Dear Friend and Reader:
Last week, I cautioned that some kind of false-flag event might be used to disrupt the Occupy Wall Street protests that have now spread to 1,100 cities in the United States. As of press time, the protesters had too strong a presence in Zuccotti Park for New York City to move ahead with its proposed ‘cleaning’ of the park first thing Friday morning. Protesters spent the night mopping and scrubbing the plaza in the financial district. That is a real movement, and it’s going to grow as the Uranus-Pluto square — the 2012 aspect — comes into focus. Unlike protesting a war, which might be seen as ideological and unpatriotic, there’s nothing un-American about wanting to feed your children. Wednesday night Keith Olbermann reported that according to a new survey, one in five Americans said they had trouble feeding their families the past year.
Directly or indirectly, it seems that the world economic crisis is affecting everyone, and even if it’s not affecting you, you may still be outraged by the ways in which the ‘bailouts’ of Wall Street firms and U.S. banks seem to have gone directly into bonuses for top executives. Bank of America, which got nearly a quarter-trillion dollars in bailouts, is about to lay off 30,000 workers.
This kind of greed is what the Occupy Wall Street protests are about — and they are catching on. Saturday is the planned worldwide 15 October event, which officially takes the #Occupy movement global. Though this protest movement started a month ago with the big story being how it was being ignored by the media, I would say it’s doing very well right now. Sure, much of the coverage has been pretty stupid, which The Onion summed up this week as, “Nation Waiting For Protesters to Clearly Articulate Demands Before Ignoring Them.”
Though Fox News portrays those protesting as a bunch of anarchists who have never worked for anything in their lives, in truth this is a broad-based movement of educated people who know that our society is being ripped off and our economy is being destroyed. To my ear, those so-called conservative elements calling for dismantling the government (what they call deregulation) so that it’s easier for them to do business have as much credibility as the mafia calling for the dismantling of the organized crime unit.
As author and war correspondent Chris Hedges put it last week, “Those who are protesting the rise of the corporate state are in fact on the political spectrum the true conservatives because they’re calling for the restoration of the rule of law. The radicals have seized power and they have trashed all regulations and legal impediments to a corporate reconfiguration of American society into a form of neo-feudalism. And that’s what we’re really asking for — is the restoration of the rule of law.”
That is an interesting image of Pluto in Capricorn — and this is going to be an interesting revolution. The hippies are now the conservatives (who would preserve the power of the state) and the self-acclaimed conservatives are now the anarchists (who are doing a good job taking it apart).
Speaking of the rule of law, on Tuesday, the federal government’s top cops held a press conference and announced that a big terrorism plot had been foiled. Let’s see if I can get this right. The Iranian government was going to hire a Mexican drug cartel to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States, while he was in New York. This was supposed to happen in a restaurant and in theory lots of innocent people would have been killed. The plot was disrupted and it never got anywhere near actually happening.
“Though it reads like the pages of a Hollywood script, the impact would have been very real, and many lives would have been lost,” said Robert Mueller, head of the FBI, claiming victory on behalf of the nation.
Funny, this was the same scenario for an action-thriller I suggested to my literary agent last month, though in my version, the plot was foiled by an astrologer who was asked by Iran to cast the perfect chart for the event. The astrologer had a friend who was an FBI agent, he passed the tip along and saved the day. Okay, just kidding about that part.
My favorite critique of this ‘terror plot’ came from Glen Greenwald’s blog on Salon.com. He wrote, “The most difficult challenge in writing about the Iranian Terror Plot unveiled yesterday is to take it seriously enough to analyze it. Iranian Muslims in the Quds Force sending marauding bands of Mexican drug cartel assassins onto sacred American soil to commit Terrorism — against Saudi Arabia and possibly Israel — is what Bill Kristol and John Bolton would feverishly dream up while dropping acid and madly cackling at the possibility that they could get someone to believe it.”
In case you don’t know those names, Bill Kristol was Dan Quayle’s chief of staff when he was vice president, he’s associated with several prominent neoconservative think tanks, and is the godfather of the Neocon movement. John Bolton is the big guy with the walrus moustache who wanted to blow the top 10 floors off of the United Nations (to which he was a delegate under Bush). Now imagine them taking LSD together, and dreaming up something really weird. That’s what this plot sounds like.
