June 2020 Astrology

The retrograde cycle of May is in full effect and will roll right into the month of June.  Much of the violence and unrest that we are seeing at the moment is related to the shakeup of Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto entering into the sign of Capricorn all within months of each other, then going retrograde last month, moving back toward the sign of Sagittarius.  As things shake up and a new order is created, the masses will naturally try to reach for things they found familiar when these planets were in Sagittarius.  Anit lockdown protests resemble Tea Party protests and the racial rioting is very similar to what happened in Ferguson.  The old systems and methods are dying, so are the old ways of trying to change them.  When the planets go direct at the end of Summer, there will be some glimmers of change, but it will take years for everything to settle into place.

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June 12th Mars, Moon, Neptune conjunction in Aquarius

Neptune has been transiting the sign of Aquarius for a while now, about seven years to be exact.  Neptune transits are long ones, so the day to day of this is not particularly relevant unless the planet is either going retrograde or direct.  Even if Neptune is transiting one of your personal plantes, like Mars, Venus, the Moon Sun or Ascendant, it can take up to a year to feel its full effects.  I think that planets like Neptune, Uranus and Pluto come into play when they are contacted by one planet, plus the Moon.  Interestingly enough, this is what happened the night of the 2016 presidential election, but that conjunction involved the South Node of the Moon.  That night, the media was exposed for their overzealous support of Hillary and the world was thus shocked by the results of the election.  The energy to this is similar with the Mars transit, but will most likely involve some sort of truth being revealed by the media that will make people very angry.  Keep an eye on the news this day.

June 18th Mars enters Pisces and Mercury goes retrograde

Continuing with Mars transits, which seems to have been determining the eb and flow of how people react to outbreak quarantines, entered into Aquarius on May 6th.  This effectively signaled the beginning of the end of popular lockdown cooperation.  When Mars enters the sign of Pisces, it enters into a water sign and takes on the traits of deep emotional upheaval.  There are no other major planets conjuncting Mars at this time, but if you have any planets in the sign of Pisces, especially your natal moon, this is a time that you will need to watch out for yourself and be careful with your interactions.  Tempers tend to flare and deep seeded issues with thoughts and emotions can arise during this time.

I tend to think that Mercury going retrograde gets more attention than it deserves.  I’m not trying to downplay its importance, but I see people blaming all of their problems on it from tripping over a rock to making a bad cake.   A retrograde mercury affects communication, travel and technology.  Since our everyday life depends on this, it can cause some issues if you decide to book a trip, or have a major presentation during this time.  I have seen my fair share of server crashes during my day job as an IT tech during a retrograde Mercury, so this is a good time to have backups of your backups, including alternate plans.  Since this retrograde is happening in the sign of Gemini, there is a good chance that mass communications will be affected.


June 21st: Solar Eclipse

Solar eclipses are a big deal in Mundane Astrology which is astrology affecting the masses.  The last solar eclipse was December 26th was in the sign of Sagittarius and conjunct at five other planets in.  A solar eclipse sets the tone for the next six months, and you can see how all that energy poured out during the time of the Outbreak.   This next eclipse will be happening in the sign of Gemini, and since it is so close to Mercury going retrograde, I am getting the feeling that one of the major themes of this eclipse will be how mass communications and media will change in the next six months.  With so many people working from home and relying on the internet, it is looking like many of these changes will become permanent for many people.  

June 24th: retrograde Jupiter conjunct retrograde Pluto

Jupiter went retrograde last month on the 13th and is going to make it’s second of three conjunctions with Pluto this year. Jupiter goes retrograde every year, so it’s not exactly a rare event.  What is rare is when it makes contact with one of the outer planets, such as Uranus, Pluto or Neptune, which happens once every 12 years.  When a planet goes retrograde, it tends to have the energy of it’s placement of the sign it was in before it. In this case, that would be Jupiter in Sagittarius.  The symbolism of a retrograde planet shows that there is a tendency to try to go back to the time when it was in it’s previous sign, before it goes forward again and applies any lessons learned during the retrograde cycle.  Juputer is right on the cusp of Capricorn and Sagittarius, which gives it much more energy and trafiguative effect.  Pluto represents power and how it is wielded and when it contacts Jupiter, heavy handed tactics could ensue.  Is this a time where we could see full martial law imposed on the country?  Perhaps, but I’m not fully banking on that one because Mars is not in the mix.  It could also show many secrets being exposed around law,


