Once in a while the stars line up beautifully and we get someone like ….. Ronan Farrow.

Ronan Farrow has been in the news again inspiring us with his talent, courage and amazing productivity. One look at his natal chart explains much.

 

The ruler of his Ascendant is Uranus which falls in a large stellium in mid to late degrees of Sagittarius. This stellium trines Jupiter which inflates and exaggerates all of those Sagittarian influences. The Jupiter/Uranus trine is perhaps the luckiest aspect, and I have written about this aspect here in relation to Donald Trump’s chart.

In Farrow’s case the stellium is in Jupiter’s sign further strengthening the best and perhaps the worst qualities of a Sadge which could include dilletantism, restlessness, inability to follow through on projects and promises, and a tendency to jump to conclusions. But also a voluminous appetite for experience, and in this case, because of his high intelligence, a need for broad based intellectual stimulation.

But the stellium includes Saturn, a very sobering influence which curbs the worst tendencies of Sagittarius by endowing caution, pragmatism. Uranus in the stellium adds some brilliance, a scientific bent and originality and perhaps a maverick quality that encourages his ability to think outside-the-box. A prominent Uranus also can create one who rebels against the norms of his culture and authority in general, and this Uranus is in H10 suggesting a strong motivation to question authority. His Mercury gets a boost of both Uranian and Saturnian energies which he displays with his very articulate and precise speech that is well seasoned with logic and intelligence.

His Mars/Pluto conjunction in Scorpio also helps to curb some of the restlessness and scattering of energies that is so common with a strong Sadge nativity. Scorpio is a sign of great focus and great courage, and this Mars position gives great determination. Pluto in the mix strengthens this resolve and can make for an obsessiveness in pursuit of an objective.

This large of a stellium is quite rare, yet even more extraordinary we find that these four planets are also parallel. And if that weren’t enough to mark this nativity as quite exceptional, three planets are out-of-bounds, those being Mercury, Uranus and the Moon.

Recently astro.com posted an article by Mandy Lockley showing charts of many whistleblowers all of whom have some prominent chart feature on the Galactic Center (26 Sagittarius.) Farrow’s chart qualifies in spades. Here’s the link:

https://www.astro.com/astrology/aa_article160301_e.htm

The chart contains only one square that of Venus and Jupiter. In most cases a chart heavy with trines and having only one square or opposition produces a situation where the person tends to be an underachiever. This happens because they have so many blessings and unearned opportunities early in life that they often do not develop a spiritual muscle. Often they find they a can get by on their charm and a smile or they have unrealistic expectations; then they suffer later in life as a result of their lack of discipline, focus, and realism. It appears that is not the case with Farrow, and the only theory I can offer as to why he seems to have escaped this fate and made the very best of his natal gifts is the position of his Moon’s nodes.

His nodal axis exactly squares his Sagittarius stellium. The school of Evolutionary Astrology believes that when a planet squares the Nodal Axis it is a sign that in the past lifetime, there was a “skipped step” which needs to be mastered in this lifetime. This results in a great need or a karmic destiny to focus on the energies and affairs of that planet’s placement by house and sign. Perhaps this is the force that has motivated Farrow to be so effective in the expression of his Sagittarian gifts of exposing powerful authority figures and the dysfunctions of our institutions through his exemplary journalism.

And last but not least there is an interesting grand trine in Fire if we include the Eris/Jupiter in Aries trine the Black Moon/Orcus/Vesta in Leo and his Moon in Sagittarius. Those of you who work with asteroids and the Black Moon may be able to add a better insight into this configuration than I, so I will stop here.

Trump luck, virtuosity and the Sabian Symbol for 20 Cancer

On the most recent Real Time episode, Bill Maher stated that Donald Trump is extremely lucky. He made this observation in reaction to the fact that Donald Trump now has the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court judge who may well decide that it is unconstitutional to indict a sitting U.S. president. How I love it when people who have no knowledge, interest or respect for astrology validate astrology.

