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The Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction
Hiding in Plain Sight
Casting a horoscope for the conjunctions of slow-moving planets is like rolling dice. When it conjoins Neptune
on May 27, Jupiter is moving about three minutes per day, much slower than usual. Each sign is divided into degrees,
with degrees divided into minutes, so Jupiter will spend hours in a single position -- measured by degree and minute.
As befits all things neptunian, this conjunction is hiding in plain sight.
And right in keeping with jovian flourish, the approximate chart is laden with drama. Set for Washington, DC, Jupiter
and Neptune show up in the Fifth House, the sector of bread and circuses. We won't lack for diversions.
Pack Mentality and Media Frenzy
Historically, Jupiter-Neptune conjunctions have coincided with religious revivals and crusades. This conjunction
-- the first in a series of three, making it a rare triple-conjunction -- takes place in progressive Aquarius. A spirual
awakening, if any, is unlikely to take the form of old time religion.
This conjunction promotes idealism, which can be carried to extremes. In Aquarius, group consciousness
is the norm but Nazi Germany was an Aquarian state (based on Hitler's appointment as chancellor). The downside, obviously,
is a pack mentality.
It can also set off a media frenzy, which seems a sure bet with a prominent Moon in the Tenth House and conjunct the
Midheaven -- center stage. The Moon is associated with domestic and family matters and it is not a happy camper
in the Tenth House, where private affairs become common knowledge.
The Moon squares Venus and Mars in the Seventh House, straining relations and severing ties. Venus exactly conjoins
discordant Eris (not shown). Cherchez la femme where you find the Moon at odds with Venus. In the political
arena, Speaker Pelosi stands out, sore-thumbwise.
Otherwise, high profile divorces and dalliances provide a diversion. Neptune is often scandalous and it is
in the Fifth House, which governs show business.
On a more positive note, Venus and Mars sextile Jupiter and Neptune, indicating an upswing in social activity,
for one thing, as well as an upsurge in the urge to merge.
What It Means To You
How, or if, this conjunction affects you depends on your birthday and the natal chart which goes with it. For mid-February
Aquarians, things are looking up as the conjunction hugs their natal Suns. Anyone with natal planets around 26 degrees
of Aquarius will be directly affected, too.
On the other hand, if the conjunction opposes natal Saturn, for example, this is when the bubble bursts. Opposite
natal Mercury, there is danger of a fatal error in judgment (Neptune was opposite George W. Bush's natal Mercury when he started
the Iraq War.) Opposite or conjunct Venus we're helplessly in love but with the opposition it is unrequited, unattainable,
or already taken.
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
This conjunction can connect us to God or be the pretext for ungodly acts. It may also lead us down the garden
path, promote a false sense of security, and instigate unwise investments.
The Fifth House also governs the stock market. And Jupiter and Neptune are blindsided by a retrograde Mercury
in the Eighth House of credit and dividends. When the Dow breaks, the bubble will burst, and down come the golden parachutes.
But eat, drink, and be merry in the meantime. We have nothing to lose but our illusions.
George Parker
Jupiter and Neptune Meet Again
Gaseous Jupiter conjoins nebulous Neptune July 11. This conjunction is a two-edged sword. It can be inspirational
but it is often delusional.
This is their second meeting of the year but they haven't strayed far from each other's side since their first conjunction
in May. We have been under the influence for months. In fact, it has been operating so long that we are beginning
to think it is real -- always a temptation with Neptune.
But the horoscope for the moment warns against complacency and over-confidence. Saturn lurks at the nadir, "at
the bottom of things," while Uranus is near the zenith.
Saturn and Uranus are in the process of renewing their opposition -- another recurring influence -- which culminates
in September for the penultimate time.
The energy strengthens over the next few months as Jupiter and Neptune gradually grow apart. The honeymoon ends
and we face harsh reality.
It is time to get real and batten down the hatches. Or else.
George Parker
Pluto . . .
The Mighty Midget
Pluto is named for the Roman god of the underworld, and its dark underbelly slithers over into astrology where it symbolizes
gangsters, terrorists, spies, and prostitutes; on the flip side it governs detectives, government agents, and sex therapists.
Generally, Pluto rules hidden things, including the side of ourselves we try to disguise.
Apart from that, Pluto governs transformation and restructuring, which is sometimes forced but never superficial.
It is frequently disruptive. Pluto entered the U.S. Second House (the economy) last January, bringing the first symptoms
of recession. Pluto has retreated temporarily but it returns in November, and recession fears come back to haunt.
It won't be your father's recession, either -- more like grandfather's Depression.
Pluto was demoted by a panel of mere mortals but it hasn't gotten the word. It behaves as it always has, like
one of the solar system's heavy-hitters. "Dwarf planet" or not, this midget is mighty.
Pluto spends decades in an astrological sign (and almost as much time in a natal chart's house). It takes
248.5 years to circle the Zodiac (and all the houses in a natal chart).
Because it moves so slowly, Pluto's aspects (contacts) often last for a year or more. This extended "duration
of influence" is what makes Pluto a power to be reckoned with. It can represent a dauntless climb to the top or
a problem that won't go away. When Pluto settles into our lives, it's in for the long haul.
