Category Archives: horoscope interpretation

You May be a Martian

Psychic medical diagnostician Edgar Cayce often talked about astrology while in a trance state, mentioning reincarnation and past “sojourns” in various planetary realms, highlighted in the horoscope. I’ve read a number of books on Cayce’s astrology in the past, but I could never quite make sense of it all. Now, having completed Ry Redd’s Toward a New Astrology (1985), it’s finally come together in my mind.

Redd studied the Cayce astrology readings extensively and also researched Kabbalah, Rudolf Steiner’s works and Hindu astrology, studying with Dr. B.V. Raman. He correlates Cayce’s emphasis on “Persian” astrology with Hindu Brahmin techniques for lokas (or planetary dimensions) described by the horoscopes, which he found to often closely parallel Cayce’s statements. He also addresses planetary strength, such as planets near the Midheaven, as indicating planetary emphasis in a past life. So, for instance, with an angular Mars, a recent planetary sojourn may have been in the Mars realm. You may be a Martian! I know I am.

This is one of the most intriguing astrology books I’ve read in a long time. Redd has done a tremendous amount of research and his conclusions make sense. He includes numerous horoscopes and compares them with Cayce’s interpretations, discussing famous reincarnations, Mercury, and challenging and flowing aspects in the charts.

Ry Redd’s book is still available from second-hand book dealers online and I’d highly recommend it to those interested in Edgar Cayce, astrology and reincarnation:  Toward a New Astrology: The Approach of Edgar Cayce

Ry Redd was born on March 30, 1945 at 6:45 AM in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with several chart factors showing an emphasis on reincarnation. An angular grand cross (with the Ascendant and Sun rising, Saturn conjunct the IC, Neptune on the descendant and the Midheaven) accentuates the physical vs. the spiritual. Pluto, the planet of reincarnation, closely trines his Sun, sextiles Neptune and is placed Out of Bounds in declination. And Saturn on his IC (representing the past) is nearly exactly parallel the North Node.

 

 

Ted Cruz and NYC’s Astrological Values

Texas Senator Ted Cruz took aim at New York City values in the Republican presidential debate on Thursday night. Is he onto something? We can clearly see where he’s coming from astrologically.

Cruz said that, “Everybody understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal and pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage and focus on money and the media.” When we look at the horoscope of Greater New York, what jumps out is Jupiter conjunct the Ascendant in Libra (see chart below). Jupiter is the planet of the media and big business. It’s the ruler of anything big, which may be one reason why the City is the largest in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world.

The sign of Libra is associated with all relationships, especially love relationships. Margaret Sanger opened the first free women’s health clinic in Brownsville, Brooklyn on October 16, 1916 with the Sun and Mercury in Libra. (She had Venus in Libra.) Sanger saw women from many diverse backgrounds, including immigrants (Jupiter ruled of course) and provided information on birth control.

New York State was certainly not the first to legalize gay marriage. But the Marriage Equality Act went into effect with Saturn in Libra when it was very close to conjoining NYC’s Jupiter and Ascendant. Legislation is a Jupiter issue and both marriage and equality are Libran themes.

But why has Ted Cruz singled out New York? His horoscope resonates with it. He was born on December 22, 1970 and like Greater New York, he also has Libra rising, along with the Moon and Uranus in Libra, both conjoining the City’s Jupiter and Ascendant! Cruz may not like New York, but he has certainly garnered a tremendous amount of media attention from NYC’s Jupiter in Libra. And as Mayor deBlasio pointed out, he’s also received many campaign donations from New Yorkers as well.

Greater New York

Greater New York was consolidated into 5 boroughs on January 1, 1898 at 12:01 a.m.

Margaret Sanger was born on September 14, 1879

The NYS Marriage Equality Act went into effect on July 24, 2011

Ted Cruz was born on December 22, 1970 at 1:00 a.m. in Calgary, Canada.

Margaret Sanger’s biography, A Life of Passion, details her first health clinic. Margaret Sanger Life of Passion

Taylor Swift, Venus and Mars

We’ve all experienced heartache. What gives Taylor Swift her gift of sharing her experiences and getting such a tremendous audience response? Her Sun in Sagittarius in the 5th house makes her a troubadour as well as a philosopher about love. And her Mercury conjunct Saturn in Capricorn allows her to take a step back and reframe her past. But I think the most important element in her horoscope is Venus sextile Mars, which makes her a natural expert on love and sex, affection and heartbreak.

On November 22, 2015, Swift won three American Music Awards, including Song of the Year for “Blank Space,” which she co-wrote. This song, about the highs and lows of a new relationship, perfectly expresses the energies of her Venus in Aquarius in an out-of-sign sextile to Mars in Scorpio.