I have been using Trump’s chart as a textbook example a lucky person.  It has been widely commented that Trump seems to have had a great deal of luck throughout life. Trump was born into wealth. His dad taught him the ins and outs of real estate investment and gave him his first million for start-up capital. What other entrepreneur could survive multiple large scale bankruptcies by relying on their father to bail them out?  Trump clearly has survived what would have finished many others with his ambitions. It has been reported that Trump also inherited as much as $20 million from his father. I have been saying for quite some time, that I expect that Donald Trump will never land in jail, no matter what crimes of his may or may not be revealed. Whatever happens to him, even if he should be impeached, the things he holds most dear will not be taken from him.

It’s his Jupiter/Uranus conjunction on steroids that has bestowed this capacity to always land on his feet. Any one with Jupiter trine Uranus in their birth chart will have many opportunities and apparent good luck that seems to propel them toward their desired life goals. The sextile also can be quite helpful in this regard. If other planets are involved in these aspects the good fortune is enhanced. This is especially the case if the Sun, Venus or the Moon’s Nodes are also in the configuration.  The conjunction tends to be less of a luck-bringer and more of a talent-bestower, but it can be quite helpful in putting the native in the right place at the right time.

Trump’s Uranus is conjunct his Sun and his North Node and both trine Jupiter. The Tenth House placement of the Sun/Uranus/N.Node has manifested in Trump’s very public life. Others with this lucky aspect who do not have it in H10 have likely played out their ambitions in less public ways.  The Uranus near the top of the chart is a mark of a maverick – one who  uses unconventional methods and may display rebelliousness and disrespect for authority and rules.

The Jupiter/Uranus trine very close adding to its’ potency. Also adding to the strength of this aspect is the presence of the fixed stars Rigel, Bellatrix and Capella all within 16-21 Gemini. And Jupiter stationed on the day Trump was born.  All of this seems to add fuel to this luck-bringing aspect. The Gemini placement of these planets clearly reflects Trump’s skillful ability to use the spoken word, to use salesman tactics, and to change his mind so frequently.

In my most recent blog I speculated that the Sabian Symbols for eclipse points may point to significant events about to unfold.  I commented that the Sabian Symbol for 20 Cancer, which was the point of the next New Moon eclipse on July 13, could be a harbinger of the political events about to unfold.  That symbol is :

“A Famous Singer Is Proving Her Virtuosity During An Operatic Performance”

It does appear that Trump is indeed dialing up his Gemini talents of spin and self-serving rhetoric. At  recent rallies he is telling his supporters that the economy will crash and they will all be poor if he is ever impeached – a very extreme use of fear mongering. There was a recent report, albeit without any clear proof, that Trump’s anger has become “volcanic.”  Trump has used the word “treason” to describe his view of the betrayals he is experiencing – a very dramatic and extreme choice. Now also a highly respected journalist, Bob Woodward, has used his virtuosity as a reporter to sound a high alarm for what he sees as an extreme threat in the White House.  It does indeed feel as if people are shrieking at the top of their lungs, using their best talents, protesting from both sides of the aisle.

Trees were felled; Trump chopped them down.

In my January 8, 2018 post, I speculated that the Sabian Symbol image for the recent eclipse point at 28.53 Leo on August 21, 2017 was a perfect metaphor for the events that followed in the rise of the Me Too movement and the three devastating hurricanes here in the US.   I added the Sabian Symbol for the next upcoming eclipse that was to happen on 27.07 Aquarius, another point that impacts the USA Sibley chart and President Trump’s natal chart also. That eclipse occurred on February 15, 2018.  In the USA chart this point is closely conjunct the Moon; in Trump’s chart it is exactly on his Descendant opposing his Mars and Ascendant.   Here is the Sabian Symbol for 27 Aquarius:

“A Tree Felled And Sawed To Ensure A Supply Of Wood For The Winter”

I speculated that this metaphor for that eclipse might be an omen of many political firings on Trump’s part. And, indeed, in March Trump lost or fired several close associates and at least one perceived open enemy. The link to Trump’s Descendant clearly implicates open enemies and those with whom he has a one-to-one relationship or those whose role to whom he seeks advice.

Here is a list of firings and resignations that occurred in March of 2018:

FBI Deputy Director, Andrew McCabe,

Veterans Affairs Director, David Shulkin

His lawyer, John Dowd

Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson (resigns)

White House Communications Director, Hope Hicks,  (resigns)

This was an unprecedented number of staff turnovers and firings in a short span of time, and we can imagine that at least one of the resignations may have been forced.