June 25th: Venus goes direct in Taurus

Have you noticed how many movie theaters, event complexes and shows have been shut down during the pandemic?  One transit that I find interesting is Venus in Taurus.  Venus is the planet that goes retrograde the least often, so I think that it’s retrograde cycle tends to mean more.  Taurus is the sign of entertainment, art and beauty and is ruled by Venus, so they have the same basic meanings.  That means that this transit focuses almost directly on Venusian things.  You can also lump things like money and relationships with Venus.  It seems like American pop culture has become stagnant for a long time, being lulled into mass produced corporate entertainment with only the bottom line in mind.  Now is the time where we are going to see much of that begin to change.  Creative expression is going through a restructuring at the moment, creating a new wave of culture.  It’s not uncommon for relationships to get shooken up in one way or another during a retrograde Venus.  Old lovers come back into the picture, relationships end or begin.  I can always take a look at your chart to give more context.

June 29th: Pluto and Jupiter go back into Sagittarius. 

This is a big one, not just that Jupiter and Pluto are going into the sign at the same time, but the fact that it takes Pluto 15 to 20 years to transit a sign and to have it done with a Planet like Jupiter that takes a year to do the same is very rare.  It’s a very meaningful, if not backward expression of power and authority reminiscent of how things used to be when Pluto was in Sagittarius.  Technically, both of them will still be conjunct from the 24th, so this day could bring some big surprises surrounding the same themes

Lunar Nodes: The Karmic Compass

When we talk Astrology, we generally are referring to signs, planets and houses and how they relate in the birth chart.  Not every point in the chart, however, has a physical object associated with it.  For instance, the most important point on the chart is the ascendant, which is nothing more than the point rising on the eastern horizon at the time of birth.  The Lunar nodes are like the ascendant: mathematical points in the sky that represent the lunar and solar eclipse points. They act like a compass, each being exactly one hundred and eighty degrees from each other.   Perpertaully retrograde, they move counter clockwise around the chart, unfolding our Karma.  

The north node of the moon is called Rahu and the south node is called Ketu.  In Vedic mythology, the demon Rahu tricked the god Bhrama, standing in line to drink the nectar of the gods, Soma.  Just as the demon was about to take a drink, Bhrama took the Sun and cut the demon in half, separating the head from the body.  The head got a taste of Soma, but never got to experience it's results because it was separated from the body before it could swallow, so Rahu represents a constant hunger that can never be satisfied. Ketu, the south node, represents the body of the demon.  It works thought detachment and cuts us off from out material existence to appreciate spirituality.   Wherever Rahu is placed in the chart, we have an intense passion and tend to be pulled toward this direction in our lives,  Wherever Ketu is place represents where our past life Karma has been accrued.  We tend to go to that place because it feels natural to us, like returning to your bed after a long trip away from home.

The Lunar nodes change signs about every year and a half.  In 2017, Rahu will move into the sign of Cancer and Ketu will move into the sign of Capricorn.  When the nodes change signs, it signals a change of direction in our lives, depending on the houses that are impacted.  For instance, if your ascendant is located in the sign of Capricorn, Ketu will be moving into the first house and Rahu will be moving into the seventh house.  Each house of the zodiac exists with it's opposite located 180 degrees from itself, which represents an axis related to the subject matter of the houses.  In this example, the first house represents our-self and the 7th house represent how we relate to other people.  For a year and a half, relationships tend to be the main focus of our lives, especially of you are in a Rahu or Ketu dasha.   