Thursday, The New York Times informed us that Mansour J. Arbabsiar, the suspect allegedly at the center of the alleged terrorist plot, was someone who was so disorganized he literally could not manage to wear matching socks. “He was perennially disheveled, friends and acquaintances said, and hopelessly disorganized,” the newspaper wrote. They quoted an old friend: “He was always losing his keys and his cellphone. He was not capable of carrying out this plan.” Hmm, he’s got something in common with many of the alleged 9/11 hijackers.
The Times noted, “American officials, who say the plot was endorsed by top Iranian authorities, were exploring why the sophisticated Quds Force might have chosen to rely on so amateurish an agent as Mr. Arbabsiar.”
Maybe astrology will give us a clue. Let’s take a look at the chart for the big announcement that the terror plot had been foiled. When I first looked at this chart, the story seemed plausible. But as I studied the placements more carefully, the whole thing seemed, well, the word is tidy. Tidier than a chaotic lead conspirator who could not keep track of his cellphone. Tidier than an international conspiracy to commit mass murder. How was that Mexican gang going to get into the United States? I guess they were going to sneak past right where the fence along the border is supposed to go.
The chart is basically that of the Aries Full Moon. Federal officials made their announcement Tuesday just a few hours before the Moon reached its exact opposition to the Sun. It’s true that the Full Moon can have a precipitating effect, like the wind blowing through a tree full of ripe apples. [That was the case in August 2006, when another such plot was uncovered on the Full Moon, this one in the UK. That was the famous one that led to not being able to bring more than a few ounces of liquid onto an airplane. It turned out to be a domestic plot, based right in England.]
This chart has Capricorn rising, and we find Saturn (the ruler of Capricorn) standing at attention up on top of the chart — about to be conjoined by the Sun. So we have a Sun-Saturn conjunction straight up at the top. This could be the image of the servants of justice and government doing their job — which is precisely what it seems like: an image. In Libra, this image has come out of Central Casting and been attended to by $400 an hour stylists. It’s so realistic, it makes me want to stand up, put my hand over my heart and wipe a little tear from my eye.
The Aries Moon for its part is down in the 3rd house (of media) and it’s precisely — to the exact degree — square the ascendant. Very neat and tidy.
Here is something interesting as well. The Moon in this chart is also exactly on the horizon of the chart for the Sept. 11 incident — the relationship angle, one of the most sensitive lines in the whole chart. If George Bush had made this announcement, he would have come out with a hunk of still-smoldering debris from the World Trade Center. The Obama administration is somewhat subtler in its sales approach, evoking the sensation of Sept. 11 rather than the gory details. But the theme is ‘terrorism’ and the effect is a distraction. I don’t think the guys in the Obama administration want to rain havoc and death on anyone, but they do have their agenda.
No matter how long I’ve looked at this chart, I could not see the chart of a foiled terror plot. But I do see a chart about government, money and banking. The houses in this chart that have the most activity are that 9th/10th blend (the government going about its business, looking very handsome as it does so) with the Sun and Saturn blowing in the breeze. The money and finance houses have a lot going on, and the theme is that it’s 1) extremely narrow and 2) deceptive and 3) aggressive. We see this among many other places as Mars in the 8th house of banking, combined with a variety of other planets (some not shown in this chart) that speak of a focused, closed-minded conspiracy to do something very specific — involving money.
In any chart of a conspiracy, there is a way to check and see who the main conspirator is. That will be by studying the 12th house. If we check that house, which tells us about the ‘secret enemy’, we find Sagittarius on the cusp. Follow that to the ruler of Sagittarius, which is Jupiter, who is wealthy, fat and happy, retrograde in Taurus lurking right at the bottom of the chart. The secret enemy in this chart of a foiled terror plot is a banker, at home, sipping Romanée Conti from a good year.
So, the plot to end all protests didn’t work. Thursday’s lead story on CNN.com was about Republicans being friendlier to the protesters. Heck, Mitt Romney said he’s worried about the 99%, and “I understand how those people feel” despite his being one of the 1%.
Even Eric Cantor, whose chart could work as drain cleaner and who was just last week referring to ‘mobs’, on Wednesday said, “People are upset, and they’re justifiably frustrated. They’re out of work. The economy is not moving. Their sense of security for the future is not clear at all. People are afraid, and I get it. When we have elected leaders stirring the pot, if you will, that’s not good.”
