Sunday, May 10, 2009

Pandemics - what does Astrology predict?

Certain astrological aspects show clear links between widespread outbreaks of sickness and the planets Saturn, Neptune and Pluto. As the body’s defenses, immunity to disease and invasive organisms such as influenza are involved, we look to Saturn (symbolic of lack, debility or death) and its transiting aspects to Neptune (symbolic of disease, infection) and Pluto (symbolic of invasive organisms, mass death, worldwide events). The aspects we are examining are the "hard"; 45, 90, 135, and 180 degree aspects, and the 120 degree "soft" aspect, and the 0 degree aspect.

Looking back at history it is possible to ascertain the correlations to the aspects of Saturn to Neptune and Pluto described above, with times when there have been epidemics and pandemics.

Russian flu of 1889-1990; accompanied by a triple 90 deg. aspect of Saturn to Neptune, perfect on 19th November 1889, 3rd February 1890, and 26th August 1890, and Saturn 90 deg. aspect to Pluto, perfect on September 4th 1890.

Spanish flu pandemic of 1917-1919; accompanied by Saturn 0 deg. aspect to Neptune, perfect on 1st August 1917, and Saturn 45 deg. aspect to Neptune, perfect on 7th September 1918.

Asian flu epidemic1957-1958 accompanied by a Saturn 45 deg. aspect to Neptune, perfect on 31st December 1957.

Hong Kong flu epidemic 1968-1969; accompanied by triple 135 deg. aspect of Saturn to Neptune, perfect on 19th May 1967, 16th October 1967, and 4th March1968

Swine flu epidemic 1976; fear of pandemic led to massive influenza immunization program. It resulted in 100,000 people developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a progressive ascending paralytic affliction, and resulted in the deaths of 5% of those afflicted; accompanied by a triple 135 deg. aspect of Saturn to Neptune, and immediately thereafter, by a triple 120 deg. aspect of Saturn to Neptune. The 135 deg aspect was perfect on 28th July 1975, 2nd February 1976, and 15th May 1976.

Looking ahead to the future, there will be a series of Saturn-Pluto, and Saturn Neptune aspects. They will occur as follows:
- Triple 90 deg. aspect of Saturn to Pluto, perfect on 15th November 2009, 31st January 2010, and 21st August 2010.
- Triple 135 deg. aspect of Saturn to Neptune, perfect on 27th October 2010, 24th March 2011, 25th August 2011.
- Triple 120 deg. aspect of Saturn to Neptune, perfect on 11th October 2012, 11th June 2013, and 19th July 2013.

It is to be noted that allowing 10 degree orbs for the 0, 90 and 180 degree aspects, and a 5 deg orb for the 45, and 135 degree aspects, coupled with the slow movement of these three planets, give a prolonged time frame in which these aspects develop, and later dissipate their power - hence, their capacity to affect the world for long periods of time.

Thus, it is to be expected that the logical outcome of the Saturn, Neptune, Pluto mutual aspects for the period 2009 through 2013 is that the potential for epidemics/ pandemics will be a major concern for those charged with protecting public health. The development of appropriate vaccines is of paramount importance. Ignorance, fear, superstition, delay, and greed can only result in a public health catastrophe. Facts, research, testing, planning and timely delivery of vaccines can help to protect the world populace, and prevent suffering, debility, and death from influenza in this 4 year crucial time-period we have just entered.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Great Uranus-Jupiter Conjunction 2010

The Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction is coming up next year and whenever it is in Aries or Libra, there is always a great scientific breakthrough that impacts the world. It will occur in June 2010 at 0 degrees Aries, Sept 2010 at 28 & 29 degrees Pisces and Dec 2010 – Jan 2011 at 26 degrees Pisces.

When Jupiter and Uranus move into an alignment of 36 degrees, usually during the preceding year, we get a glimpse as to the nature of this breakthrough. The last Conjunction in Aries was when Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic. Not just an American Experience but a World Experience, an achievement of the Human Race. In July 1969, when it occurred in Libra, man landed on the Moon.

In 1968, during the 36 degree approach, we began sending astronauts around the Moon, preceding the actual lunar landing. This vanguard alignment will occur around the middle of 2009. At that time, humanity will become aware of the breakthrough about to occur. This is also true of the changes that will occur in our personal lives as a result of the Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction— we will begin to sense them, the new direction in our lives, during 2009.

Jupiter and Uranus are aligned every 14 years but only every 42 years does this alignment occur in Aries or Libra. In any sign, I have found this Conjunction to represent an expansive time in my life:

1969— I won a scholarship to Chethams School of Music and which marked the beginning of my studies for becoming a concert pianist.
1983 – I changed careers totally and won a scholarship to Manchester Business School to study for an MBA and move into business and finance.
1997 – I moved country and took up astrology as my full-time career.

Think about what happened to you during these cycles in your own life. There were difficult experiences but, overall, these were highly expansive periods in my life. It is a progressive cycle so that it is much easier to do progressive things.
Where this Conjunction falls in the natal horoscope shows where we feel compelled to take a risk with our lives, to experience adventure, to explore our creative potential and to overcome the fears in our lives. Some of us will not want to change and will resist the changes, whereas others will take a leap of faith into a new dimension of being. The world is changing and we must, with the motivation of the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in both Pisces and Aries, change with it.