Power is what Pluto is about, ultimately. It can be personal empowerment or a power trip, depending on its aspects.
With Mercury, Pluto is persuasive or opinionated; with Venus, passionate or predatory; with Mars, valiant or violent.
Whatever its contacts, Pluto makes its presence felt and it leaves its stamp on an entire generation. Pluto's natal
sign has little individual significance but rather it represents the generation into which we are born.
For example, the Greatest Generation was born with Pluto in Cancer: they were traditional and patriotic -- theirs was
the era of "Mom and apple pie," typically Cancerian, which was cause enough to go to war. This generation saw massive
population shifts, beginning with Dust Bowl refugees, and armies of vagabonds riding the rails in the Great Depression,
and culminating with the forced migrations of the Second World War.
In the postwar years, they settled suburbia and raised Wally and Beaver. They were doting parents; they saw
to it that their kids got the advantages they never had.
Their children, the Baby Boomers, were born with Pluto in Leo, the sign of children and self-expression. Pluto
made them a generation of spoiled brats with a sense of entitlement. As hippies, they glorified their own youth; as
yuppies, they went from bongs to BMWs and made a virtue of greed; approaching retirement, they have made "50 the new 30."
This is the Me Generation.*
Although Pluto's sign has little individual significance, its house position in a horoscope does. A Ninth
House Pluto can produce a know-it-all; in the Twelfth House, it may hint at dark secrets from the past; in the Eleventh, it
suggests powerful (or unsavory) friends and associates. But wherever Pluto shows up, we dismiss it at our peril.
George Parker
*In the interest of full disclosure, I was born with Pluto in Leo.
* * *
A Comet's Tale
"You source of tears to many mothers -- I hate you!"
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| Detail of Bayeux Tapestry with comet upper right |
On March 30, 240 BC, ancient skywatchers first recorded the perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. (Perihelion
is its closest approach to the Sun.) Halley's Comet, named after Edmond Halley, can be seen every 75-76 years.
It is the most famous of all periodic comets. Although in every century many long-period comets appear brighter and more spectacular,
Halley is the only short-period comet that is clearly visible to the naked eye, and the only comet certain to return within
a human lifetime.
Its appearances over the centuries have coincided with many notable events in human history, despite the fact that the
comet was not recognized as the same object until the 17th century.
Called a "bearded star," the comet was seen in England in 1066 and thought to be an evil omen: later that year Harold
II of England died at the Battle of Hastings. The comet is shown on the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the Norman
Conquest. The accounts which have been preserved describe the comet as four times the size of Venus,
with a light equal to a quarter of the Moon.
This appearance of the comet is also noted in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Having first seen it as
a young boy in 989, Eilmer of Malmesbury declared prophetically in 1066: "You've come, have you?...You've come, you source
of tears to many mothers, you evil. I hate you! It is long since I saw you; but as I see you now you are much
more terrible, for I see you brandishing the downfall of my country. I hate you!" Eilmer's fear and loathing were
not misplaced; it marked the end of Saxon rule in England.
In 1456, the comet passed very close to the Earth; its tail extended over 60 percent of the heavens and took the
form of a scimitar. Pope Callixtus III excommunicated the comet, believing it to be an ill omen for the Christian
defenders of Belgrade, at that time besieged by the armies of the Ottoman Empire.
American satirist and writer Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835; exactly two weeks after
the comet's perihelion. In his biography, he said, "I came in with Halley's comet in 1835. It's coming again next year
(1910), and I expect to go out with it. The Almighty has said no doubt, 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they
came in together, they must go out together.' " Twain died on April 21, 1910, the day following the comet's subsequent
perihelion.
Halley's Comet last appeared in the inner Solar System in 1986. The next predicted perihelion of Halley's Comet
is July 28, 2061.
* * *
"The Truth Is Out There"
The number of documented general UFO sightings in the modern age numbers approximately
120,000, of which 20,000 have been described as landings.
Numerous surveys and opinions polls conducted over the last 50 years consistently
report that between 5%-10% of the US population has seen what they consider to be a UFO.
According to the United Nations, since 1947, approximately 150 million people have
been witnesses to UFO sightings throughout the world.
http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/generalsightings.htm
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UFOs in the Bible
Contrary to what many think, UFOs are not a new phenomenon. Sightings date back to the Bronze Age and
are even mentioned in the Bible. Consider this passage from Ezekiel 1, 15-21 (Revised Standard Version):
"Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures one for
each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction, their appearance was like the gleaming
of a chrysolite, and the four had the same likeness being as it were a wheel within a wheel. The four wheels had rims and
they had spokes, and their rims were full of eyes round about. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside
them and when the living creatures went, the wheels went with them, for the living creature was in the wheel."
