How the world ends

It was 1998. Driving through the Embarcadero in San Francisco on my way to the Golden Gate Bridge and home in Mill Valley, I saw the lights of a white BMW speeding up perilously close to me in my rear view mirror as I approached the left-turn only lane. The driver was obviously in a hurry. So much so that at her speed I thought she was drunk.

Just before I reached the signal light, she made a quick pass to my right and then cut right in front of me in my lane in order to make it first to the left turn light. She then proceeded onward at a furious 65 mph pace on the city streets, not even acknowledging me, all the while talking furiously on her cell phone. 

All that mattered was talking on her cell phone and getting to where she needed to go as fast as possible — everything else existed as mere inconvenience. The skin at the back of my neck, my fingers and legs were tingling so hard with adrenaline that I had to manage my breathing. I could have crunched her directly in a T-wreck, or been driven off the road and into oncoming traffic had I not brought myself to an abrupt stop. I was almost killed while that driver rode on. It was then, out of nowhere, that the strangest sentence came to my head, words that I never forgot, but somehow for a reason unknown to me at the time felt appropos for the moment: This is how the world ends.

Nearing the end of the 20th century and during the beginning of the 21st, one could say that an apocalypse of sorts had already happened. This apocalypse was not a single cataclysmic event like a devastating bomb or a natural disaster. The apocalypse was the slow-motion destruction of our national soul. For decades, we worshiped at the altar of entitlement. Our ethos, built on cheap gasoline and inexpensive goods, centered around the better car, the latest device, the biggest house in the neighborhood, the second, and maybe third, family vacation for the year.

During the dot.com boom in the Bay Area, money came at us in every direction, not all of it for products in stores or on the ground. Ideas alone — some more ridiculous than others — were generating tens of thousands of dollars in venture capital. It seemed that money was raining down from a huge invisible bucket overhead and everything was possible. Back then, during those days and nights, especially the night of my run-in with the white BMW, we were all trying to become dot-com millionaires and retire early. Some made it. Most did not. And that’s how the ‘bubbles’ — the dot-com era and the housing boom of our Pluto in Sagittarius economy came and went — one great idea followed by another, but not all was substantive or real.

How easy it is for money to wrap you up. You get caught up into a lifestyle, with societal rewards and approbation coming right from your television set. Our pop culture became a glorification of bling, winner-takes-all and ‘only the strong survive to stay on the island’. What was missing from that approbation — those feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction over having the power to ‘win’ — was the grasp of our values.  Not the family values of the traditional Pop-Tart Mom-and-Pop variety, not the values brought to you by Values Inc., or the values sold to you by a politician or pundit from a podium or a pulpit, but the deeper values that appreciate true freedom for yourself and others. The true weapon of mass destruction was that we were no longer here to help each other but to help ourselves.

Over the weekend, when Jude talked about Crazy Money, she said: “Money and privilege provide a cushion against paying heavy penalties for bad behavior. “ I totally agree. I would also say obsession with money is a sickness, symptomatic of how empty our bling bags have left us; how lonely we are in our mansions too big for one person to live in; how odd to be rushing headlong down city streets regardless of who is in your way, wondering why in the hell am I going so fast? 

All the accelerated avarice of over the last 30 years brings us exactly to this point in our collective history as a nation. On the brink economically and politically, as well as astrologically. As described on his website Earthwalk Astrology, Robert Blaschke’s entry from May 17, 2010 entitled Upheaval and Rebellion on the Horizon, says that a widespread rebellion (the #Occupy Movement) could be seen as a consequence of the country’s progressed ascendant moving from Leo to Virgo:

Coinciding with the progressed Sun-Uranus square becoming exact in October of next year (2011) is the concurrent ingress of the U.S. progressed Ascendant into Virgo, ending its 38-year passage through the sign of Leo, which began in February 1973. A new 36-year American period of history will commence with the progressed Virgo rising.

The progressed Leo rising era and its infatuation with Hollywood celebrities, the societal addiction to electronic entertainment and games, and the casino mentality on Wall Street that led to overly risky financial practices, will all soon be coming to a merciful ending.