As a general rule, the house placement of a planet is more important than the sign placement.  This is because the house placement is dependent on the placement of the Sun, Moon or the Ascendant, whereas a planet will be in the same sign for everyone born on that day.  When I do a consultation, I like to look at the positions of the nodes to get an idea of your passions and areas of comfort.  For instance, a person with Rahu in the 10th will put passion into work, which would cause difficulties at home with Ketu in the forth.  When we read our charts, we want to keep in mind that the ascendant represents the body, the Moon is our mind and  how we feel about things and the Sun is our sense of self.  Using the above example, the person could have the Rahu in the 10th from the ascendant and have a passion for work.  If it was in the 12th house from the moon, the person would FEEL like they were losing a of jobs and feel restless at work.  If this transit was in the same house of the Sun, they would get a huge ego boost from the transit.

September Sky Watch

The month of September comes in with a bang after the Great American Eclipse in August.  September 4th and 5th are going to be days we should keep our eyes on.  If you have recently caught my broadcast on "Ask An Astrologer", you can see the concern that I had for both of these dates, which involves the planet Mars and it's transit to the eclipse point at five degrees of Leo.

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9/4 Mercury Comes Out of Retrograde at Eclipse Point

Whenever there is an eclipse, the point in the chart where the eclipse occurs creates a "tripwire" in the sky that become sensitive to the transits of other planets. . In this case, the trip wire will be triggered by the planet Mercury.  Instead of tripping, however, the planet will be standing on the trip wire.  This is because Mercury will be coming out of retrograde on the 4th at the point of the eclipse.  Next to transits, the stationary points of the retrograde pattern tend to be the biggest predictors of events.  You can expect a lot of poor communication related to the government, TV, media and travel.  If you were personally effected by the eclipse, avoid travel on this day.

9/5 Mars Transits Eclipse Point

This is the transit that we want to keep a close eye on this month.  Mars is a violent planet and often acts as a trigger because it is also the planet of action.  9/11 happened when Mars transited the  eclipses point of 2001.  What should be of particular concern is that this trigger will be happening the day after Mercury coming out of retrograde at the same point, forming a conjunction.  Violent event could be triggered by poor communication around the government, or the government's response to this event will severely tested.  In many ways, this will be test for Donald Trump because his natal Mars is located at four degrees of Leo.  What transpires could make or break his presidency.

9/12 Jupiter enters Libra

Jupiter takes about a year to transit a sign.  It's transit is generally a good one, which can brings luck, expansion and fortune to the house it occupies.  Last year, Jupiter was in an enemy sign, meaning that it does not do as well in the sign of Virgo as it would in a home sign like Sagittarius.  If you are currently in your Jupiter Maha or Antar Dasha, this is the planet you need to follow.  A good example of the power of transit combined with the Dasha system was the election of Donald Trump.  I swear, I will be using this dude's chart for years to come.  During the election and Donald was going though a Sade Sati, or the transit of Saturn over his natal moon.  Most people have their lives turned around for the worse during this time, but Donald was able to win the Presidency.  Jupiter was conjunct his natal Jupiter in the month of November, just as his switch into his Jupiter Dasha cycle.  Now, Jupiter will generally do better in the sign of Libra, as it works to seek balance and law takes center stage.

9/18 Moon, Mars and Mercury Conjunct Leo Opposite Neptune in Aquarius

As if we did not have enough going on this month, here comes a major conjunction of three planets in the already overworked sign of Leo.  Making sense of conjunctions and oppositions takes some work because in many cases, we have more than one planet or one kind of aspect contributing to the formation.  In this case, we look at what the meaning of three planets together, opposed Neptune is.  When the Moon, Mars and Mercury are conjunct, it can show some issues with aggressive communication and feeling of change in the house that Leo is associated with.  While opposed Neptune, it generally involves a secret being reveled, especially if this is on the 12/6 house axis.  From a mundane perspective, we are looking at Leo vs Aquarius, which shows the relationship between rulers and the people.  I would not be surprised if we saw some huge government secrets come out around this day, especially related to hacking or cyber warfare.


