A rare and formidable team-up of three powerful planets, called a triple conjunction, occurred over a three-day period from April 29 to May 1 (May 2 in Europe and east of there). I wrote about it in my Janet’s Plan-its 2011 astrological calendar and then anxiously awaited what would transpire then that would pack a punch. The deadly devastating tornado outbreaks in southeastern USA just days before that time didn’t really match the associations of the planets involved, but the demise of our nation’s biggest enemy on May 1-2 sure did! And in a way, even the Royal wedding on April 29 fit the bill.
Jupiter spends about a year in a sign, usually. This year, it speeds through the zodiac’s first sign, Aries (famous for quickness), in record time from late January to early June (after a brief foray into Aries 6/6 - 9/9 last year). It spent much of 2010 buddied up with wildcard Uranus zigzagging the border between the first and last degrees of the zodiac circle. This is the point the Sun traverses each year at the vernal equinox, ending winter and rebirthing toward the summer solstice. Get the feeling of the close of one era and the start of another? As the biggest planet in our solar system, Jupiter expands or exaggerates whatever it contacts. Uranus is the planet of revolution and the populace at large. So Jupiter was revved up to spur large protests, which began as soon as it entered Aries (a sign of impatience and anger) the second time on January 22. It didn’t take long for the Egyptian President Mubarak to succumb to the rising tide of change, resigning on Feb. 11 after just 18 days of huge demonstrations.
The grand finale of Uranus in the last sign of Pisces came March 11 when the earthquake and resulting tsunami hit Japan. I had correctly predicted “ocean-related news” and “suffering of the masses” then but I hadn’t anticipated anything like the ensuing fires, explosions and meltdowns in the nuclear reactors that added awful insult to the horrendous injury immediately upon as Uranus’s entry into Aries. It should have been easy enough to guess: Uranus is the planet related to electricity, explosions and surprises, including catastrophes, while Aries signifies fire.
By the time Uranus strode into Aries March 11 to settle in for a seven-year stay, unrest across the Middle East was well underway. On April Fool’s Day (in some US time zones; April 2nd in the east), Mars stormed into the sign it “rules” (a term denoting a strong association between a planet and a sign) for a five-week visit. By the end of the month, it would pass Jupiter, which had by then caught up to the newest planet, slow Eris, named for Mars’s bitchy sister and thought to represent strife. This is the triple conjunction I had circled on my calendar and worried that some tragedy would ensue. Historically it’s been affiliated with war and turmoil, though not exclusively. For instance, at its last occurrence (in January 1940), it coincided with the first demonstration of FM radio to the FCC (Jupiter rules all forms of long distance communication and Mars relates to newness). But a Mars-Jupiter combo can spell a big conflict or attack, and blended with Eris, it certainly looked like trouble, at least for someone. As we came closer to May Day, I began to wonder if the big news would involve taking out Ghadafi. But a different prey was being sniffed down. By the weekend, the Mars’ relation to leadership and decisiveness showed itself as what’s been called a “gutsy decision” on the part of President Obama in ordering the attack on Osama bin Laden.
The exact moment his death has not been disclosed but it’s safe to say that the final hours of the decision-making do align with the Moon’s quick passage over the triple conjunction midday on Sunday, May 1. By the time of the mission that night, the Moon (which moves about a degree every two hours) was about three degrees past Eris, Jupiter and Mars. As the heavenly body that moves fastest around the zodiac, the Moon is the ultimate timer for events and showed its thrust once again.
When I think of all the disasters I had worried about prior to this big planetary line-up, I am grateful that the main manifestation was the culmination of a decade-long manhunt. BUT – and this is a big but – it remains to be seen if Eris’s association with chaos will bring unintended and unwanted repercussions in the future. A time to keep your eye on will be around May 9, when Mercury and Venus, currently traveling closely together, pass Eris (forming another triple conjunction, though a less volatile one) at the same degree of the May Day weekend triple conjunction. Mercury signals news. Venus is generally peaceful and benign. Considering they’re in Aries, there could be aggression in an attempt at balance (which Venus also rules). Already we’re seeing adversarial discussions domestically about the potential role of “enhanced interrogation” in obtaining the information to track down bin Laden and heated political disagreements about whether to release the photographic evidence of the deed. Did I mention that Jupiter is related to philosophy and politics?
