Reflections of Saturn/Uranus Opposition in Canada & Oklahoma

Two examples of astrological "as above, so below" emerged right before our eyes this weekend. Above us Uranus is opposing Saturn: the red line dividing the circle (left) from approximately 1 o'clock to 7 o'clock. This opposition is interpreted by astrologers as modern or radical ideas opposing the status quo / tradition. The opposition isn't exact today, but it's well within limits. Additionally, Mercury (communication) is sitting close to Uranus - extra publicity. Here are two news items from Below which reflect what's going on Above:

1.
Already addressed by blogging buddy R.J. Adams at Sparrow Chat is the blocking of British Member of Parliament George Galloway's proposed visit to Canada. BBC News reported:

"British media reported the decision was due to his views on Afghanistan and the presence of Canadian troops there.

Mr Galloway said he was not prepared to accept what he described as an "inexplicable decision" and indicated he would challenge it with all means at his disposal.
"This has further vindicated the anti-war movement's contention that unjust wars abroad will end up consuming the very liberties that make us who we are," he said.

"All right-thinking Canadians, whether they agree with me or not, will oppose this outrageous decision."

A spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada confirmed the MP would not be allowed into the country on national security grounds.
He said the decision had been taken by border security officials "based on a number of factors" in accordance with the country's immigration act.
Mr Galloway had been due to speak at a public forum, Resisting War from Gaza to Kandahar, in Toronto on 30 March. "

See also George Galloway's own piece, "Canada Can't Muzzle Me" from The Guardian, via Common Dreams. The Right Honorable gentleman has Sun conjunct Pluto in Leo, trine Mars in Sagittarius - he's a force to be reckoned with!

I'm on Uranus' side, with George G. in this! The ideals of such men are the only sane way to the future. Unfortunately few people in the US would agree with me on this. At the rate we're going, it'll be a distant future, but it will come.


2.
Our own Oklahoma State Legislature is throwing a wobbly about a lecture given by Richard Dawkins at the University of Oklahoma. (Dawkins is no friend of astrology, by the by, but that's not the topic here).

Authorities tried to stop Dawkins' lecture but it went ahead anyway. The legislature now has resolutions on the table.
Details here.

A Resolution expressing disapproval of the actions of the University of Oklahoma to indoctrinate students in the theory of evolution; opposing the invitation to Richard Dawkins to speak on campus; and directing distribution.........................

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 52ND OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE:

THAT the Oklahoma House of Representatives hereby expresses its disapproval of the current indoctrination of the Darwinian theory of evolution at the University of Oklahoma and further requests that an open, dignified, and fair discussion of this idea and all other ideas be engaged in on campus which is the approach that a public institution should be engaged in and which represents the desire and interest of the citizens of Oklahoma.

THAT the Oklahoma House of Representative strongly opposes the invitation to speak on the campus of the University of Oklahoma to Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, whose published statements on the theory of evolution and opinion about those who do not believe in the theory are contrary and offensive to the views and opinions of most citizens of Oklahoma.

Far be it from me to defend Richard Dawkins, for he can be as narrow-minded as the worst Oklahoman, when it suits his purpose. This episode, though, does reflect Saturn (the legislature of Oklahoma) opposing Uranus (the relatively modern theories of Dawkins, i.e. evolution).

A related article by George Lukianoff HERE.

Fate has dropped me into a pleasantly peaceful, but one of the most woefully backward, States of the USA, populated by people who seem to be living on a different plane of existence from me. We have to take the rough with the smooth, but I don't have to stay silent!

Who will win the tug-o-war? Saturn or Uranus? Canada or Galloway? Oklahoma or Dawkins?

World Poetry Day

21 March is World Poetry Day. Who knew? Wikipedia did!

In honor of the day then, a look at a poet, and at Alphonse Mucha's illustration, left: "Poetry", one of a set of four of his lovely paintings featuring "The Arts"









THE POET
Oliver Wendell Holmes born 29 August 1809 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"A man of contrasts and contradictions, Holmes lived his life between the poetic and the realistic. A celebrated poet-doctor, he spent the greater part of his life as physician and professor at Harvard University teaching anatomy and physiology. He published many essays and journal articles on travel, epidemiology, psychology, and literature, and hundreds of short stories both humorous and critical." (Here)

A chart for 12 noon on the day and place of his birth. It's a pity there's no time of birth available to give us his rising sign and exact Moon position. If he was born after 2pm Moon would have moved from Aries to Taurus.


