IAM #09 the Lachesis Issue

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Astrological Lodge Of London Autumn Programme Programme Co-ordinators: Carole West and Wanda Sellar Uranus in Taurus 2018 – Smiljana Gavrančić 19th September 2016 - 7:00PM In 2018 Uranus will enter Taurus, and the Moon will be at 26° Taurus (Algolsymbol of Moscow). From the point of degrees, Russia is ‘sensitive’ to 26 ° of every fixed sign and to 19° Libra.

Astrological Predictive Techniques – Monica Escalante 19th September 2016 - 8:30PM These show the type of energy and the life areas that will be activated promised in the chart. We will review the five main predictive techniques mainly used in modern astrology: Transits, Secondary Progressions, Solar Arc Directions, Eclipses and Solar Returns.

Prince and David Bowie – Babs Kirby 26th September 2016 - 7:00pm The deaths of David Bowie and Prince were shocking and their Solar Returns will be discussed, alongside their secondary progressions

Cosmology (1) – Gill Dorren

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26th September 2016 - 8:30pm Gill will be looking at current Cosmological thinking but through the eyes of an astrologer. Tonight Gill will discuss the tools we will need as we venture back through space time The Healing Power of Astrology – Roy Gillett 3rd October 2016 -7:00pm Recent political and social turmoil in the UK and the wider world would have been both foreseeable and avoidable, if astrological understanding had been wisely applied.

Cosmology (2) – Gill Dorren 3rd October 2016 - 8:30pm As we journey through space/time on the rocket The Zodiac; from the singularity to the beginning of the structures of galaxies Carter Memorial Lecture: The Elegant Universe – Christeen Skinner 10th October 2016 - 7:00pm When we gather at these Monday evening events we revive our love affair with astrology and share our awe of the Music of the Spheres.

Cosmology (3) – Gill Dorren 10th October 2016 - 8:30pm Using some of the new discoveries in the universe (Black Holes, the Galactic centre), we will see how these can bring an extra dimension to current astrology.

The Slaying of Richard III – Jean Elliott 17th October 2016 - 7:00pm King Richard was slain at the Battle of Bosworth, and slain again by Shakespeare’s play. But was he really evil?

In the Astrologer’s Chair – Israel Ajose IAM INΦINITY 4

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17th October 2016 - 8:30pm A live reading The Symbolism of the French Gothic Cathedrals (1) – Florimond Krins 24th October 2016 - 7:00pm An introduction to the mysterious times of the French Gothic Cathedrals from the political historical background that led to a golden age in sacred architecture The Symbolism of the French Gothic Cathedrals (2) – Florimond Krins 24th October 2016 - 8:30pm a golden age in sacred architecture with its amazing symbolism imbued in mathematics, astronomy and astrology.

The Mystical 12th House – Wanda Sellar 31st October 2016 - 7:00pm The weavers of magical effects are consigned to the 12th House, along with angels, holy men, astrologers and mediums.

Astrological Magic – Israel Ajose 31st October 2016 - 8:30pm Magic has always used astrological influences and times which are more potent to fine tune the effect of a ritual or ceremony to achieve a desired result.

www.astrolodge.co.uk

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IAM INFINITY #09 Sept/Oct 2016

Smiljana Gavrančić (Serbia) - Editor, Founder & Owner

Victor Olliver (UK) – Associate from the Astrological Journal AA GB Sharon Knight (UK) – Associate from APAI Frank C. Clifford (UK) - Associate from the London School of Astrology Wendy Stacey (UK) - Associate from Mayo School of Astrology and AA GB Jadranka Ćoić (UK) – Associate from the Astrological Lodge of London Academy of Astrology UK

Athan J. Zervas (Greece) – Associate for Art & Design

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IAM INFINITY ASTROLOGICAL MAGAZINE #09 THE LACHESIS ISSUE (SEP-OCT 2016)

OWNER/ EDITOR IN CHIEF Smiljana Gavrančić smiljana.gavrancic@gmail.com ART AND DESIGN Athan J. Zervas athanzervas@gmail.com

CONTENTS 08. Editor’s Letter - God Is Love & Love Is All Around Us 13. Embracing my Inner Weirdo - Victor Olliver 17. Grace Kelly - Princess of Monaco - Smiljana Gavrančić 22. Planets on the 1st - Choosing a New Experience of Yourself - Tara Aal 26. Saturn square Neptune and the Danger of False Narratives - Part I: Hillary & Benghazi - Glenn Perry 39. Astrology and the Evolution of Consciousness - Part 5: The Humanistic Worldview - Armand Diaz 43. The ethics of astrological practice - a Question needing an Answer - Anne Whitaker

All charts are calculated using tropical placidus system, unless stated differently

51. Minding our Language and Raising our Consciousness - Mandi Lockley 54. Star of the Tsar - Venus Retrograde, Vladimir Putin, and Russia - Nick Dagan Best 72. The Four Aims of Life and the Houses of the Horoscope - Richard Alwin Fidler 85. Mundane Astrology forecasting for September 2016 Eclipses - Rod Chang 95. Fellini, Coppola & Scorsese - Lights, action, mutual reception - Alan Annand 102. Turkey’s failed Coup - Marguerite dar Boggia 106. Russia and 19o Libra – Smijana Gavrančić 118. IAM Horoscope - September/October 2016 Cassandra Tyndall

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Editor’s Letter God Is Love & Love Is All Around Us

Jupiter, the planet representing the Creator (God) in astrology, is exalted (thrilled, happy) at 15º Cancer, in the very Center of the Soul! At this spot there is Anahata, i.e. Heart chakra, and here we learn how to love ourselves and be close to ourselves. Here, in astrologic sense we connect all our extremes, we connect mother and father within, i.e. we accept ourselves, which is the ultimate task of each one of us. Only through acceptance of our parents, who are always our Sun and Moon, we accept ourselves and make contact with the Creator (God) within. It is the right and only way to God, through loving one's self.

There are 7 alchemy steps towards transformation, and the main is the one related to alchemy illumination which speaks of the 4th step, of Conjunction, of the holy marriage of male and female aspects within, of conjunction of Sun (gold) and Moon (silver), of royal wedding. This step is also related to the most important, fourth, lunar chakra in the heart region, that connects the lower energy level (body, unconscious) with the upper one (mind, conscious).

The act of inner love development is what matters here, the acceptance of one's self, of parents - father (Sun) and mother (Moon), and the aim is to reconcile consciousness (Sun) with feelings (Moon) at 15º Cancer and reach the great knowledge (Jupiter)…

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In secret alchemy experiments the salt symbolizes unification, so cleansing of body with sea salt is very beneficial, for it "cleans" from painful emotions and negative energy at the deepest level…

It takes a lot of courage and passion to find the way to Self and God. We have the experience of uniting when we love somebody, but also when we fill the unity with nature and space…

Before Uniting takes place in our lives, one may be lost and prone to wandering around, seeking for a partner at all costs, and becoming jealous and possessive when the ideal other half is found… On the other hand, the sign that one is going through uniting is the balance, increased trust and inner peace in one's life…

So, in a big picture, the most important, heart, lunar, fourth chakra vibrates from the Soul Center, at 15º Cancer (Jupiter exaltation), at the spot where Zeus (Jupiter) will love only Hera and be faithful to her, unless she fills her Heart with suspicions, fears (Saturn – fear, suspicion, in Cancer and in exile), and unless she is angry (Cancer is the sign of Mars' fall). It is necessary for her to be joyful (Jupiter). So, is it possible to conclude that the "secret of the stone of wisdom" lives in the Soul Center, at 15º Cancer, at the degree where the opposites are being united within, where we primarily reconcile our parents, our Sun and Moon? I would say that the answer is -- yes…

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If we now take a look at 29º Cancer, the spot in Zodiac where the Third Eye vibrates, i.e. the sixth energy center, the sixth chakra, then I must tell you as an astrologist that this is very specific place within 360 degrees, for this is the crossing from dark to light, here two eyes (Moon and Sun are lights, our eyes, beside being our parents) touch, and that is the spot between the eyebrows where we can change beliefs in order for circumstances to change…

This act of changing beliefs is what brings us closer to Creator, God (Jupiter). Ask yourself, is everything the way you believe it is? Our inner sight, our Third Eye (sixth chakra, Jupiter chakra) says it is not at all the way we think it is. Here, we develop our intuition.

The sixth chakra creates the ring with the second one (Venus) around hearth chakra as a central one, and that is how we end up with the middle ring around our Heart! Venus' energy center has the main task to lose the feeling of guilt and to learn to enjoy. Venus belongs to lower energy centers (Body), while Jupiter chakra represents upper centers (Mind). Higher octave of Venus is Neptune (paradise) – in order to live paradise on Earth we have to change our beliefs. One of typical representatives of countries in symbolism of 29º Cancer (Jupiter chakra) might be Netherlands, the country that "sees further".

On the other hand, 27º Pisces is Venus' exaltation (it is thrilled, joyful). In Pisces, everything is wonderful and quiet, here we do not contemplate, do not speak aloud, here we pray and believe, and personal faith gets stronger only in constant silence. The power of prayer before bed is enormous. When we pray in silence and from the heart -- it is pure, unconditional love, and it is the way to Creator, God. The sign of Pisces is also the sign where Jupiter (God) feels at home, because Jupiter is primary, traditional ruler of Pisces, while Neptune is new, modern ruler. Venus (love) feels the best in the last pentad (25º - 30º) of Pisces, which has symbolism of Sun and Venus, and when Sun and Venus touch it is Love, and they create pentagram, the symbol of love. In this place in Zodiac Angels live too, and making contact with personal Angels through prayer is wonderful channel to Love, to God. Neptune (paradise) as the higher octave of Venus is exalted (joyful) at 21º Aquarius, and in fall across the Zodiac, at 21º Leo. This axis in Zodiac requires lot of personal fate from us.

Here lives the magic, here Angels do "fall" (especially at 21º Leo), here we need a lot of meditation and purity. Average person easily "get caught" in lower vibrations of Neptune, because we are all only human. Only the "awakened" person may live the pure Neptune, and that is life without vices. How many of us is ready to abandon everything earthly and to let the Holy Spirit to guide us? I am sure very few, because, I must repeat, we are only human, and spirituality also means a certain state of physiology. Spiritual is the one ready to focus his Love only on serving others without expectations, and to see it as joy and love, not as being a victim… We live now in the last pentad of Pisces (5º - 0º), and we are getting ready for the Age of Aquarius, that will begin when the precession point come to 29º Aquarius 59’59’’. But, we already have the dawn before the New Age, the Age of Aquarius, and we can feel the influence of that age in many spiritual movements that develop rapidly. But, while being in Pisces it is possible not to see everything clearly, i.e. lot of things are "muddy", this is the time in which one should be "awakened" and in silence, in order to recognize the right Teacher among the many spiritualists!

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One thing is certain, God is Love and Love is all around us. The act of accepting one's self is the first step on the way to God within. One does not have to go to church, temple, sacred place to be connected to God. One does not need the Teacher to initiate him or impose his beliefs. As long as there is the person whom we should worship because it is required by his spiritual organization or movement -- we will be far away from God. In the moment when we start to love only ourselves, it is the sign that we connected with God! Because, by loving one's self we also love all others who are part of us, for I am You -- You are Me!

Love & Light, Smiljana.

September, 2016

www.isarastrology.com

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Embracing my Inner Weirdo Victor Olliver The editor of the Astrological Journal discusses his new rising sign. He’s got through quite a few I made a recent significant discovery. Of personal significance, that is. I am not Gemini-Gemini or Gemini-Taurus or Gemini-Cancer or even Gemini-Pisces.

My Sun is still in Gemini but rising sign is now Aquarius. Oh wow. At last! I can embrace my inner weirdo; the weirdo I’ve always been and will be to the day I die; or so I suppose.

Added piquancy is that the discovery has been made (thanks to my mum’s belated but newimproved recollection) during my ongoing second return of Saturn, new co-ruler of my birth chart. Great timing! I suppose the slick media stargazer’s ghostwriter would say of me: “At a time of spiritual crossroads, when not for the first time you are reflecting on where you are and where you’re heading, totting up the victories, setbacks and lettings-go, your chart (or someone!) alerted you to a missing part of the horoscopic puzzle - something that may enable you to enter your drooling, dribbling dotage (had your lower bowel checked out yet, dear?) with a clearer sense of who you are.”

‘‘Like I give a toss’’ But I must say I do feel a lot more comfortable thinking I am Aquarius rising. It’s a more appropriate fit, like a custom-made suit with a well-tailored crotch. A lot of this is to do with self-perception, if not memory. As a child I was abnormally awkward and silent (these days, the quack Dr Googles would say I was or am on the autistic spectrum). And when I did open my mouth, I was peculiarly articulate and confident, elaborate and specific (a bit like this piece) and possessed of an odd posh voice - not bad for a kid who had free school dinners and threw away his NHS specs with the two nasty silver hinge screw heads either side of the lenses. I was also alarmingly pretty (I hope this is not embarrassing you - because I’m feeling quite comfortable as I digitise the old snaps for eternity’s indifference) and for this reason, many kids, self-trained to expert in the area of sexual orientation, determined that I was a ‘poof’. Actually, until the age of 12, I and my Evangelical choirboy bestie had no idea of what a poof was - it was just a word missile that forever failed to detonate in our heads. I wore my poofery as a mark of pride in all innocence, long before Pride came along with its street entertainers on stilts and Julie Burchill dancing 80s disco (she now has sciatica as a result).

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No one actually asked me whether as a child I engaged in sexual activity with other boys - all of whom in any case were straight virgins (apparently), projecting anxieties instilled by their kidult self-perpetuating parents. No, the issue was perception - of making sure one fitted in. I stuck out - as in some ways I still do in adulthood.

Now, Infinity magazine is not the place to over-indulge in the particulars of autobiography.

You don’t really want to know what I do with my body - just get on with your chart work.

The point of my telling you all this - about my perceived ‘weirdness’ - is to say something about the nature of Aquarius rising: the cookbooks tell us that it’s the mark of the sore stickyout thumb; the square in the round hole; the geek/weirdo/outsider in the school year photo cramped between the popular rugby player and the thin, ultra-clever violinist (who’s also a master at algebra and chess), all of us posing in front of a uniformed herd of industrial, selfedited averageness, socially approved by nick-names and dodgy hair-dos.

Aquarius rising is the new mould that’s not to be repeated.

Aquarius rising is weirdo.

However! To what extent am I tailoring my self-definition to the novelty of the Aquarius ascendant? Until recently I thought I was nebulous Pisces rising and I focused on my ability to be whatever people want me to be - at least for a while - and my tendency to do unto others what they would never dream of doing for me in their unyielding, you‘ve-only-got-one-life, selfishness. I recalled the people I had won over/comforted/got into bed with/impressed by picking up on their needs - and what they needed from me. I was (and am) capable of deriving pleasure from simply performing an action for another person because it consummates their need: my needs are not considered in the moment. Of course I must be Pisces rising. But hang on a minute - what about my Pisces Moon? Might that explain these traits? After all, how did Pisces rising explain my combative persona - my tendency to blow up in an instant?

Anyway…

Then there was my Gemini-Gemini phase. I went to my first Astrological Association Conference and told everyone with certainty that I was a Double G. I can see them now, learned stargazers punching my birth data into their smart phone Astro Gold for some facepulling snap-analysis. ‘Ooh yes…mmm…that Saturn…mmm, anyway, so what’s your name again - Oliver?’ I recalled my Twins-themed crazy times in journalism, and of course my facility with words and phrase-making. Glib, facile, superficial, impatient - I was suddenly the walking soufflé or cliché of Hermes. In adulthood I could swan into a party and just start rattling out the entertainment, depending on the crowd. To what extent memory was distorted to fit the double G superimposition I cannot say for sure. But I felt more social and vivacious in thinking I was a Gemini rising person. I actually felt brighter and more immediate. My years of silence were repackaged as ‘rehearsal’. And I read somewhere once that double Gs can even seem a bit introverted for a while. So there you go.

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The Gemini-Taurus phase never really took off in my mind because I have never been much interested in money or possessions. And I can’t recall ever enjoying the experience of touching up clay on the potter’s wheel (the Bull is tactile, see) - although I do have a crushed velvet dinner suit that others (women especially) like to stroke. True, I like petting pussy cats.

Who doesn’t? But, on the other hand, I did consider that a Venus chart ruler usually bestows good looks (so I gazed in the looking glass seeking confirmation), and a warm personality. I re-watched Death In Venice for support. If a certain irritability in my nature somewhat compromised this trait of the thermal aura, I could always blame it on nervy cool Gemini - or even my Mars in Cancer. Or Pisces Moon: soooo sensitive. Astrologers are forever flexible in their go-tos. That’s useful but also a big problem.

The idea of Aquarius rising has made me look again at my chart and at the timing of certain major events. One in particular was the launch of my blog Madame Arcati back on 4 July 2006 - then I knew little about astrology. The site became quite notorious for breaking stories about ne’er-do-well journalists and editors, for involving itself in a lengthy feud in the Kevin Spacey troubled clan and for posting satirical PhotoShopped nude pics of celebs. I created the site and identity in a late expression of juvenile delinquency; also as a palliative to counter a very restrictive, boring day job. Madame Arcati was in essence self-entertainment and a drag act of the sit-down variety - and bore no resemblance to Noel Coward’s clairvoyante Mme Arcati, created for his play Blithe Spirit, even though a pic of actress Margaret Rutherford (who played Arcati in the play and the 1945 film) was used as blog avatar.

The early birth-time hours (which give rise to Aquarius rising) for the Arcati blog launch day show tr Uranus closely conjunct my Moon in Pisces, trine tr Sun exact on natal Mars. A perfect description. In literal terms, a break for ‘independence’, a break with past ways of doing things (Uranus on Moon); a new feminine guise for ‘masculine’ feral energy, and involvement of empowered personal identity (Sun on Mars): Arcati triggered many rows and challenges; and her mode of expression at times was cranky, vitriolic and certainly provocative. Pisces’ involvement with Moon-Uranus hints at the ‘psychic’ theme of the new identity. In broader terms, tr Uranus was close to natal Moon whichever clock-time used for my birthday. But Aquarius rising in mid-degrees gives the conjunction.

Is this proof that I have an Aquarian ascendant? Not really. Without certified birth time, we can only speculate or rectify more rigorously. However! Now that I like the idea of my new rising sign, I find something fresh in my chart to illustrate the newly conceived me (or ‘moi’ as Madame would say). Aquarius just about explains everything just as Pisces or Gemini once did. It would be fair to say that Aquarius draws out fewer objections. It seems more bang on.

More moi.

Oh and a final thing. I always did wonder why most of my friends (of the past especially) were Aquarian. My first girlfriend (who was the ultimate-ultimate outsider; a foundling on a bike, almost) was Aquarius. Why am I drawn to eccentrics, ‘weirdos’, individualists - like my (ex-!) ‘fiancee’ Molly Parkin, a classic Aquarian type? Aquarius just finds me, even in a crowd of moo-ers.

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Here’s an answer: my new Aquarius rising places Leo Uranus three degrees off my descendant (if using Whole Signs - I do highly recommend). The time I have spent listening to colourful show-offs, braggarts and anecdotalists! I have gone off this lot of late. Now I prefer to talk about me-moi. Perhaps final recognition of my ‘true’ ascendant has exorcised my need for the drama of outsiders and cranks because I want to acknowledge the noisy outsider/crank in myself. There just isn’t space for the both of us in a world of self-promoting screamers.

I, too, now claim the right to go on (and on) about moi.

Victor Olliver is the editor of The Astrological Journal, published by the Astrological Association. He is also media officer of the Association of Professional Astrologers International. Based in the UK, he trained to be a barrister before becoming a magazine feature writer, and then an editor on a number of publications including magazines, newspapers and electronic media. He has two awards from the Periodical Publishers’ Association for his celebrity and travel journalism. He graduated with a distinction diploma in natal and mundane astrology from the Mayo School in 2012.

Victor is also the author of the annual Lifesurfing series of astrological forecasting books.

The Astrological Journal is available to members of the Astrological Association - here’s the details: http://astrologicalassociation.com/shop/membership.php. Or you can buy individual copies - email office@astrologicalassociation.com Or you can buy the digital edition now in any currency: https://joom.ag/islQ

www.astrologicalassociation.com

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Grace Kelly – Princess of Monaco Smiljana Gavrančić

During 1955, Jupiter was in Cancer, and Saturn was in Scorpio... On April 26, 1955 Cannes Film Festival was opened and it is remembered as the place of meeting and falling in love of an American actress Grace Kelly and Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.

Cannes in 1955 Transit Jupiter was passing through 9th house (abroad) of the beautiful Grace Kelly and was in conjunction with Pluto (ruler of her Ascendant), and through dispositor (her Moon at 21º Pisces) it was actually in her 5th house (festival, love). Jupiter was in its seat (Pisces) through dispositor, which was about to bring her nice moments in the field of romance, and somewhere across the ocean (Pisces).

On the other hand, the other chronocrator, retrograde Saturn, was passing through her 1st house, bringing a kind of maturity, taking of responsibility, and more importantly - it was at her natal Sun (essential signifier of husband in female horoscope, but also the natural ruler of 5 – love), so this could have meant that the time (Saturn) came for an important man. As transit Saturn transiting Scorpio remains in this sign through disposition, i.e. it comes at the spot of Mars of Grace Kelly, creating a beautiful trine with her Moon (emotions, series 4) in 5th house (love) – this could also have been the sign that the Saturn's time in Scorpio might bring a stable relationship, marriage even, and with ease (since Grace has Moon square Saturn in natal chart).

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During the Cannes Festival, secondary Moon of Grace Kelly at 28º Aquarius was in exact sextile with her natal Saturn at 28º Sagittarius, and in exact trine with her Venus (love) at 28º Libra, so this is indication that something important in the field of romance was happening to her then. Finally, her Venus -- essential signifier of relations and love, and in her chart the ruler of 7th house (marriage, relations) is placed in 12th house (somewhere faraway, across the ocean), the house in which it gives its full potential (for it is the place of Venus' exaltation, analogue to the twelfth sign of Pisces, where Venus is in exaltation), in the sign of its seat (Libra), only adding to its strength, and in exact sextile with Saturn (form) which is close to the spot in Zodiac called Galaxy Center. Now, it is not difficult to realize why the fairytale happened to beautiful Grace... Fairytale did happen, one year later, on April 19, 1956, when she married Prince Rainier III and became the Princess of Monaco. Directive Venus (the ruler of 7 – marriage) of Grace Kelly came to natal Mars – the ruler of 1 (herself)...

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Venus at North Node As I have recently mentioned in my article “Carmic relations and lunar nodes” (take a look for this article in INFNITY 1st issue – 19th May, 2015), the role of lunar nodes is sometimes very important in comparative charts, especially when nodes of one person are in conjunction with personal planets, chart angles (or their rulers) of another person -- then it is most probably some very important relationship. While I considered the conjunction of one person's Venus with other person's South Node in the mentioned article, here we have conjunction of one person's Venus with other person's North Node. If one person's North Node is in conjunction with personal planets of another person, it protects them.

Conjunction of North Node and Venus tells that Venus' owner feels that the partner is the right person for her and that she can have relationship she wants with him. The owner of the North Node here "swallows" the bait of love, because the North Node represents mouth. This aspect strongly pulls towards relationship or marriage.

Prince Rainier III Rainier III, the Prince of Monaco, has Venus at North Node of Grace Kelly. At that time, Monaco was in adverse economic situation, and the Prince was advised to marry some famous Hollywood star in order to attract rich tourists.

Rainier III had to get married because of his inheritance, and failing to have male descendants would bring Monaco to France.

Strongly determined to marry Grace (after they met in Cannes in April 1955), he visited her at the set of „The Swan“, and several days later he visited her family in Philadelphia. Rainier III requested two million American dollars dowry from Jack Kelly (Grace Kelly's father).

Although he refused to pay at first, the very idea that his daughter might become princess was tempting enough to finally pay the dowry. Marring Rainier III brought Grace 138 titles, and Monaco was practically saved. Beside the North Node, Grace also has Chiron (healing) at Venus of Rainier III, further accenting the importance of this woman for Monaco's fate.

In the chart of Rainier III we see Grace Kelly in his Venus at the cusp of 12 (romance with the actress coming from far away, across the ocean), and Venus is the part of fixed T-square with Jupiter and Neptune.

