Janet's Planets

A Myth for Leo

The Sun moved into Leo Jul 22, 2010 until August 23, 2010.

 

Strength, power and will are the traits of the kingly and queenly sign of Leo.  Others can be defeated by life, but Leo types are tough and have the strength and will to meet life’s problems courageously, intelligently and in a kingly manner.  Of course this kingly pride can lead to arrogant authoritarianism or the despotic king.  Because they are a royal sign they love the aristocracy and because royalty is at home with beautiful expensive things, you will find them in an overlarge house, in a big car or wearing kingly garments,  Even those who try to hide their Leo nature, give it away in one of these ways.  They have a nobility and dignity about them that causes us to look up to them when we are in need of a leader.

 

They radiate joy of life itself and have a warm heart.  The dark side, the shadow, of the Leo is pride.  First they must integrate this shadow and understand it and then they can move on to manifest the highest level of Leo which is creative self expression.

 

Another weakness of Leo is that they are too easily led and taken advantage of by those who are manipulative and take advantage of the Leo’s unbounded generosity.  But no sign can recover faster than a Leo when they discover they are being led down the primrose path.

 

They have the ability to govern, rule, organize and teach.

 

Leo

Fire Element:   Intuitive and creative experiences

Fixed Mode:  Concentrated energy

Hero Type:  Determined hero, extroverted style

Archetypes:  The King, The Queen and The Performer

Leo Moon:  Inner need to be noticed

Leo Sun:  The goal is Performance

Leo Ascendant:  Theater, Games

Myth:  Phaeton

Phaeton, or “he who shines,” is at school and brags that he is the son of Apollo.  The other children don’t believe him.  He comes home very upset and asks his mother if he is really Apollo’s son.  She tells him to ask Apollo himself.  Phaeton goes to Apollo and tells him that if he really is his father, he will grant anything Phaeton wants.  Apollo asks what Phaeton wants, and he says he wants to drive the chariot that pulls the sun around the earth.  Apollo warns Phaeton not to ask for what he is not ready to do.  He is warned that the horses are too strong and the job is too difficult.  However, Phaeton insists.  Apollo tries to give him instructions, but Phaeton is impatient and takes off by himself in the chariot.  He first pulls the sun too high, and the earth becomes too cold.  The sight of the constellation Scorpio in the sky frightens him, and he drops the reins. Next he goes too low, and the earth becomes too hot, burning the crops.  The people complain to Zeus, who shoots Phaethon down with a thunderbolt, turning him into a shooting star.

 

Leo Traits:  Leos are mortal, but come from the divine.  They want to be special and to be recognized as central.  Sometimes they demand to be recognized before they have accomplished anything, even before they have gained the necessary skills or expertise.  They must learn that there is a difference between demanding attention, and earning the attention of others.  Scorpio, another fixed sign, is a match for Leo. Leos can  be too optimistic and can fly too high, but they also can become an inspiration to others.

 

Primary Goal:  To express drama and creativity to others

 

Challenge: What should I perform? Whom should I perform for?

 

Janet Kane

 

 

July 2010 Forecast

One of the major delusions of our culture is that unlimited economic growth can be accomplished within limited space with limited materials and limited intelligence. - Wendell Berry

A lot of people who know astrology have been waiting for some significant event to happen soon because of the cardinal square and the eclipse hitting that square on Jun 26.   I think a lineup like the square and the eclipse don’t portend a big event as much as it indicates the start of a new era. 

I think a good description of this new era we are entering is in a book just published called Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben.  His thesis is that, “The world we have known has ended, even if we don’t know it yet.  We need to understand the world we have created and consider – urgently- how to live in it. We will need to figure out what parts of our lives and our ideologies we must abandon so that we can protect the core of our societies and civilization.”   This sounds like Pluto, Saturn and Uranus square to me.

The year that these planets were moving into orb with each other was 2008.  Throughout his book, he mentions 2008 and 2009 as the years that we received the information from government agencies and others that our world had changed in fundamental ways.  NASA released it’s study on global warming in 2008 stating that the results of climate change has happened faster than anyone had predicted.  Mega fires in our future were predicted by a government spokesman in a report in 2008. Hydrologists predicted that our future climate will bring drought in the west and heavier rains than usual on the east coast.  These are not changes predicted to occur during our grandchildren’s lifetime as we had thought previously, but these changes are upon us now. In the future the climate on our planet will not be what we have been accustomed to for the last 10,000 years. 

McKibben also states that besides the results of climate change, 2008 was the end of growth of the industrial society and that there will not be any more growth in the future, period.  He gives many reasons for the end of growth, mainly the end of easily produced energy because of the difficulty in obtaining oil. In 2008 The Int’l Energy Agency said that global oil production has fallen 7 % and will fall 9 % in the next decades.  This is the same agency that said previously they could see no problem in oil availability. Because of the new economy, we will see the end of big government projects.  Now our money will go into maintenance of roads and bridges.  Everything will move to the local level. We will produce our own energy locally and also create our own economies. We will definitely  need to let go of our consumerist lifestyle.

McKibben’s book is a must read because he outlines how we can cope with living on this entirely new planet. He says we all must get fully engaged in working locally to build the kind of communities and economics that can withstand what’s coming.

It is not all bad news; because of the cost of fuel it is no longer cheaper to ship goods here from Asia.  It is much more viable to manufacture a lot of the goods here in the US.  Also, studies have shown for years that material goods don’t buy happiness, what makes us happy is community, working with others and getting to know our neighbors.

As this cardinal square unfolds over the next 5 years, we will receive more and more information about how our institutions and structures are coming to and end. but we will also see creative breakthroughs and progressive ideas on how we can live on this new earth.  The future is not what you expect.  But it is not necessarily something to fear.

http://www.billmckibben.com/eaarth/eaarthbook.html

Dates to Watch:

July 5 – Uranus stations and turns retrograde at 0 degrees of Aries.  This can be a wildly erratic day today especially if you have personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars) or the ascendant at 0 degrees of Aries.  All of us may feel a bit rebellious and stubborn today.

July 8 – Venus opposite Neptune.  This is a good day to go to see a romantic film at the theater. 

July 9 – Mercury Trine Uranus. This is a great day to travel or have an interesting conversation with a friend.

Jul 10 - Venus enters Virgo until August 6, 2010.  We all get real picky about the kind of people we want to hang out with.  If you are married, the towels he lives on the bathroom floor and the empty beer cans on the patio start driving you up the wall.

July 11 – A New Moon Total Solar Eclipse at 19 degrees of Cancer. A solar eclipse makes the end of one set of circumstances and the beginning of another.  The area of your chart that contains 19 degrees of Cancer will see a major shift something needs to be left behind so that something else can be born.  For more information on this eclipse see http://www.janetszodiac.com/2010/06/eclipes-of-june-and-july-2010.html

July 13   - Venus Trine Pluto.  A good time to deepen and intensify your relationships with someone special or with your friends.

July 21 – Saturn Enters Libra until Oct 2012.  Saturn is moving into place to complete the cardinal square.  Saturn in Libra means that we will look for more structure and stability in our relationships and partnerships.  In the world, we will see attempts and hopefully some success in forming peace treaties.  Saturn in this position means that he will be in opposition to Uranus.  In Classical mythology, Saturn castrated Uranus because Uranus was creating too much chaos in the world.  We may see this as Saturn trying to bring order to all of the protesting and actions for change around the world.  These two planets were in opposition on the day of the presidential election which symbolized the old guard (Saturn) and new progressive ideas (Uranus). 

