Wednesday, November 30, 2005

On Astrology & Clarity VERY IMPORTANT

The following is in reply to an astroblog posting by one Aura Wright; her "open letter" is really a retort to comments made by me within the larger context of discussion taking place on the "Astrologer's Water Cooler" at yahoogroups.com. As I was just purusing the Net, as I sometimes do, I happened to see this blog posting (http://www.astrologychick.com/b2/, Oct 30 2005 Entry; scroll down a bit and you'll see it); never one to just let one side have their say, I thought to present here, to the readers, "the rest of the story".

I leave it to the readers to decide for themselves, the left and right of things. As Always, I prefer Clarity, to Agreement.

Here is the unedited, uncut version, of what REALLY happened...

As always, comments, invited.

Reply To Gayle Andrea, Mu On Astrology & Morality - Aura

10:17 PM 11/8/05 Tue

Hi Aura, Ladies,

Read your comments and gave them a bit of thought; I'd like to respond to what you said, both to me and your comments addressed to Gayle. But before I do that, I'd just like to point out a few things.

This will be the second time we will attempt a dialogue; in light of that, I took the liberty of looking up your chart, and as I thought, you have Neptune prominent, rising in the Scorpio Asc. Moreover, Neptune exactly opposes Mercury, which, I don't need to tell you or anyone else, "muddies" the communicative powers of Mercury, don't you agree? I say that to say that perhaps the major problem between us, if we have any problem at all, is in the way in which we think and communicate. For me, data, information and accuracy with same is what is most important; for you, from what I've gathered here, "compassion" is important. Come, let's sit down and see what we can make of all this here...

In the interest of full disclosure and fairness (please keep in mind that I have more planets in Libra than any other Sign) here's my birthdata, in case you don't already have it:

Dec 2 1968 9.43AM EST Phila, PA; 15 Ca 25, Placidus

You'll kindly notice that I have virtually no Water at all in my chart, although I do have Neptune angular and at my Sun/Moon midpoint (that's if you use Midpoints, and I'm not sure you do); your chart, by contrast, is Water rich. That's conflict number one.

Next, note that my Asc ruling Saturn is in the 3rd House "heavy thinking" - and opposes Mars in the 9th. I pride myself on logic, debate, and focused thinking. Extraneous things are not only a distraction to me, but they also get in the way of accurate information being imparted. Again, contrast this with your very prominent - and exact - Mercury-Neptune opposition. Hmm.

Both my Moon and Venus are in Earth Signs, the latter squared by chart ruling Saturn; in your case, the Moon and Venus are in Water Signs, with the Moon in Cancer at that. Contrary to what you may think you know about my Venus-Saturn square, it's been much more of a friend than an enemy, once I got the hang of it. It keeps me focused on what;s really important, that "commonsense" wisdom that just doesn't seem to be so common these days. With all that Moon-Venus Water, along with a Water Asc and Neptune all over both your Mercury and Sun, I can see why you would open up your post to me and Gayle in the way that you did, focusing almost entirely on how you feel about HOW I say what I say, not WHAT I said; to date, you nor anyone else who have taken issue with that which I have said (and this definitely includes Gayle) has actually presented chart cases contrary to my premise. Hmm.

The Male planets in your chart seem to be a bit "muffled", if I may - the Sun is opposed Neptune, "watered down", and Mars is Rx. It would be interesting to see what kind of male clients you have, if they are more the classic Martian type or the more Clintonian "I feel your pain"/Metrosexual type. Hmm. I'm open to possibility that perhaps, we have something to learn from each other? Come, let's see...

A: To Mu - it does nothing to help you make your point when you insult theperson you are writing to. Isn't this the exact thing that you are criticizing womenfor doing?

MU: Aura, please point out to me, specifically, who I've insulted, exactly what I've said that was insulting, and what that if anything, has to do with the issues at hand? Who's character have I impunged? Please explain?

A: Kindness goes very far in the lives of us mere humans. I feel the need torepeat the oft quoted statement that 'nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.'

MU: Yea, I'm familiar with the quote. There are lots of incompetent, yet nice people in the world. I'll take the jerk who's excellent in his craft any day of the week. More on this point below...

A: Just because a person's individual choices are their own, doesn't mean we can'thave some compassion for the challenges they face - I don't mean indulgence or co-dependency, I mean compassion - that great salve to humanity that is and hasbeen the balm for the masses given by all the great masters who have walked thisearth - Mohommed, Jesus, Buddah - you name it. Perhaps your intellect and superiorperspective on the world has taken you above the need to pay attention to suchthings as compassion, caring and humanism - but I doubt it.

MU: Again, here's where our charts are talk at each other, and not to each other - compassion and feelings may be your focus, but it's not mine, and by that I mean, that to me it's beside the point to feel one way or another about a given thing; for me, the issue is whether the analysis is accurate or not. So, when I talk about Venus-Pluto aspects and women, the issue is whether what I said accurate or not, not whether you or anyone else is offended about that or not. Thus far, what I said about the matter has held a considerable amount of water (keep reading on) and to date, again, for the umpteenth time, neither you nor anyone else hasn't presented a single chart to refute that which I said. You mention some things about men below that I saw, and had no problem personally with at all, because I know you weren't talking about me - you couldn't be talking about me, because you don't know me - so I have no need or reason to get all undone about the issue. More and that below.

A: Besides, I cannot recall any great leader or master who ever taught that intellectual superiority and bashing the heads in of those who don't meet your standards is the path to enlightenment for you or your target. Anyway, he who sheds no light of compassion on others rarely earns it from them either. But, then, maybe this is what you are allergic to.

