Morning Exercise #3: "The Astrologer"

One last exercise from the archives at Wake Up Writing

Incorporate all of the following words into an article, short story, poem or whatever comes to mind. You must use all of the words (in any order) to complete the exercise, but the context in which they are used is up to you. Think about the words for a few minutes before you start to write and see what pictures come to mind - then see if you can weave them all together into a piece of writing.

compassion
brilliance
tears
verse
net
legacy
bundle
smile
tumble
embrace


THE ASTROLOGER
(specified words highlighted bold)

A weary and impecunious astrologer whose net worth would scarcely cover one quarter of the debt outlined in the bundle of household accounts he now pushed aside, realised that only a legacy from some unknown and unlikely source could aid his predicament. He reached to his in-tray for a client's letter from the small assortment lying there.

The letter, on grey deckle edged paper, handwritten in old fashioned pen and ink, contained a few tell-tale smudges, evidence of the author's tears. The astrologer's years of experience hadn't toughened him to the point where familiarity and indifference replaced compassion. He sighed as he read, raised his eyes to watch a flurry of golden leaves tumble from a nearby tree in the stiff October breeze. The brilliance of those golden leaves further emphasised by an escaping ray of the hidden sun, offered sharp contrast against a darkening sky heavy with cloud.

He returned to his client's letter, thinking how life can resemble the scene outside his window. A dark horizon often brightened by unexpected shafts of light. A hint of a smile crept around his lips. He was remembering a verse from a song of long ago. He bent to embrace the calico cat, mewling disconsolately at his feet, before starting to study charts on behalf of his needy client.

He & She or We

A brief e-mail exchange at the weekend brought me back to a subject I've argued on more than a few times. Male and female - are they really so different? I've never subscribed to that old "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" rubbish.

My e-mail correspondent (the husband's son-in-law)wrote:
"I do believe, however, that female and male priorities and methods differ, and that the difference is based on physiological and psychological factors that are innate."

That was in reply to my:

"Maybe I'm a feminist with a small F, though I prefer to think there's little difference between male and female when you get past the obvious dangly bits and wobbly bits. We're all just humans, fighting to be thought of as such, irrespective of gender, orientation, nationality, race, colour, ethnicity."

Trying to sort out a reply which covered my own view but didn't entirely disagree with his, I floundered around the internet for clues and happened upon this excellent article by highly respected astrologers Steven and Jodie Forrest.
"Border Wars: Male - Female".

I'll take the liberty of copying a few paragraphs from the long article, but reading it in full is highly recommended.

"Many years ago we met a man who impressed us greatly. His name was J. C. Eaglesmith. He was Native American, a holder of the Sacred Pipe, a veteran of the ordeal known as the Sun Dance. A former marine who served in combat in Vietnam, he weighed maybe 250 pounds and most of it looked like muscle. In short, when it came to masculinity, he made the average tough guy look like your grandmother's knitting.

He stood before us at a conference, talking about "male" and "female" and what those words really mean. His eyes steady, his face impassive, he addressed us in his deep baritone. "I am half woman." A moment's pause, a hint of a smile, then: "My mother was one."

We all laughed. So did J. C. But what he said was true. Physically he is a man. But that just diagrams his plumbing. Once we recognize that a human being is far more than a mass of cells and bones, we enter the realm of mystery. And in that realm no one is as simple as a beard or a breast.

Humanity is realizing this, and it's knocking the stilts out from under a picture of the world that's held us in thrall for ten thousand years. "I am half woman." "I am half man." Those words represent a revolution just as profound as the discovery that the Earth is a sphere floating in the void.

Male and female. What do the terms really signify? Apart from anatomy, perhaps no one really knows. Women cry more than men, but why? Are women inherently more emotional or have they been trained that way? Men are more aggressive. Again, why? Testosterone -- or training? No one knows. Nature and nurture are inseparable. What we intrinsically are blends seamlessly with what we have been taught to imagine we are."

Astrology is referenced in this context mainly by the Sun and Moon, signifying "the masculine" and "the feminine" respectively. The Sun and Moon form a very important part of every astrological natal chart, equally important whether the chart belongs to a man or a woman.

The authors go on to say:

"Does astrology, arguably the truest mirror in humanity's possession, suggest that there are no psychic or spiritual differences between men and women? The truth is, astrology's rather mum on the subject. But it certainly implies that, whatever those differences might be, we've spent a lot of years and a lot of lives overestimating, exaggerating, and misdefining them. Every man has a Moon. Every woman has a Sun. One of the darkest skeletons in astrology's closet is the fact that astrologers were not the first to point out that awkward fact.

Still, we have that cryptic clue in the sky: the Sun and the Moon shine down on all of us, whether we start the morning with shaving cream or a choice of skirts. And if there's anything to astrology, then the Sun and the Moon resonate somehow in every one of us, unless we collude in the ancient deception.

How did this whole mess start? Let's go way, way back, long before cities, before agriculture, before the peaceful years of the Neolithic; back into the first ninety-nine percent of our species' history."

The authors go on to explain that back in the mists of time male and female were forced by circumstance to deny or, we could say delegate, their "other" side. Males because of their superior strength had to kill to eat and to survive. In the act of killing they needed to supress their compassionate feminine side, which the male, through necessity, thrust on the female. Similarly the female, hamstrung by bearing children and nurturing them, often watching them die in harsh circumstances, had to supress her anger and frustration or all humanity might have died. She thrust the responsibilty for anger and violence upon the male... "let him be the one to have enough pride and illusions of glory to rage against nature's heavy hand".

So, both son-in-law and I may be partially correct. Everyone of us is cut from the same cloth, but through evolution and force of circumstance we've been bent out of shape.

A couple more paragraphs:

"Today, many women are rediscovering the Sun. It heals them, makes them whole. They are finding their solar power: their self-reliance, their voice, their creativity, their ability to shape the myths, symbols, and future of society.
Meanwhile, men are beginning to rediscover the Moon. They too are healed and made whole as they reabsorb their own lost lunar capacity to love, to ask for help, to cry, to feel, to nurture.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that both women and men are terribly out of practice with their Suns and Moons. They don't know quite what to do with them yet. As this epochal reintegration takes place, there is a period of awkwardness. Like a blind man whose vision has been restored, the acquisition of these "new" solar and lunar functions causes both genders to spend a while bumping into things."

I'd best be polishing up my Sun then!

(Steven and Jodie Forrest's website can be found HERE)

Ben Webster: Ballads and "The Brute"

My husband has tried, slowly, to introduce me to jazz. It's a musical genre which had never appealed to me in the slightest, while he has been smitten with it since schooldays. I've found a few pieces which I enjoy, and many which I simply cannot listen to for more than a few seconds. Saxophonist Ben Webster was one of the first artists recommended to me for easy appreciation, I took to his style easily. He played tenor saxophone, and though he often played the wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am-type jazz, from which he earned his nickname "The Brute", his interpretations of ballads were what set him apart. He said in interview:

"I like to play things that people understand, or maybe tunes that they could recognise. And so—I play for the people, just as much as for myself."