If you have the ascendant or personal planets at 0 degrees of Aries or Libra you will be pulled in two directions, should you stay with the old tried and true ways in your life or take a chance and go in a new direction.   

 

July 22 – Sun enters Leo until August 23.  This is the month for fun, enjoy the summer.

Leo rules parties and romance.

 

July 23 – Jupiter Stations and turns retrograde at 3 degrees of Aries.  If you have the ascendant or personal planets at 3 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn you will experience a burst of optimism and growth that has to do with the natal planet affected. 

 

            Sun trine Uranus. Entertainment and Fun today.  You may have unexpected visitors.

 

July 24 – Jupiter Square Pluto. Again all of you with the ascendant or personal planets at 3 degrees of Aries, Libra Cancer or Capricorn with find themselves in an intense power struggle with another person.  Try not to be so opinionated and pushy, that might help the situation.

 

July 25 – Full Moon at 3 degrees of Aquarius.  This is a flowering or a completion of what you started at the New Moon Solar Eclipse of July 11. 

 

July 26 – Mercury Opposite Neptune.  If you have the ascendant or personal planets at 28 degrees of Leo, Aquarius, Taurus or Scorpio you could have trouble thinking straight and some secret you have been trying to conceal could come out in the open.

 

            Sun Trine Jupiter. Good day to make decisions about your finances and education issues.  Opportunities in both of the areas could come in today.

 

July 27 – Mercury enters Virgo until Oct 3. We are all going to become analytical, trying to figure out what is going on in our world.  Give it up.   Please note that Mercury will be retrograde from August 20 until Sep 12, 2010.  

 

July 29 – Mars enters Libra until Sep 14, 2010.  Mars is the sexy planet and Libra is the sign of romance and love.  We can get real energized around trying for get into a relationship.  Try harmony.com or plentyoffish.com

 

Jul 30 – Mercury Trine Pluto.  Your mind can go deeply into a subject.  Try getting on Ancestry.com and make a genealogy map of all of those relatives you can’t stand.

 

            Mars Conjunct Saturn and opposite Uranus and within three degree square to Pluto.  Today and tomorrow will be intense because Mars has entered the cardinal square fray.  I’m sorry, but those of you with the 0 to 3 degree placements in Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn will be right in the center of this cyclone.  Stay cool.  Think how wonderful it is that you have the opportunity to transform.  To witness a death of all the stuff in your life you no longer need and to experience the rebirth of a new life.  Yeah, Right.

 

 

 OUTER PLANET TRANSITS

 

Note that all of the outer planets except Saturn are in the transcendent signs (Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces).  This means that we are drawn to collective events and issues now.  Also, it can lead to a feeling of doom, that this is the end of the world.  It certainly portends the end of an era. 

 

JUPITER is in Aries until June 2011.  It will re-enter Pisces on September 9, 2010 until January 22, 2011 and remain in Aries until Jun 2011. This month Jupiter will move from 2 to 3 degrees Aries.   Jupiter in Aries will be a time that we feel positive and optimistic enough to initiate action on our beliefs especially if you have the Ascendant, Sun or Moon at 2 to 3 degrees of Aries.  All of us have an opportunity to grow in the area of the house where Jupiter is transiting located in our natal chart.   

 

SATURN is in Virgo until July 21, 2010 when it goes into Libra until Oct 2012.  Saturn (structure, foundation, and responsibility) moves from 28 to 0 degrees this month.  If you have the Ascendant or any personal planets at 28 degrees of Virgo or 0 degrees of Libra in your natal chart, you may be in store for some hard lessons around the issues ruled by the planet and the house the planet is in or rules.

 

URANUS is in Aries. It will back up into Pisces on August 13, 2010 and will reenter Aries on March 13, 2011.   This month, Transiting Uranus (freedom, rebellion, and surprises) will stay at 0 Aries. Wanting freedom and a need to make radical changes will be felt by those with the Ascendant, Sun and personal planets at 0 Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn.  I believe in “cooperating with the inevitable”.  If you have Uranus in a challenging aspect to your ascendant or personal planets, go on a long vacation, move, or make some major changes in your life.
 
NEPTUNE in Aquarius until April, 2011. Neptune in Aquarius is a time of visionary reform. This month, Neptune (creativity, sensitivity, escapism, dreams) is moving retrograde from 28 to 27 degrees of Aquarius. A lack of focus, a sense of drifting or an inability to see a betrayal or disappointment until it's too late can be experienced by Sun in Aquarius and Aquarius Ascendant types. This effect will be strongest in those with personal planets at 28 to 27 degrees of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio in their natal chart.  For the enlightened out there, Neptune can also bring artistic, musical, creative expression, increased dreams and spiritual insights. 

PLUTO is in Capricorn until 2023.  This month Pluto will travel retrograde and stay at 3 degrees of Capricorn all month.  Everyone is feeling the urge to purge and to find his or her truth.  Profound changes will be felt especially by those with Sun, Ascendant or personal planets at 3 degrees of Capricorn or Cancer.

 

Have a great month,

 

 

Janet Kane

Archetypal Astrologer

 

 

The Mask, The Self, The Inner Child

 

To understand the Sun, Moon and Ascendant signs in your natal chart, come to the Chart Chat in Silver Spring, MD on July 8.  Details at

http://www.janetszodiac.com/monthly-astrological-chart-chats.html

 

To read a natal chart can be a daunting task because you are trying to interpret all of the interpenetrating dynamics among all of the planets, aspects and houses so that it makes sense.  I always start with the Sun, Moon and Ascendant signs because I believe these are the 3 most important points in your chart.  You can just focus on these three points and come up with 85 % of the information the person needs for understanding themselves.

 

The Moon shows your emotional needs and how you go about fulfilling those needs.  For example, an Aries moon needs to lead; a Taurus moon needs material security.  Gemini Moon needs to communicate.  We all need to be sure that these needs are satisfied before we can proceed with the rest of our live and fulfill the promise of the Sun Sign.  There is a phrase used by astrologers called “Wallowing in your Moon” which means to spend most of your life satisfying the moon’s emotional needs and not living out the positive aspects of your Sun.  The moon is very similar to the personal unconscious in Jungian Psychology.

 

As we grow, we develop what Carl Jung called a Persona which is the face we show the world, our mask,   It is symbolized by the ascendant (rising sign).  A problem that can develop with the persona is that the mask can get too identified with it and we think we are the persona.  Your chart describes the role you will play in this life and the ascendant describes the costume you will wear.

 

The Sun represents our core identity and what you are to become. You are not born embodying your Sun sign, you have to earn that sign and mature into it.  The Sun indicates the Self, it is what you are trying to embody or integrate into this lifetime.  You will notice that as you get older, you become more and more your Sun sign.

 

Your sacred contract in this life is to keep refining the Sun, Moon and Ascendant and use them in the most positive way possible.  One of the ways to understand the energy of a sign is to know the corresponding myth that describes that sign.  These myths are teaching stories because they reveal the positive and the negative aspects of the character in the myth and show their psychological and spiritual growth over time.

 

Another way to understand the energy of the Sun, Moon and Ascendant is to look at whether or not they are introverted or extroverted signs.  Fire and Air signs are extroverted and Water and Earth signs are introverted.  Some of us have an introverted rising sign so that others do not approach us easily to make contact and friendships, but our Sun may be in an extroverted sign and we feel lonely and want more relationships.  Or, conversely, if our ascendant is an extroverted sign and the Sun is introverted, we bring in people and may feel invaded because we want more time alone.