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It is interesting that Venus is also the ruler of 5 (love), but also the essential signifier for money, financials of the country, and it is at the degree of Uranus' fall (11º Taurus), and across from it is Jupiter (the ruler of his 7 – marriage, but also the essential signifier of serious money) at the degree of Uranus' exaltation (11º Scorpio), and Monaco is famous for its casinos, gambling -- the axis of Uranus' fall/exaltation certainly implies that. But, since the most important here is Neptune, because it is the tip of the fixed T-square, we should take a look at the Neptune's dispositor. That is the Sun (country's reputation) at 8º Gemini. Directive North Node (and directive Chiron) of Grace Kelly were at this very spot in the year she married Rainier III and became the Princess of Monaco, and that clearly implies that she saved the reputation of Monaco!

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The end of acting career and the death of Grace Kelly Princess Grace abandoned her acting career because of this marriage – South Node of Rainier III is in conjunction with the Moon Grace Kelly in her 5th house (creation).

Not long after the wedding, Rainier III gave her the list of strict rules that she needed to abide as the princess. Soon after that the Prince banned his wife's movies in Monaco.

Since she was the eternal inspiration of the famous director Alfred Hitchcock, he offered her the role in his movie in 1962. Although she desperately wanted to go back to acting, and even Rainier III allowed that, the people of Monaco protested because they did not want their Princess to have the role of kleptomaniac and to film love scenes with Sean Connery. On September 13, 1982, after the mild stroke she lost control over the car she was driving and got off the road. The next day Grace Kelly died. At funeral, Rainier III was not trying to hide his sorrow. He never married again, and since 2005 his body lies next to hers, in the family crypt.

Smiljana Gavrančić is the editor, founder and owner of IAM INFINITY Astrological Magazine. She obtained her astrological education at the Institute for Astrological Research and Education “Johannes Kepler” in Belgrade, where she graduated in October 2010, defending her thesis in Mundane Astrology “European Union – In Varietate Concordia” (United in Diversity) and obtained the status of a graduated Astrologer Researcher. In February 2011, she met requirements to work as an Astrologer Consultant and in March of the same year, she became an International Certified Professional Astrologer (ISAR C.A.P.).

Smiljana is a member of ISAR (International Society for Astrological Research) and of the Astrological Association of Great Britain. During the academic 2010/11 within the postgraduate level, she studied Hermetic Astrology. In addition to consultations with the clients, Smiljana finds great inspiration in research work, which she presents in her astrological texts. A special emphasis input on finding significant degrees in the Zodiac for a specific country in the area of Mundane Astrology or a significant degree for relations between two persons in the Astrology of Relations. In her search for responses to the question as to why something (or someone) is happening to us, Smiljana also practices Karmic Astrology, as well as the Astrology of Archetype (fixed stars, mythology).

Smiljana studied International law and Law of International Organizations at the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade. She interrupted her studies at the last year (in 2006) and since then, she exclusively dedicated her life to self-study of astrology. Smiljana writes articles for The Mountain Astrologer blog, ISAR Journal, The Astrological Journal AA UK. Yoy can find her in English and in Serbian on www.astrologsmiljanagavrancic.blogspot.com and of course on www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com

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Planets on the 1st Choosing a new experience of yourself Tara Aal

Pushing against the tide, I will make it happen. The sheer force of my will butts up against anything for any reason. Running fast, I trip and keep going. I trip again and this time, I fall down. I keep going, bleeding. I can do it, and almost always, I have. The way I know to make it through anything is adrenalin. I repeatedly put myself into crisis or the shock of excitement or fear and then POWER through, overwhelming myself. ‘Second verse…same as the first’ and the record spins…until it breaks.

Last July, for my 2015 birthday, I chose to live Venus 1st for the year. I wanted to play with the Planets 1st technique and was starting to make big changes in my life. For the previous few years, I knew Venus in me longed to grow and express in new ways. Well, in fact, she had been growing and expressing, but I wanted to make an intentional choice to live from this part of me.

It’s my belief that every planet is in every other planet; there is no single planet, much in the way that we are each one being and not the sum of our parts. I also believe that we need separation to experience and learn.

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My birth chart is a picture of me. It is something like an anatomical medical drawing. In medicine, these diagrams depict the human body in general. In astrology, the chart is a diagram (symbolic representation) of the individual. Although there is some variation, most human body construction is the same. Astrologically speaking, humans are the same in their make-up, meaning all the parts we liken to planets and signs are in there. Interestingly, medically speaking, some of us are missing parts, whether congenital or acquired. Not one of us is missing what each sign and planet represents. We are more united in our psyche than our physicality. If the planets represent facets of our psyche, astrology helps us see how we were born to experience and relate to ourselves and others. The birth chart shows us more of ‘where’ and ‘how’ we experience ourselves and much less ‘who we are’. If the angles represent our personal East, West, North and South, imagine backing yourself virtually into your birth chart. In this perspective, your ‘center’ lives at the heart of the angles, but you can move!

How much of your life is fated? I have no idea. Even if you could not change anything at all, but where you are in all of you, you would have everything available to you. When we move within ourselves, everything changes! Ok, not really, but from our perspective, it does. I truly believe we are Everything, so what could we possibly be lacking except what we want to believe we lack?

Our belief that we lack something fundamental is absolutely necessary. We did not incarnate into humanity to experience Everything; quite the opposite. We chose to be born into a human body to experience ourselves as separate. Why do we do this? Perhaps Everything, even though it is complete, cannot express and act without duality? Maybe it’s not enough to be part of Everything if we can’t feel it? Maybe Everything, also Nothing, is just plain excited to meet itself from as many viewpoints as possible.

I believe we are here to have experiences of ourselves. We are giving ourselves the gift of creating an external life that reflects our internal selves. Phenomena and how we react to it shows us what we’re ‘making’ constantly. And, what we’re ‘making’ is really just a reflection of ‘where’ we are. When we choose to live a Planet 1st, we are choosing to experience ourselves through the part of us that planet represents. Technically, we move the planet chosen to the AC, rotating the Zodiac (in Solar Fire, this is done under choices for House System). It’s an artificial chart. It reflects a choice to instinctually experience everything through this planet. How does this part of me see? What subconscious questions am I asking when I choose this part of me first? I’m still everything and everything is still happening, but I choose this fractal of myself to strengthen and develop. I choose more of me!

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July 20, 2015, I chose to live Venus 1st (marry Venus with my Aries Rising). Over the last year, I drastically changed my life (you can read about it on my website at http://www.taraaal.com/#!living-planets-1st/x8tur). There are times Mars in me gets afraid or angry and wants to keep pushing. Feeling first and more (Venus) can be wonderful and also extremely uncomfortable. I realize how much I would do things just to prove I could do them.

Now, I am learning more about what I want, how I make choices and the fair consequences of my choices. By fair, I mean the amount of coming into balance required to restore equilibrium.

As my last birthday year wrapped up, I felt how my Venusian qualities of justice and harmony have been subconsciously balancing the scales. In some ways, it seems I’ve been going through karmic settlement. Some of the returns are beautiful gifts, literally more fantastic than my wild imagination. At the same time, I receive returns of physical illness and exhaustion and truly feeling the suffering I create for myself. It is a strange experience to be happy and a ‘better’ version of myself while feeling discomfort, sadness, fear and sometimes anger. There are always reactions to actions.

As my 2016 birthday approached, I contemplated choosing another planet 1st, but chose Venus again. It just felt and feels right. After this choice, I pulled up my 2016 Solar Return and Venus is 4 degrees from the AC in the 1st House. So, I continue living Venus 1st, not knowing, and feeling my way.

In my practice, I’m encouraging clients to choose Planets 1st. It creates more space to experience ourselves and others. It reminds us we aren’t missing anything and can choose to move or look a different direction at any time. We aren’t stuck, even if we want to believe we are. When we move, even a little bit, shifting our center, everything else realigns, and our world is new.

As I’m learning what comfortability means to me and how I do or don’t make choices to feel good, I’m not just experiencing Venus. I’m experiencing the Venus in every other planet.

What is comfortable to the Mars in me? What is yummy to the Saturn in me? What is pretty to the Sun in me? What does it mean and how does it feel to be at ease in my being? All this is the Venus filter through which I’m choosing to experience all the parts (planets) of me and their relationships with each other (aspects).

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Planets 1st is a therapeutic technique that is carried out through living. It takes courage to choose a new way of experiencing ourselves and everything around us. We don’t know what will show up or how we will react. Because this is new, we have less history, habit and patterns to rely upon. We don’t know how things will turn out. From this space, we can begin to learn our true nature; how we each, individually, live, breathe, express and alchemize the planets uniquely. We will reveal the planets to ourselves and each other through our thoughts, feelings, actions and being-ness. Planets 1st takes us beyond intellectual understanding and emotional resonance into embodiment. In new ways, we live who we are, creating our own reality as we go. All the parts are here. It’s up to us how we put them together.

Tara is an artist expressing through a variety of mediums. She practices Astrology and Tarot, having studied Evolutionary Astrology with Laura Nalbandian and Soulsign Astrology with Adam Gainsburg. Tara is Co-Host on Conscious Talk Radio’s The Women’s Hour on 1150AM KKNW, Seattle’s Alternative Talk Radio.

“Inspiration is the medicine no one knows they need until they get a large dose!”

This is your life. Start living it!

www.higher-wellness.com/tara-aal.html www.stargazersbooks.com/readers-energy-workers-2/tara-aal www.taraaal.com www.conscioustalk.net/index.php

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Saturn square Neptune and the Danger of False Narratives Part I: Hillary & Benghazi

Glenn Perry Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind. ~ George Orwell It is generally accepted that politics is shrouded in lies. This may be a more or less permanent condition, much like cloudy weather in Seattle. Yet, it seems that when Saturn and Neptune align in hard aspect those clouds crystallize into hailstones of deceit that precipitate upon the populace with a din so deafening it can drown out the voice of reason. With Saturn square Neptune exact three times this year, a transparent film of lies has settled across the globe like a toxic pesticide.

Figure 1: Borromean Rings

Examples are legion but I will focus on three, which, because they are expressions of the same archetypal dynamic, intersect like Borromean rings: 1) the Hillary Clinton scandals involving Benghazi and her private email server; 2) the Black Lives Matter movement, and 3) ISIS propaganda that exhorts its followers to commit murder-suicide.

Given the complexity of the subject matter, I have decided to tackle these issues in four parts.

Part I here explores the general meaning of Saturn square Neptune in light of Hillary Clinton’s recent travails. In our next installment, Part II, the political divide between liberal and conservative ideologies will be examined with a particular focus on Saturn-Neptune dynamics as symbolizing the birth, nature, and evolution of progressivism. Unless we understand progressivism, the remaining topics cannot be fully comprehended. Part III tackles the vexing conditions that have led to the Black Lives Matter movement, and Part IV examines the conflation of government and spirituality that is so disturbingly exemplified in radical Islam.

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In what follows, I occasionally refer to the planets in terms of behavioral propensities that characterize individuals and institutions, but it should be clear that I am referring to archetypal components of the psyche, not whole people.

The Closing Square of Saturn to Neptune The synodic cycle of Saturn-Neptune occurs over a period of approximately 36 years, starting with the conjunction, the most recent of which was in 1989, and ending with the next conjunction in 2026. As Saturn pulls away from Neptune by virtue of its faster orbital speed, it formed the first (or opening) square in 1998; the opposition occurred in 2006; and we’re currently in the closing square of 2016. In effect, it’s one long continuous 36-year cycle punctuated by four periods of acute activation that last for about one year each. And during that year, the relevant aspect will be exact three times―thus, the current square was exact on November 26, 2015; again on June 18 this year; and will once again be exact on September 10th.

Because the Saturn-Neptune cycle is a cycle, it is important to understand the phase in progress. Not all phases are alike, first because they occupy different signs, and second because each angle has its own meaning. A closing square, which is the angle presently occurring, constitutes the start of the final 90 degree phase of the cycle. As such, it is a Capricorn angle, for an aspect derives its meaning from the nature of the sign that constitutes that angle in the zodiac.

As a Capricorn angle, the closing square implies that Saturn and Neptune must find a way to successfully combine their respective energies and build something of enduring value.

Capricorn is associated with restraint, control, and the pursuit of realistic, practical ends; thus, the relationship between Saturn and Neptune will be characterized by exactly this dynamic throughout the period in question. And since Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn, this compounds and highlights the significance of Capricorn-Saturn during this particular phase of the SaturnNeptune cycle.

Some Thoughts on Saturn The archetype of Capricorn-Saturn is predominantly concerned with issues of success-failure.

In fact, all Capricorn-Saturn behavior can be traced to a fear of failure. To compensate for this fear, there is a focused, disciplined, goal-oriented striving that endeavors to achieve the desired end―success―which is exemplified in authority figures that serve a regulatory or executive function, such as fathers, taskmasters, bosses, CEOs, and presidents. Institutionally, the Capricorn-Saturn archetype is inherent in government of all types at all levels, the proper function of which is to establish rules, enforce limits, and maintain civic order. Internally, Saturn correlates to our capacity for self-governance and self-restraint.

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Implicit in Saturn is the notion of hierarchical order as reflected in nature’s tendency to organize its parts into increasingly complex wholes―atoms into molecules, molecules into cells, and cells combine to form multicellular organisms of ever increasing complexity, culminating in human beings who further self-organize into families, communities, towns, states and nations. Planets combine to make up solar systems, solar systems to make up galaxies, and galaxies are but parts of galactic clusters. "Infinity yawns at both the top and bottom of the stratified hierarchies of existence," writes Arthur Koestler. /1/ While Saturn’s ultimate goal is success―that is, aspiring to the top of the hierarchy― success is a relative term, and when applied to collective human evolution we must assume that varying degrees of success-failure will characterize the current square. In effect, we can expect Saturn to test the viability and sustainability of any organization with a strong Neptunian component. Since our focus here is on the world of global politics, the following should be considered in that light.

Neptune: The Pursuit of Oneness As ruler of Pisces, Neptune’s prime directive is attainment of a transcendent, spiritual ideal of unitive consciousness in which all divisions are reconciled into a blissful harmony. If human experience falls short of this ideal, which it almost invariably does, it causes distress and existential guilt. Human suffering due to loss, illness, poverty, old age, or victimization evokes a Neptunian response in us all, which we experience as compassion and the wish to relieve suffering. Neptune correlates to charity, aid, volunteerism, selfless service, and other altruistic activities dedicated to the ideal of an indiscriminate, all-inclusive, universal love.

Neptune’s flip side is the actual experience of suffering, which can be a gateway to the development of compassion, humility, and dependence upon a higher power. Spiritual traditions like Buddhism honor suffering as “the mud out of which the lotus flower blooms.”

Christianity employs its own metaphors―purification through trial by fire, the passion of Christ, and so on. Virtually all spiritual traditions teach the necessity of suffering and its accompanying requirement: renunciation of attachment, as implied in the aphorism “Let go and let God”.

Because the spiritual impulse underlying Neptune is inherently sacrificial and submissive, it can easily be misdirected or carried to excess if driven by excessive, irrational guilt. The result can be escapism and self-undoing. Let go and let God becomes give up and selfdestruct. Renunciation of attachment becomes abdication of responsibility. Surrender to a higher power is perverted into a life of dissolution, moral degeneracy, and abject dependency, often fueled by substance addiction. Not only can individuals do this, so can entire cultures, as we shall see.

While spiritual practice and charitable service is the healthy expression of Neptune, this can be misallocated via victim-savior dynamics that entail the enabling of bad behavior.

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Neptunian overfunctioning, or “co-dependency”, is again fueled by excessive and irrational guilt as evidenced when “saviors” feel compelled to rescue “victims” from the natural consequences of their own self-defeating actions. In this context, a victim is someone who is victimized by their own choices―to abuse drugs and alcohol, to drop out of school, to avoid work and responsibility, to be sexually promiscuous, to lie, steal, cheat, or otherwise engage in criminal behavior.

Typically the victim will manipulate the savior with intimations of blame, as if the cause and solution to the victim’s suffering lie outside themselves. Yet, by not allowing individuals to endure legitimate suffering, the savior merely enables and often exacerbates the victim’s problems. This can lead to savior burnout, depletion of resources, resentment, and more guilt.

The French call such an arrangement a folie a deux (folly of two), a kind of mental illness shared by two entities caught in a vicious cycle that escalates over time.

One additional point regarding Neptune is germane: its penchant for obfuscation and fraud.

Because Neptune symbolizes our desire for a transcendent ideal of infinite love and beauty, it is disinclined to recognize anything that deviates from this ideal. And since such ideals―for oneness, unity, heaven, paradise, utopia―necessarily emerge from the imagination (they have no obvious corollary in reality), Neptune signifies our capacity for fantasy. If reality deviates too markedly from the ideal, one can simply substitute fantasy for reality by superimposing the ideal over the real. Denial and deception entail the switch of an actual reality for a preferred one; hence, the Pisces-Neptune tendency for delusion, lies, and deceit.

The flip side is the Pisces-Neptune vulnerability to deception. Pisces-Neptune is the part of us that strives to reconcile duality into a unified whole; thus, it has difficulty making rational decisions that require Virgonian discernment and discrimination. A tendency toward feelgood fuzzy thinking, vacillation and acquiescence results. People often will believe what they want to believe and thus can be easily misled. As Hitler famously said, “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.”

While the Pisces-Neptune capacity for surrender, letting go, and trust in a higher power signifies spiritual strength in its own domain, it correlates to weakness when misdirected. For it is precisely its malleability that makes Neptune so easily influenced by stronger wills that frequently are not divine in their intentions. The upshot is that Pisces-Neptune is often the dupe, especially in relation to figures that embody those archetypes with which it is entangled―like Saturnian authority.

More on the Closing Square I have taken time to articulate the individual psychologies of Saturn and Neptune, for it is their combination that ultimately concerns us here. As the reader might surmise, government, under the sway of certain political ideologies, has progressively assumed the role of savior to an increasingly victimized society. During Saturn-Neptune squares, these role dynamics are tested and stressed to the breaking point.

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A cornerstone of AstroPsychology is that planets signify fundamental human drives and capacities. Viewed individually, each planet operates as an autonomous agent pursuing fulfillment of specific needs. Saturn, for example, signifies our capacity for success, which entails the pursuit of Capricorn needs for order and control. When combined in aspect, however, any two planets comprise a multi-agent system in pursuit of a joint goal that exists at a higher order of abstraction than the individual goals of the respective planets.

Multi-agent systems propagate as ideas or “cognitive structures” that entail plans for how best to collaborate in fulfilling the respective needs the planets rule. In effect, a planetary pairing symbolizes a narrative that provides an explanation for the way things are and a strategy for how to proceed in order to achieve the joint goal. Such narratives are inherent in planetary combinations independent of the angles they form during particular phases of their synodic cycle.

Ideas that emerge from multi-agent systems not only have histories, as reflected in their synodic cycles, they also have consequences. Any number of different strategies can accompany a multi-agent system, some more functional than others. Core strategies are like entities that evolve over time and take different forms depending upon the signs they occupy and the particular phase (angle) they are currently forming.

With regard to Saturn-Neptune, the closing square signifies that Saturn and Neptune have reached a critical mass or tipping point in their mutual struggle to achieve a joint goal.

Consequences of the unfolding 36-year cycle between Saturn and Neptune will manifest as certain types of phenomena, notably in government, as government is a Saturnian entity that can be observed, measured, and evaluated. Government’s entanglement with Neptunian ideals will be especially apparent. During the closing square, events will occur that explicate the degree of integration in the collective psyche that Saturn and Neptune have achieved to date.

In other words, the current story that undergirds their relationship is being tested. Is it wholly true, partly true? Is it functional? Is it the best we can do?

The ultimate ideal, of course, is for maximum differentiation and coordination of SaturnNeptune so that their respective needs and functions are cooperating in perfect equilibrium.

This might be reflected, for example, in some sort of global order inspired by a grounded, spiritual sensibility, a virtual heaven on earth, however remote and improbable that goal might seem. Preferably, Neptune infuses the natural hierarchical structure of society―individual, family, town, state, federal―from the bottom up, from the grass roots, from spiritual values inculcated in strong families and expressed through local churches, fraternal orders, service clubs, and voluntary non-profit organizations. Conversely, dangers lie in government policies that weaken the body-politic with misguided attempts to impose a utopian dreamworld from the top down.

Just as with individual human beings, the goal of a fully integrated Saturn-Neptune dynamic is a work in progress. Each planet is inseparably tied to the other as figure to ground. When Saturn is emphasized, Neptune is ground; when Neptune is emphasized, Saturn is ground.

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Each must perform its functions in its own realm, but always in relation to the other’s predominant values. Government has to perform its proper function of maintaining civic order, yet simultaneously accommodate the reality of human suffering brought about, for instance, by floods and other natural disasters. Neptune must pursue its spiritual ideal of transcendent unity, while recognizing that a government’s capacity to allocate time and resources to such ends is limited.

A fundamental principle of all squares is mutual influence and reciprocal resistance. While not being able to escape the others influence, each planet’s respective values are operating at cross-purposes. If optimally managed, inherent tensions can be welded into a composite that is stronger than either one separately. One example might be government regulations that mitigate against the outbreak of disease. Or a charitable organization which, by benefiting from tax-exempt status, is empowered to distribute resources to the needy.

More likely, however, one planet will defend itself by overfunctioning at the other’s expense.

Again, this is due to the inherent difficulty of integrating forces that are operating at cross purposes. Dysfunctional strategies result from the overfunctioning planet consciously denigrating the values of the repudiated planet, while unconsciously and unavoidably being saturated with that planet’s values. The result is a compromise formation―an odd, uncoordinated mix of the two planets that to varying degrees impairs the functionality of both.

For example, a government might denigrate traditional religious values, undermine Christianity, and favor Darwinian evolutionary theory over Intelligent Design; while, at the same time, assuming the responsibilities of a charitable, quasi-spiritual organization dedicated to the relief of suffering on virtually every front―open borders, sanctuary cities, amnesty to illegal immigrants, universal health care, redistribution of wealth via progressive taxation, and expansion of entitlement programs such as social security, welfare, unemployment, disability, food stamps, and government guaranteed student loans―all of which saps the economy, exhausts tax revenues, drives up the national debt, and neglects the country’s infrastructure to the point of collapse. Note on the one hand that Saturn depreciates the authentic spirituality of Neptune, and on the other becomes so overextended from the misappropriation of Neptunian functions that it teeters on the brink of self-destruction.

The Hillary Clinton Scandals It is not my intention here to make a case for the guilt or innocence of Hillary Clinton in relation to her recent troubles. Rather, I am interested in what they mean in the larger context of Saturn square Neptune. In other words, the controversies surrounding Hillary are not only an expression of her natal chart, but a symbol of an unfolding Saturn-Neptune mindset in which we all move and have our being. Let us begin with the facts about Benghazi.

On the evening of September 11, 2012, the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi Libya was decimated in a premeditated military-style attack by approximately 150 terrorists armed with automatic weapons and heavy artillery. The entire incident lasted about 13 hours in two separate attacks. Four Americans were killed, including ambassador Chris Stevens and

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information manager Sean Smith. CIA agents Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed in the second attack, and ten others were wounded. Surviving Special Forces members subsequently reported that they were ordered to stand down (not defend the compound) three times. They finally defied orders and went anyway.

In the aftermath, Hillary Clinton, in her role as Secretary of State, took responsibility for security lapses that left the U.S. post unprotected in the midst of Islamic terrorists that had sprouted in the blood soaked, toxic soil of former president Muammar Gaddafi’s death. The decision to deploy as few troops as possible to Libya was part of the Obama foreign doctrine of leaving a small footprint and not intimidating foreign governments with U.S. military might./2/ Rather than admit the lethal consequences of their mistake, however, for the next two weeks Hillary and Obama repeatedly suggested the attack was due to a spontaneous protest triggered by an amateurish 13 minute anti-Islamic “trailer” produced by a U.S. Muslim and uploaded on YouTube.

When this narrative was challenged by reporters, Hillary and Obama sidestepped by referring to “an ongoing investigation.” Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, repeated the official line in five sequential television appearances: Benghazi was a protest that evolved into a spontaneous, unpremeditated attack provoked by a “hateful video” satirizing the prophet Muhammad.

There was, in fact, such a video, and it had provoked demonstrations in the Muslim world.

But there was never any evidence that it inspired the Benghazi attack. Republicans suspected the video was a red herring to deflect attention from the real issue. For the prior two years, the American people had been told that al-Qaeda had been defeated. “Osama bin-Laden is dead and Al Qaeda is on the run” was Obama’s stump speech for his 2012 reelection campaign.

Only months from the election, the attack on Benghazi contradicted the narrative and was thus a political liability.