Is the contrast mentioned in the quote above to be found in the chart? Sun and Mercury in Mercury-ruled Virgo relate to discernment, attention to detail and communicative abilities, useful in both his writings and his career in medicine. Venus, planet of the arts in sensitive Cancer connects to his poetry, I think. Neptune, planet of creativity is square (challenging aspect) to his Sun, underlining the contrast between nit-picking Virgo accuracy and creative, imaginative Neptune in expansive Sagittarius. Dr. Holmes had three planets in Scorpio, two of them harmoniously linked via trine to Venus in Cancer - potential for insight and passion, which is sometimes discernible in his poetry.

Dr Holmes (right) lived in the era when trancendentalism was fashionable. Though he mixed with those who followed this movement, he wasn't a part of it. He wrote a biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson leader of the trancendentalist movement, but it is reported that he remained uncritical, though uninvolved. Perhaps the contrast in his nature allowed him to understand the appeal of the movement without being drawn into it. I suspect he decided that discretion is the better part of valor.

And so to some of Oliver Wendell Holmes' poetry. The first, "Sun and Shadow", had me thinking of President Obama trying hard to steer the Ship of State to safer waters. (Or should that be "Ship of Fools"?)

Sun and Shadow

As I look from the isle, o'er its billows of green,
To the billows of foam-crested blue,
Yon bark, that afar in the distance is seen,
Half dreaming, my eyes will pursue:
Now dark in the shadow, she scatters the spray
As the chaff in the stroke of the flail;
Now white as the sea-gull, she flies on her way,
The sun gleaming bright on her sail.

Yet her pilot is thinking of dangers to shun,--
Of breakers that whiten and roar;
How little he cares, if in shadow or sun
They see him who gaze from the shore!
He looks to the beacon that looms from the reef,
To the rock that is under his lee,
As he drifts on the blast, like a wind-wafted leaf,
O'er the gulfs of the desolate sea.

Thus drifting afar to the dim-vaulted caves
Where life and its ventures are laid,
The dreamers who gaze while we battle the waves
May see us in sunshine or shade;
Yet true to our course, though the shadows grow dark,
We'll trim our broad sail as before,
And stand by the rudder that governs the bark,
Nor ask how we look from the shore!

Our Limitations

WE trust and fear, we question and believe,
From life's dark threads a trembling faith to weave,
Frail as the web that misty night has spun,
Whose dew-gemmed awnings glitter in the sun.
While the calm centuries spell their lessons out,
Each truth we conquer spreads the realm of doubt;
When Sinai's summit was Jehovah's throne,
The chosen Prophet knew his voice alone;
When Pilate's hall that awful question heard,
The Heavenly Captive answered not a word.

Eternal Truth! beyond our hopes and fears
Sweep the vast orbits of thy myriad spheres!
From age to age, while History carves sublime
On her waste rock the flaming curves of time,
How the wild swayings of our planet show
That worlds unseen surround the world we know.

And I like the last two verses of

The Coming Era

Well, Time alone can lift the future's curtain,--
Science may teach our children all she knows,
But Love will kindle fresh young hearts, 't is certain,
And June will not forget her blushing rose.

And so, in spite of all that Time is bringing,--
Treasures of truth and miracles of art,
Beauty and Love will keep the poet singing,
And song still live, the science of the heart.

More of his poetry HERE.


Finally, a few wise words from Dr.Holmes:

"Chicago sounds rough to the maker of verse. One comfort we have - Cincinnati sounds worse."

"Controversy equalizes fools and wise men - and the fools know it."

"Do not be bullied out of your common sense by the specialist; two to one, he is a pedant."

ARIES & Mr. H.

Once again, we greet Vernal Equinox and enter the zodiac sign Aries to begin another annual cycle. I'm wondering what on earth I can find to say about this sign that hasn't already been said or written a thousand and one times.




Aries represents all that's bright, energetic, warm, enthusiastic and full of potential. That's the essence of Aries. The essence can get pretty mashed up and diluted though, when it becomes a part of that peculiar life-form known as a human being.

There is no such creature as "an Aries". It's convenient shorthand, I use it myself. I should stop doing so!