Taylor Swift Horoscope

Taylor begins by telling her new guy that she can show him “incredible things – magic, madness, heaven, sin.” The incredible, magic and heaven relate to Venus in otherworldly Aquarius, while madness and sin reflect passionate and gritty Mars in Scorpio.

With “Look at that face” and “I can read you like a magazine,” she considers his Venusian appearance and personality, and offers, “let’s be friends,” since Aquarius is the sign of friendship. Yet she knows that he could be her “next mistake.” Still, her Mars in Scorpio has piqued her curiosity and she’s “dying to see how this one ends.”

In the refrain, Taylor repeatedly contrasts her Venus and Mars. Will the relationship be “forever” (Venus in fixed sign Aquarius) or “go down in flames”? (Mars in Scorpio, a sign that must see actions to their possibly painful conclusions.) She wonders if the “high” (Venus) will be worth the inevitable “pain” (Mars). She admits her ex-lovers (Scorpio) might say she’s “insane” (Aquarius) but that she loves “the players” (Venus sextile Mars). She knows they’re both “young” and “reckless” (Venus sextile Mars) and could take things “way too far” (Mars in Scorpio) with the possibility of being left “breathless” (Venus in air sign Aquarius) or with a “nasty scar” (Mars in recuperative Scorpio).

Many other images in the song reiterate the contrasting Venus-Mars themes: “Rose gardens filled with thorns,” “a nightmare dressed like a daydream,” and her feeling that “boys only want love if it’s torture.”

In the end, though, Swift understands her Venus-Mars contradictions, and is willing to try again. “I’ve got a blank space, baby, and I’ll write your name” nicely sums up her Venusian need for relationships as well as her ability to take another Martian chance.

The Signs and Bureaucracy

We tend to favor aspects over signs these days. But the quality of the signs themselves can be very revealing and help us anticipate what’s to come.

Last week, I stopped into a downtown bank to pick up forms to be added to my mom’s account. I was told that she must come in with me. Since my mother has severe arthritis and rarely leaves the house, this was impossible. The banker then said we could put a Power of Attorney on the account. I already had a general Power of Attorney and said I’d bring that in.

I decided to go the following day, with the Moon in Scorpio and flowing lunar aspects that I hoped would help me. I went to a local branch armed with my Power of Attorney.

The banker there was the epitome of Scorpio, wanting to control everything about our relationship. While a nicely dressed, calm and well-spoken young man, he argued that my mother needed to come in, that I must use their form and that the other branch had given me incorrect information. He finally agreed to scan my POA and e-mail it to their legal department for review. While we waited, he reiterated his very “fixed” plan for me. But my POA ended up being approved! I simply needed to fill out a short form with my signature notarized. However the banker was undaunted, continuing to insist that the best thing would be to do it his, more involved and complicated, way. When pressed, he informed me that everything would be saved online and I’d only need to drop off the new form. He then gave me unsolicited advice about my need to get up-to-date and do all of my banking online. I finally left with my form after 45 minutes at the bank.

I waited several days to return to the downtown branch with flowing aspects and a Sagittarius Moon. Another well-spoken, well-dressed young man stepped up to help me. Like a breath of fresh air, he was friendly, open and responsive, seeming to want to expand our relationship. Good. However he proceeded to inform me that he had to re-do all the work of the previous clerk. While he did so and we waited for approval, he asked about my living situation and digressed about his plans to buy an apartment, his divorce and his own personal investment options – too much information! Typical Sagittarius. All proceeded smoothly, though this time the visit took nearly an hour. More “expansive,” all around as we’d say in astrologese.

He then gave me a sales pitch to open a new account for myself. I politely declined, putting on my jacket to escape. Despite the different flavors of Scorpio and Sagittarius Moons, bureaucracy is still bureaucracy and this bank had it at every turn.

Forecasting Political Elections

We’re revving up for the U.S. Presidential race, though Election Day is over a year away – much too soon to make an astrological prediction. I’ve correctly forecast the outcomes of the last six presidential elections. Here’s what worked for me:

1. Wait for the final roster of candidates. Initial candidates can have life-changing aspects which may end up having little to do with the presidency.

2. Use every tool at your disposal. This takes time (another reason to wait for the final candidates!). I use nomination charts, transits, solar returns, progressed declination and solar arcs, as well as comparisons with the U.S. chart. I also try to look at the Vice Presidential candidates and the potential first ladies, too. Despite many excellent aspects in 2012, transiting Neptune squared Mitt Romney’s Ascendant; we might say he never truly caught fire. But V.P. candidate Paul Ryan also had Neptune opposing his Ascendant, emphasizing the possibility of loss for both men.

3. Don’t be too influenced by a single technique. Hillary Clinton’s progressed Moon was Out of Bounds in declination for the 2008 presidential election, giving her a very high profile. If we used that technique alone, we might erroneously conclude she’d win. Still, it was a break-out time for her: she garnered tremendous support and was soon appointed Secretary of State. Obama’s nomination chart that year had a Void of Course Moon. One needed to overlook the typical “nothing will come of it” interpretation (he’d been a de facto candidate well before his nomination).