Speaking of stirring the pot, we’re aware that as of press time Friday morning, the presence of protesters at Zuccotti Park was too strong for the city to move in on them. The last time Mayor Bloomberg took action against the protesters was on Oct. 1, which helped send #Occupy international. A new phase of this is planned for this Saturday with the 15 October day of action. Perhaps Bloomberg has figured out that this movement is bigger than he and his billions — something the protesters apparently figured out long ago. Good thing, too.
Lovingly,
Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. Horoscope #878. | Eric’s Zodiac Sign Descriptions
Aries (March 20-April 19) — Beware of subtle tensions that could be brewing under the surface of your professional or social contacts. Things you barely notice have the potential to trigger disproportionately large reactions from you or from others. The first person to monitor is yourself; in particular, any sense of pressure that has the feeling, ‘if I don’t deal with this, I might explode’. The real subject matter may be masked by more obvious dramas or conflicts that are in truth meaningless. Carefully look past any drama for the actual subject matter, which will relate to circumstances that you have not been able to change no matter how hard you try, or qualities in yourself that seem intractable. Don’t wait for any kind of straw to break the camel’s back, or the fire to start that runs out of control. There’s a long-established pattern pointing back to what you are trying to work through here. Be patient and connect the dots.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — How often, or rather how dependably, do you see the world from the viewpoint of others? Now it would seem that you have little choice, though to do so means indulging in some complexity and sorting out what may be a mixed message or some exaggerated point of view. The real information you’re seeking will come more in the form of a whisper. When you really notice something about another person, your confirmation will be that it tells you something about yourself. The sensation will be one of closeness rather than alienation; of common ground rather than a polarity, and your own desire to grow and evolve. It’s true, there is plenty you can point to that is different about someone, and the helpless sensation of a deadlock is always available. Go below the surface and tap into something more creative, a feeling or observation that draws you toward contact and empathy.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Most people choose to remain ignorant because they think that exposure to new information will not only threaten their viewpoint — it will threaten their identity. I suggest you let go of any such irrational fear. I suggest you be most willing to embrace anything that contradicts or challenges your point of view. Make a conscious effort to see all of the sides of any situation without being judgmental or dismissive. Pay special attention to your environment, and notice the agendas of anyone involved. Someone seems determined to create a conflict where there otherwise would be none, but they are leaving clues along the way and you may have had a run-in with them recently. Listen carefully and keep your sixth sense on. You have the ability not only to defuse this situation, but to make sure that it’s turned into a positive gain for everyone.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The feelings of others may be especially compelling right now, but don’t lose your center. You could easily have your emotions drowned in an issue that someone is claiming is extremely important but is really just an over-reaction. The key will be to listen without getting caught up in the current. Over the next few days you may have a tendency to forget yourself, or at least to forget what’s important to you. Meanwhile, if you keep your focus and maintain a sense of perspective, there is an opportunity brewing that is likely to appear quickly and disappear just as fast if you don’t take notice. The opportunity relates to a financial situation that you recently determined was top priority. It’s not just about money; you have a lavish creative opportunity that’s on the verge of opening up. Remember your potential and how many times you have promised yourself to do something about it.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — I suggest you directly confront something that you don’t understand, no matter how confounding it seems. You will benefit from doing so, even if you have to encounter some confusion along the way. You may think you have to sort everything out, but what you’re really trying to do is get yourself out of a corner you’ve somehow gotten yourself into. Your sense of being overwhelmed has more to do with your viewpoint than it does with your environment. The more flexible you become, the clearer you’ll feel about what’s going on in your environment. You may have to feel really, truly stuck before that happens, but it won’t last long; and as you get to the breakthrough point, you’re likely to recognize that you can make many similar adjustments to your thought patterns. Looked at another way, you’re seeing the beautiful difference between thinking clearly and not thinking at all.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Something has been bothering you — potentially for years — and you are about to discover what it is. I may have used this analogy before: imagine you got a shard of metal embedded in your skin as a child, then forgot that it happened. Over the years, your body has gradually pushed the shard up toward the surface. Then one day it breaks the skin, and you can grab it with a tweezers and pull it out. The little injury that you get from the skin breaking is nothing compared to the sense of relief of the thing coming out. An odd tension you barely noticed will release itself, giving you new flexibility. What is this thing? It’s something old, and it’s directly related to the ‘self-critical’ thing that so many astrologers — and Virgo natives — have noticed about your sign. Working out the unfinished business of the distant past has been a theme of recent years of your life, and this is one tangible result.