During the weeks following the attack it was apparent that a carefully scripted official story was being systematically fed to the American public: That hateful video killed our boys. No other possibility was mentioned despite Libya’s new president, Mohamed Yusuf al-Magariaf, publically proclaiming on September 16: “The way these perpetrators acted and moved, and their choosing the specific date for this so-called demonstration, this leaves us with no doubt that this was preplanned, predetermined.” /3/ Obama’s Rose Garden statement on September 12 did include, “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation.” However, there’s an important difference between attributing acts of terror to a spontaneous uprising and admitting that Benghazi was a premeditated, well-orchestrated attack by al-Qaeda. That admission would not come until more than two weeks later in response to incontrovertible evidence that refuted the original narrative.

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Meanwhile, both Hillary and Obama kept repeating that the attacks were due to an offensive video directed at the prophet Muhammad. As late as September 25, two weeks after the attacks, Obama said on another U.S. talk show, “The View”: That is what we saw play out in the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world. Now, I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity. /4/ Subsequent congressional investigations revealed that the CIA almost immediately received intelligence reports that there was no “protest” at Benghazi on September 11. In fact, the CIA’s initial September 12 executive update stated that “this was an intentional assault and not the escalation of a peaceful protest.” /5/ This language was subsequently dropped for reasons that in retrospect are clear. An email from top Obama aide Ben Rhodes lays bare the White House strategy. “Goals: To underscore that these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy.” /6/ That the preferred narrative was fabricated from the beginning is evident in Hillary Clinton’s initial press statement on 10:08 pm, September 11th, within an hour of the attack and while it was still ongoing.

Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. /7/ What is extraordinary about this statement is not merely that it’s a smokescreen, but the nature of the narrative itself. It subtly intimates that the cause of extremist violence is religious intolerance, and by implication any intolerance. Whether Hillary truly believes this is open to question, but that is the narrative they chose to propagate: violence is wrong, but intolerance is more wrong because it is the reason for violence.

An unexpected outcome of the congressional investigation was the discovery that Clinton was using a private server for official government correspondence. While 32,000 of her private emails were reportedly deleted after being requested, many were recovered./8/ Of special significance are two, one sent the day of the attack and the other the day after. Within the hour following her September 11 press statement, Hillary wrote her daughter, Chelsea: “Two of our officers were killed in Benghazi by an al Qaeda-like group….Very hard day and I fear more of the same.”/9/ And in an email the following day, September 12, she recounts her conversation with the Egyptian foreign minister: We know that the attack in Libya had nothing to do with the film. It was a planned attack—not a protest. . . . Based on the information we saw today we believe the group that claimed responsibility for this was affiliated with al-Qaeda. /10/

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Two days later, September 14, Hillary attended the transfer of remains ceremony with the family members of those killed at Benghazi. In her official remarks at the ceremony, she stated: “We’ve seen rage and violence directed at American embassies over an awful internet video that we had nothing to do with.” Kate Quigley, sister of deceased Navy SEAL Glenn Doherty, said that Hillary again brought up the story about the phony Libyan protest in their private conversation. “When I think back now to that day and what she knew…it shows me a lot about her character that she would choose in that moment to basically perpetuate what she knew was untrue.” /11/ Patricia Smith, mother of slain information officer Sean Smith, had this to say in her congressional testimony at the Benghazi hearings: Obama and Hillary and Panetta and Biden and Susan [Rice] all came up to me at the casket ceremony. Every one of them came up to me, gave me a big hug, and I asked them, ‘what happened, please tell me.’ And every one of them said it was the video. And we all know that it wasn’t the video. Even at that time, they knew it wasn’t the video. So they all lied to me. /12/ Likewise Charles Woods, father of Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, reported that when he gave Hillary a hug and shook her hand after the ceremony, she said, “We are going to have the filmmaker arrested who was responsible for the death of your son.”/13/ It doesn’t get any clearer than that. Not al-Qaeda, not Obama’s foreign policy of leading-from-behind, not Hillary’s failure to provide adequate security to the compound, but anti-Islamic sentiment killed the four Americans.

When confronted with these allegations, Clinton pushed back, saying that any contradictions in her statements about Benghazi were due to “the fog of war,” fragmentary and disjointed information that was “changing by the hour.”/14/ However, given the consistency and certainty of the Obama administration’s statements about the video, and given concerns about Obama’s re-election and Hillary’s looming run for the presidency, it is difficult not to conclude that Hillary was complicit in fabricating the politically expedient but ultimately false narrative. Such is the crux of the just released report of the House Select Committee on Benghazi: Obama Administration officials, including the Secretary of State [Hillary Clinton], learned almost in real time that the attack in Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Rather than tell the American people the truth, the administration told one story privately and a different story publicly. /15/ It is also worth noting that despite eight congressional investigations costing 20 million tax payer dollars, it has never been determined who was responsible for the order that U.S. forces stand down. Upon being informed of the attack on the afternoon of September 11 by thenSecretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Obama “immediately ordered the military to deploy all available assets.” /16/ Allegedly, he never modified or rescinded the order; yet, there were three stand-down orders according to CIA operatives who eventually disobeyed their superiors and rushed to rescue Ambassador Stevens in the burning compound. Moreover, no

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military assets were deployed to help the few men who fought 150 terrorists. The last two Americans were killed almost 8 hours after the attacks began. When Obama was solicited by the House Select Committee on Benghazi to address these unanswered questions, he refused to comply. /17/

The Astrology of Benghazi I have taken some time to detail the events surrounding Benghazi because they illustrate in microcosm a larger narrative symbolized by Saturn square Neptune. As expected, the current phase of the Saturn-Neptune cycle is crystallizing in events that reveal the relative integration of these two archetypal forces. While the events and subsequent cover-up of Benghazi occurred in 2012, the fact that it has been headline news since the fall of 2015 illustrates how planetary dynamics “pop” into acute manifestation during angles like the closing square.

An additional factor to consider is the sign positions of the two planets―Saturn in Sagittarius, and Neptune in Pisces. Since Neptune rules Pisces, its sign position does not add any new information other than it doubles-down on the basic psychology of Neptune, making it pure and strong. Saturn in Sagittarius, however, adds something new to the mix. After a brief tenancy prior to retrograding back into Scorpio, Saturn settled into Sagittarius to stay in September of 2015, where it will remain until December 2017.

Sagittarius symbolizes the principle of expansion, as exemplified in the search for truth and meaning. It rules the domain of higher learning, justice, law, ethics, morality, religion, philosophy, ideology, travel, and foreign affairs. Saturn’s two year sojourn through Sagittarius correlates to a serious, pragmatic focus on the aforementioned fields, especially with regard to perceived shortcomings and failures.

Saturn tends to contract, restrict, and reduce for the sake of economizing, cutting away unessential elements and getting to what is solid and real. In Sagittarius, examples are legion, from halting the spread of a toxic ideology like radical Islam to restricting the flow of illegal immigration. With regard to our central topic, however, it is epitomized in the House Select Committee on Benghazi, which released its final report on July 8, 2016. A highlight of the investigation was Hillary Clinton’s testimony in October 2015, right after Saturn ingressed into Sagittarius and during which there was a serious attempt to get to the bottom of what really happened and why. Hillary’s honesty in the entire matter was the overriding, central question.

It is the square between Saturn and Neptune, however, that tells the larger story. Recall that when two planets are square, one can overcompensate as a defense against the other while simultaneously being influenced by the repressed planet at an unconscious level. For example, Saturn in Sagittarius could signify an authority figure taking the moral high ground while projecting responsibility for the tragic outcomes of her own wrongdoing onto a convenient scapegoat. At a conscious level, she (Saturn) presents herself as wise and truthful (Sagittarius); yet, unconsciously is plagued by guilt (Neptune) that must be exported into the environment.

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A more integrated version would entail an honest and humble admission of mistakes with a willingness to suffer the consequences, even if it means a momentary loss of status. However, until and unless Saturn’s square to Neptune is integrated, we can expect authority figures to employ false narratives as a defense against loss, suffering, and guilt.

In the Benghazi incident, all of this is immediately evident. Saturn is represented by Hillary and the Obama administration. Their foreign policy of leading from behind― anti-imperialist ethics, minimizing America’s influence abroad, and pulling back troops ―is consistent with Saturn in Sagittarius square Neptune. According to the House Select Committee on Benghazi, a major reason for the attack was Hillary’s failure to provide requested troops for fear of offending Muslims.

As a result of this lead-from-behind foreign policy…[and] although the State Department considered Libya a grave risk to American diplomats in 2011 and 2012, our people remained in a largely unprotected, unofficial facility that one diplomatic security agent the committee interviewed characterized as ‘a suicide mission.’ /18/ This is especially interesting in light of Saturn’s square to Neptune. Recall that Neptune’s prime directive is transcendence such that all divisions that separate races, religions, and cultures are reconciled into a common unity. Applied to politics, this is a formula for world peace―the ultimate Neptunian ideal. Yet, a mature spirituality recognizes that the journey to world peace necessarily and inescapably involves suffering and the gradual dissolution of attachments that maintain separateness. Realistically, such a goal may require innumerable just wars and be thousands of years in the making from where we are now./19/ Global unity is not something that can be forced; you cannot push the river and accelerate the pace of human evolution to comply with your political ambitions.

This is what I alluded to earlier when I said that planets in square operate at cross purposes.

The Obama administration (Saturn) aspired to world peace (Neptune). Ending wars in the Middle East was a primary objective; yet, Obama did not want to endure the necessary suffering over the long term that such an ideal would exact. So, by forcing the issue and pulling out troops prematurely from Iraq, not holding the “red line” with Syria, and generally weakening our position in the Middle East, it created a power vacuum that al Qaeda and ISIS rushed in to fill.

The tragedy of Benghazi is symptomatic of a larger problem―a misguided attempt to force a premature unity―that has characterized the Obama administration from the beginning and, by implication, liberal foreign policy in general. /20/ Peace politics and the anti-war movement has always been linked to the Democratic Party. Yet, innumerable critics and U.S. Military leaders have pointed out that Obama’s legacy will be “endless war” precisely because he was afraid to actually fight one./21/ As former Defense Secretary Robert Gates put it, “President Obama simply wanted the ‘bad’ war in Iraq to be ended.” /22/

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What I wish to suggest here is how Saturn’s resistance to Neptunian hardship (unintegrated square) is what brought hardship about. I am not proposing that loss and suffering of the sort that occurred in Benghazi is inevitable and thus we should do nothing. Rather, it is the failure to allow for at least some loss and suffering―that is, to be adequately prepared for it―that renders a system more vulnerable to the thing avoided. Hillary’s failure to protect the Embassy in Benghazi by providing adequate troops made working there a virtual “suicide mission” according to one of her own agents. And this says nothing about the mysterious stand down orders and failure to deploy U.S. military assets during the 13 hour siege.

Neptune’s signature strategy of denial and avoidance was further evident in the cover-up that followed. Rather than admit that the Benghazi tragedy was due to “a broader failure of policy,” as Ben Rhodes put it, Hillary and Obama doubled down and scapegoated the filmmaker who uploaded the anti-Islamist video. In so doing, they constructed an illusion (Neptune) that their authority (Saturn) was unimpeachable and their ideology (Sagittarius) unassailable, while projecting moral failure onto the makers of “a crude and disgusting video”. Their attempt to avoid a humiliating loss of political power echoed their larger strategy of wanting to achieve a premature global unity while avoiding the risks and hardships of war.

Jung’s dictum that “neurosis is born from a failure to endure legitimate suffering” applies equally well to the political arena. In Part II, we will examine the Saturn-Neptune origins of what may well be a political neurosis that has afflicted western culture for more than century.

To be continued…

References : 1 Koestler, A. (1978). Janus: A summing up. New York: Vintage Books, p. 67 2 Select Committee on Benghazi Releases Proposed Report,” from The Select Committee on Benghazi, U.S. House of Representatives, July 8, 2016. http://benghazi.house.gov/NewInfo 3 Kessler, Glenn. “From video to terrorist attack: a definitive timeline of administration statements on the Libya attack,” in The Washington Post, September 27, 2012. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/factchecker/post/from-video-to-terrorist-attack-a-definitive-timeline-of-administration-statements-on-the-libyaattack/2012/09/26/86105782-0826-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_blog.html?tid=a_inl 4 Ibid.

5 Kessler, Glenn. “Is Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’ on Benghazi?” in The Washington Post, October 30, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/10/30/is-hillary-clinton-a-liar-on-benghazi/ 6 Hemingway, Mollie. “5 Big Takeaways From The House Benghazi Report,” in the Federalist, June 28, 2016. http://thefederalist.com/2016/06/28/5-big-takeaways-from-the-house-benghazi-report/ 7Kessler, Glenn. “From video to terrorist attack: a definitive timeline of administration statements on the Libya attack,” in The Washington Post, September 27, 2012. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/factchecker/post/from-video-to-terrorist-attack-a-definitive-timeline-of-administration-statements-on-the-libyaattack/2012/09/26/86105782-0826-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_blog.html?tid=a_inl

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016 8 Halper, Daniel. “FBI: Clinton was ‘extremely careless’ with email, but no charges,” New York Post, July 5, 2016. http://nypost.com/2016/07/05/fbi-wont-recommend-charges-in-clinton-email-probe/ 9Kessler, Glenn. “Is Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’ on Benghazi?” in The Washington Post, October 30, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/10/30/is-hillary-clinton-a-liar-on-benghazi/ 10Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 “Reviews of the Benghazi Attacks and Unanswered Questions,” First Session, September 19, 2013. http://www.gop.gov/resources/library/documents/benghazi/ogr-reviews-of-the-benghazi-attacks-andunanswered-questions.pdf 13 Kessler, Glenn. “Is Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’ on Benghazi?” in The Washington Post, October 30, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/10/30/is-hillary-clinton-a-liar-on-benghazi/ 14 Kamisar, Ben. “Clinton denies lying to Benghazi victim’s families,” in The Hill, March 09, 2016 at: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/272483-clinton-denies-lying-to-benghazi-victims-families 15 “Select Committee on Benghazi Releases Proposed Report,” from The Select Committee on Benghazi, U.S. House of Representatives, July 8, 2016. http://benghazi.house.gov/NewInfo 16 Bade, Rachel. “White House refuses Benghazi questions for Obama,” in Politico, 06/26/16, at: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/white-house-benghazi-obama-224813 17Bade, Rachel. Ibid 18 “Select Committee on Benghazi Releases Proposed Report,” from The Select Committee on Benghazi, U.S. House of Representatives, July 8, 2016. http://benghazi.house.gov/NewInfo 19 Walzer, Michael. (2015). Just and unjust wars: A moral argument with historical illustrations. New York: Basic Books 20 Obama, Barack, “Breaking the War Mentality,” http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/obama-sundial.pdf

Sundial,

March

10,

1983,

21 Woodward, Bob. 2010. Obama’s Wars. New York: Simon and Schuster 22 Gates, Robert. (2015). Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. New York: Vintage Books Glenn Perry, Ph.D., is an astrologer and licensed psychotherapist in Connecticut, USA. In addition to private practice, Dr. Perry is director of the Academy of AstroPsychology, an online school that offers certificate and diploma programs in psychological astrology. Glenn has written eight books, including An Introduction to AstroPsychology, and serves as a Board member and qualitative research advisor for ISAR. He lectures internationally on the application of astrology to the fields of counseling and psychotherapy and teaches courses at the Nodoor Academy in Beijing, China. glenn@aaperry.com www.aaperry.com

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Astrology and the Evolution of Consciousness Part 5 The Humanistic Worldview Armand Diaz

This article is a chapter from Armand’s forthcoming book Conscious Cosmology: Integral Astrology v2.0. A chapter will be published in each issue of Infinity Astrological Magazine over the coming year.

To recap...

Human consciousness has an inherent flexibility that allows it to evolve into increasingly complex stages. As with biological evolution, changes in the environment – physical, social, economic, and/or political – tend to push at least a section of the population towards higher levels of being. Perhaps the seeds of new levels may be present in a few individuals who thrive when conditions change, or it might be that the new environment itself interacts with humans to produce entirely novel stages of consciousness.

What seems apparent is that a type of consciousness that is rarely, if ever, seen prior to a point in history becomes increasingly well represented in the population within a relatively short period of time. Additionally, because the new worldview comes about because of changing needs, not only do more people begin to display the new level of consciousness, but it also has much greater influence and power than mere numbers suggest – the new type of consciousness thrives because its time has come.

People organize themselves into clans at the Magical stage, with an emphasis on preservation of sameness, reliance on the ancestors, and gifts from the gods. At this point, individuals do not have fully formed egos but are largely identified with their group. Eventually, leadership is needed and a few folks differentiate themselves from the clan and form the Egocentric stage, where power is primary.

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As more and more people begin to assert their will at the Egocentric level, a kind of ‘Wild West’ scenario creates increasing uncertainty and fear, leading to the Traditional worldview.

Abstract thinking develops, and with it the rule of law. Authority is primary, and there is a belief in a universal way, an order to the cosmos that requires adherence at every level from the physical world through the individual and into society.

Eventually, tradition is transcended by a reliance on logic, evidence, and individual experience, as we reach the Modern worldview. Symbolically, this is represented by the discovery of Uranus, the planet that transcends the boundaries of Saturn. The Modern worldview is geared towards progress, but that progress has troubling bi-products, such as environmental degradation and detachment from nature. The benefits of progress – material comfort, medical care, and more – are also shared unevenly. The obsession with progress can lead to a treadmill mentality, and concern for economic gain can result in some very shortsighted decisions. It is the failures of the Modern worldview that have led to the rise of the next level of consciousness, which I call the Humanistic worldview, which we address in this issue.

The Humanistic worldview has all of the logical ability and independence from tradition that the Modern worldview has, but differs in that it is more inclusive and more compassionate.

Humanistic consciousness honors all perspectives and gives everyone a seat at the table. It is egalitarian and supportive, often to the point of non-competitiveness – when everyone wins a medal because they participated, you’re looking at this viewpoint in extreme. But the Humanistic viewpoint is not a mere free-for-all, it is principled, and the principles are fairness and compassion.

Significantly, the Humanistic viewpoint relativizes truth, goodness, and beauty. The Traditional viewpoint presents these things as known entities, handed down from the past and enforced by authority. The Modern worldview rejects authority and tradition, and uses logic and experiment to determine what is true (and to a lesser extent what is good and beautiful).

Yet for the most part, Modern consciousness continues to assume that there is still one correct answer: it may not come from tradition, but we can find it with the tools of our intellect.

Humanistic consciousness accepts that there are multiple perspectives, and what is good and true for one person, one group, or one culture may not be good and true for another.

Historically, the Humanistic worldview has some significant outcroppings in the 19th century, and this stage of consciousness is very much associated with the discovery of the planet Neptune. There is a resonance in the emphasis on compassion and the dissolution of boundaries, and the opening up to a higher reality that makes our terrestrial boundaries seem insignificant. The Women’s Suffrage movement, the abolition of slavery in the United States, and Darwin’s relativizing of our species onto a continuum of life are a few examples of the emergence of Humanistic consciousness in tandem with our awareness of the planet Neptune.

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It was in the 1960s that the Humanistic worldview really took off. The complex factors that led to the rapid emergence of this stage of consciousness are beyond the scope of this article, but it is worth considering that the devastation of the Second World War in combination with a rapid spurt of technological development and, not least, a strong interest in psychedelics were important factors. The result was a change of direction for a large number of people who saw that the Traditional and Modern trajectories that societies were travelling needed radical transformation.

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States, the worldwide Women’s Movement, protests against war across the Western world, and many other movements that worked towards empowering individuals and groups and leveling the social playing field are all reflective of Humanistic consciousness. So are free love, the Sexual Revolution, and the Human Potential Movement. The New Age has antecedents that go back as far as you care to look (certainly to the Spirtualism of the 19th century), but The New Age as a known and labeled phenomenon is very much the product of Humanistic consciousness (and points beyond the merely human to encompass other forms of consciousness). In today’s business, politics, and education, this worldview manifests in Teaching Tolerance, sexual harassment seminars, expanded social services for the economically disadvantaged and disabled, affirmative action, and many other ways (when Humanistic principles are adopted by those of a more Traditional mindset, the result is the political correctness that is so abhorrent to Modern consciousness).

Astrologically, the Humanistic worldview was perhaps the dominant theme throughout the 20th century, and surely so in the last half of the century. While the thread can be picked up in the works of Alan Leo and others, Dane Rudhyar’s work – itself extending beyond the Humanistic and into the Integral stage – was crucial in the development of a Humanistic approach to astrology. The astrological schools described as psychological astrology and evolutionary astrology typify the application of the Humanistic viewpoint to our discipline, although even these broad categories don’t encompass the totality of this worldview in astrology.

The Humanistic ability to recognize multiple perspectives did much to move astrology away from the fatalism and determinism for which it was (and often still is) known. With the Humanistic mindset, there need not be one definite outcome, and so a variety of possibilities are always present (Humanists often borrow from the scientific models of the Modern worldview, and speak in terms of physics: ‘probability waves’ and the uncertainty principle are cited, although their application to macro-level matters is itself uncertain). In tandem with the greater emphasis on choice over fatalism, Humanistic astrology is also more likely to focus on internal states – thought, feeling, emotion, and intuition – than on external events.

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If you would shrink a thing, the Tao Te Ching advises, you must first stretch it. In an application of the cycle of yin and yang, or the Greek principle of enantiodromia, the extremes of an internally focused, choice-oriented astrology led to a reversal that began around the change of the millennium. Initially, it seemed that Project Hindsight (in all its complexity) in the 1990s was an academic exploration of ancient astrological texts. By the year 2000, however, there was a surge in traditional astrology, and not only the techniques but also the Traditional worldview associated with pre-Enlightenment astrology began to gain traction. This change of direction did not so much stop the development of Humanistic astrology as present a challenge to its dominance as the only contemporary form of astrology.

In order to truly understand how competing and seemingly irreconcilable viewpoints can exist in our field, we need to look beyond even the plurality of Humanistic astrology, and towards an Integral astrology, which we will address in the next issue.

Armand Diaz, Ph.D., is a consulting astrologer, with a practice based in New York City and an international clientele. In addition to consulting, he speaks on astrology nationally and internationally. His book, Integral Astrology: Understanding the Ancient Discipline in the Contemporary World, was published in 2012. In 2013, he co-produced and co-edited Transpersonal Astrology. His most recent book, Separating Aspects, is on relationship astrology. He is Books and Articles Editor for the Astrology News Service, and is Agent 17 for the Cosmic Intelligence Agency. Armand can be reached via his website.

Armand@Integralastrology.net 917-216-1541 www.IntegralAstrology.net

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The ethics of astrological practice: A Question needing an Answer Anne Whitaker

I like it when the day throws up a compelling hot topic for my blog first thing – even if I am still half asleep at the time! A particular exchange of questions and answers recently with two commenters on Astrology: Questions and Answers Facebook Page woke me up very quickly.

(Names have been changed) Angela: “Do you do astrology ?I would love to have mine done sometime but I don’t know who does it? Any ideas?”

Ryan: “I’ve stumbled upon dozens of bloggers who give readings, you just have to look…”

Me: Ryan, it may well be the case that one can stumble upon lots of bloggers doing readings, but Angela needs to be careful to choose someone who is well experienced and qualified, preferably with their work insured and supervised, with an adequate degree of experience in reading horoscopes, counselling training, and a well developed sense of awareness of the power and responsibility that is taken on by virtue of reading people’s horoscopes.

Donna Cunningham, if you care to visit her excellent SkyWriter blog, has written about the negative and irresponsible things that some people can say when reading their fellow citizens’ charts. It would be instructive for anyone contemplating booking a reading to go over to Donna’s blog and read about some of this alarming material, which by its existence emphasises the importance of prospective clients choosing carefully if they wish their charts to be read constructively and responsibly.

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Here is a short quote from Donna Cunningham’s 4.12.2014 post, which supports my response to Angela and to Ryan: “…For many years, I had a monthly advice column in Dell Horoscope Magazine, a Dear Abby type column in which readers wrote their problems and I answered based on their astrology charts. Part of the job description for that column seemed to be putting out fires that other astrologers have set, for I got many letters from readers who were devastated by the way their chart reading was handled.

These letters pointed to the need for true and responsible professional training in our field and the need, especially, for a certain amount of counseling training. Like it or not, counseling is what an astrologer does each time a client comes for a reading….”

from Awful Things Astrologers Say to their Clients My background in astrology I have been an astrology practitioner, teacher and writer for over thirty years now. However, I remain awestruck by the power that astrology holds, when used responsibly with compassion and sensitivity, to offer creative and constructive guidance to clients as their lives unfold.