Relating and intimacy under this Conjunction will be experienced through a sense of community, connecting with what has been lost in a new, dynamic way.
In modern times, when humanity takes a leap in consciousness, this is paralleled with great advances in technology, psychological understanding of ourselves and a renewed demand for human rights. Especially with the conjunction in Aries, there will be many technological breakthroughs connected with one very major breakthrough. Such a major breakthrough can stun the thinking of the masses, uprooting us from the past so that we can take a leap of consciousness. Zero Aries is the “World Point” so that this specific conjunction will have a global impact. We live in exciting times!!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Astrology and Swine Flu Outbreak

As always, the planets can explain events occurring around the world. Over the last couple of weeks there has been the swine flu outbreak. With Jupiter and Neptune in close conjunction, everyone wants to know if this will become a pandemic, serious enough to shut off borders between countries and stifle commerce. The tendency with Jupiter is to go “over the top” and Neptune is not able to see the situation clearly. So here we have the authorities having a knee jerk reaction by raising the alert of a pandemic to level 5. However, it is likely that this will not turn out to be a major pandemic. Jupiter and Neptune are principles that can coincide with mass hysteria and panic, and not reality. This suggests that it will not become a pandemic.

Mercury goes retrograde on May 7th until May 30th so don’t go out and buy a new computer or any piece of technology. Try not to upload any new software into your computer during this period. Allow extra time to arrive at your appointments as delays and miscommunications are to be expected. Don’t schedule any very important meetings or any job interviews during the retrograde period. It’s a great time to complete any outstanding projects that you already had underway and also a wonderful time to do any in-depth research. As far as the financial markets are concerned, I expect them to move in a direction for 1-4 days, pause for about 20 minutes, and then swing in the other direction for another 1-4 days.

The biggest focus will come between May 15th and 18th, as three things happen then. First, that will be around the middle of the retrograde period, when sudden reversals happen. It is more important than usual because Saturn will be turning direct on May 16th and heliocentric Mercury will be entering Sagittarius from May 18th – 30th). (Heliocentric Mercury is viewed from the Sun rather than the Earth.) Saturn stations in a bear market have been associated with a high in a bear market. Also, heliocentric Mercury in Sagittarius tends to correspond to sharply rising prices in precious metals and currencies, and declines in stock prices.

The other thing to remember is that during Mercury retrograde, whatever you think is supposed to happen, usually doesn’t! Many things go exactly the opposite of what you anticipate. So my recommendation would be to take any profits you have sooner rather than later.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Venus goes Direct - what does this foretell?

Venus went retrograde on March 6th at on that day, the Dow Jones Index hit its lowest point in 12 years at 6470. During the entire Venus retrograde period, the Dow Jones has rallied, at no point being close to the low it was at on March 6th. Will there be a reversal in this trend remains now that Venus went direct on April 17th. Will Financial Astrology predict this so accurately?

If we examine the rallies since the big crash in September 2008, most have lasted about 6-7 weeks and have rallied between 1640 and 1770 points. This current rally has lasted 6 weeks and has gained 1720 points. So it is very much looking like we will see a reverse trend in the weeks to come. However, as with everything in astrology, nothing can be taken in isolation. It is vital to synthesise the activities of all the planets and see the bigger picture.

So what else is going on?
With Jupiter fast approaching its conjunction with Neptune in late May through mid-July, there is a strong possibility that we will see further optimism and more rallies in the stock markets. This aspect normally brings optimism and faith in the future and may well bring more investors into the market, thus causing an upswing.

There are two important ingresses this week: Mars enters Aries on April 22nd and Venus also enters Aries on April 24th. Aries is a cardinal sign and this would suggest that there will be changes in policy from central banks around the world. Venus is also squaring Pluto from April 3rd to May 2nd and this could result in yet another large company - probably a bank or a car company - being taken over by the US government.

Whilst there could be some temporary good news on the horizon, there are other factors that do not support this optimism. With the 20 month opposition we are currently in with Saturn in Virgo opposite Uranus in Pisces - expect more job losses, more unexpected crises, more banks failing, more companies being taken over by governments around the world.

The challenge with this opposition is to find the right balance between more regulation to wipe out dishonest business practices, with policies that reward innovation leading to new jobs and economic growth. With Saturn coming up to the third of its five oppositions to Uranus on September 15th 2009, followed by the first of three Saturn-Pluto squares beginning November 15th 2009, I seriously think that the aspects indicate that we will be in for more economic challenges in the weeks and months ahead.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Trend Reversals in Markets

With Saturn opposing Uranus and Mars conjoining Uranus and opposing Saturn between 4th and 15th April, we have seen: the terrible earthquake in Italy, devastating fires in Oklahoma, tornadoes in the Midwest, the UK terrorist plot unveiled, trouble on the high seas...
This is still active for another couple of days.

Mars conjuncts with Uranus from 14th -16th April - which could indicate a sudden reversal in the markets.