* * *
Medieval UFOs
A broadsheet that dates from 1561, held in the Wickiana Collection
of Switzerland's Zurich Central Library, describes an ancient battle of UFOs over the skies of Nuremberg, Germany, on April
14th of that very same year. At sunrise, many people witnessed large numbers of dark red, blue and black "globes" or "plates"
near the sun, "some three in a row, now and then four in a square, also some alone. And amongst these globes some blood colored
crosses were seen." The document also refers to two great tubes "in which three, four and more globes were seen. They then
all began to fight each other." This went on for about an hour, until "they all fell...... from the sun and sky down to the
earth, producing a lot of steam." Beneath the globes a long object that looked like a great black spear was also described
as being seen
A second broadsheet in the same collection
describes an eerily similar event at Basel, Switzerland, in 1566. At sunrise on August the 7th, "many large black globes were
seen in the air, moving before the sun with great speed, and turning against one another as though fighting. Some of them
turned red and fiery and afterwards faded and disappeared." What is so important about these two historical incidents
is the amount of detail provided, offering modern researchers a glimpse of how truly bizarre these ancient spectacles might
have been. http://www.subversiveelement.com/NurembergGlobes.html
* * *
UFOs in Ancient History
UFOs have been in our skies since ancient times. One of the earliest recorded sightings happened during
the reign of Egyptian Pharoah Thutmose III, who ruled from 1504-1450 BC. Scribes described "a circle of fire that was
coming in the sky."
Evidently it was the scout ship for a fleet of UFOs. According to the records, "after some days had
passed, these things became more numerous in the sky than ever. They shone more in the sky than the brightness of the
Sun and extended to the limits of the four supports of the heavens." Eventually, they soared up and headed south, causing
the Pharoah -- who had surrounded himself with his entire army -- to burn incense to "make peace."
in 216 BC, east of Rome, "a round shield was seen in the sky." In 99 BC, during the consulship of
Marius and Valerius, "a round object like a globe, or round or circular shield" flew over Tarquinius.
in 1180, a Japanese chronicler stopped just short if using the term "flying saucer" when he described a
UFO as a flying "earthenware vessel" that left a luminous trail in its wake.
The first official UFO investigation was carried out in Japan in 1235 when a general ordered a probe of
strange lights seen moving erratically in the heavens for many hours. Investigators assured him that "the whole thing
is completely natural. It is only the wind making the stars sway."
Alexander the Great had two UFO encounters that were recorded. During his invasion of Asia in
329, while crossing a river, Alexander and his men saw what was described as gleaming, silver shields in the sky. The
objects repeatedly swooped down at the soldiers, scattering men and horses and creating quite a panic.
Seven years later, while attacking a Venetian city in the eastern Mediterranean, observers on both sides of the conflict
reported another incredible event. Objects appeared in the sky. One of the objects suddenly shot a beam of light
at the city wall, crumbling it to dust. This allowed Alexander's troops to easily take the city.
Bill Clinton on UFOs
Bill Clinton has never avoided the UFO issue when asked about it in public. Ufologists however, have rarely asked
him. In the few cases when he was asked he openly talked about his attempts to get answers on Roswell and Area 51. In
2005, he even spoke of UFO investigations his administration had conducted in reply to a question that had nothing to do with
UFOs. In that speech he openly admitted, "I wouldn't be the first American president that underlings have lied to, or
that career bureaucrats have waited out..."
He also didn’t avoid telling reporters what was going on. In a story told by Dr. Greer, Clinton responded to a
question by White House reporter Sarah McClendon about why he didn’t do something about UFO disclosure. Clinton replied,
“Sarah, there’s a government inside the government, and I don’t control it.”
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| Surface of Saturn's moon Titan |
Eight Worlds Where Life Could Exist
Earth. Our world is the poster child for solar-powered planets. Most flora and fauna on Earth
- with some important exceptions such as the bacteria that live in deep rock - are ultimately animated by the roaring nuclear
fusion taking place in the Sun's heart. On Earth, it's usually chlorophyll that converts this radiant energy into chemical
compounds to energize our existence (or bulge our waistlines).
Venus. Despite the fact that Venus, our sister planet, has been described as purgatory personified,
there are some researchers who still hold out hope for life there. David Grinspoon, at the Southwest Research Institute,
notes that the thick, sulfuric acid-ridden clouds of this planet might be a stable environment for floating life. Venusian
acidophiles - analogs to a type of bacteria that can withstand highly acidic environments on Earth - might eke out an existence
there. "It's a long shot," Grinspoon admits, but he insists that we shouldn't rule out life on this nearby world.
Mars. Then and now, everyone's favorite, inhabited extraterrestrial planet. While Mars' highly
reactive and powder-dry landscape is practically guaranteed to be sterile, there is indirect evidence for watery aquifers
a few hundred feet beneath the surface. If these liquid reservoirs exist, life may have found refuge within. Today's
Martians - if any - would be alive thanks to internal, geologic heat sources that keeps these putative aquifers warm.
Nonetheless, we classify the Red Planet as a Sun-powered world simply because any life would presumably have arisen during
those long-gone salad days when liquid water pooled on the surface.
Titan. This large moon of Saturn, revealed in detail by NASA's Cassini mission, and subject to shameless
examination by the Huygens probe, is far too cold for liquid water. But its air is thick with hydrocarbons. David
Grinspoon has suggested that the Sun's weak ultraviolet light might rip apart some of these atmospheric compounds, producing
acetylene. Falling into the liquid lakes of methane and ethane below, this gas (best known for firing blowtorches on
Earth) could serve as a food for microscopic life. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No.