The beauty and individuality of Aries, and of any other zodiac sign, is in the way it blends with the rest of the chart's contents. How does a hint of impulsiveness, a little impatience, a yen for leadership, or a habit of walking and doing most things quickly and with enthusiasm, mix with and match other chart ingredients?

If Sun, Moon and rising sign were all grouped in Aries, there'd be an outside chance of encountering a near-stereotype - but even then, a stray Mercury in Taurus would slow it down. Venus in Pisces would soften it. All manner of combinations could get to work on the Aries essence to modify it. The result: something unique.

My husband's Sun is in the first degree of the sign, he really isn't stereotypical Aries. I have Moon and Saturn in Aries, which could qualify me as more of "an Aries" than he is. In reality though, we're both a tangle of allsorts.

The only other person with Sun in Aries who I've known well, and over a long period of time, was my very first boss. I'll call him Mr. H. That's what the tea lady used to call him when she brought our morning and afternoon cuppas.

Mr. H was County Archivist of East Yorkshire, and I was his assistant - my first job after leaving Grammar School. We were a department of two, so it was essential that we got along. He trusted a teenage me to do stuff that nowadays would be tackled by someone at least of university graduate level: helping to clean and catalogue valuable archives, rescued from stately homes in the county. It was a totally fascinating job. I find it hard now to understand why I ever left it to go wandering into the hotel life and later into the civil service. I did return though, after my first defection, at his invitation. I did a second stint of three years with him, until love and wander-lust had me on the move again.

Mr. H was a great guy. I had a crush on him, of course. His great sense of humour enchanted me, and I was not easily enchanted in those days. But, quite honestly, I can't identify him "an Aries", textbook style. Oddly though, I often see or rather "feel" an eery hint of Mr. H in my husband (birthday 22 March). Something in the way he tells a joke, notices certain things - other stuff too. It's hard to put into words, complicated, esoteric even, peculiar to myself, I guess, and nobody else would understand. It feels strange at times.

I hadn't looked at Mr. H's natal chart before. I can't remember whether his birthday was 27 or 29 March, but I know the year was 1922. I've investigated both dates. Either way, his Sun and Venus (& maybe Moon) were in Aries. Mercury in Pisces conjunct Uranus - here's possibly why we got on so well, Uranus being my Sun sign's ruler. But there's more: his Mars was at either 16 or 17 Sagittarius - my Venus is at 19 Sagittarius! And of course, my Aries Moon complemented his Aries Sun. He had Saturn and Jupiter in Libra opposite his Sun and Venus in Aries; his Aries traits were balanced by the charm and diplomacy of Libra.

Mr. H. died in 1999. We kept in touch for many years, and when I heard that he had suffered a stroke in 1998, I visited him in hospital. I'm not certain whether he remembered me or not, but from the twinkle in his eye, I believe he did. I've always been very thankful for knowing Mr. H, for his influence on me as a young woman, and for what I learned from him.


(Crocus from the husband's camera, blossom (above) from mine.)

Shaping the Future ~Stephen Wolfram & Ray Kurzweil

Stephen Wolfram, present-day genius, grown from child prodigy. At age 16 he published an article on particle physics, entered Oxford University age 17 and wrote a widely cited paper on heavy quark production at age 17. Wolfram's book "A New Kind of Science" has been highly acclaimed.

Mr Wolfram is currently engaged in the development of "the next big thing" for the internet: Wolfram Alpha, a program which will answer questions. It's reported to be unlike either Google or Wikipedia, which simply provide source information. The new application, due for unveiling in May, will actually provide answers to questions.
Stephen Wolfram's website.

Raymond Kurzweil, inventor, futurist, a pioneer in the fields of optical character recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, speech recognition technology, and electronic keyboard instruments. He is the author of several books on health, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, the technological singularity, and futurism.

In his book "The Singularity is Near", Kurzweil explores his concept of exponential growth, radical life expansion, and how we will transcend our biology. Wikipedia reports that while being interviewed for a February 2009 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Kurzweil expressed a desire to construct a genetic copy of his late father, Fredric Kurzweil, from DNA within his grave site. This feat would be achieved by deploying various nanorobots to send samples of DNA back from the grave, constructing a clone of Fredric and retrieving memories and recollections - from Ray's mind - of his father. All very sci-fi indeed!!
Kurzweil Technologies website.

