectra indicate that it possibly contains some dark form of carbon. Iapetus also has an unusual equatorial ridge that makes it appear like a walnut. To help better understand this seemingly painted moon, NASA directed the robotic Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn to swoop within 2,000 kilometers in 2007. Pictured above, from about 75,000 kilometers out, Cassini's trajectory allowed unprecedented imaging of the hemisphere of Iapetus that is always trailing. A huge impact crater seen in the south spans a tremendous 450 kilometers and appears superposed on an older crater of similar size. The dark material is seen increasingly coating the easternmost part of Iapetus, darkening craters and highlands alike. Close inspection indicates that the dark coating typically faces the moon's equator and is less than a meter thick. A leading hypothesis is that the dark material is mostly dirt leftover when relatively warm but dirty ice sublimates. An initial coating of dark material may have been effectively painted on by the accretion of meteor-liberated debris from other moons. This and other images from Cassini's Iapetus flyby are being studied for even greater clues. (APOD)

Quote of the Day: "Beyond the beauty of external forms, there is more here: something that cannot be named, something ineffable, some deep, inner, holy essence. Whenever and wherever there is beauty, this inner essence shines through somehow. It only reveals itself to you when you are present." ~Eckhart Tolle

Life Beyond Earth

Deepak hosts Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer with Seti Institute.

Seth claims to have developed an interest in extraterrestrial life at the tender age of ten, when he first picked up a book about the solar system. This innocent beginning eventually led to a degree in radio astronomy, and now, as Senior Astronomer, Seth is an enthusiastic participant in the Institute’s SETI observing programs. He also heads up the International Academy of Astronautics’ SETI Permanent Study Group.
Deepak Chopra Radio

Exact Colour of Milky Way Found

From BBC News:
"Astronomers have determined exactly what colour our home galaxy the Milky Way is - and find it is aptly named.

They wanted to find out how our galaxy looked from the outside - a difficult task given the Earth is inside it.

A comparison of star types in other galaxies gives perhaps an unsurprising result: white. But not just any white: specifically, like spring snow at an hour after sunrise or before sunset.

The finding was announced at the 219th American Astronomical Society meeting.

"For astronomers, one of the most important parameters is actually the colour of the galaxy," Jeffrey Newman of the University of Pittsburgh told BBC News.

"That tells us basically how old the stars in the galaxy are, how recently it's been forming stars - are they forming today or did its stars form billions and billions of years ago?"

Prof Newman told the meeting: "But it's worse than that; not only are we looking at the Milky Way from the inside, but our view is blocked by dust."

"We can only see about one or two thousand light years in any direction."

Colour chart
So Prof Newman and his student Tim Licquia went about putting the Milky Way on the map of other galaxies that we can see from outside.

They gathered data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, with information on about a million galaxies.

They compared those data with what they knew about the total mass in the Milky Way, as well as the rate of star formation, looking for near matches among other galaxies.

For those most nearly matched to our own galactic home, the team took an average and came up with a precise measure of what colour it must be.

"The best description I can give would be that if you looked at new spring snow, which has a fine grain size, about an hour after dawn or an hour before sunset, you'd see the same spectrum of light that an alien astronomer in another galaxy would see looking at the Milky Way," Prof Newman told BBC News.

This "colour temperature" is somewhere between that of an old-fashioned incandescent lightbulb and noon-time sunlight; both whites, but subtly different.

And what does the colour tell us about our Milky Way's development - is it a cosmic newcomer or past its prime?

"It appears our Milky Way is on the road between those two stages - based on the colour we find, the rate of formation of stars has been declining over time," Prof Newman said.

"The Milky way is in a very interesting evolutionary state right now."

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Milky Way May Contain '10 Billion Habitable Planets' University of Copenhagen Scientists Claim: Huffington Post UK

Regulus the Lion's Heart

From Images 108

The star near the top is so bright that it is sometimes hard to notice the galaxy toward the bottom. Pictured above, both the star, Regulus, and the galaxy, Leo I, can be found within one degree of each other toward the constellation of the Lion (Leo). Regulus is part of a multiple star system, with a close companion double star visible to the lower left of the young main sequence star. Leo I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the Local Group of galaxies dominated by our Milky Way Galaxy and M31. Leo I is thought to be the most distant of the several known small satellite galaxies orbiting our Milky Way Galaxy. Regulus is located about 75 light years away, in contrast to Leo 1 which is located about 800,000 light years away.