MU: Then you obviously haven't studied at a real ashram or for that matter a dojo; I have (the latter; Aikido) and I can tell you, I know what it is to study under a taskmaster, and it made me the better for it. I have a drill sargent's mentality so I tend to approach life as if it were one big Paris Island, and I am the first one to admit that I'm not for everybody. Go figure. In any event, I don't recall asking for compassion, feelings, or forgiveness from you or anyone else.

What I'm allergic to is so much of the BS that passes itself off for right thinking in Astrology today, and that's what I'm providing a counterbalance for.

A: A closed heart is a closed heart is a cold place to live. My experience shows me thatpeople who crystallize their emotions into the cold, hard ice crystals of pureintellect are themselves frozen and unable to feel that which lies beneath the surface of their existence - some deep wound or pain must still be healed. But first it must bemelted. Usually those who cannot feel their own wounds are the ones most likelyto perperate the same crimes they have experiences upon others. Of course I cansee the comfort that intellectual bullying can give to such a person - when activelyengaged in bludgoning the head of someone else, you are not required to lookinward.

MU: This is the second time you've attempted to analyze me - astrologically or otherwise - with very, very limited information or perspective. Instead of actually dealing with the merits or the lack therof of my arguments - that's what logicians do, don't you know - you seem to fixate on me, my childhood, my this and my that. That's very, very soft, assumptive reasoning Aura, and you must learn - or should I say, unlearn - such things.

Far from having a cold heart Aura, I'm one of the most warmest people you could know, it's just I know how to prioritize. This forum is not the place for me to get all mushy like I would in private with my woman, you know what I mean? A time and place for everything, and everything in its place.
Your experience - or the distinct lack thereof - shows me that you have at best a very limited exposure to folks - let me be much more specific - Black folks like me. In fact, I'm certain that while I know I could do your chart, I have serious doubts as to whether you could do mine, in a way that actually speaks to my sensibilities, honors my experiences, and brings those funny little symbols we all use into the proper context of my life. It's this lack of experience with folks that makes being accurate with the astrology all that much more harder, and yea that might be offensive to you, but if you rose above that, you could find the gift that could bring you as well. No pain, no gain.

And again, this notion of my being an intellectual bully, of not looking inward and the rest of it, just sounds like a series of highbrow copouts for not doing the rigourous work of thinking and hard questioning of what we believe, why we believe it and whether any of it actually works in predictable ways. Simply put Aura, I'm NOT the astrologer archetype you and so many others here are used to, and you need to get used to that different vibe, because things have changed in a big way. I'm simply not buying a lot of the BS that's been proferred in astrology these days - I need to see evidence, data, and accuracy, and there's no amount of Three Card Monty BS excuses for not following through on any of this - you either can produce the goods, or you can't. The Old Jedi Mindtrick, new agey rap doesn't work on me, nor does the PC crappola old party line.

As for bashing heads in, hey, some people's heads are softer than others...is that my fault? LOL
A: Gayle: You're right that there are particular challenges faced by women thatmen rarely understand. If anything, many of them are envious that someone shouldwant us for sex purely and be willing to offer money for it. Few things are morerepulsive than a man who wishes he could be a whore!

MU: This is the second time that you have mentioned such a thing about at least some men; I know of no such men, and I'm pretty certain that I know at least as many men as you do. On what do you base this point of view? What objective evidence can you point me to that confirms this? Or this purely subjective and emotive? Please explain?

A: I personally do not buy the argument that because more aspects operate sexuallyon men that they are then excused from any form of self-control or self-mastery.Being a predator is inexcusable under any circumstance.

MU: I don't know where you, Gayle or anyone else got this notion from; I certainly did not say this. And I agree with you, there is no excuse for criminal behavior. None. That being said, the Magis are right when they say that there are more Sexual Aspects at work on men than women, which explains a lot of things on that score. Now, I know that's something that you can't swallow, but it's true. Trust it. Accept it. It's true. Afterall, with your Venus=Mars/Pluto and Venus ExDek you'd think this would be oldhat for you, but go figure.

In any event, what women have to get through their heads is that men have a different response to sexual stimuli than they do, by and large. This is why that old, tired "I should be able to walk down the street naked" argument is so old and tired - because it sounds great in theory but falls apart in actual fact in the real world. Say what you will, but for folks that are fully realized adults, they know how the real world works, and if ever a woman did that, she would be at the very least ogled, if not groped or worse. That's just the way it is. Men have different sexual responses than women do, and it's downright ridiculous for a woman to expect a man to respond in the same way she would. What needs to happen is a return to a healthy respect for the ways in which both sexes respond to such stimuli. Of course, this alone will probably offend you and/or others, but get over it, you'll live.

A: This is why I make great pains to teach my female clients - especially my younger ones - which male aspects to bevery, very careful around. Namely Saturn- Mars challenges, but especially anysquares to Juno from Venus, Mars, Saturn, Pluto, Uranus or Neptune. My own (veryextensive) experiences with rapists (several of whom have been imprisoned) have always implicated Juno squares in the man's chart. The Juno square seems to equal a desire that some men are unwilling to control. Why society says it is the woman's job to control the desires of the male sex - who are physically stronger - is completely beyond me. And again it lacks that one, very profound word - compassion.

MU: Now, note above that you make mention of a particular planetary combo that is supposed to be involved in the charts of spousal abusers, Mars-Saturn. Now, I have a very prominent and hard Mars-Saturn aspect in my chart. Am I in any way offended by what you said? Of course not! For one, you don't know me, and for two, I've never done the things you speak about above. Now, why is it that you and other ladies can't or won't seem to have the same degree of detachment and objectivity when I bring up such things like the Venus-Pluto aspects and women's charts, hmm?