 

The Moon sign is the inner self and not easily seen by others.  So sometimes if you have a tough Moon (for example, Taurus or Capricorn) and a cooperative ascendant (for example, Pisces or Libra), others my try to dominate you because you look very easy to push around and then they are surprised when you push back.

 

Also, looking at whether the three points of the chart are earth, air fire or water and whether they are cardinal fixed or mutable reveals a lot.  Water signs are deep, emotional signs; Earth signs are efficient and like to deal with reality and concrete facts.  Air signs love abstract thought, theories and ideas. Fire signs are intuitive and believe in fantastic possibilities.

 

Cardinal signs have outgoing, radiant dynamic energy.  Fixed signs have concentrated energy and mutable signs have energy that breaks up forms and distributes it.

 

Knowing the three main points in your chart and those close to you can go a long way to helping you communicate, connect and understand yourself and others.

Janet Kane

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Eclipses of June and July 2010

We have eclipses in June and July 2010.

The June eclipse is on the 26th and is a Lunar Eclipse at 4 Capricorn/Cancer. The theme of this eclipse is home versus career. How do we find a balance between the demands of our professional and domestic life?

The July eclipse is on the 11th and is a Solar Eclipse at 19 Cancer, the sign ruling the home and family.  This eclipse helps us focus on our home and domestic life.

Remember that the key words for Eclipses are emphasis and crisis. It shows us where change is necessary.  An Eclipse tends to emphasize matters related to the house it falls in on your natal chart or what planets it conjuncts or opposes using a 3 degree orb. The planet it touches is sensitized to future transits and its power is magnified.  The areas ruled by the houses or planets will demand more attention, thought, energy, and time from you.  If an eclipse hits one of your personal planets, it could be a transition point in your life, where nothing is the same after the eclipse.  You move from one phase of life to another. 

Eclipses open doors and invite you to come in, illuminating and stimulating areas of your life that needs your attention.  A lot of the events that come in because of an eclipse seem predestined or karmic. They describe the crossroads of your life and show where change is necessary. There can be many ups and downs during the life of the eclipse.  An eclipse can last 6 six months to 3 ½ year, so you are given plenty of time for the transformation.

You may notice the effect of the eclipse 4 days before it occurs. Make note of what comes in.  It may be a surprise and may take 4 to 5 months to integrate the information. The events that take place near the time of an eclipse can give you a hint of the issues that you will be dealing with in the months to come.  Eclipses can help you break out of your old habit patterns so that you can move forward.  They help you fulfill your life purpose.

The ancients believed that eclipses that align with the Dragon’s Head (North Node of the Moon) are beneficial and bring a rush of energy and things into your life.  Those that align with the Dragon’s Tail (South Node of the Moon), show loss or where sacrifice or service to others is required.  It is about giving back and practicing compassion.

In ancient times an eclipse was regarded as highly ominous for the lands over which it fell.  This eclipse will focus on Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, China, Los Angeles, and the US.

June 26, 2010 Lunar Eclipse at 4 Capricorn/Cancer

This is a Dragon’s Head Lunar Eclipse which brings power and strength.  Now is the time to push through any obstacles.  You will see your life expand from the energy pouring in but it may take you a few years to manifest it all. This Eclipse affects two signs, Capricorn and Cancer.  The sign of Capricorn rules business, industry, organizations, statesmen and elders.  There will be more news about transitions in corporations and institutions. Because this eclipse is in the earth sign of Capricorn we may hear of financial problems, recessions, drought, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other earth changes in the news.

Cancer rules water, growth, fertility maternal and nurturing instincts,   Cancer is concerned with home, family and domestics issues.  Widespread unrest, drug related problems and items about the oceans, fish and those things living near the water may be in the news.  At this time, you may feel emotional and a need to care for others especially if you have personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars) or the ascendant at 4 degrees of Capricorn and/or Cancer.

This eclipse is on Pluto and opposite Mercury.  This can cause obstructions in transport and communications.  Because Pluto is part of the Cardinal Square forming this month, this eclipse could kick off all the events and transformations expected from the upcoming Cardinal Square.

Lunar Eclipses are more emotional than Solar Eclipses and they can affect us on a deep level.  Sometimes we are not conscious of the changes that are occurring.
They can bring up old memories and feelings.  The Sun opposite the Moon, lights up the Moon and brings previously unexamined areas of your life into awareness. Because a Lunar Eclipse only happens on a full moon, two houses in your natal chart will be affected.

As a full Moon, a Lunar Eclipse tends to bring completion or endings. You can make decisions on things you have been working on. On a Lunar Eclipse something will end and on a Solar Eclipse something will begin. A Lunar Eclipse is an opportunity to break habits or eliminate socially conditioned patterns of thought and behavior that stand in the way of self realization.

If one of your personal planets is being “hit” by the Lunar Eclipse, look back to see what happened 19 years ago. The eclipses repeat at the same degree of the zodiac every 19 years. This eclipse happened last time on Jun 27, 1991. 

This eclipse falls on the United States Jupiter and Venus.  Venus rules our money system and Jupiter rules foreign countries.  Maybe we will have more economic problems due to what is happening overseas. 

July 11  Solar Eclipse at 19 Cancer

This is a Dragon’s Tail Solar Eclipse.   This is a time of letting go of old emotional habit patterns and letting go of the people that you have become dependent on.

If one of your personal planets is being “hit” by the Solar Eclipse, look back to see what happened 19 years ago. The eclipses repeat at the same degree of the zodiac every 19 years. This eclipse happened last time on Jul 11, 1991.  A Solar Eclipse can bring an ending in the direction in your life and open a door to another. Remember, New Moon/Solar Eclipses are always very powerful times to meditate.

A Solar eclipse is about planting new seeds, new projects and reaching out for new experiences.   Send out your intention of what you want to manifest over the next six months. A Solar Eclipse always occurs during a New Moon and New Moons are important because they bring in new, fresh energy.   Solar Eclipses tend to relate to sudden events that disrupt our day to day functioning; they are the crisis that seems to come out of nowhere and that suddenly demand all of our conscious attention and focus. They tend to stir things up on a physical and conscious level much more than Lunar Eclipses.

This eclipse is in a sextile to Mars.  We may see some progress made in many areas.  But this eclipse also falls on the fixed star Castor:  a negative influence associated with decapitation, fevers, rape and murder.  Maybe with the good aspect to Mars we may see in the news actions that have stopped the negative Castor events.

This Eclipse will fall on Iraq, the White House, the United Kingdom, Vatican City, Los Angeles and  Manhattan.

If these two eclipses don’t align with any of your personal planets in your birth chart, check the house or houses of your birth chart that will be affected. Eclipses will transit all of the houses in our birth chart every 19 years. They help us clear out and revitalize the areas of our life signified by the house. On my blog http://www.janetszodiac.com  I have a brief list of items covered by the different houses in your birth chart. Look for the houses in your chart that contain 4 Cancer and 4 Capricorn for the effect of the Lunar Eclipse of June 26 and look for the house that contains 19 Cancer for the effect of the Solar Eclipse of July 11.

Also on my blog is a list of keywords describing each planet.  Look at your natal chart for planets located at 4 degrees of Cancer and/or Capricorn for effects from the Lunar Eclipse of June 26 and planets located at 19 degrees of Cancer for the effect of the Solar Eclipse of July 11, 2010.  Don’t forget to use a 3 degree orb.