Turning to the not-so-sunny abodes for possible life, we find they are all airless moons at the distance of Jupiter or
beyond. Reference to our own natural satellite would suggest that there's nothing quite as desolate and dead as a moon
without an atmosphere. After all, small bodies cool fast, and in the more-than-four billion years since their birth,
the satellites of the outer solar system - where the Sun's warmth is meager - should have cooled to temperatures beyond a
penguin's worst imaginings.
However, moons are plentiful around the gas giant planets (where at least 98 percent of all satellites in the solar system
hang out), and multiple moons interact in ways that can heat them up. In these systems, sibling satellites engage in
gravitational tugging matches that cause them to be squeezed and stretched by their planetary parent. The resulting
friction can produce everything from warm oceans to active volcanoes and geysers. (The energy ultimately comes from
the rotation and the orbital motion of both moons and planets.) Known as "tidal heating", this warming of moons seems
to be a common occurrence. Indeed, it's something we might have noticed centuries earlier if we didn't live on a planet
whose moon is an only child.
The best known of these tidally heated satellites are:
Europa. There's good evidence, mostly from its changing magnetic field, that this ice-covered world
orbiting Jupiter has an ocean lying 10 miles or so beneath its crusty exterior. At the bottom of this vast, cryptic
sea, volcanic vents might be spewing nutrients and hot water into a cold, dark abyss, providing both the food and energy for
simple life.
Ganymede and Callisto. Both of these jovian moons show magnetic field variations similar to those
of Europa, suggesting that they, too, might be hiding large, watery oceans. Given their thicker ice skins, finding that
life - if it exists - would be even more daunting than for Europa.
Enceladus. In the news recebtly, this Saturnian satellite seems to be a giant Slurpee - an
icy moon that, thanks to tidal heating, is spouting geysers of water into space. An unexpected entry in the horse race
of habitability, Enceladus is the first other world for which we have convincing evidence of liquid water. And where
there's liquid water ...
For the complete article, visit http://www.space.com/searchforlife/060323_seti_biomes.html
* * *
Solar Flares Come in Three Sizes
There are 3 categories of solar flares: X-class flares are big; they are major events that can trigger planet-wide
radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. M-class flares are medium-sized; they can cause brief radio blackouts
that affect Earth's polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. Compared to X- and M-class events,
C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth. From Spaceweather.com
* * *
Happy Birthday, Captain Kirk
March 22 was the fourth day of Quinquatria in ancient Rome, honoring
the goddess Minerva, but in 1818 it was Easter Sunday, the earliest date on which Easter Sunday can fall. Easter will
come again on March 22 in the year 2285 so we have something to look forward
to (in a future incarnation).
In fact, the 23rd century is filled with interesting events. For example, Pluto will be closer to the Sun than
Neptune for about 20 years. The last time this occurred was from 1979-1999. And from 2238 to 2239, there
is a triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn (the last triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn was in 1981).
On August 1, 2253, Mercury occults the star Regulus, which hasn't happened since 364 BC, when Athens and Thrace
were slugging it out. ("Occult" in astronomical terms is the same thing as an eclipse, one heavenly body blotting
out another.)
In 2281 and 2282 there is a Grand Trine of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The last time this occurred was from 1769
to 1770, which saw among other things the arrival of the stream engine. A "Grand Trine" (of interest to astrologers)
is when three or more planets are 120 degrees from each other. Yesterday, the steam engine; tomorrow, warp drive?
But there's more. On Sunday, August 28, 2287, the distance between Mars and Earth closes toward its minimum, the
closest approach of the two planets since Wednesday, August 27, 2003. Prior to 2003, Mars hadn't been as close to Earth
since the days of the Neanderthals.
(Under the heading of non-astronomical oddities -- on Friday, February 22, 2222, at 02:22:22, the date will read something like 2222-2-22 2:22:22.)
The reason I'm paying so much attention to the 23rd century, which has yet to become history, is that an explorer dear
to the hearts of Trekkies is scheduled to incarnate. Captain James Kirk, commander of the starship Enterprise,
is/will be/was born on March 22, 2233. Today is
Captain Kirk's birthday (or it will be). For trivia buffs, Captain Kirk's full name is James Tiberius Kirk.
Montgomery Scott (of "beam me up, Scottie" fame) will be born in 2222. And Mr. Spock will be born (on Vulcan where
Earth years may not apply) in 2230.
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Back to the Future
The June 10 shooting at Washington's Holocaust Museum
is a reminder that "the more things change, the more they remain the same."
The names change, along with identities, but history does repeat; and if not that, it reverberates. For example,
the ancient enmity between the rival empires of Persia and Babylon erupted anew in the 20th century's Iran-Iraq
War -- Persia and Babylon, respectively.
During the Cold War, member states of NATO consisted largely of former provinces of the Roman Empire; the Soviet bloc
had been the uncivilized East, barbarian country.
History repeats, so do planetary cycles; and a planet's position is often a signal that it is deja vu all over again.