Ben Webster has been called "the supreme interpreter of ballads, (he) mastered the art of absorbing a song making it his own without violating its essence."

Listening to Webster playing "My Funny Valentine" or "Someone To Watch Over Me" with such sensitivity, one wouldn't easily guess that he could be quite violent.

"..... under(Duke) Ellington he found his own voice, moving between blustery showboating and breathy romanticism. He played with a distinctive raspy timbre, often spiking his lines with a sensuous vibrato. Webster was also known for being alternately charming or offending (the latter usually linked with his affection for the bottle). Webster stayed with Ellington for three years. He left after he was allowed to play piano with the band one night but overstayed his welcome. Ellington took offense over the incident but refused to discuss it with Webster, who responded by cutting one of the boss's best suits to bits."

"He was a large and occasionally violent man of unusual affections and bizarre impulses. He slept deeply, and had a curious habit of punching anyone who woke him, even his grandmother. In the 1950s, he lived in Los Angeles with his mother and grandmother, the two people in the world closest to him. Jim Hall, the guitarist, once described the routine of picking him up to go to a job. If Webster were asleep, his mother or grandmother would lean over him and say, "Ben, Mr. Hall is here and it's time to go to work." Then they would jump back about two feet to get out of the way. On the other hand, when the name of a dead musician he had loved came up (Tatum, say, or Fats Waller), Webster could be moved to tears. Hall remembered: "He started telling me what Tatum was like -- he loved to talk about the great ones he knew who were gone -- and the next thing I knew, he was crying."

Those brief extracts depict a talented man of sharp contrasts. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri on 27 March 1909. I can find no mention of his time of birth, so used a chart for 12 noon on his birth date.


The two factors I see as being most significant here (though there a doubtless many others) are 1) a mystic rectangle configuration (I've marked it on the chart), and 2) the mutual reception between Mars and Saturn.

A mystic rectangle configuration is made up of planets connected by trine or sextile also linked by oppositions, producing a box shape with a diagonal cross inside it. The trines and sextiles harmoniously link the planets and signs involved, the oppositions provide friction - also necessary to stop things from becoming too passive and easy-going.

TheAstrologer.com
:"Someone with a Mystic Rectangle in their chart will feel the effects of four planets working together in a strongly balanced and integrated pattern. This configuration offers the bearer a chance at inner harmony -- if the challenge of those two oppositions can be faced and dealt with consciously".

There's little doubt in my mind that this well integrated set of planets supported Ben Webster's musical talent, the very tight trine between Neptune (creativity) and Mercury(communication) being an important base for the integral pattern. Venus, the musical planet lies in Pisces not far from Mercury and although the planet is not technically part of the mystic rectangle, because Pisces ruler, Neptune is so tightly involved in the configuration, perhaps Venus could be considered an honorary inclusion.

Mutual reception (two planets placed in each other's ruling signs): Mars lies in Capricorn, the rulership of Saturn, Saturn lies in Aries, rulership of Mars. The two planets, aggressive Mars and serious Saturn combine forces in Webster's personality, and have relevance to his violent streak, more especially as Mars lies conjunct rebellious unruly Uranus and is in square (conflicting) aspect to Saturn.

(video originally added is no longer available)

Sources
http://www.downbeat.com/artists/window.asp?action=new&aid=40&aname=Ben+Webster
http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/BenWebster.htm
http://www.robertfulford.com/BenWebster.html

An Al-luring Suggestion

The primary election process here in the USA shambles along to the few remaining states waiting to vote for a Democratic party nominee. The whole process is looking ever more bizarre. I've read two or three articles by political journalists this week theorising that Al Gore might be dragged, reluctantly, into the fray.

They say it looks likely that Senators Clinton and Obama could eventually be so closely tied that it would fall to party elders at the Convention in August to confirm the nominee. They suggest that rather than alienate around half of all Democrats, endangering the party's chances in the General Election, an alternative plan could be to draft Al Gore as democratic nominee, theoretically uniting the party.

Bizarre !

Eight Democratic candidates set out long ago to fight for the US presidency. By process of elimination, led largely by the mainstream media, two remaining candidates were left to battle it out. In the process multi-millions of dollars have been collected and spent, thousands of hours of effort put in by the candidates and their teams, thousands of miles of travel, billions of words, written and spoken. All could be cancelled out, simply because the country's Democrats are almost equally divided in their preference of nominee. Each camp of supporters is so entrenched and bloody-minded that many of their number would prefer to see their party sink rather than vote for the nominee they didn't support. Another four years of Republican rule would likely be the outcome. Nice!

Al Gore. He was my first great hope, way back before this madness began, before Kucinich, before Edwards and long before Clinton and Obama. He chose not to put himself forward as a candidate, despite his legion of fans begging him to do so. Why then should he be a better choice than either of the very capable candidates who have worked their socks off trying to persuade Americans of their capabilities?

Bizarre!

That being as it may, I've looked at Al Gore's natal chart, and how the planets will be lining up between 25 and 28 August 2008 in Denver - the time of the Democratic Convention. I see nothing significant, other than transiting Pluto conjoining Mr. Gore's natal Jupiter, that has been so for many months, probably signifying his Nobel Prize, his Oscar, and business successes. Looking ahead a few years though, when Uranus, planet of change, has moved into Aries, and has reached Mr. Gore's natal Sun (10* Aries) in 2013, maybe..... maybe he will then be president, after the 2012 election. Here's food for the imagination! What might lead to that eventuality?

Rotten Day for Pisces

Here's another helping of "You Were Born on a Rotten Day" by Jim Critchfield and Jerry Hopkins, bravely published in 1969, surprisingly reprinted in a further four editions. As I remind myself when posting each monthly section, the book was probably one of the first ever attempts to spoof (or ridicule) astrology columns, its novelty may have accounted for its success. In our 21st century world it doesn't work too well, it's just not witty or sophisticated enough for today's readers, or so I surmise. In a successful spoof, such as the movie "Blazing Saddles", the writer had wide knowledge of the genre he was spoofing(western movies). That was patently not so in the case of this book. A good spoof works on two levels, it's superficially funny for an audience not well versed in the specific genre, and funny on a deeper level for the in-crowd who are able to pick up all the clever, and usually affectionate, references. This book doesn't really work on either level, but it is a little piece of history.

PISCES

"Pisces is the sexiest of all Birth Signs. Nothing daunts a panting Pisces. Pisces men have been known to walk 27 miles just to whisper sweet nothings in a librarian's ear. Pisces men are sweet and gentle with the opposite sex and many excel at bilking old maids and widows out of money.

