Goes Around, Comes Around

Two things arrive on the scene at regular intervals, as if driven by clockwork - or astrology: trouble in the Middle East and controversy arising from something Ann Coulter has written or said.

Current trouble in the Middle East isn't something I feel qualified to write about. I've been aware of similar break-outs in the area since my early adulthood in the 1950s. Knowledgeable folk put forward their theories, blame is laid. As I see it there is fault on both sides, and it is not in the place of those of us uninvolved to judge. Memories in the Middle East are long, and wounds remain from previous outbreaks which probably fire much of the current one. My heart breaks for children caught in the crossfire on both sides. This should never, ever happen - anywhere.

I'll concentrate on the other recurring event: Ann Coulter. Current controversy stems from mocking remarks she makes about Michelle Obama in her recently published book. Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks comment on the situation in their article: "Four Reasons Why Ann Coulter Has No Business Mocking Michelle Obama"


Ann Coulter's natal chart is set for 12 noon as no time of birth is known.


Astrologers have interpreted Ms Coulter's chart in the past, at times of her previous tactless blunders. The consensus seemed to be that the main source of her poison pen is natal Sun, squished tightly between belligerent Mars and communicative Mercury, square to, and challenged by, intense and potentially poisonous Pluto.

Conservative Saturn is strong in its own sign, Capricorn, too, and manages to cancel out much of the philosophical and happy go lucky attitudes of her Sagittarius cluster. Sagittarius is also known for bluntness and excess of course, but not, I would have thought, outright nastiness.

This is another instance of "too much of a good thing". It's similar in some ways to the way Sarah Palin's Aquarius cluster manifests. When there's a lot of one sign present in a chart, things seem to become unbalanced and flip over into the negative. I'm sure this doesn't happen in all cases, other factors: background, circumstance and opportunity have their effects too.

I can find no time of birth for Ms Coulter. I wouldn't be surprised to see Saturn close to the ascendant or midheaven. She has the angular face and jaw I've often noticed in Capricorn men, and some women. If she were born after 9pm, Moon would have moved into Capricorn, still leaving a cluster of four planets in Sagittarius. Capricorn Moon would serve to underline Saturnian traits, one of which is looking after business, which she always does in seeking her place in the headlines. Whatever else Ann Coulter is, she's a hard-nosed businesswoman, with a thick skin.

One other tidbit gleaned from her chart: Pluto, at 10.08 Virgo conjoins a Fixed Star called Zosma at 11.17 Virgo. I don't know whether this is of any significance. Pluto lay in this position for quite some time, the conjunction will appear in charts of millions born during that period. Not all will have the Pluto/Zosma conjunction square to Mercury though. It's something to consider.

ZOSMA -- 11VIR17 -- #15438 -- mag2.6
Located on the back of the Nemean Lion. Zosma is the point where the great lion's back was broken by Hercules. The lion represented the ancient goddess worship and the act of Hercules breaking its back is symbolic of the end of this era or the persecution of the feminine - the burning of witches. Zosma may be a victim or a person who fights for the victim.
Influence: A victim or a saviour. Medically, this is Venus/Saturn. May cause buildup in the body, resulting in disease. Seems to also influence depression.
(Here)

On the surface she appears neither victim nor saviour - but perhaps we don't know the whole story.

A final observation: Ms Coulter will experience a Jupiter return soon, and a solar eclipse very close to her natal Jupiter on 26 January. Jupiter is ruler of that Sagittarius cluster. It'll be interesting to see whether any further events concerning this lady hit the headlines in the next few weeks. If nothing else the transit should be good for book sales!

Topsy-Turvy Twilight Zone

Things are feeling more and more like the Twilight Zone as the days go by. It's not particularly unpleasant, just peculiar. From what I've read, in comments on several blogs, it's affecting others too.

I'll explain.

I wrote recently about Pat Buchanan, how I preferred his views regarding the the US presidential race (sympathetic to Clinton) to those of most other TV pundits. I was quickly put right about Buchanan's background and history by husband and friends, and afterwards approached the subject with caution. Other conservative pundits and talkshow hosts such as Hannity and O'Reilly are persona non grata on the TV screen at Chez Twilight. I haven't had opportunity to sample their recent views on these matters, but comments around the net have led me to believe that they have been similarly sympathetic to the cause of Clinton supporters. This week I've read an article by none other than conservative journalist Ann Coulter, whose chart I perused in October 2007 (HERE) without much grace, I might add.

This week's article by Ms Coulter has appeared in various blogs around the internet - I picked it up at HillBuzz (4 June post). "Obama Was Selected, Not Elected" It's well worth reading, I promise.

I ignored the obvious sarcastic references to "our plucky Hillary" and the like and found what she had to say about the matter very informative and more or less in agreement with how things have appeared to me.