For instance, when U.S. President James Garfield was fatally shot, Neptune was in 16 degrees of Taurus. Neptune was opposite
that position, in 16 degrees of Scorpio, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
When Pluto marched through Cancer in the early 20th century, the world endured the Great Depression. Now, with
Pluto in Capricorn on the other end of the see-saw, we are in the throes of the Great Recession -- and we have even
started using the D-word to describe it.
America Turns Left, Europe Right
With the election of Barack Obama, the United States has suddenly turned left, just as it did under Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
President Obama's economic policies are patterned after FDR's New Deal. Although Roosevelt is generally credited with
ending the Great Depression, it was really "cured" by the outbreak of World War II.
There are also echoes from the past on the other side of the Atlantic. Once the bastion of social democracy and
multi-culturalism, Europe now marches to the beat of a different drummer that reminds alarmists of goose-stepping legions.
In recent elections to the European Union Parliament, right-wing parties won seats while the left was routed. Possibly
the biggest shocker came in the UK, where the neo-fascist British National Party won two seats, beating candidates of the
ruling Labour Party.
Throw the Bums Out!
The liberal Labour Government hangs on by a thread, damaged by its ineptness and a parliamentary scandal in the
same way that the conservative GOP was fatally wounded by a mishandled economy and Congressional scandals. Ideology
matters not -- it's incumbency, stupid. If you hold office, you take the hit.
Europe's swing rightward has only just started. Anger deepens as times get harder, fertile ground for demagogues.
But Be Careful What You Let In
If history is about to repeat, how far will it go? There is no obvious Adolf Hitler on the scene, as yet; but then
Hitler was a minor league rabble-rouser in the 1920s, virtually unknown outside the beer halls of Munich. Nevertheless,
Pluto sextiled Hitler's natal Sun -- his influence would grow; he would eventually gain power.
Astrologers have used Hitler's birth chart to track outbreaks of neo-nazi activity. Strangely, the horoscopes of
leaders, particularly the founders of movements, continue to "work" posthumously. Pluto trines Hitler's Sun this year
and is on the way to a conjunction with his Moon and Jupiter three years from now. Pluto governs resurrection as well
empowerment.
Saturn, Uranus, and a Cosmic Cross
Next year, Jupiter joins the continuous opposition of Saturn and Uranus, just in time for the final showdown -- and Jupiter
sides with radical Uranus. All three square off with destructive Pluto, forming a T-cross that finds the country reeling
and Barack Obama at a crossroads.
Roles will change, along with the scapegoats, but masses will rise up and play follow the leader. Don't look for
a funny mustache and stiff-armed salutes but right now the next big thing is in a tavern somewhere, polishing up his act.
As George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Parker
Eris and the Earthquake
If you want to learn the nature of a planet, never mind mythology. Check its position at the time of an earth-shaking
event. On May 28, Honduras and Belize were rattled by a powerful 7.1 earthquake that was felt across Central America.
The epicenter was off the Caribbean coast of Honduras, 80 miles northeast of La Ceiba, where the conjunction of Venus and
Eris was rising with Mars. The chart below is set for La Ceiba.
Eris is named for the Greek goddess of strife and discord and its astrological disposition matches the myth. In
the earthquake chart, Eris conjoins the Ascendant -- a powerful position.
Conjunct Eris, Venus also conjoins the Ascendant but it has no association with calamities. Venus, however, is
strongly influenced by the company it keeps and it is hemmed in by Mars as well as Eris.
Moreover, Venus now appears as the Morning Star, which was an augury of mayhem to the ancient Mayans, the original inhabitants
of the region. For them, the planet Venus was the god of war.
The dwarf planet Varuna is also in a powerful position, conjunct the cusp of the 4th House, "at the bottom of things,"
and tightly square the Ascendant. In the Vedic pantheon, Varuna rules the waters. The quake's epicenter was out
at sea.
Eris and Varuna are newcomers to the world of astrology. There are a host of others, as well, some of which are
included in this chart even though their influence is peripheral. They all bear watching, however, because they
sometimes show up at odd moments. Makemake, for example, has a role in sexual consummations but that
is a tale for another time.
George Parker
Raising Hell or Serving Heaven?
The Asteroid Lucifer
You have to admit the name is eye-catching, which is why I have started tracking this little devil.
"Devil" may be a bum rap. Lucifer means "light-bearer." In the Bible (and elsewhere), Venus was
called Lucifer when it appeared as the Morning Star to herald the coming sunrise. Clearly a case of mistaken identity
but in light of that, how bad could Lucifer be?
Of course, the Mayans made war when Venus was the Morning Star, so maybe there's something to it. They did not
call it "Lucifer," however. And it was Venus they were watching.
It has been suggested that Lucifer shows our relationship to authority (God) and the willingness to devote oneself to
a higher cause. Mother Teresa at one extreme and a suicide bomber at the other?
Lucifer's Satanic connotation comes not from the Bible but John Milton, the English poet who composed Paradise Lost,
an epic work describing a civil war in Heaven that ended with the rebel angels cast into the Pit. It is the origin of
the famous "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." Lucifer, a fallen angel, is dubbed a Prince of Hell
by Milton, who was after all a mere poet, neither pope nor prophet.