Women born under this sign are also romantically inclined and have trim, lithe, well formed gums. A Pisces lady is open and sharing, especially if you buy her a beer or two.

All people of this sign are happy individuals, giggling even at traffic tickets, volcanoes, and four years of bad crops.

Society does not reap its fullest from the Pisces-born because so many slip into obscurity before they drop out of third grade. While in school, however, they do shine at dusting erasers, passing notes, and flirting with married math teachers.

If you are a Pisces, you don't have a lucky number, which serves you right, and your Lucky Star was recently arrested for making one of those movies".


And... from "A Typical Miserable Pisces Month"

3rd
"If you were born before 3pm today, go home. You're too young to be working."

18th
"Good time to do something flippant. Toss a few coins in the air."

25th
Prepare for a surprise

26th
Prepare for a disppointment

27th
Keep preparing. something's bound to happen

Irrepressible Leo

I thought so!

From New York Times 4 March:

"Mike Huckabee’s Next Stage: Television?"
By Brian Stelter
How does “The Mike Huckabee Show” sound?
As Mr. Huckabee’s campaign plotted a concession speech on Tuesday, some analysts suggested that viewers would see the longshot Republican presidential candidate on television again very soon.
On the MSNBC program “Morning Joe,” the Republican strategist Mike Murphy predicted Mr. Huckabee would “suspend his campaign, hire excellent agents, and begin negotiations for a cable TV talk show, all within the next 10 days.”
“We’ve got a chair here he could fill,” the co-host "

"Later in the day on MSNBC, the anchor Contessa Brewer joked that the jovial Mr. Huckabee could join the cast of the VH1 pop culture show “Best Week Ever.”
“I’ve got a feeling the call’s already going out,” the “Best Week Ever” contributor Chuck Nice responded.

It would be a shame if Mr. Huckabee limited himself to a political talk show, or "religion-on-the-box" though. He'd also limit his audience, and I think he has a lot to offer that is neither political nor religious - just warm, wise, humorous and human. Still, it would be a start, once into the loop his irrepressible Leo could lead him elsewhere in TV-land.

From Learning Curve on the Ecliptic 25 February

"The man's a natural. I wish he'd give up his current career and get himself a chat show or something similar. Something far removed from religion or politics. He's entertaining, warm and charismatic, you can't learn those qualities, they come part of your astrological package. Five Leo planets form a big part of Governor Huckabee's astro-package. He has already tried two professions suitable for a quintuple-Leo personality, one more remains: show-biz! I'd bet good money that he'd be a bigger success there than he could ever be in the other two. "

From Learning Curve on the Ecliptic on 30 November 2007

"All those Leo planets must incline him towards the public stage, be it pulpit or political platform. What would he like to hear - in his wildest dream? "Lights, camera, action!" "

I wonder if anybody has noticed the likeness between Mike Huckabee and Kevin Spacey? They do share some Leo natal degrees. Spacey was born 26 July 1959, South Orange, New Jersey. His Uranus is at 15 Leo, Mike Huckabee's Jupiter is in the same Leo degree. Huckabee's Uranus is at 00 Leo, Spacey's Sun at 2 Leo. Their natal Mars are just a few degrees apart 28 Leo for Huckabee, 3 Virgo for Spacey. The likeness may be pure coincidence, but when Kevin Spacey's face flashed across the TV screen last night in a trail for a movie, I was surprised at the similarity.

Morning Exercise #2 : "Dubya & the Universal Astrologer"

I hadn't meant to post this today. As I played around with it yesterday I felt very pessimistic about Senator Clinton's chances in last night's primaries, but we saw what a real fighter can do. Well done Senator Clinton! Somehow I feel like posting this now!

My attempt at another writing exercise from Wake Up Writing , with a hint of astrology included. All the words in the list for this exercise start with W (in this part of the USA pronounced "dubya", and used as a nickname for you know who, so how could I resist?)

Using each of the following words - in any order - create a piece of fiction or non-fiction. Can you use all of the words?
Wallet
Water
Wayward
Whimsical
Wicked
Willowy
Witchcraft
Wreck
Writhe
Wry

DUBYA and the UNIVERSAL ASTROLOGER
(Specified words are highlighted bold)
Dubya approached the Gates of Heaven with a spring in his step, wry smile on his face. Happy to be free at last of the wreck his country had become under his watch. Shining gates now lay straight ahead. The gatekeeper beckoned to him to hurry along. Dubya felt for his wallet - stuffed with high value bills, fat enough to buy his way into anywhere, or so he thought.

The gatekeeper ushered Dubya into an area just inside the gates and pointed to a nearby doorway, indicating that he should enter. The door opened without pressure . A willowy figure, seated at a long silver table raised her head from a chart which lay there. "Please be seated. We must review your life sir."

"Who are you?" Dubya asked, feeling less confident now.

"I am The Universal Astrologer".

"Astrology - nothing but witchcraft!" Dubya sneered.

The figure turned her gaze directly to meet Dubya's eyes. "All things will soon be made clear".

She continued to study the chart. Two assistants now entered the room carrying between them a silver container filled with what appeared to Dubya to be water. They placed it before him.

The Universal Astrologer began to speak, her voice smooth, emotionless.

As Dubya listened, whimsical thoughts tumbled through his mind -
"What's all this crap? I must have wandered into fairyland instead of Heaven."

The narration continued, Dubya now recognised, in the words of the Universal Astrologer, the history of his life on Earth.

"Now, please look down into the liquid", she ordered.

Dubya looked, and saw reflected in the silvery surface scenes from his life, proceeding in slow succession from childhood to his wayward youth, on, and on....to his last days.

"You writhe in discomfort" said the Universal Astrologer, noting that Dubya's countenance had changed.

"Do you see how wicked was your life on Earth?"

"I do", shivering now.

"Your next incarnation will serve to pay recompense. I have drawn up a natal chart which will provide you with challenge such as the Earth has not yet seen. You have the option to meet the challenge, or sink into the depths of Hades, never to return here. Go now. Your task will be to rescue your world, prevent the seeds of chaos you left behind from blooming into total catastrophe".

Dubya found himself back, momentarily, outside the shining gates, then, in the next instant, a female child was born to an exhausted mother.

Morning Exercise #1: A Tale of Neptune

Fiction writing doesn't come naturally to me, probably due to natal Mercury in down to earth Capricorn, but I felt a need to get away from talk of elections and politics so decided to try something completely different: a little fiction writing practice. Some suggestions at Wake Up Writing got me started, what follows is my first attempt. (Warning: others may follow in due course). I've added an extra challenge: to include a little astrology.

Use all of the following 10 words in a piece of fiction or non-fiction:

Amicable
Bitten
Disgrace
Flavor
Hose
License
Neptune
Possibilities
Tangle
Vellum

THE RESULT: (specified words highlighted bold)

What was once a shrubbery was now a disgrace, an overgrown tangle of vegetation, grown to well over 6 feet tall, rotted and fresh mingling and meshing overhead, forming a multi-hued canopy.