Anyway, your laundry list above seems to cover the planetary gamut, including Juno. Hmm. Too many pipes only serve to stopup the drain. In my experience, I've found that both abusers and their victims tend to have Mars-Pluto combos very prominent in some way. Take OJ Simpson, for example - whether he actually killed his ex or not will forever be debated, but what is documented is that he did beat her up. Look at his chart, with Mars in the 10th and wide sextile Pluto in the 12th. Hmm. I'd be very interested if you tested out what I just said on the charts of the abusers you have in your database, and holla back with the results.

As far as men and controlling themselves go, correct me if I'm wrong, but for the most part, even today, don't men make and pass and enforce most if not all the laws that govern society? I think we men do a fairly good job of keeping our more base desires in check. And I think you could find "compassion" in an ice cream cone.

A: I don't think that we can compare suffering between people in any differingsituations. If women suffer under the Taliban then it needs to be stopped(covertly, and without bankrupting the nation) - but that does not make it ok for women to suffer in the Western world. Our so called civilized western society is equallybarbaric as the Taliban - we just cover it up better. Every year thousands of childrenand young women are brought into the US for the sex trade. Please tell me thatnobody would consider this more civilized than the activities of the Taliban. Also,please tell me why we don't report on it? And while you're at it, tell me why suchbarbarism is allowed in a modern Western 'civilized' society? Do we forgive such thingssimply because there are more male sexual aspects? I don't think so.

MU: I was just gonna give you a high five when you again went off the deep end. The point I was making was that, for all the problems women in our society may face, they are in no way comparable to that which is faced in the Third World. Period, end of issue. I mean, really Aura, would you like to relocate to Kabul? Mogadishu? The beautiful environs of Baghdad? I mean, let's get serious here. Are things perfect here? No. But they are far and away better than those places. Really, I think the ladies doth protest too much...

A: GQ Magazine(August 2005) has an article in which it estimates that around 24% of the gross national product of Thialand comes directly from the sex-trade (including children). Thearticle goes on to estimate that if the sex-trade was taken away from Thailand,their entire economy would be likely to collapse. I seriously doubt that this is dueto the evil gold-digging nature of all those women and children prostitutes. What isthe driving force behind such and economy? Lust and a lot of history. This is howThai woman have been in power for centuries. It is a cultural thing - and thoughthey may be paid very little, they are paid and they survive.

MU: I just reached over to my trusty copy of The Book of World Horoscopes; in it, Campion gives two charts for the state/kingdom of Thailand. The first chart is that of the Chakri Dynasty, Apr 6 1782, in Bangkok, 12Noon LMT (Placidus 18 Can 52). Please note that this chart has the Moon, the chart ruler, in the national 7th and conjunct Pluto, ruler of the national 5th; Mars=Venus/Pluto. The modern kingdom of Thailand, founded Jun 24 1932, again at Noon SST, in Bangkok (Placidus 27 Vir 41). Please note, Aura, Venus is in declinational aspect to Pluto; Mercury=Venus/Pluto (important here due to Mercury's rulership of the Asc), Venus' rulership of the national 2nd House (economy) and so much more. Clearly, the Venus-Pluto symbolisms come shining through, don't they? And keep in mind, this is with charts you chose, by way of you mentioning them to make a broader point - right?

So, you were saying how Venus-Pluto aspects were irrelevant...

A: A shallow man really deserves such a shallowwoman anyway - they are peas on a pod. Nobody needs Astrology to identify suchthings - they are obvious! Whatever - who really cares anyway? There are moremeaningful places to put our energy.

MU: Yea, like divining the astrological underpinnings of folks with gaps between their teeth, right Aura? C'mon, gimme a break, no BS, no spin, OK? This topic isn't your thing, fine. But then don't try to tinkle in my face and tell me it's raining outside. Remember, you're not that good at Three Card Monty.

A: I even think that someone like cardinalMahoney - who protected all those pedophile priests - needs capital punishment, as dohis priests. Of course due process must have it's day - if it can be proven thatMahoney knew about these molestations and allowed them to continue - for years andagainst HUNDREDS of children - then he should be sumerily executed. This is a radicalposition, I know - but how can we as a civilized society stand by and allow suchevil to flourish in a 'house of GOD?!?' As difficult as this is, how can we allow achurch to exist that has no compassion for the children - societies weakest memebers? I do not see forgiveness of the perpertrators as an answer here - only execution.Besides, if those priests and the Cardinal are so damned holy, then they must know that thier God will take them to Heaven - right?

MU: There is nothing at all radical about the notion of Capital Punishment, Aura. I'm all for it, because simply put, there are people in this world that we all could do better without. These are those like you mention, and if it were left to me, I'd pull the trigger myself. Without any hesitation. At any rate, the Catholic Church, as we all know, has been rocked to its foundations with respect to this sexu scandal issue; in the Vatican chart, a very very problematic astro-sexual profile emerges. Saturn rules the 5th, is Rx and trine Neptune in the 12th of hidden sexual practices; Venus is in Taurus and trines both Saturn and Neptune (and keep in mind that Saturn is in Sag too, so "isms" and "osms" play a huge role insofar as the sexual profile is concerned). The Pluto transit of the Vatican's "vital points" isn't over yet - it still has to go over that Saturn I talked about. Ouch.

A: I mostly belong to that much maligned 'left' leaning political group. But Ibelieve in capital punishment - and how. I also see the weakness of the left and find itbeyond annoying. As one who has suffered at the hands of evil I am quite sure that itcannot be allowed to flourish - and 'all that is necessary for it to do so, is for goodmen (and women) to do nothing.'

MU: I'm glad that you're upfront about where you stand politically, and truly wish that more astrologers were as equally intellectually honest, for it's my strong view that the vast majority of the astrology community are devout Leftists, and will try to bend and justify their astrological ruminations to demonize President Bush any way they can (for example). I find this to be not only intellectually dishonest but dishonorable to astrology, too.