In Christian consciousness, the name has become an alias for Satan but Lucifer stands apart -- in more ways than one.
There is no asteroid named Satan, nor Devil, nor Teufel, the German variation. Neither is there a Beelzebub, Bal,
Diablo, or Kali. There is a Hela, the feminine form of "Hell," now transiting Pisces, but that's a place, not
a personage. The only entity is Lucifer.
And it makes its presence felt. Lucifer's transits in a birth chart result in "hits" like clockwork -- a "hit"
being a corresponding real life event.
Despite its moniker, Lucifer is no better or worse than any other space rock: We beam when it trines Jupiter, and
blow up when it opposes Mars.
Speaking of the latter, Lucifer is now in the last third of Pisces, ready to square off with imposing Pluto, lord of
Hades and all things hidden.
After that, Lucifer stops dead and turns retrograde -- steaming toward a conjunction with explosive Uranus. This
combination could move Heaven and Earth, or raise holy Hell.
Militant Mars opposes Uranus August 5 -- and also opposes Lucifer at the same time. On their own, Mars and Uranus
are enough of a handful. They are blamed for upheavals, accidents, rebellions, and violence.
If Lucifer brings light to any of the above, it could come as a muzzle flash -- or a blizzard of fire and brimstone.
But it's only an accomplice, not the cause. Pin the blame on Mars and Uranus.
George Parker
When the Past is Prelude, It's
Chiron At Work
Jupiter conjoins Chiron three time this year. Does it mean a blast
from the past or a miracle cure?
Chiron is in the spotlight these days because it is part of a three-way conjunction with Jupiter and Neptune, two of
astrology's heavy-hitters (though they do their clobbering with velvet gloves). Not being a planet but a "centaur,"
Chiron is a junior partner but its very presence is a signal saying, Hey, look at me!
Chiron was the first of the new astronomical discoveries. There has been a flood of them lately, so many that we hardly
bat an eye anymore; but when Chiron was discovered, it was a sensation.
A friend was so excited that she rushed over to tell me herself after hearing the news on the radio. She wanted
to know if it would change astrology. Before morning coffee, I was clueless though I was happy she dropped in.
I was more into her than some space rock but I have developed a special fondness for Chiron ever since, not just because
of its association.
It took about a year to find Chiron's position in my natal chart. When I did, it was an epiphany -- Chiron exactly
trined my natal Sun! Of course I had no idea what that meant, if anything, but it was nice to learn that my Sun trined
something, anything at all.
Will the Real Chiron Please Stand Up?
It took even longer to get my hands on a Chiron ephemeris, which I used to track its past transits through my chart.
I had already surveyed transits to its natal position but Chiron is tightly wired to my natal Sun, which makes it hard to
tell apples from oranges. Now I could pore over its astrological rap sheet to discern its M.O.
Based largely on its mythological namesake, Chiron has been assigned the role of "wounded healer." Zane Stein,
among the first to investigate Chiron, called it a maverick -- without the disruptions of Uranus. Chiron lives in society
but outside the mainstream; it marches to the beat of a different drummer but doesn't step on toes. Myself, I favor
the maverick over mythology though a Chiron transit often corresponds to some kind of recovery.
We Have to Take Our Medicine
When transiting Chiron is active in a chart, the result is often a reunion or reconciliation. The latter, by its
nature, is a healing process that usually involves lancing wounds which may have festered for years. This is Chiron
as the "wounded" healer.
Because we have to take our medicine with Chiron, it is sometimes blamed for inflicting pain. To read some delineations,
you might think it was a "malefic," one of the bad guys, in a class with Saturn. Early findings, on the other hand,
indicated that Chiron was a "benefic," one of the good guys. Either way, acting on its own, Chiron is unlikely to change
the course of life.
Deja Vu All Over Again
Transiting Chiron sextile natal Jupiter may bring an invitation to a high school reunion. But Chiron has to act
in concert with other forces to produce anything earth-shaking.
Right now, Chiron is acting in unison with Jupiter and Neptune. Possibly it is subsumed by them but it is not there
by accident. It is part of the cosmic design.
Should old acquaintances cross paths and old flames flare anew, should we revisit the past and decide to tarry, or if
skeletons rattle and sleeping dogs snarl, we'll know that Chiron is on the job and up to its old tricks. We might even
feel the earth move.
George Parker
"Cherchez la femme"
The Asteroid Delila
There are 18,889 named asteroids and dwarf planets and there aren't enough brain cells to keep track of them all.
Their names are legion, literally. Many of them are whimsical but if you scan the list of asteroids, you stand a good
chance of finding one that has your name.
That does not mean it is worth watching (though I keep a weather-eye on the asteroid George). For me, the proof
is in the past -- what happened before, when this "new" asteroid's natal position was activated? Does it even
rate a place on my watch list?
In my birth chart at least, the asteroid Delila passes muster. As you might expect from a critter called Delila,
this asteroid is a femme fatale or a fallen woman, often living in impoverished circumstances. Yours truly met and married
all of the above when slinky Neptune wrapped itself around my natal Delila. We did not live happily ever after.