Petra threw down the hose in disgust after watering a bed of squash, herbs and salad vegtables grown lovingly in the sun for flavor. She took a few steps into the shady tangled area, glad to move out of the scorching heat for a while, began pulling dead stalks and pushing slim branches aside. A sudden sharp pain to her ankle caused her to stop, wince and reach down thinking she'd been bitten. Instead she found her fingers wet with blood, and a sharp edge of metal protuding from the dense undergrowth.

On her knees she pushed aside the weeds to uncover what appeared to be a rusting metal cube. She lifted the object from its half buried resting place and returned through the sunlight, limping, back to the house.

Petra and her family had arrived here in the midst of an uncharacteristically severe winter, followed by a monsoon of a spring. Only now had the weather turned amicable enough for her to properly explore the rambling grounds of the historic house they had beggared themselves to own. It stood on the edge of rolling hills, far from urban sprawl and polluted air, probably the first structure to blot the virgin Texas landscape of two hundred years ago.

After attending to her damaged ankle, Petra wiped the rusty cube and investigated the possibility of a lid. If lid there was, it was either rusted shut or locked. With a nail file she prodded various ridges and indentations. After exhausting all possibilities, reaching to put the cube on a nearby table it slipped from her grasp to the floor and, magically, a lid flew open.

The contents fell, sliding a little way across the polished wood floor. A rolled piece of vellum, skidded across the oak boards, and what looked like a medallion or large coin spun, rattled and fell flat, disclosing a web of markings.

Petra retrieved the items. As she handled the cold metal and smooth parchment she shivered unaccountably. The vellum roll was secured by a piece of hempen cord which she carefully untied, wondering how long it was since hands had secured it. The vellum felt stiff, she unrolled it with care. Beautiful script covered the inner surface, with some glyphs and a few figures. The only word Petra could easily decipher was "Neptune" in illuminated letters center page. The circular metal object had been crudely engraved with glyphs, and again the word "Neptune".

From Petra's knowledge of astronomy she recalled that Neptune, the planet, was discovered in 1846, but these items and their container seemed older, by at least a hundred years, maybe more. She resolved to take the items to a local museum for advice, next time she visited the city.

Five years passed. Surveyors applied for a license to explore for oil on the land attached to Petra's house, and found evidence of large deposits.

Petra never did take the objects she had found to a museum, but she did go on to study astrology, discovering along the way that planet Neptune is said to rule oil.

Texas Decides

Our close neighbor Texas will be in the headlines tomorrow, when its population votes, at last, in the presidential primaries. The result, along with those of two other states voting tomorrow, could be decisive in who will be the Democratic nominee.

We live in the part of Oklahoma known as Texhoma, just a 30 minute drive from the Texas border at the Red River. Before I arrived in the USA, I used to say that Texas was my favourite state - from a position of complete ignorance of course. My opinion was based on nothing more than Larry McMurtry novels and the TV series "Dallas". I didn't know, then, how beautiful is Colorado or how magical New Mexico. I do now. Texas still fascinates though - if only for its sheer size. You can drive for hours and see little but scrubland and wide horizons.

So - how will the people of Texas vote in the Democratic primary? Will they favour Hillary Clinton, a voice of change with known history, or Barack Obama, also a voice of change but something of a leap into the unknown?

Texas became a state on 29 December 1845. Using that date at 12 noon and locating the chart in Texas capital, Austin, I'll compare it with a chart for 4 March 2008, same time, same place. The dual chart is shown below. Center, the chart for Texas statehood, outer circle is transit chart for 4 March 2008. (Click to enlarge).



I'm not keen on using charts for anything that's not a living breathing entity, but I'll try the idea for size on this occasion, it might offer up some symbolism at least. On the day Texas became a state the planets lay in a combination of conservative, businesslike Capricorn, forward-looking Aquarius, energetic Aries and one in earthy Taurus. In pioneering 19th century days that combination must have matched the flavour of Texas pretty well.

In the transit chart for tomorrow, 4 March 2008, Neptune has returned almost to it's statehood position at 23 Aquarius - it's now at 22 Aquarius. Neptune rules oil, which historically was one of Texas's biggest advantages! I wonder what a Neptune return might signify. Interestingly too, Neptune was discovered on 23 September 1846, nine months after Texas became a state.

In the transit chart for 4 March there are no Aries planets, but 4 in Aquarius and 2 in Capricorn. The transit planets match the Texas base personality fairly well, a blend of the old and the new, but Aries energy found the 19th century chart is replaced by a more laid-back Pisces influence.

A couple of aspects from transit chart to statehood chart stand out. Transiting Mars at 00 Cancer opposes statehood Mercury at 03 Capricorn and Sun at 07 Capricorn, and is square statehood Mars/Uranus in Aries. Perhaps that indicates a rather softer, sensitive feel to voting day Texas?

What the charts indicate to me isn't whether Senator Clinton or Senator Obama will win for the Democrats, but that overall the state is more likely now to favor Democrat over Republican.....that's a wild and unwise prediction about the state which gave us President Bush, a state totally dedicated to owning firearms, relies heavily on oil production, and is generally considered to be a cradle of conservatism.

I dare not hazard a guess about the Clinton or Obama question. Oklahoma preferred Senator Clinton in the Super Tuesday primary, will our close cousins follow its lead, or will they opt for the unknown? In their past they'd have been more inclined to take an impulsive leap in the dark (the Aries influence in the statehood chart), but on 4 March 2008, I'm not so sure.

Eris & Sedna or Eric & Sid ?

I've been remembering. Pondering on astrologers' comments two years ago when Eris was officially given its name after being initially nicknamed Xena (Warrior Princess). Recalling also that some years before, Sedna had arrived on the astrological scene. Two recently discovered celestial bodies both given names of mythological goddesses. Some saw this as an indication that, at last, women or at least "the feminine" would come more to the fore in world events.

Setting aside the mythology attached to both names for the moment and simply considering the female aspect, things ain't working out so well up to now.

Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives proved a dire disappointment to most US Democrats due to her timidity when confronted by opposition. Senator Hillary Clinton, candidate for US presidency is treated with contempt in many parts of the media and the political blogosphere. While she's not yet quite down and out, she appears to be losing ground rapidly even among women supporters.

There might be an argument that Senator Obama embodies "the feminine" as a concept, accounting for his ability to stir up such enthusiasm. For me it's too weak an argument as yet. We'll see how strong is his feminine side if he becomes president.

