* Stellar Insights *

Special Holiday Rate

2009-12-18T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

I'm offering a special holiday rate on horoscope readings until Jan. 1, 2010. I do consultations in person and by phone/Skype. All readings are digitally recorded. We can address whatever issues are most important to you now, and in the near future.

Contact me for more information: davidcrook108@gmail.com

Namaste

Winter Solstice and Capricorn

2009-12-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

The exact Winter Solstice occurs on Dec. 21 at 9:48 am(PST), when the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn, and the days then become progressively longer in the northern hemisphere.

Capricorn the Goatfish, by Deborah Houlding

Personality Traits
"Capricorns live by the steadying hand of their planetary ruler, Saturn. Those born under this sign are noted for being patient, prudent, determined, reliable and disciplined. Saturn brings a constricting influence and yet Capricorns are characterised by a life-long striving towards accomplishment. The sign is known as the most ambitious of the zodiac, driven to climb, yet constantly checked by the pressure of a planet whose nature is to hold back and restrain. As a life-pattern this can result in many crosses to be borne, and Capricorns who have yet to discover their self-worth often feel rather cheated in the gifts that accompany their lot. The tale of Capricorn is that its natives suffer in youth and profit in maturity and old age. Only with the benefit of hindsight can they fully appreciate the process which leads them towards resilience and achievement. The goat is a creature born to tread the rocky and inhospitable path that leads to the mountain heights. Those that stay the course acquire a strength that has been cultivated slowly, deliberately and firmly, their position solidified and their wisdom forged through the hard experience of steadily pursuing their objectives against adversities and obstacles."
Skyscript

Merriman's Market Week

2009-12-13T06:06:00.000-08:00

Week of Week of Dec. 14

"Debt, fear, and hope. These are the three dynamics shown clearly in the heavens as we approach the end of 2009. Equity markets are in conflict over these three factors. The waning square of Saturn and Pluto coincides with the reality of excessive debt that still threatens to unravel the economies of both nations and individuals. Home foreclosures continue to mount in record numbers, as do small businesses going bankrupt. Countries like Iceland and Dubai find it difficult to meet their financial obligation to bondholders. Greece, Spain, Italy and Ireland may be close behind, which could threaten the very survival of the European Union."
Read More

Geocosmic Projections for the World Economy: 2008-2011
Raymond Merriman

The Horoscope of the Federal Reserve
by Bill Meridian

Astrology Podcast Series

2009-12-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

"The Art & Science of Astrology" is an introduction to the archetypal language of astrology featuring over 8 hours of interviews from 27 prominent astrologers. Astrology is a symbolic language that can explain the dynamics of an individual's psyche as well as the larger patterns of culture.
Engaged Heart- Astrology Podcast Series

Tom Wujek Demos the Astrolabe

2009-11-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

Rather than demo another new technology, Tom Wujec reaches back to one of our earliest but most ingenious devices -- the astrolabe. With thousands of uses, from telling time to mapping the night sky, this old tech reminds us that the ancient can be as brilliant as the brand-new.
TED -Ideas worth spreading

Mars Retrograde in Leo

2009-11-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

The Mars retrograde setup began Oct. 17, 2009 when it(Mars) first entered the sign of Leo, and then the red planet stations-retrograde(at 20 Leo) on Dec. 20, 2009. Mars appears to move backwards from our perspective for 80 days- stationing direct Mar. 10, 2010 at 0 Leo. Finally, Mars returns to the 20th degree of Leo(where it stationed retrograde) on May 17, 2010, completing a 213 day loop.

Simply put- the Mars retrograde cycle is an opportunity to more deeply understand the Martian archetype of desire, anger, and self-assertion, through a process of inward review and psychological purging/cleansing. Outer circumstances may be complicit in withholding or delaying the fruits of our desires, so we might clarify the true nature of our passions, and self-assertive drives- along with their expression. This is the optimal time to rethink or revise how you actively pursue your agenda, in all aspects of life.