Both of these eclipses were New Moons. The next New Moon eclipse will happen at 20.42 Cancer on July 12, a point that again hits both Trump’s and the US Sibly chart.

In the USA chart it falls very close to Mercury at 25 Cancer, the Part of Fortune at 21 Cancer, and the Vertex at 22 Cancer. In Trump’s chart it falls close to his Venus at 25 Cancer, his Saturn at 23 Cancer and makes an inconjunct to his Moon at 21 Sagittarius. Curiously, it falls in Trump’s eleventh house which may then involve his relationship to the Republican Party. And the inconjunct to his Moon in the the fifth house may implicate one of his children.

And here is the Sabian Symbol for 20 Cancer:

“A Famous Singer Is Proving Her Virtuosity During An Operatic Performance”

Will the players in the political sphere being going all out to demonstrate their worth, their skill, their cunning? Will they be vocalizing their stands, their protests, their policies at maximum volume, extremity and intensity? Will the President feel compelled to create some seemingly phenomenal deal or pass some landmark legislation to reinforce and prove his image as the greatest negotiator?  Will the president succumb to a major falling-out with the GOP? Perhaps this Sabian Symbol image may portend some extreme political grandstanding. I’ll be watching for who, if any, seem to be screaming at the top of their lungs and what their charts show at the 20 Cancer point.

Mars, Pluto and the Black Moon are dancing together.

Over the past week beginning April 24, 2018 these three have been in conjunction in Capricorn, a sign known for a serious outlook, dour moods, and great and sometimes ruthless ambition. These three celestial bodies have something in common: their energies operate to create motivation and drive. They operate very much on the emotional plane and create desire. Mars energy is usually more direct, transparent and conscious than that of Pluto and the Black Moon. Pluto energy can be quite intense, and its aims are to create a sense of mastery and control, to protect and defend, and to delve deep into any and all mysteries. But often its deepest desire is unconscious, and thus it can create obsession and compulsion. All three have influence on our sexual desires and expression. The Black Moon, Lilith, usually operates very unconsciously, and I often call it the “Black Mood” as it often seems to play out that way for me when she transits sensitive points in my natal chart.

I suspect many of us are feeling a pressing urge to get something accomplished, and others may just be feeling frustrated, fearful, or just hopeless and not really sure why. “Urgency” is the word that seems to best fit the mood of this stellium.  The phrase “the drive for power” also comes to mind. But being in Capricorn, we may be able to tap into the Saturnian skills of smart strategizing, political gamesmanship and pragmatic planning as we wrestle with the energies that are surfacing. Or they could also push some among us to express the darker traits of the Capricorn archetype and tempt us to be selfish and exploitative in our relationships with others. How this stellium manifests for you will depend on how it interacts with the points and planets of your natal chart. If these planets are making squares or oppositions to critical points in your chart, I suspect you may find that they are meeting with some difficult obstacles in the attempt to get things done.

Lilith will turn retrograde on April 30 at 28 Capricorn and return to 21 Capricorn on May 8 to again partner up with Pluto. Mars will still be within 5 degrees of Pluto until then so the drama and intensity continues.

The mermaid has emerged

There was much speculation about the Solar Eclipse at 28.53 Leo in late August since it fell so close to the fixed star Regulus and also on Donald Trump’s Ascendant . The Sun and Moon were also was also conjunct Mars, trine Saturn and Uranus for this eclipse making quite a powerful configuration. Astrologers were predicting a “Regulus fall” for Trump in the months shortly after, and we did see some turmoil ensue in Trump’s presidency. We also saw the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and he has at the N.Node about one degree away in Leo and his Sun at 29 Pisces. So perhaps the “Regulus fall” scenarios were in play. The fact that the eclipse was positioned over the U.S suggested that there would be exceptional events in this country as a result of this eclipse. The eclipse also fell exactly opposed to the U.S. natal Moon in the Sibley chart. But many astrologers were puzzled about the extreme hurricane events that did indeed hit the U.S. in the month after the eclipse; they could not see the connection of this extreme water and air events to an eclipse in a fire sign. Perhaps, I thought, the opposition to the U.S Natal Moon had something to do with the extreme weather.

