Humankind is evolving in mind as well as in body. Indeed the body is a reflection of mind or consciousness.
As we enter the 2000-year span of the age of Aguarius, we find that the ground rules are subtly different from those of the preceeding age, Pisces. Many changes since the turn of the century in 1900 indicate greater emphasis on a scientific approach to life, choosing a way of life that is more suited to one's personal needs, and redefining roles, such as god-self, man-woman, parent-child, society-individual, and so on.
To me life must be a conscious journey to have meaning; but mind must be balanced with heart.
So I offer my observations, discoveries, and points of illumination here in this manifestation of the Aquarian age, the web-log. If you would like to comment, feel free.
Disclaimer: I reserve the right to be silly sometimes, to sometimes completely miss the point, and to be unfocussed until I'm focussed.
Here is a chart for the full Moon on Wednesday, 26 September 2007, 7:46PM (GMT).
Lisa Dale Miller at Astrowisdom.com in discussing the upcoming full Moon tells us:
On an Aries Full Moon your intention is best released with these qualities in mind: spontaneity, wonder, curiosity, adventurousness, and innocence. There are few times in an adult life when we can begin anew without dragging along our past pain, fear and worries. But this is the Full Moon to strive for releasing your intention with childlike hopefulness and inner faith. Know that what comes from your strong intention will be evolutionary, supportive and…. well, a big adventure! So smile and let it fly! Since Aries is a fire sign, releasing is best done through burning, and fire ritual is best done with safety in mind; so make sure to use a cauldron, indoor fireplace, or a stone fire circle at the beach to do this ritual.
Jeffrey Kishner at Lunar Tunes Astrology advises:
During this Full Moon, the spotlight shines on your needs. It's "me" time. Meanwhile, the "we" is tugging at your sleeve, wanting to talk talk talk, when all you want is to do do do. Now is not the time to start something new, as much as to recognize how you've been neglecting your impulses to carve out your own direction in life.
Doing your own thing does not necessitate moving out or moving on. However, to maintain an independent spirit within a relationship, you have to make sure you don't neglect the needs of your partnership. There's no easy formula like, "I'll see The Jane Austen Book Club tonight with my girlfriends, and tomorrow we'll see your friend's band together." Each relationship is its own ecosystem, and you have to figure out how to maintain homeostasis. A general rule of thumb, though, is that too much time either separate or together can threaten the delicate balance.
In this chart I see a mystic rectangle formed by Sun-Moon, Ascendant-Part of Fortune. Since the Part of Fortune is a synthetic point calculated from the positions of the Sun-Moon-Ascendant, this rectangle may be dismissed as meaningless or valued for its close aspects. According to Michael Meyer in A Handbook for the Humanistic Astrologer this formation represents:
... a synthetic and integrative ability, because it combines awareness (opposition), understanding (trine), and productivity (sextile), as well as linking complementary elements.
But, most of all, when I look at this chart I see the Sun-Moon combo aligning with the Virgo-Pisces axis, conjunct the cusps of the 6th and 12th houses. Because this chart is cast for Greenwich Mean Time, its locus is Greenwich, England. House relationships are tied to a location. Looking at the U.S chart, you can see that the conjunct to the cusps of the 6th and 12th houses is no longer true.
Still, it seems to me that this year has been particularly concerned with service-sacrifice matters: the war in Iraq from the perspective of the soldier, the emphasis on religion and the religious right in politics and jahid, itself. Note that all of the major soli-lunar events this year occurred in Pisces or Virgo:
A glance at Astrology Weekly's list of eclipses for 2008 shows the axis shifting to Leo-Aquarius with a relapse in February. The motif of this axis is self-centered vs. group-centered and the objective is balance.