The natal house in one's chart occupied by the sign of Leo, and the houses with Aries and Scorpio on the cusp, are the personal areas most directly influenced by the planet Mars during this period.

Mars in Leo @ Baghdad

Saturn square Pluto

2009-11-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

The first of 3 exact squares between the lord of karma, and the lord of destruction, occurs Nov. 15, with Saturn at 2 Libra, and Pluto at 2 Capricorn. The other two Saturn-Pluto squares are Jan. 31, 2010, and Aug. 21, 2010. This planetary combo is often dark, heavy, debt-ridden, and suggests intense contractions(often financial), and the massive regeneration of structures/relationships that are no longer viable. We may experience the sense of irrevocable endings and separations, that will lead to new beginnings- but for now, we are left to grieve and mourn for what we've lost.

The fear factor may intensify too, as the personal and/or collective shadow is exposed.

This square is the waning or closing aspect of the synodic cycle which began with the conjunction of Nov. 8, 1982. The waning square phase of a planetary cycle feels like Fall, and a time to prune the dead wood- of reflection. We are three-quarters through a complete cycle of development, and there's a natural reorientation of consciousness and purpose at this stage.

The brilliant Richard Tarnas elaborates eloquently on the characteristic manifestations of hard Saturn-Pluto aspects, in the following article he wrote after 9/11.
9/11 and Saturn-Pluto

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth." ~Umberto Eco

Baghdad Blast Echos Far and Wide

2009-10-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

From Asia Times Online:

"No one has claimed responsibility for the twin suicide attacks in Baghdad on Sunday that killed 132 people and injured 700 others, but fingers are already been pointed at the usual suspects - Sunnis, Shi'ites, Kurds, al-Qaeda, Iran, even the United States.

What cannot be doubted, though, is that in just a few bloody minutes, Iraq's political process has been thrown into turmoil, placing in jeopardy the national parliamentary elections scheduled for January. The future of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who in the past few years has survived as a result of Iraq's improved security situation, is also now in doubt."
Read More

I think I called this one, based on the chart for the Oct. 16 Leo ingress of Mars. On my Facebook page I noted that Mars conjoining the IC(4th house cusp) in Baghdad, was an indication of violent unrest on the horizon. And yesterday's attack was the worst in several years- revealing just how tenuous the situation still is in Iraq.

Leo Mars ingress @ Baghdad

Exact Time When Jesus Died

2009-10-15T10:33:00.001-07:00

LONDON– "Two scientists have determined that Jesus Christ was crucified at 3PM on Friday, April 3 in 33 A.D.

The exact date of the crucifixion has been debated for centuries, but British scholars Colin Humphreys and W.G. Waddington believe they have solved the mystery after an exhaustive study of the Bible, ancient calendars and astronomical conditions.

The scientists said that previously the only certainty about the date of the crucifixion was that it occurred between 26 A.D. and 36 A.D., during the 10 years Pontius Pilate was the Roman procurator of Judea. In order to pin down the exact date the two scientists reconstructed the Jewish calendar that was used at the time.

Humphreys and Waddington then fixed the date of a lunar eclipse mentioned in the Bible.

The Bible and other historic references said the “moon turned to blood” after the crucifixion took place.

“In our view the phrase probably refers to a lunar eclipse,” the scientists said.

Humphreys and Waddington studied records of all lunar eclipses that were visible from Jerusalem between 26 A.D. and 36 A.D. and discovered “there is only one lunar eclipse at Passover time visible from Jerusalem.” That eclipse occurred on Friday, April 3, 33 A.D.

In their research, the British scientists also found that Passover time was specified on the official festival calender of Judea."
Weekly World News

Eclipse Map

Bring on Libra

2009-10-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Sun entered the sign of Libra on the Fall Equinox 17 days ago, and Mercury moves into Libra tonight, followed by Venus on Oct. 14, and Saturn Oct. 29. The New Moon in Libra conjunct the favorable star Spica occurs Oct. 17. Clearly- Saturn's Libra ingress is the most important shift, as this process of defining and redefining our relationships will take place over two and a half years.