I'm certainly no feminist, but I can't help but notice that here in the USA sexism and misogyny go largely unchallenged, while even the slightest hint of perceived racism is pounced on. This was clearly and painfully apparent in Bill Maher's "Real Time" on Friday night. His guests included Christopher Hitchens and Harry Shearer It's hard to say who was worst of the three. The other guest was Indian diplomat Shashi Tharoor, who was by far the most civilised. Bill Maher and "Real time" lost a devoted fan (me) after that show. Even genial David Letterman delights in ridiculing Senator Clinton while never saying a wrong word about Senator Obama. I'm all for taking politicians down a peg or two, but it ought to be done in an even-handed way. Jay Leno and Craig Ferguson are also guilty.

Returning to to mythology, Eris was Greek goddess of strife and discord. Sedna goddess of the Inuit underworld and sea creatures, she went through all kinds of tribulations before being killed and sinking to the bottom of the sea. Neither goddess has a happy story.

Eris and Sedna ? I'd almost rather they'd been named Eric and Sid.

Piscean Poet: Richard Wilbur

Richard Wilbur, American poet, former US Poet Laureate, and Pulitzer Prize winner
was born this day in New York City in 1921.


Mr. Wilbur is a creative triple Piscean(Sun, Mercury and Uranus) with Jupiter and Saturn opposing the Pisces planets from organised, common-sense Virgo. An interview with the poet (HERE) suggests to me that the two Virgo planets, opposing the Pisces cluster, may have inclined Mr Wilbur away from abstract and inaccessible modern styles of poetry writing, and towards the traditional:

"No poet of his generation has been more committed to careful, organized expression or has more thoroughly mastered the forms and devices of traditional poetry; this conservative aesthetic and his deep love for “country things” link Wilbur to the Roman poet Horace and to his fellow American Robert Frost"

Richard Wilbur's poetry, for the most part, rhymes, unlike that of many of his contemporaries. He says:

"So I never felt I was electing to be “old hat” from the start. It seemed a kind of poetry that anybody at the moment might like to write, and indeed many people were doing so. It wasn’t really until the ’60s that there was a general turning away from so-called formal verse."



I chose this poem from a selection of Richard Wilbur's poetry for its simplicity and ever important message.

Happy birthday Mr. Wilbur!

A FABLE

Securely sunning in a forest glade,
A mild, well-meaning snake
Approved the adaptations he had made
For safety’s sake.

He liked the skin he had—
Its mottled camouflage, its look of mail,
And was content that he had thought to add
A rattling tail.


The tail was not for drumming up a fight;
No, nothing of the sort.
And he would only use his poisoned bite
As last resort.


A peasant now drew near,
Collecting wood; the snake, observing this,
Expressed concern by uttering a clear
But civil hiss.


The simple churl, his nerves at once unstrung,
Mistook the other’s tone
And dashed his brains out with a deftly-flung
Pre-emptive stone.

Moral

Security, alas, can give
A threatening impression;
Too much defense-initiative
Can prompt aggression.

A Stately Astro-Mnemonic

I need a mnemonic to help me remember the 13 original states of the USA. This for my civics test, coming up in relation to US citizenship. For luck, I'm going to use astrology in the mnemonic. This astrology is highly suspect, but it might help me remember the first letter of each state, which should kickstart my memory banks.




Venus Mercury & Mars Retrograde Carry No News of Saturn, Neptune's Nervous, Pluto Dominates Gemini

Virginia
Massachusetts
Maryland
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New Hampshire
North Carolina
South Carolina
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
GeorgiaNow....how to remember the mnemonic?

From a list of 96 questions applicants are asked 10 and must give correct answers to at least 6 of them. Most are straightforward, it's the few where the answer involves lists I hesitate over. EG: "Name the amendments(to the Constitution) that guarantee or address voting rights". My American husband couldn't answer that one - even HeWhoKnows didn't know! (Answer: 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th amendments. They relate to women's right to vote, the right of all races to vote, making it illegal to prevent someone from voting for not paying poll tax, and lowering voting age to 18.)

No more civics lessons - I promise!

Daily Dazzles

SUNDAY:- Celebrity time with avengance. The Oscars. I have what some might see as an unfortunate trait (only one?)- dislike of celebrities. This time of year brings on the worst symptoms of my affliction, a bit like 'flu season - well actually it's 'flu season and Oscar season both. Unfortunately there's no shot available for celebrity-itis. Might this affliction of mine stem from something in my astrology? Natal Sun in obtuse and rebellious Aquarius is a start. Saturn (limitation) in Aries in 10th house (public status)- maybe Saturn, the old misery, in this position tends to put a damper on celebrity worship. Grand Trine in Earth signs adds to the mix anchoring feet to the ground, helping to breed an innate distrust of glitz and glitter.


MONDAY afternoon, a letter arrived from the United States Immigration and Citizenship Service notifying me that I should attend for interview on 11 April. This has been a long time coming - since July 2007. On Monday Venus and Mercury were less than 4 degrees from natal Aquarius Sun, with Mercury having not long since moved from retrograde to direct motion, it all ties in nicely. Chances are that I shall be a citizen in time to register to vote in November. The long immigration treck will soon be over. It started with a UK fiance visa for himself, enabling him to be resident in the UK, followed by a marriage visa for me to enter the USA as a Permanent Resident back in 2004, then further hassle to remove conditions from my Permanent Residency last summer. With a following wind I should finally reach the end of this rocky road sometime this summer, after an Oath Ceremony. Then, transformed as a US citizen (dual US/UK citizen to be exact), I shall be saying a resounding "PHEW!!"


TUESDAY evening's TV viewing hovered between rock and a hard place - American Idol and another Democratic debate between El Obama and La Clinton.

American Idol has thrown up a likely winner already. David Archuleta won rave comments for his rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine". He's the youngest contestant, so if he does eventually win, my theory that this year's astrological factors favour the more mature contestants will be proved wrong.

They say Tuesday's debate may have been the last of the season, I hope they are correct. Nothing new emerges now, just regurgitation of what we've heard many times before.

Senator Obama, when speechifying on the campaign trail, and when debating, displays two quite different sides to his personality. He doesn't light up the debate platform as he does stadiums filled with adoring crowds. His sparkling Leo Sun, Mercury and Uranus seem eclipsed by his strong Saturn in Capricorn, which lies quincunx(inharmonious)to Uranus. Uranus dazzles at campaign rallies, with promise of change, unity, and that "Yes we can!" In the debates Saturn appears to dampen things down considerably.

WEDNESDAY - An earthquake hit the UK, mild on a global scale, but pretty unusual for Britain. Eclipses are thought by some to be precursors of earthquakes, but there's no scientific evidence for this. There was a lunar eclipse last week. Coincidence?

Leo x 2 - Rhett Butler and Darius Danesh

It's always a pleasant surprise to receive late comments on old blog posts. I got one last week relating to a December post about "Gone With the Wind", and astrological links to the novel's characters.