It is incredibly affirming to be able to say – either directly or by inference, depending on what that particular client needs at that time – “Here is your unique little chip of the cosmos into which you were born. Use the energies therein as best you can, given the gifts and limitations we are all handed at the outset – which I will try to convey to you as honestly and constructively as possible. Try to work with those energies well enough to be able to hand your chip back with a little more light shining through it at the end of your days.”

A sense of connection to an unfolding, meaningful energy weave where each of us has a thread to contribute, is a wonderful antidote to the feelings of anomie, disconnectedness and woundedness which so many people seem to be feeling at this time of great turbulence and upheaval.

However, the task of placing another person’s life in a context for them which makes their life’s current challenges easier to bear, helping them to work with often very painful circumstances as constructively as possible – how many people come for astrology readings when life is bowling smoothly along? Not many, in my experience! – is not straightforward, easy, or to be embarked upon lightly. It should not be embarked upon lightly or casually.

I can still recall, in the early days of my astrology practice, being extremely grateful that I had had a number of years of social work, psychiatric work, and counselling practice in which to ground myself. There is nothing quite like having to face the limitations of your capacity to help other people, which is a major dimension of social work, to ground you and keep you humble when taking upon yourself the power that being an astrologer brings.

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I was fortunate enough to have been a student of Liz Greene’s for most of the 1990s. An entry requirement to study for the Diploma in Psychological Astrology which I completed in 1998, was that all students be in therapy for a year. It was made clear to us, in Liz Greene’s inimitable way, that we should not take upon ourselves the responsibility of being astrological practitioners without having the experience of a long seat in the client’s chair ourselves.

Concluding comments So, Ryan, I do hope that my response to your casual comment, with which no doubt you meant no harm, has not left you feeling too winded! And I thank you for making it, thereby giving me the opportunity to put forward my own thoughts regarding the great capacity for doing ill as well as good that astrologers take on when they read their fellow citizens’ horoscopes. ‘At least do no harm’ is the bottom line of the medical profession. It should be ours too.

Angela, if you are reading this, do not be too put off. There are many competent, compassionate, realistic, empathic astrologers out there. Just take your sweet time to make sure you seek out a good one!

Part Two: On becoming a responsible astrologer How do you get there?

That post on the ethics of astrological practice, a topic to which all astrological practitioners should return from time to time in my opinion, generated a great deal of interest over at Astrology: Questions and Answers’ Facebook page. My dialogue there, with thoughtful astrologer Sellieve Ezra Neptune, made it clear to me that the question of responsible astrological practice needed to be pursued further. She has given me permission to quote from our discussion.

Sellieve: “I do have a question for you, Anne. If you tell people that they should only get a reading from an astrologer who has lots of experience reading charts, how does someone get that experience if someone inexperienced isn’t worthy of giving readings yet? It’s that same catch 22 of, ‘can’t get a job without experience, can’t get experience without a job’. I am an aspiring professional astrologer, with a decade of learning under me, but the number of professional readings I have given is not too many…”

Me: This is a very fair question, Sellieve, and it does indeed look as though I’ve presented a Catch 22. The last thing I want to do is discourage potentially effective astrologers like yourself from ending up as serious professional practitioners.

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There are a number of ways from which to approach this question, and I do not claim to have all the answers – a brief post can only cover a few key bases. However, here goes! I should state at the outset that I am based in the UK, so am not very familiar with the specifics of what constitutes professional regulation in other countries.

Mainstream vs Maverick The advantage of belonging to one of the traditional professions recognised by mainstream society e.g. medicine, the law, teaching, accountancy etc is that one has to go through pretty rigorous training and professional licensing in order to be able to practice. This does not rule out bad practice, but it does mean it is kept to a minimum, and offers legal redress to people who have been on the receiving end of such practice.

However, astrologers especially in this reductionist age are very much NOT regarded as being in the mainstream of professional practice, and it is possible for anyone to set themselves up as an astrologer with no training, regulation or background counselling experience whatsoever.

In an ideal world, it should not be possible for people to do this. But as we all know the world we live in is far from ideal. I think the reality is that it is never going to be possible fully to prevent people from abusing their fellow citizens as described by Donna Cunningham in my earlier post, ie Awful Things Astrologers Say to their Clients.

Increasing public awareness However, it is my hope that the public is more aware these days of the difference between responsible, quality astrologers and dangerous amateurs. In recent years, much progress has been made in training and monitoring astrologers through such reputable bodies as eg OPA, ISAR, NCGR and the AFA in the USA, where very high standards are set for what is expected of practising astrologers. Likewise, eg The Mayo School of Astrology, The London School of Astrology, Mercury Internet School of Psychological Astrology, the Faculty of Astrological Studies and the Centre for Psychological Astrology in the UK. I studied with both the latter bodies, and am a member of the Association of Professional Astrologers International to whose ethical codes I subscribe. In order to protect ourselves legally, the APAI advises its members thus in dealing with clients: Explain briefly and in general what astrology is and what astrologers do.

Explain the limitations of the techniques employed, for example: astrology is a symbolic language and offers a balance of probabilities rather than specific certainties.

Describe the service(s) to be provided, for example: character analysis, compatibility assessment – and the scale of fees.

Emphasize that astrology is not scientifically proven and that no reading can be 100% accurate.

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Explain, nevertheless, that APAI astrologers will work to the best of their knowledge and abilities in the preparation and delivery of the services to be provided.

How we begin…

Most of us who end up as astrologers have a similar route. First, we encounter astrology in a range of different ways depending on who we are and what our context is, this encounter leading us to being fascinated and compelled to take our interest further.

In my case, I encountered a couple in a launderette in Bath, England in the 1970s who took me home with them, did my chart, and told me I was likely to end up studying astrology or something very like it in seven years’ time. At that time I was both engaged in another professional life, and a dismisser of astrology from the dismissers’ standard base of knowing nothing at all about it. However, they were right…

Then we practice, on friends, family, anyone who would like their chart read – hopefully sticking to the basics of Sun, Moon, Saturn, Ascendant and Midheaven, and even more hopefully, having some awareness of when one is getting out of one’s depth – not going too far into wounding other people through our own lack of expertise and knowledge.

From amateur to professional It should take quite a while of doing this before one’s thoughts turn to whether becoming a professional astrologer is a realistic possibility. In a follow-up comment to her original question, Sellieve partially answers it herself, by pointing out the following: “…Not everyone comes to an Astrologer looking for serious advice, sometimes they want a theatrical presentation of their personality, or they find astrology interesting but don’t want to study it themselves… In this such case I think it is better to refer these kinds of clients to less experienced professional astrologers, people like me and other millennials. If someone wants to see an astrologer for counseling, if they want light brought onto a difficult situation, then it is best to refer them to a psychological astrologer, or someone with more impressive credentials than me…”

In the end, how much one gradually realises through this process of initial dabbling the amount of power and responsibility one is taking on by reading peoples’ charts is dependent upon the degree of self-awareness, experience and maturity one has acquired by this point.

Personal integrity, which no-one can teach, is also a major factor in determining the path people take when they realise they wish to practice as professional astrologers.

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Ethical Frameworks and Guidelines I think that the best possible start for a would-be astrologer is to place themselves at the outset within a clear framework of ethics and guidelines which all the reputable training and monitoring bodies provide and follow those guidelines to the best of their ability.

An excellent recent book to acquire in helping this process along, is OPA (the Organisation for Professional Astrology) ‘s The Professional Astrologer which is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of setting up an astrology practice. Do acquire this book, Sellieve, as soon as possible! Master astrologer Donna Cunningham’s Counseling Principles for Astrologers is also an excellent guide for astrologers at this very important stage of their careers.

One of the best books I know which covers the practical, ethical, moral, psychological and spiritual dimensions of being an astrologer is The Astrologer, the Counsellor and the Priest

by Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke, based on a seminar given at the Centre for Psychological Astrology in 1996,which I had the good fortune to attend, and which was comprehensive, practical, and thought provoking.

Setting up a practice – some practicalities Sellieve also added some more comments regarding how to go about setting up an astrology practice to which I responded as follows: …I think that you probably need to look around a few astrologers’ consultation/tuition web Pages – you are welcome to look at mine for some ideas –and set up a professional web page stating your approach, what you do and don’t do, qualifications, background relevant experience, and fees. And join a reputable professional organisation eg OPA, if you haven’t already. And set up a professional email only to be used for your practice. You will also need to think about how you wish to be contacted initially, where you are going to practice with attendant privacy, recording policy, etc etc.

I think if you set a context for yourself so that you know clearly what you are doing, who you wish to draw to you by way of clientele, and what your professional boundaries are, then get out there doing a few talks and maybe offering a small beginners class for starters, all that will help.

I set boundaries by saying to people who want me to comment on their charts, that I only do that within the boundaries of a professional consultation. It’s a sacred art, after all, so it should be practised with appropriate respect for both yourself, your client, and astrology. If people want a reading, they can go to your Page then get back to you. That saves a lot of time and energy. Of course, if people are enthusiastic and open minded without trying to get bits of a reading from you informally, then talk astrology with as many people as wish to hear about the Real Deal as opposed to eg playing ‘Guess my sign!’. Something I never do, incidentally…

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Disclaimer – or not?

One of Sellieve’s later comments concerned the question of adding a disclaimer to one’s publicity, advising that astrology is “for entertainment purposes only”, something which she found disquieting in the same way that I or anyone else would who considers that what they do as astrologers goes into a considerable degree of depth and can not be described as entertainment. Here, I can only speak for myself: I would never add such a disclaimer to my publicity, since I consider a high standard of practice to be my greatest protection against any likelihood of legal action. She adds “…astrologers could potentially find themselves in a predicament when a client takes an astrological prediction very seriously and it doesn’t come true, or if the astrologer gives advice about what to do in a relationship, the client can hold the astrologer responsible for anything that goes wrong…”

Here we come slap up against the reason why, in my view, anyone wishing to take themselves seriously as an astrologer, or be taken seriously by members of the public as a responsible person, needs to get themselves at the very least some counselling skills training (if full counselling training is not at first a realistic option for whatever reason, often finance) as well as having the experience of being in the client’s seat themselves. Many counselling/therapy training courses will offer cut-price counselling sessions with trainees in supervision. In this way, counselling or therapy of a satisfactory standard can often be obtained without too great a financial outlay.

An important part of an an astrologer’s job is to combine the natal horoscope with transits, progressions, and other directions in the heavens at the time of the consultation to help clients clarify situations in which they find themselves, so that they can then make their own decisions regarding what to do. Making definite predictions and advising people what to do diminishes clients’ free will and confidence in themselves, although in the short run it might afford them some temporary relief to hand over those choices to the astrologer – upon whom they can later dump the blame and perhaps threaten legal action, when things do not turn out according to either predictions or advice given.

In conclusion…

This is but a brief sketch. I hope readers will flesh it out for themselves – starting with the suggestions made for organisations to join and reading to do, enabling them to become clearer about what taking the first steps to becoming responsible professional astrologers involves.

There is far more support available now for the Millennial generation of emerging astrologers like Sellieve, than there was when we baby-boomers started out. That’s great, and how it should be … one of my great pleasures at this stage in my life is to pass on some of what I know and have learned – usually the hard way! – to the generation of talented young folk now arising.

And – thanks so much to Sellieve Ezra Neptune for prodding me into action on this most important topic!

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Anne Whitaker lives and works in Glasgow, Scotland. She has a long background in adult education, generic and psychiatric social work, and private practice as a counsellor, counselling supervisor, and mentor. She has been an astrologer, teacher, and writer since 1983. Anne studied with Dr Liz Greene and the late Charles Harvey at the Centre for Psychological Astrology during the 1990s, obtaining their Diploma in 1998. Her first print book, “Jupiter Meets Uranus” was published by the AFA in 2009. Anne writes at www.astrologyquestionsandanswers.com, where her two free research studies can be downloaded and other ebooks purchased.

She has a regular column in the UK’s Astrological Journal, also writing and reviewing for The Mountain Astrologer Magazine.

She is available for astrological consultations and short-term counselling both in person (Glasgow, Scotland, UK) and via skype. Contact: email: info@ anne-whitaker.com and via Facebook and Twitter

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Minding our Language and Raising our Consciousness Mandi Lockley

When we talk about astrology in a casual context to our peers, we may say that Pluto is doing ‘this’ to us by transit, or that natal Mars makes us like ‘that’. This is the easy chat we share when we meet at conferences when it feels great to be around others who speak our language.

In this context, it doesn’t need to be said that the dwarf planet Pluto, several billion miles away, didn’t literally make us face our deepest fears. Nor, when confessing that our natal Mars in Virgo makes us over-critical when we feel frustrated, do we mean that the planet Mars, a mere several million miles away, literally dictates what makes us angry according to when we were born.

Few astrologers would claim that revolving rocks in outer space literally caused that car crash, or got us that promotion, or made sure a particular person was in the right place at the right time for us to fall in love with them. We tacitly agree that while we assign meanings to the movements and positions of the planets - meanings that have been refined over centuries there is a difference between the astrological concept of Pluto and physical Pluto; that astrology is a language of symbolism, a system of correspondences. Modern humanistic astrologers also tend to agree that we have free will and choice, but that the movements of the planets reflect our lives here on earth, according to the planets’ astrological symbolism.

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But often, the language we use to describe astrology, if we’re not careful, can make it seem as if the literal planets really do directly make things happen. And as we communicate more and more with each other online, often making our comments accessible to seekers of astrological insight who may not yet have grasped that astrology isn’t fatalistic, our choice of language doesn’t always make it clear that we’re not irredeemably doomed if we have Moon Opposite Pluto, or that our desires are not necessarily thwarted when transiting Saturn Squares our Mars.

What we really mean when we write and talk about astrology is that difficult aspects symbolise and reflect life’s challenges and that transits are symbolic signposts on our life path, representing potential turning points, endings and beginnings etc. And while we know from experience that what a transit symbolises can manifest in our life as an outer event, as often as not, transits reflect inner processes of personal evolution which may or may not materialise as external change further along on our journey. We also know that sometimes nothing relevant happens during a transit.

Putting this across in plain language without being longwinded is challenging, but taking care in how we represent astrology publically is important because of the reasons people turn to astrology. While many consciously seek positive personal growth and look to astrology as a useful tool to help them achieve it, many more are coming from a fear-based perspective.

They want to know what the sky is going to ‘do to them’, what will happen to them in the future and they’re asking the question because they’re worried it might be bad.

Of course, if they book a private consultation with an experienced, responsible astrologer it will be explained to them that astrology works symbolically and that free will comes into it.

But most seekers won’t go down that route. Instead, they will read the astrology websites and social media pages in search of answers, maybe even purchase a computerised report. There are loads of brilliant, responsible and inspiring astrologers providing these services (such as the ones who write for this magazine), but there is also an abundance of unconscious fearmongering crap out there.

At the time of drafting this article, astrological Mars was a few days away from Stationing Retrograde, with Pluto doing the same less than 24 hours later. As we know, key words for the astrological concept of Mars include war and aggression and key themes for astrological Pluto include destructive forces and the painful surfacing of emotions we’d rather stayed buried. At a Station, we agree that these astrological themes tend to intensify and you can’t blame anyone for worrying that things will turn out badly. To help counter this, we need to convey that it’s not a done deal, that individually and collectively we have the free will to make a positive difference; that predictions of doom and gloom don’t help or empower anyone. On the other hand, we betray our craft if we bypass the negative and assure, with authority we don’t have, that everything is going to be fine and lovely, thank you very much.

Balance, along with avoiding fatalistic, the planets made it happen, language and avoiding concrete predictions is the key, in my opinion.

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Astrology’s most wonderful gift is that it reminds us that we have choices. Remember, Mars also symbolises courage and stamina and Pluto symbolises the healthy purging of accumulated emotional detritus, to make way for the new along with the growing awareness of deeper truths.

And if we communicate in a way that reminds our audience that they have a choice, that there is a higher ground to be taken, then collectively we can raise the vibration not only of astrology and the way it is perceived, but with honesty, balance, compassion and careful use of language, we can help to raise the vibration of our planet.

And if that sounds like a big claim, then remember that astrology (in my opinion) works in the same way the rest of the universe works - that at the higher levels of consciousness, outside of the matrix of the human five sense reality - everything is as one and everything affects and reflects everything else. This ultimately means that we are the co-creators of our individual and collective reality, so to express astrology in terms of the planets making this or that happen, is to do it an injustice.

So, however the positions of the astrological planets are reflected in our lives, let’s never take anyone’s choices away, including our own.

Mandi is a London based astrologer and author and former student of the London School of Astrology. She has written for the Journal of the Astrological Association of Great Britain as well as for numerous websites, including her own Astroair blog. She published the e-book Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through the Dark in 2012 and has also recently been published as a fiction author. She is committed to self development – emotionally, spiritually and intellectually – and believes in doing her best to live life purposefully, in service to others and in harmony with the cycles of the universe. These values are also the focus of her client work. www.mandilockley.blogspot.co.uk/

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Star of the Tsar Venus Retrograde, Vladimir Putin and Russia Nick Dagan Best

Numerous key events in the life of Russian President Vladimir Putin have occurred during the same 110-day Venus retrograde phase in tropical Virgo to Leo, a brief interval in time that repeats once every eight years.

Venus has five retrograde phases in its eight-year synodic cycle. At regular 18-month intervals, Venus will appear to slow down and stop, reverse direction, travel backward for about forty days, and then reverse direction again and begin to move forward.

A synodic cycle (“synod" from the Greek synodos, means "meeting place") refers to a cyclical relationship between any two bodies, in this case Venus relative to the Sun. Added together, the Venus synodic cycle’s five equidistant retrograde phases form the image of a five-pointed star, marking the path of the brightest light in the sky after the Sun and Moon.

Venus Retrograde Phase The Venus retrograde period last about 40-43 days, not including “slow” periods (often referred to as “shadow” periods) that occur before and after its course. Preceding it, there is a pre-retrograde slow period, during which Venus transits through the zodiacal degrees of its impending retrograde. Following the retrograde, there is a post-retrograde slow period, during which Venus transits forward again through the same degrees it just passed through. Each of these slow periods last about 30-34 days. One full Venus retrograde phase –– from slow period through retrograde through slow again –– lasts between 100 days during the months following the December solstice, and 110 days during the months following the June solstice.

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One complete eight year period totals 2,922 days. Divided by 550, the total number of days for the Virgo-to-Leo phase, you get 5.312. So all Venus retrogrades added together account for about one-fifth and one-sixth of total time. Another more specific fraction, if we take just one of the five retrograde phases during the summer months of the northern hemisphere, the ratio is 26.563, about one-in-twenty-six, a reasonably small portion of total time.

Venus stations retrograde five times at pretty much the same five points of the zodiac at each return. There is a gradual shift of approximately two days and two zodiacal degrees earlier at each successive time, so that over a period of 120 years, the position of a given Venus retrograde or direct station will fall back thirty degrees, or one full sign.

Triumph or Tragedy Venus retrograde phases can be associated with triumph or tragedy. Their role in natal charts or in transits does not automatically imply good or bad outcomes for any given individual, although it does play a role in crisis and change. The essential nature of Venus is to unify that which is different or divided. During the Venus retrograde phase, these principle values come under review. The Venus retrograde phase disrupts or challenges consensus and introduces subversive elements to the existing order.

Observing planetary synodic cycles enables an astrologer to look at the life of a person, or even an entire society, in a broader context than what conventional natal astrology allows.

While using this method may not always reveal the same level of detailed information as natal astrology often can, synodic cycles offer a useful outline from which further investigation can follow. This method can be especially useful in cases where exact birth times are unavailable or in question, provided the astrologer has access to a relatively extensive timeline of events.

Vladimir Putin and Venus Retrograde in Leo Vladimir Putin October 7, 1952 9:30, Leningrad, Soviet Union Venus in Scorpio conjunct Ascendant

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Presuming the existing birth data given for him is accurate, Russian President Vladimir Putin was born with Venus conjunct his Ascendant in tropical Scorpio. He was born seventy-three days following a Venus exterior conjunction to the Sun, and one-hundred and sixty-six days prior to a Venus retrograde station.

While his natal Venus would be considered strong by virtue of its being close to the Ascendant, it isn’t close to either the retrograde phase and interior conjunction, nor to the exterior conjunction, when it conjoins the Sun while in direct motion. And yet, the Venus retrograde phase, particularly the one that has reversed from tropical Virgo to Leo every eight years, has consistently coincided with major events in his life.

1911 (29 Virgo 28 Rx - 13 Virgo 22 D) 32-day Pre-Retrograde Station: July 23-August 24 43-day Retrograde: August 24-October 6 33-day Post-Direct Station: October 6-November 8

Maria Shelomova Putina October 17, 1911 Zarecje, Russia Venus 10-days post-retrograde in Leo

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As mentioned, the Venus retrograde and direct stations gradually recede from one tropical sign to the previous sign by about two-to-three degrees with every eight-year repetition. So one hundred years ago, the Venus retrograde phase that now mostly occurs in tropical Leo used to occur in tropical Virgo.

To kick off this timeline of important events in Putin’s life, we can start with one that happened long before he was born. His mother, Maria Putina, was born on October 17, 1911, (October 4, 1911, using the Julian calendar, as pre-Soviet Russia did), ten days following the direct station of Venus in Virgo.

1975 (11 Virgo 42 Rx - 25 Leo 25 D) 33-day Pre-Retrograde Station: July 4-August 6 43-day Retrograde: August 6-September 18 34-day Post-Direct Station: September 18-October 21

Vladimir Putin Graduates from Law School/Joins KGB Summer 1975 Leningrad Venus retrograde in Virgo-to-Leo

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Jumping ahead to Putin’s early adult life, we know that he began his service with the KGB in the summer of 1975, shortly after completing law school. While we don’t know the exact date he began working for them, knowing that final exams at the University of St. Petersburg generally occur during the month of June, it is relatively safe to presume that he would have begun around July or August that year. Since the Venus retrograde station that year fell on August 6, and we are counting the thirty-day pre-retrograde phase before that, it would seem that he began working for the KGB during the Venus retrograde phase.

1983 (9 Virgo 29 Rx - 23 Leo 11 D) 33-day Pre-Retrograde Station: July 1-August 3 43-day Retrograde: August 3-September 15 34-day Post-Direct Station: September 15-October 18

Vladimir Putin Marries Lyudmila Sjkrebneva July 28, 1983 Leningrad, Soviet Union 6-days pre-retrograde in Virgo

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Eight years after joining the KGB, Putin married his girlfriend, Lyudmila Sjkrebneva, an airline stewardess he met on an informal double-date in March 1980. The wedding took place on July 28, 1983, just six days prior to the Venus retrograde station in Virgo.

Bachelorhood was unpopular in the KGB, and it has been speculated that Putin’s nuptials were calculated to help boost his stagnating career. True or not, the following year, Putin was promoted in rank from captain to major, and assigned to a small regional office in Dresden, East Germany, where he would remain until shortly after the collapse of the Berlin Wall in December 1989.

1991 (7 Virgo 19 Rx - 21 Leo 00 D) 33-day Pre-Retrograde Station: June 29-August 1 43-day Retrograde: August 1-September 13 34-day Post-Direct Station: September 13-October 16

Failed Coup Attempt Against Boris Yeltsin/Putin Quits KGB August 19, 1991 6:30, Moscow/St. Petersburg, Soviet Union Venus retrograde in Virgo

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Following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, Putin moved his family back to Leningrad from Dresden in February 1990, during the Venus retrograde transit phase that moves from Aquarius to Capricorn. Interestingly, his wife, Lyudmila, was born during that same phase, two days prior to a Venus retrograde station on January 6, 1958, in Kaliningrad.

He soon began working as an advisor for his former law professor, Anatoly Sobchak, now Chairman of the Leningrad City Council, who would be elected mayor of the city (which would soon revert to its original name, St. Petersburg) in June 1991. Despite taking the job, Putin was still serving as a regular officer with the KGB. However, when high-ranking KGB officials attempted a coup to overthrow President Boris Yeltsin on August 19, 1991, Sobchak was among the most vocal opponents of the move, which was soon quashed. Putin was away on holiday when the coup began, but soon flew back to Leningrad to stand with Sobchak, and consequently decided to resign from the KGB. At the time of the coup, and Putin’s decision to resign, transiting Venus was retrograde in Virgo.

When Putin’s boss, Anatoly Sobchak, lost his re-election bid for St. Petersburg mayor in 1996, Putin moved to Moscow after being recruited to work for Boris Yeltsin’s presidential office. He began his new job in June of that year, during the Venus retrograde transit that runs from tropical Cancer-to-Gemini, the same retrograde phase that we would enjoy two presidential inaugurations of his own in May 2004 and May 2012.