Your Serve.

Salaam,
Mu



Monday, November 21, 2005

Mars Is For Sex: Thoughts On Sexual Astrology

Mars Is For Sex: Thoughts On Sexual Astrology, "From Destiny Times Six"

9:56 AM 11/21/05 Mon

About 5 years into my astrology study, I ran into what I considered to be a very good, yet little mentioned book: "Destiny Times Six". The author was named Katherine de Jersey, a Chicago-based Western astrologer, and her book spoke of the day to day activities, concerns, challenges and techniques of a working astrologer. Books like these don't come along often, and when they do, they're worth picking up.


Katherine de Jersey Jun 25 1913 1.07AM CST Chicago IL; Placidus 6 Tau 59, Rodden. Sun in Cancer conjunct Pluto in the 3rd, Moon in Pisces in the 11th, with a Taurean Asc. Venus is the final dispositor of the chart, and trine Jupiter in Cap in the 9th. Jupiter rules the 8th and 9th and quindecile Pluto in Gemini in the 3rd; Pluto rules the counselling 7th. Pluto is also at the AP (powerful writing coming forward to the public, very successful writing and publishing, etc.). Mercury conjunct Neptune in the 4th, Mercury ruling the 3rd; Mercury=Jupiter/Uranus.


The book came out in 1970; at the time, de Jersey had transit Saturn square Uranus in the 10th and conjunct the Asc (major career move - Saturn rules the 10th), transit Jupiter square Uranus and opposed the Asc (keep in mind, Jupiter in and ruling the 9th natally), and transit Pluto square her natal Pluto at the end of 1970 (Pluto ruling the 7th, the general public).


On page 239, Chapter Five, "Mars is for Sex" begins, and since Mars is still Rx, and since I've been saying for awhile now that I wanted to write a little something for the ladies regarding male sexual nature and how to see this and make friends with this astrologically, I thought this part of de Jersey's book would provide a really good background.


I say that because this chapter really deals very well with the question of how men and women react to Venus and Mars in the chart, Sexual Aspects overall, and how happy marriages can indeed be ripped apart by infidelity. Checkout the charts:


First, the Wife - Eve Cowles May 29 1933 4PM CST Athens, AL; Placidus 3 Sco 17


Next, the Hubbie - Allen Cowles Feb 5 1928 12.30PM EST Charleston, WV; Placidus 5 Gem 17


And finally, "The Other Woman" - Debbie Lawrence May 13 1947 2.50AM PST Los Angeles, CA; Placidus 6 Ari 51


Allen's chart appears on the first page of Chapter Five, and right off the bat, I could see trouble - the man has Venus conjunct Mars in Capricorn (exalted!!!) in the 8th, with Mars opposed Pluto to boot! All three Sexual Planets are in play here, so is the 8th House (sexual attractiveness to others, ability to acheive many orgasms, etc.); Venus is in declinational aspect to Pluto; Mars=Venus/Pluto - AND - Mercury, the Asc ruler, is also the 5th ruler and in opposition to Neptune, ruler of the 11th (love needed). All of the heavy sexual emphasis here, along with Neptune's involvement, suggests very strongly, that unless he hooks up with the right kind of woman, he's all but certain to go creepin'.


The wife's chart, when I finally had the chance to actually cast it, doesn't stand a chance - Venus is in Gemini and Mars is in Virgo, two Sign placements that aren't particularly sexual - and they're too wide to form a square. On top of that, Eve's Venus is in the 8th and trines Saturn in the 4th, and Neptune, ruling the 5th, conjunct Mars (muffling the sex desire drive); Neptune itself is in Virgo, again a de-emphasizing of sexual impulse. Eve has Scorpio on the Asc, as well as a Venus-Pluto declinational aspect - and they did have several kids together - but neither the Venus/Pluto nor the Venus/Mars midpoints (important for women when it comes to Sexual Astrology) are tenated. Moreover, Eve has Saturn=Mars/Pluto, more indications of a debilitated sexual impulse.


Note that Mercury squares Neptune - and these planets rule the 8th and 5th Houses respectively. Not good.


Allen's Venus-Mars and Pluto aspect Eve's Mars, but there's no interaction with her Venus involved. Finally, Allen has Saturn in the 7th, a clue that "coldness" of one kind or another could play a role in the marital life.


Debbie's chart shows both an Aries Asc and a tight Venus-Mars conjunction in Aries - hot to trot! And checkout her Sexual Houses, the 5th and 8th; the Moon rules the 5th, and Pluto rules the 8th, and they're quindecile each other (obsession over sex, this issue potentially erupting her life somehow). Pluto is in the 5th (whoa!) and the Moon is in the 11th (there's that strong 11th House emphasis again). Saturn rules the 11th and is in the 5th...


...Saturn doesn't always "tone down" the sexual impulse; it can also speak to the potential for using sex strategically in some way, especially in the chart of a woman. I've seen many charts of women with Saturn in or in some way involved with the 5th where this was the case. It seems that this was the case here, at least to some extent.


Finally, note the Venus-Mars conjunction quindecile Neptune in the 7th - clandestine involvement with someone else, possibly a married man. Hmm.


You might notice that Allen and Debbie have little in the way of classical synastric ties, yet due to the fact that they both have driving Sexual Aspects, they came together. "Aspect sameness" is just as important as is having cross aspects happening between the charts, and this is how synastry is handled Vedically.


Well, as it turns out, Eve ends up leaving Allen, they divorce, Allen and Debbie stop seeing each other due to Debbie marrying someone else, and Allen takes up with yet another woman, this one a bit older than himself.