4. Be aware of bias. Astrologers in the U.S. lean liberal, and seem to forecast more Democratic success. Understand your own bias and consciously take a step back.

5. Don’t be swayed by the media. We have to consider what commentators say. But stick to the astrology. The close, hotly contentious 2000 Bush-Gore presidential race needed a Supreme Court decision to resolve, though it was much more obvious astrologically that Bush would win.

6. Learn to weigh ambiguities. Evangeline Adams appeared to use transits of Saturn in her election forecasts, since Saturn can figure importantly in changes of status, position and fortune. But does Saturn point toward a low showing at the polls or accepting the weight of office? It can be challenging to sort through the range of interpretations, but only in-depth research and reasoned judgment will help.

After six correct forecasts, I worry about breaking my run of hits. So every four years I end up spending even more time with the analysis – it’s become a bit of an obligation to prove myself. But given a good skill set and enough time and attention, I believe that any astrologer can do it. After all, we have the same 50-50 chance of calling the outcome correctly that the commentators do!

Candidate Trump’s Horoscope

Donald Trump is at the top of polls among more than a dozen Republican presidential candidates for 2016, despite his divisive comments about illegal immigrants, Senator John McCain’s war record and other issues. With Mars rising in Leo in sextile to his Sun in the 10th house, his arrogance and aggressiveness have gotten him ahead; people also appear to be attracted to his candor.

Jupiter in Leo conjoins Trump’s Mars toward the end of July and conjoins his Ascendant in early August, keeping him center stage and giving him ample opportunity to create drama and attract attention.

Trump also has Mercury in Cancer in his horoscope, closely squaring his Neptune. This makes for someone who thinks emotionally and may misunderstand things. His rhetoric has made him popular on reality TV and his gut instincts have earns him billions. Yet as several of his sponsors have now agreed, his judgment is flawed. But Neptune is a transcendental planet, and its aspects can create a resonance with the mass mind. Transiting Neptune through Trump’s 7th house exactly trines his Mercury in August, so he should continue to be heard by a wide audience.

Donald Trump’s natal Jupiter conjoins his 3rd house cusp and trines his Sun and Uranus, giving him an ease of expression and easy success. But Saturn in his 11th house also squares his Jupiter, limiting the extent to which people will ultimately choose to listen. Saturn traditionally rules his Aquarius 7th house, and Jupiter is the co-ruler since the sign of Pisces makes up most of his 7th. So both 7th house rulers square one another. We have seen this dynamic play out in his personal relationships (he’s been married three times and divorced twice).

But the 7th house also rules public opinion. As transiting Saturn stations in square to Trump’s Ascendant from late July to early August, he will need to adjust his message to the realities of the situation. Saturn will exactly square his Ascendant and 7th house cusp in September, focusing his energies but also limiting his success with spontaneous one-liners. He will have to learn to temper his speech if he wants to stick to his presidential goals.

Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946 at 10:54 AM in Jamaica, Queens, according to his Birth Certificate and rated AA Astrodatabank.

To Pluto, Astrologically

NASA scientists on the news talk as if it’s Star Trek: the first mission to a new planet in an exploratory spacecraft and the greatest distance ever flown – nearly 3 billion miles from earth. Their voyage to Pluto culminates on July 14, 2015 as the New Horizons craft reports on its closest encounter with Pluto.

The mission began in 2001 when it was approved, and surged on January 19, 2006 as New Horizons lifted off from Cape Canaveral on its long journey. Of course, within months, scientists had officially demoted Pluto to the status of a dwarf planet, but I guess astrologers already knew why Pluto has an ironic sense of humor.

What’s happening with the horoscope of Pluto as scientists learn more about it? Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930 at approximately 4:00 PM in Flagstaff, Arizona (documented time, rated A on Astrodatabank).

As the news stories multiply, transiting Jupiter in Leo trines the discovery chart’s Midheaven and transiting Uranus stations a few degrees from it. Everybody’s suddenly excited about Pluto, and its reputation is getting a boost.

The discovery chart has the Sun in Aquarius conjunct Venus in Pisces, both part of a T-square with oppositions to Neptune and squares to Jupiter. It looks like this oddball little planet is just often misunderstood.

Transiting Saturn in Scorpio stations in close square to the discovery chart’s Sun at the time of New Horizons’ closest approach, and quickly activates all the planets in the T-square. NASA is looking deeper at Pluto, but in a reductive manner, and may devalue it further. As they take time to analyze the spacecraft’s data, transiting Pluto will oppose the discovery chart’s natal Pluto in 2016, so our understanding of Pluto could still be transformed. The combined influence of hard-core Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn should make the take-way some pragmatic facts.