A commentor let me know that a musical version of "Gone With the Wind" is due to open in London's West End soon, and the person chosen for the part of Rhett Butler is none other than Darius Danesh - a name probably not familiar in the USA - yet. Darius was a contestant in the very first series of UK's "Pop Idol" in 2001(from whence came "American Idol" shortly after). Darius didn't win, he came either third or fourth, I forget which. He did have a very enthusiastic following, including myself. He came in for some ribbing by commentators and journalists because of a remark he made during auditions when trying to motivate fellow-contestants. "There's a lot of love in this room", he said on one occasion, and it stuck! There was always a slightly new agey feel about Darius - a throw-back to the '60s.

Since "Pop Idol", it appears that Darius has made good, with five top ten singles in the UK, and he has played leading roles in stage musicals in London's famous West End - a surprising departure, I'd have thought, but a very successful one it seems.

As mentioned in my December post, the Rhett Butler character is thought to reflect the astrological Leo stereotype. Bingo! - Darius Danesh has natal Sun in Leo!



Darius was born on 19 August 1980 in Glasgow, Scotland. (No birth time known, so I've used a 12 noon chart.)



The first thing I noticed about his natal chart, even before looking at the sign placements, was a beautifully regular integration of the planets in semi-sextile, sextile and trine patterns - following around the chart from Venus to Neptune.

Sun semisextile Saturn, sextile Mars, trine Neptune.
Mercury semisextile Jupiter, sextile Pluto, trine Neptune.
Venus widely semisextile Mercury, sextile Jupiter, widely trine Uranus.

This says, to me, that he is very comfortable within himself, his various talents, music, acting, composing are well integrated and feed off each other. There is a square aspect between his natal Sun and Uranus which will ensure everything doesn't come too easily, and provides him with some dynamic challenge to keep current.

The Moon's degree is uncertain without time of birth, but if Darius were born pre-9am Moon would lie in Scorpio, a later birth time would bring Moon into Sagittarius. It would be interesting to see how the Moon fits into the overall pattern, also, of course the all important ascendant. If anyone reads this and knows Darius's time of birth, I hope they'll comment. I'd guess at Leo or Libra, or maybe even Cancer rising.

His Leo Sun and Mercury shone through his TV performances as I remember them. That very nice Neptune/Mercury trine is going to be helpful for both his songwriting and acting abilities. I can't see anything too negative in this chart, to be honest. His Saturn Return will come up in October 2009, which might send his career in a different direction. Perhaps he'll move on to straight acting, movies, or towards something completely different.

Darius's natal chart, using sidereal zodiac, leaves his Sun in Leo, but Mercury moves to Cancer and Venus to Gemini. The semi-sextile/sextile/trine pattern remains but is not quite so easy to see at first glance. Both versions of the chart could be seen as valid. I noticed a gentleness in him which matches Mercury in Cancer, and his Mercury/Neptune trine moves from Fire to Water with sidereal Neptune in Scorpio -that would fit songwriting and music even better than the Fire trine.So the two zodiacs seem equally valid.....once again.

It'll be very interesting to watch how Darius's career develops. Will he cross the pond to be a hit in the USA, or will he remain a jewel in Britain's crown ?

Here he is singing one of his self-penned hits "Color Blind"

Astro-harmony in "Falling Slowly"

It was good to see Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova receive their Oscars on Sunday evening for Best Original Song: "Falling Slowly", from last year's movie "Once". It's a lovely song from a gentle, non-glitzy, non-starry movie. We saw it and enjoyed it, but never expected it to be mentioned at the grand Oscars ceremony. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova the movie's virtually unknown leading actors also wrote the winning song.



I wondered whether there would be some harmonious links in their natal charts. Here they are, calculated for 12 noon as birth times are unknown.

Glen Hansard was born in Dublin, Ireland on 21 April 1970.



Marketa Irglova born in Valasske Mezirici in the Czech Republic on 2 March 1988

.

There is harmony in common clusters of Earthy planets. Hansard has Sun, Saturn, Mercury and Venus between O* and 22* Taurus (ruled by Venus the music planet). Irglova has Uranus, Saturn, Mars and Neptune between 0* and 9* Capricorn, so the planets in Earth signs, Taurus and Capricorn are in harmonious trine.

Both have close aspects between Mars (energy, dynamism) and Neptune (imagination, creativity, dreams), Hansard's Neptune/Mars are in opposition, Irglova's are in conjunction.

Both have Venus (planet of music) close to another personal planet Hansard's is conjunct Mercury(planet of writing & communication), Irglova's conjunct Jupiter (which rules publishing & luck, among other things).

Their natal Suns are in wide sextile, but unfortunately without times of birth their Moon's positions are unclear. At 12 noon both Moons lay at 28* of Libra and Leo, either or both could move into the next signs with birth times from early evening onwards. Ascendants remain unknown.

There's sufficient evidence, even without times of birth, that these two people would understand each other and have little trouble harmonising together, as is well illustrated by their co-written song and their performances in "Once". Here's the song, as performed in the movie:

Mike Huckabee's Leo & SNL

The more I see Mike Huckabee on TV, the more I warm to him - not his politics (perish the thought), nor his religion, just his personality. He's real. Know what I mean?

I wrote a blog about him (here) earlier in the presidential campaign. Since then I've seen him interviewed, listened to his speeches and watched his reaction to winning and losing after primaries, with growing appreciation.

Governor Huckabee's latest appearance, in Saturday Night Live at the weekend was fun. The man's a natural. I wish he'd give up his current career and get himself a chat show or something similar. Something far removed from religion or politics. He's entertaining, warm and charismatic, you can't learn those qualities, they come part of your astrological package. Five Leo planets form a big part of Governor Huckabee's astro-package. He has already tried two professions suitable for a quintuple-Leo personality, one more remains: show-biz! I'd bet good money that he'd be a bigger success there than he could ever be in the other two.

"There's a greater chance that I would dye my hair green and get tattoos all over my body and do a rock tour with Amy Winehouse than there is that I would run for the Senate, so let me put that to rest."

"And the ultimate thing is, I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night."


PS: Speaking of Saturday Night Live, I'm not passing this opportunity to re-air Saturday night's opening skit. It's not the part featuring Governor Huckabee, but it provided some unexpected and refreshing spoofing of the media's current intoxication with a Senator. At last, somebody noticed!

Of Saxophones & Sun Signs

It's funny how often my mind defaults to astrology. The other evening, searching for an entertaining interlude away from politics, we landed on a TV show featuring saxophonist Dave Koz, "At the Movies". Thinking that HeWhoKnows (the husband) would enjoy this I stopped channel-surfing and said, "This is your cup of tea!"

I was rewarded with look of barely disguised disdain.

HWK is a musical.....er..I was going to say snob, but Americans don't do snobbery(or so it is told). No, he's not a snob in any way at all, but in the realm of musical appreciation he is a bit of an elitist. He loves all kinds of music and knows perfection when he hears it. He considers Dave Koz and his ilk, which includes musicians such as Kenny Gee, Richard Clayderman, "too schmaltzy", too populist.