For more information on the eclipse of Jun 26, see Bill Herbst newsletter http://www.billherbst.com/News123.pdf

Stay tuned,

Janet Kane

June 2010 Forecast

The explosion that created the offshore BP oil spill happened on April 20 on the Uranus/Saturn opposition.  Saturn was in Virgo and that is all about safety issues and paying attention to the details.  Uranus in Pisces opposing that Saturn is saying “lets hurry, let’s rebel against the Saturn procedures.”  In this instance, Saturn was the good guy.  This spill has cast a gloomy mood over everyone I know. It is as if the entire country is suffering from depression and anger over this event. (Saturn/Uranus).  The gulf is the worst place this could happen for North America because of the potential for it to spread throughout the Gulf States and up the East Coast.

This is an erratic, hard to define month because we have an eclipse on Jun 26 which will impact the cardinal square we have been writing about.   Also Jupiter and Uranus will join in Aries on June 6, the first and most intense of all of the aspects involved in the square. The Lunar Eclipse will be at 4 Capricorn.  This eclipse will hit Pluto which currently squares Saturn and Uranus/Jupiter and opposes Mercury.  Wow! I will be sending out a separate email that covers this eclipse and also the Solar Eclipse of July 11 at 19 Cancer. 

To find out how these eclipses and also the eclipse coming this Dec 21 at 29 Gemini will affect you, come to my chart chat on Jun 10.  Details at

http://www.janetszodiac.com/monthly-astrological-chart-chats.html

On May 27, Uranus entered Aries and we can now expect more creative thought, inventions and revolutions.  On June 6 Jupiter will join Uranus at 0 Aries. These two planets will be together at the most potent degree of the zodiac.  This is the opening blast of the cardinal square that is bringing major changes through 2012 and beyond.  Jupiter and Uranus together can bring an awakening to what is possible.  Some of us are dream walking through life.  Well, that will no longer be possible.  We could wake up to what’s real and how our lives could expand to include more than we thought possible. Jupiter expands this possibility and Uranus brings surprises about who we are and what we are capable of.

The United States Venus (money system) is at 2 degrees of Cancer.  The eclipse of Jun 26 will oppose this placement and the cardinal square will oppose and square this placement all summer.

The best astrologer I know on the financial implications of the cardinal square is Bill Herbst.  Read his articles at http://www.billherbst.com/

Dates to Watch:

Jun 5 – Mars opposite Neptune. You are way too trusting today.  Don’t believe everything you hear.

Jun 6 – Jupiter enters Aries until Jun 2011.  He will return to Pisces on Sep 8 for rest and reflection before returning to Aries in January 2011.  Jupiter the big fat happy planet is moving into the enthusiastic sign of Aries. The 0 point of Aries is about personal awakening.  This is a good time to wake up to what is holding you back and turn over a new leaf.  A good time to start a new project especially if you have personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus or Mars) or the ascendant at 0 degrees of Aries or Libra.

Jun 7 – Mars enters Virgo until July 20.   Everyone in the office is getting real finicky about your work.  They feel you don’t pay attention to the details.  Well this is the period of time where you can really pump out some really spectacular spreadsheets.

Jun 8 – Jupiter Conjunct Uranus at 0 degrees of Aries.  What is that joke?  “Do you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans”.  This is a day when anything can happen, sudden, explosive events, out of the blue news and information comes to you especially if you have personal planets or the ascendant at 0 degrees of Aries or Libra.  Some really positive changes can come to you if you have personal planets or the ascendant at 0 degrees of Leo or Sagittarius.          

Mercury Trine Saturn. The previous aspect makes this an erratic day, but if you have personal planets or the ascendant at 27 Taurus or Virgo you will be able to remain calm and to stand grounded while the rest of us go nuts.

Jun 9 – Mercury Square Neptune.  You are really a space cadet today, you don’t know if you are coming or going.  It’s ok to daydream the day away.

Jun 10 – Mercury enters Gemini until Jun 25.  Mercury is happy in its home sign. But, your mind tends to wander now and it can be hard to concentrate, all you feel like doing is yakking with your friends.

Jun 11 – Mercury Square Mars.  Everyone is saying what is on their mind which may not be a good thing.  Try to watch what you say today, you could throw out daggers with your tongue.

Jun 12 – New Moon at 21 Gemini.  A good time to make an intention around what you want to bring into your life.

Jun 14 – Venus enters Leo until July 10.  Now is the time to party.  Go to the theater.  Act up to your hearts content.

            Venus Trine Uranus.  Go to a museum or art gallery today or maybe a concert.  You want to be surrounded by beauty and kind, loving people.  So you certainly can’t go to work.

Jun 15 – Venus Trine Jupiter.  You may receive a gift today. 

            Mars Trine Pluto.  Opportunities are here to help you clear up some sticky personal problems or some difficult clutter problems.

Jun 19 – Sun Square Saturn.  Don’t take risks today.  This is a day to work.  You may be disillusioned when someone you really believed in turns out to be a jerk.

            Sun Trine Neptune.  This is an idealistic day.  A time filled with love and romantic feelings.

Jun 21 – Sun enters Cancer until July 22.  This is the time for family and friends.  A time when we focus on the home and our emotional attachments to others.

            Sun Square Uranus.  You need some discipline today.  You feel really stirred up by the events around you.

Jun 23 – Sun Square Jupiter.  You feel optimist and energetic and want to get out of the rut you are in.  Maybe take a trip, go shopping, have a party. But be careful, you may go off the deep end by trying too hard.  Especially plan on having a good time if you have personal planets or the ascendant at 1 Cancer, Aries, Libra or Capricorn.

Jun 24 – Mercury Square Saturn.  I know you are thinking about what a failure you are.  That you have never accomplished anything worthwhile.  That no one cares for you.  That you feel guilty about everything you have ever done in your life.  Well, maybe you’re right?

            Mercury Trine Neptune.  This is a very creative placement; your mind is inspired with new ideas.  A good day to write poetry.

Jun 25 – Mercury enters Cancer until July 9. Mercury slows down in Cancer.  No more yakkity yak, now you want to gather with friends and family to have a barbecue out in the yard.

            Mercury Square Uranus. You are coming up with some strange ideas today.  Check to see if any of them will work or if you are headed for the loony bin.  You can be especially nutty today if you have personal planets or the ascendant at 0 Cancer, Aries, Libra and Capricorn.

            Sun Opposite Pluto.  There is a power struggle and conflict of wills.  You may have problems with a male.  Just lay low and it’s best not to challenge anyone.

Jun 26 – Lunar Eclipse at 4 Capricorn.  Very complex Eclipse.  It conjuncts Pluto and opposes Mercury and hits the apex of the Cardinal Square.  I see this as a herald of the major transformations to come.  Watch the news like a hawk.  Energy from this eclipse could come in a week before this date and last 6 months or more.

            Mercury Square Jupiter.  Don’t be such a big mouth.  We know that you know absolutely everything about all subjects, but try to keep quiet just for today.

Jun 27 – Mercury Opposite Pluto.  Your thinking can become totally obsessive today. You feel that your ideas today could change the world.  Why don’t you wait a few days to see if this is true or not.

Jun 28 – Sun Conjunct Mercury.  New information comes in today that can help you make decisions.  A good day for important communications.

 OUTER PLANET TRANSITS

JUPITER is in Pisces until June 6, 2010 when it enters the sign of Aries.  It will re-enter Pisces on September 9, 2010 until January 22, 2011 and remain in Aries until Jun 2011. This month Jupiter will move from 29 degrees of Pisces to 2 Aries.   Jupiter in Aries will be a time that we feel positive and optimistic enough to initiate action on our beliefs especially if you have the Ascendant, Sun or Moon at 0 to 4 degrees of Aries or Libra. .  All of us have an opportunity to grow in the area of the house where Jupiter is transiting located in our natal chart.  