Journal entry dated 24 September 2007
Category: Whatis Aquarian, Astrology
Here is a chart for the new Moon on Tuesday, 11 September 2007, 12:46PM (GMT). There is also a partial solar eclipse
Lisa Dale Miller at Astrowisdom.com in discussing the upcoming new Moon with solar eclipse tells us
This last eclipse of 2007 will be visible from parts of South America, Antarctica and the South Atlantic. To find out more, visit NASA's eclipse page http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html. This solar eclipse represents the energy of the Virgo Sun being hidden from view by the Virgo Moon. So the readily apparent qualities of Virgo become subsumed by the unconscious properties and propensities of the constellation. It is easy to consider the dark side of Virgoan qualities like perfectionism and idealism; I know my inner critical tyrant quite well.
What is not so easy is to imagine the dark side of the desire to serve and/or heal. The New Moon in Virgo is asking each of us to look deeply at our own inner agendas, with a critical eye toward whether we do this work to get our own emotional and egoic needs met? Consider how much you walk your talk? Do you teach others to live better, healthier lives and still find yourself unable to change your own physical, emotional and mental condition? Do you empower or dis-empower the people you help? With a Grand Square, the call to let go of self-gratification is quite big on this New Moon.
So let's move on and talk about Virgo. When most astrologers speak about Virgo (usually through gritted teeth and with more than a bit of negativity) they use descriptives like perfectionistic, critical, analytical, organized, discriminating, scientific, empirical, and calculating. Well, show me one person who hasn't wished to have any one of these qualities when they were badly needed! In truth, we all express our Virgo side when we strive to be our best. (Which I might add is not such a bad thing.) Sometimes, when referring to Virgo, we are lucky enough to hear astrologers use words like healing, service, sacrifice, and mentoring. Virgo is the healer, the doctor, the nurse, the teacher, the therapist, the worker, the researcher, the scientist, and the engineer. For Virgo, caring comes in the form of finding workable solutions to everyday problems. Virgo is the true healer of the zodiac because for Virgo, if something causes pain, it warrants serious attention and a real cure.
Jeffrey Kishner at Lunar Tunes Astrology has some particularly choice words about this new Moon:
The Moon is the body, though, and health-conscious Virgo feels at home improving the vessel that contains our soul. But if you're thinking that this Virgo Solar Eclipse provides the perfect opportunity to start a new exercise regimen and eat healthy, you are sorely mistaken. In fact, any efforts you make towards spending a peaceful hour or two alphabetizing your vitamins and herbal supplements will be sabotaged by Uranus, whose sole intent is to make you take Ginkgo when you meant to ingest Guarana.
The planet of surprises and sudden turnarounds is in Pisces, opposite the Virgo New Moon. Uranus lives to disrupt, and control-freaks like Virgo are one of this planet's favorite targets, for rigidity is anathema to the principle of revolutionary ideas and unconventional acts. Yes, it is time to think about ways to improve your health and attend to workplace issues (especially now that Saturn has entered this sign), but Uranus wants you to work in a novel twist to your approaches. Don't just follow the latest diet fad or rely on tried-and-true tips on how to get along with your colleagues. Think outside the box! If you don't, Uranus will find a way to subvert your plans. An offbeat spoken-word artist will sit in the cubicle next to you, spouting inventive rhymes while you're analyzing your spreadsheet. Take a step back and imbibe the images emanating from your LCD screen. Your Excel document is nothing more than pixels which are recognized as patterns by your Virgo mind. Cells, borders, numbers ... once you see they're just dots, you're free to read the Microsoftian Illumunita on your PC, and you're a click away from Nirvana.
Jeff Jawer at stariq.com tells us in his New Moon Report:
This New Moon in Virgo is an explosive Solar Eclipse opposed by electric Uranus while assertive Mars and expansive Jupiter form tense right angle squares to the Sun-Moon conjunction. Nerves are easily rattled by surprising events and pressure builds if we try to keep the lid on a situation that is bound to change. This is earthquake energy that will release unresolved tension hidden below the surface. Volatility in personal matters or worldly events is best met with faith, forgiveness and imagination, as the integrating North Node in Pisces shows that the way to fulfillment is through spirit, not matter.