1999 (5 Virgo 07 Rx - 18 Leo 47 D) 34-day Pre-Retrograde Station: June 26-July 30 43-day Retrograde: July 30-September 11 34-day Post-Direct Station: September 11-October 14

Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin Dies August 2, 1999 St. Petersburg Venus retrograde in Virgo

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Putin Named Prime Minister of Russian Federation August 9, 1999 Moscow, Russia Venus retrograde in Virgo

On August 2, 1999, Putin’s father, Vladimir Spiridonovich Putin, died, just a few months after his mother, Maria Putina passed away. A few days later, just after his father’s funeral, Putin was appointed Prime Minister of the Russian Federation by President Yeltsin on August 9th. He soon agreed to run for President as Yeltsin’s successor the following year.

Just as Putin was taking office, Chechen militants invaded Dagestan, triggering the Second Chechen War. Putin tough response to the incursion gained him an image as a “law and order” candidate, boosting his popularity, and virtually ensuring his presidential election the following March.

Transiting Venus was in its Virgo-to-Leo retrograde phase throughout the period of his father’s death, his appointment as Prime Minister and Yeltsin’s presidential successor, and the outbreak of the new conflict in Chechnya. The First Chechen War had begun on December 11, 1994, during the transiting Venus retrograde phase in tropical Scorpio, and one major crisis during the second war was the taking of 850 hostages at Moscow’s Dubrovka Theatre by armed Chechen rebels on October 23, 2002, when transiting Venus was again retrograde in Scorpio. After a nine-year conflict, the Russian government’s operation in Chechnya officially ended on April 15, 2009, while transiting Venus was retrograde in tropical Aries.

2007 (2 Virgo 57 Rx - 16 Leo 35 D) 33-day Pre-Retrograde Station: June 24-July 27 42-day Retrograde: July 27-September 8 34-day Post-Direct Station: September 8-October 11

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Putin Visits Bush Family Home for “Lobster Summit” July 1, 2007 17:35, Kennebunkport, ME Venus 26-days pre-retrograde in Leo

Sochi Selected by 119th IOC to Host 2014 Winter Olympics July 4, 2007 17:19, Guatemala City, Guatemala Venus 23-days pre-retrograde in Leo

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On July 4, 2007, President Putin flew to Guatemala City to personally represent Russia’s bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in the resort town of Sochi. The event was a special matter of pride, considering the 1980 Olympics, hosted by the Soviet Union, had been boycotted by many western nations in protest of their invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979. Despite being considered an underdog, Russia was chosen by the International Olympic Committee against South Korea.

En route to Guatemala, Putin visited US President George W. Bush and his father, former President George Bush, at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, for what was termed a “lobster summit” in the press. Putin had accused US foreign policy of undermining global security during a speech at the Munich security conference the previous February, and the homespun meeting was intended to patch-up differences that had eroded what had seemed like a promising Russian-US relationship just a few years earlier.

Transiting Venus was once again in its retrograde phase in Leo, twenty-three days prior to the retrograde station, when Russia won its bid to host the Winter Olympics. When the scandalladen event occurred in February 2014, transiting Venus was in its Capricorn retrograde phase, just as it had been when Putin moved back to Leningrad from Dresden in 1990.

2015 (0 Virgo 46 Rx - 14 Leo 23 D) 33-day Pre-Retrograde Station: June 22-July 25 43-day Retrograde: July 25-September 6 34-day Post-Direct Station: September 6-October 9

Vladimir Putin & Barack Obama Meet at 70th UN General Assembly September 28, 2015 17:05, Manhattan, NY, USA Venus 22-days post-retrograde in Leo

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Much had happened in both Russian and US politics in the eight years since the 2007 “lobster summit,” but the chill that had developed then only appeared to get colder. After ceding the Russian presidency to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in the 2008 election, Putin was returned to the position in the May 2012 elections, at which point Barack Obama was on the verge of being re-elected to his second term as US President.

Putin and Obama appeared together at the United Nations 70th General Assembly on September 28, 2015, in a very public conflict over their respective policy toward the ongoing Syrian civil war. Putin stressed the importance of defeating the Islamic State faction, even if it meant supporting the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, a position not shared by Obama. Between tense and terse photo-ops, Putin essentially shamed US foreign policy again for endangering global security.

Transiting Venus was once again in its 110-day retrograde phase from Virgo-to-Leo at the time of the General Assembly.

Part Two: Russian Offspring and Venus rx in Taurus-to-Aries

1985 (22 Aries 17 Rx - 6 Aries 00 D) 32-day Pre-Retrograde Station: February 9-March 13 43-day Retrograde: March 13-April 25 33-day Post-Direct Station: April 25-May 28

Maria Putina April 28, 1985 Leningrad, Soviet Union Venus 3-days post-retrograde in Aries

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Putin is the father of two daughters born during the mid-1980s, although he has kept them out of the public eye throughout his political career. There are only a handful of photographs of them available in the public domain, all dating back to the girls’ childhood, prior to Putin’s time in office.

Eldest daughter Maria was born in April 1985 during the Venus retrograde phase in Aries.

Curiously, many Russian leaders in the past two centuries have had children born during this particular Venus retrograde phase. In fact, rulers holding seven of the eight longest reigns in the last 190 years, accounting for total of 153 of the last 190 years of Russian history, have all had children born during the Venus retrograde phase that currently moves through Aries-toPisces.

1825 (6 Gemini 35 Rx - 20 Taurus 05 D) 32-day Pre-Retrograde Station: March 26-April 28 43-day Retrograde: April 28-June 10 33-day Post-Direct Station: June 10-July 13

Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna July 6, 1825 St Petersburg, Russia Venus 26-days post-retrograde in Gemini The youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna was born when this retrograde cycle occurred in Gemini-to-Taurus, although by the end of the 19th century it would recede totally into tropical Taurus. She died shortly after giving childbirth on August 10, 1844 (July 29, 1844 OS) at the age of nineteen, while transiting Venus was retrograde in Cancer, the same Venus retrograde phase that her father was born under, at Tsarskoye Selo, 3:45, July 6, 1796 (June 25, 1796 OS).

Curiously, Tsar Nicholas II, in addition to sharing the same first name as his greatgrandfather, was also born thirty-seven days prior to this same Venus retrograde phase, at Tsarskoye Selo, 14:30, 18, 1868 (May 6, 1868 OS).

May

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She was named after her aunt, the former Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, who, as Archduchess of Austria, also died in childbirth, on March 16, 1801 (March 4, 1801 OS), forty-nine days prior to the same Venus retrograde station in Gemini-to-Taurus that the younger Alexandra was born close to.

1857 (27 Taurus 53 Rx - 11 Taurus 24 D) 32-day Pre-Retrograde Station: March 17-April 19 43-day Retrograde: April 19-May 31 33-day Post-Direct Station: May 31-July 4

Grand Duke Sergei May 11, 1857 Tsarskoye Selo, Russia Venus retrograde in Taurus Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, born with Venus retrograde in Taurus, was the fifth son of Tsar Alexander II, and was both uncle and brother-in-law to Tsar Nicholas II, the last reigning Tsar of Russia.

Sergei served as Governor General of Moscow from 1891 until shortly before his assassination by bomb attack at the Kremlin in Moscow, at 14:45 on February 17, 1905 (February 4, 1905 OS), forty-seven days prior to the Venus retrograde transit in Taurus.

While Sergei died about two weeks outside the determined parameters of the Venus retrograde phase, his father, Tsar Alexander II, who was also assassinated by a bomb, was killed in St Petersburg at 14:15 on March 13, 1881 (March 1, 1881 OS) during the Venus retrograde phase in Taurus, twenty-nine days prior to the retrograde station. Alexander II’s grandfather, Tsar Paul I, was also assassinated, in his St Petersburg bedroom by conspirators on March 24, 1801 (March 12, 1801), forty-one days prior to the Venus retrograde transit from Gemini-to-Taurus. Paul was the son of Tsarina Catherine II, otherwise known as Catherine the Great, who was born on May 2, 1729 (April 21, 1729 OS), 2:30, Stettin, Pomerania, with natal Venus 22-days pre-retrograde in Gemini.

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Sergei was also but the third of his siblings to die during or close to this same Venus retrograde phase. His oldest sibling, Grand Duchess Alexandra Alexandrovna, died of meningitis before he was born, at the Winter Palace on July 10, 1849 (June 28, 1849 OS), thirty-seven days following the Venus direct station.

Oldest brother Nicholas Alexandrovich, the heir to the throne, died of tuberculosis in Nice, France on April 24, 1865 (April 12, 1865 OS), while transiting Venus was retrograde in Taurus. At the time, Nicholas was engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark, who, along with his brother Alexander, was at his bedside when he died. Nicholas joined their hands just before he passed, effectively bringing them together as his dying wish. Alexander and Dagmar were married a year and a half later, on November 9, 1866 (October 28, 1866 OS), eleven days prior to the following Venus retrograde station in Sagittarius.

Had Nicholas survived and married Dagmar himself during the spring of 1865, it would have been the third Russian royal marriage in a row to occur during that same Venus retrograde phase. His parents, the future Alexander II and Princess Marie of Hesse-Darmstadt, were married on April 28, 1841 (April 16, 1841) in St Petersburg, while transiting Venus was retrograde in Gemini. His paternal grandparents, the future Nicholas I and Princess Charlotte of Prussia, were married in St Petersburg on July 13, 1817 (July 1, 1817 OS), thirty days following the Venus direct station in Gemini.

1897 (16 Taurus 55 Rx - 00 Taurus 28 D) 32-day Pre-Retrograde Station: March 5-April 7 43-day Retrograde: April 7-May 19 33-day Post-Direct Station: May 19-June 22

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna June 10, 1897 (May 29, 1897 OS) 10:00, St Petersburg, Russia Venus 21-days post-retrograde in Taurus Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna was the second daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, the last reigning Romanov monarchs. Tatiana, her parents, three sisters, brother, and four servants were gunned down by Bolshevik soldiers in the basement of a house in Ekaterinburg, Siberia, at about 1:30 on July 17, 1918.

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Of the eleven people shot that night, Tatiana was actually only one of two were born during the Venus retrograde phase in Taurus. Family doctor Yevgeny Botkin, who was killed alongside the Romanovs, was born at Tsarskoye Selo on March 27, 1865 (March 15, 1865 OS), twenty days before the retrograde station.

Although she was the second oldest, Tatiana was considered to be a leader amongst her siblings, and often took a surrogate role to her increasingly ailing mother. In a parallel universe, she might have grown to become Tsarina, had her great-great-great grandfather, Tsar Paul I—in an act of spite against his late mother, Catherine the Great—not decreed that women should never again rule Russia.

1921 (10 Taurus 16 Rx - 23 Aries 52 D) 32-day Pre-Retrograde Station: Februry 27-April 1 43-day Retrograde: April 1-May 13 33-day Post-Direct Station: May 13-June 16

Vasily Dzhugashvili March 21, 1921 Moscow, Russia Venus 11-days pre-retrograde in Taurus

Vasily Dzhugashvili, born eleven days prior to the Venus retrograde station in Taurus, was Josef Stalin’s oldest of two children with his second wife, Nadezhda Alliluyeva. Stalin also had an older son, Yakov, with his first wife, Kato Svanidze. Vasily’s mother apparently committed suicide when he was eleven years-old, following an argument with his father. A chronic alcoholic, his abuse resulted in death two days prior to his forty-first birthday.

Vasily’s birth occurred during the same month that Stalin led the Red Army’s invasion of his natal Georgia, helping bring an end to the two-year Russian Civil War. However, it was not the only significant period in Stalin’s life to occur during the Venus retrograde phase in Taurus-to-Aries. Previously, he had spent four years in Siberian exile—his longest stretch— after being arrested at a Bolshevik fundraising ball on March 8, 1913 (February 23, 1913 OS), twenty-six days prior to the Venus retrograde station in Taurus.

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As leader of the Soviet Union, Stalin arrested a number of his top generals, including the popular Mikhail Tukhachevksy, as transiting Venus was thirteen days post-retrograde in Aries on May 22, 1937. They were all executed following a show trial, the second major of his three Great Purges. However, this particular purge left him without a military top command, which would come to haunt him with the Nazi invasion of 1941.

Thankfully for Stalin, the Soviet Union Red Army invaded Berlin in April 1945—during the Venus retrograde transit from Taurus-to-Leo—defeating Adolf Hitler, who soon took his own life. Hitler, born on April 20, 1889 in Branau am Inn, Austria, not only died during this phase, but was also had natal Venus retrograde in Taurus.

Eight years following the war, Josef Stalin died on March 5, 1953, seventeen days before the last Venus retrograde station in Taurus ever since. Eight years later, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin would orbit the earth during the first full Venus retrograde in Aries.

Stalin wasn’t the last Soviet leader to die during the Venus retrograde in Aries phase.

Konstantin Chernenko died at 19:30 on March 10, 1985, in Moscow, three days prior to the Venus retrograde station in Aries. The end of Chernenko’s thirteen-month reign resulted in the nomination of Mikhail Gorbachev as the new Soviet General-Secretary.

1929 (8 Taurus 02 Rx - 21 Aries 38 D) 32-day Pre-Retrograde Station: Februry 25-March 30 43-day Retrograde: March 30-May 11 33-day Post-Direct Station: May 11-June 14

Rada Khrushcheva April 4, 1929 Kiev, Ukraine Venus retrograde in Taurus

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Rada Khrushcheva , oldest of Nikolai Khrushchev’s three children with his third wife, was born with natal Venus retrograde in Taurus. Khrushcheva was married to Izvestiya editor Alexei Adzhubei for forty-four years, until his death on March 19, 1993, while transiting Venus was retrograde in Aries. Prior to her father’s overthrow in October 1964, she and Adzhubei had reportedly heard advanced earning of an impending coup against him, and warned him to no avail.

Nikita Khrushchev himself was born eleven days following a Venus direct station in Pisces, in Kalinovka, Russia on April 15, 1894 (April 3, 1894 OS). Vladimir Lenin was also born close to this same phase—April 22, 1870 (April 10, 1870 OS) in Simbirsk, Russia, with Venus thirty-six days post-direct station, just outside the parameters I’m giving for the slow phase, but close enough to be worth a mention. The aforementioned Yuri Gagarov, born on March 9, 1934, in Smolensk, was, however, born eleven days following the direct station, well within the necessary range to qualify. Also, as given earlier, Vladimir Putin’s now ex-wife, Lyudmila was born just prior to this same phase in 1958.

Galina Brezhneva April 18, 1929 Sverdlovsk, Russia Venus retrograde in Taurus Galina Brezhneva, oldest daughter of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, was born fourteen days after Rada Khrushcheva, also with natal Venus retrograde in Taurus.

Reportedly tormented by her parents’ divorce, Brezhneva apparently rebelled against her father by enjoying a decadent party life, eventually dying in a psychiatric hospital on June 30, 1998.

Brezhnev himself—born on December 19, 1906 (December 6, 1906 OS) in Dnieporpertrovsk, Ukraine—was born with natal Venus retrograde in Scorpio.

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Conclusion Synodic cycles held the astrologer to have a clear look at a very broad perspective of human life and history. While time-calculated birth charts offer details about an individual life, these simple planetary rhythms draw an unambiguous outline against which all details must be considered.

The Russian story is just one example of using this method to study political history. I have similar extensive work done on the history of many nations, including the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada, India, and a number of African states. I contend that observing planetary synodic cycles, particularly of Venus and Mars, is a critical piece of knowledge when contemplating the world in the context of astrology.

Nick Dagan Best is an astrologer based in Vancouver, Canada. Nick began studying astrology on his own in January 1995, and then with a series of teachers with the NCGR in New York City from 19972000, earning a Level III certification. Nick has been collecting mundane and natal data for his own research database since 1999.

Nicknamed “the human ephemeris”, he has the sign placements of every planet from Venus to Pluto memorized for any month and year from the 1770s to the present, thanks to his application of planetary synodic cycles to chronological history. He has written articles for StarIQ.com, astrology.com, the ISAR journal, and his own site, nickdaganbest.com, and has also produced several short astrologyrelated instructional videos for his YouTube channel. A featured speaker at numerous conferences over the years, he currently hosts the I Love Astrology podcast. www.nickdaganbest.com

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The Four Aims of Life and the Houses of the Horoscope Richard Alwin Fidler

Jyotish, or Vedic Astrology, divides the twelve houses (or 'bhavas') of the horoscope into four groups, each associated with one of the 'puruṣārthas', or the Four Aims of Life.

Dharma (righteousness, morality) - 1st, 5th, 9th Artha (wealth, material resources) - 2nd, 6th,10th Kama (desires) - 3rd, 7th, 11th Moksha (final liberation) - 4th, 8th, 12th The idea that there are four aims of life is not specifically an astrological notion. It's a basic tenet of Hindu or Vedic philosophy. This astrological correspondence is in fact an example of the close knit integration and ease of communication between Jyotish and other branches of Indian religion, culture and learning. It is similar, for example, with Jyotish and Ayurveda.

Western astrologers will recognize that these four groups distribute the houses into four triplicities that are normally associated with the four elements. Western astrologers may speak of 'Fire Houses' when referring jointly to the 1st, 5th and 9th Houses, and may describe the 2nd, 6th and 10th as 'Earth Houses', and so on. Some modern western astrologers have written on these house triplicities, and generally the elemental correspondences have guided their musings and observations. This is all well and good, and many of those insights can complement and illumine what we can learn about these groupings from the Jyotish angle. It is worth noting, however, that the way Jyotish has linked these Four Aims of Life to the four house triplicities gives a more precise philosophical context, and arguably a greater importance, to this particular way of grouping the houses than you typically find in western astrology.

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One quick technical point. The diagrams used in the case studies will show the chart for each subject using conventional Western astrological settings (Tropical Zodiac and Placidus Houses) on the left, and on the right of it, anothe∞r chart applying the 'settings' used in Jyotish (Lahiri Sidereal Zodiac and Whole Houses). While more and more western astrologers are learning to read the vedic or Jyotish type square charts, they're still somewhat esoteric to many. We'll keep it simple by not adding new diagram formats to this discussion.

The Dharma Houses – 1, 5, 9 'Dharma' is an excellent word for conveying an important insight into the nature of the 1, 5, 9, or the 'Fire House' triplicity. It becomes explicit that it is through the three Dharma Houses (or 'Konas' as they are also called) that we find or express our 'true nature', or 'highest calling'.

Call it self realization, creative intelligence and religion, if you like; they're all faces or facets of the principle of dharma. Like 'fire', dharma is a state of spontaneous honesty; it can't be hidden or contrived in nature. There's a purity, truth and integrity to fire. The houses of the Dharma Triplicity are considered the luckiest of all the houses, and are accorded great importance in Jyotish. The lords of these houses become, to some degree, 'temporary benefics', even when naturally malefic. Through these houses and the 'fiery grace' they represent, we can find our way, and align with truth and authenticity. Each individually, in our own unique way.

In the Baghavad Gita, Krishna says to Arjuna, “One’s own dharma, performed imperfectly, is better than another’s dharma well performed. Destruction in one’s own dharma is better, for to perform another’s dharma leads to danger.” One aspect of dharma is close to the notion of duty, but this should be distinguished from what we think of, or may presume to be, career, or even adherence to custom, although at times they can be closely united. When we 'individuate' successfully, when the dharma is strong in us, so to speak, then we will be gifted, inspired, alive and enthusiastic; we'll be intelligent, creative and intuitively capable in certain specific directions. Perhaps this brings with it an automatic responsibility.

Arjuna was an unequalled warrior, and so for him to lose focus at the commencement of a great and important battle was to lose his dharma in a most lamentable way. Lord Krishna hence went to pains to discuss the nature of dharma and how it related to Arjuna's immediate situation, to help him reorientate and realign. And that climactic moment was no time for wannabe warriors who have little to gift the situation, and who were not truly called to this purpose, who would be out of their depth, and in more than bodily harm's way. To find your dharma (without a birth chart), you should ask yourself, what was Arjuna doing on his off days, like, for fun? If you're alive enough you already know the things you have a love for, and a knack for. If you find your aptitude and develop it with fortitude, then if perchance one day a conch shell sounds, and it's your cue, your moment to be the only genius available capable of wielding, or rather sharing your particular gift, you're ready to show up and enthral the house, or save the day, as the case may be. Knowing who you are, and being who you are, and then showing up, at the right time, is key to finding and fulfilling your dharma.

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The inherently auspicious nature of the 1st House and it's lord is substantially due to the fact that the 1st House belongs to the Dharma Triplicity. Beyond that the 1st house is the only house where karma, which basically means action (the Angular houses), and dharma automatically meet. Where these principles combine, dharma finds outer manifested physical expression, in action, and so good things naturally follow. This idea that there is a valuable alchemical potency in combining the Angular Houses with the Dharma Houses is important in Jyotish, and is the basis of certain Raja Yogas ('king making' combinations promoting success, power and prestige).

The 1st house is our 'dharma crown' - the seat of our identity, purpose and will. It shapes our personality; the plain visible naked truth of who we are. Inasmuch as 5th house represents romance, affairs of the heart, children, and play or recreation, these themes are inherently about our most sincere and beautiful intentions, experiences and ideals. What greater sense of heartfelt joy and exhilaration is there than play and courtship? Dharma Houses give peak experiences in awareness and self-expression. Jyotish believes that 'poorva punya', or past life credit, is shown in the 5th house. We are able to wield the energy or faculties of planets in the 5th house easily, almost playfully, like something we have done forever. We enjoy the activities assoc7iated with planets in the 5th house, and so we may easily excel in them.

Through our 5th house we access the 'dharmic' attributes of intelligence, sincerity and creative self-expression. The 9th house is associated with religion in both Jyotish and Western astrology. The word dharma is often used almost synonymously with 'religion'. In the 9th house the morality and spiritual aspiration associated with the word 'dharma' reaches its pinnacle of expression. Gurus and mentors, shown in the 9th House, point out the way, and lead us along the road to the achievement of our fullest possible individuation, or selfrealization.

The Dalai Lama's Jyotish chart places Mercury in Gemini in the 1st House and Saturn in Aquarius in the 9th House; so the 1st and 9th houses contain their own lords which greatly strengthens both. The natural benefic Jupiter, as 10th lord, is located in the 5th House (and from there aspects the 1st and 9th houses, since Jupiter in Jyotish specifically aspects within the triplicity it occupies). The Dalai Lama is an embodiment and teacher of 'the Dharma', and a person with a mission and purpose.

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Another preacher man with a penchant for politics is Martin Luther King. His Jyotish chart shows Jupiter, or Guru, in the 1st house, happy in Mars ruled Aries, as lord of the 9th house. Here too Jupiter aspects both the 5th and 9th houses and strengthens the entire Dharma Triplicity.

King's 9th house contains 10th lord Saturn, in the sign Sagittarius. The Sun, his 5th lord, is in the 10th house in Capricorn. As already noted, such a combining of the Angular and Dharma houses is considered very empowering and auspicious in Jyotish. In King's chart the lord of both the 5th and 9th are located in the most powerful of the Angular houses, while his fiery 1st lord, Mars, is located in the 2nd house of speech.

The Artha Houses – 2, 6, 10 Artha, or 'wealth', is the material resources we need to support our incarnated experience of life. Simple and clear. This idea is very close to what western astrologers would see in the 'Earth Houses'; these houses do indeed relate to practical aspects of life. When Artha is viewed through the prism of the Four Aims of Life, it helps give a clearer perspective to what 'wealth' is when viewed in the context of the other aims of life. It is clear that we need stuff, but we aren't stuff, and have other business here too. It puts materialism in its place.

The 2nd House represents both food and money or material possessions in Jyotish. Food is in fact the most fundamental material need we have, the most basic material support we require, and we typically meet this need with money. In Jyotish the 2nd House is further associated with 'family life'. One could, or should perhaps rather call it 'household'. Your immediate social support. The people who not only break bread with you, but also nurture and protect you in other ways as part of your innermost circle. It could be argued that to eat bad food, and to lack household nurture, is a brand of ultimately material poverty. The 2nd House is 'speech'; your style of speaking, whether generally truthful or not, and, you know, 'your word is your wand'. The 2nd House is by extension also associated with listening, memory and learning; you 'bank' and store a greater wealth of information if you have a good retentive memory. Understanding and managing your 2nd house Artha is more holistic than eyeing the numbers on your bank account.