(Delila is the way it is spelled in the Swiss Ephemeris.)
Making assumptions based on a single transit is not science but neither is relying on "archetypes" to define a celestial
influence, which is what most astrologers do routinely. It's an art, not a science; intuition is important.
Delila was acting up over the July 4 weekend, and it had accomplices galore. Venus conjoined the asteroid Eros,
not to be confused with the dwarf planet Eris -- squaring off with both of them.
Eris is associated with strife, discord, and unrest. And standing at its side was Delila, the seductress.
It is the stuff of soap operas.
People with planets around 21-22 degrees of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) are in the cross-hairs.
This includes people born around April 12, July 14, October 15, and January 12 (but it is not limited to them).
The July 4 weekend was punctuated by a rash of shootings, which fits Eris' profile. Venus, Eros, and Delila may
suggest the motive -- or light a fire in their own right. Squares generate friction and this "square"
between two conjunctions is like rubbing two sticks together. It is just as likely to rub somebody the wrong way.
The energy dissipates as the formation disperses but Eris remains in the same position for most of the year, an indication
of lasting repercussions -- which may result from a "moment of weakness" or an overpowering compulsion.
Our eyes deceive under Delila's spell and we are easily led astray. But Venus also trined adventurous Uranus over
the holiday weekend: an escapade could lead to a new lease on life.
George Parker
Are there more dwarf planets?
So far, three dwarf planets are recognized — Ceres,
Pluto and Eris. The Kuiper belt, which lies about 50 AU from the sun, could hold some 200 more. Beyond that there could be scores of dwarf-planet-sized bodies beyond roughly 100 AU from the sun "that nobody had seen before
due to their faintness and slow motion," said astronomer Chad Trujillo at Gemini Observatory in Hawaii. "Even a body as big
as Mars could be missed in our current surveys if it were moved beyond a couple hundred AU."
From "Enduring Mysteries
of the Outer Solar System." For the complete article, visit http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/071231-mm-outer-mysteries.html
The IAU has classified four celestial bodies as dwarf planets:
- Ceres
 – discovered on January 1, 1801 (16 years before Neptune), considered a planet for half a century before reclassification
as an asteroid;
- Pluto
 – discovered on February 18, 1930, classified as a planet for 76 years;
- Makemake – discovered on March 31, 2005, classified as dwarf planet on July 11, 2008;
- Eris – discovered on October 21, 2003, once referred to as the "tenth
planet" in the media.
* * *
Fifth Dwarf Planet Named
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has just named the solar system's fifth dwarf planet, Haumea, after the
Hawaiian goddess of childbirth and fertility.
The discovery of Haumea was announced in mid-2005, and the object was initially given the provisional designation of
2003 EL61. It is a bizarre object with a shape resembling a plump cigar. Its diameter is approximately the same
as that of the dwarf planet Pluto; however, its odd shape means that it is much thinner. It is also known to be spinning
very fast, making one rotation in about four hours. Some have suggested that this rapid rotation could be the reason
Haumea came to look as it does -- the dwarf planet has been drawn out and elongated by its swift spin.
Haumea sits among the trans-Neptunian objects, a vast ring of distant cold and rocky bodies in the outer Solar System.
At this moment it is roughly 50 times the Sun-Earth distance from the Sun, but at its closest the elliptical orbit of Haumea
brings it 35 times the Sun-Earth distance from our star.
Haumea is the name of the goddess of childbirth and fertility in Hawaiian mythology. The name is particularly apt as the
goddess Haumea also represents the element of stone and observations of Haumea hint that, unusually, the dwarf planet is almost
entirely composed of rock with a crust of pure ice.
Hawaiian mythology says that the goddess Haumea's children sprang from different parts of her body. The dwarf planet Haumea
has a similar history, as it is joined in its orbit by two satellites that are thought to have been created by impacts with
it in the past. During these impacts, parts of Haumea's icy surface were blasted off. The debris from these impacts is then
thought to have gone onto form the two moons.
After their discovery, in 2005, the moons were also given provisional designations, but have now too been given names.
The first and largest moon is to be called Hi'iaka, after the Hawaiian goddess who is said to have been born from the mouth
of Haumea and the matron goddess of the island of Hawai'i. The second moon of Haumea is named Namaka, a water spirit who is
said to have been born from Haumea's body.
IAU press release
According to Philip Sedgwick, Haumea's negative features are: "Dramatic.
Egocentric. A bully disposition. Forces head-on collisions." It is also associated with political "spin."
Today, September 27, Haumea is in 14 Libra 45 -- conjunct Saturn in
the birth chart of the United States.
Haumea currently conjoins your natal Sun if you were born around October
7-8. (It also conjoins Vladimir Putin's Sun.)
Haumea is currently opposite your natal Sun if you were born around
April 3-4. (It also opposes actor Alec Baldwin's Sun.)
Haumea will conjoin George W. Bush's natal Moon-Jupiter conjunction as he
leaves office next January; it has been square his natal Sun for much of this year.
