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Earth Day Astrologically

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 and is now an annual event drawing attention to sustainability and the environment. The horoscope for Earth Day features the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Saturn all in the sign of Taurus, perhaps the most grounded of the earth signs. Taurus gives Earth Day its practical agenda and highlights the peace and beauty of the earth.

The chart also contains Pluto in the earth sign of Virgo, which suggests the essentials of growth and conservation as well as clean energy. In addition, the Moon and Jupiter are both in Scorpio, ruling recycling and the regenerative forces of nature.

The horoscope for Earth Day meshes very nicely with New York City’s Sun and Mercury in earth sign Capricorn, as well as the U.S. chart, which has the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in the home-oriented sign of Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn. I don’t expect that the people who originated Earth Day were astrologers, but as so often happens, the appropriate significance of a horoscope cannot be denied! Blue-green beach, clouds

The Astrology of Easter

Easter’s date each year has astronomical origins. Passover begins on the 14th day of Nisan, after the spring equinox, and celebrates the Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian slavery. The sign of Aries begins on the first day of spring and seems an appropriate time for the Hebrews to embark on a new phase of their experience with energy and enthusiasm. The Hebrew calendar is lunar, and the 14th day of Nisan coincides with a full Moon. The full Moon astrologically also nicely describes the drama of this important event.

Christians celebrate Easter on the Sunday after Passover, so it’s the first Sunday after the first full Moon after the spring equinox. Easter represents hope and renewal, which are also tied to the sign of Aries. Aries is represented by a ram, a male sheep, and a lamb is a young sheep. Jesus is often referred to as the “lamb of God” since he sacrificed himself. This ties in with the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, in keeping with the symbolism of Aries, as are knives and bloodshed. The death of Christ heralds a new era of spiritual vitality, which coincides with the growth and renewed energy of the natural world in spring.

Evangeline Adams and Pluto

Astrologer Evangeline Adams was often ahead of her time. An Aquarian herself, she spoke about the Age of Aquarius in her public lectures in 1930. In an interview with the Palm Beach Daily News on March 28, 1930, she also talked a little bit about the planet Pluto. Pluto’s discovery had been announced only two weeks before! Adams correctly identified Pluto as a higher octave of Mars, as we still consider it today.

The new planet recently discovered represents martial force on a higher plane, which will usher in new inventions so close to the intelligence of man that they will save instead of destroy him. We are entering into a new phase of consciousness where Reason will prevail. Always at such times a new planet is discovered.

Before the discovery of the modern planets, Mars ruled both Aries and Scorpio. Saturn ruled Capricorn and Aquarius, and Jupiter ruled Sagittarius and Pisces. When Uranus was discovered in the 18th century, astrologers soon gave it rulership over Aquarius. When Neptune was discovered in the 19th century, astrologers realized its affinity for Pisces. Pluto, the god of the underworld, had an obvious correlation with the sign of Scorpio, and thus also related to Mars. Any astrologer could see the connection, but Evangeline seems to have been the first to discuss it publicly.

Adams appears to link Pluto somewhat with the dawn of the Age of Aquarius. Certainly atomic power and the nuclear sciences would soon be developed. Also ruled by Pluto are X-rays, synthetic chemistry, plastics, genetic engineering, psychology and the mass media, all of which had increasing interest at the time.

In hindsight, Adams’ thought that these could “save instead of destroy” is of course debatable. But she was always optimistic.

Flight 370 Disappearance and Neptune

News reports about the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 are full of keywords for Neptune. The missing plane presents a mystery, having simply vanished from the radar. Due to fragmentary and conflicting clues, there have been false leads and confusion, with initial speculation that the plane fell into the sea. Millions of volunteers around the world have been conducting a virtual search by scanning satellite images online.

When we have such a strong thematic emphasis, it’s a good bet that Neptune is strong in the horoscope for the flight’s take-off. It left Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 AM and it’s no surprise that Neptune is exactly conjunct the angular 4th house and creates a grand cross with the Moon in Gemini on the Descendant, along with the Ascendant and the Midheaven.

The other angular planet in the chart, the Moon in Gemini, also highlights themes relating to communications issues. Pinging signals were picked up from the plane for several hours after it disappeared. In addition, The Data Link System and Transponders used to communicate location with air traffic controllers were shut down, quite an unusual situation. The plane now appears to have flown for a number of hours after being redirected from its original route.

Time will reveal what the Neptunian deception in this matter is, and whether the passengers and crew have been taken prisoner or may have fallen into the sea.

Daylight Savings Time

We turn the clocks ahead an hour on March 9th, and will experience Daylight Savings Time until early November. Certainly the days have already gotten longer, the only sign of spring since we’ve continued to have such cold temperatures this year. I’m always thrown off by these time changes, which affect our circadian rhythms, but bureaucracies around the world continue to adhere to them.

