Earlier in the week we called Sun square the lunar nodes as a turning point of some kind. It feels like an energetic tipping point between the past and the future — or the future and the past. The nodes are among the elements in astrology that blend personal and collective energy — just like eclipses, and just like the Aries Point, which is still as hot as it gets right now. Today, however, we have another aspect that helps focus that theme — Pallas conjunct Chiron. Here’s a short breakdown.
Pallas in mundane astrology (the astrology of worldly events) is about strategy, law and politics. Chiron can be a call to awakening, a standout person or event or situation. There is indeed something rebellious going on in politics; something that might be a little fogged over with fantasy or denial, something with an erotic overtone and in Pisces, something influencing women. Pallas-Chiron can be about a hiccup in the political process, or even something more significant. We can add these themes to the Sun square nodes — themes that describe the nature of some wider collective bend in the road.
And: what have we got happening today that matches the theme? How about the Michigan Republican primary election? I don’t know if you’ve been following this, but Mitt Romney, the presumptive frontrunner for the ‘Pub nomination, is having a little problem in Michigan. He’s been upset several times by somebody nobody thought could get anywhere, Rick Santorum, the Bible-thumping anti-sex, anti-woman, anti-college sociopath who, for some reason, people are voting for.
One reason it’s so significant that Santorum is neck-and-neck with Romney in Michigan is that the “Romney” name there is a little like “Kennedy” in Massachusetts — his father George Romney was one of its most venerated governors. And Santorum is basically clobbering him. If he wins the Michigan Republican primary, this is basically a death knell for the Romney campaign. George was a presidential candidate until he described the Vietnam War as the sham that it was, saying that US generals had tried to brainwash him into the cult-like mentality of that war.
If Mitt Romney — who is as hated by the Republican political establishment as you might expect the ghost of Nixon to be — loses in Michigan, that is certainly a bend in the road, and would fit the astrology perfectly. Michigan is a state where Democrats can vote in the Republican primary, if they change parties the day of the election. The Santorum campaign has been appealing to people to do just that, because Romney said that the American car industry should be allowed to go bankrupt rather than being bailed out of its mess.
There are a few ways to analyze this from a progressive standpoint. Santorum might be an easy candidate for Obama to beat. He comes off as ‘sincere’ but anyone with the vaguest shred of sophistication (such as you once watched a PBS special on American history, went to Brown, went to Community College, read a book) cringes, unless you’re part of the red raw meat conservative base. Santorum is just not ready for prime time, but then the United States seems to be going downmarket in many ways. Even as the actual frontrunner, not even the nominee, it would frightening to have him that close to the White House.
It would, however, be a really interesting campaign. He has no issues except for these bullshit social crusades against birth control and being gay. Well, not strictly: the other day he went on a tirade about how Obama is a snob because he suggests that Americans get a little higher education or vocational training (Steve Colbert did the best of all the takedowns on this — I will link it when it’s available on the ‘Net). And lately he was attacking John F. Kennedy, who assured the nation that his being Catholic (which verged on scandalous in 1960, since only WASPs were supposed to be members of the ruling class) did not make him a lackey of the Pope.
But as for those social issues — we might have a real national debate about all of these issues that were not really issues till they were raised as red herrings (the birth control thing is still amazing every time I hear about it). We might have to talk about sex education and who among us is really somewhere on the LGBT spectrum and who thinks that sex is a normal thing that humans do when they can.
We’ll be tracking the story and updating in tonight’s edition of Daily Astrology.
Further perspective on Romney
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n04/christian-lorentzen/short-cuts
Mitt is smart. It would have made a lot of sense to allow the auto industry to go bankrupt, because they could then have reorganized and shut-down the unions (and the democratic PACs). Santorum actually voted ‘no’ to the bailouts, but he’s figured out how to use Mitt’s New York Times piece against him – not so saintly after all is he. Smaller businesses close all the time to get rid of unions. It’s harder for large corporations because of all the changes that have to be made to the product lines, etc. My son’s boss owned a very small electric company, and shut it down for that very reason. he reorganized and reopened under a different name. Mitt has nice manners and refuses to present a mean image or say nasty things about Obama. But…caveat emptor, is what I think. But also, I’ll be shocked and awed if Jeb Bush doesn’t end up as the republican nominee at convention time.
Part of why McGovern won is because Nixon funneled money into the campaign coffers of the least electable Democrat, as part of Watergate.
One more thing: The War Room with Jennifer Granholm, live at 9:00 p.m. EST on Current TV should really be interesting this evening. One hour after the polls close, live with the former Democratic governor of Michigan.
JannKinz
Yes, George Romney was and is respected in Michigan. And, he was right about Vietnam.
But Mitt’s political chops aren’t from Michigan. For all the hue and cry about Mitt’s roots, his political baggage is Massachusetts, not Michigan. I haven’t researched the context of Mitt’s comments about bankruptcy instead of bailout for the auto companies, but that is what happened for GM. On the surface, bashing Mitt for saying what eventually happened is like bashing Obama for the mess he inherited. (Of course, one of the benefits with the GM bankruptcy is that it got out from under all its contaminated real estate, even though the environmental and bankruptcy laws prohibit escaping liabiltiy for contamination through bankruptcy. The good assets went to the “new” GM, and the contaminated ones stayed with the “old” GM that we the taxpayers now own.) For someone who is as smart as Mitt is reputed to be, he has all the social and political skills of a bumbling buffoon. For all his elitist tendencies, he doesn’t seem to be a sociopathic, mean spirited asshole who wants to shove Catholicism on everyone (and there are two of those running as Pubs).