Ladies - if you have or are dealing with a man who has pronounced Sexual Aspects in his chart - and you don't - you need to really, really get real with yourself and ask yourself whether you're up to the job of being able to handle this man and meet his needs over the long haul. Keep in mind, that not only does Mars represented Sex, but it also represents the phallus, the male sexual organ; therefore, Mars means a bit more to men than it does to women. And when it's "hyped up" by Venus, Pluto or Uranus in a male chart, without any "checks and balances" in the form of Saturn or Neptune, lookout.
Because both Mars and Pluto, which is said by the older astrologers to be "the higher octave of Mars" represent male sexuality, when they come together in some way in the chart of a man, his sexual drive is through the roof. For example, I have the charts of many of the male sexual performers in the Adult Sex Business, and almost to a man, they all have Mars-Pluto aspects very prominent in some way in their charts. One of these days, I'll have to post my collection with a breakdown of each man in this way.

But in the meantime, ladies, understand and know this - that even if you took a woman with no Sexual Aspects, and a man without any Sexual Aspects, that man is likely to be more interested in sex than the woman. Why? Simple. Again, Mars and Pluto are inherenly male planets, and hence are connected to male sexuality. Without the involvement of Venus, these planets simply do not play such a role for women.

So if you are in such a situation, but think you can make a go of it, I would advise that you marry (if you haven't already) on a day when Sexual Aspects are not only prominent in the sky but also have close ties to your own chart. Aside from that, the only thing that can work is LOTS of open, honest communication, a willingness to compromise, and the will to stick it out over the long haul. Be prepared to do some things you might not want to do, when you want to do it, and keep in mind, that it's better if you do than someone else. Don't fool yourself ladies - no man with strong Sexual Aspects can hold on without release for too long - and he will find an outlet elsewhere if you aren't willing.

Afterall, we all know about the Clintons - right? What if it were Hillary, instead of Monica, dealing with Bill? Things just might have been different.

Salaam,
Mu

Lilly's "Great Question"

Lilly's "Great Question"

8:41 AM 11/21/05 Mon

In light of the recent discussion concerning Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, I thought to throw this chart into the mix. I know many of you share my love of Horary, and when it comes to this branch of the Art, no one did it better than the great William Lilly.

In the 9th House section of the book "Christian Astrology", Lilly poses the following question:
If Presbytery Shall Stand? Mar 11 1647 OS, 4.45PM LMT London, England; Regiomantanus 17 Virgo

And Lilly's chart:

William Lilly May 11 1602, 2AM LMT Diesworth, England; Placidus 2 Pis 3, Rodden

The book "The Moment of Astrology" takes up this horary, on page 312, with the actual chart reprinted on the preceeding page.

"Great Questions" as Lilly called them, are questions that go beyond the personal; they in some way deal with major happenings, like political elections or events, or, in my case, whether a key player would return to a hometown professional sports team. The conventional wisdom of Horary is that one cannot ask such questions, on the grounds that they have little to do with the querent. But my direct experience in working with Horary over the years controverts this reasoning. And Lilly seems to agree.

OK, here's the deal: at the time Lilly posed this question, the Civil War in England, between King Charles forces, and that of the Parliament, was still ongoing; though defeated by Parliament, Charles still had loyalists out in Scotland and Ireland. In the Parliament itself a schism occured between the Independents and the Prebyterians, who by the way had a strong Scottish lineage. Charles was about to close a deal with the Presbyters; had the deal gone down, the Puritan Church-State would replace the Church of Rome back in that day as to the rulership of the country. On top of this, the army, which hadn't been paid for months, was about to mutiny - and Oliver Cromwell, hero of the army and England, had retired from active duty.

Now the book "The Moment of Astrology" reprints Lilly's approach and final judgement of the affair, among which, was the prediction that Cromwell would make a comeback and sort things out for the country. But I will offer my own take on this chart, with a few more observations.
First off, we check the chart to see if it's radical and fit to be judged...

The Presby horary has a Virgo Asc, with Mercury in Pisces in the 7th. This represents Lilly himself, the man asking the question. In Lilly's natal chart, note how Pisces is rising on the Asc. To me, this is one signal that the chart is indeed radical. Moreover, none of the classical strictures against judgement occur in this chart. More radicality.

While Lilly takes the 9th House to be that of the Presbyters, I take them to be the 10th; Gemini is there, and Mercury is Fallen in Pisces. A fitting symbolism of the Parliament (Party in Power, the 10th) being divided (Gemini) over philosophical and religious issues (Mercury in Pisces!).

Lilly takes Jupiter in Cancer to be Cromwell, and I agree, but in my case it's because of the fact that Jupiter rules the 4th House, the Party out of Power; although King Charles was beaten by the Parliament forces, he still has some juice and is about to close a deal with the Presbyterian side of the Parliament. Therefore, both Charles and Presbyters are represented by the 10th, the Independents and Cromwell the 4th.

Note Jupiter is Rx - Cromwell is making a comeback, and so is the Independent side of the Parliament. Mercury ruling the 10th, the Presbyters, is Fallen and weak. Moreover, they're in the Sign of Jupiter classically - the Independents will win the day.

Lilly says in his judgement of the matter, that in less than 3 years' time there will be major changes in the state of things, and that England won't have a King like "when there was no King in Israel", etc.

On Jan 30 1649, King Charles was executed, and Oliver Cromwell became "Lord Protector" of England for the next 8 years, if memory serves.

So, to summarize my take on the matter: this chart really comes down to which Party will win out - the Party in Power, the 10th - OR - the Party out of Power, the 4th.

The 4th won.

Now, let's go back to my Terrell Owens Horary:

"Will T.O. GO Back To The Eagles? Tue Nov 15 2005 7.27PM EST Philadelphia PA; Placidus 7 Can 17"
And my natal chart:

Mu'Min Bey Dec 2 1968 9.43AM EST Philadelphia PA; Placidus 15 Cap 25

Please note again, that both charts have the Moon in Taurus, very important both in determining the radicality of the horary, and tying itself to me in settling of a "great question".