* * *
The Death Chart of Abraham Lincoln
What's In A Name
Years ago I read an article claiming that the names of asteroids could identify persons who were party to an event
-- a wedding, birth, or homicide. Insert their positions in a chart of the moment, and you discover whodunit.
I wrote that off as a load of crap. Odd as it may seem from the content of this page, I'm instinctively skeptical.
My Mercury is in Capricorn, I can't help it. But my Gemini Moon got the better of me. Crap or not, I got
curious.
There are thousands of named asteroids and it is likely that you will find one with your name on it -- or the name of
somebody you know. Find its position when you were born, pop it into your natal chart, and -- bingo! -- lights
flash.
So far, I have found the names of mates in the house of relationships and sorrowful Saturn transiting the names
of lost loves when they got "lost." It is looking less and less crapulous, and more like cosmic synchronicity.
The death chart of Abraham Lincoln illustrates the principle; it is enough to send chills up your spine.
I am using this poignant example because it was precisely timed by Abraham Lincoln's attending physician who recorded
the moment of death as 7:22:12 AM.
The chart is set for 7:22 AM on April 15, 1865, in Washington, DC. It includes the asteroids Lincoln
(the slain president), Booth (the assassin), and Mary (the president's widow).
The asteroid Booth is in the 12th House, the house of secret enemies. This sector
is crowded with planets, an indication of conspiracy. The assassin John Wilkes Booth was a fugitive when Lincoln died,
another matter ruled by the 12th House.
This is also the "house of sorrows." John Wilkes Booth was fatally wounded in the neck (the asteroid Booth is
in Taurus, ruling the throat and neck). Paralyzed from the neck down, he was left to die a slow death.
The asteroid Mary is also in the 12th House, the house of sorrows. Mary hugs
the Ascendant -- as far removed from the asteroid Booth as possible, as though shrinking back in horror. Mary symbolizes
the president's widow, Mary Todd Lincoln, the suddenly former First Lady.
Mary squares the asteroid Juno in the 10th House, representing the office of First Lady. It is a square, denoting
loss of status -- a fall into the obscurity of the 12th House.
The 12th House governs isolation. During periods of bereavement, Mary Todd Lincoln habitually went into seclusion.
Mary is in the Pleiades, the "Weeping Sisters" star cluster: the widow consumed by grief. Mary is void-of-course,
alone and cut off.
The asteroid Lincoln is locked in mortal combat with the Sun and Saturn -- part of
a T-square that involves an opposition of the Sun and Saturn. The Sun governs the life-force, Saturn is
the Terminator. Together, they are a black hole sucking the life out of Lincoln The cause is lost.
There are other factors at work in this chart, of course. But the namesake asteroids add a new, intriguing
dimension -- and something that left me scratching my head.
The asteroid Lincoln is in the 3rd House, the house that governs trips and transportation. Lincoln was murdered
after a short ride from the White House to Ford's Theatre. John F. Kennedy, the last president assassinated,
was shot while riding in a Lincoln automobile. Coincidence or cosmic legacy? American presidents now ride in Cadillacs
and we haven't lost one since.
George Parker
Our Vagabond Moon
The Moon used to be much closer. A billion years ago, the Moon was in a tighter orbit, taking just
20 days to go around us and make a month. A day on Earth back then was only 18 hours long. The Moon is still moving away --
about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) a year. Meanwhile, Earth's rotation is slowing down, lengthening our days. In the distant
future, a day will be 960 hours long!
From "101 Amazing Earth Facts." For the other hundred, visit
 To Sleep, Perchance to
Boink?
If you think it’s impossible to have sex while you sleep, think again, according to a new study.
There are at least 11 different sex-related sleep disorders, collectively referred to as “sexsomnia” or “sleepsex,”
that affect people who are otherwise psychologically healthy—causing them to unknowingly engage in various sexual activities
during the night.
Carlos Schenck, a psychiatrist at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, and his colleagues have studied a number
of behavioral disorders associated with sleep.
“Any basic instinct can come out in the context of sleep,” Schenck told LiveScience. “All sorts
of things can happen.”
Recently, he and his colleagues turned their focus to sex-related sleep disorders. They conducted computerized medical
literature searches for studies published between 1950 and 2006 related to sleep and sexual behavior and looked through a
number of sleep medicine textbooks. They also analyzed data from a previously completed internet survey that had gathered
data from 219 people, 92 percent of whom had experienced multiple “sexsomnia” episodes.
Among other things, they found that people—mostly men—sometimes masturbate, initiate sex with a partner and
reach orgasm during sleep. They usually have no memory of these activities when they wake up, learning about them only if
a partner or roommate tells them. Some of these activities can also have legal consequences, such as if someone initiates
sex without a bed partner’s consent, noted Schenck.
People are at-risk for developing sex-related sleep disorders when they also tend to suffer from other sleep disorders—such
as sleepwalking or sleep terrors, according to Schenck. “Sexsomnia doesn’t come out of nowhere,” he said.
But “for whatever reason, sexual behaviors become part of the repertoire.”
For the complete article, visit http://www.livescience.com/health/070602_sleep_oddities.html
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