The 6th house, being the house of work and service, and by extension servants or employees, is where we earn our daily bread through the rigours of developing and applying useful skills.

Our work needs to meet a certain standard to be of any use. It's exacting.

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It is practical apprenticeship, compared to the honour and worldly authority of the 10th house.

The 6th house can get you down if you don't like being dynamic and efficient and can't make yourself useful. Everyone sooner or later has to earn their keep. There is an element of struggle in the 6th house, to a greater degree than with either of the other two Artha houses.

Illness, accidents and enemies may here threaten our fortress. We have to meet these contingencies with fortitude, vigour, commitment and skill. The sterner malefic planets, in fact, yield useful results in the 6th house - wilting wallflowers and shrinking violets need not apply! Benefics struggle here, at least for at time, but ultimately improve due to the 6th house instinct for fixing and adjusting. If you can manage crisis, and get the dirty work done, and conquer or subdue your enemies, and be 'early to bed and early to rise', you safeguard your kingdom and your Artha remains secured.

The 10th house is in a sense the highest or consummate expression of Artha. The 'Arthashastra', an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, is essentially a handbook for those who attain to a full embodiment or mastery of what the 10th house represents: Political power, fame and social influence that can impact the lives of many. A brief perusal of this old tome of practical wisdom reminds one of how well one needs to know the world, society, and people, to manage Artha at that exalted level. You have to build bridges, wage war, wage diplomacy, uncover intrigue and conquer hidden enemies, grow the treasury. It's a full time job, and I can well believe that it might in a civilized society eventually come with a manual.

If we are not at the very pinnacle of worldly power and influence, the 10th house will represent those who stand above us in the social hierarchy, and upon whose goodwill our Artha may substantially depend; the elders and authorities of our social organization. Our 10th house Artha represents the respect, recognition and honor we can gain as a 'citizen in good standing with the state'. This good standing is achieved, at it's most basic level, by diligent execution of duty, obeying the rules, and making yourself somewhat useful to society.

This earns you a certain amount of protection and rights within 'the kingdom'.

At a higher level you have a career that requires harder work, or greater skill, something fairly specialized, important and respected socially, and therefore as a doctor, lawyer, judge or military general, for example, your status ensures that you will enjoy a level of preferential treatment.

If we are able to rise head and shoulders above others through our ambition, self mastery and effort, and successfully undertake great works for the benefit of many, we are recognized, if not celebrated far and wide. If 10th House Artha is mastered, then, inasmuch as it is the highest of the artha houses, we as a matter of course tend to eat fine foods, our words are edicts or become public discourse, and we are spared much 6th house type subservience, rigor and dirty work. This would strictly speaking only really be possible, in it's fullest expression, if all three artha houses are strong, but a strong 10th house can do a lot to ameliorate deficiencies in the 2nd and 6th houses.

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Muhammad Ali, someone who rose to tremendous heights of fame and influence through his career achievements, has Mars in the 10th house in Aries in his Jyotish chart. His 10th house is enormously bolstered by this fact alone, and indeed, as Mars would have it, he was famous as a fighter. In Muhammad Ali's chart Mars is lord of the 5th in the 10th which, adding a further layer of 'luck' and 'authentic self-individuation' to what his strong Mars in the 10th indicates. For every Cancer Ascendant Mars is the 'Raja Yoga Karaka', or 'kingly power significator', and thus a temporary benefic, due to it's lordship of one Angular and one Dharma house (or Kona). In short, Ali's Artha was tremendously bolstered by his strong 10th house, even though Rahu in the 2nd House ('bad mouthing', household disruptions), and Saturn's debilitation in the 10th house (problems with authorities), may have blighted his overall Artha package slightly.

Leonardo da Vinci has, in his Jyotish chart, an exalted Sun in Aries in the 6th house, as lord of the 10th house (which already says a whole lot about him). Both the 6th and 10th benefit so far.

The lord of the 6th house is exalted Mars in Capricorn in the 3rd house. Jupiter, lord of the 2nd house, is comfortable enough in the 4th house, and is Conjunct 9th house lord Moon.

The Moon and Jupiter, as two natural and temporal benefics (being lords of the 9th and 5th respectively), aspect the unoccupied 10th house with beneficial influence, supporting his social prestige and status. Leonardo da Vinci was a meticulous, but also a bold and pioneering worker. He believed in his own practical ability, and he gained opportunities to demonstrate it: 'In 1482, he earned the attention of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, when he wrote that he could build portable bridges and bombardments, make cannons and other war machines of the day, build ships, and sculpt using a variety of materials. In the Duke’s service, he became a principal engineer and architect for many of the Duke’s military operations and, in 1502, after the Sforzas were driven out of Milan, Leonardo entered the service of Cesare Borgia as his chief architect and engineer, overseeing work on the fortresses of the papal territories in central Italy.'

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Gordon Ramsay, we know, is capable of producing and regularly savours the finest foods in the world. It is almost patently obvious from his Jyotish chart at a glance, with exalted Jupiter in the 2nd house of food and all. Jupiter is lord of the 10th – he's famous for it! Occasionally, when he's done giving some young would be chef the third degree for gross and disgusting inefficiency, and he's whipped everyone into shape, he utters words of counsel and encouragement to his hapless apprentices and reality tv victims. This tension and aggression, and the rather terse expressions he has been known to utter when he pours his scorn and derision on fools who f*ck up, is clearly shown in the Ascendant lord, Mercury, being located in the 6th house, in Scorpio (and then there's also a certain tick a debilitated Sun in Libra in the 5th can develop around co-operation vs. authority and dominance).

The Kama Houses – 3, 7, 11 While the 3rd, 7th and 11th houses are indeed, as Rob Hand designates them in Horoscope Symbols, 'social houses', a theme which is commonly associated with the air element, the Jyotish attribution of Kama, or desire, to this triplicity, reveals a further underlying theme among these houses that is not apparent from western astrology's usual take. The 3rd house represents our immediate or short term desires. These require an almost instantaneous gratification and invoke our physical dexterity (the use of our arms or limbs), our communication skills, and also our courage, to achieve their fulfilment. The 3rd house thus shows 'prowess'. In Jyotish, performing arts is an important 3rd house theme; performance requires of one to be very agile, expressive and motivated. Apathy gets you nowhere, and is the antithesis of 3rd house kama.

The well known Kama Sutra, you will agree, is essentially a manual for effective execution of 7th house matters? Well, at least in terms of the more physical and overt meanings of the 7th house. The desire for a mate drives us at a primal level, like a deep obsessive longing. As the reflection of the 1st house, the 7th house can be the missing half of the 1st house. We're not quite ourselves until we complete that search.

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If it's not going to be a mate, we can't evade the fact that there is this otherness that will periodically crystalize into form as someone or some thing that we need to face, and embrace, or come to terms with. You will sooner or later deeply desire, for example, the services of doctor, or lawyer to help you meet life's vicissitudes. They really can complement you at that the right time. You'd be a fool not to seek and court them. We cannot be all thing unto ourselves. Although Jyotish typically takes the 6th house as the house of 'enemies', the 7th house can certainly manifest as those we need to confront and encounter in a more competitive way. Even competitors are potentially our complement, or indispensable other half, in that through meeting the challenge they pose successfully, our all important 1st house, or self, is validated, vindicated and satisfied.

The 11th house, western astrology teaches, is the house of 'hopes and wishes'. This resonates closely with the Jyotish notion that the 11th House represents your longer term life goals, or longer term desires. The 11th house may thus reveal the nature of your longer range life objectives, and your ability to realize them. We become gradually more and more empowered in wielding the faculties or energies associated with planets in our 11th house, since they represent the person we want to become, or the things we wish to grow and cultivate in ourselves and our life experience in the future.

It is interesting to note that all three Hitler's Kama houses are strong. Two of them, the 3rd and 7th, contain their own lords, while the 11th lord, Sun, is exalted in an angular house, with a powerful dispositor. Jupiter in Jyotish aspects the 5th and 9th house from it's position. Something, loosely, like a trine. It therefore blesses the entire triplicity it occupies. The 3rd House benefits from the occupancy of Jupiter, it's own lord, and both the 7th and 11th gain strength from the aspect of Jupiter to both these houses directly, and then also to their lords.

Hitler had no deficiency of Kama.

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I don't mean to suggest only villians do Kama well, but look at the chart of Aleister Crowley. The notorious magician who not only had countless affairs and sexual intrigues with people of both sexes. He practised sex magic with zeal, hiring prostitutes for the purpose if he was not able to seduce suitable candidates. Here Mars and Saturn are located in the 7th, and both are very strong by sign. Saturn is lord of the 7th in the 7th, so that in itself somewhat protects and empowers it, which means he could fulfil much 7th house Kama.

However, Jyotish associates both Mars and Saturn in the 7th, each on their own, as potentially indicative of sexual excess and impropriety, which by all accounts, he achieved. His Sun in the 3rd house contributed to his high energy level and enthusiasm, his theatrical interests and abilities, as well as his curiosity and courage.

The Moksha Houses – 4, 8, 12 The word 'Moksha' is normally translated as 'final liberation'. It is associated with the destination of the soul after death, and generally the hidden world beyond the physical plane, and our relationship to it. It's best exponents, those who have mastered and attained this aim of life in full measure, may be anonymous to us, since they would seek little in the way of public life and external validation. Even on a more everyday level, the realm of Moksha, as described in our natal charts, deals with some of the most elusive and intangible inner experiences we can have. We rarely fully understand them or possess the faculties and resources to clearly see their workings.

On the surface the 4th house relates to the most mundane and accessible manifestation of this 'Watery Triad' and its essentially spiritual concerns. The mother, one of the 4th House's most basic meanings, with her womb creates a bridge between worlds. Symbolically at least, the Sun finds itself in the 4th house at midnight, when all are asleep in the shelter of their homes, in that mini-death that follows and precedes every day of outer waking activity. It is in this daily womb experience that we are restored, rebuilt, and prepared for our daytime reincarnation. At a stretch, poetically, we could possibly say the 4th house represents a primal cosmic umbilical chord, stretching right up to the great Cosmic Mother. We emerge life after life, and day after day, from this mysterious hidden source.

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The 8th house is persistently associated with death, even though in both the Western and Vedic traditions there are references to the 7th house being the house of death. It is certainly true that the 8th house has a fateful and calamitous quality. It can be highly destructive of conditions that support our physical or psychological equilibrium, but then, as the aghori Vimalananda put it, 'Moksha is the dissolution of your delusion', and your delusion may at times be enabled by pleasant circumstances. It is also a place that is more distinctly associated with the world of departed souls, and our own awareness of such perplexing mysteries as our own mortality. The deepest, darkest recesses of the psyche, and the very secrets of the universe, are bound up in the 8th house, and it takes the likes of psychologists, shamans, astrologers and occultists, to penetrate through the veils.

When stark truths and fears are courageously faced, when we can cut our losses and rise from the ashes of our own destruction, whether in this world or the next, we win thereby one more grain of conscious immortality- which is certainly a brand of 'Moksha'. Many healers who have survived 8th house trials and tribulations eventually guide and encourage others with the light of this glowing ember of 'phoenix medicine'. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and also wiser, one might hope, inasmuch as one hallmark of wisdom is a recognition of the ephemeral nature of our outer life and circumstances, or the 'cosmic maya' that enthrals the spiritually blind. A wisdom leading naturally to a deeper trust and reliance on those things that are most real, but least visible, in the world of appearances.

The 12th house is, not unlike the 8th house, one of loss, limitation and bondage, as far as outer appearances go. We here have to surrender to forces and laws of the cosmos far beyond our grasp and control. Yet potentially through the 12th house paths of meditation or monastic seclusion, or sacrificial spiritual service, we may attain to that true inner peace and serenity 'that passeth all understanding'. The ultimate experience of Moksha is this transcendental bliss. It is in fact true that Jyotish sees through the 12th House the texture of the private realm of the bedroom, bed pleasures, and thus this house also reveals our capacity to 'surrender to bliss' in that everyday aspect of our lives. It is written that the 12th house, in particular, shows the destination of the soul after death.

Who can evaluate the accuracy of this? I can't, but if it is to be shown anywhere, the 12th house would be a fitting choice. Here's to you not finding any hot and bothered looking planets in your charts' 12th! Dharma, Artha and Kama, or at least our cycle of incarnated experience of them and possible attachment to them, must ultimately be dissolved in the ocean of Moksha, until the worlds once more are bridged, and preparation for a new cycle begins.

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Parahamahansa Yogananda, founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship, and author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of Yogi, has a Leo Ascendant in his Jyotish chart, with Moon, lord of the 12th house located in the 1st house. Venus is in the 4th house, while Mars and Jupiter both occupy the 8th house in the sign Pisces. This 8th house of his is especially strong since Jupiter is a benefic, and lord of the 8th in the 8th. Moreover, Mars is Raja Yoga Karaka, or a powerful temporary benefic for the Leo Ascendant, and so is capable of yielding beneficial results in the realm of its house location.

Yogananda brought 'kriya yoga', an ancient and hitherto secret form of yogic meditation, to the west. His famous book has proved to have perennial appeal, and still fans the flames of aspiration in the hearts of spiritual seekers across the globe. There is an entire chapter in Autobiography of a Yogi, entitled, Outwitting the Stars, in which Yogananada's guru, himself an astrologer, prescribes an astrological bracelet to protect him from a period of impending illness, and, in response to Yogananda's scepticism, eloquently explains where astrology fits into the scheme of things.

Reading Yogananda's extraordinary book gives glimpses into a world of miracles and magic that few people can present quite so convincingly. He died after a long and fruitful life as a spiritual teacher. His corpse was unusual in that it did not decay at anything like the usual rate.

A notarized statement signed by the Director of Forest Lawn Memorial-Park testified:

“No physical disintegration was visible in his body even twenty days after death....This state of perfect preservation of a body is, so far as we know from mortuary annals, an unparalleled one ....Yogananda's body was apparently in a phenomenal state of immutability.”

Yogananda records meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, and initiating him into the kriya yoga technique, at Gandhi's request.

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Mahatma Gandhi's own chart shows the Sun located in the 12th house, pointing to a distinct inner orientation in Gandhi's life, despite the fame and worldly power he attained (thanks in part to powerfully placed 1st and 10th lords in his Jyotish chart). He was imprisoned on many occasions, and embraced these times of relative quiet and seclusion to work on correspondence, or for reflection.

There are principles of Jyotish chart interpretation that I have not employed in these case studies, to keep it simple, but which would be part of a more complete and sophisticated assessment of a person's capacity to achieve the Four Aims of Life in good measure.

I'm thinking in particular about the principle of 'Bhava Karakas'. We could call this 'planets as house significators'. Mars, for example, is for everyone the Karaka or significator for the 3rd and 6th houses. Mars does not have to be associated with these houses by occupancy or rulership to have this status, but the condition of Mars will have an impact or bearing on the ability of these houses to flourish. The tremendous potency of Mars in Muhammad Ali and Adolf Hitler's charts (being in its own sign and angular by house placement in both instances), elevated their 3rd and 6th houses (and thus kama and artha respectively) substantially by this dignity, despite no direct link to these houses by occupancy or lordship. An article on another choice morsel of Jyotish method, for another day.

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016 Richard Fidler is a professional astrologer and teacher. His astrological career began in the early 1990’s, while still in his teens. Friends started to insist on paying for astrological interpretations, and it just never stopped.

During the mid 1990’s, in his early 20’s, Richard joined the Pretoria Lodge of the Theosophical Society, taught astrology there and became the librarian. This provided a rich and constant exposure to a great variety of religious and philosophical paradigms, practices and teachers.

Richard started out on his astrological journey with conventional modern western astrology, but then began exploring Jyotish in 1997, gradually integrating Jyotish into his methodology. He now uses Western and Vedic astrological methods side by side in his practice. Through his lectures and workshops he has been instrumental in bringing knowledge and awareness of Jyotish to the South African astrological community, and beyond.

Richard spent several months in India in 2011 on a personal astrological pilgrimage, to connect with Jyotish at its source after years of self study. He has since visited India several times to learn and teach, twice at the invitation of the Krishnamurti Institute of Astrology in Calcutta.

Richard has been published in the Mountain Astrologer magazine and several other publications, and is regularly invited to offer comment by the South African media. Richard is currently the chairperson of the Cape Town based Cape Astrology Association.

Outside of astrology Richard is actively involved in organic farming and eco-village creation. He manages an urban farm in Cape Town called Culpeper’s Lodge, and is a founding member and current Secretary of the Sacred Earth Association. www.richardfidler.com/ www.caa.org.za/

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Mundane Astrology forecasting for September Eclipses 2016 Rod Chang

The next Solar Eclipse will happen on 1 September. Mundane astrologers think that eclipses have a powerful influence on world events and we are now stepping into one. This solar Eclipse will happen at 10:03am (BST) 1st September 2016. New Moon conjunct at 9 degrees Virgo. To understand it’s influence, we have to examine where this Eclipse will be located in the Zodiac and what major aspect there are at that moment. Virgo is Earthy triplicity, we can expect major events will relate to Food, Famine, Land, Health, structure and Securities.

Virgo itself also relates to the Working class, Medical issues, small animals, Female’s issues in our society, slavery, discrimination and inequality. As the mutable sign suggests unpredictability in an event's situation when it happened, the ancient astrologers also call mutable sign a common sign which combines both Cordial signs’ ability to push forward and Fixed signs’ ability of hold its ground. This suggests a solution which in one way may dare to break the boundary and move forward and in another still consider the possibility of maintaining the good qualities from the past.

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We can forecast in what area of society we should be careful and also where we may well be “surprised“ by looking on the house of the New Moon. In UK it is 11th house suggest, Parliaments (including Scotland, North Ireland, Wales) may start to change. In Western Europe, countries also have same situation, 11th house also represents welfare, social benefits, social security policies, and this is highly likely to be affected after the refuge crisis and the unsettling events one after another in France and Germany. New Moon is located in 10th in Eastern part of Europe and this could suggest a chance of new governments or political reform. The New Moon located in 1st house and very close to 2nd house cusp in Washington DC suggests the whole country’s image is going to change and the financial system, food and resources should be important issues for US. In Asia: China, Korea, Japan all have New Moon in 7th house and it is very close to Descendent of Tokyo, so foreign affairs will be the focus of this area. The New Moon is located in 6th house for Australia so the Public Security, Health care and Labour unrest will become important issues in the country.

The ruler of the Solar Eclipse is Mercury, it is located in Virgo where it rules, usually this is highly dignified and suggests the background (cause) of those event may be from a good will.

However this Mercury just turns retrograde 2 days before Solar Eclipse and in its motion is very slow. This suggest hesitation and lack of will power or energy to make a move. It could delay important actions because of this hesitation or delay the important event because of a lack of supplies.

Sun, Moon, Mars, Saturn and Neptune will form a tight T-square in the September solar Eclipse, This aspect pattern will give us some idea about what government will need to focus on. Saturn and Mars in Sagittarius suggest: political reform, reform of religions, change of social structure, Conflict in foreign affairs and religious conflict. In another side Neptune in Pisces suggests we should focus on: Drugs, Pollution, Ocean, Seafaring, Water related problems. Saturn square Neptune’s influence is a major concern for the Mundane astrologer for this year. It usually related to financial market problems and religious conflicts. I will not say these are news however as these planets form the T square with Solar Eclipse suggest the challenges will even more powerful. Eclipses are usually seen as chaotic times but we have to know the Solar Eclipse is also a new moon which could suggest a starting point. Therefore the conflicts related to Solar Eclipse may bring a new starting point to our society and allow us to reform it.

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Astromaps Following countries are more likely to be influenced by the Solar Eclipse as their country charts have Sun Moon of Ascendent conjunct with 9 degree Virgo, where New Moon of Solar Eclipse located .

Sun conjunct or opposite 9 degree Sagittarius Albania, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Finland, Iceland, Morocco, South Africa, Timor, Tonga, UAE, Ukraine.

Moon conjunct or opposite 9 degree Sagittarius Brazil, Cyprus, France (1 Rep),Poland(Democratic), Tonga, Ukraine, UAE, Vatican city, Zimbabwe Ascendent conjunct or opposite 9 degree Sagittarius Belgium, Burma, Costa Rica, Ireland, Indonesia, Japan (MEIJI Constitution), Qatar, U.S.A, Vietnam Following countries and areas are more likely to be influenced by Solar Eclipse as the outer Planets will be right on the angles according astromap.

Asia Pacific: Australia East coast, New Zerland, Japan, West China, Bangladesh, East part of India, Nepal. Iran , Middle East Countries.

Europe and Africa: East Part of Africa, Algeria and North west part of Africa, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, West part of German, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Ireland.

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America: Alaska, West Coast of Canada and USA. Cites and States located between 89-101W Longitude ( such as Houston and Dallas). Mexico, Brazil, south Argentina and Chile.

Places near 2 degrees S and 34 degrees S Latitude, 99E Longitude are also going to witness powerful solar Eclipse influence.

Also If we can draw Local space map according Solar Eclipse from capital we can also find out what area in the country will hit by problem. For Example , if we run a Solar Eclipse local space map from Berlin we can give warning about where in Germany should be careful. Pluto line pass Stuttgart , Mars Saturn lines pass Essen areas, these are the areas Government should pay more attention.

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Lunar Eclipse and Mars-Chiron influence Together with the Solar Eclipse, the Lunar Eclipse is also very important, the Solar Eclipse give as a starting point and the Lunar Eclipse let us see what we have achieved in our individual life and what we have done to our society. Lunar Eclipse shows us the consequence of our previous behaviour, the results of our hard work, but still as Eclipses are amazing astronomical event in the sky therefore the events will always come with shock and surprise. The Lunar Eclipse will happened at 20:05 BST 16th Sep 2016, as Full Moon axis are located in Pisces and Virgo, it emphasise the same themes on the Food, Agriculture, working class, social benefit, Hospital and public health system, Water, Ocean, Drug Medicine and Pollution.

Chiron conjunct with Moon in Pisces and Mars square Sun, Moon and Chiron. We should treat this configuration more carefully, in my experience Mars Chiron aspect is usually related to violent events such as gunshot and riots. Also Mars is out of Bound from 8th August - 29th October. Out of bound Mars is like wild fire out of control, things associated with Mars such as: war, fighting, discord, violence, gunshot, life and death situation could appear on news.

Another Mars effect will appear around 20-25th September when Mars in 26 Sagittarius conjunct the Galactic centre.

This also triggers three European country leaders' Natal charts, Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin, as they all have Mars in 26 Sagittarius.

The Sun Moon axis are very important indication, it also give as an idea about what areas of our society and our life should be focus during next 6 months. For example UK and most west European countries Full Moon axis is on 6th -12th houses axis, this suggest Public health system, hospital, prison , Labour dispute and working rights, slavery. In east Europe Full Moon axis move to 5th - 11th and suggest the children, social benefit , local government. In most Asian countries and Canada Full Moon axis is on 2nd- 8th about Financial issues Foreign Exchange policies and crisis. For Australia and Japan full Moon axis is on 1st -7th this is more likely indicate country itself, and Foreign relationship. For US Full Moon axis is on 3rd and 9th this suggest Law, transport system , Education, travel business, religions should be focus on.

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Lunar Eclipse Astro map can also give us some idea about what areas in this world we should be careful. UK, France, North Europe, Iceland, US.

Also If we can draw Local space map according Lunar Eclipse chart from capital we can also find out what area in the country will hit by problem. For example Local space map from Whitehouse suggest that Chicago will have some crisis because Pluto LS line pass by.

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Saros Cycles and Lunar Cycles Eclipses following a 18 years Saros cycle which suggest that every 18 years Eclipses will happened in the similar part of sky and every 54 years Solar Eclipses will appears in the similar area. For example this Solar Eclipse links with Solar Eclipses in 1998, 1980 and 1962, and the Solar Eclipse in September will be visible in Africa area, 54 years ago a Solar Eclipse happened on 31 July, also visible in Africa. This reminds us that Africa could be have more impact than other places, and the event will link with what happened in 1998, 1980 and 1962.

This Solar Eclipse will also trigger the New Moon or Full moon which happen at similar degrees at Mutable signs. The events happening during that time could have future development around this Eclipse period.