We’ve had DST from March to November since 2007. Going back to the 50s, it was April to October. From the 20s, it was April to September, so we’re in a trend of more DST. There are conflicting opinions as to whether this saves energy, as originally intended by thrifty Capricorn Ben Franklin. I vividly recall the years 1974 and 1975 during the energy crisis, when Daylight Time started in January and February. We would get up to get ready for school and it was still completely dark! A friend awoke one morning, took her shower, turned on the radio, and only then realized it was just 3:00 AM – it was hard to tell the difference in those days.

Astrologers try to keep track of all of these changes, since the hours’ difference can make for important changes in a horoscope. States like Illinois and Pennsylvania have had confusing time standards for record-keeping, and states like Indiana and Tennessee, which border two time zones, also make for challenges in calculating birth charts.

Arizona, Hawaii, Guam the Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories do not observe DST. These places are closer to the equator, and their periods of daylight do not vary as much over the years.

Dr. Sacks and Mercury

Neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks was born on July 9, 1933 according to Ancestry.com. His article, “The Joy of Old Age (No Kidding.)” appeared in the New York Times on July 6, 2013. In it, Dr. Sacks discussed turning 80 and how he associated it with the element mercury, which has an atomic number of 80. Although Sacks is obviously not an astrologer, his essay is chock full of allusions to Mercury.

Sacks says that, “My mother was the 16th of 18 children; I was the youngest of her four sons. I was always the youngest boy in my class at high school. I have retained this feeling of being the youngest, even though now I am almost the oldest person I know.” Here he refers to siblings, well-known as Mercury-ruled. And Mercurial people are often youthful, no matter what their age.

One reason Dr. Sacks is grateful for a long life is because he’s been able “to write a dozen books and to receive innumerable letters from friends, colleagues and readers,” although he also realizes that at his age, “dementia or stroke looms.” Writing and correspondence are Mercury-ruled pursuits and dementia and stroke both impair Mercury’s ability to express itself. He reports that his father, who lived to age 94, said that in his 80s he felt “an enlargement of mental life and perspective” – once again, referring to the intellectual capacities ruled by Mercury.

Dr. Sacks’ article was reprinted in AARP The Magazine’s February-March 2014 issue, which appeared under Mercury retrograde. A re-print is quite a Mercury retrograde phenomenon. Coincidence?

Obviously Mercury is an important planet for Sacks! When we look at his horoscope we find that his Mercury is involved with oppositions involving the Moon, Venus and Saturn. This is the dominant pattern in the doctor’s chart and part of his essential experience. He’s been challenged to express himself through creative writing (Mercury conjunct Venus in Leo). His expertise as a doctor (Saturn in Aquarius) and ability to objectively analyze human behaviors (Moon in Aquarius) all play their parts in Sacks’ work as he explores the unusual ways our brains and minds can interact.

As an astute observer of the human situation, Dr. Sacks tunes in to astrological truth without having studied it. He has clearly become an expert in understanding others, and, in fact, life itself, also represented by his Moon-Mercury-Venus-Saturn oppositions.

Retrograde and Void of Course

Mercury retrograde is a time for review, revisions and rethinking. Al H. Morrison felt that the Void of Course Moon was best used for routine activities and feeding your soul. The combination of the two may at times result in petty annoyances and some delay or frustration in day-to-day life. It’s generally not a good time to initiate new projects.

I once received a call from a magazine I’d never worked for to write a feature. The editor discussed what they wanted, I agreed, and she said they were definitely going ahead. She’d get back to me regarding the length of the article and deadline. I was skeptical since I knew that not only was Mercury retrograde but the Moon was also Void of Course that day. Mercury retrograde can create miscommunications and people easily change their minds. And the Void of Course Moon is not promising for beginning new ventures. Not only did the editor not call me back as promised, but I was never even able to reach her!

But life goes on and we must continue through these wacky times. (For his part, Al H. Morrison would often sleep during the VOC Moon – at any time of the day or night.)

Recently, I arrived at my destination early during Mercury retrograde with the VOC Moon. My Metrocard needed refilling, and I thought that I’d accomplish this routine task. The first vending machine was providing no receipts, so I moved on to the next. The second machine informed me that my Metrocard was expiring – Did I want to replace it? I said Yes. I got the card and it gave me a receipt but I was confused. Did they charge me $1 for replacement? It was not clear. I continued to refill my card and the machine requested my zip code. However the keypad would not work and the transaction was aborted.

I moved on to the third machine, which unfortunately was only providing single trip transactions, something I’d never encountered before. I turned to the fourth and final machine, which by this time had several people waiting in line. I’d now be late if I waited, so I left.

I’d gotten a new card, but had been unable to complete my intended task. As Morrison had said, the VOC Moon can take us in unintended directions, with false starts and error. Mercury retrograde revealed machines needing repair and a confusing situation. I’d have to complete things at a later date. Sometimes even routine tasks don’t fare so well under these influences!

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Horoscope

He had a fabulous career, fame, wealth, beautiful kids and a long-time partner. What more could anyone want? Still, Philip Seymour Hoffman died of a drug overdose. Does his horoscope show his enormous talent as well as drug dependence?