SATURN is in Virgo until July 21.  It will stay in Libra until Oct 2012.  Saturn (structure, foundation, and responsibility) moves from 27 to 28 degrees of Virgo this month.  If you have the Ascendant or any personal planets at 27 to 28 Virgo in your natal chart, you may be in store for some hard lessons around the issues ruled by the planet and the house the planet is in or rules. 

URANUS is in Aries.  it will back up into Pisces on August 13, 2010 and will reenter Aries on March 13, 2011.   This month, Transiting Uranus (freedom, rebellion, and surprises) will stay at  0 Aries. Wanting freedom and a need to make radical changes will be felt by those with the Ascendant, Sun and personal planets at 0 Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn.  I believe in “cooperating with the inevitable”.  If you have Uranus in a challenging aspect to your ascendant or personal planets, go on a long vacation, move, or make some major changes in your life.
 
NEPTUNE in Aquarius until April, 2011. Neptune in Aquarius is a time of visionary reform. This month, Neptune (creativity, sensitivity, escapism, dreams) stays at 28 degrees of Aquarius. A lack of focus, a sense of drifting or an inability to see a betrayal or disappointment until it's too late can be experienced by Sun in Aquarius and Aquarius Ascendant types. This effect will be strongest in those with personal planets at 28 degrees of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio in their natal chart.  For the enlightened out there, Neptune can also bring artistic, musical, creative expression, increased dreams and spiritual insights. 

PLUTO is in Capricorn until 2023.  This month Pluto will travel retrograde from 4 to 3 degrees of Capricorn all month.  Everyone is feeling the urge to purge and to find his or her truth.  Profound changes will be felt especially by those with Sun, Ascendant or personal planets at 3 and 4 degrees of Capricorn or Cancer.

Have a great month,  

Janet Kane

Archetypal Astrologer

 

 

 

Confronting the Dark Archetype: Neptune and the Mythic Vampire

  

Our highest value is not perfection but wholeness and reality. - Eric Neumann

 

I heard on the radio the other day that teenage girls across the country are dumping their boyfriends because they are in love with “Edward.”  He is the vampire hero of Twilight, a blockbuster book and movie series.  I can relate to these girls since I was first bitten by Bela Lugosi when I was 14 and then totally seduced by Frank Langella in the 1979 version of Dracula. Little did I know that this would lead to a lifelong obsession with watching Dracula movies, researching what makes the vampire such a powerful archetype and ultimately how to protect myself from people who embody this archetype?

 

Most of the archetypes we know of today, such as the great mother, the wise old man or the trickster, cannot be traced to their date of origin, but we do know the exact time and place that Dracula, the most famous of the vampires, was born.  It was in the summer of 1816 when four friends were on their way to Italy and were stranded in Switzerland because of the weather.  They were Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Shelly’s wife Mary and Byron’s traveling companion John William Polidori.  Out of boredom they decided to write ghost stories as a competition to see who could write the best one.  Byron and Shelley were famous creative writers at the time, but the ghost stories that survived from that summer were Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, who was only 18 years old at the time and the Vampyre written by Polidori.

Mary Shelley's tale of Frankenstein can be seen as a morality tale about the dangers of technology at the beginning of the industrial age. This was the time when the phrase "dark satanic mills,” entered the English language from a poem by William Blake referring to the early industrial revolution and its destruction of nature and human relationships.  Shelley’s Frankenstein monster has survived and thrived since that time.

Polidori wrote a vampire story about a narcissistic vampire named Ruthven.  It was rumored at the time that Polidori was in love with Byron and that the character of Ruthven was based on  Byron.  This was not the first vampire story ever written, even though it was the first such text in the English language.  Before Polidori there were many tales, especially in Eastern Europe, of vampires or the un-dead.   But Polidori created the first Dracula.   His vampire was not a monster like the old folktales but was aristocratic, handsome, rich, intellectual and seductive, which made him more terrifying, as he could move among humans without detection.

Polidori’s vampire story was immediately popular.  It was translated into French, German, Spanish and Swedish and adapted into a stage play, all in Polidori’s lifetime. His story inspired other writers, most famously, Bram Stoker the author of Dracula, published in 1897.  The legend of Dracula has become enormously popular since Bram Stoker’s novel, especially in the 20^th and now the 21^st century and has been the bases of more films than any other book.    But why does this image grab us so?

 

Jean Shinoda Bolen, a Jungian psychotherapist said, “I am convinced that we enter the world seeking love, and when we don’t find love, we settle for power.”  Vampires are people who drain your energy to enhance their own.  They grow in strength by weakening someone else.  We are attracted to vampires because they seem to have magnetic personalities, bright or hypnotic eyes and just seem more intelligent and nicer than others.  The relationship usually starts out by them doing us a great favor or flattering us.

 

It is easy to recognize a vampire in a movie, but what are the qualities of these “real” vampires? For one, vampires refuse to acknowledge weakness or their own negative qualities. In the Dracula movies, Dracula smashes a mirror because he realizes that he doesn’t cast a shadow.  This means that he lacks self reflection; he needs to see himself as perfect, attractive, admired, and accomplished. Vampires do not like or seek therapy because they may have to confront their shadow and they don't want any feedback about their imperfections.  

 

Vampires can shape shift.   Dracula can turn himself into a bat or a wolf.  Vampires can appear as a wise woman giving advice. She may be the soul mate or helpless adoring child who wants our love and attention, or she may be a mentor.  There are male and female vampires and sometimes it can be a close friend or relative or our supervisor where we work.   If we have a parent who is a vampire, chances are we will seek out those types of people again in our life. Some vampires go into the helping professions because this makes it easier to get energy from willing subjects.

 

Vampires often ask a lot of personal questions. They want to get to know you better, as knowledge to them is power. They reveal little of the truth about themselves to others but they are always interrogating you. The information they acquire will be used against you later on to manipulate you or to tear you down. 

 

Vampires are manipulative and can instill guilt in you and they are insidious in taking away your self-esteem. They attack your confidence with snide comments that serve to undermine your sense of self worth by saying things such as, “Don't you think the red dress would make you look thinner?”  Or they say, “I'll make that decision for you, you always find it hard to make decisions.”  Or, “You're better off without him.”  Or, “I only want what’s best for you.”

 

Vampires go through many relationships. Once victims are drained or refuse to allow themselves to be further siphoned, the vampire moves on to another person often not giving the first victim another thought ever again. Not only do vampires go through friendships easily but their victim partner often looks pale and drawn. And, when someone says, you are my only friend; ask yourself what happened to the old friends of the vampire.

 

Vampires in legend are reputed to loiter at the crossroads. We are very vulnerable to vampires when we meet them there, such as at mid-life or any other change in the life course. Using astrology, periods when we have transiting Saturn on the Sun or on the ascendant would make us very susceptible, because these are thee times when we are confronted with doubt, insecurity and fear. 

 

To identify who has the potential to become a victim of a vampire, I look for personal planets or the ascendant in Pisces, or challenging aspects from Neptune to the personal planets.  The sign of Pisces and Neptune natal aspects teach us compassion and universal love and also to create beauty in the arts and music. To accomplish this, Pisces/Neptune types have an extra amount of sensitivity.  They also have weak ego boundaries, which make them excellent counselors because they can empathize with others. But, these traits also open them up to be seduced and bitten by a vampire.  I have noticed that at some time or another in their lives, Neptune types have to confront the vampire.  Sometimes Pisces/Neptune types adopt a poor me attitude, especially if they have an intimidating parent. Vampires love these types!  Aloofness is the other response to an intimidating parent and this attitude would make one unavailable to the vampire, but also unavailable to life itself.