Replacing this will be the new progressed Virgo rising era, lasting until 2047 and ushering in a more humble and conservative America, with a return to traditional values such as hard work and craftsmanship.

With the ticking of the clock on our country’s progressed chart, the bomb has already gone off. It was inevitable. When you push too hard and too fast and think only of yourself, when you forget that others are in your path — your vessel flies off the safety rails, crashing down to earth. That sounds about right, doesn’t it? The end of the world and its simultaneous new beginning is already happening. The end of the world built on greedy self-absorption comes by the hands of the self-absorbed, and by their children who are rebelling against them. It’s about time for a new world — one more sober, grounded and inclusive — to come to take the place of the old. There is more to do today to carry on, but for right now have faith and don’t be afraid when you hear “The end is near,” because it is, and this time something good comes of it.

14 thoughts on “How the world ends”

  1. Eric:

    Blaschke’s site makes it difficult to link to the the specific article, so I am copying us here on an excerpt of the progressed US Ascendant.

    Here is the passage from the article. I am not certain whether it’s by solar arc, naibod or quotidian.

    A progressed Virgo rising in the U.S. Sibly horoscope will represent a new era in American life and it is informative for astrologers to review United States history and see how past progressed Ascendant sign changes have demarcated periods of the American experience.

    1776 to 1799 • U.S. Sibly Ascendant in Sagittarius
    Country Founded upon Moral Principles of Freedom and Democracy.

    1799 to 1830 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Capricorn
    Era of Founding Fathers as Presidents.

    1830 to 1851 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Aquarius
    Era of Jacksonian Democracy and Political Involvement by the Common Man.

    1851 to 1868 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Pisces
    Era of Slavery Compromise and the Civil War.

    1868 to 1885 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Aries
    Era of Reconstruction and the Indian Wars.

    1885 to 1906 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Taurus
    Era of the Railroads and Wealth Creation by Robber Barons.

    1906 to 1935 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Gemini
    Era of the Telephone, Radio, Telegraph, and the Automobile.

    1935 to 1973 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Cancer
    Era of Great Depression, World War II, the 60s, and the Modern Nuclear Family.

    1973 to 2011 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Leo
    Era of Celebrity Infatuation, Entertainment Culture, and Baby Boomer Excesses.

    2011 to 2047 • Progressed U.S. Ascendant in Virgo
    Era of Healthy Citizens, Self-Employment, Hard Work, and a Return to Craftsmanship.

    Astrologers will observe that the duration of the progressed U.S. Ascendant in a given sign varies from as few as 17 years in Pisces or Aries, to as long as 38 years in Cancer or Leo. This is due to the phenomenon known as Signs of Short or Long Ascension, caused by the 23 1/2º tilt of the Earth’s polar axis.

    This is precisely why one can never eyeball the movement of a progressed Ascendant in an individual’s horoscope by assuming one degree of progression per year of life. This method comes close when estimating the current degree of a progressing Midheaven from a person’s age, but variability of the progressing Ascendant does not allow one to do this.

  2. Hi, I’m joining this discussion late and hearing about the “new US ascendant.” Would someone please offer up what method of progression is being used? Is this by solar arc directions, naibod or quotidian?

  3. It started with Dallas. The TV show, not the city. That’s how I remember the beginning of change. Everybody suddenly had to have more and prettier clothes, cars and houses. Cheating was how you got ahead. I’m glad to hear from a very reliable source that it is finally going to change now.

    Oddly, (ha ha) I find validation in that prediction through astrology; specifically the Winter Solstice this December 22. The pattern is Locomotive, according to Marc Edmund Jones, meaning that the major planets are spaced so that there is an empty trine in the chart. Where there are no planets is a ‘free span in experience’ and the energy of the chart is led by a planet designated as the ‘engine’, which in this case is Mars in Virgo. Of course, not all countries have progressed Virgo coming round, but all countries will experience this solstice pattern.

    For the chart set in Washington DC, Mars is in the 12th house, sort of cramping Mars’ usual style, but Mars rules the 7th house (Aries) with Uranus on the cusp. As our present President prefers working with a few million partners, and he himself has Mars in Virgo, and as his natal Leo Sun is in the 6th house which has a Virgo flavor, it seems tailor made for him. One can’t help but wonder if he doesn’t view the Occupy movement as a partner in the making. The excentric Uranus out front in Aries, and the practical Virgo Mars working behind the scene in the 12 house seems the perfect partnership.

