Telling Astrology

 

November 5, 2004

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/nov5.html

 

Dear Readers in Kingdoms Far and Near:

Many of us are left scratching our heads with the seemingly solid re-election of George W. Bush to the U.S. presidency, and many on the east side of the Pond and in Oz are wondering what it means for the world.

 

Let's remember the astrology, because it is telling, and many are wondering.

 

This election happened in the wake of a total eclipse of the Moon in Taurus, signifying an issue with values. This blindsided me, personally: I never even considered the possibility, as is being widely reported in the media, that the anti-gay-marriage initiatives actually carried the election. Taurus is about our most personal values (and not coincidentally sensuality, and sex), but an eclipse opens up the discussion into the collective realm, bringing in the mass public. Hence, we saw an election carried by a values-related theme, which the U.S. press (always preferring to use familiar words that nobody understands!) is calling "morality."

 

The election happened under a Sun-Neptune square, which I've been whining about for 10 months or so. This is an astrological sign from heaven that says slippery when wet. Neptune is making its way on a long journey (begun right before the Clinton impeachment) across Aquarius, a sign that is involved with the public and also with technology (i.e., voting machines). When you think of Neptune in Aquarius, think of Prozac turning up in the drinking water supply. Or lots of people thinking that Jesus wants us to kill Iraqis. Neptune, under stress and even when it's working beautifully, warns of deception, delusion and misplaced idealism. To work Neptune properly is a little like going out onto the ocean in a sailboat. You have to know what you're doing, or you get swallowed by the sea. If there is a square, that's like saying there's a stiff wind and some weather, so you need to be an experienced sailor. I am mixing my car and boat metaphors here, but I think you get it.

 

Speaking of seas and sailboats, here's one I have not mentioned, but noticed with some astonished curiosity when I did my essay on the USA Sibley Chart in this space a few weeks ago. The progressed Sun in the first-ever chart for the United States changed signs from Aquarius to Pisces on Nov. 1, 2004, that is, on Monday. (That is not a misprint; you read it correctly.) The progressed Sun stays in a sign for about 30 years. This is roughly 10,956 days. It just so happens that THE day the Sun changed signs was Monday before this election. This occurs three times per century and thus a total of about eight times in all of U.S. history, and it happened to happen again the day before this election.

 

I don't have a quick and dirty interpretation, except to say that the progressed Sun changing signs is a time of significant change. A long cycle of history is over. And any astrologer would say that the change to Pisces brings in the Neptune factor again. But it also does something else: Pisces time will work to dissolve many of the patterns that emerged during the Aquarius phase, which spans approximately from the Nixon resignation, through the Reagan / Bush / Clinton / Bush era. Remember, Aquarius makes patterns and Pisces dissolves them. Pisces, at least, will focus some people on beauty and pleasure. In the realm of human experience, that's healthy, because it gives us something to do besides brood over war.

 

Mercury was trine Saturn in the election chart. Look this up in any astrology book and you will read all variety of sweet and cuddly things, about how mature and open-minded it is, and so on. However, Mercury trine Saturn is the primary aspect in the Sept. 11 chart. Mercury was rising in that chart (in Libra). Mercury is prominent in just about every chart that has anything to do with the Bush administration, including the chart for his first "election," which happened in the throes of a Mercury retrograde (also in Libra). A lot is happening in Libra right now, stirring up those charts. However the current Mercury trine Saturn went from Scorpio to Cancer. Mercury has now changed signs to Sagittarius.

 

We still have a major factor in this election coming, which I mentioned last week: a series of four planetary occultations between Nov. 9 and 14. Now, I was excited when I found out that this was in the range of an Ohio recount. And even though Kerry has conceded the election to Bush, those votes will be counted. Besides which, occultations, by their nature, deal with something mysterious or hidden. I mentioned these last week. What I did not mention was that the two recent examples of historic news events being revealed the day of occultations include the death of David Kelly (Moon occult Mars) and the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger in that California recall last year (again Moon occult Mars).

 

I have described the horoscope of the presidential inauguration, Jan. 20, 2005 at noon in Washington, DC, as the "chart from hell." I wish I were exaggerating, but with all due respect to everyone on the political rainbow, including the president himself, I'm very glad that this is not the chart for John Kerry taking office. Interesting that Chief Justice William Rhenquist, who is sick, is unlikely to administer the oath of office. I am pretty sure that he can no longer speak. I will post my interpretation of the inauguration chart to my web page this weekend -- please see the blog.

 

Here is a bit of linguistic research on the word "occult" as discovered by Tracy in Liverpool, in an etymology dictionary. Remember that in applying ideas to astrology, the action can go in either direction, i.e., a planetary occultation can reveal something that is occulted in another sense of the word. Words are great. Language is a virus from outer space. Begin quote: First use documented in 1533, occut means "secret, not divulged," from Latin, occultus "hidden, concealed, secret," pp. of occulere "cover over, conceal," from ob "over" + a verb related to celare "to hide," from PIE base *kel- (see cell). Meaning "not apprehended by the mind, beyond the range of understanding" is from 1545. End quote. Tracy adds: The association with the supernatural sciences (magic, alchemy, astrology, etc.) dates from 1633.

 

Will we ever know if the election of 2004 was messed with electronically? We shall see what we shall see.

 

Here are few of your questions this week. I've taken it a little lighter than usual, it's been one very bush (oops, I meant to type busy!) week.

 

By the way -- I am still blogging every day at PlanetWaves.info, and Planet Waves Weekly, my subscriber newsletter, is running nice and hot these days. Check out the main web page to subscribe. The service is fully guaranteed. If you don't love it we'll refund your money, so you have nothing to lose. In North America, you can call our toll free number to subscribe (877) 453-8265.