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Astrologically, the fixed star Regulus Alpha Leonis, is known as the heart of the Lion. Regulus was one of the four “royal stars” of the Persians around 3000 BC when it marked the marked the Summer Solstice (0 Cancer). The other three royal stars are Aldebaran Alpha Tauri- the Bull's Eye, Antares Alpha Scorpii- the Scorpion's Heart, and Fomalhaut- the Fishes Mouth. (Aldebaran [10 Gemini] and Antares [10 Sagittarius] define the so-called 'nuclear axis'.)

Regulus entered the sign of Virgo in the Fall of 2011, and had been in the sign of Leo since 156 BC. As the star Regulus pertains to power and leadership, astrologers have speculated on what this means regarding emerging persons of worldly importance. In some way, these influential people may tend to lead in a way resonant with the Virgo archetype- perhaps born around the mid 60's when Uranus and Pluto were conjunct in the sign of Virgo. Clearly, holistic health/healing and ecology are related to Virgo, as is the notion of sustainability, which could not be more relevant to the spirit of our current times.

Neptune is now at 29 Aquarius, and about to enter the sign of Pisces where it will transit until 2025. So Neptune, of collective dreams and imagination, is in a rare opposition to Regulus at 0 Virgo. Neptune will pull up a degree shy of the royal star Fomalhaut (4 Pisces) in June 2012, but will begin to exactly conjoin Fomalhaut in the Spring of 2013. As both Neptune and Fomalhaut are linked to the spiritual urge, we might surmise that this contact has implications for the collective spiritual consciousness on our planet.

The history of the star Regulus

Quote of the Day: "Relationships do not cause pain and unhappiness. They bring out the pain and unhappiness that is already in you." ~Eckhart Tolle

The Electromagnetic Effect– The Connections

The effects of the Suns activity (flares, Coronal Mass Ejections etc) IMF (Interplanetary Magnetic Field),  SBC (Sector Boundary Crossing) from south to north polarity & vice-versa, the GMF (Geomagnetic Field), Cosmic Rays & negative / positive ionisation, and the connections to weather,  human / animal consciousness, psychology & physiology

Crabtrees Compendium of Esoterica

From the introduction:
"The first of my three main objectives in writing this booklet is to show that many if not all phenomena are predictable to some greater or lesser degree. The second of the three main objectives is to show how geological, meteorological and astrophysical phenomena are predictable.
 
The third main objective is to show scientifically how there is a major connection between all of the following phenomena:
 
Astrology – astronomy – astrophysics – metaphysics - geophysics – meteorology – psychological and physical pathology – biology – and more.
 
Specifically, I intend to show the (now) undoubted connection between magnetism (electromagnetism and geomagnetism) – solar activity such as, flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and sunspots – the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) – sector boundary crossings (SBC) of the IMF – ionisation – ESP and PSI – health – earthquake, volcanic and meteorological phenomena." ~Richard C. Crabtree 
 

2012 Overview

The world will not end in 2012, although we do have a reset of the 5125 year Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012. 2013, and 2014 in particular, look more tumultuous then 2012, imo. Here's a list of the important astrological events of 2012. I'll be writing about most of these as the year unfolds.

*Dates based on Greenwich Mean Time*

Jan. 9- Full Moon at 18 Cancer.

Jan. 20- Sun enters the sign of Aquarius the Waterbearer.

Jan. 23- New Moon at 3 Aquarius sextile Uranus.

Jan. 24- Mars turns retrograde at 23 Virgo, and it's energy is amplified as it shifts direction. During the retrograde phase we might reflect intently on our desires, and on the best course of action to fulfill them.

Jan. 28- Uranus crosses the equator at 0 north declination- appears focused in London.

Feb. 3- Neptune re-enters Pisces and transits the sign of the Fishes into 2025.

Feb. 7- Saturn turns retrograde at the 29th degree of Libra. And Full Moon at 19 Leo. Saturn can provide form and focus to creative self-expression.

Feb. 9- Venus at 0 north declination.

Feb. 19- Sun enters Pisces the Fishes.

Feb. 21- New Moon at 3 degrees of Pisces conjoins Neptune- modern ruler of Pisces.

Mar. 1- Mercury at 0 north declination.