Salaam,
Mu


Friday, November 11, 2005

The Trouble With T.O.

The Trouble With T.O.

2:01 AM 11/11/05 Fri

By now, everyone on the Planet Earth knows what's hot in this season of the National Football League - and it ain't the games. It's Terrell "T.O." Owens, the outspoken hotshot Wide Receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, well he was until the past weekend. Owens has been suspended for the league maximum of four games, and after the suspension is over, he is to be deactivated for, in the words of Head Coach Andy Reid "conduct detrimental to the team". With the Eagles aready at a 4-4 record coming out of their horrid loss to the Washington Redskins - and only days away from their Monday Night Football rematch with their arch-rival Dallas Cowboys (who also handed the Birds a crushing defeat a few weeks back) - it seems highly unlikely that they will get anywhere near the Super Bowl without Owens. But, as sports and entertainment often does in our world nowadays, the TO story is bigger than just sports or football; it brings forth a whole range of issues for us all to deeply and seriously contemplate. Even the legendary Ralph Nader, probably the last person anyone would put in the same sentence with the word "football" has joined the fray of late, saying in writing to the NFL gods that TO's suspension should be rescinded on the grounds that the player has the right to freedom of speech.

With all the chatter on sports talk radio, the internet and television, it's hard to find someone who doesn't have an opinion one way or the other when it comes to Terrell Owens - you either love him or you hate him. He's the kind of polarizing figure that well, makes sports interesting afterall. I mean, let's face it - Cal Ripkin may have been a nice guy on and off the diamond, but that didn't help his Baltimore Orioles win any World Series, nor did it garner him any A-Rod type money either. In an earlier era, Ripkin would have fit right in, the good soldier type of at best moderate talent who, in the words of NBA coach Larry Brown "plays the right way" and who asks little in return. Owens, on the other hand, belongs to another generation of pro athelete, one who is not only brash and outspoken - but extremely talented. In a time of Free Agency and big, "more money than God" contracts and endorsements, guys like Owens can and often do write their own ticket. Or do they?

With Mars - planet both of Men and Sports - continuing its backward trek accross the skies, it's both helpful and insightful to take a closer look both at the man Terrell Owens, as well as the state of one of the few remaining "manly" endeavors left in early 21st century American life.

According to Wikipedia, TO was born on Dec 7, 1973, in Alexander City, Alabama. At present no birthtime is known, but just the Solarscope tells us all we need to see and expect to see in the life of such an extremely talented pro athelete at the highest levels of the game - note the highly active Cardinal t-square of Venus to Mars-Uranus. On top of that, Mars is the final dispositor of the chart, in its own Sign Aries, and, according to the Magi System, Owens was born with at least two Sports Aspects - Mars-Uranus and Venus-Mars. At 6'3'', 220lbs-plus, Owens is a rare bird at his position. He can play the slot, go up the sideline, and is big and strong enough to break tackles of Strong Safeties. Known to be an early riser and a hard worker, Owens takes careful care of his body, is in keen, top-notch physical condition, and can be counted on to come through on Game Day. No one can deny his talent, skills, dedication to training and desire to win.

Yet, with his Sun in Sagittarius, the Moon in Taurus and Mercury in Scorpio, TO also has something of a reputation of being a bit too outspoken for today's football powers that be; prior to his coming to the Philadelphia Eagles, Owens ran into a bit of trouble with his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, often taking issue with his Quaterback, Jeff Garcia, coaching staff and others. Students of football history know that today's football industry is patterned after the Cleveland Browns of old, where the head coach and owner Paul Brown transformed the nascent gridiron sport from a dirt lot game played by coalmining yahoos, to a respectable matchup businessmen in Brooks Brothers suits could go to proudly. Brown's "system" did wonders in many ways for his team and for football overall, but it all came with a price - one of them being, that players were seen less as individuals in their own right, but as human cogs in the football machine; they could be replaced, and often were if any of them dared question Brown's motives and philosophy. With all the hubbub continuing to swirl around the TO controversey, one gets the feeling that this is at least in part, what could be the case here in Philly.

Whether you think Owens is the posterboy for all that has gone wrong in today's professional sports, or if you think that Owens has a right to exist due to merit, one thing is certain - that more men will be plunked down in front on the TV come this Sunday than will be in church. Why are men so attracted to sports in general, and football in particular? If you grasp at the easy, trite Martian straws of testosterone and machismo, you might miss the much larger Martian reason. And that is...
...because men like what has become known as the Rule of Law. You see, Sports is one of the few places left in the world where rules are the most important thing, and merit is its handmaiden, so to speak. If you can do the job, and do it better than anyone else, you've earned yourself a spot on the squad. If doesn't have anything to do with how you look, or what your name sounds like - talent is all that matters. For many of today's men, buffeted about by things like Affirmative Action and Political Correctness, the direct rules of the sporting game are a welcome respite from a rapidly shifting and changing world.

While Venus likes compassion and Jupiter likes theory, Mars likes results; and being able to do the job better than anyone else is right up Mars' alley. Afterall, Mars represents the principle of competition, something that both Venus and Jupiter eschews, on the grounds that such pursuits are beneath them in some way. The term "proving ground", is a decidely Martian phrase. Merit, is another.
In the wake of the many, many, many scandals that have bedeviled pro sports over the years - from Ty Cobb's racism to Babe Ruth's womanizing, to the 1919 Chicago White Sox's selling themselves out to Pete Rose's gambling against his own team; to Ray Carruth's murder of his pregnant girlfriend to Ray Lewis' murder trial, to Ron Artest's hardwood brawl last year - one would think, in the overall scheme of things, Owen's spat with the Eagles would be more of a nuisance than grounds for him losing his job. Afterall, unlike in the aforementioned cases, no one was killed or hurt (physically at least), no major ethical rules were broken, and Owens contribution to his team is at least as important as some of the other pro jocks alluded to.