 

You can tell if you have become a victim of a vampire if you are in a close relationship or married and you hear yourself telling someone "My partner is just perfect." You may be a victim if you feel flawed or insufficient, if you feel tired and yearn for replenishment by eating or shopping, or if you feel you can’t breathe because you are being suffocated.

 

We can look to myths and fairy tales to give us more information on vampires.  The fairy tale, Show White and the Seven Dwarfs, the myths of Psyche and also Medusa can teach us how to deal with a vampire.

 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 

Snow White's evil stepmother is a vampire and Snow White is a Pisces/Neptune type—the victim.  Snow White's downfall was her empathy. While Snow White was living with the seven dwarfs, the step mother used shape shifting to try to kill her.

 

The stepmother shows up at Snow White's door as a poor old woman offering laces.  Snow White buys some and when the old woman laces her dress with them, Snow White loses her breath and suffocates.   She is then rescued by the dwarfs.  One psychological interpretation of the seven dwarfs would be that they are miners, which means they do inner work giving them strength against the vampire.

 

Then the stepmother appears as a young girl and tells Snow White she has very beautiful hair and offers her a comb, which appeals to Snow White's vanity.  Snow White puts the comb in her hair and almost dies from the poison, but the dwarfs rescue her again.

 

Next, the step mother arrives at Snow White’s house as a baby with an apple to sell.  She appeals to Snow White’s compassion. Snow white eats the apple and falls dead. This time the dwarfs are not powerful enough to revive her so they place her in a glass coffin.  Years later a Prince finds her, kisses her and the apple falls out. They get married and at the wedding feast Snow White sees her step mother.  She leans over to the prince and says, “Cut off her head.”   The Prince hesitates to do this in front of all the guests, but Snow White says “Come on, be a man.”  So he cuts off the Stepmother's head and Snow White throws it into the fire.

 

This fairy tale has a lot to teach us about vampires and their victims.  The stepmother shape shifts and uses flattery to takes advantage of Snow White’s feeling of compassion and courtesy.  Snow White is unconscious until she gets in touch with her inner male energy (Mars) personified by the prince.  The concept of cutting the stepmother’s head off means one needs to cut away logic that is not connected to the heart. Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs was a vampire. In that movie Clarice kept talking about the heart and feelings which moved Hannibal Lecter out of his head. This technique saved her life. An interesting aside is that Anthony Hopkins was not thought of as an attractive man, but after he played Lector he was voted the sexiest man in film which shows the attraction of the vampire archetype.  

 

Psyche

Another vampire story is Psyche and Eros.  Psyche is a Pisces/Neptune type and is married to Eros, an  Aries/Mars type, and they live in a beautiful castle.  Eros tells Psyche that she can never look at him which means they can only be together at night. Psyche is unconscious of who she is married to.   The sisters, who are the vampires in this story, come to see her and start asking her questions.  They insinuate that she may be married to a monster and they advise her to take a lamp and a knife to bed that evening. She should light the lamp and if she sees that her husband is a monster, she should kill him.  Psyche does what they say, but when she lights the lamp she sees that he is drop dead gorgeous--he is the god of love after all!  A drop of oil falls on Eros and he wakes up and disappears.  To get him back Aphrodite, Eros’ mother, forces Psyche go to the underground and sort seeds (learn discrimination). Then Aphrodite gives her one more task--to bring a bottle of beauty oil to her but not to open it. Psyche opens the bottle because of vanity, uses it on herself and falls unconscious. She is finally rescued by Eros and they are married.  Psyche was unconscious at the beginning and end of this tale, much like Sleeping Beauty when she was asleep in the glass coffin.  Not being awake and conscious can lead us to being victims of vampires.

 

Medusa

The myth of Medusa is a powerful story about how to slay a vampire.  Medusa was young, beautiful, thoughtless and very frisky.  She made love to Poseidon on the steps of Athena's temple.  This was a big mistake as Athena was furious at this sacrilege and turned Medusa into a hag.  Medusa became a vampire and if anyone looked at her they turned into stone.   Perseus went to slay Medusa and before he left Athena and Hermes gave him gifts. He received a shield, a sword, winged sandals and a magic wallet.   He was warned not to look at Medusa because one could be hypnotized by looking into her eyes.  Remember Bela Lugosi's famous phrase “Look into my eyes”?  Medusa was asleep when Perseus got to her cave.  He looked at his shield for her reflection, cut off her head, put it in the magic wallet and flew away on his winged sandals. 

 

The Medusa myth can tell us how to slay a vampire by looking at the three gifts to Perseus. The shield is a metaphor for deflecting questions.  As I said earlier, the prime tactic of a vampire is cross examination.  Using the shield, Hermes, a Gemini archetype, would answer a vampire interrogation the following way:

 

Vampire:  “Are you still dating that interesting woman?”  (looking for information).

 

Hermes:   "That's an interesting question, why do you ask?

 

Vampire:  “Will you still come and see me when I’m living in a homeless shelter?” (Inducing guilt)

 

Hermes:  “How long would you have to stay there before you get on your feet?”

 

The winged sandals are a metaphor for remaining aloof.  Some men use winged sandals to escape vampire women, especially if they had a vampire mother.  But if they use them too often, they may keep flying around to protect themselves and never land.  The symbol of the magic wallet teaches us to keep our motives, information and power safe from the vampire so as not to be exploited.

 

There are many ways to resist the lure of the vampire. Start by developing healthy boundaries for yourself. Never give them personal information – respond to their questions with your own questions. Keep yourself focused upon your own positive creativity.

 

Both Snow White and Psyche were unconscious in these stories.  Nighttime is when the vampire arrives, a classic symbol of unconsciousness. You can resist a vampire by remaining conscious.  For example, when you feel drained by someone just get up and walk away. Remember, vampires are stopped in their tracks by the light of consciousness, which is depicted in the vampire movies as the sun coming up causing the destruction of the vampire.

 

It is sometimes very difficult to get rid of a vampire as long as they feel that you have something that they want. They prefer to end the relationship, usually when they find a new victim. They do not want to be without an energy source.

 

Being hyper-vigilant, they are excellent workers who do not miss anything. They are brilliant and highly psychic. In many cultures, the people would scatter poppy seeds, mustard seeds or rice grains between them and the monster.  The vampire would be compelled to stop and count all the grain, giving its intended victim sufficient time to flee the vampire or kill it.   Because vampires tend to be obsessive/compulsive give them some detailed task to perform while you get away.

Here are some other techniques to protect ourselves from vampires: 

Meditate – Meditation can help ground you when you feel pulled off course by a vampire's energy.

Build a conscious energy shield around you. Van Helsing used the cross and garlic as a shield.

When you are with a vampire take a few deep breaths to remove negative energy from your body.

 

Walk away and excuse yourself from the conversation.

Take daily baths or showers to wash off negative vibes.

Burn sage in a room to purify left over negative energy

 

Don't look in their eyes.

 

I have been a victim of three vampires in my lifetime and have been obsessed with digging out all of this information. I have found that watching vampire movies is strangely cathartic for me and other victims I have talked to.  I don't watch just any vampire movie, only the ones about Dracula.   (I’m not going to see the latest in the Twilight series because Edward is a little too young for me).  Warning:  If you are like me and cheer when Dracula gets away at the end of the movie, you've got real problems.  I can't help you, but join the club.