Mar. 8- Full Moon at 18 Virgo.

Mar. 12- Mercury stationary retrograde at 7 Aries. Review, revisit, and revise.

Mar. 13- Jupiter trine Pluto. Far reaching endeavors; the desire to lead and influence- spiritual regeneration.

Mar. 20- The Sun enters Aries the Ram on the Vernal Equinox.

Mar. 22- New Moon at 2 Aries highlights the waxing Uranus-Pluto square- a flashpoint.

Mar. 28- Mercury at 0 south declination.

Apr. 4- Mercury stationary direct at 24 Pisces.

Apr. 6- Full Moon at 17 Libra is a SuperMoon event with Luna at perigee (closest to the earth).

Apr. 10- Pluto stationary retrograde at 10 Capricorn. Intensity and extremes- upheavals.

Apr. 14- Mars stationary direct at 4 Virgo. Self-assertive energy and/or aggression is heightened and finds outward expression.

Apr. 19- The Sun enters Taurus the Bull.

Apr. 21- New Moon at 2 Taurus is trine Mars (action & initiative).

Apr. 22- Mercury at 0 north declination.

May 6- Full Moon at 16 Scorpio is another SuperMoon event.

May 15- Venus stationary retrograde at 24 Gemini. "Every time Venus is retrograde, we get an opportunity to review unconscious intentions we may have unwittingly set in motion, fuelled by past suffering and misunderstanding. We may then re-set them in the light of consciousness, made wiser by accepting both love and loss." ~Melanie Reinhart

May. 20- Annular solar eclipse at 0 Gemini conjunct Alcyone- central star of the Pleiades cluster, aka the Seven Sisters. The Mayan's believe they came from the Pleiades. This eclipse is visible in the SF Bay Area.

June 4- Neptune stationary retrograde at 3 Pisces. Inspiration and/or illusion is accentuated.

June 6- Rare transit-passage of Venus across the face of the Sun- aka the inferior conjunction at 16 Gemini (square Mars). Rare Alignment

June 4- Partial lunar eclipse at 14 Sagittarius conjunct the Great Attractor, and the heliocentric Nodes of Uranus. This eclipse is a SuperMoon with Luna at perigee.

June 19- New Moon at 29 Gemini conjunct the red star Betelgeuse that has an affinity with disasters.

June 20- The Sun enters Cancer the Crab at the Summer Solstice.

Jun. 24- The first of seven epic squares between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn. Massive change and awakenings; revolutionary upheaval and/or overthrow.

June 25- Jupiter square Neptune. Inflated hopes and dreams- but stationary Saturn can facilitate grounding.

June 25- Saturn stationary direct at 23 Libra. Equality in relationships is a matter of concern- and long-term goals get the green light.

June 27- Venus stationary direct at 7 Gemini. Love and creativity is enhanced.

July 3- Full Moon at 3 Capricorn conjoins Pluto and squares Uranus- a flashpoint.

July 5- Mars at 0 south declination.

July 13- Uranus stationary retrograde at 9 Aries. The pace of change increases- awakenings.

July 15- Mercury stationary retrograde at 13 Leo. Review, revisit, and revise.

July 19- New Moon at 27 Cancer.

July 22- The Sun enters Leo the Lion. Jupiter sextile Uranus; sudden opportunities and positive reforms- innovation is furthered.

Aug. 2- Full Moon at 10 Aquarius.

Aug. 8- Mercury stationary direct at 2 Leo. Information and communication start to flow more easily.

Aug. 17- New Moon at 25 Leo.

Aug. 22- The Sun enters Virgo the Maiden.

Aug. 23- Mars enters Scorpio, where it has an affinity.

Aug. 31- Full Moon at 9 Pisces.

Sept. 1- Mercury enters Virgo, where it has an affinity.

Sept. 16- New Moon at 24 Virgo.

Sept. 18- Pluto stationary direct at 7 Capricorn. Mercury at 0 south declination.

Sept. 19- The 2nd of 7 epic Uranus-Pluto squares with Uranus at 7 Aries and Pluto at 7 Capricorn.

Sept. 22- The Libra solar ingress/Autumnal Equinox. Mercury translates the Uranus-90-Pluto world transit. Probably the most crucial season of 2012.

Sept. 30- Full Moon conjoins Uranus at 7 Aries and squares Pluto- a flashpoint.