It was an article of Mr. Kurzweil's which discussed and argued with some of Mr. Wolfram's theories put forth in "A New Kind of Science" which led me to compare the natal charts of these two brilliant intellects.

I suspect that these two, if so minded, could between them solve the mystery of astrology (more on this later).

One thing these men have in common: they are both children of Jewish immigrant parents. The Kurzweils escaped to New York from Austria at the start of World War 2. The Wolframs emigrated from Westphalia to England in 1933. I often ponder of why it is that the Jewish race produced and still produces so many brilliant minds. DNA, I guess.

Anyway - the charts! I'm expecting to find Uranus and Saturn closely involved. Aquarius too. Uranus represents all things new and futuristic, technology, cybernetics etc. Saturn relates to the mathematics and disciplined thinking necessary to approach the subjects in which these men specialise. Aquarius is the modern home sign of Uranus, so is quite likely to be highlighted.

Let's see:

Stephen Wolfram born 29 August 1959 in London, UK.
Raymond Kurzweil born 12 February 1948 in Queens, New York.

I'm looking here only for factors relating to the topic at hand, not trying to fully interpret their personalities. The charts are set for 12 noon as no times of birth are available. We can't know the rising signs of the two men, nor the exact degree of the Moon, but there's enough here to suffice.





Stephen Wolfram has no Aquarius, unless from the unknown rising sign, and surprisingly no Air signs emphasised in his chart. What he does have though is Sun conjunct Pluto in Virgo, with Mercury conjunct Uranus in Leo, and Saturn in Capricorn in trine to Sun/Pluto. What does this signify? Sun and Pluto in Virgo - powerful, discerning intellect, incredibly close attention to detail, passion for anything he touches. Mercury conjunct Uranus: an inventive, potentially genius mentality.

Saturn in Capricorn, its own sign, trine Sun/Pluto: provides the structure and discipline to make the rest of this configuration work. Without this crucial harmonious link to Saturn, Mr. Wolfram might have developed into a haphazard genius eccentric who, in the end, achieved nothing.



Raymond Kurzweil's chart is nearer to the simple line-up I expected to see - Sun in Aquarius closely trining Uranus in Gemini. The two mentally oriented signs highlighted with Aquarius's modern ruler closely linked to the Sun. Mercury in mystical creative Pisces gives Mr Kurzweil a rather different mindset from Mr Wolfram's. The trio of planets in Leo, Pluto, Mars and Saturn are opposite Aquarius Sun, providing a balancing act between an inventive Aquarian Sun, the discipline of Saturn, power of Pluto and energy of Mars. Whereas Wolfram's conjunction blends Sun and Pluto, Kurzweil's opposition balances the two symbolic energies.
The same planets are highlighted in both charts in different ways, Pluto, Uranus and Saturn adding their strength to personal planets by aspect.

A couple more points worth noting: Mr.Wolfram currently has a Saturn transit to his Virgo planets, and a Pluto transit to his Capricorn Saturn - is there any wonder he has a new project ready for launching? Mr. Kurzweil had January's lunar eclipse hit his Sun/Saturn opposition; perhaps there'll be some extra interesting times ahead for him this year.

As for how the work of these two brilliant minds might, one day, affect astrology - this article is well worth perusal:
Planet Mandalas and a New Kind of Science:
The Relationship of the work of Stephen Wolfram and
Ray Kurzweil to Cosmic Cybernetic Theory
by David Cochrane

IDOL Drive-By

Last night's American Idol brought us country music night, offering a challenge for most of the singers. It was one to which most of 'em managed to rise, one way or another, some with extreme creativity.


For me the top three were still, as before, Adam Lambert (right), Danny Gokey and Lil Rounds (below, right).
Adam Lambert sang a very unusual (Aquarian sun clearly in evidence) version of "Ring of Fire". Totally different from the way it's usually sung - kind of Eastern with sitar sounds - brilliant! Most of the judges didn't get it, nor did Randy Travis, the celebrity assisting the contestants. I got it! Simon Cowell said it was "self indulgent". I find that a very odd criticism coming from him. In any case in order to do what these kids are doing they must need a bit of self-indulgence, it's surely not always a bad thing?