9/20 Jupiter Opposed Uranus

The Jupiter Uranian oppositions has been one of the key features throughout 2017, going mostly unnoticed as people keep an eye on politics.  There have been so many advances this year in the field of medicine, like the first administered gene therapy treatment for cancer and the talk of genetically manipulated babies becoming a reality.  This is going to be the final opposition for the year as Jupiter makes it's way into the sign of Libra.  Pay attention to any news related to science and technology.  Apple is holding an release party this month to debut new features on the I-phone 8, which will include the first mass production of facial recognition technology.  If you are currently running in a Jupiter Dasha, then this opposition will lead to some of your best and innovative ideas in the houses involved.

9/28 Stationary Pluto

Pluto changes direction every year and is retrograde about half the time.  Since it is such a slow moving planet, I only give it consideration when it changes signs or aspects another planet.  Pluto stationing near a full or new Moon will can bring up issues related to the subconscious.  Pluto represents out link the the underworld, or the vast well of experience that lie outside of our regular perception.  That is why this is a hard planet to understand.  It also represents complete upheaval, so if there is a Plutonian transit going on in the chart of a country, expect that matters related to this planet will be turned upside down.  A good example that needs more study is that Pluto return, which happens every 256 years.  It is said that the average lifetime of an empire is about 250 years, so keep an eye on the United States, which is about to go through it's first Plutonian return.  Of course, many empires have lasted over 250 years, so Pluto's return could signal a major change in government.

The Great American Eclipse of 2017

August 21, 2017 

Are you as big of an astronomy junkie as I am?  i mean, I am an astrologer at heart, but I think that having a healthy appreciation for the science of the heavens helps the practice.  It really is an almost once in a lifetime event to witness a solar eclipse without having to travel.  I saw an almost total solar eclipse when I was living in Flagstaff a few years ago.  Go ahead, look at it without the glasses!  I dare your!  Actually, forget that I mentioned that.  I don't want to be responsible of any blindness that occurs.

So why is this eclipse so important astrologically?  Well, to start out with, we should look at the path of the eclipse below:

 

Do you see how it is almost exactly bisecting the continental United States?  The shadow of an eclipse generally predicts the place where events will unfold for the next six month relative to the eclipse itself.  So, for instance, the epoch of the eclipse is going to be over southern Illinois.  This could indicate an earthquake centered around the New Madrid fault.  Earthquakes do not always happen with eclipses, but when Mars transits the point in the zodiac where the eclipse occurred, it tends to trigger a violent event. This eclipse will be taking place at 5 degrees of Leo in the Vedic Zodiac.

Why is this point so important?  It is because it contains the star Regulus.  This is one of the most powerful points in the sky and is analogous to the heart of the lion, in this case Leo.  Leo is a sign of pride, leadership, kings, politics and self assurance.  Regulus is one of the four royal stars of Persia, the other being Antares, Fomalhaut and Aldebaran.  Any point on the birth chart in conjunction or opposition of this start bestows great power.  Having an eclipse here is going to bring forth unexpected events related to the areas of life this star represents.

Guess who has this fixed star prominent in his chart?  President Donald Trump!  His ascendant and the planet Mars are very close to this sign.  

 

As far as his chart is concerned, this is a make or break month for the man and the United States as s whole.  Are there any truths that Donald is hiding, or are there secret factions of the government working against him in a peaceful coup attempt?  An eclipse is the type of event that would bring that energy out.

If you want to know if this even will impact your chart, feel free to book a consultation and we can look to see if you have any planets in that area of the sky.  The impact will be related to the planet and the angle to the eclipse.  Remember that this will also effect the opposite side of the zodiac, which will be around 5 degrees of Aquarius.  Remember that you want to use a tight orb with eclipses and fixed starts, I would not give it more than three degrees, that that might be too much.

