INsight
March 2009
NEWS
The BIG news this month is the release of my
first book, Secrets of the Zodiac.
It’s said that Aries is like the newborn infant,
while Pisces is the wise old sage and other signs represent the various stages of life and learning in between.
Secrets of the Zodiac explores this ancient astrological concept; that we evolve as we journey through the zodiac.
It focuses on how each Sun sign can teach something to the sign before it and learn important lessons from the sign which follows.
EVENTS
On Saturday 14 March at 2 pm at Altona Library I will be giving a free talk on the basics of astrology. This talk is open to the public and I will have books available for sale.
The following Saturday, 21 March, at 2 pm I will be speaking at the Victorian Astrologers Association, where I will be expanding on the central idea behind the book and exploring the nature of oriental and occidental planets, which are planets which rise before and after the Sun respectively.
Bookings are now open for term two meditation.
Classes will commence Monday April 20.
March Feature:
Melbourne’s Crazy Weather
Here in Victoria we are all reeling with shock in the aftermath of the catastrophic fires, and some fires are still burning.
For many in the direct path of the fires, tragically there was no escape. Sadly, a great number of animals were also killed.
There is not much anyone can do when confronted with weather conditions like we experienced that day.
I grew up in the Blue Mountains and witnessed the big fires there in 1968. It was a close call, we lost the side fence, but fortunately my family survived; thanks to a combination of sheer luck and excellent water pressure.
In the aftermath of the recent fires amid unimaginable grief and suffering, people across the world have responded by opening their hearts and donating generously to the relief effort.
The astrological community is also collecting to help our animal friends recover. If you would like to help, please donate to Wildlife Victoria’s Zodiac Appeal here.
The weather that day was, in a word, hellish. It reached 47.9 degrees Celsius in parts of Melbourne and the northerly wind was like a blast furnace. Just stepping outside, even if you were nowhere near the fires, was like stepping into a kiln.
February is the midpoint between the solstice and the equinox and traditionally the hottest month in the southern hemisphere, the coldest in the northern hemisphere.
February comes from a word which means, to cleanse, and it is associated with purification while Aquarius is the sign known for its extremes and we currently we have not just the Sun, but a stellium of planets located there.
In the northern hemisphere they have had one of the coldest winters on record. Interestingly, global temperatures in 2008 were the coldest since 2001, which may have something to do with the fact that there are still very few sunspots. With climate change starting to impact on us all, it’s worth noting that these recent fires may have been a lot worse if it was a solar maximum.
When the Sun moves through about 15 degrees of fixed signs, this is the height of each season. These are known as cross-quarter days.
Feb 2-7 marks the Celtic festival of Imbolc, one of the four main festivals in the Celtic calendar. Traditionally, at this time of year people would watch the behaviour of animals to see if they emerged from their winter hibernation, which indicated that the spring thaw would come early, but if no activity was witnessed, winter would continue. This is the origin of the American tradition known as Groundhog Day.
Melbourne was first settled on 30 August 1835. On the afternoon of that day, construction of the first dwelling began. (See chart below, inner wheel.) I use 3 pm, which puts Neptune on the Ascendant and Saturn on the MC with Mars prominent in the 9th.
Melbourne is known for its crazy weather, even before climate change. Neptune rising in Aquarius fits with our changeable (Uranus) weather (Neptune), and also refelcts the arts and fashion focus of our city. Saturn and Mars meanwhile, symbolise our conservative attitudes and sport loving nature.
On the day of the recent firestorm, transiting Mars was exactly conjunct the Ascendant and Neptune. The transiting South Node was making a conjunction to Vesta, goddess of the hearth, sadly reflecting the destruction of so many homes and the tragic loss of family, loved ones, pets and wildlife.
Climate change not withstanding, extreme weather events are more likely in the months of February and August when the Sun is in Aquarius or Leo, for in these months the Sun’s power is at its greatest or lowest ebb, depending on which hemisphere you are in. Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans, for example happened on 29-30 August (the same day Melbourne was founded) in 2005.
The big Melbourne dust storm and the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 both occurred in February and in February 2005 we had the wettest day ever on record, when many parts of Melbourne flooded. (See outer wheel chart below).
That day the Sun and Neptune were together in a conjunction and opposed Melbourne’s Vesta. Several planets were close to Melbourne’s Ascendant and Neptune, while the Ascendant ruler, Uranus, was opposing the Sun and its ruler, Mercury.
For more on the weather see my long range weather forecast for the coming quarter, below.
March 2009 Forecast
VENUS STATION RETROGRADE
7 MARCH 2009
Venus stations and turns retrograde as she begins heading back towards a rendezvous with the Sun. Venus has been the evening star now for many months. She reaches inferior conjunction about 20 days from now, shortly afterwards she becomes the morning star and then will turn direct once more.
In relation to the Earth, Venus has a cycle of 584 days. A Venus year is 225 days long, compared to our year of 365 days which is in the ratio of 5:8, or 1.618, the Golden Ratio.
The golden ratio is a natural pattern of growth which can be seen everywhere in natures spiral patterns, in shells, flowers, plants and even in the building blocks of life, DNA.