"You mean too accessible to the great unwashed?" I enquired.

My mind slid into its default astrology mode, zeroing in on Sun signs, despised by the astrological elite, embraced by the great unwashed,

I went on to lecture HWK, much to his dismay:

"If it wasn't for musicians such as Dave Koz and Kenny Gee many people wouldn't listen to music at all. They play sweet, easy, accessible music. Some listeners will go on to investigate other musicians - for instance someone listening to Dave Koz tonight might decide they really like the saxophone, start listening to other players such as Ben Webster and your idol Paul Desmond. Without having listened to Dave Koz they'd never have known about those artists. Some listeners might even be inspired to learn to play the instrument themselves. The same thing happens in astrology - people read Sun sign columns and articles relating to their "star sign" and get interested. Some decide to investigate the subject in more detail, and often go on to study it in depth - as I've done. Yet the astrological elite despise Sun sign astrology."

"Yes, I appreciate that, but I wish he wouldn't keep acting to the camera - he's a bit of a ham".

Sigh.

I don't often link to my husband's blog, I'm doing so now because the first part of Saturday's post is relevant to what I've just written, and the second part is, I reckon, worthy of an Obama speech writer (wink).

Mine is a populist Aquarian Sun, I am a proud card-carrying member of the great unwashed (figuratively speaking!) I like Dave Koz and his ilk.

Here's a YouTube piece from the TV show mentioned above. Dave Koz and Vanessa Williams perform "The Way We Were".

Pisces & Neptune Dominant

We've rolled into the tropical zodiac sign of Pisces this week. Keywords for Pisces include: sensitive, imaginative, creative, intuitive,abstract, compassionate, introspective, religious, clairvoyant, versatile, procrastinating, fatalistic, idealistic, unworldly, vague, easily led, addictive.

Neptune, modern ruler of Pisces, is briefly described by Rob Tillett:

"Neptune, the planet of deception and spiritual enlightenment, rules the oppressed and abandoned: the misfits of society. On a higher level it rules visionaries, and those who are glamorous and charismatic. It represents spirituality, mysticism, and ideals.

Speaking personally, Neptune's house position and its aspects with other planets in your chart will describe spirituality, abstract thinking, illusion, disillusionment, and areas of your life where things aren't always what they seem. It rules derangement, guilt, persecution and describes the potential for experiences related to confinement, abandonment, and addiction or physical intolerance to drugs and alcohol.

Neptune's role in society is often to cloud the issues, making things seem other than they are. Neptune is the master of disguise. Ruling oil, liquids, solvents (and makeup!), this mighty force usually operates beneath the surface, but can be brought into the forefront of consciousness when affected by significant transits from the visible planets."

Instead of my usual video picture book of well known people, for Pisces/Neptune I've included lists below, and this video compilation, first posted during last year. It's an attempt to present, in sight and sound, some of the qualities of Neptune and Pisces. (Sorry - video removed).
Lists at Astrotheme of well known individuals with Pisces or Neptune dominant in their natal charts, who are also well-known in America and English-speaking countries, were quite a bit shorter than I have found for other zodiac signs. I wonder why that should be? Pisces is last of the twelve signs, before the zodiac starts anew with Aries, at vernal equinox. Perhaps the zodiac simply ran out of steam! Pisces is the 12th sign, connected to 12th house, which is considered to be a hidden and secret place. It's appropriate then that we don't have long lists of household names here - though there is certainly a streak of real genius and inspiration among them, including some connected to astrology.

Percentages are included in some cases to show the range, none is much below 40% for Pisces and 21% for Neptune.

PISCES DOMINANT

ACTORS
Laura Dern (53.21%)
Googie Withers
Paula Prentiss
Lou Costello
Sidney Poitier
Patrick Duffy(40.43%)

MUSIC
Benjamino Gigli (47.67%)
Dame Vera Lynn
Kurt Weil
Johnny Cash
Kurt Cobain (39.70%)

ASTROLOGY
Jean Baptiste Morin de Villefranche (Morinus)(46.02%)
Evangeline Adams
Moby Dick Jacobs(43.16%)

MIXED BAG
Elizabeth Barrett Browing (52.81%)
P.D. Ouspensky (47.89%)
Alexander Graham Bell
Patty Hearst
Victor Hugo
Vincent van Gogh
Bugsy Siegel (40.22%)

******************************

NEPTUNE DOMINANT

ACTORS
Tom Courtenay
Tallulah Bankhead (22.86%)
Dirk Benedict

MUSIC
John Philip Sousa(28.77%)
Frank Sinatra (25.26%)
Leontyne Price
Renata Tebaldi (21.09%)

ASTROLOGY
Richard Nolle (24.64%)
William Lilley
Johannes Kepler (22.60%)

MIXED BAG
Henry Rider Haggard (31.31%)
Nancy Mitford
David Puttnam
Pierre Balmain
Marc Chagall
Charles Darwin
D.H. Lawrence
Jerry Springer(21.61%)

******************************

Famous Philanderings USA and UK Style

As the lunar eclipse progressed, under thick cloud cover, on Wednesday evening we were watching a 10-year old movie on HBO, "Primary Colors". I first saw it years ago, back in the UK, but in those days much of its significance would have gone right over my head. This time I thoroughly enjoyed it and, by the time the Moon was again shining above the clouds, I understood it. The story-line is very apt just now, with politics and the presidential race full in our faces.

"Primary Colors" the movie was adapted from a novel, originally said to be the work of an anonymous author, later unmasked by a clever literary analyst, as journalist Joe Klein. It's a semi-fictional satirical story of a presidential candidate in the USA. The tale manages to integrate the complexity and ethics, or lack of them, involved in politics generally. By the movie's conclusion the viewer is left wondering whether, in politics, the ends do sometimes justify the means.


John Travolta and Emma Thompson play the parts of presidential candidate and wife, Jack and Susan Stanton - very thinly veiled caricatures of Bill and Hillary Clinton, the plot gently satirizes their adventures in the 1990s. Travolta did a wonderful job, I thought. I've been a fan of his since "Saturday Night Fever" - how he has evolved since those days! We happen to share Aquarius Sun with Pluto in first house opposing Sun in 8th, with Cancer rising. Similarities end there!

One key element in the "Primary Colors" plot was, not surprisingly, Jack Stanton's philanderings. Coincidentally, today 22 February, is the birthday of Christine Keeler, who was closely involved in the philanderings of a high level politician in Britain, in the early 1960s. Christine Keeler, the leading player in what is now known as the Profumo Affair.

The Secretary of State for War, John Profumo entered into an affair with high-class prostitute, Christine Keeler, not realising that she was also sleeping with (among others) a naval attache at the embassy of the Soviet Union(Russia), and this was during the Cold War, don't forget! The affair resulted in John Profumo eventually resigning his government post. I think I'm right in saying that those who lived through the "Profumo Affair" in Britain have never forgotten it, it almost brought down the whole government.