3rd Dec 2013 New Moon on 10 Sagittarius 6th A 2-year old boy dies from Ebola in Meliandou, Guinea 10th Uruguay becomes the first country to legalize the growth, sale, and use of marijuana 15th Michelle Bachelet is re-elected President of Chile 29th The volcano, Chaparrastique, erupts in El Salvador 1 Mar 2014 New Moon on 10 Pisces 6th Crimea's parliament votes unanimously to make the Crimea a part of Russia 8th Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people loses contact and disappears, prompting the most expensive search effort in history 10th German Chancellor Merkel warns Russia's Putin that making Crimea part of Russia is illegal and in violation of Ukraine's constitution 11th Refugees from Syria pour into the Kingdom of Jordan 12th 8 people are killed, 70 are injured, & 2 buildings are leveled by a gas explosion in East Harlem, New York 17th The Republic of Crimea is declared 3rd Sep 2014 New Moon on 13 Virgo 7th Tony Abbott becomes Prime Minister of Australia after a Liberal-National Coalitions wins the election 9th 60 people are killed in conflict between rebels and loyalists in the Central African Republic 15th Japan switches off its last working nuclear reactor 16th 21 people are killed by Hurricane Ingrid in Mexico 20th Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise is boarded by Russian military

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Update on 1st Sep After I sent my Eclipse article to C*I*A Editor Julija Simas, she pointed out that few Earthquakes were happened in the location where has planet lines past on the Astromap during last few days and suggested me if I can do a update.

Therefore, I did a bit study and find out that are few earthquakes are exactly located around Astromap planetary lines (En Mundo), more stunning picture comes out if we switch Astromap of September 2016 Solar Eclipse into Geodetic mode. Also few places has longitude or latitude very close to the longitude of Eclipse start (or end) point.

I have to give special thanks to Julija Simas.

Please I noted the date as UT time’s date.

The Solar Eclipse started near 2°S 18°W, End near 34°S 99E° 27th Aug M4.8 Jackson, WY USA: Saturn Mc (Geodetic) Venus IC (En Mundo) 28th Aug M4.6 Norcia, Italy Sun Moon Ds Lines and Neptune As line (Geo) 29th Aug M7.1 West coast Africa near Liberia (0.041°S 17.826°W)Sun Moon Ic Neptune Mc (Geo) Pluto IC Venus Ds (En Mundo) 17.8°W is very close to the longitude of Eclipse start point.

30th Aug M5.5 Constitución Chile Pluto Mc ( Geodetic) (34.898°S 72.530°W) 34°S is the latitude where Solar Eclipse line End. 30th Aug M5.6 – 250km NW of Visokoi Island (55.324°S 30.388°W) Neptune As line, Sun Moon Dsc lines, 31st Aug M4.5 Su’ao, Taiwan , Pluto Ascendent (Geodetic) 31st Aug M5.0 Uto Japan, Mars Mc line, Saturn Mc line (En Mundo) 31st Aug M6.7 East of Namatanai, Papua New Guinea (3.691°S 152.788°E) Venus Ds line, Mercury Ds line, Jupiter Ds line (En Mundo), Sun Moon Mc lines (Geodetic) Location also close the latitude where Solar Eclipse line started.

31st Aug M5.8 – 188km NNE of Gisborne, New Zealand (37.208°S 179.125°E) Mercury Mc line, Jupiter Mc line, Chiron Ic line (Geodetic) 37°S is close to the latitude where Solar Eclipse line End.

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On the 14th September A huge fire has ripped through a favela in Brazil's most populous city, Sao Paulo, destroying hundreds of homes.

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016 Rod Chang has studied astrology for over twenty years, both through self-study and through the LSA and the Faculty of Astrological Studies. His favourite aspects are mundane astrology and a humanistic approach to astrology. He has written a number of books on astrology in Chinese and has taught it in Mandarin for around ten years. He is co-founder of the Academy of Astrology with Jupiter Lai, which aims to promote Western Astrology to Chinese speakers . Rod is also working closely with other Asian astrologers in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong in order to establish an Asian astrology network. www.rodmagic.pixnet.net/blog www.academyofastrology.co.uk/

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Fellini, Coppola & Scorsese Lights, action, mutual reception Alan Annand Mutual reception & career Last year, while researching a book on Mutual Reception, I discovered several famous people with identical mutual receptions pursuing the same profession. One such stellar pair, guitarists Keith Richards and Jimmy Page, I’ve already discussed in an article on my website Sextile in June 2016. What caught my eye in the present case were not two, but three, famous directors with a mutual reception between 3rd and 4th lords. Upon closer inspection, I found many more common factors. Aside from all three being Italian, their lives exhibited several similarities, courtesy of their common astrological attributes.

Federico Fellini Fellini was born 20 January 1920 at 9 PM in Rimini, Italy. Although his name is virtually synonymous with avant-garde filmmaking, he began his career as a magazine and gag writer rather than a director. His career enjoyed many successes alternating with disappointments, his most famous films being 8½, La Dolce Vita and Amarcord. In a career spanning 50 years, he received 12 Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars. He had one long-term marriage, lost his only child shortly after birth, suffered depression and underwent psychotherapy. Revered in Italy, his memorial ceremony was attended by 70,000 mourners. (all positions sidereal)

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Francis Ford Coppola Coppola was born 7 April 1939 at 1:38 AM in Detroit, Michigan. He came from an accomplished artistic and musical family, suffered polio as a child, and was such a nerd his friends called him “Science.” His father wanted him to be an engineer, but he won a screenwriting scholarship to UCLA and thus embarked on a movie career, initially as a writer. His film career was successful but turbulent, earning multiple Oscars against a backdrop of recurring financial problems. His most famous films were The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (all positions sidereal)

Martin Scorsese Scorsese was born 17 November 1942 at 00:24 AM in Flushing, New York.

He had asthma as a child and was unable to play sports so his part-time actor parents often took him to the movies. His career started modestly but grew steadily, and he’s now regarded one of the finest directors of the era.

His best-known films are Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Last Temptation of Christ, many of which express themes of violence and spirituality. He has had longstanding working relationships with fellow Italians Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. (all positions sidereal)

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The astrological analysis Aside from ancestry and career, however, these three directors share a remarkable number of astrological factors that are reflected in their personal and professional lives: Ascendants on fire By virtue of their role, directors must control every aspect of a film. Fellini had Leo, Coppola Sagittarius, and Scorsese Leo rising. Fire is a controlling element, associated with the ruling classes. Leo in particular is also known for its commanding performance.

Compromised Moon You have to be crazy to risk your life in the cinema.

Fellini has a dark (new) Moon in the 6th, in a Saturn sign, where it is afflicted by Mars. For a time, he suffered from clinical depression. Coppola has a debilitated Moon in the 12th, a Mars sign, but seems not to have suffered any depression. It helped, perhaps, that he’s owned a Napa vineyard for decades, and planets in the 12th can indicate inebriation. Scorsese’s Moon is in the 7th in a Saturn sign, afflicted by Saturn and Ketu.

After burning out on cocaine, he fell into a depression, rescued only by friend Robert De Niro who insisted they make another movie together.

Angular Saturn You’ve got to be in it for the long haul, and overcome all kinds of obstacles. Fellini’s Saturn occupies his first house. He started at the bottom and worked his way up the ladder, suffering almost as many setbacks as successes. Coppola’s Saturn occupies his 4th house. He got a good education and enjoyed early success (The Godfather at age 32) but he suffered under studio rule and often felt on the verge of being fired. Scorsese’s Saturn occupies his 10th house. He’s been very productive, enjoying far more hits than flops, and his reputation looms larger as the years go by.

Sun/Saturn link If the Sun reflects the ego, Saturn is the reality that the ego must face. Fellini has Sun/Saturn in mutual reception across the 1st and 6th houses. His health wasn’t great (respiratory and heart problems) but he had a competitive spirit. Coppola has Sun/Saturn conjunct in the 4th.

He came from an accomplished artistic family, received an excellent education in film, suffered major financial setbacks, but accumulated much in the form of real estate. Scorsese has Sun/Saturn opposed in the 4th and 10th. He’s taken on so many projects he seems to be a workaholic, but keeps getting better as he gets older.

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Mars/Saturn link Mars evokes passion and violence, while Saturn reflects loss and sorrow. Fellini’s Saturn aspects his Mars in the 3rd, reflecting his respiratory problems. Coppola’s Mars and Saturn, traditional enemies, antagonize each other by aspect.

Coppola wrote scripts for three war movies: Is Paris Burning?, Patton and Apocalypse Now. And as lords of the 12th and 2nd, loss and money, respectively, they invoked his two bankruptcies. Scorsese’s Mars/Saturn are in a 6/8 relationship. His most important films reflect his fascination with violence and criminal elements of the underworld.

Conflicted 5th house The 5th reflects the creative mind, children and drama. Fellini’s 5th lord Jupiter is exalted and retrograde in the 12th house, where it’s afflicted by the Sun and a dark Moon. His only son died of encephalitis a month after birth. Coppola’s 5th is occupied by a strong Ketu, while its lord Mars is afflicted by Saturn. Coppola’s oldest son died in a bizarre boating accident.

Scorsese’s 5th lord Jupiter is exalted and retrograde in the 12th house, where it’s aspected by Saturn. He has three daughters, two of whom are actresses.

Mutual reception of 3rd and 4th lords Such a configuration allows for interpretations on many themes – mother, education, property, and the heart. In reality, with the 4th lord having moved 12 houses away, this potentially poses problems for all of the above. In virtual post-exchange, however, this can likewise benefit many of the same, since both the 3rd and 4th lords will occupy their own signs after exchange. The lords’ association with, and aspects from, other planets help to determine the outcomes. The “migration” between 3rd and 4th lords can also reflect changes of residence, property and/or schools.

• Fellini had mutual reception between Mars and Venus. The 4th lord Mars is afflicted by both Rahu and Saturn. He suffered a bad heart. He also had to relocate from his birthplace Rimini to Rome in order to find work, his career and ultimate success.

• Coppola has mutual reception between Jupiter and Saturn. The Sun and debilitated Mercury compromise the 4th house to some degree, while Venus in the 3rd provides stability. His mother (4th) was an accomplished singer, his sister (3rd) an actor, his older brother (11th) was a writer, whose son (3rd) is actor Nicolas Cage. Coppola attended 23 different schools in the course of his education, and he owns a great deal of property – two estates in California, and resorts in Belize, Guatemala, Argentina and Italy.

• Scorsese has mutual reception between Mars and Venus. His 4th house is moderately afflicted by the Sun and Saturn. His mother was a bit actor and died with Alzheimer’s.

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Nodal signatures To succeed in any art, the artist must first master the medium, but second, challenge and overthrow its conventions. Scorsese once identified the four roles of a director: storyteller, illusionist, smuggler and iconoclast – with a talent, respectively, for narrative, imagery, symbolic meaning, and breaking the rules. Of those, both illusion and revolution are strongly associated with the nodes.

• Fellini had the nodal axis in the 3rd and 9th houses, signs of Venus and Mars. Pre- and postexchange, Venus and Mars alternate positions to join Rahu in the 3rd, a house reflecting honed artistic talent. Many of Fellini’s films contain elements of surrealism, and the meanings of some images have been debated by cineastes for decades. The South Node in the 9th house twice invokes philosophy and spirituality – first, because it’s the 9th, and second, because it’s Ketu, “the headless One” which implies surrender, or absence of ego. Ketu is at home in Aries, with whose lord Mars it shares some affinities. Fellini underwent Freudian analysis after his bout with depression and later became interested in Jungian symbolism, which likely informed his use of surreal imagery. At one time he became friends with Carlos Castaneda, hoping to do a movie about a spiritual hero, the yaqui sorcerer Don Juan of Castaneda’s series.

• Coppola has the nodal axis bisecting his chart through the 5th and 11th houses, in signs of Mars and Venus. Themes of children and creativity, group work and income are likely. Ketu, a malefic, is strong in the 5th. Coppola’s oldest son died in a bizarre boating accident caused

by Ryan O’Neal’s son. Ketu’s dispositor Mars and Saturn mutually aspect each other. Their struggle invokes war of a kind, a prime example of which is Apocalypse Now with its cocktail of adventure, psychological parable, and surrealism in the jungle. Another form of war (with society) is organized crime, on which the Godfather series dwells. Nodes in the 11th, aside from reflecting an eclectic social circle, also indicate irregularities in income.

• Scorsese has the nodal axis running across the horizon, with Rahu closely conjunct the ascendant, and Ketu with the Moon in the 7th. Aside from his passionate embrace of violent themes, Scorsese’s innovative style includes lots of slow-motion, freeze frames and long tracking shots. The Moon and Ketu are doubly affected by Saturn, which both disposits and aspects them. The ephemeral Moon and the Mars-like Ketu in the 7th is a poor prognosis for marital tranquility; Scorsese has been married five times. The Rahuvian-type individual is notoriously reluctant to be reined into conventional relationships.

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Venus and the 3rd house Venus is a general significator for artistry, while the 3rd house represents among other things both physical performance and mastery of literary or musical technique. In all three directors’ charts, Venus plays a dynamic role in the 3rd house.

• Fellini’s Venus exchanges with Mars to occupy its own sign in the 3rd. When he was young, Fellini loved to sketch, perform puppet shows, and draw caricatures. In the early part of his career, he wrote for a humor magazine and contributed jokes for comedies before turning his hand to writing his own screenplays.

• Coppola’s Venus occupies the 3rd in a friendly sign, supported by benefic Jupiter. Coppola too was involved in puppet theatre, and learned to play the tuba so well that he won a scholarship to a military academy. He studied scriptwriting at university, wrote several screenplays and one of his three Oscars was awarded for his role as screenwriter.

• Scorsese’s Venus exchanges with Mars to occupy its own sign in the 3rd. Although Scorsese has been single-mindedly focused on film as his metier, a review of his work reveals a great appreciation for music: he shot the Michael Jackson video Bad; his movie The Last Waltz was about The Band; he shot a 7-part TV documentary on The Blues; No Direction Home was a documentary on the life of Bob Dylan; Shine a Light covered the tail end of a Rolling Stones tour; and Living in the Material World was a documentary about the life of George Harrison.

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Summary To recap, these three directors share several common astrological factors, most important of which is the exchange between 3rd and 4th lords that results, one way or another, in Venus playing a role in the 3rd. This relationship to film is captured in the words of Martin Scorsese: “Cinema began with a physical relationship between celluloid and the artists who handled it, and came to know it the way a lover knows every inch of his beloved’s body. No matter where the cinema goes, we can’t afford to lose sight of its beginnings.”

Alan Annand is a graduate of the American College of Vedic Astrology and a former tutor for the British Faculty of Astrological Studies.

His book Stellar Astrology offers a compilation of techniques, in-depth celebrity profiles, and analysis of world events through the perspective of Vedic astrology. Parivartana Yoga is a reference text for one of the most common yet powerful planetary combinations in jyotish. Mutual Reception is an expanded companion volume for western practitioners, covering the same subject of planetary exchange through the lens of traditional western astrology.

He also writes fiction. His New Age Noir mystery series (Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, Soma County) feature astrologer and palmist Axel Crowe, whom one reviewer has dubbed “Sherlock Holmes with a horoscope.” You can find his books on Amazon, Apple, Barnes&Noble, Kobo and Smashwords. www.navamsa.com www.sextile.com

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Turkey’s Failed Coup Marguerite dar Boggia A MILITARY DICTATORSHIP WAS THWARTED BY A FAILED COUP IN TURKEY on 7/15/16 in Ankara at 9 PM. The chart shows that top army Officers received moneys from a foreign country. The Pleiades was on the IC, favoring the people. The some of the conspirators were the secret and open enemies in the 12th and 7th houses. Saturn was in a T square with the planets in the 1st and 7th houses. This is the chart1:

The attempted coup is signified by the ascendant (8 Aquarius), the planets in the first house and the ruler of the ascendant, Uranus. We see Uranus, (24 Aries) in a T SQUARE with Sun (23+Cancer) in the 6th house (armed services) and Pluto (16 Cap.) in the 12th house (secret enemies). This aspect SIGNIFIES THE ATTEMPTED COUP. President Recep Erdogan of Turkey is denoted by Saturn in the 10th house. Saturn in the T SQUARE with Neptune in the

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1st house and Jupiter in the 7th house, also indicates the FAILED OVERTHROW of the President Erdogan.

Planets in the 7th house signify open enemies. Jupiter is co-ruler of the 10th house. It is in the 7th house (open enemies). That infers that some members in the government were conspirators favoring the coup. Pluto in the 12th house also signifies that some 'secret enemies' were connected to the government and were related to a foreign country (9th house).

Pluto is co-ruler of the 9th house and co-ruler of the 10th house of government. The 12th house is that of 'secret enemies.'

Mars (24+Scorpio) in the 9th house (foreign countries), co-rules the 9th house. It TRINES Sun in the 6th house of the military personnel. Mars is co-ruler of the 2nd house of FINANCE. This suggests that, possibly, the US (rich foreign country) which has in the past created coups in Turkey through the military, handsomely paid moneys to senior Army Officials. Mars is also co-ruler of the MC. It suggests that some members in the government desired the coup. Some did not and worked with Erdogan, as indicated by Mars quincunx Uranus. The Man behind the Failed Coup in Turkey? US Army General John F. Campbell.

Report By Global Research News, July 26, 2016 The Moon, ruler of the 6th house (which rules the armed forces), is in the 10th house. The military conspirators were connected to some important members of the government. Venus (money) in trine aspect to the Moon (top army officers) suggests again, that the top army officers were generously remunerated for the intended coup.

Erdogan’s Checkmate: CIA-Backed Coup in Turkey Fails, Upsets Global Chessboard By Eric Draitser, July 29, 2016 Venus rules the 3rd house of communication. It TRINES Saturn. This suggests that some of the conspirators or even Vladimir Putin (as some articles suggest) could have warned Erdogan of the intended coup.

At the end of June, 2016 Erdogan apologized to Putin for downing the Russian airplane, killing members of ISIS, over Syria. WHAT SUDDENLY CHANGED THE BELLIGERENT ATTITUDE OF ERDOGAN TOWARDS RUSSIA? Thus creating havoc for the U.S. and its allies. The Coup in Turkey Has Thrown a Wrench in Uncle Sam’s “Pivot” Plan By Mike Whitney, July 21, 2016 Mercury semi-squares Jupiter. Mercury is co-ruler of the 7th house and 5th house of young people. It trines Saturn and also the Moon. It suggests that there was division or conflict amongst the opponents of Erdogan. Some were for the coup and others were against it. Some were for a secular government and others against it.

The failure of the coup is indicated by: The Part of fortune in exact square to Jupiter in the 7th house of open enemies. With Saturn's square to Neptune and Jupiter in the 1st and 7th houses, and its sesquisquare to Uranus, Erdogan decisively crushed the conspirators.

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Pluto trine Jupiter suggests that the conspirators were the secret enemy and held prominent positions in the government (10th house) and/or conspired with foreign countries (9th house).

Pluto co-rules the 9th and 10th houses and Jupiter is in the 7th house. It co-rules the 10th house.

The many deaths and arrests that occurred later, may be denoted by Venus and Mercury, as rulers of the 8th house semi-square Jupiter in the 7th house of conspirators. Esoterically, the 8th house signifies the death of old systems, in order to make way for the new.

There’s More to Turkey’s Failed Coup Than Meets the Eye By M. K. Bhadrakumar, July 20, 2016 BUT WHAT CHANGED ERDOGAN'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WEST? Throughout the ages, whenever the Forces of Darkness were more overwhelming than the Forces of Light, the Spiritual Hierarchy of our planet (the Masters who have achieved atonement with the divine Self) have always responded and sent help. A negative polarity always attracts a positive polarity. Today they have sent the Head of the Spiritual Hierarchy, Himself. He is known as the World Teacher. The Hindus know Him as the Bodhisattva, the Jews know Him as the Messiah, the Moslems know Him as the Imam Madhi and the Christians know Him as the Christ. The Buddhists known him as Maitreya Buddha. Each religion had expected a 'second coming'.

In the book, "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire"2 written by Alice A. Bailey in 1925, it says on page 211 at the footnote..the World Teacher: "The Buddha held office prior to the present World Teacher, and upon his illumination, the Lord Maitreya, took his place. The occidentals call him the Christ." Maitreya is the personal name of the Master who presently holds the office of the World Teacher.

I have no proof, but I believe the reason President Erdogan changed his policy towards Russia is that the Lord Maitreya appeared before him. He might have appeared to Erdogan as the Imam Madhi. He had him understand that what Erdogan was doing was wrong (such as allowing highly-paid mercenaries to enter Syria through its territory in order to change the regime in Syria, etc.). Of course, Erdogan wants to retain power at all costs and will do anything in his best interest and that of his country, if there are reprisals.

Other writers may speculate as to why the US wants to balkanize Syria and Iraq and/or to enlarge and expand Israel's territory. I leave that to them. I only know that the Lord Maitreya, called by the Christians "the Christ" is now in the world, having created His own body, called a 'mayavirupa'. In June, 1988 He suddenly appeared at a healing gathering of about 6000 people in Nairobi, Kenya. He spoke for 17 minutes in swahili and then disappeared. The editor of the newspaper was present and took His picture:

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For more information see the website: www.share-international.org. Many have experienced His presence and witnessed His 'miracles' in the world. The major media knows of His presence but will not report it, as it would bring about a change in the economic and political systems. They wish to retain their POWER & CONTROL. But do not despair, the future generations will be more awake and informed and at the right time the whole of the spiritual Hierarchy will join the Lord Maitreya and will live with us on Earth. The potent and tremendous energies of love enfolding humanity, will represent the 'Kingdom of God' on Earth. Not only that, but the Lord Maitreya will bring with Him great Devas (called by the Church, Angels) who will teach men how to heal with color and sound, how to nourish the body and how to draw from the surrounding ethers the requisite foods.

We are destined to have a 'golden age'.

References: 1.

2.

3.

Chart for July 15, 2016 at 9:00 PM EEDT -03 time zone Ankara, Turkey, 032E52; 39N56.

Bailey, Alice A. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Lucis Publishing Co. 1925, p.211 footnote...

Bailey, Alice A. Esoteric Psychology I, Lucis Publishing Co. NY 1975, p. 124.

Marguerite dar Boggia presently serves as Membership and Corresponding Secretary for ISAR (The International Society for Astrological Research). She was past publisher of Kosmos, as well as past Secretary and Director of ISAR and UAC (United Astrology Congress). She was a co-founder of UAC. Her present efforts are to aid in the expansion of humanity’s consciousness by offering, three FREE pages weekly online of the Ageless Wisdom studies as was known by Pythagoras and Plato. She can be reached at www.FreePythagorasTeachings.com

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Russia and 19º Libra Smiljana Gavrančić An extract of this article was published on The Moutnain Astrologer blog (9th March, 2015)

Largest country in the world by territory, Russia, traditionally is linked to the sign of Aquarius, where Sun (life, king...) is in detriment. However, Neptune is exalted in the sign of Aquarius, and Russia can be linked to the sign of Pisces, since it has Pisces symbolism related to Siberia in its history (endless space, prisons...).Russia is a country where human heads (Sun) used to fall very frequently, just like the last Russian royal family, the Romanov dynasty, and it’s not a surprise that it can be linked to 19º Libra, where Sun falls.

Russia was at war against Sweden for 200 years, which also fits into the importance of 19º Libra to Russia, because I mapped Sweden inside the Zodiac on 19º Aries, where Sun is exalted (You can read more about it in my article “Sweden and 19ºAries”, on my blog). Sun on 19º Aries is at its strongest, and in opposition, on 19º Libra – Sun is weakened and sees an enemy in everybody across it, and starts conflict, subconsciously led by fear (Mars – war, is in detriment in Libra). This is a place to work on refinement in relationships (Venus is the ruler of Libra) but also responsibility (Saturn is exalted in Libra). Before establishing a relationship with anybody in front of it, Sun on 19º Libra has to establish a relationship with itself! Sun is our third energetic center, our third chakra, and the key question here is – who am I and what am I? The issue of identity is very important here!

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016 I also have to emphasize that the axis of exaltation and fall of Sun – 19º Aries – 19º Libra – is very near to axis of exaltation and fall of Saturn – 20º Aries – 20º Libra), the axis which represents Berlin in the Zodiac (You can read more about it in my article “Berlin and axis 20º Aries – 20º Libra”, on my blog), so this is a clear sign that Russia is linked to Germany, which has been proved throughout history, with the division of postwar world to East and West block among other things.