Saturn is said to be exalted in Libra, which means it will treated as an honored guest, with all the comforts that are afforded a special guest. The fairness and sense of social justice that Libra signifies, may find a worthy ally in Saturn- the lord of karma, and ruler of time. We can build and/or restructure partnerships, or personal alliances during this period, that puts each partner on equal footing, and insures the personal rights entitled to each.

We would imagine that society at large will benefit to some extent by a renewed spirit of cooperation and a collective striving for greater harmony. Even the often dark or brutal Saturn-Pluto squares which begin mid Nov., may be hopefully mitigated by Saturn's rulership over Capricorn, where Pluto is now transiting.

Saturn's New Found Ring

2009-10-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

From BBC News:

"A colossal new ring has been identified around Saturn.

The dusty hoop lies some 8 million miles from the planet, about 50 times more distant than the other rings and in a different plane.

Scientists tell the journal Nature that the tenuous ring is probably made up of debris kicked off Saturn's moon Phoebe by small impacts.

They think this dust then migrates towards the planet where it is picked up by another Saturnian moon, Iapetus."
Read More

This discovery comes just in time for Saturn's entry into the sign of Libra on Oct. 29. I found an excellent article by a traditional astrologer regarding Saturn in Libra, and the major world transits on the horizon.
Transits: Saturn in Libra 2009-2010

Deadly Floods in the Philippines

2009-09-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

From the BBC:
"At least 40 people have been killed and thousands more evacuated as floods caused by heavy rain brought chaos to the Philippines. One town is said to be completely under water. Power has been cut off to parts of the capital, Manila, where hundreds of people are trapped on rooftops.

The government has declared a calamity, allowing access to emergency funds. Television pictures showed water flowing down roads like rivers, with the floods chest-deep and rising.

The equivalent of a whole month's rain fell in six hours as Tropical Storm Ketsana, also known as Ondoy, lashed the island of Luzon, causing the worst flooding in Manila for 20 years."
Read More

As Mars entered watery Cancer- sign of it's fall, it aligned with Pluto(extremes) on the horizon in Manila. The epic Saturn-180-Uranus that's reflecting shocks to our systems, and disruptions of the status quo, was also sharply focused in the capital at that same moment.

From Asia & Mideast

The Oldest Lunar Calendar

2009-09-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Aurignacian Lunar Calendar

"The Oldest Lunar Calendars and Earliest Constellations have been identified in cave art found in France and Germany. The astronomer-priests of these late Upper Paleolithic Cultures understood mathematical sets, and the interplay between the moon annual cycle, ecliptic, solstice and seasonal changes on earth.

The archaeological record’s earliest data that speaks to human awareness of the stars and ‘heavens’ dates to the Aurignacian Culture of Europe, c.32,000 B.C. Between 1964 and the early 1990s, Alexander Marshack published breakthrough research that documented the mathematical and astronomical knowledge in the Late Upper Paleolithic Cultures of Europe. Marshack deciphered sets of marks carved into animal bones, and occasionally on the walls of caves, as records of the lunar cycle. These marks are sets of crescents or lines. Artisans carefully controlled line thickness so that a correlation with lunar phases would be as easy as possible to perceive. Sets of marks were often laid out in a serpentine pattern that suggests a snake deity or streams and rivers."
Read More

Journal of Archetypal Astrology

2009-09-21T18:48:00.001-07:00

Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology
Volume 1, Number 1 (Summer 2009)
Archai

The Holy Grail of the Unconscious

2009-09-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Carl Jung and the Holy Grail of the Unconscious:

"This is a story about a nearly 100-year-old book, bound in red leather, which has spent the last quarter century secreted away in a bank vault in Switzerland. The book is big and heavy and its spine is etched with gold letters that say “Liber Novus,” which is Latin for “New Book.” Its pages are made from thick cream-colored parchment and filled with paintings of otherworldly creatures and handwritten dialogues with gods and devils. If you didn’t know the book’s vintage, you might confuse it for a lost medieval tome."
NYTimes

New Moon in Virgo

2009-09-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Sept. 18 Virgo New Moon is a major celestial event, as it catalyzes the Saturn-180-Uranus which informs the zeitgeist. The shocks to the system will continue, even as the agents of established structures rally to resist change. But business as usual is not a viable option now.

The tense conflict over health-care reform in the U.S., and the possible spread of Swine flu, are but two obvious manifestations of the Saturn-Uranus opposition. (The Virgo-Pisces sign polarity relates to illnesses, and health matters.) And of course, the financial crisis that reached a meltdown at the 9/15/08 Full Moon, when Lehman Brothers folded- is cause for collective unrest. That Pisces Full Moon conjoined Uranus and opposed Saturn- thus triggering the major world transit.

Those born in the late 60's have Pluto and Uranus near the end of Virgo, or early Libra. And this generational group, now in their midlife transition(crisis), has the Saturn-Uranus opposition tweaking their charts. The U.S. chart's Mars(war/agression)-Neptune(ideals/illusions) square, and President Obama's Mars(self-assertive action), have been under stressful transits too- as the fight over health-care reform, and the tragic war in Afghanistan both escalate.

We have two more exact oppositions between Saturn and Uranus- one on April 26, 2010, and the final aspect is July 26, 2010. This last alignment has all the astrologers abuzz, as the so-called 'cardinal cross' or 'cardinal climax', unfolds during the summer with far reaching global repercussions. We have not seen a similar alignment since the early 1930's, that occurred with the Great Depression. But, of course, the set up is not exactly the same, and I think the Uranus-Pluto squares on the horizon, presage even more massive changes and radical upheavals.

That said- I think we'll find out if the economic recovery is indeed on firm ground around mid Nov. 2009, when Saturn and Pluto move into square, for the first of 3 exact alignments. These squares are a celestial stress-test of sorts. Protecting assets, and financial contraction, are trends related to hard Saturn-Pluto aspects- if history is a reliable indicator.

US Credit Shrinks at Great Depression Rate
Telegraph.co.uk

From Mundane Chart Gallery

The Sept. 18, 2009 Virgo New Moon appears extremely powerful in India.

Lucas Gauricus and King Henry II

2009-08-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Deborah Houlding explores the historical circumstances and astrological details of a chart which has become a legendary example of traditional astrological prediction. Offering a warning five years in advance, exactly how was the Italian scholar Lucas Gauricus able to forewarn the time and manner of the French king's death?
Skyscript

Typhoon Batters Taiwan and China

2009-08-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

From BBC News:
"Typhoon Morakot has struck China's south-east coast, destroying hundreds of houses and flooding farmland. Almost one million people were evacuated ahead of the storm, which crashed ashore in Fujian province with winds of up to 74mph.

Morakot has already hit Taiwan, killing at least three people and causing some of the worst flooding for 50 years."
BBC Video
Uranus in watery Pisces is exactly setting and square the MC in Taipei, as Mars and Saturn complete their square aspect. So we get the full effect of the major opposition between Saturn and Uranus in Taiwan, with Mars as a trigger for violent events. It seems we've had a series of extraordinary disasters involving the chaotic seas, with the passage of wild and unpredictable Uranus through Pisces.

From Asia & Mideast

The generally malefic square between Mars and Saturn is angular in the same region of China where the path of the July total solar eclipse was visible, and where typhoon Morakot is wreaking havoc. Mars is clearly 'translating' the epic Saturn-Uranus opposition now.

From Asia & Mideast

Hundreds Lost in Taiwan Typhoon
BBC News

Bill Clinton and the Lunar Eclipse

2009-08-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

From the NYTimes:
"Former President Bill Clinton arrived in the United States Wednesday morning after a dramatic 20-hour visit to North Korea, in which he won the freedom of two American journalists, opened a diplomatic channel to North Korea’s reclusive government and dined with the North’s ailing leader, Kim Jong-il."
Read More

Today's Lunar Eclipse conjoining Bill Clinton's relocated Midheaven for Pyongyang, is highlighting his public persona, status and reputation. He's a media star once again, and probably loving all the attention(Leo Sun).

From Mundane Chart Gallery

Antares Over Pittsburgh

2009-08-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Deadly Shooting at Pittsburgh Gym
MSNBC

The July 31 lunar occultation of the violent star Antares, rival of Mars, was not visible in Pittsburgh, PA.- but it appears to have been the culprit in today's fatal attack. The chart cast for the exact Aug. 5 Full Moon, rather then for greatest eclipse- has the Midheaven conjoining Antares over Pittsburgh.

From Mundane Chart Gallery

Occultation

US Military in Colombia

2009-07-30T14:59:00.001-07:00

From the Real News Network:
"With the hemisphere fixated on the coup d'etat in Honduras, the Colombian military announced it would be opening up some of its military bases to be shared with the US military. This caused immediate condemnation from the leadership of Colombia's neighbors, Ecuador and Venezuela. Forrest Hylton, expert on Colombian affairs, believes that the two countries are justified in their reservations about the move, given the potential the base offers and the recent history of US surveillance activity in the region. On the other end, Hylton points out some discomforting activities in the Colombian military, an institution that is the fifth largest recipient of US military aid. With the US now seeking even deeper ties with that same military, Hylton concludes that "Colombia's increasing violations of human rights in its pursuit of counter-insurgency, doesn't seem to have any impact on the flow of US aid." Video

The AstroCartoGraphy map for President Obama's Inauguration, shows the Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter, all near the Midheaven in Colombia's capital of Bogota- which are classic indications of power and influence.

From Mundane Chart Gallery

7 US Military Bases in Colombia
CommonDreams.org

The Aug. 6 Lunar Eclipse

2009-07-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

This shallow, partial lunar eclipse is the last in the Leo-Aquarius polarity, as the Nodes shift into the Capricorn-Cancer axis late August. I noted awhile back, that the eclipse would fall right on the horizon in Kabul, Afghanistan, which suggests some building tension coming to a head there. And yesterday I read, that international coalition forces suffered more deaths this month, then any other since the war began in Oct. 2001. Moreover, the BBC reports today, that Taliban suicide bombers, have attacked government buildings in the south-eastern city of Khost, ahead of the Afghan presidential election due on 20 August.

From Asia & Mideast

There's a New Moon on August 20, that opposes the triple conjunction in Aquarius, suggesting both a hopefulness about the future, but also disillusionment. This Leo New Moon conjoins the fixed star Alphard- the heart or neck of the Hydra snake. With the Sun: "Power and authority but suffering through own acts and from enemies, loss of position, and honor; overcome by enemies."(Robson)
More on Alphard

The stressful New Moon chart for Kabul, on the day of a crucial election, shows the world transit of Saturn-180-Uranus in full force- pitting the energy for change against the old established order. So it does not appear that this election will go smoothly or without violent incident. (The New Moon Ascendant = 22 Sagittarius = Mars 27 Gemini = Saturn 22 Virgo = Uranus 26 Pisces.)

Another possible, but perhaps far less likely expression of the eclipse, is a natural disaster in Afghanistan. Although this lunar eclipse is partial and weak by astronomical terms- it does align with the Uranus/Pluto(midpoint), which is growing in importance, as these planets move slowly into the first of seven squares on June 24, 2012. In fact, I think this epic configuration is already having an influence, as Uranus and Pluto were well within the orb of a square in the Fall of 2008, when the financial crisis reached critical mass. The Sept. 15, 2008 Pisces Full Moon at 23 Pisces conjoined Uranus at 21 Pisces, and squared Pluto at 28 Sagittarius. Therefore, this Full Moon 'translated' the waxing Uranus-Pluto square, along with the Saturn-180-Uranus, that went exact for the first time on election day in the US.

Besides the lunar eclipse activation of the Uranus/Pluto, which pertains 'to the process of transformation. The collapse of the old order of things, and the construction of the new'(Ebertin)- Mars is square Saturn. And this difficult aspect tends to reflect hardship, or violence. The Aug. 11 exact Mars-Saturn square, which contacts the Ascendant and Venus in the Afghan War chart, is another factor which may shape or time events in Afghanistan.
Afghan War chart & eclipse

The eclipse is visible at sunset on the US East Coast, and occurs right after President Obama's 48th birthday. So the eclipse challenges his natal Sun by opposition. And the Aug. 20 New Moon in Leo, conjoins Mr. Obama's North Node of manifest destiny.

On a personal level, I would not worry about the effects of the eclipse. It's simply a powerful Full Moon in altruistic Aquarius, which will highlight the polarity between the needs of the group(Aquarius), and those of the individual(Leo). Ideally, we can strike a healthy balance.

Quake Moves NZ Closer to AUS

2009-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

From AFP:
"A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake last week has moved the south of New Zealand closer to Australia, scientists said Wednesday.

With the countries separated by the 1,400-mile-wide Tasman Sea, the 12 inch closing of the gap in New Zealand's southwest won't make much difference. But earthquake scientist Ken Gledhill of GNS Science said the shift illustrated the huge force of the tremor, the biggest in the world so far this year.

"Basically, New Zealand just got a little bit bigger is another way to think about it, he said." Read More

This article mentions the massive 1931 Hawkes Bay quake that occurred the day of a Full Moon(13 Leo). The Full Moon axis fell exactly on the meridian at Napier, NZ- the earthquake epicenter. According to a site on historical quakes: "In 1931, New Zealand’s deadliest earthquake devastated the cities of Napier and Hastings. At least 256 people died in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake – 161 in Napier, and 93 in Hastings. Many thousands more required medical treatment.

On Tuesday morning, 3 February 1931, at 10.47 a.m., the ground in the Hawke’s Bay region heaved sharply upward and swayed. A deceptive half-minute pause was followed by a downward motion and violent shaking and rocking. In all, the quake spanned two and a half minutes." Historical Earthquakes

There was an extremely intense, cardinal grand cross in the sky that fateful morning, which aligned with the local angles as a mega-quake rocked New Zealand!

From Mundane Chart Gallery

Hawkes Bay Quake Full Moon

From Mundane Chart Gallery

Eclipse Fever

2009-07-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

By Saswato R. Das for The NYTimes:
Patna,India- "I write this with great anticipation and some trepidation: The great solar eclipse of the 21st century is imminent. It will occur on Wednesday and it will be the longest total solar eclipse in our lifetimes, unsurpassed in duration until June 13, 2132.

At 5:28 a.m. local time on Wednesday, a mere 17 minutes after the Sun rises over this ancient city on the banks of the holy Ganges, the shadow of the Moon will slowly creep across the golden disc of the Sun until, at approx. 6:26 a.m., the Sun will be wholly obscured. The monsoon gods willing — for it is monsoon season — we will have a clear view of one of nature’s most awesome spectacles, which is certain to send a shiver down my spine."
Read More

The Great Eclipse of 2009

2009-07-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

From Sky and Telescope-
"For the second time in a year, a total eclipse of the Sun is about to cross China. But unlike the Moon's hard-to-reach shadow path last August, the celestial spectacle on July 22, 2009, will darken major cities, densely populated countryside, and a vast expanse of tropical ocean. And the eclipse itself will be a monster, with totality lasting more than 6.6 minutes at maximum. That makes this the longest totality until 2132."
Read More