 

Janet Kane

 

Resources: 

Dracula by Bram Stoker, (1897)

 

Unholy Hungers:  Encountering the Psychic Vampire in Ourselves and Others by Barbara E. Hort (1996)

 

Reading the Vampire by Ken Gelder (1994)

 

Our vampires, Ourselves by Nina Auerbach (1995)

 

Emotional vampires:  Dealing with People Who Drain you Dry by Albert J. Bernstein, PhD (2001)

 

The Lure of the Vampire:  Gender, Fiction and Fandom from Bram Stoker to Buffy

    Milly Williamson (2005)

 

 

Astro Analysis of Barack Obama

We finally got a birth time for Barack Obama. People were raising doubts about whether or not he was born in the U.S or in Kenya which forced his staff to release his birth certificate on the internet. .  Do I sense some sneaky astrologers behind this event?  The new time is 7:24 PM on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii,  which gives him an Aquarius Ascendant, Gemini Moon and Leo Sun.  This chart looks much better for a Win than the previous time we had of 1:06 PM.

 

The previous time we had gave him a Scorpio Ascendant and a Taurus Moon.  Looking at the prior chart, I couldn’t understand how he could be an agent of change with three fixed signs-- (Leo, Taurus and Scorpio).  I didn’t know if he was putting us on or we were seeing something that wasn’t there.  Now with Aquarius rising and a Gemini moon, I certainly believe he is the right person to bring change.  He also has an abundance of Neptune energy and Neptune rules idealism and belief.  The Obama bumber sticker “Change we can believe in”  an exact reflection of his chart. 

 

I analyze birth charts by looking at the archetypes, or in other words, daimon’s or Gods and Goddesses. As Hillman’s states in his book, The Soul’s Code, “The soul of each of us is given a unique daimon before we are born and it has selected an image or pattern that we live on earth….the daimon is the carrier of our destiny”.  Plato said that before we come to earth a God or Goddess stamps us on the forehead and says, “go to earth and do what I did”. Thus we are born with unconscious drives and motivations.   The ancients Greeks called this energy the gods, Hillman calls them daimons and Jung called them archetypes.   Archetypes are unconscious clusters of behaviors, and  patterns of emotions and mental constructs.  I believe that becoming conscious of the archetypes in your psyche allows you to express them in a more mature and enlightened manner.  Astrological signs are the archetypes.  They are more profound then simply a list of qualities of behavior, they are a mythos, a schema, and a plan that is imaged in a story--a pattern of development. The classical myths and fairy tales were written about these archetypes.  These stories and our birth chart can help us learn about the archetypes in our psyche.  The most important archetypes in our birth chart are revealed by the sign of the Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant

 

The Sun in the chart represents the Self, the core identity--what we are to become.  In Obama’s chart, the Sun is in Leo, the Benevolent King.  Leo’s are destined to be the center of attention or the head of state.  It is a warm, fixed, extroverted, fire sign¹.  We look to Leo’s to lead. This is a great sign for a president.

 

The sign on the Ascendant in our birth chart represents the archetype that we project out into the world and how the world views us.  It is similar to the persona in Jungian psychology. In Obama’s chart, his Ascendant sign is Aquarius. This archetype is best personified by Prometheus, the only god who was a humanitarian.  If you remember, he rebelled against the gods to bring fire to mankind.  We see him as someone who will rebel against his class, in this case the political system, and bring change to save us.  Aquarius is the sign that signifies the revolutionary, the change maker.  It is ruled by Uranus which was discovered around the time of the French and American Revolution. 

 

The Moon in the birth chart represents the inner child, our hidden emotional nature.  It is similar to the personal unconscious in Jungian Psychology.   Obama has the Moon in Gemini.  Gemini is a mutable sign.  I think it is better to have the moon in a strong sign such as a cardinal or a fixed sign.  The Moon is our inner core.  And when things get really tough it is good to have a solid center.  This Moon may be too weak but can be helped by having a really strong partner.  Gemini is also Peter Pan who doesn’t want to grow up and leaves his shadow in the drawer.  Gemini’s don’t like to face anything difficult, but they are very verbal because Gemini is also the Bugs Bunny archetype.  He has a great gift for communication, this will be a tremendous help in debates and fielding questions from the press.  Gemini’s are not afraid to change their minds.  This may be why he has been accused of flip flopping on issues.

 

His Moon in Gemini is in a challenging square to Uranus and Pluto which may indicate deep emotional wounds acquired during his childhood and from dealing with women; he may see women as unpredictable and controlling.  The Moon is also his inner nature, which in this case could cause his emotional nature to be demanding and erratic.  He could suddenly change direction.  I found a definition for these three planets in aspect in an old astrology book by  Reinhold Ebertin who said that the Moon with Uranus and Pluto shows a destiny of  “building anew upon ruins.”  A very apt description of what he will need to do if he is elected president.

 

Neptune is very strong in Obama’s chart.  It is the most elevated planet, the only planet that aspects the Sun; it squares Mercury and Jupiter and is the apex of a Fixed T-Square². Traditional Neptune outlets are art, theatre, dance and music. Neptune wants to escape reality.  If it doesn’t have these outlets it can lead to addictive behavior.  With Neptune, dealing with practical realities may be too demanding and unfulfilling.  There could be unrealistic goals, self-deception, escapism and hidden psychological weaknesses or blind-spots.  He may protect himself from harsh reality by distorting whatever filters through his emotions.  He needs to learn discrimination.  Psyche, a good example of a Neptune archetype, lived in an unconscious state with Eros until she was told by her sisters (her other self) to bring a knife and a lamp to bed to see who her husband really was.  She was punished for disobeying her husband by being sent to the underworld.  There she had to sort seeds, discriminating one seed from another.  Has Obama learned discrimination? This is a very important question in this chart.

 

 Neptune types can draw people to them who are deceptive and dishonest.  I see Neptune types as victims of vampires, those people who are looking for power and energy and can suck a Neptune type dry because Neptunes don’t have strong boundaries.   Neptunes need to be in a safe environment.  There is a strong feeling of compassion and need to serve with Neptune, but also a yearning to escape when things get really tough.  His Neptune gives Obama an air of vulnerability that is very appealing.

 

Neptune represents yearnings. With Neptune square the Sun he yearns for the ideal.  But Neptune also sets up confusion; there could be self deception, delusions and again, no boundaries.  He sets a very high standard for himself.  His expectations of what he can accomplish may be too high.    Neptune types can become martyrs, or victims.  He could be disillusioned when things don’t work out as he had envisioned. The challenge with this aspect is to make dreams happen. He can be a great inspiration to others as we have seen with the huge crowds of people who are feeling energized by him.  With Neptune square his Mercury he is highly creative and imaginative.  He has a gift for distorting reality.  He may have problems separating fact from fiction.

 

Obama has both Jupiter and Saturn aspecting his Mercury.  Jupiter would make him very broad minded and tolerant.  He hopes for the best and is optimistic. He is interested in philosophy, religion, education, law and politics. He focuses on the future and has a lot of knowledge about many subjects.   He is an inspirational speaker.  On the downside he could exaggerate, overstate his case, be careless in speech, and be arrogant about opinions. He can be over-confident especially with his Mercury being in Leo.  There could be a lack of clear judgment.  Jupiter is optimistic but also excessive.  This is mitigated by the fact that his Mercury is also opposite Saturn.  The Jupiter aspect is a much tighter orb and I think will be stronger.