I have heard several non-Pubs state that they intend to “crossover” to vote in today’s Michigan Republican primary. Most are saying that they would vote for Santorum because they feel he is completely un-electable. Well, to me that sounds like something that could come (bend?) back and bite one in the ass. The last time that “crossover” voting happened of note in Michigan was when George Wallace, running as a Democrat, won the 1972 Michigan primary because the Republicans did the crossover voting. That worked well, didn’t it?
So, should be interesting. And, I’m not so sure that if the Mittster loses Michigan it would be the end of his campaign. The political spinmeisters here in Michigan are beside themselves trying to say something meaningful. I mean, isn’t it possible that another bending could be that the Pubs wake up to what Santorum is behind his wizard curtain? Or Santorum’s exhortations for Dems to crossover could bring them out to vote for say, Ron Paul? Hmmm. Is he even on the ballot in Michigan??? Enough of this un-merry-go round. And no, I am not voting in today’s Michigan Republican primary. That would be too much bad juju.
JannKinz
Speaking of Sun square the nodes, it just so happens that the Pallas/Chiron conjunction of today square Mitt Romney’s natal nodes at 5 degrees 29 mins Gemini/Sag. Talk about a bending! Can’t wait to see what happens.
Gma, I do not well remember my Democratic family’s “take” on Gov. George Romney and I was too young to have my own. However, if there is one thing I have in common with my immediate family-of-origin, it is common-ground in politics and Human Rights and if my vague memory serves me, Romney was the one Republican – ever – that my parents supported. Anyway – reading Wiki on him will tells and interesting story (born in Mexico to a family who was there due to their wish for freedom to be polygamous):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Romney
Mitt’s Wiki is worth a read as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney
there is this too…
http://www.zcommunications.org/a-letter-to-other-occupiers-by-staughton-lynd
Wow. Thanks Eric and Amanda (and everyone else).
and in other “turning-point” news today:
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/28/headlines
“Police in London have arrested 20 Occupy London activists and dismantled the Occupy encampment outside St. Paul’s Cathedral, where protesters have been staying for four months. Police removed 50 tents. Symon Hill of the Christian group, Ekklesia, accused the police of using brutal force to dismantle the encampment.”
**
“Millions of workers in India have launched a 24-hour strike in a major push for workers’ rights. The strike is backed by India’s 11 major trade unions and has swept through multiple industries, including banking, transportation and postal services. Demands include a minimum wage, permanent jobs for contract workers and an end to privatization of public companies.”
**
“In news from Latin America, the Colombian rebel group FARC has announced it would abandon its decades-long policy of kidnapping for ransom and free all military and police hostages it holds in jungle camps. The move is seen as the latest sign the FARC wants to move toward a peace deal with the government.”
**
“The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today on whether corporations can be sued in U.S. courts for human rights abuses committed overseas. The case involves nine Nigerian activists executed for protesting Royal Dutch Shell.”
**
and perhaps the big one:
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/28/wikileaks_leaked_emails_expose_inner_workings
“The whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has begun publishing what it says are 5.5 million emails obtained from the servers of Stratfor, a private U.S.-based intelligence-gathering firm known to some as a “shadow CIA” for corporations and government agencies. The emails were reportedly obtained by the hackers group, Anonymous. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said the files implicate some of the world’s largest firms in corporate espionage. Firms with ties to Stratfor include Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Dow Chemical, and sectors of the U.S. government, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Marine Corps and the Defense Intelligence Agency. Coke asked Stratfor to keep tabs on the protest plans of the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. “We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the stories based on the material. They will come out in the next coming days and weeks,” said Kristinn Hrafnsson, a WikiLeaks spokesperson who has been a key member of the project to release the Stratfor emails. “What we were doing yesterday was introducing the project, the nature of Stratfor and how they operate and their ties.””
and half of one of PW’s favorite dynamic duos weighs in on Stratfor’s spying on activists for Dow Chemical during the 20-year anniversary of the Bophal disaster: Andy Bichelbaum, one of the Yes Men:
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/28/wikileaks_private_spies_stratfor_helped_dow
says Bichelbaum:
“What surprised us in those emails, though, was that we would have assumed that Dow would be really concerned with the exact issue of Bhopal and Dow’s responsibility, stuff that could directly impact their bottom line. But what Sratfor seems to be really a bit obsessed with is whether we or other organizations are going to draw this into a bigger critique of corporate power.”
Just read on Wikipedia about Mitt Romney’s father: ”
George Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician. He was chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962… .”
… and Mitt said the American car industry should go bankrupt…? Is there something in that – between father and son?
Thank you, Eric. This is what drew me to PW in the first place: your ‘take’ on the world. So helpful to read your perspective!