What attracts my attention is Mars, square the Sun-Moon conjunction, applying to an opposition to Pluto in Sagittarius. Mars' being in Gemini activates and energizes communication, especially speech; Pluto in Sagittarius promotes purification, helps with restitution, induces a transition and, perhaps, gives a happy ending.
Looking at the U.S. natal chart, Mars is conjuncting its natal position, a return which occurs every two years. This suggests the beginning of a two-year Martian cycle; and is occurring in the 8th house. The eighth house corresponds with Scorpio. In a natal chart it represents birth, death, beginnings and endings; sexual relationships and deeply committed relationships of all kinds; joint monies, taxes, legacies, and corporate finances; occult and psychic matters. In a mundane figure the eighth represents
The wikipedia says of a Mars transit:
Transiting Mars energizes the areas of life related to the natal planet being effected. The person will be more energetic and be able to work harder than usual. But Mars can also promote tension and anger, so there is a need to watch the temper during a Mars transit, especially for transits with the moon. Plan to keep busy during a Mars transit so as to have an outlet for this excessive energy. There is also a need to take extra precautions against rushing and accidents. Be on especial guard when Mars transits the sun or the ascendant.
Journal entry dated 8 September 2007
Category: Whatis Aquarian, Astrology
Here is a second selection of quotes from recent issues of TIME magazine:
June 25 2007: "The New Action Heroes" (Michael Grunwald) -- an article on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and how they and other mayors and governors are attacking, and effectively winning on, social issues that the feds won't touch (but should). What caught my attention was this description of gun control:
To Bloomberg, Washington means gridlock, extremism and pettiness. It's the place where homeland-security funds were "spread out like peanut butter" for political reasons, so that rural states got more per capita than New York. And it's the place that's blocking him from cracking down on illegal guns. In 2005, after a rash of shootings, Bloomberg's aides told him that 90% of the illegal guns used in local crimes came from out of state and that 1% of U.S. gun dealers supplied 60% of its crime guns. And the Bush Administration had stopped tracking the problem; in fact, the GOP Congress had enacted NRA-backed language restricting federal officials from sharing gun-trace information with local police. Bloomberg appealed to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales but got the brush-off. So the mayor hired investigators to run stings in gun shops nationwide and sued 27 of the shadiest dealers; a dozen are now under court supervision. He also started Mayors Against Illegal Guns to fight the information-sharing restrictions; the group has recruited more than 220 mayors in a year, but Congress has not reversed the policy. "Ultimately, you have to blame the public," Bloomberg says. "They're not holding Washington accountable."
July 9 2007: The Growing Dangers of the China Trade (Jyoti Thottam) With recalls of lead-tainted toys and lethal toothpaste, this article is particularly pertinent. We
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also struggling to keep up [as are other federal product-safety agencies]. Shipments of FDA-regulated goods from China have jumped fourfold over the past decade, according to the Congressional Research Service. But the FDA has only 1,317 field investigators for 320 ports of entry. The agency inspects just 0.7% of all imports under its purview, half of what it did 10 years ago. We've dropped our guard.
Sure, it would be great if the FDA could stamp every import with its seal of approval the way the Department of Agriculture does: meat, poultry and eggs can't be imported without meeting its standards. But David Acheson, who was appointed the FDA's assistant commissioner for food protection after the recall of tainted pet food in March, says that kind of monitoring for 16 million shipments of everything from cough syrup to toothpaste would be "too complex and cumbersome."
So instead the FDA saves its fire for the high-risk goods that have caused health problems. That's what happened in early June with Chinese-made toothpaste. Following 100 deaths in Panama linked to cough syrup containing diethylene glycol (the ingredient had been mislabeled as glycerin, which is harmless), the FDA issued an import alert on all toothpaste made in China, tested the tubes it could find for the toxin and recalled the questionable batches. "Obviously it's not possible for us to test every product that is coming in to make sure it's meeting every standard we have," Acheson says. "It's got to be based on risk."