On April 17th Venus goes direct. So it remains to be seen how many of the huge decisions taken by the G20 and the powers that be will actually be effective in the months to come....or whether there will be regret that other actions were not taken.

On April 22nd-24th Venus and Mars leave Pisces and enter Aries - this is a sign of changes in the markets and the currencies around the world.

Pluto is Retrograde until September 11th - this means it is important for you to take a close look at any debts you have. Sort out all your finances and any investments. Pluto rules debt and power - so make sure you have retained your power and not given it away. Try to get out of debt if at all possible and don't take on any new debt.

On May 3rd Venus is square to Pluto - which could mean a crisis of confidence with investors.
However, remember that Jupiter is still conjunct Neptune and this peaks on May 27th to July 10th. You will still be hearing "the bull market has started" "the depression is over" "the housing market has bottomed...." but pay no heed. Neptune also brings disillusionment, betrayal....by September this will set in and by December the grim reality will start to hit....

On a brighter note, Uranus opposing Saturn means that revolution and huge change is upon us. We can choose to hold onto the old, or move into the new - that which frees us, enhances our lives and is a better life for all of us on this planet.

Start by reducing your standard of living. Just buy what you need, not what you want and do something nice for a different person each day.

The more of us that do this, the more we can take back our power and start to create the kind of communities of caring and love that we all dream of.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Venus Retrograde and Market Predictions

The Venus Retrograde rally in world stock markets this last couple of weeks shows again the value of astrology to society when applied to financial markets.

On March 6th, Venus turned retrograde. This happens every nineteen months and lasts about six weeks. On March 6th, the Dow Jones fell to 6470 - its lowest level in 12 years. It has continued rising ever since.

In the 1990's financial astrologers predicted that 2008 would be the year of the global financial crisis. Astrology is invaluable as a forecasting tool.

We are now nearing the end of the Venus retrograde. She goes direct on April 17th. And during this time, the markets have gone up with only two minor corrections lasting 1-2 days each. We have the pundits saying that the economy and housing markets have bottomed.

On April 17th when Venus goes direct - will we realise that the financial decisions made by governments were misguided and the rosy forecasts were just wishful thinking?

The Jupiter/Neptune conjunction cycles reaches a peak in May-July - so there will still be many more positive forecasts. Also stock markets will likely continue highers and we will question the soundness of all these financial decisions made under the Venus Retrograde. This will include the G20.

Once this conjunction begins to wane, I think that the markets will drop considerably. Indeed we could be looking at a Dow Jones index of around 4000 by November 09.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Sarah Palin - serious contender for the US Presidency in 2012?

I have used the following birth data in analysing Sarah Palin’s chances of future election: 11th February 1964, 16.40, Sandpoint, Idaho.

With her progressed Venus in Taurus still in her 10th house of ambition and status, she will greatly desire to be in a position of power in her country.

With four progressed planets in her ninth house and transiting Uranus in Aries, she may become involved in international and global affairs. There is also an indication of extreme views concerning religion. Progressed Mars, Sun, Jupiter and Mercury are all in Aries as is the transiting Uranus – so we can expect some serious ambition and pushing for status and recognition. Much of her focus will be about religious issues and having a “brand new message.” As the ninth house is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of good fortune, she will have many followers and she will be seen as a dramatic and powerful leader. With her Leo Ascendant she will rise to the occasion with ease and in a true regal manner.

Transiting Jupiter in Gemini is in the latter degrees of her tenth house indicating lots of media attention, gossip, talk shows and some high-profile marketing strategies. However, the fact that transiting Jupiter is squaring natal Pluto in Virgo in the second house could indicate that her finances could come under pressure due to all this excessive promotion. She will have to ensure that she is using her power for the good of all (Jupiter) or she will destroy her chances of success.

During the build-up to the election from February 2012, she will have transiting Jupiter crossing her midheaven which will bring her prominence and also the possibility of success in her career.

Transiting Saturn in Scorpio is coming up to the fourth house and the nadir of the chart showing that there could be some commitments in the home and possibly a move of home. With progressed Moon in the fourth house also in Scorpio she will become obsessive about her goals and may stay on a fixed course even if it is not beneficial to her and her party. It can show power struggles, manipulation and mind games but on the other hand it can indicate great strength of purpose and stamina to achieve her goals.

With transiting Pluto trining her midheaven and natal Uranus, she will feel very powerful and also be able to exert a great deal of influence in powerful circles.

So what are my conclusions?

She will definitely want to be a contender for the election.

She will be quite extreme in her views, but will gain many supporters nonetheless.

There could be issues with her home and family that will detract from her campaign. Also there is the possibility of some kind of ending or completion taking place and a legal dispute.

Her desire is extremely strong and with all her fixed planets she will strive for success no matter what.

She will need to watch her back as there are people who are not genuine in her close circle. This could contribute to her downfall.

Other than transiting Jupiter in her tenth house and the stellium of planets in her ninth house indicating her passionate desire to be in power, there are no other aspects that would show success. So although she will be in the forefront of the American public, I do not think she will be elected as the next President of the US.