I first saw the Pluto discovery horoscope in Noel Tyl’s How to Personalize the Outer Planets. The late Jeff Jawer wrote a fascinating article about the discoveries of the outer planets in this book, noting that all of them have the Moon in Scorpio along with hard Saturn aspects! It’s well worth a read (though Jawer used a different time for Pluto’s discovery and gave no information as to its source).

Neptune and Racial Identity

Civil rights activist Rachel Dolezal, who claimed to be African American, resigned her position as President of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP on Monday after her parents revealed her on nationwide TV as a white woman. Neptune is the planet of deception and misrepresentation, and we find plenty of it in Dolezal’s horoscope.

Rachel Dolezal was born in Lincoln County, Montana on November 12, 1977. The Moon conjunct Neptune in Sagittarius created confusion regarding her family background. With black adoptive siblings and an African American ex-husband and child, there was diversity among her family members (Moon in Sagittarius). But Neptune also blurred the lines of her own personal identification.

Mercury is in Sagittarius, the sign of inter-cultural exchange, and with three planets in this sign, it’s not surprising that she identified with those of different backgrounds. Sagittarius also rules education, journalism and activism, and Dolezal was also a university instructor with a weekly newspaper column, both positions she’s also lost.

Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, is placed in Cancer in her horoscope, the sign of its exaltation, making it one of her strongest planets. She gained success by speaking out for racial equality and civil rights. But since Mercury is closely quincunx her Jupiter, she went too far, as both Sagittarius and Jupiter may do, in actually describing herself as African American.

Transiting Neptune in Pisces was stationary and squaring Dolezal’s Sagittarius Moon when her true racial identity was outed. While Neptune often deceives us, it can also bring to light earlier misconceptions. Mercury was stationary-direct at the same time, and the news media leapt on the story, correcting the record.

In her birth chart, Dolezal has Saturn squaring her Sun in Scorpio. Transiting Saturn recently conjoined her Mercury and was nearly exactly squaring her natal Saturn at the time she lost her jobs. Saturn is often the antidote to Neptune as it brings us down to earth. Hard Saturn transits can alter our position and status, especially when they’re not legitimately earned, and particularly for someone with a challenging natal Saturn. Rachel Dolezal, now 37, will have to reinvent herself once again.

The Washington Post included an image of Dolezal’s birth certificate on their website, here

David Letterman and Saturn

David Letterman said goodbye to late-night television after his final Late Show on May 20, 2015. Saturn’s aspects augur predictable change, and Saturn transiting Dave’s 7th house of partnerships, contracts and the public was exactly trine his natal Saturn in the 4th house of security, stability and endings. Transiting Saturn will exactly trine his natal Mars in Aries in his 12th in a few weeks, creating a grand trine. In keeping with Saturn, this was an organized change that was well-known in advance.

The transiting Uranus-Pluto square also has something to do with Letterman’s career transition. Pluto through his 9th house of broadcasting is sextiling his Venus (exact in a few weeks). Venus placed in the 11th how shows a transformation in his colleagues, associates and friends as Pluto activates it. Another flowing aspect, it indicates a smooth development. The 11th house also rules our hopes and wishes for the future, so his goals have changed.

Transiting Uranus will station near a conjunction with Dave’s Aries Sun in July, breaking him away from his dynamic career path and into something completely new. It will exactly conjoin his Sun and square his Midheaven in 2016. Since Uranus promises new vistas and unexpected developments, the talk-show host should have some notable events in his life and career – things will certainly not be dull!

Letterman was born on April 12, 1947 at 6:00 am in Indianapolis (rated “A” on Astrodatabank).

Billy Joel’s Saturn Children

Taurean singer Billy Joel and his partner Alexis Roderick recently announced that they are expecting a baby this summer. Joel’s only other child, Alexa Ray, is 29 years old. This is astrologically significant since it indicates the return of a Saturn cycle for Billy Joel and having children. (Most women, of course, couldn’t accomplish this feat without massive hormonal intervention.)

At the time of Joel’s announcement, Saturn was at 4 Sagittarius, transiting his 5th house of children. Alexa Ray was born on December 29, 1985, when Saturn was just under 5 Sagittarius. The new baby will be born at around the time of Saturn’s station at 28 Scorpio 17, squaring Joel’s natal Saturn at 29-1/2 Leo, and less than 6 degrees from the exact place that Saturn transited when Alexa Ray was born, still in his 5th house.

While not technically exact, this is an excellent, straightforward example of the repetitive nature of Saturn’s transit cycles. Though most people will not experience such a striking repetition of similar events!

Billy Joel was born on May 9, 1949 at 9:30 AM in the Bronx, rated AA (from his birth certificate) on Astrodatabank.