Then I looked at the Sabian Symbol for 29 degrees Leo and perhaps we found an answer for this mystery. It reads:

-A Mermaid Emerges From The Ocean Waves Ready For Rebirth In Human Form-

In the past, I had not been the biggest advocate for the Sabian Symbols, but I am reconsidering that position. This symbol of a mermaid emerging from her hiding under water also seems to very accurately embody the “Me Too” movement that swept like a tsunami through the news in the months following the eclipse. Eclipses are known to exert a powerful influence for several months afterward especially for individuals whose charts are impacted by them. And we saw women stand up, and we saw institutions finally act with authority and fire many who were found to have engaged in sexual harassment in their workplaces. It is as if the Sabian Symbol image of an idea heretofore forced into obscurity has now taken concrete, physical manifestation in the form of an organized movement to end sexual harassment.   And perhaps the weather disasters also were a manifestation of a need for a more concrete acknowledgment of a climate change crisis and a need to structure relief efforts more effectively.

In an earlier post before the 2017 presidential election, I discussed another surprisingly accurate Sabian Symbol.  I noticed that the U.S. was having an Orcus Return almost exactly on the date of the election, and I looked at the Sabian Symbol for that degree at 9 Virgo. Here is the Sabian Symbol text for that degree:

-Two Heads Looking Out And Beyond The Shadows-

The interpretations for this Sabian Symbol suggested the opposing forces of duality in play fighting each other and coming out of “clouds.” However, I could not help but immediately see Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump as “two heads” emerging from a climate of political corruption and the “clouded” secrets, propaganda and pretense of the two opposing political parties. They were two voices for the populace that wants more authentic, honest leadership.

It seems to me this Sabian Symbol is a very accurate metaphor for the entire presidential campaign. A very slow-moving body such as Orcus would have been within one degree of its exact U.S. natal position for most of the campaign. It is interesting that in mythology Orcus is the executioner who kills those who break oaths and is therefore very connected to the concepts of integrity and honesty. The ancient teachings associated with Regulus also speak of downfall for those who break oaths.   Will we see the fall of some who have not kept their word?

Curiously the Sabian Symbol for the next SE at 28 Aquarius coming on February 15, 2018 is:

-A tree felled and sawed to insure  a supply of wood for next winter.-

Will some mighty trees in the political arena be felled over the next few months to ensure the strength of their parties going forward?

Saturn comes to the Galactic Center in late February.

The Galactic Center, or GC, is a point at the center of our galaxy where there is a huge, intensely powerful Black Hole that emits enormous amounts of radio and other frequencies.

It falls at 27 Sagittarius and remains a very fixed point barely moving a degree over my lifetime.  Since astrologers have not been watching this point but for a couple of decades, there is little accepted doctrine about its meaning.

Recently Astrodienst posted an excellent article by Mandi Lockley that illustrated that “whistleblowers” almost always have a planet or significant chart feature at the GC. You can access  this article here:

http://www.astro.com/astrology/aa_article160301_e.htm

Other astrologers have offered some additional insights about the GC, but I am not going to elaborate on those here. What I do want to point out is that transiting Saturn will make an exact conjunction to the GC in late February 2017.   My own view on transits maintains that the influence of the transiting planet is felt before the conjunction is exact. Therefore, if there is a Saturn/GC influence, we have been experiencing it for at least two or three months while Saturn has been within 5 degrees of  26 Sagittarius.

Have we seen a greater effort to squash and inhibit “whistleblowing?”  Has there been a greater effort on the part of whistleblowers to expose wrongdoing?

Chelsea Manning has had her sentence commuted with this transit, and there has been a great deal of attention being paid to “leaks” of all kinds.

 

Orcus, Pallas and Neptune and political activism.