Oct. 4- Jupiter stationary retrograde at 16 Gemini- near the degree of the June 6 inferior Venus-Sun conjunction.

Oct. 5- Saturn enters Scorpio. A darker placement for Saturn. Hidden agendas and manipulation come under scrutiny. Fear tends to override trust. Hard work and determination pay off.

Oct. 7- Mars enters Sagittarius.

Oct. 11- Saturn trine Neptune.

Oct. 15- New Moon at 23 Libra.

Oct. 23- The Sun enters Scorpio the Scorpion.

Oct. 28- Venus enters her own sign of Libra.

Oct. 29- Full Moon at 7 Taurus.

Oct. 31- Venus at 0 south declination.

Nov. 6- Mercury stationary retrograde at 4 Sagittarius.

Nov. 11- Neptune stationary direct at 0 Pisces.

Nov. 13- Total solar eclipse at 22 Scorpio- a SuperMoon event!

Nov. 21- The Sun enters Sagittarius the Archer.

Nov. 26- Mercury stationary direct at 18 Scorpio.

Nov. 28- Annular lunar eclipse at 7 Gemini.

Dec. 13- New Moon at 22 Sagittarius. Uranus stationary direct at 5 Aries.

Dec. 21- The Sun enters Capricorn the Goatfish.

Dec. 27- Saturn sextile Pluto.

Dec. 28- Full Moon at 7 Cancer opposes Pluto and squares Uranus- another flashpoint.

My colleague Peter Stockinger's 2012 Overview: Stars and Stones

Online Ephemeris for 1999-2013: BioPsciences

Full Moon Rising at Fukushima

From EarthSky:
This is the first full moon after the December solstice. In North America, we commonly call this full moon the “Old Moon” or “Moon After Yule.”

Look for tonight’s full moon to rise in the east around sunset today (Sunday, January 8). Like every full moon, it’ll climb highest in the sky around midnight and will set in the west tomorrow around sunrise. For general reference, we can say the moon is full all night tonight.

Astronomically speaking, though, the moon is full for only an instant. That instant occurs when the moon is most opposite the sun for the month. That happens tomorrow (January 9) at 7:30 Universal Time. For the U.S. time zones, that places the full moon at 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time, 1:30 a.m. Central Time, 12:30 a.m. Mountain Time, and 11:30 p.m. (on January 8) Pacific Time.

In North and South America, the moon turns full during the nighttime hours between sunset and sunrise. At this full moon instant, the moon has to be above our horizon, because the sun is shining below it. In other words, at the instant of full moon, the moon shines above the horizon for the nighttime side of the world and below the horizon for the daytime side.

On the daytime side of the world– like in Africa, most of Asia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand– the moon must be below the horizon because the sun is above it. For the Rocky Mountain region in the United States, the moon turns precisely full at midnight, so the full moon shines high overhead while the sun lies underfoot.

Watch the January full moon tonight, as it beams from dusk until dawn!
EarthSky

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The Jan. 9 (JST) Cancer Full Moon is rising in Fukushima, Japan, where a series of small, shallow earthquakes have recently occurred. Uranus of shocks and uranium is right on the Full Moon Midheaven there.

Info on recent quakes in Japan: Enenews

I still believe the nuclear meltdown(s) at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant is the worst environmental disaster ever- but would love to be wrong about this. The astrology is just too compelling.

I've mentioned several times previously, that the July 22, 2009 longest solar eclipse of the 21st century was conjunct the Midheaven in Fukushima and Tokyo. This eclipse was clearly a celestial portent that foreshadowed disaster in Japan. As the duration of this eclipse was 6 minutes 38 seconds, it should have an effect for about 6 years and 8 months. And the eclipse degree (29.27 Cancer) is therefore sensitive for the same length of time.

Transiting Saturn is stationary-retrograde on Feb. 7, 2012 at 29.30 Libra, in tight square to the solar eclipse degree. But not only that, Saturn rises in Fukushima when it stations- which in itself connects Saturn with this location. Of course, astrological Saturn is the ruler of time (Chronos), lord of karma, and the planet of checks and balances. So if the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century is indeed linked to the Fukushima crisis, we can expect some major developments to unfold there as the eclipse degree gets triggered/activated by Saturn.