    The open trine would include the Gemini 9th, Cancer 10th, and Leo 11th houses and would be the territory for breaking new ground, and because Mars is also ‘in the South bending’ of the Moon’s nodes, it doesn’t express it’s energy outwardly, emphasizing the value of partnering. These houses represent broadcasting, networking, government, inventions, religion and foreigners among other things, all of which are ripe for new ideas in this country.

    The Winter Solstice marks the Sun’s ingress into Capricorn, so it , along with Pluto, will square Uranus, making the adjustment to a new U.S. Virgo ascendant a hard pill to swallow for many. However, the Sun and Pluto also trine Jupiter on the cusp of the 8th house, making opening the ‘shared resources’ much easier. But Black Moon Lilith will exactly conjunct Jupiter at 0+ Taurus, so the purse will have strings attached.

    But speaking of purse strings and partnering, the ruler of the chart, Venus will square Jupiter & BML, and even Saturn who at the end of Venus-ruled Libra will be challenged by the Goddess of Love, Money, Beauty and flat-out comfort. It is a very interesting pattern, this solstice. And a complex pattern of locomotion too. Oh, and by the way, Mars has companions near by; Apollo, Psyche, Hebe and wouldn’t you know. . . Arachne the well respected weaver of patterns is only 1 degree ahead of him!

    We can explore the solstice. . plenty of time for that, but I wanted to note that the Moon is in Scorpio in this chart and she’s squaring Neptune. I see this as a good thing for the U.S. in that (1) she’s not void-of-course, and (2) the veil of Neptune will be lifted (or pierced!) from the U.S. natal Moon’s view. She who has suffered the worst from Neptune’s illusions as he has transited her for so long, will also be squared by this solstice Scorpio Moon, and not a moment too soon. He can be a heart-breaker that Neptune, but in the end, when you can see you were fooled, you are on your way to wisdom. It’s a time for healing and a time to examine your values, and above all, it’s time to get to work and fix all the problems like a good Virgo.
    be

  4. The fact is that we are all humans, some have had more luck than others. Just last week I was driving on 280 north from San Jose, and noticed woman driving a Lexus erratically going 80mph while talking on her cel phone. I guess she feels that she is above the law, or lucky not to cause an accident.

  5. Kat Lyons:

    I appreciate your comments. I think the era of Entitlement may be at it’s twilight. I think that would also mean our sense of exceptionalism will also be a casualty. The stunning and awesome power of OWS’s global demonstration last weekend is as good an indicator as any that the rest of the world is through with the plutocratic core of USA, and hopefully soon our role in the world diminishes to realistic levels.

    Our country has had it’s hands dug into the corners of the world out of self-interest, or self-absorption, and that reverberates down into the cellular level of the country’s psyche, burrowing like a tick.

    As Eric said yesterday in his 2012 diary, it’s a miracle the OWS movement survived and is thriving. The body politic is somehow healing itself of it’s preening self-absorption, thanks to Dr. Uranus.

  6. Thank you, Fe. As always, I appreciate your intuitive, nuanced and delicate sensibility.

    I wonder what drama the woman in the BMW was caught up in as she almost killed you; it made me think about my own process of becoming aware of my impact on the people around me. This appears to be a lifetime task, though thankfully there has been progress.

    I spent much of my life, unconsciously, in a victim mentality – mostly dwelling on how others impacted me (poor me) and unaware of how I impacted others.

    The victim psychological position is a very powerful and seductive state. There is a saying: “There is no one more dangerous than a victim.” The logic is that if I believe I have been victimized, I have all the ammunition I need to justify an attack. This could be a physical assault (as Brendan referenced) or verbal or even just attacking someone in my own mind through criticism, say.

    As your article implied, we hurt others as an unintended consequence of self-absorbtion, as well, like talking on the cell phone while driving fast or, more generally in the US, by using more than our share of the world’s energy resources.