Hoffman was born on July 23, 1967 and unfortunately we don’t have his time of birth. We don’t know his Ascendant sign, if he had the Sun in Leo or Cancer or the Moon in Aquarius or Pisces. The Sun conjunct Jupiter could point toward both success and excess, but that aspect is a little wide to be so definitive. The Sun closely square Mars in Scorpio shows his ambition and drive and perhaps unchecked compulsions, since Mars also conjoins the South Node. Mercury in Cancer exactly squares Saturn in Aries, suggesting someone willing to work for success but also the possibility of anxiety and insecurity.

Hoffman’s horoscope does not have many aspects and the “easy” ones predominate over the challenges. But even without a time of birth, I would expect more dynamic patterns from the unusual events in the actor’s life, particularly from the outer planets.

If we consider declination, the horoscope leaps out at us. The Sun parallels Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto, which seems a more appropriate pattern for the kind of intensity and extremes of experience that Hoffman encountered. In addition, Neptune and perhaps the Moon also contraparallel the Sun, Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto. Success, facility, luck, obsession and the desire to transcend reality are all here. The Jupiter-Pluto-Neptune pattern is very tight (less than a degree and a half all around) and accentuates this combination.

It’s also worth noting that like many of his generation, Philip Seymour Hoffman has Uranus conjunct Pluto in his birth chart. With Uranus square Pluto at the time of his death on February 2, 2014, he becomes a symbol of the possibilities of this pattern – both its highs and lows.

The Retrograde Diaries

I was reminded this morning that the effect of Mercury retrograde begins before the exact retrograde phase you see in your ephemeris. It starts when Mercury slows down before moving backward. Mercury retrograde can make us change our minds, change our plans and may create miscommunications or failed functioning. Get ready for the next three weeks!

We woke up to heavy snow – 6 to 8” projected – which they had predicted the day before to begin in the afternoon and total only 2-3”. Yes, the highly respected and well-paid weather forecasters had been incorrect once again. I realized that my appointment would cancel due to weather. I looked at my phone and he had already called — I had just not heard the ring. At that moment he called again. I also had to reschedule my mother’s doctor’s appointment for the next day, the one she had postponed from the previous month.

My husband, who had a severe toothache the morning before (a recurrence of a long-ago issue), had felt much better and hoped to avoid a visit to the dentist. But early this morning it began again. When he called the dentist’s office, they, too, had had a cancellation and told him he could come right in. (Sometimes Mercury retrograde does work in our favor!)

I went to the store. At checkout, there was a delay. The lady ahead of me needed to wait for the manager to complete her transaction. The only cashier had to sign onto another register to help me. This machine, she advised, would not take credit cards. But she also had trouble signing on. She then found that the scanner would not work. By this time the manager was through (and the other customer needed to return later to pick-up her order). We went back to the first register and things proceeded smoothly from there. Mechanical mishegoss is a hallmark of Mercury retrograde, as are incomplete transactions.

I returned home and soon found the elevator repairman at my door. It became obvious that he had only a remedial command of English. However he communicated the following: “Your husband… eight… oil…” Yes! I understood. He’d come back. A few weeks before there had been an oil delivery – eight jugs were left with my husband since the super had gone home (how could I forget them in my hallway?). I sent the repairman to the super and he understood. Sometimes we come back to a previous project after Mercury turns retro, and we may have to work harder at communicating.

This encounter also reflects Venus retrograde (just turning direct yesterday, but still felt since it, too, is moving more slowly than usual as it changes direction). While I don’t have much of a relationship with the elevator repairman, he appears once a month to check things out. I’d considered him rude in the past, but now I had gotten to know him better and realized that he just did not understand the language. Both my mind and my feelings had changed. Watch for these types of things this week as Venus begins to pick up speed and Mercury continues slowing down – a bit of a double whammy.

Chris Christie Inauguration Horoscope

Governor Chris Christie is having a tough year – and it’s only January. He had to cancel his inauguration party due to a snowstorm. But he should have picked a better time to be sworn in if he wanted to avoid a snowstorm of legal issues.

Things can abruptly change when you have Uranus squaring your Mars and opposing your Mercury as Christie does. You don’t really have control over what’s going on around you. Unfortunately, inauguration dates are generally not that flexible and Christie re-upped his governorship on January 21, 2014 at approximately 11:30 AM in Trenton, NJ with a grand cross of Venus-Mars-Jupiter-Uranus and Pluto. Litigious Pluto right up in the 9th house of partisanship and legal issues suggests that Federal lawsuits and State investigations will work their way dramatically through the courts.

The astrology of the situation is unfortunately rather obvious. Yet the Governor is no believer, stating at his State of the State address recently that “Choice, not chance, determines your destiny.” Really?

Christie, however, represented by the Sun in the 10th house trine the Moon in Libra in the inaugural horoscope, should probably retain his position and a good amount of his public popularity. However nothing is certain until after Uranus’ aspects perfect in February.