From Mundane Charts 2

NASA: Total Solar Eclipse of 2009 July 22

The powerful transits from the epic Uranus-Pluto (uranium-plutonium) square to the chart for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, suggests that further shocks and upheavals are likely, and may even intensify beginning in the Spring.

From Asia & Mideast

Wide Field Image of the Galactic Center

From Images 108

From Sagittarius to Scorpius, the central Milky Way is a truly beautiful part of planet Earth's night sky. The gorgeous region is captured in this wide field image spanning about 30 degrees. The impressive cosmic vista, taken in 2010, shows off intricate dust lanes, bright nebulae, and star clusters scattered through our galaxy's rich central starfields. Starting on the left, look for the Lagoon and Trifid nebulae, the Cat's Paw, while on the right lies the Pipe dark nebula, and the colorful clouds of Rho Ophiuchi and Antares (right). The actual center of our Galaxy lies about 26,000 light years away and can be found here .

The Galactic Center (27 Sagittarius)- by Paul O. Hewit

The Mar. 26, 2011 solar return for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, has the Moon conjunct Her fateful North Node at 27 Sagittarius- the Galactic Center.

Quote of the Day: “So we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?” ~Hunter S. Thompson

Obama unveils 'leaner' US military

From BBC News:
"The US military will become "leaner" as it switches focus to the Asia-Pacific region, US President Barack Obama has announced. In a rare appearance at the Pentagon, he unveiled a far-reaching defence review under which thousands of troops are expected to be axed. He said the tide of war was receding, but the US would still retain its military superiority in the world.

The Pentagon faces more than $450bn in cuts in the next 10 years.

"So yes, our military will be leaner," Mr Obama told reporters on Thursday, "but the world must know- the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats."

Joined by Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, President Obama stressed that the defence budget would still grow, but at a slower pace. He said the US was "turning the page on a decade of war" and faced a "moment of transition".

"Even as our troops continue to fight in Afghanistan, the tide of war is receding," he said.

President Obama added: "At the same time, we have to renew our economic strength here at home, which is the foundation of our strength around the world. That includes putting our fiscal house in order."

The president said the new strategy would end "long-term, nation-building with large military footprints", with the Pentagon instead pursuing a national security strategy based on "smaller conventional ground forces".

Mr Panetta said the review would make the US military "more agile, more flexible, ready to deploy quickly".

Mr Obama has been closely involved with shaping the blueprint, meeting high-ranking defence officials six times since September." BBC News story

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Any U.S. horoscope for July 4, 1776, had it's progressed Mars (war and aggression; the military) go stationary retrograde at 19 Libra, about 5-6 years ago. This extremely rare event did not stop the U.S. war machine, but may be a factor in it's recent ineffectiveness. The taste for war would potentially lose it's savoriness under a retrograde Mars. Interestingly- the Jan. 8 Full Moon at 19 Cancer is exactly square the U.S. progressed Mars (19 Libra). And the Dec. 10 lunar eclipse at 18 Gemini conjoined the U.S. Mars (21 Gemini).

As of today, transiting Mars at 21 Virgo is exactly square the U.S. Mars (21 Gemini), and conjoining natal Neptune (22 Virgo). Mars stations-retrograde Jan. 23 exactly on President Obama's natal Mars (23 Virgo), and activates the U.S. Mars-90-Neptune till late June. This natal Mars-Neptune square well describes how the U.S. gets drawn into war because of misguided idealism, but also via false flag attacks, manufactured by those with a twisted dream of empire. Violence only begets violence. And the violent shall die a violent death. No one learns from history.

It makes sense that President Obama would like to expand the U.S. military presence in Asia, as most of his planetary Midheaven lines run through Asia- best seen in his AstroCartoGraphy map. So this is the region of the globe he would tend to most strongly project his public persona, realize his ambitions, and make his mark on the world.