    I just remembered a funny reference to the appeal of Rush Limbaugh to white, male, Americans (arguably the most privilaged group in the world) by giving them evidence that they are in fact victims of the feminazis; immigrants, poor, etc. The problem is that we are all vulnerable to falling into the victim stance, as well (even of Rush Limbaugh). Perhaps, this is the central moral and spiritual challenge of the day – it is for me anyway.

  7. Alps – I remember “those” people, from when I worked in the SF financial district in the early 80’s. I was a lowly telex operator, working on the side from my “day job” as a enlisted man in the Coast Guard, and I always felt like I was on a different planet when I was there. All this was before the various booms of course, but the attitude seems to be timeless.

    It would be nice to take such lost souls and expose them to what life is like here in Cochise County, Arizona: not much employment, few opportunities, and struggling people everywhere, including yours truly. If the city dwellers think it’s bad where they are, just come out here for a real education about poverty in America.

    The reverse is true as well: many of the folk here seem to be basically ignorant of just how bad the politicians have made it for everyone, and Fox News is the beacon for the faithfully blind. If anyone wants to have true reform in this country, they have got to explain it all to the folks outside in the hinterlands, the flyover states. Gain their interest, their trust, and we’ll get reform rolling.

    Oh, and don’t piss them off: they’ve got guns, and they know how to use them. That part truly worries me, given that Gabby Giffords is my congresswoman.

  8. Yes, Fe! I get to be a part of it everyday and learn so much — many well-informed and articulate occupiers, peaceful and vigilent. That my bldg goes into lock down as a reaction to freedom in the streets and not as a conscious response to what’s really happening is embarassing. I am trying to find an appropriate response beyond observation. It seems helpful to let the occupiers know that many, many people behind the glass walls really support this calling out the corporate entitlements, disparities and arrogance.

    Indeed, KittyJ!!!

    Between the conception
    And the creation
    Between the emotion
    And the response
    Falls the Shadow
    Life is very long

  9. Alps:

    I took a lunch hour walk to the Federal Reserve. The Occupy SF atmosphere was very gentle, mellow. More like a teach-in than a sit-in. And the kids were totally approachable. Could be because I was asking questions and generally being supportive.

    Maybe a little lunch hour walk is a good idea?

  10. Reading this, I flashed on the final lines of one of my favorite poems, T. S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men.” (The entire thing is quite long, so I won’t copy it all here … well worth Googling to read it, though. Almost as apropos as Yeats’s “The Second Coming”):

    Here we go round the prickly pear
    Prickly pear prickly pear
    Here we go round the prickly pear
    At five o’clock in the morning.

    Between the idea
    And the reality
    Between the motion
    And the act
    Falls the Shadow
    For Thine is the Kingdom

    Between the conception
    And the creation
    Between the emotion
    And the response
    Falls the Shadow
    Life is very long

    Between the desire
    And the spasm
    Between the potency
    And the existence
    Between the essence
    And the descent
    Falls the Shadow
    For Thine is the Kingdom

    For Thine is
    Life is
    For Thine is the

    This is the way the world ends
    This is the way the world ends
    This is the way the world ends
    Not with a bang but a whimper.

  11. Everyday the Occupy folks walk by and all around my SF workplace. Security finds it somehow appropriate to lockdown the building everytime. Fear within, fear without. So little conversation about it inside here . . . though, it’s clear sentiments are simmering, the lid kept on by a sense of duty to the golden gag order: “job security.”

    Your comments about entitlement run alive and rife here. They are echoed in an arrogance that rings something like I heard last week from within these glassed-in chambers, “If they want money, they should get off their asses and go earn some.” Another comment today, “Yeah, they all look like homeless (the marchers) . . . dirty clothes, dishelved . . . nothing else to do (snicker).”

    This glass house is in itself disintegrating — our ‘Class A’ building unable to maintain its infrastructure, like so many others around here. Owners don’t want to invest. It seems that lobby facelifts are popular, though! Leo rising its last tail swagger …

    So the wake up call seems to rumble oh so gradually. I am wondering when Mother Nature will have her way with us out here. Though I hate to say it, a shake-up is due.

    Thank you, Fe. Spot on here on the so-called Left Coast.

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