Christine Keeler's 12 noon chart reveals some Taurus planets on each side of, and close to, Fixed Star Algol (25 Taurus)traditionally thought to be the most malefic of all stars. Algol certainly turned out to be an ill omen for Keeler's reputation and those connected with her. There's a Grand Trine linking Uranus, Neptune and (out of sign) Venus in her natal chart, which could be seen to describe her effect on her clients -illusion of love leading to delusion and some unexpected results.

Robin Williams has said "God gave us all a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time". Yes indeed!.

A Handily Wonkish Rant

As Mercury turned direct after its recent retrograde period, it tickled my fancy that words (the province of Mercury, planet of communication) suddenly started coming under the microscope in Mercury's other province, the media.

I'd decided to draft a blog post on the subject of words myself, when I noticed the media pouncing on Barack Obama, because he had borrowed some of the words used in his speeches from another politician (one of many articles here). Then, hardly missing a beat, Senator Obama's wife was hauled over the coals for words she'd uttered in a speech (here).

Anyway, my wordy Mercurial ramble-cum-rant goes like this:

During the past few months I've noticed a couple of rather oddly applied words appearing with strange regularity in what I call journalist-speak. Journalists are a bit like parrots, they pick up words and expressions from each other, repeat them, ad nauseam for a while, before forgetting all about them and moving on to the next batch. This is fine, as long as the meaning of the "in-words" is clear.

"Wonk" is an example of current journalist-speak. It is being used, on occasion, to describe some politicians. In Britain (also in the USA, I'm reliably informed by my husband) "wonky" means unstable, wobbly, not reliable. I couldn't see how this definition fitted the context when I came upon the word recently in several articles. After a brief search, I discovered that "wonk" is also applied to a person who studies a subject or issue thoroughly or to excess. Some politicians can be termed "policy wonks", or have a "wonkish attitude". The two definitions of "wonk" and "wonky" no doubt have different roots, but that doesn't make things any less confusing for the reader.

Another current example of journalist-speak is the adverb "handily". For example: "he beat Clinton handily". I'd always used "handy" in a practical sense: "the table was placed in a handy position (or handily) for easy access from both entrances". Apparently its use has expanded. Winning "handily", though not hard to translate into plain English, could surely be better and more accurately expressed as winning "easily" or "with a wide margin", if that is what a writer intends to convey. Or does it perhaps mean "usefully", i.e. that it was a win which was badly needed? It's just not clear, at least not to me.

Some journalists, in an effort to be trendy, put what they see as style before clarity and accuracy. Which reminds me of a sentiment in one of Bill Watterson's "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strips:
“The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure pure reasoning, and inhibit clarity. With a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and impenetrable fog!”

End of rant.

Candidates Part III

Since Monday I've been looking at at astrological thumbnail sketches of the leading candidates for the upcoming US presidential election. Interpretations used are from Llewellyn George's 1934 book "Student Chart Reader of Horoscope Indications", chosen for scrupulous impartiality. It's impossible for there to be any subconscious connection to events or characters on the US political scene of late 20th/early 21st century. Today it's the turn of the last of the three candidates for sketch treatment: Republican Senator John McCain.


SENATOR JOHN McCAIN

August 29 1936, at 9am, Coco Solo Air Base, Panama Canal Zone.
See natal chart at AstroFutureTrends

SUN in Virgo

"In Virgo the Sun makes the native modest, thoughtful, serious, contemplative and industrious with desire to refine the mind and acquire knowledge. Learns quickly, is philosophical, a good reasoner and usually has a good command of language. It gives a good endurance, reserve force, quick recuperation and as a rule Virgoans do not show their age. Quick tempered but not a fighter as Virgo prefers arbitration. Loves order, beauty, art and literature, Not easily discouraged or kept down, although somewhat given to worry. Is idealistic yet practical, frugal yet speculative, ingenious, careful, cautious and usually endowed with good forethought. Very active and seldom contented long at a time. Desires wealth but not able, as a rule, to acquire wealth easily. Interested in hygienics, diet and labor conditions."

ASCENDANT in Libra (with 9am as time of birth)

"Love justice, order, peace and harmony, usually very courteous, pleasant and agreeable persons; although quick to anger, are easily appeased. They are fond of beauty in all forms: in nature, art, music, literature etc., and can enter with zest into refined and cultured pleasures and amusements and greatly enjoy the company and society of brave, happy, sunny and mirthful people. They are affectionate, sympathetic, kind, generous and compassionate; idealistic, artistic, adaptable, constructive, intuitive impressionable and inspirational. They admire modesty and refinement; are ambitious but dislike unclean work and all discord. The best outlet for their talents is in the professions, and they have ability for lines requiring good taste, neat touch and fine finish. Mental-vital temperament.
Mental tendencies:
Good mental abilities, keen sense of perception with foresight and good comparison, imaginative or artistic; good natured, hopeful, cheerful, genial, humane, just, orderly; usually amorous, loving but changeful, fond of society and amusements. Like to "go places and do things", be in style or up-to-date. Fond of fine clothes and jewelry."

MOON in Capricorn

"Tends to bring one before the public in some manner, but whether beneficially or otherwise depends upon the other indications in the chart.

If the Moon is well aspected at birth, especially by the Sun, (in this case they are both in Earth signs, but not in close aspect) may attract attention as a prominent and respectable person. If the environment has been good it may manifest as rulership, generalship and administrative ability.

If the mental rulers (Sun, Moon, Mercury and rulers of 3rd and 9th cusps) were afflicted and the early training neglected it gives a vague indeterminate mind, lack of creative energy although ambitious; misfortune through women and lax control of the appetites. Usually has enemies whether merited or not, and some drawback or difficulty attached to the occupation or reputation of the native. If the aspects in the chart are generally good it indicates honors and prominence; the native has ability to interest others and inspire confidence; a good organizer and welfare worker.

This location is also indicative of care and caution in money matters. The nature is often too cold and calculating and at times too regardless of the feelings of others."

Oddly, in Senator McCain's case, I see the Moon as more indicative of the public person we see, rather than the Sun/ascendant picture, as in the cases of Senators Clinton and Obama. Other factors in his natal chart are needed for clarity, one example is Mars in Leo, indicating a forceful and militant character, it lies in his 10th house of public status, making it a focal point in his career.


Three thumbnail sketches of leading candidates are complete - I thought the first two depicted very recognisable traits, from what little we know of the real people involved. This third example, for me, is less clearly recognisable without involving more of the natal chart.

Now, as we see them approaching the final rounds, coming out swinging, keeping their guard up, we have to hope, somewhat forlornly, that there will be no hitting below the belt.

May the best person for the job win!