Lil sang "Independence Day", great performance, great song - when the judges questioned her choice and criticised it, she said that she chose it because she thought the words were appropriate for NOW

Let Freedom ring,let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today is a
Day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay, it's
Independence Day

The judges either didn't appreciate its relevance, or deliberately ignored her remark!



Danny sang "Jesus Take the Wheel" - and , as the judges said, "nailed it".

More on astrology for Adam and Danny at previous posts HERE, and for Lil HERE.



The judges heaped praise (for which I failed to see reason) upon Matt Giraud. He sang a tuneless and generally unknown Carrie Underwood song, at the piano. I took a quick look at his chart - he has Taurus Sun, Aquarius Moon and Jupiter, with Mercury and Venus in Aries.

Interestingly both Matt and Adam have transiting Jupiter's help just now. Jupiter last night was at 16 Aquarius; Matt's Jupiter is at 16 Aquarius and Adam's Mercury is at 14 Aquarius!

There were other good performances, but I saw Adam, Danny and Lil as the stand-outs. Not sure who'll be going home tonight (I wish it could be Simon Cowell). I'll guess it could be Michael Sarver or Chris (can't remember the surname). Sadly Jorge Nunez from Puerto Rico, about whom I wrote in my last Idol post, was voted out last week.

WISDOM and the Natal Chart

Blogging buddy Wisewebwoman featured the following 5 minute video on her blog recently. I thought it so good that I couldn't resist airing it here. The thread running through the video is "wisdom".
(Illustration, left, is Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, renamed Minerva by the Romans; she's accompanied here by her owl, still regarded as a symbol of wisdom. Below, right, is Saraswati, Hindu goddess of wisdom and learning)


Where, I asked myself, is wisdom to be found in a natal chart? Even the book I usually turn to on such matters, astrologer C.E.O. Carter's Encyclopedia of Psychological Astrology, is silent on the matter.

I'll dive in (and probably flounder) with my own two penniworth, after the video.




Wisdom emerges from a combination of the traits we are born with, and the experiences life, our background and environment hand to us. In a natal chart I'd be looking first and foremost for balance. Without balance, wisdom is going to be difficult to find.

Balance doesn't necessarily mean Libra's scales though. It means balance in the chart as a whole. Balance can come via aspects, blending of elements and qualities, the spread of planets, the patterns they make, the signs occupied, the angles emphasised. If the chart seems generally well-balanced there's a good chance the individual will have a well-balanced attitude to life, and therefore be ripe to acquire the beginnings of wisdom from education, reading, relating, observing, suffering, celebrating, wishing, wondering........all those things and more.

Does this mean then that a chart which is heavy in just one area will manifest as an adult without wisdom? It could mean a lack of circumspection and imbalance of focus. It could mean great success in whatever direction the individual decides to proceed, but success isn't the same as wisdom.

The question now arises: what actually is wisdom? YourDictionary.com says it is

"the quality of being wise; power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, understanding, etc.; good judgment; sagacity learning; knowledge; erudition ....."

Judgment. Ah yes! Good judgment is the beginning of wisdom. It's still a tricky area to define though. I recall the days when I had to write annual reports for the staff members in my department. One section of the report form required me to assess the individual's judgment. I usually left this part to the last, and always struggled with it.

Whether a person's judgment is good or bad is a subjective decision, and takes good judgment on the part of the one doing the judging! Whether a person has wisdom or is a know-all clever clogs is also somewhat subjective.

My judgement on this: I'm almost certainly not wise enough to define where wisdom is to be found in a natal chart. Perhaps it can't be found there at all, and maybe that's the wisest answer.



IRISH OR NOT.....HAVE A GOOD ONE !

Beck, Cramer & Stewart: 3 Showmen

An over-sized post, so it'll stand for today and tomorrow: I started writing about Glen Beck, then one thing led to another and the post, like Topsy, "just growed".

Right-wing commentator, Glen Beck; TV's financial guru Jim Cramer; comic commentator Jon Stewart: one led to the other by coincidence or current event. I was part-way through writing about a single topic: Glen Beck when I happened across a note of Jim Cramer's birthday. It's the same as Beck's, though different year. I couldn't miss a chance to comapare so, it'll be a look at their charts drive-by style: briefly - concentrating only on salient factors related to their public image. I was later tempted to add the third character, currently connected to Cramer.