From United States

Obama's Pentagon Strategy: A Leaner, More Efficient Empire

Ringside with Titan and Dione

From Images 108

Orbiting in the plane of Saturn's rings, Saturnian moons have a perpetual ringside view of the gorgeous gas giant planet. Of course, while passing near the ring plane the Cassini spacecraft also shares their stunning perspective. The rings themselves can be seen slicing across the middle of this Cassini snapshot from May of last year. The scene features Titan, largest, and Dione, third largest moon of Saturn. Remarkably thin, the bright rings still cast arcing shadows across the planet's cloud tops at the bottom of the frame. Pale Dione is about 1,100 kilometers across and orbits over 300,000 kilometers from the visible outer edge of the A ring. Dione is seen through Titan's atmospheric haze. At 5,150 kilometers across, Titan is about 2.3 million kilometers from Cassini, while Dione is 3.2 million kilometers away. (APOD)

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Astrologically, transiting Saturn is approaching the last degree of Libra and moving into trine with Neptune, but pulling up just short. Saturn won't be in exact trine with Neptune until Oct. 11, 2012, and then again June 11, 2013. This is a very favorable aspect between the planet of crystallization and that of dreams and inspiration. The Saturn-Neptune oppositions (Summer 2006 - Summer 2007) corresponded with the erosion (Neptune) of the housing market (Saturn) and established structures (Saturn) because of fraud (Neptune). The trine is clearly a much better aspect.

Saturn in Libra since Oct. 29, 2009, continues to be a period where inequality in society and personal relationships is under pressure-filled scrutiny. Good relationships can get stronger because we are more likely to work at them if they feel viable. But weaker ones may fold under stress. It's the nature of Saturn to test the structural integrity of things- in whatever form. That said, we are also defining and redefining what's important to us in our partnerships, and getting our priorities straight regarding long-term goals- specifically, as these goals involve other people.

Saturn stationary retrograde at the 29th degree of Libra on Feb. 7, is a poignant reminder of the Saturnian process or challenges we're all facing both personally and collectively. Fairness and social justice are issues of concern now. How we deal with our responsibilities and commitments is up to us.

Moon in Gemini quote: "I discovered that searching can be as interesting as finding."
~Paulo Coelho

Los Angeles Arson Attacks

Jan. 3 Tweet:
The Dec. lunar eclipse featured the Nodes on the horizon in LA square Mars (fires), and Uranus (shocks) at 0 Aries (fire sign) on the 4th house cusp. Firebug Frenzy

I mentioned Los Angeles in my write-up here: Dec. 10 Lunar Eclipse

Aurora Over Norway

From Images 108

Higher than the highest building, higher than the highest mountain, higher than the highest airplane, lies the realm of the aurora. Auroras rarely reach below 60 kilometers, and can range up to 1000 kilometers. Aurora light results from energetic electrons and protons striking molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. Frequently, when viewed from space, a complete aurora will appear as a circle around one of the Earth's magnetic poles. The above wide angle image, horizontally compressed, captured an unexpected auroral display that stretched across the sky one month ago over eastern Norway.

Golden Age to begin in 2012

Mayan Calendar Corroborates Hindu Prophecy

"In the “Brahma-Vaivarta Purana”, Lord Krishna tells Ganga Devi that a Golden Age will come in the Kali Yuga - one of the four stages of development that the world goes through as part of the cycle of eras, as described in Hindu scriptures. Lord Krishna predicted that this Golden Age will start 5,000 years after the beginning of the Kali Yuga, and will last for 10,000 years.

It is interesting that this prediction of the emergence of a new world is prophesied to appear about the same time that the Mayans predicted it to come! The Mayan calendar began with the Fifth Great Cycle in 3114 BC and will end on 21 December 2012 AD. The Hindu Kali Yuga calendar began on 18 February 3102 B.C. There is only a difference of 12 years between the Hindu's beginning of the Kali Yuga and the Mayan's beginning of the Fifth Great Cycle.

The ancient Hindus mainly used lunar calendars but also used solar calendars. If an average lunar year equals 354.36 days, then this would be about 5270 lunar years from the time when the Kali Yuga started until 21 Dec 2012. This is the same year that the Mayans predict rebirth of our planet. It is also about 5113 solar years of 365.24 days per year, and is day number 1,867,817 into the Kali Yuga. By either solar or lunar years, we are over 5,000 years into the Kali Yuga and it is time for Lord Krishna's prophecy to happen according to the ancient Hindu scriptures. Lord Krishna's Golden Age could easily begin in 2012!