USSR, Moscow and Algol Finally, from the angle of fixed stars, the Russian capital itself, Moscow, has a pronounced Algol story, since the first Russian emperor, Ivan the Terrible, placed a guillotine in front of Kremlin where heads were cut off, which also links the story to the degree of Sun’s fall, 19º Libra! Stalin’s ‘purges’ also share this symbolism. If we take a look at the chart of founding of USSR, we find Saturn (natural ruler of the 10th sign, sign of Capricorn, and a ruler of 10th house – rulership, authority in this chart) in the sign of it’s exaltation, on 19º Libra, degree where Sun falls. This is a symbol of Soviet leaders that don’t have a strong awareness about themselves, and they see danger in everybody in front of them... They have a strong need for weapons, motivated by fear. The keyword for Mars chakra (our first energetic center, our roots, grounding) is – fear! This is an image of the very authorative Soviet leaders, because, when Sun is strong, it works on the principle “All for one and one for all”, then it’s a Sun that cannot be defeated, exacly how it vibrates across the Zodiac, on 19º Aries. I’ll also add that Moon (the people) is located very close to fixed star Algol from constellation Perseus...

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Vladimir Lenin The leader of October revolution in 1917 and founder of the first Communist Party, Vladimir Ilich Lenin, in the moment of founding Bolshevik Russia (a chart that still ‘works’ very well due to the fact that the awareness of the Russian people still vibrates on that level), on November 7th, 1917 had his secondary Moon (the Russian people) on 19º Libra, the degree of Sun’s fall...

This was a clear image of the Russian people and their not-so-easy destiny inside the borders of USSR. Lenin’s secondary Moon was conjucting Saturn on 19º Libra (fall of life) in USSR founding chart, and as we all know, a royal family had to pay the price of the founding of Bolshevik Russia – the price of life...

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War in Afghanistan 1979 If we look at the chart of Bolshevik Russia and look back at the moment when the war in Afghanistan started, on December 27th, 1979 we’ll find the directive Mercury (moving around 1º in one year) on 19º Capricorn, squaring 19º Libra (Russia).

‘‘Mercury is the ruler of 8th house (war, conflict) and intercepted Virgo in 9th house (foreign countries) in the chart of Bolshevik Russia’’ The war ended after 10 years and Soviets failed in imposing communism, which was their goal, which is represented by the square of 19º Capricorn to 19º Libra. A square is always an image of things stopping halfway and unsuccessful actions. On the other hand, a square subconsciously urges to be active...

As the Olympic Games held in Moscow, starting on July 19th, 1980. (the first that were held in a communist country) were boycotted by the western part of the world because of this war.

‘‘This was the biggest boycott in the history of the games, which fits into the image of 19º Libra – where Sun falls (the fall of country’s reputation)’’

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The last USSR president

It all started with Vladimir Lenin and ended with Mikhail Gorbachev. The last president of USSR, a man credited for ending the Cold War. In the moment when he became the president of USSR, on March 15th, 1990, his secondary Moon (the Russian people) was exactly on 19Âş Libra! Secondary Moon moves 1 degree in one month.

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Saturn return of USSR chart in 2011 Namely, recently, just before the series of historic Uranus – Pluto squares, during autumn 2011 happened the Saturn return of USSR founding chart. It’s the chart for the moment when Saturn returned again to its natal position. It happened on October 6th, 2011, just one day before the Solar return of present Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Russia was preparing for presidential elections at the time, which took place in March 2012. (You can read more about this in my article “Russia and 26º of fixed signs”, on my blog). This chart is very significant for the events that followed, and still are happening, in the mandate period of Vladimir Putin, because in this chart Sun is on 13º Libra, exactly where Putin’s natal Sun is. This certainly shows us the crucial role this man will have. If we look at the Ascendent itself, we find it on star nebula Vertex, from constellation Andromeda (The Chained Princess). The famous Roman astrologer Manilius mentiones this star in his book ‘Astronomica’: “The man whose birth coincides with the rising of Andromeda from the sea will prove merciless, a dispenser of punishment, a warder of dungeon dire; he will stand arrogantly by while the mothers of wretched prisoners lie prostrate on his threshold, and the fathers wait all night to catch the last kisses of their sons and receive into their inmost being the dying breath. From the same constellation comes the figure of the executioner, ready to take money for a speedy death and the rites of a funeral pyre, for him execution means profit, and oft will he bare his axe; in short, he is a man who could have looked unmoved on Andromeda herself fettered to the rock. Governor of the imprisoned he occasionally becomes a fellow convict, chained to criminals so as to save them for execution.” [Manilius, Astronomica, Book 5, 1st century A.D., p.351.]

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016 Now, let’s take a look at the 2nd house of this chart, because it describes the period in which Russia is now (every house of this chart describes a period of around 2.5 years). It’s significant that the cusp of 2nd house is on Algol (the star linked to Moscow and decapitating). Venus as the ruler is well positioned, in the sign it rules over – Libra, on the cusp of 7th house (diplomacy), which is a clear indicator that peaceful diplomatic approaches are very important when dealing with issues. Venus forms a trine with exalted Neptune and an applicating trine with Moon in Aquarius, which is also promising... Venus is the dispositor of all planets in Libra in this chart, so a diplomatic solution to problems is more than evident...

Since the return of Saturn represents an intersection in time, let’s take a look at the position of secondary Moon in that moment. We find the secondary Moon of Bolshevik Russia on 19º Capricorn, the same place where directive Mercury (ruler of 8th house of wars and intercepted Virgo in 9th house of foreign countries) in the moment when USSR started the war in Afghanistan in December of 1979.

Of course, the square with 19º Libra can speak of some actions the Russian people will get into lead by their country, but also that those actions will somehow be interrupted. As the Moon of Bolshevik Russia is in 9th house, it’s clear that these are actions done in a foreign country... On the other hand, progressed Sun was exactly on 19º Aquarius, creating a trine with 19º Libra (Russia).

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Annexation of Crimea 2014

Something that has captivated the attention of the entire world these days is the crisis in Ukraine.

Namely, it’s well known that the referendum of annexation of Crimea was held on March 16th, 2014.

Now let’s take a look at the position of secondary Venus (ruler of 7th house of diplomatic relationships) in that moment. We find it exactly on 19º Aquarius, trining 19º Libra (Moscow, Russia), but, as it is a retrograde secondary Venus, we can conclude that it’s going to take some time for an agreement to happen, but it is more than certain due to the fact that it is a trine, so time will bring harmony for sure.

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The chart of New Russia New Russia was founded on June 12th, 1990. Mercury rules the Ascendant in this chart (opportunities in country, capital – Moscow), but also rules 10th house (authority in the country). Since 2014. was a very challenging year for this country, and the Eastern Cardinal Cross (across 13º cardinal signs) ‘touched’ Vladimir Putin’s Sun on 13º Libra (where Sun was positioned in the Saturn return chart in 2011.) and the progressed Sun of New Russia on 13º Cancer, it’s interesting to take a look at the directions of New Russia, but also tertiary progressions for the moment of writing this article. What we see in the Solar Arc Direction chart for this moment (where everything moves 1 in one year) is the Ascendant on 19º Libra (It was on 18º 52’ Libra during the Crimea referendum in March of 2014.), on the degree very important to Russia! On the other hand, in tertiary progressions of New Russia we can find tertiary Mercury (natal ruler of Ascendant and 10th house) across the Zodiac on 19º Aries.

Tertiary Mercury moves 1 in one month, so we can conclude that October 2014. is very important for Russia, when it comes to events related to foreign countries, due to the fact that Mercury in New Russia’s chart is positioned in 9th house of foreign countries. As we see, the 19º Libra – 19º Aries axis is active, and the only thing that has to be worked on is an ego issue, where a need to establish a relationship with oneself exists...

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Eclipses Sun and Moon eclipses are very important, on both mundane and personal level. On the personal level, the influence of an eclipse lasts until the next eclipse of the same type, while on a mundane level the influence lasts for several years in some cases. Since the age of Ptolemy, there’s a rule that an eclipse’s effect on a state will last as many years as the eclipse lasted in hours/minutes. The longest Solar eclipse lasted for 8 minutes, while the longest Lunar eclipse lasted for 2 hours, but the phenomena can last 4, 5 or more hours. By listing the ephemeris, I found three eclipses throughout history that could be a relevant influence on Russia.

The first one happened on October 12th, 1958 on 19º Libra, and it was a Solar eclipse (New Moon close to Node axis). It was the ruling period of Nikita Khrushchev who had an important role during the Cold War (as the creator of the Warsaw pact – you can read more about it in my article “Poland and 15ºAquarius”, on my blog). But, the important thing for Russia that happened after this eclipse, a couple of years later, on April 12th, 1961 to be precise, is Yuri Gagarin’s journey to space. He was the first man to fly into outer space, which is the symbolism of Solar eclipse (a new beginning). After a successful flight, Gagarin was promoted and received many awards and titles. However, since this is the degree of Sun’s fall, 19º Libra, life is endangered here... Yuri Gagarin lost his life a few years later, during a routine flight with another pilot on March 27th, 1968. Now let’s take a look at the cups of 8th house (dangerous situations, death) in the chart of this man. Yes, it is on 19º Libra, the degree where life ‘falls’.

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016 The second eclipse happened on October 12th, 1977 also a Solar eclipse, on 19º Libra. Two years later, the Soviets started the war in Afghanistan, also mentioned in this article. Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet leader, died after this eclipse, in 1982. Both events fulfilled the symbolism of the degree of Sun’s fall (reputation, leader, president) – the Soviets lost their reputation in the war with Afghanistan, and a leader died...

The third Solar eclipse happened on April 9th, 1986 on 19º Aries. Four years after the eclipse, USSR came to an end. This activated the axis of exaltation and fall of Sun (19º Libra – 19º Aries), which lead to an inner alignment and balance through the last president of USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, who won the Nobel Prize for peace (19º Aries). Let’s take a second to remember the part of this article where I mentioned that Gorbachev’s secondary Moon was positioned on 19º Libra in the moment when he became president on March 15th, 1990.

It’s obvious that all these eclipses activated 19º Libra, a degree I link to Russia!

Sun (president, king, leader) is weakened on 19º Libra, so, it’s necessary to work on improving one’s awareness of themselves. The moment in which we purify our Sun (identity) is the moment where all fears cease to exist, and every need for conflict or defense (Mars) perishes with them. Then we embody harmony and beauty (Venus) and feel secure (Saturn)...

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016 "The Book of World Horoscopes" Nicholas Campion (chart of USSR - page 263, chart of 266)

New Russia-page

"Horoscopes of Europe" Marc Penfield (Bolshevik Russia 1917 - page 135) Kepler Software (Vladimir Lenin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Yuri Gagarin)

Smiljana is the editor, founder and owner of INFINITY Astrological Magazine. She obtained her astrological education at the Institute for Astrological Research and Education “Johannes Kepler” in Belgrade, where she graduated in October 2010, defending her thesis in Mundane Astrology “European Union – In Varietate Concordia” (united in diversity) and obtained the status of a graduated Astrologer Researcher. In February 2011, she met requirements to work as an Astrologer Consultant and in March of the same year, she became an International Certified Professional Astrologer (ISAR C.A.P.). Smiljana is a member of ISAR (International Society for Astrological Research) and of the Astrological Association of Great Britain. During the academic 2010/11 within the post-graduate level, she studied Hermetic Astrology. In addition to consultations with the clients, Smiljana finds great inspiration in research work, which she presents in her astrological texts. A special emphasis input on finding significant degrees in the Zodiac for a specific country in the area of Mundane Astrology or a significant degree for relations between two persons in the Astrology of Relations. In her search for responses to the question as to why something (or someone) is happening to us, Smiljana also practices Karmic Astrology, as well as the Astrology of Archetype (fixed stars, mythology). Smiljana studied International law and Law of International Organizations at the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade. She interrupted her studies at the last year (in 2006) and since then, she exclusively dedicated her life to self-study of astrology. Her writings have appeared in The Astrological Journal, and on The Mountain Astrologer blog and ISAR’s International Astrologer.

Smiljana was a speaker at two KAPA conferences in Serbia (“REGULUS IN VIRGO”, November 2011 and “CHIRON’S MESSAGES”, November 2013).

In September 2015 she was a speaker at online international astrological conference CINASTRO 2015, Brazil . Her topic was – Russia and 19° Libra.

Krishnamurti Institute of Astrology, Kolkata, India, was published Smiljana’s article about Russia and 19° Libra during it’s conference in January 2016.

Smiljana was a speaker at The AA’s 48th Annual Conference. The AA’s 48th Annual Conference ”Building Bridges and Expanding Our Horizons” took place 9th – 11th September 2016 at Wyboston Lakes near Cambridge, UK. Her lecture was: URANUS IN TAURUS 2018. During her visit to UK, Smiljana gave a talk in the Astrological Lodge of London, too (19th September, 2016).

9th Astrological Conference in Perugia, Italy, 1st-2nd July, 2017

www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com www.astrologsmiljanagavrancic.blogspot.com

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IAM INFINITY Horoscopes Cassandra Tyndall

September 2016 Aries September starts with a brilliant Solar Eclipse in your sector of health, well-being and daily routine. With a high planetary focus in this part of your life, make the self-care rituals you know work well for you your priority. You may experience a reduction in personal energy due to Neptune blurring the boundaries around your obligations and duties. If you’re finding yourself saying ‘yes’ to others which in turn, means saying ‘no’ to yourself, use the power of this eclipse to draw your line in the sand. Set your boundaries about what you’re willing to do and what you can delegate to others.

Taurus September kicks off with a spectacular solar eclipse in your fortunate 5th house. As always, a New Moon holds the promise of a clean slate. Saturn’s influence in this lunation will assist you in gaining increased clarity around a situation that may feel foggy or unclear. As this eclipse occurs while Jupiter is still in Virgo, attention to the details will be super important.

Attend to any lagging commitments or tasks you’ve been avoiding. Close these windows, and big wide doors will begin to open! A big part of this cycle is about bringing meaning to your own life by what you can do for others.

Gemini This month begins with a solar eclipse in your domestic sector. If you’ve been looking to move house or make improvements on your existing home, this New Moon promises a new beginning. Linked closely with the karmic North Node, you may gain some insight into ‘where to from here’, regarding your home and family situation. While this lunation occurs, your ruler Mercury makes a lucky link with Jupiter. You may need to make some final last minute de-cluttering, streamlining or attending to details before Jupiter makes his way out of your domestic scene on the 9th, not to be seen for 12 years.

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Cancer The 17th sees a Full Moon eclipse in the fellow emotional water sign of Pisces. This may stir the soul toward overseas travel, spiritual or religious pursuits, or, to take a course of study that’s been part of a long held dream. As this is a South Node eclipse, the dominating theme is that of letting go or release. Doing away with emotional or physical baggage that prevents you from your deepest desires will be a big part of this eclipse for you. In the aftermath of the eclipse, Venus and Uranus will face off across your home and career sectors on the 19th highlighting decisions regarding your worth and freedom.

Leo Astrology’s benefactor, Jupiter has been in your 2nd sector since August 2015. Despite the amount of hard work you’ve done and promises others have made, your bank balance isn’t reflecting the big benefits you hoped for. The last 12 months have been more about cutting back, de-cluttering and streamlining your financial status to allow room for more. This eclipse will further emphasis that there is so much more you can do with less right now.

Virgo Your patron planet Mercury spends two thirds of September retrograde. You may be a little in go-slow mode this month as you feel more introspective, needing some quiet time alone. The next four weeks is about re-connecting with what you love and making that your main priority. You’ve had an exceptionally busy 12 months with Jupiter’s visit in your sign, this is now your time to stop and take stock of what life is truly about for you. You may find yourself making decisions that lead you to making more heartfelt and authentic choices about how you choose to live your life.

Libra You’re now entering a cycle where you need to put yourself first more often. This may put other people out at times, but some healthy self- interest will be good for you! This is a special time to add more meaning or purpose to your life by doing what makes your soul sing.

You may find yourself wanting to open your mind in new ways that may involve learning or travel. This next year will be peppered with experiences that promise adventure, excitement and joy. Consider saying ‘yes’ to the things you would normally offer a polite ‘no’ too and watch your world expand in new ways.

Scorpio Your planetary ruler, Mars, makes an exciting link to quirky Uranus under the Full Moon eclipse. This cosmic combination will bring about brilliant new initiatives regarding how you can improve your financial landscape. Uranus is about independence, innovation and freedom. These themes in relation to your money choices will be highlighted. With your 5th house activated under this eclipse, what you do for pleasure may the key to success. It may be

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wise to keep your cards close to your chest as Jupiter, the ruler of this eclipse, has just slipped into your 12th house of secrets. Be thoughtful with whom you share your ideas with now.

Sagittarius Your need for freedom and independence is supported under the Full Moon eclipse on the 17th, as Mars aligns with Uranus. Initiating a new way to go about things and taking decisive action will help you gain the work/life balance this eclipse highlights. Although your current cosmic forecast is about work, ambition and pursuing goals, this eclipse is about pressing pause and going home. The Full Moon in your domestic sector will help reveal what may be unclear of confusing. Taking time out under the Full Moon will help you recharge your batteries and reset your soul.

Capricorn September 1st brings an exciting New Moon eclipse in your 9th solar sector of study, travel and philosophy. Outdated attitudes or old ways of thinking can be done away with to embrace a new and improved mental outlook. Mercury’s backward passage in this area of your horoscope will help you reflect upon the year, using it has a learning curve or blueprint for the future. If you are planning a holiday during September, or looking to make progress in the realm of study or publishing, take extra time out for delays, cross-wires and confusion that are hallmarks of Mercury retrograde.

Aquarius Financial baggage, debt or fear can be released during the powerful New Moon on the 1st.

Connected to the North Node, this eclipse can help you set the money tone for the future if you approach your situation in a practical fashion. In combination with the eclipse, Mercury is retrograde, also in Virgo. This may not be the most ideal time to action new money plans, but is perfect for enlisting help from a professional, drawing up a new budget or long term money plan. Once Mercury returns to direct motion on the 21st, you can begin to implement your new and revised money strategies.

Pisces Mercury’s reverse cycle also provides an ideal opportunity to ‘check in’ with your partner.

This will ensure you’re on the same page regarding things pertaining to logistics as well as your long term plans. Due to the busy pace of everyday life, it’s easy to make assumptions or become blasé. Take time out sometime before the 21st to have a long conversation about anything you generally don’t often talk about. If you’re single, Mercury may bring you back in contact with someone from your past, or thoughts to a former love may jog old memories.

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September 2016 Aries A cycle of action and progress is promised this month as Mars visits your work sector. A meet up with planetary powerhouse, Pluto, may help you make a clean break or strike out in a new professional direction. Whichever way you choose to go, you’ve been gifted with an extra dose of ambition, drive and determination to achieve your goals. Relationships are also a primary focus as the New Moon is closely aligned with larger than life, Jupiter. A stabilising influence from Saturn will help manifest long term projects and plans regarding a significant relationship, either personal, professional or both.

Taurus Getting out of your comfort zone is a big influence this month. Firstly, your ruler Venus is in your relationships sector, encouraging you to delve beyond the practical elements of love.

Your deepest love desires will be highlighted by truth, trust and loyalty. If you’ve been shy to ask for what you truly want in a relationship, now is the time to lay your cards on the table.

The New Moon will trigger your day-to-day routine and help you get out of a rut. As you become increasingly busy, thanks to Jupiter’s influence, maintain your sense of harmony and balance with nourishing food and additional exercise.

Gemini Fun and good times are highlighted this month with a planetary party in your 5th sector. The New Moon on the 1st will offer you the chance to do away with boring routines and prioritise fun. Your ruler Mercury also activates this part of your solar horoscope from the 7th-24th.

Accept invitations and embrace opportunities to socialise and expand your network. Love matters may come to a head on the 30th. If things have been going well, Venus and Saturn’s snuggle will feel secure and supportive. On the other hand, if you’ve been walking on shaky ground, this connection may force you to face reality.

Cancer This month’s Full Moon has the potential to bring profound changes. The Moon will illuminate your career zone alongside change agent Uranus. Anything is possible under this pairing, but sudden events are highlighted on and around the 16th. Mars and Pluto join forces on the 19th, also bringing the promise of a turning point in a situation you’ve outgrown.

These cosmic combinations will prompt change and progress that will likely manifest in your home and family, your work, or your most significant relationship. It’s quite possible that October’s conclusion will be nothing like its beginning!

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Leo October is a productive month for study, network or self-promotion. The New Moon on the 1st is ideal for setting intentions involving writing or short distance travel. You may be longing for a weekend away just to read, write or relax. Taking a short course or a weekend workshop will expand your mind and offer a new perspective. The 16th sees the Sun connect with innovative Uranus and the Full Moon. You may feel compelled to take on a new path that you cannot explain, but feels right. Overseas travel or immersing yourself into a field of knowledge that deeply inspires you may be triggered.

Virgo Money issues are highlighted on the New Moon on the 1st. Under Saturn’s watchful eye, you’re supported in long lasting changes. Growth is promised, but can be easily lost if spending increases. The Full Moon on the 16th will trigger decisions regarding debt or obtaining a loan. Uranus’ influence will bring sudden and expected money changes. Mercury links to Pluto on the 16th, promising financial progress and change. You’ll be motivated toward implementing bold action when Mars and Pluto join forces on the 20th. The 27th sees Mercury and the Sun join forces in a very fortunate and auspicious union. Offer a proposal, make a decision or an announcement.

Libra After a period of introspection and exploring your inner world, October heralds a 12-month phase all about you. A dream or goal may begin to prosper under the seed planting vibe of the New Moon in your sign on the 1st. Make a promise to begin projects that have personal tone and will project you forward in a way that sees you grow. Progress toward long held goals in your domestic sector is promised under the Mars/Pluto conjunction on the 19th. Being more outspoken toward family members or taking charge of matters may be necessary.

Scorpio The New and Full Moons bring attention toward your most private sectors. A radical decision may be made under the Full Moon pertaining to your day to day routines. You’ll be inspired to shake things up and instigate sudden changes to your health, lifestyle and your job. All these changes are about deeper exploration of your inner world. The potential for hot-underthe-collar encounters will surface under the Mars/Pluto link on the 19th. If siblings or neighbours disapprove of recent choices, you may be forced to defend your decision. With effort and focus you can move mountains by doing what feels right for you.

Sagittarius Utilising your networks and connections will be beneficial on the 11th when Mercury and Jupiter join. Friends will provide a key influence regarding a turning point or change in direction in your personal income and cash flow. Important financial decisions can be made when Mars and Pluto join on the 19th. Fun and good times are promised under the Full Moon

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on the 16th. With quirky Uranus in the mix, be prepared for a sudden change of plans or unexpected adventures. Uranus is like a cosmic wild card. With your open mind and thirst for adventure, anything is possible!

Capricorn The month begins with a New Moon in your career sector. New beginnings are promised with work and Saturn supports longevity regarding your new plans. A Mars/Pluto conjunction on the 19th will highlight a turning point or change in direction. A forceful approach to what you want may be necessary. Venus joins Saturn on the 29th in the adventurous sign of Sagittarius.

This may be an ideal time to explore new places with your loved one, or if your single, an optimistic attitude may attract a steady and stable new influence in your life.

Aquarius Your travel and learning sectors are highlighted this month with the New and Full Moon. You seek to find meaning and purpose and a greater sense of fulfilment. If you have big dreams in the field of learning, teaching, publishing or travel the 1st and 16th are highlighted for you to initiate plans and make decisions. Both Saturn and Uranus will create a combination of support and volatility in just the right measure to support your progress. The 10th – 12th are your personal power days where you are comically supported to chase your dreams.

Pisces The New Moon on the 1st will bring new beginnings in your ‘other people’s money’ zone.

Hard work is beginning to pay off in the form of paying down debt or positioning you to take out a significant loan. New and radical decisions may be made on the 16th as the Full Moon aligns with Uranus, bringing changes to your personal income. New ideas, changes or the unexpected are possible now, so ensure all bases are covered financially. You may benefit from teaming up with someone else, either your partner or a professional expert to help point you in the right direction with money.

Cassandra is an avid professional astrologer, writer and teacher, based in Brisbane, Australia. Her interest in Astrology started when she was a child reading horoscopes in her mother’s magazines.Known for her honesty, passion and insight, Cassandra offers consultations to people all over the globe.With over 10 years experience, Cassandra combines ancient and traditional methods with a modern day spin to enhance specific predictions and offers practical and inspired guidance.

Cassandra is known and respected for bringing the symbolism of the signs and planets and using this as a tool for helping you discover inner knowledge, clarity, wisdom and benefit.Cassandra’s work has featured in Wellbeing magazine, Women’s Health and Fitness as well as numerous websites. She is the former president of the Young Astrologers Association (NSW) and was on the board of the Federation of Australian Astrologer’s.When Cassandra doesn’t have her head in the stars, you’ll find her in the gym or at home with her beloved baby son.

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THE LACHESIS ISSUE Sept/Oct 2016

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