But, as the Oliver Stone directed film, "Any Given Sunday" vividly shows, and what Susan Faludi talks about in her book "Stiffed", pro sports has changed mightily since the days of Lynn Swann and Joe Montana; along with increased media presence and fatter paychecks for jocks, pro sports has also become Feminized. By that, I mean, that no longer are things like pure merit considered, or loyalty to one's team (in a sport, like football, where you can be cut after just one season, no matter how hard you play for the franchise), but rather, whether you are the right "fit" for the team, or, in the case of Owens, whether you say something that "offends" someone in the front office. Anyone with half a brain and a rudimentary understanding of football knows, that the Eagles have a better chance of winning the PGA Open than the Super Bowl without Owens; yet, they are willing to sacrifice the one overarching goal of any team on the Alter of PC - WIN.

Yes, I know this come as a shock to some of you reading this, but allow me to let you in on a secret - if you're a pro athelete, the goal - your ONLY goal - is (or should be), to be a Champion. If you play golf, your goal is to win the Masters. If you're basketball player, your goal is win the NBA title. If you're a hockey player, your goal is to win the Stanely Cup. And if you're in the National Football League, your goal is to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy and have the finger of your choice fitted for one of those rings that Terry Bradshaw wears. That's it. There is no other reason for you to be in the game other than that. And here's something else I know is a real shocker for some of you - being a "nice guy", "class act" or otherwise having good home training - while a plus - will NOT help achieve the goal of winning that coveted championship.

Talent, dedication to training, showing up for Game Day, does.

Period.

On that score, NO ONE can question Owens; as we all know, last year TO came back early from what could have been a season ending, if not career ending, injury; his doctor was four-square against Owens' early return to the gridiron, but TO came back in time for the Super Bowl showdown against the New England Patriots and made the game a close one - he did his part. That he mentioned that he felt that quarterback Donovan McNabb "choked" afterward is irrelevant - but true. In fact, and most insider football folks know this, if McNabb had indeed put out the same effort as TO, a Lombardi Trophy just might be sitting in the display case down at the Linc.

The other day, Owens issued an apology in a press conference held outside his home in southern New Jersey; immediately afterward, the press and sports talk radio was abuzz with comments from callers and pundits alike. Many were happy that TO was deepsixed, citing that this "sends the right message to kids that they have to respect authority". Yea, that sounds good, but I'm not sure such pithy, self-serving lines really gets at the issue here. The real issue is that many people couldn't stand the fact that TO was not only very good, but spoke up for himself, right or wrong. Afterall, if he was Todd Pinkston, nobody would care what he thought or did.

The real message being sent to kids - indeed, to us all - isn't whether one should or shouldn't respect authority - but that no matter how hard you work; no matter how talented, experienced and competent you are; no matter what your level of loyalty and dedication is, even at the potential of risking life and limb - that all of this takes a backseat in favor of whether one is willing to parrot the party line and go along to get along. And in light of the Eagles' front office strategies over the years (like not wanting to renegotiate Owen's contract, the issue that led up to all of this in the first place), one has to seriously question their committment to winning.

Perhaps looking good, sounding good and not offending anybody is more important.

It's a surprise the Red Planet in the sky isn't doing backflips.

Salaam,
Mu

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

2005 Off-Year Election Wrap-Up Analysis

2005 Off-Year Election Wrap-Up Analysis

5:18 PM 11/9/05 Wed

Well, the results, nationwide, are in - Democrats have won gubernatorial seats on New Jersey and Virginia, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot initiatives, which included a proposed reigning in of the Teacher's Union and the right of parents to have a say in their whether their child would get sexual education in public schools - were all roundly rejected out in California. While the Democrats clearly see all of this as a victory for their side of the aisle, and while many astrologers in our community follow in lockstep with this notion, it's important to get a firm grip on reality.

For one thing, New Jersey and California are now and have always been strong Democratic Party enclaves; that the former Senator Jon Corzine would win the governor's seat in the Garden State and that Gov. Arnold would lose out in Cali should come as no surprise. Two, while the Democrats are cheering for the upholding of Gay Marriage initiatives up North, they fail to mention that the people of the Lone Star State have spoken with respect to the same issue, roundly defeating the same proposal down there in Texas. In San Diego, the 7th largest state in the Union, Ms. Frye - a fervrent Liberal - got trounced by a former career cop and Conservative, Jerry Saunders. Far from the "Republican Revolution" of 11 years ago, at best the Democrats have kept the status quo; they are only treading water.

Still, the losses the GOP have taken on the chin yesterday, says a great deal about the troubles the Republican Party has had over the past few months, since Hurricane Katrina: the following hurricanes Rita and Wilma, both of which continued to shakeup the populace and put a drain on regional economies; the investigations of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and now former House Whip Tom Delay; the fallout from the CIA Agent Scandal, with White House aide Scooter Libby under indictment; the withdrawl of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers under an avalanche of Conservative backlash; and now, reports by the Washington Post that CIA operatives could be using various so-called "Black Sites" in Europe to detain - and quite possibly - torture terrorist suspects. All of this has taken a direct and lasting toll on the Bush Administration, which seems to have been trying to put out one bushfire (pardon the pun) after another, with at present, and at best, mixed results. And while the nomination of Judge Alito has softened the blow of all these developments for a short time, his confirmation hearings take place too far into the near future to blunt anything else that could be coming down the pike between now and then. So these election results, unless Bush and Co. can pull another rabbit out of their hat, seems to be on the front burner.