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — You are different from the people around you. We all are, I know — but you’re in the midst of a major discovery right now. Certain individuals in your life can stand a lot more chaos, uncertainty and instability than you can. Yet the more you hunker down and cling to stability, the more you notice how much instability annoys you. Let’s see if we can figure out what’s really going on. One way to look at the situation is that everyone is just being who they are. Another way is that you and the people around you are influencing one another, as living things coexisting in one environment will always do. There are specific things you can learn about how to integrate change into your life. For you, this is more about working with variables than it is about embracing chaos. There are patterns that make perfect sense, and which point to viable options — as long as you look at the world with an open mind.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You seem to be considering something you never would contemplate otherwise. I get the feeling that you like the sensation of doing this, and you seem poised to make a spontaneous decision that might leave everyone wondering what got into you. From the look of your solar chart, this involves your career — you finally figured out that you could not be boxed into an old idea or goal, and the desire to grow took on a life of its own. Even if you make a significant change now, you will be able to find the roots of that thought process going back years; you’re reaching the critical mass point now. Carrying through on a decision is sometimes more challenging than making the decision in the first place, so make sure you take one step at a time and keep going till you get where you want to be. Let your passion guide you. That will be a lot easier now that you know in which direction to head.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You can indulge your fantasies — no matter how lurid, ‘inappropriate’ or hormone-drenched. If I had to guess these won’t feel like your usual erotic daydreams but rather like some form of actual, living contact, though on a slightly different plane of existence. I’ve noticed that the more vivid and easy a fantasy feels, the more likely it is to happen. It’s like you think a thought and then it thinks you back just as fast. The contact between you and the focus of your desire is so palpable, it’s vivid and alive. I would ask you a simple, potentially controversial question — how does it feel to be so turned on? Do you feel drawn in, a little panicky, or both? I would say that a touch of fear would be normal given the placement of the planets, but it’s something you can brush aside to claim the pleasure that’s directly on the other side.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Someone may be getting on your nerves. Since you’re the kind of person who can handle really, really annoying people, this is saying a lot. Translated into Goat Speak, someone who has been irritating you for a while is on the verge of becoming such a significant pain in the ass you might have to whack them with your head once or twice. However, the planets suggest one fact pretty clearly — this person is more of a hazard to themselves than they are to you. So I suggest you keep your distance and let the situation unfold. I think you’ll get one of those ‘lessons of leadership’, which amounts to: sometimes you don’t need to do anything. Therefore, keep your agenda moving forward; focus on what you want to create rather than fixing anything that’s bothering you. Many other forces are working in your favor; your friends love you and want to help you.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Belief is a strange thing. Consider how if you believe something that is utterly and absolutely wrong, it can have the full force and effect of being true. You may have just discovered something like that in your life. This is why it’s really healthy to challenge your beliefs before they get around to challenging you. This one had something to do with whether you feel confident enough to assert your authority. That in turn may have involved the confidence of whether you will be liked or loved. This is the thing you sometimes have to chance when you assert yourself. It could be that you’ll be liked more for being authentic, but in any event, the real issue is integrity. And this you have demonstrated, and you’ve learned something in the process of doing so: as in, don’t always believe your beliefs. Take them out for a spin and see if they actually roll.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — When sexy planets show up in Scorpio, I like to remind you that sex is your religion. By this I mean that your notion of what is spiritual is what most people think of as erotic, or at least it starts there. You can leave it to others to proclaim that ‘God is love’ or ‘God is everything’, and then you get to experiment with living as if that’s actually true. The erotic dimension is one your most meaningful points of contact with what others call ‘spiritual’. Keep that in mind over the next few days, especially the part about this all being an experiment. That would include having faith in passion and exploring the ways in which beauty is nourishing. I would offer you one last idea: when most religious leaders use the word ‘sin’ they mean sexual sin. What if this were absolutely not true? What if there were no such thing? There may not be one answer to that question, but rather a doorway to a world of possibilities.