The Month of August 2017

By any standard, August is going to be a very active month astrologically.  First, we have what is being called "The Great American Eclipse"  This event is so rare and prolific, that I am going to cover it in another post.  Saturn is going to be stationing at 27.4 degrees Scorpio and going direct after being in Scorpio for a couple of months.  The Lunar Nodes Rahu and Ketu will be changing signs and moving into Cancer and Capricorn.  Uranus will be going stationery retrograde at 4 degrees Aries.  The full moon will be occurring at 21.20 degress capricorn in the Nakshatra of Shravana.

Uranus goes Stationary Retrograde on 8/2

Uranian energy is unpredictable and difficult to control.  I do not place to much emphasis on a retrograde Uranus in a persons birth chart because the it is retrograde at least half of the year.  When this planet is stationary, however, it is a different story.  A stationary Uranus in a natal chart tends to show a person who is intelligent, fiercely individualistic and an out of the box thinker.  If this planet is making a conjunction with any natal planets around four degrees of Aries, you can bet that there will be some unexpected events related to the planet involved.  If you have your moon here, this is going to be one of the most emotionally erratic times of your life.  Mars can indicate action, accidents and changes. Venus can show some upheaval in the love love and so on.

The outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are used to predict changes in society.  In 2012, Uranus began to square Pluto.  We can see this in the current upheaval the world is experiencing.  The world order created in the early 1960's during the last Uranian/Pluto conjunction is dissolving into an new era of innovation in individuality.  

Mercury Retrograde on 8/12

Ah, the dreaded Mercury retrograde.  Probably one of the most over-rated events in Astrology.  Mercury retrograde tends to mess with the things that Mercury represents like technology, communication and travel.  In western society we rely on technology for almost everything, so any disruption is going to have a huge impact.  If you have Mercury retrograde in your natal chart, however, this is the time when you are going to be the most productive and have some of your best ideas.  Mercury retrograde effects those with planets in the signs of Gemini and Virgo the most because of sign ruler-ship.  If you have any placements around 17 degrees of Leo, then you will feel the effects in the corresponding house.  If Leo rules your fifth house, then this will effect communication with children.

Saturn Stationary Direct on 8/25

  

When I do my Astrology Periscopes, one of the things I stress is the importance of planetary stations. Other than planets changing signs, it is the most important factor in making predictions based on their position. When a planet stations, it concentrates the energy of that planet on that particular part of the sky.  Planets that are in conjunction or opposition of the station will feel the effects the most.  Saturn is limiting and focusing by nature.  I have noticed a pattern.  People that have had planets placed from 25 Scorpio to 3 Sagittarius have had the most difficulty this Summer.  Any planet in this range are going to transited by Saturn at least three times, so naturally the effects will be intense.  How does this work?  The original transit will trigger an event in life that will force the effects of Saturn, such as limitation, karma, or the end of a relationship.  The retrograde transit point us toward looking inward an making adjustments.  When the planet goes direct, the time for introspection is over and the time for readjustment is at hand.  

The Nodes of the Moon Change Signs on 8/17

About every year and a half, the nodes of the Moon, Rahu and Ketu change signs.  These two points in the sky represent a karmic axis.  The north node of the moon represents intense desire, lust and obsession. The south node of the moon represents detachment, obscurity and void.  The nodes are always moving in retrograde motion and in Yoga, they represent that unwrapping of the Kundalini energy.  This is why they are directly linked with Karma.  Rahu (the north node) in you chart represents that direction you are going in this incarnation, while Ketu (the south node) represents where you have been in past incarnations.  The nodes are always 180 degrees from each other, so I like to think of it as a compass needle, with the north node showing where you should be focusing your attention.  I will be covering this event in a separate article.

The Great American Eclipse 8/21

 

On August 21, the fist total solar eclipse will since 1918 will be visible from the continental United States. Astrologically speaking, this is a big one.  The path of the solar eclipse will start in Oregon and work it's way through the center of the country, exiting through Georgia.  I'm going to cover this one in another article because I think it's the most significant astrological event of the year.  Part of this is because of the eclipse will be conjunct the star Regulus, the star of kings and leadership, which is at approximately 5 to 6 degrees of Leo.  If you have any planets here or in opposition, get ready for upheaval and supreises.  