What we should keep at the forefront of our minds when considering these characters is that they are primarily showmen, garnering and expanding the TV audience for commercial advertisers. They are akin to performers outside tents at a fairground, beckoning you in with their fancy costumes and outlandish calls.

So, what have we here? Glen Beck: another extreme right-wing Aquarian! Well I never! I'm becoming more disenchanted with my own Sun sign as days go by. Let's not forget though - he's a showman who thrives on controversy.

Glen Beck was born in Mount Vernon, Washington State on 10 February 1964. I can't find a time of birth so a 12 noon chart must suffice. The rising sign isn't accurate (barring miracles) but his natal Moon remains somewhere in Capriciorn whatever time Mr. Beck was born.



I suspect that Mr. Beck has another case of Aquarius overload - as in Sarah Palin - also a show(wo)man, beckoning her audience into the Conservative Tent. The Aquarius in Beck's chart is powerful: three personal planets there, Sun, Mars and Saturn. Saturn was traditionally Aquarius's ruler, and retains connection still. Mars represents energy and aggression. Here we have Aquarian mental dexterity allied to aggressive tendencies and Saturn's tight-ass conservative mindset. The lunar eclipse of last month hit Beck's Sun/Mars by the way. Perhaps some changes in the offing for him?

With Moon and Mercury in conservative Capricorn it becomes even clearer why Glen Beck seems not to be yer stereotypical socially conscious Aquarian do-gooder. Uranus and Pluto are close together in Virgo, opposing Chiron, the asteroid known as Wounded Healer. I'm wondering whether this very close opposition (particularly from Pluto) might relate to Mr. Becks tragic early life. Wikipedia tells that

"His early life was pitted with tragedies. His mother committed suicide when he was 13. One of his brothers-in-law also committed suicide. Another sibling reportedly had a fatal heart attack.
Beck is a self-described reformed alcoholic In the aftermath of those three family tragedies, Beck said he used "Dr. Jack Daniels"and marijuana to cope." "

Glen Beck, by the way, is another individual with Pluto conjunct Fixed Star Zosma, and one of Zosma's traditional interpretations is "loss in childhood" (here) . I've come across this star before, but not exactly in this context. Interesting!



Next astro drive-by: Jim Cramer, also, coincidentally born 10 February, but in 1955, and in Wyndmoor PA. He is TV's supposed financial wizard, former hedge fund manager, who has been hauled over the coals recently by that other consummate showman, Jon Stewart (about whom, more below).

Cramer commented at the beginning of the Month, on the Today Show, that President Obama's budget sets a "radical agenda", (what else would solve the problem, pray tell!) He added, "This is the greatest wealth destruction I've seen by a President." After what the Bush administration did to the country's finances over the past 8 years, I'd say that Cramer's comment is rather odd, to say the least!

Jim Cramer is said to be a Democrat, but he's not giving much support to the new President, so early in his term of office. Of course, showmanship must come first - he must feed his masters, the capitalist companies who pay for the numerous commercials scattered through his show.

A 12 noon chart for Mr. Cramer as no birth time is available. First though, some pointers to his public persona from here.

"Jim Cramer, who as the host of CNBC's Mad Money is the cable network's biggest star, is probably the first person in the history of television to wear a Little Orphan Annie wig and a football helmet simultaneously. Or to grill rubber bears and then eat them. Or to tell a caller who asked about a stock that Cramer had thought of buying, "You must be inside my head with another 20 people. I'm calling the fire marshal!"
There is, seemingly, almost nothing Cramer won't do to get a laugh or hook his viewers. One of the show's running gags is a barking-dog sound effect. "Oh, it's Vonage the dog," says Cramer, referring to one of the year's most pitiful initial stock offerings. Cramer, a founder of TheStreet.com and a former hedge-fund manager, is famous for throwing chairs on the show. His explanation: "I hate chairs."
Perhaps because of his self-aggrandizing theatrics, people have trouble taking him seriously. His most egregious flaw, from an advice taker's perspective, is that he changes his mind a lot.
He is a passionate "extremist." He is a man who can't help but speak or write hyperbolically, a person who seems to use all caps ALL THE TIME. He abhors shades of gray, which can sometimes be a disservice to those attempting to profit from his knowledge.
In all likelihood, Cramer isn't really trying to misrepresent anything. He's simply a chronic exaggerator, an extreme personality who can't stand being wishy-washy -- or, heaven forbid, boring -- about anything."