That's an efficient use of resources, but it makes the FDA a "tombstone" agency: nothing happens unless someone dies. "Consumers are the canary in the coal mine for this system," says Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "That's not what a government program should do. It should anticipate and prevent problems." ...
Large global corporations have, for the most part, assumed that responsibility. Nike, the athletic-apparel company, sources 78 million shoes from contract manufacturers in China and requires them, in writing, to meet Nike's standards, says spokesman Alan Marks. When the company recently decided to reduce its environmental impact by using a water-based adhesive in its shoes, Nike added layers of checks to make sure its contractors followed the new specs. Nike's product specialists developed a list of banned substances; there is systematic monitoring in the factory and quality control of the finished products. In some industries, like electronics, manufacturers pay outside-testing outfits such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to fill that role. UL has been testing products like extension cords from Chinese companies for the U.S. market for almost 30 years. ...
July 16 2007: "Giving the Poor Their Rights" (Madeleine Albright) -- an article about the powerlessness experienced by those *NOT* having a birth certificate, legal address or deeds to their shacks and market stalls. (Something I had never considered before, but intriguing. On the reverse side, having a paper trail gives Big Brother your name and whereabouts--something only someone with a birth certificate can appreciate, I suspect.) Quoting Ms. Albright,
In Kibera--and in thousands of other urban settlements around the world--poor citizens like Margaret have no legal identity: no birth certificates, legal addresses or deeds to their shacks and market stalls. Without legal documents, they live in constant fear of being evicted by local officials or landlords. Joseph Muturi, 33, who runs a small clothing business in Toi market, says, "We live with the thought that bulldozers can flatten our stalls anytime. I know that in a matter of hours, all this can disappear." ...
The problem is twofold. Illiteracy is a major reason poor people often choose not to seek the protection of local courts, since in many countries, laws established under colonial rule have never been translated into local languages. When would-be entrepreneurs do set out to legally register a business, they are easily discouraged by the mass of bureaucratic red tape and costly fees. In Egypt, for example, starting a bakery takes 500 days, compliance with 315 laws, visits to 29 agencies and the financial equivalent of 27 times the monthly minimum wage. A recent study by the Inter-American Development Bank in 12 Latin American countries found that only 8% of all enterprises are legally registered and that close to 23 million businesses operate in the shadow economy. The proprietors of these businesses cannot get loans, enforce contracts or expand beyond a personal network of familiar customers and partners.
As a result, the poor have no choice but to accept insecurity and instability as a way of life. But when governments grant people legal means to control their assets, they empower them to invest and plan for the future. In San Francisco Solano, a barrio outside Buenos Aires, Argentine economists studied the experience of two communities--one that received title to its land in the early 1980s, another that did not. The group of neighbors that had received legal title to its land surpassed the group without title in a range of social indicators, including quality of house construction, education levels and rates of teen pregnancy.
Our organization is visiting settlements around the world to map out practical paths for change. We are also working with partners like Sheela Patel of Slum Dwellers International, who is helping to relocate more than 23,000 households in Mumbai by organizing communities to present their demands directly to state and municipal governments. The challenge is to replicate that experience globally--to give the poor a platform for demanding legal rights and hold political leaders accountable for responding. The commission is also partnering with CIVICUS, an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action, to put this vital issue on the agenda in the global fight on poverty. You can get involved by visiting our website, where you can vote in a CIVICUS poll.
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Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, and de Soto, president of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, are co-chairs of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor
All of these articles can be found at TIME's archives -- www.time.com. Use the title of the article to search.
Journal entry dated 29 August 2007
Category: Eye on a world becoming
Here is the September calendar with astrological notation.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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| << < | Current | > >> | ||||
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| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | ||||||
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