Let's consider the New Jersey elections first...

This year's elections were particularly nasty, and doesn't make the Garden State look good in the wake of the former Governer Jim McGreevey's foibles. Late in this election race, commercials aired featuring Corzine's ex-wife, who stated clearly that Corzine was not only an adulterer, but also had blind amibition and was a pawn of the Jersey Democratic Party Bosses. On the other hand, allegations came out that Doug Forrester, Corzine's Republican opponent, had himself been involved in an affair. In any event, Media and Political pundits, in the wake of the elections results (in which Corzine beat Forrester by as much as 9 points) have all seemed to agree that Forrester's putting Corzine's ex-wife in those ads so late in the election, have turned off the potential voters he so desperately needed.

As we all know, Corzine is extremely wealthy; that said, Forrester is no poor boy either. Some have said that more money was spent on this governor's race than any other in the entire history of the Garden State. It is well known that Corzine, in his successful bid for the US Senate, spent more than 60 million dollars of his own money to get to Washington. So, an interesting question arises -- can Astrology give us clues as to determine wealth -- and perhaps more importantly in this case, can Astrology point to the winner in a political contest? The answer on both counts is "YES!". Read on...
For those not familiar with them, the Magi Society has been around (in printed form) for about 10 years; in 1995, their first book "Astrology Really Works!" was published. And in that book, they give a listing of the 12 Super Success Aspects. Of the 12 they single out 4 aspects in particular, that accounts for both major success as well as major wealth:

1. Sun-Pluto
2. Venus-Pluto
3. Jupiter-Pluto
4. Uranus-Pluto

Of the most successful people in the world, these four aspects are shown more in their charts than any other; even having born with one such aspect gives one a leg up in the world with respect to success and acheivement on a wide scale.

According to imdb.com, Jon Corzine was born on Jan 1 1947 in Taylorville, IL; according to Wikipedia, Doug Forrester was born on Jan 24 1953 in Glendale, CA. There is no birthtimes available for either politician. But the Solarscopes for both reveals so clearly the outcome of the elections on Nov 8.
Corzine has the following Super Aspects in operation at birth: AP=Jupiter/Pluto, Uranus in declinational aspect to Pluto; Venus conjunct Jupiter. We can also add the Solar Asc ruler, Saturn, in conjunction with the Magi designated planet of Politics, Pluto, in the Sign of leadership, Leo.

Forrester on the other hand, has Jupiter sextile Uranus, important here due to Uranus ruling the Solar Asc; Sun=Uranus/Pluto, Uranus=Venus/Jupiter, Venus=Sun/Jupiter; and finally, like Corzine, Forrester has Uranus parallel Pluto.

Now, take a look back at the aspects for both candidates, and note that Corzine has a Jupiter-Pluto aspect; Forrester does not. The results speaks for themselves.

In terms of who would win the elections, we can look at the transits and Solar Arcs operative in both charts in Nov 2005; for Corzine, he had SA Venus=Node exact in Sep, and in Nov, he had SA Venus=Sun/Pluto with transit Jupiter square Saturn (Saturn again ruling the Solar Asc). Forrester had SA Sun=Node in Oct, but he also had in the same month, SA Uranus=Neptune, a very debilitating picture suggesting weakness - and I must say, the potential for engaging in underhanded activities.
On the basis of all of this, the night before the New Jersey elections, I told the missus that while I was pulling for Forrester, the political reality of the Garden State, along with the natal and predictive astrology, strongly supported Corzine, and I expected him to win.

He did.

As for the Governator, Arnold is under his second Saturn Return, a very profound period for politicians far and wide - either you are validated in a huge way in terms of your policies and performance in the form of mass support by the voting public during such a time, or you meet a humbling defeat. Just to give some context to this, President Nixon resigned from Office in the wake of the Watergate Scandal during his second Saturn Return; Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi was assassinated during her second Saturn Return; and President George W. Bush was reelected by the largest number of American voters ever during his second Saturn Return. On Election Day, transit Saturn was exactly conjunct Arnold's natal Saturn, with transit Neptune having already opposed Arnold's Saturn-Pluto conjunction. On top of that, Arnold also had SA Neptune=Sun/Moon and transit Pluto within a degree of exact square to his MC (Arnold Schwarzenegger Jul 30 1947 4.10AM CET Graz, Austria; Placidus 19 Can 07, Doane). All of this together makes it difficult to see his ballot proposals being successful with the Californian voting public.

But all this is seen against the backdrop of the GOP, and in particular President Bush. At present, Bush is continuing to grind it out under the Saturn transit to his natal Pluto in his Asc, almost always a time of losses, setbacks and want (and keep in mind, that GWB's public approval ratings are at the lowest of his entire Presidency to date, at around 35%). Back in the waning months of Summer, and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I said the following about what we could expect to see in the President's near future:

"Switching back to his Western chart - there are a few problematic arcs that caught my eye:
SA Mars=Asc Oct 06SA Asc=Neptune Nov 07SA Saturn=Pluto Feb 08
And, we can add the almost always debilitating transit of Saturn conjunct his Pluto, later this year and on into next year - all in his First House!

So, we can see a period between the Fall of 2006 and just before the Spring of 2008, that suggests a period of extreme challenge for Bush, at best; another major setback in some way both for himself and for the nation at worst (another terrorist attack or natural disaster; the economy all but breaking down; the Iraq War going horribly wrong, etc.; or worse)."

Bush's Problems, 6:59 AM 9/2/05 Fri- Mu'Min M. Bey

Bush will have a second pass of that painful Saturn to Pluto transit next month, in Dec. Will the second shoe drop?

Stay Tuned...

Salaam,
Mu