I'm looking to identify factors in the chart which relate to above remarks.




Aquarius Sun and Mercury endow intelligence, intellect, and a lively mind. Venus in Capricorn orients him towards business - the business of making money. Mars in its own sign, Aries, unadulterated and clearly reflecting the energy of his lively on-screen persona. So where's the exaggeration and hyperbole the quoted article kept emphasising? Jupiter is planet of exaggeration and expansion - note where it is! Conjunct Uranus, ruler of his Sun and Mercury. Uranus is planet of the unexpected, the zany, and all kinds of change - so: his frequent changes of mind as highlighted in the quote above.

As in Glen Beck's case, the lunar eclipse of last month hit Jim Cramer's Sun - perhaps there are changes for him in the pipeline too, especially as Pluto, transiting through Capricorn, is close to his natal Venus - the conjunction won't be exact until around this time next year though, due to Pluto's slow back-tracking.

Moon's exact position isn't clear without time of birth, but unless he was born within a narrow slot from midnight to 2am, Moon would be in Libra. A very early birth would place it in late Virgo. Without more information as to what Mr. Cramer is "really" like in private life, it's hard to speculate. Chances are that Moon was in Libra, and that in reality he is a far more tactful and charming chap than we might assume from his TV antics.

Saturn in Scorpio is in harmonious trine to Jupiter/Uranus in Cancer. I'd expect Saturn to be putting a bit of a damper on Cramer's excesses, but apparently it's stoking them instead. Saturn is square his Aquarius Sun and Mercury though - a hint of lack of self confidence? Surely not! Or perhaps hyperbole is compensating for an inner insecurity: there's a thought! But this is a drive-by, not an all-out interpretation of his natal chart, so I'll leave it there.



Third drive-by: Jon Stewart, Jim Cramer's current sparring partner, at least during their TV time (see video linked at end of post):


Born 28 November 1962 in New York City. If you want a proper astrologer's take on Jon's chart, Robert Wilkinson wrote about it back in 2005 (here)

Here's his chart, set for 12 noon - Sun, Mercury and Moon in Sagittarius (Moon will be in this sign whatever time of birth). According to his natal chart, Stewart should be, and is, another exaggerator and hyperbolist (is that a word?) Sagittarius is the consummate exaggerator. Jon Stewart exaggerates to make a humorous point which also contains a nucleus of hard truth. That's quite a talent! It's aided and abetted by Saturn in Aquarius sextiling his Sun/Mercury, symbolically inserting that center of cold hard fact into the happy-slappy gift wrapping of Sagittarius.

By the way, his Saturn at 6.47 Aquarius was hit by the solar eclipse of January this year - I know this because my Sun is just 1 minute of arc away from his Saturn!
So.... all three men featured here had eclipse hits a few weeks ago!



Jupiter, in its old home sign Pisces, lies opposite Uranus in Virgo - in contrast to Cramer's chart where Uranus and Jupiter are conjoined. Without interpreting the opposition in detail, the difference between these two characters appears to me to be that whereas Cramer blends Jupiter/Uranus characteristics, manifesting as constant hyperbole, Stewart generally balances them in order to portray a more measured attitude and make sure of getting his message across.

There's a 21 minute video of a recent interview between Stewart and Cramer in full at The Daily Show website.

Weekend Waffle

"How I learned to stop worrying and love 2012"
(With apologies to Dr. Strangelove.)







Some zodiac signs have filtered in to the language as proper names, either as people's surnames, first names, or of businesses.

We have:

Leo Sayer
Libra Thompson (apparently a Big Brother contestant, once upon a time)
Gemini has variations - Geminia, Gemelle, Gemmina
John Virgo (British snooker player)
Alan Leo (astrologer) - not his birth name though
Melissa Leo (American actress)
Robert Scorpio (character in TV's General Hospital)

There's the Ford Taurus saloon car and a few company names using other signs, such as the predictable Pisces Swimming Pools, or Hotel Capricorn in Kilimanjaro, Africa.