The author of blog HillBuzz adds a footnote to Coulter's article. Two extracts from the footnote below:

"Does the DNC realize the enormity of the fact lifelong, dyed in the wool Democrats are so alienated and disgusted by the treatment Hillary Clinton has received from both the DNC and the Obama campaign that we are not only reading Ann Coulter, but agreeing with her? Talk about unity and change -- and 1984 --
..........................But, really, ignore the snark in both this article and what we wrote: this is an enormous cultural phenonemon no one in the DNC understands ---- people who would NEVER be able to read more than the first sentence of anything Ann Coulter writes are not only laughing and cheering as they finish her column, they are sending it to all their Democratic friends. Something like this is a canary in the coal mine for the strength of support the DNC has from its traditional and natural base."

Canary singing in the Twilight Zone !

What is going on here? Are conservative writers and pundits hoping to ensnare Democratic voters who feel angry and disenchanted, let down by both party and media this election season ? Is it all a crafty ploy to lure disaffected voters to their side of the divide? Or are we, or some of us, living in a peculiar astrological atmosphere where left is right and up is down and nothing makes much sense any more?

What astro indicators would be the usual suspects in a case such as this? Neptune - for sure. I've blogged about Neptunitis on three occasions recently. Uranus may be connected, too. These two slow-movers are presently in what astrologers call mutual reception. They each lie in the other's domain, or planetary rulership. Neptune rules Pisces and lies in Aquarius. Uranus rules Aquarius and lies in Pisces. What is more they are in similar degrees of each sign at present 22 Pisces, 24 Aquarius which puts them in aspect known as semi-sextile (within around 30* of each other) . Most astrologers look on the semi-sextile as mildly harmonious. So as well as mutual reception blending and strengthening the two planets, there's this fairly close aspect to be considered.

Neptune - imagination, illusion, delusion, fog, deception
Uranus - rebellion, unexpected change, avant garde, invention.

That mixture could possibly represent a Twilight Zone effect, recognisable to some of us, depending upon our own natal chart positions. In my own natal chart the Sun and Jupiter lie semi-sextile in Aquarius/Pisces, so perhaps I'm receptive to the current mutual reception atmosphere.

I haven't yet decided how I'll vote in November (always supposing my citizenship debacle is done with in time to register to vote). I'm thinking of registering Independent however, after what I've witnessed over past months. I may be feeling topsy-turvy, but I still know how many beans make five. Registering Independent would be in tune with my Sun Aquarius anyway, independent to the bone!

Coulter versus Deutsch

Channel flicking on Friday night, we stumbled upon a show called "The Big Idea". The presenter, Donnie Deutsch, who I'd never seen before, was talking to someone I immediately recognised, a lanky blonde with a hard angular face - Ann Coulter.

"Eeeuuuuww - shall we watch and learn?" I asked.

"On your own head be it, don't be surprised if you blow a fuse!" muttered HeWhoKnows.

Ye gods! That is some hard case! Coulter, I mean, not HeWhoKnows.

There's a report of the interview, which must have originally been screened last Monday, HERE . Coulter's remarks about Christianity and Jewish people caused something of a stir!

Astrologer Lynn Hayes wrote an excellent review of Ann Coulter's natal chart a while ago, on her great blog Astrological Musings (HERE).

."Having digested what Lynn had to say, I decided to take a look at Donnie Deutsch's chart. I'd been impressed by the way he handled the interview. He was born on 22 November 1957, Queens, New York. No birth time known. It's interesting that his and Coulter's charts have a superficial likeness. Both charts shown are for 12 noon, they should enlarge by clicking on them.



Sun in Sagittarius in both cases, but around 4 years apart. Both have a cluster of Sagittarian planets, but Donnie Deutsch's chart does not have the hard Saturn in Capricorn (possible singleton) of Ann Coulter. His natal Saturn lies in Sagittarius with Sun, Mercury, and the Moon (though degree of Moon isn't known, it is bound to be in Sagittarius whatever the time of birth). Instead of Saturn in Capricorn Deutsch has Venus in Capricorn, semi-sextiling (and perhaps softening?) Saturn in Sagittarius.

Coulter's Aquarian Jupiter probably causes more trouble than Deutsch's diplomatic Libran Jupiter which is in wide sextile to Saturn - again, possibly softening Saturn's hard edges. Deutsch's natal Uranus is in Leo, trine Saturn, so I'd expect him to be able to blend opinions about establishment values with a few more avant garde views - he probably has the kind of personality to appreciate both. Coulter's Saturn in Capricorn has no help at all, unless her birthtime puts the Moon in semi-sextile to it, which I doubt.

I think that Ms Coulter's hard-faced public personality clearly stems from the position of Saturn. As well as giving her that very hard edge, it's probably responsible for her keen business sense - she's well aware of how to magnetise publicity for her own benefit (usually to the serious detriment of others).

Donnie Deutsch's natal Mars in Scorpio is semi-sextile Mercury/Saturn in Sagittarius. His is a sharply incisive mind and tongue. Away from the screen he can probably be a heck of a lot more biting than we are allowed to witness! Congratulations to him on remaining tactful and civilised throughout this interview.

There was great delight, Chez Twilight, when Donnie Deutsch ushered in his next guest, the much more amenable Al Gore.