It is amazing that both calendars began at about the same time over 5,000 years ago and both calendars predict a totally new world and/or golden age after about 5,000 years into their calendars! We are definitely on to something with these Mayan and Hindu 2012 predictions. Historically, this is an amazing fact since these two ancient cultures did not have any contact."
About.com.Hinduism

Venus Conjunctions, the Pleiades & the Sheaf

By Keith Hunter @ Ancient World Mysteries:

Marking the End of a Sheaf: Venus vs. The Pleiades

With all that has so far been said of the precise mechanics of the Sheaf cycle, and of the fact that the Maya and Aztecs both held ceremonies to mark the completion of the Sheaf, one could be forgiven for thinking that 2.6 days prior to the end of every 52 calendar year period (18977.4 days), a most accurate conjunction would be in evidence between Venus and the Earth; for indeed, is not the purpose of the Mayan Calendar as with any calendar, to track and harmonise real astronomical cycles?

Well, apparently, according to historical records, the Aztecs and Maya, rather than set the end of each sheaf to coincide with an actual Earth-Venus conjunction, instead set it to coincide with an altogether completely different celestial event: a conjunction of the Earth and the Pleiades.
Read More->56 minute video

The Moon, Jupiter, and Venus

The Moon conjoins bright Jupiter in tonight's sky. And super brilliant Venus is visible in the west after sunset.

2012- Year of the Water Dragon

From BBC News:
"In the Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon- marking a year of transition, uncertainty and change.

The Asia-Pacific economies certainly face considerable uncertainty as well as headwinds in 2012, with the eurozone already sliding into recession at the end of 2011, while the momentum of US economic recovery - although encouraging in recent months- remains moderate at best.

The Year of the Dragon will also be a year characterised by political uncertainty, with presidential elections in the US and France, as well as leadership change in China.

In autumn 2012, the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will elect the new Central Committee and Politburo Standing Committee members.

The current President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao are due to step down from the Standing Committee to make way for the next generation of leaders from whom the new Chinese president and premier will be appointed in March 2013.

Despite the political and economic uncertainties facing the global economy, the Asia-Pacific (Apac) is forecast to continue to be the fastest growing region of the world economy in 2012, with growth rising to 5.3% from 4.5% in 2011.

This forecast is based on the IHS Global Insight central case scenario that the eurozone experiences only a mild recession in 2012, with gross domestic product (GDP) declining by 0.7%, while moderate positive growth continues in the US, at a pace of 2.0%."
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Cancer Full Moon

The Jan. 8 Full Moon (exact 11:30 pm, PST) is the first lunation of 2012, and falls at the 19th degree of Cancer the Crab, first of the water signs- symbolic of the emotional and psychic life. As the Moon rules Cancer, She is strongly placed in her own sign or domicile, and empowered in fulfilling Her instinctive drives for emotional connection and domestic security- to nurture and be nurtured.

According to astrologer Marc Edmond Jones, the Sabian symbol for 19 Cancer and 19 Capricorn (the Full Moon Sun) is as follows:

Cancer 19  A priest performing a marriage ceremony  This is a symbol of the spiritual stewardship of man as expressed in his conscious concern for the integrity of human society and for the everyday institutions through which all racial ideals must have their continued embodiment.  There are very full rewards awaiting the individual who is willing to live the life of his fellows through his consistent shaping of his own acts and opinions to dramatize the current aspirations of his kind.  His service to the established rituals becomes a special self-fulfillment.  The keyword is conformity.  When positive, the degree is a genius for bringing various facets life into organic unity, and when negative, bondage to outer forms.
 
Capricorn 19  A child of about five with a huge shopping bag  This is a symbol of the spiritual stewardship of man as expressed in his inherent sense of responsibility for the welfare of others, and in his desire to serve his community to the extreme of his particular range of skills.  There is wonderful recompense for the individual willing to share the total of his potentialities, and to enjoy those of his fellows to the limit of his understanding.  His quickening to every opportunity of common function becomes a special self-fulfillment.  The keyword is expectation.  When positive, the degree is an effective breadth of participation in everyday living, and when negative, indiscriminate conformity to every passing fad.

Another factor to consider in delineating the Full Moon, is it's aspect to the transiting Venus/Node (midpoint)- which pertains to the principle of love-unions. This lunation would then seem to highlight the most personal areas of life, and is best interpreted in the context of our current conditions, per usual.

Mundanely- the Full Moon Pluto is sharply placed here in San Francisco, but the set up does not appear stressful enough to suggest that this Pluto in itself, indicates major upheavals. I would expect a few minor incidents of a relatively extreme nature to occur resonant with the Plutonian vibration.

Quote of the Day: "Life always bursts the boundaries of formulas." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery