The Current Climate of Change

Many of you may have noticed over the last few weeks that there was a climate of deception and change. We see it all around in the worldwide occupy movements, that were not reported in the mainstream media for a LONG time, and the flip-flopping of political candidates—not to mention the exposure of scandals like Penn State and even new information about Natalie Wood’s death. You may be wondering what is going on in the “astro weather” department. With the current indications, no one will get away with very much. People have had enough. You can expect further truths to emerge.

First there is the long, long cycle of Pluto. It went into Capricorn back in 2008, and that was the beginning of a clean-out of corruption and power misused. That was when we saw the economy begin to crack with all the corruption of financial institutions—and it’s not finished. The Universe has a scheduled, orderly agenda of overseeing our evolution whether we like it or not. It will extend all the way down to the individual level and will last until 2025. Until then, one out-of-balance power struggle after another will be transformed, which is putting it nicely. In other words, if you are personally (or collectively) used to wielding power or have been pushy and overly strong-willed, it will be harder to continue being that way. The last time Pluto was in Capricorn was way back when things got so bad in England, the Pilgrims decided to leave the country. It is a very long cycle, and whatever sign it is in, there is upheaval related to that sign that leaves a situation totally destroyed and left to rebuild. Capricorn is about government, structures of whole societies, power and “who’s in charge.” Whether the ultimate outcome is positive or not depends on us. Are we our best most honest selves, or do we try to control and repress others? If you are the one being forceful and controlling unfairly, it will not be allowed to continue. From an individual up to a global level we are personally responsible for the outcome. Since Pluto is being energized by Uranus 90 degrees away for the next several years, expect a revolution.

Then there is the continuing opposition of Jupiter and Saturn. These have already opposed each other exactly back in March, but are now in range of an opposition, although not exact, reminding us again of their meaning here at the holiday season. This is the business duo. When Jupiter is going FROM the conjunction of the two TO the opposition, business usually is on an upswing that is relative to possibility. In other words, for the last ten years, although it seems the economy has been negative, it was relatively positive compared to the NEXT ten years when it goes from the opposition back to a conjunction. This is a twenty year cycle. The first half is the more positive compared to the second half.

Mars
Every two years Mars stays in one sign for a long time. If it didn’t, its cycle would be about eighteen months, but because of this long retrograde period, it takes two years to complete its cycle. This time it will remain in Virgo from November 12, 2011 until July 4, 2012. The first two weeks of November (just passed) it was opposite Neptune. This inclines to deceptive behavior. You can be either the one deceiving or the one being hoodwinked, but one should have been vigilant during this period. This will not repeat again, but will be very, very close in mid-April next year. Virgos, Pisceans, Sagittarians, and Geminis will be more impatient, will jump to conclusions and perhaps be more impulsive than usual. Plus, the eclipses this year will activate those signs making them a focal point. They will be learning a lot.

There are two eclipses this month and next. The first was this morning, and the next will be on December 10th. The eclipse months are two months out of four each year that we call the “Moon Wobble.” The other two are half-way between those. They always show a time of upheaval and a bit of chaos if they affect your chart specifically.

As an aside, Mercury went retrograde yesterday and will remain so until December 14th. That doesn’t help in a Moon Wobble time. It helps to be vigilant with that, as well—double checking things for accuracy and postponing a start-up of any kind. It's a good time to go back to something that needs re-working.

The outer planets have been changing signs in unprecedented numbers. Very seldom do we have so many doing so in so short a time span. We feel this by being a bit off balance and wary of what will happen next. The last month has been particularly so. But, it’s all part of the larger plan, which in the end is for our best interests. The next one to change permanently(and it already did for a short time from April to August this year)for a fourteen year sojourn is Neptune, which will enter Pisces in very early February. Neptune’s activity is totally different from Pluto’s. It can be felt either as confusion and delusion or inspiration and spiritual enlightenment, depending on its placement and aspects in your personal chart. It, too, will affect the four signs mentioned above for fourteen years.

In short, for the next several years we can expect a concentrated effect of these planets like we haven’t seen in a long time. It has barely begun. We are entering into a new chapter of our evolution, and it should be welcomed. After all, we’re not doing so great where we are, are we?

Rick Perry

Whenever we look at a birth chart, one challenge is to keep in mind that people have choices all their lives. They can choose to live up to the best of themselves, or reinforce and express their darker side. I first interpreted the second George Bush with an eye to his best potential when he first ran for president, but it soon became obvious that he had not chosen a positive path of growth. Rick Perry’s is a chart like that.

We had a date and place for him but no time. Then an astrologer in Texas called the department of vital records and was able to get his birth time read to him over the phone!! If only every vital records department were that co-operative. He was born on March 4, 1950 at 10:40 am CST in Haskell, TX.

He has placid, not confrontational Taurus rising. The ruler is Venus in Aquarius, and it is trine Mars in Libra which has great potential for compromise—the aspect, not just Mars. The ability to strengthen and exhibit that quality is there. However, he also has Mercury (the way we think) in Aquarius conjoining Jupiter, but in range of opposing Pluto and square the Ascendant. That is a different story. Mercury-Jupiter by itself is optimism, and in the tenth house, the optimism expresses most in his career confidence. He sees himself as very fortunate and deserving there. The Sun in the tenth adds to that. Venus, Mercury and Jupiter are all in Aquarius. That is an emotionally detached sign, when considered as an archetypal principal. It tends to view life as “what is best for the group.” Which group, is the question. Mercury is in an out-of-sign trine to Uranus, the dispositor of Mercury (ruling the sign Mercury occupies, Aquarius), and that indicates very independent thinking without feeling a need for advice—with Jupiter it is exaggerated; opposing Pluto, it is absolute. We have seen this quality blatantly exhibited, and it is dangerous.

Sun in Pisces (the only thing in that sign) is usually kind-hearted, not the sort of energy that executes people and seems to enjoy it. I think he was born a Pisces to learn how to BE one—Saturn is opposing the Sun. It includes the Moon, since Saturn conjoins it in Virgo. That can be very critical and cold—especially with so much in detached Aquarius. But, mostly it speaks to an austere upbringing, albeit with drama and ego involved (fifth house).

What is his life purpose? One lesson is to learn to be less critical and negative and more compassionate. But the main indicator of past life energy is the south node in Libra in the fifth house. This indicates that in past lives he was a person of some importance, used to being respected and admired, but mostly because of his spouse. He chose a well-off spouse in this lifetime, too. He was not used to making his own decisions, however, and so he’s in this lifetime, not only to learn to be “one of the common people,” but also to make his own decisions. As with most issues wherein we are not so skilled, we can see him over-doing it. Like the pendulum swinging too far in the other direction.

Pluto in his chart represents his public persona, since it rules the seventh house. Within the last year, his Moon-Saturn conjunction has moved by solar arc to square his natal Pluto. It calls for a transformation of habits—especially those of habitual criticism and callousness. Whether he is still in the presidential race or not, his progressed Sun will square his progressed Pluto in about five or six months, and he will have a strong lesson about control, power and public perception. It will be followed seven or eight months after that by a repeat of the same thing when the progressed Sun also squares natal Pluto. Sun-Pluto connections are the most life-changing of them all.

Not only that, but his goals radically shifted about four months ago when solar arc Pluto conjoined Neptune, but that wasn’t a strong harbinger of success. Instead, it indicated that he was not clear about what he was doing. That is exacerbated by the fact that Neptune in transit over the last few months has been squaring his 27:55 degree Taurus ascendant. This is about the most confused a person gets in life regarding their behavior. It also can indicate a period of escapism, like drinking too much. In fact, solar arc Neptune has been squaring his natal Saturn-Moon for more than a year, which greatly adds to this problem. I wish him luck, but he’s not presidential material.