Venus draws a five pointed star, a pentacle, as she moves through the zodiac over an eight year period, 5:8
Venus retrograde cycles highlight the need to connect with, and assess and reflect on our connection to the natural world, our personal values and our relationships.
What are the most important, the most valuable aspects of life?
VIRGO FULL MOON
11 March 2009
This is a potent Full Moon. At last month’s Full Moon you might recall the Sun-Moon opposition was semi-sextile the Saturn-Uranus opposition. Now at this Full Moon the Sun is conjunct Uranus and the Moon is conjunct Saturn as they continue to oppose one another.
How are the big events of the world impacting us personally? Do we have a choice in how we respond to these times of uncertainty?
This Full Moon straddles the MC/IC axis in eastern Australia and similar time zones north, in places such as Japan, which may be under added gravitational pressure now, perhaps leading to greater seismic activity.
The stability, structure and security of Saturn and the innovative, maverick, changeable energy of Uranus continue to confront each other throughout 2009.
Change is certainly indicated and needed, but how are traditional institutions to manage this cycle of dramatic upheaval? Will they all survive? Which will manage to reform their practices and which will struggle and fall? And just how far does reform and new regulation need to go? How much government intervention is required and in what way?
Some countries are even on the verge of bankruptcy. We live in extraordinary times of change and adjustments are necessary.
How do these changes affect us personally and what aspects of our life are coming to an end?
These are some of the key questions of this Full Moon, for now we also have an opportunity to see how we can personally contribute to making a difference. Creative thinking and fresh ideas, combined with the focus on taking more personal responsibility and living within our means by employing conservative and practical measures can provide new solutions.
Opposition aspects illuminate our understanding of our relationship to others and to the world as a whole. The opposition aspect is the height of the waxing cycle; the faster moving planet is illuminated. Both Saturn and the Moon are now in a position to receive the light from the Sun and illumination from Uranus. Now is the time to face reality and decide on a plan forward.
Saturn is retrograde and making her closest approach to the Earth on 9 March, highlighting the need to be aware of the finite limitations of planet Earth and to work in harmony with her.
Uranus will reach superior conjunction on 13 March and will be at his furthest distance from Earth, being seeded by the Sun with fresh ideas which awaken us to the potential future we can create.
ARIES INGRESS 20 March 2009 |
AUTUMN EQUINOX – Long range weather forecast
Astrological weather forecasting is a tricky business, but it is thought you can get an idea of the likely conditions from the ingress charts for the solstices and the equinoxes.
The solstices and equinoxes herald the beginning of each season, when the Sun enters Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.
In the 21 December Capricorn ingress chart for Melbourne you might recall, the Sun, Pluto and Mars were conjunct in Leo’s house and Leo and the South Node were rising. This seemed to suggest very hot and dry weather and extreme fire danger.
Interestingly, the same chart calculated for the capital city of Qld, where there has been extensive flooding over recent months, has fertile Ceres rising in Virgo, opposing Uranus in Pisces. In myth, Ceres wept inconsolably in grief over the loss of her daughter, so her location on the Ascendant in Virgo is in keeping with a heavy downpour.
In this Aries ingress chart set for Melbourne, it seems the warm weather is set to continue. With Sagittarius rising, and Jupiter in air sign Aquarius, along with Chiron, Neptune, Juno and the North Node, at first glance there doesn’t seem to be much to indicate any much needed rain for the south-eastern states of Australia in the coming quarter.
Mars, however, the ruler of Aries, is located in water sign Pisces, along with Mercury and Uranus, so while the general outlook seems to be warm, there is the possibility we may experience some sudden heavy downpours, electrical storms and strong winds in the coming quarter.
Since Ceres seems to be associated with rain and she is closely opposing Mars, and with Jupiter on the IC, I get the feeling we may be in for a humid, stormy and wet autumn quarter in Victoria.
ARIES NEW MOON
27 March 2009
Venus will reach inferior conjunction tomorrow when she makes her closest approach to the Earth. In this chart she closely combines with the Sun, the Moon and with Mercury, all of which are disposited by Mars in Pisces. The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is: A man succeeds in expressing himself simultaneously in two realms.
Like all New Moons this one offers the hope of a fresh beginning, but at the same time one where opposing energies can be reconciled.
The challenge is in the squares that the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus all make to Pluto in Capricorn, which is asking us tighten our belts and find new ways to conduct our day-to-day business. We need to start fresh. New approaches are needed.
Pluto in Capricorn is forcing us to live within our means and the finite resources of planet Earth. We have 16 years to affect these changes.
Time and again, greed has led the materially minded and even the best intentioned, to act selfishly without regard for others, or for the planet, or for tomorrow.
Survival of the fittest has become survival of the fattest! Assets accumulated on credit are now vanishing beneath slabs of debt.
If we had been realistic in the first place, and had lived within our means, we would not now be forced to tighten our belts.
The biggest loser? Those with the most to lose. The little guy may fall through the cracks initially, but is likely to be the first to get back to his feet, much wiser for the experience.
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. At this month, the month of the Aries Equinox and Aries New Moon, we have an opportunity to begin again.