So You Think You're Special?

After being an astrologer for over a decade and doing thousands of charts, there is a definite pattern we all have in common.  Those who begin to practice astrology want to know more about themselves.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with this because it is the first step we take in being a student in the astrological sciences.  I absolutely believe that any astrologer needs to know themselves in order to understand others.  When you begin to study your own birth chart, patterns seen in it will reveal themselves in other’s charts and will ultimately develop that natural bond between client and consultant.

I remember when I started my path in astrology, I spent many hours scouring the internet and books, trying to understand every microscopic detail of my chart.  "What do I have that makes me special?" is a question that drove me to learn more.  Many students will then stop at this point before they decide to go on with professional consultations.  There is a confidence hurdle that needs to be overcome when reading someone else's chart.  Once that confidence is obtained, the student becomes the practitioner.

                                        Nikola Tesla

                                        Nikola Tesla

   

So, when I look at charts of famous people, I ask what sets them apart from others.  I have seen so many wonderful charts in my life of people who you think would be famous.   The answer to this question is simple: No matter what is seen in someone’s natal chart, they still have free will to use or misuse their talents.  Some of the greatest people may have the most difficult charts.  Also, keep in mind,  fame is in the eye of the beholder.  One example I like to use is Nikola Tesla.  He is now famous for many of his innovations, almost to the point of scientific cult hero; however, this did not happen until many years after his death.  His personal life was very troubled and he was an extreme introvert.  These qualities did not make for a famous person during the time when he was alive.  Now he holds a high place in scientific society.

Astrology, to me, is driven by context. I can look at any particular individual’s chart, but until I know the context of that chart, I will never know what qualities may be underutilized.  When looking at your own birth chart, take a closer look at your frame of mind and pay attention to what you are focusing on.  Are you paying too much attention to difficulty and not looking for hidden talents?  You are and will always be the totality of your chart, not just one or two major aspects.   

 

The Astrology of Donald Trump

In the last few decades of politics, I can reasonably argue there have been few people more controversial than Donald Trump.  I have been following the astrology of this man since he announced his candidacy in 2015. To put it frankly, we are dealing with someone, who in my opinion, follows along the lines of Julius Caesar as far as power, scope and potential to change the world order.  There are many astrological indicators to his rise to power and what he will be like as a president.  I will show through the following article, that this man's fate is deeply intertwined with the United States of America.

First, let’s start with the Trumpster's birth chart.  He was born in Jamaica, New York on June 14, 1946 at 10:45 am.

 

                                            I like to use a combination of Vedic and Western techniques in my chart interpretations 

                                            I like to use a combination of Vedic and Western techniques in my chart interpretations 

What sticks out the most to me is the geometry in his chart.  You can see in the left hand wheel chart that there is what is referred to as a "wedge formation" in the shape of a triangle.  Most notably, his ascendant is conjunct with the fixed star Regulus.  Regulus is one of the four "Royal Stars" in the sky.  Any planets that have conjunctions with these stars tend to lead to fame, fortune and importance in life.  Regulus is the king maker and the king breaker.  Donald announced his candidacy the very day Venus and Regulus conjunct over his ascendant.  This leads me to believe Donald Trump has an astrologer working  for him.

Fast forward about a year or so, just before the conventions, when Donald had enough delegates  win the Republican nomination.  I took a closer look at his chart and made the prediction that this man would become President.  To make this prediction, I looked at the charts of the current nominees and fit them into what I thought was the context of the electorate at the time, which was anti-establishment.  It was either going to be Trump or Bernie Sanders, who both fit this profile.  Donald, however, has no political experience and had already taken down the Republican establishment. So in my opinion, there was no reason to think that he would not go all the way through the general election and to the presidency.  

Donald is a man that broke the system, and I think will continue to change things in a dramatic way throughout his presidency.  The synastry between his natal chart and the natal chart of the United States is unbelievable.  I will be doing an article in the near future about what we can expect from his presidency.

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