 

Saturn represents a craving and a fear around whichever planet it aspects.  In aspect to Mercury, there is a craving and a fear around knowledge.  He wants to know everything but is afraid he doesn’t know enough.  He didn’t feel smart enough as a child.  Saturn aspects also indicate a craving for the father.  He is looking for a wise man for a father figure to give him advice.  But this Saturn aspect means that he is destined to become the father himself.  This aspect is very good for writers, teachers and lecturers; it indicates a logical, systematic thinker.  It is very serious and tends to melancholy, but the Jupiter would balance that. 

 

Both his Mercury and his Moon are heavily aspected.  His has 5 aspects to the Moon and four to the Mercury.  The mind, thinking, writing and speaking are a big part of his life and he is very intelligent and imaginative.  Both of the books he has written became best sellers.

 

The Moon aspects represent his inner emotional nature and I wonder if he has worked on that part of himself.  The Moon is the hidden part of us.   Both his Ascendant and Moon are in air signs I and believe these signs do not like delving into their psyche to dredge up some shadow material.  Air signs and the Neptune types would rather go into denial.  I hope his emotions and his problems with women don’t trip him up someway.  Air signs want to talk, think, write, communicate and network.  They love theories and ideas.  They like to collect information and communicate it.  His other sign is Leo which is fire.  Fire signs also don’t like dealing with the deep psychological stuff either.  They are too busy being active

 

My astrologer friend Robert Hand says that “You don’t know how much consciousness is pumped into a chart”.  That is true and that is why when I do astrological counseling I never try to analyze a chart of someone who is not there in front of me or on the phone to give me feedback.  I don’t know how much Obama has worked on himself.  Each archetype has an evolved and unevolved or mature and immature aspect.  My experience has been that we have to be introspective, have learned something from our suffering and work on ourselves to manifest the higher elements of the archetypes.  My experience also has shown me that it is difficult to have worked on yourself and have all the archetypes operating in a conscious manner if you are only 47 years old.   Usually the way we evolve is that we work on our charts one archetype at a time and by the time we are 60, or more times than not 70, there is a chance that we have the entire chart humming along in a compassionate, conscious manner. 

 

No, I am not going to predict who will win the election.  I am batting zero in that area.  I thought Gore would win because I could see success in the chart but he lost the election and got the Nobel Prize instead. It would be presumptive of any astrologer to be sure of how the astrological energy of any aspect and transits will specifically manifest itself

 

But, now I will look to see what impact the transits and progressions will have on his chart the coming year.  Two important major cycles I look at to see where someone is in their life and if they are they on their way up or down is the Secondary Moon phase and transiting Saturn.

 

Obama is now in a Gibbous Moon phase which means that he is  moving toward the Full Moon phase where he will reap the rewards of all of his past actions and hard work during the last 14 years. The Full Moon phase for him will occur in 2011.  The Gibbous Phase is a growing phase where he can see his rewards in the distance and is working toward them

 

Transiting Saturn is now in his 7^th house.  He is in the stage of the Hero’s journey where he is returning to the tribe to bring his gift to mankind. The hero's journey is a key theme in myths, fairy tales and stories from the beginning of time and throughout the world.  The Hero goes on a journey, meets a challenge and returns home with a gift, a treasure or his wisdom.  The Hero's return is celebrated, and life is transformed by his journey.  The 7^th house is also called the debut point in the chart.  It comes after 14 years in the underworld where the Hero has worked hard with no recognition and now comes up to the upper world where other’s see and respect all he has done and he starts his rise to power.  Obama made the debut in 2006 and he will climb toward success until 2015 when he will hear the call to adventure and want to do something different in his life.
   

Joseph Campbell writes that Returning to the Tribe can be a dangerous part of the Hero’s Journey.  Cambell said three things can happen when you try to return with your gift.  One problem is that the tribe does not accept your gift and you can either give up and go back into hiding or, two, you can sacrifice your gift to be accepted, to fit in.  The third way is to give a little of what you have to offer and wait for the world’s ability to receive it.  Both the Moon phase and the Saturn phase indicate that Obama he is on his way up.  He is headed for more and more success.

 

There are two major problems this year that he will run into on the way.  First of all there is a Lunar Eclipse on August 16, 2008 that will conjunct his natal Uranus in the 7^th house.  An eclipse represents a crises and on Uranus it can mean a disruption, a sudden turn of events.  It’s in the 7^th house of other people or his partner. The 7^th is the house of open enemies.  An eclipse here means that some major relationships will be transformed.

 

Second, transiting Uranus is opposite Mars.  This aspect repeats three times, the first time was on Jun 12, 2008, next is July 10, 2008 and the third pass will be March 12, 2009.  When a transiting planet makes three passes, there is usually a hint on the first pass as to how it will manifest.  Any problem he had in June will repeat.  This aspect can cause sudden trauma, sudden upsets or unexpected shocks.  He may come under attack.  He needs to be careful as this can manifest as an accident caused by him being too impulsive or rash.

 

To become president a candidate has to have a strong connection to the United States chart which represents “us” as a collective.  His Uranus at 25 Leo is exactly opposite the US Moon at 25 Aquarius.  We deeply resonate to his ideas of change.  Also, his Neptune is conjunct the Ascendant of the US.  We look to him to satisfy our collective hopes and wishes.

 

On election day, we will all experience a transiting Uranus opposite transiting Saturn aspect which portrays a battle between the status quo (Saturn) against the forces of dynamic change (Uranus).    Since Obama has Aquarius rising, ruled by Uranus and Uranus is transiting his 1^st house, we know that he is representing Uranus on Election Day.

 

On Inauguration Day, Obama has a lovely progressed Sun in sextile to his Midheaven  of fame.  This shows an assumption of power.  This is not a guarantee of a win, but it is a good indication of public recognition at that time. Also, his Jupiter and Saturn are on either side of the MC in the inauguration chart, a very good sign of a successful day.  But, I haven’t looked at John McCain’s chart yet in this kind of depth.

 

An interesting point about this election year is that we had 3 people running who were born in three different Pluto generations³.  The sign Pluto is in tells the overall focus of that generation.  McCain was born with Pluto in Cancer, a generation focused on home, family and country.

Hillary Clinton was born with Pluto in Leo, the me generation; the generation that wants to achieve and actualize themselves.  Obama was born with Pluto in Virgo, the generation that wants to serve.  Virgo wants to be efficient, fix what is broken, clean up the environment.  This year, the Virgo generation, especially those born in 1961, is experiencing transiting Saturn on their natal Pluto which is a time that they can transform and manifest the power of service.  If elected, he will be the standard bearer for the entire generation of Pluto in Virgo.

 

I wish him safety and good fortune.

 

Janet Kane

 

⁽¹⁾ Mutable signs are Gemini, Pisces, and Virgo.  They are flexible.

Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo and Aquarius.  They are steadfast and loyal

Cardinal signs are Aries, Libra and Capricorn.  They are outgoing and dynamic

Air signs – Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.  They are thinkers and communicators.

Fire signs – Leo, Sagittarius, and Aries. They are intuitive and creative

Water signs – Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.  They are emotional and  sensitive

Earth signs – Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.  They are practical and efficient

 

⁽²⁾    Three planets squaring each other in fixed signs

⁽³⁾    Pluto in Cancer Generation – Those born in1914-1938

Pluto in Leo Generation – Those born in 1939-1956

Pluto in Virgo Generation – Those born in 1957-1972