In art and film, occasional muddled thinking has been detected with regard to depiction of the Moon. The topic of artistic Moon muddle is discussed here :

"Even film directors are not immune from being ignorant about the phases of the Moon. Steven Spielberg shows an unchanging morning crescent Moon several evenings running in ET, for example. It's surprising that no-one on the production team realised that the Moon changes phase from night to night, or the difference between a morning and an evening crescent."

Painters tend to depict only full or crescent Moons in their work, but even then they get it wrong sometimes. They have shown it in an impossible orientation. Turner makes the mistake of seeing the Sun when on the horizon as larger than the Moon in one of his pencil sketches. The same error was made in a painting by Jules Breton. Another that shows the crescent Moon is named Moonrise, whereas the Moon is an evening crescent which must be setting.

One artist who didn't fall into the trap of Moon Muddle was 16th century painter Adam Elsheimer. His painting "Flight into Egypt" is said to even show the consellations in correct configuration. Clicking on image below should enlarge it sufficiently to see stars. In case Blogger's capability is too limited, there's a large and enlargeable version available here.






On Thursday evening we attended the last of the Chisholm Trail Arts Council's shows for this season at our local theater: The Golden Dragon Acrobats of China. It was a delightful finale. We weren't supposed to take photographs, but the husband, naughty as ever, sneaked one or two and hoped nobody was looking! A couple of them are below, followed by a 30 second YouTube promo video. If the acrobats come your way - go see 'em, it's a glorious spectacle, and a time honored tradition that began more than 27 centuries ago. The company has performed in over 65 countries on 5 continents; and in all 50 states of the USA.

Arty Farty Friday ~ Pietro Annigoni

Annigoni. I'd almost forgotten about this portrait painter. He was practically a household name in the UK, back in the day, after his portraits of Queen Elizabeth II were unveiled. He painted other members of the British Royal Family too. His two portraits of the Queen, some years apart, gathered a lot of publicity. Whereas the first (right) was greeted warmly the second (below) was heavily criticised at unveiling, but has, in later years, garnered praise.







Many of Annigoni's subjects were powerful, illustrious characters - popes, royalty, aristocrats. His portraits of American presidents have graced the covers of Time magazine. In later life, grown weary of portrait painting, he retired to Italy and resumed his earlier passion - painting church frescoes. He once said "I get a little bored with human vanity. I honestly prefer these old saints of mine."

Although he gained acclaim as a painter of royalty, Annigoni chose his subjects from a cross section of humanity, painting what interested him. He was not impressed by pomp and ceremony, and maintained relationships, never losing the common touch from his early days as a struggling artist.

Annigoni was something of a rebel - or perhaps reactionary would be a better description. He rebelled against most of his contemporaries - artists who were involved in modernism, abstract art, surrealism - all trying new ideas. Annigoni preferred to stay with tradition and realism. He challenged the modernists in essays, alienated critics - yet flourished.

"I am convinced that all the work of the avant-garde today is the poisoned fruit of one of the worst spiritual decays with all the consequences of a tragic loss of love for life". (Annigoni)

"Annigoni will remain in the history of art as the dissenter in a dark age for painting". (Bernard Berenson)

Given what I know about this artist, what would I expect to see in his natal chart?
I suspect that Saturn will be somehow important. Saturn rules tradition, and Annigoni's art is nothing if not traditional. I might expect Uranus to be doing something interesting. Although Uranus represents modernity, it also relates to rebellion - not going with the flow. Let's see:



Sun in Gemini, Moon too, but we can't know Moon's degree without a time of birth. The chart is set for 12 noon, so the rising sign is inaccurate, but planets in signs are correct. Sun and Moon in Gemini, along with Pluto - a powerful communicator - here's where his essays against his critics came from! Mercury, Venus and Saturn all in Taurus, the sign ruled by Venus, planet of the arts - how very appropriate here! And Saturn, planet of tradition and reality sitting there, so close to Venus signifies his strong attachment to traditional style.

Uranus in Capricorn (ruled by Saturn) is opposing Mars and Neptune in Cancer - this is almost as though the modernity of Uranus is overcome by Capricorn and challenges Neptune's imagination, (which isn't a necessary component in realistic art), Uranus also opposes Mars, which can represent progress and movement; the opposite of movement in art? Remaining with the traditional !

So the elements I expected to see in Annigoni's chart are indeed present.