I have been posting here about the USA Orcus return and how I see that as marker for the political changes and the upheavals that are happening in my home country of the USA. I had an article published at the website blog of The Mountain Astrologer last April about this which you can read here:

http://mountainastrologer.com/tma/donald-trump-bernie-sanders-u-s-orcus-return

Here in the USA people are engaging in political activism like never before. The planetary energies that have contributed to the social and economic factors that brought on great disillusionment and frustration are certainly those of the outer slower moving planets. In recent years those include transiting Pluto opposing the USA Sun, Mars, and Venus while transiting Saturn has squared them. Saturn is now making a square to the USA Midheaven, Neptune, and Black Moon.  Also, the long transiting square of Uranus to Pluto over the past decade has marked a time of great frustration and desire for change.

But very recently we had a burst of political activism, certainly catalyzed by the recent  presidential election that occurred exactly with the USA Orcus return. I suggest that a close opposition of Pallas and Orcus may be at work now and over the last month.

Pallas is an asteroid  and therefore its influence will be less profound and of less duration than that of Orcus which falls in a class called Plutinos or minor planets.  It moves quickly through the signs staying only a few months in each sign.  In natal charts I have found Pallas  to be associated with political activism or advocacy work. I have not seen a prominent Pallas often in the charts of politicians in formal roles as elected officials or those who hold other powerful positions in institutions; but rather it seems to show up in charts of people who work behind the scenes or from outside the government often advocating for the underdog or the oppressed.

Orcus contributes to implacability, a fierce and often merciless determination to achieve its ends. Jeremy Neal has written about it in his seminal book Orcus as a force, that like Pluto, is associated with the underworld and with death and regeneration. In some myths, Orcus is an executioner often assigned the task of punishing or destroying the enemy or the ones who have broken oaths.  He is the one appointed to do the deed or execute the strategy that the powerful or the activists have deemed necessary.

This connection to the breaking of oaths is very interesting. Can the oath here be that of the soul’s sacred oath that is determined before it incarnates- that oath being to fulfill a certain spiritual destiny and take on and endure certain challenges or tasks?  Neal feels that Orcus challenges have to do with learning integrity, which is the ability to remain true to one’s principles and moral code.  I suggest that may include being true to our soul’s highest purpose, to that original oath.  Although the dark manifestations of Orcus can bring a blind determination for destroying one’s perceived enemy, it can also manifest in the spiritual transformation through tests of isolation and imprisonment which is the result of acts of moral courage and integrity.  It is a marker for tests that force one to find a core of one’s being and an authentic moral code.  I suspect that the current controversies concerning torture are part of this Orcan influence.

Pallas recently opposed Orcus and came into conjunction with Neptune.  The conjunction to Neptune being exact on January 31, 2017 and the opposition to Orcus on January 27, 2017. The Womens’ March, a remarkable manifestation of activism, was organized just as Orcus made its return to the exact degree and minute in the USA Natal Chart  in November and December of 2016 and also with a recent eclipse degree and the transiting North Node all at 9Virgo.  Pallas was transiting the USA Moon (women?) and was making a sextile to transiting Uranus, a planet of social conscience and collective political undertakings, at that time.

I have been following political news including much of the alternative and independent news outlets as these are the mouthpieces of the most radical elements. This is where many activist movements are often conceived.  Often what shows up in mainstream news or as an actual protest or organized movement had its start a few weeks or months before.  I find it very interesting  that the new Justice Democrats has formalized and gone public exactly with the timing of this Pallas/Orcus/Neptune configuration.

Pallas coming into conjunction with Neptune may also be marking this time of increased involvement in political movements. With transiting Neptune in Pisces, some may be experiencing a greater compassion for those who are not being served well by government policies. While for others this Neptune passage may be causing them to be easily influenced and carried away by their emotions, and causing them to be easily swayed or influenced by certain movements that appeal to sentimentalism or fear. The well-known Neptune trait that is associated with escapism, deception and illusion, and often blind idealism may be assisting the appeal to many social and political extremes. Neptune can be a force for great compassion and service to mankind, but it can also reinforce states of denial and self-deception.

It will be interesting to see if there is another surge of activist activity when Pallas conjoins with transiting Uranus in June of 2017, and perhaps when it again comes into tight aspect with Orcus in 2018 where it will trine Orcus at 10 Taurus.  Neptune will remain in Pisces for years, and its last passage through Neptune occurred in the run-up to the US Civil War. Curiously, many people have voiced that it feels that we are so harshly divided it is as if a civil war may be brewing.