Another key astrological feature present at the time of the bin Laden operation was a precise Mercury-Neptune connection, indicative of hidden information and clandestine activities, as well as the “treasure trove” of al Qaeda data procured in the process. (Nearby Venus, the planet related to worth and assets, hints that there will be much of value here.)
As the weekend commenced, all the world watched the royal wedding in London between Prince William, likely a future king, and the regal commoner, Kate Middleton. Though I wouldn’t have pegged the date as particularly auspicious astrologically on its own, it turns out to be quite good for their charts, fortunately. When combining their individual birth charts into a blended chart (called a composite), we find that Venus, the love planet, was visiting exactly at their Sun degree, the key indicator for them as a couple. At the moment they were declared “husband and wife” (11:20 AM), the Mercury-Venus combination (literally meaning “words of love and marriage”) straddled the exact top of the chart, the point indicating status, thus their status changed with the pronouncement. In the wedding chart’s top sector, related to public standing and reputation, was the Mars-Jupiter-Eris trio, representing the enormity (Jupiter) of the event, which represented a new era (Mars) for British royalty welcoming a strong non-royal woman (Eris) into their ranks. Kate, now titled the Duchess of Cambridge, really does embody the best side of Eris and in her chart, we see Eris at the eastern horizon, the area showing one’s persona and individuality.
Between these two important news events, the Mars-Jupiter-Eris conjunction turned out not to be so bad after all – well, except for al Qaeda.
The May 2011 episode of my astrology show, Looking Up, discusses these topics further. It should be available in the archive for viewing by May 13 or shortly thereafter.
Showing posts with label astrology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label astrology. Show all posts
January 15, 2011
Re-ASSigning the Signs
When has an astronomer ever written a horoscope? So why would you want to believe one about your sign?!?
When an astronomer states that the zodiac signs as we have known them are incorrect, astrologers must respond! This view is based on the sidereal (star-based) zodiac, which is the literal measurement of the Sun against the backdrop of the constellations along the path of its annual apparent journey. The astronomer is right that we have known a long time about the change in the calendar dates related to the movement of the Sun through the zodiac stars. What this astronomer does not mention is the more common, though more abstract, method of measuring the movement of the Sun through the zodiac constellations based on the seasons. This is known as the tropical zodiac (think Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and how these are the signs of the solstices, at the extremes of the earth’s tilt). In referring to the slow wobble of the earth, he is acknowledging the "precession of the equinox." This phenomenon accounts for the changing of the Great Ages and how we are currently entering the Age of Aquarius. Simply put, the location among the stars where the Sun appears at the spring equinox continually precedes the prior year's starting point. The backward shift amounts to one degree (of the circle's 360 degrees) every 72 years, taking approximately 26,000 years to go around the whole zodiac. When neatly measuring the twelve signs as thirty-degree sectors in relation to the spring equinox, no one is changing signs. This is a convenient protocol and maintains a lot of merit in interpreting personality traits and conditions associated with the signs. To adopt the perspective of Minnesota astronomer Parke Kunkle, the dates he lists need to be altered every 72 years to be accurate. (Years are always 365-1/4 days long and days are 24 hours; pretty consistent). Aligning with the seasons, variation is minimal, just a quarter of a day per year due to the man-made insertion of Leap Year. So if you assign the signs to periods of the year, you can use the seasonal system and enjoy your sign as you have always thought it to be OR if you want to go backwards, follow this guy. And if you want to know your REAL horoscope, find out your real birth time and learn your “rising sign” (the sign coming up over the eastern horizon at your birth). That is the sign for which you should read astrological forecasts. It lines the signs up with the departments of your life according to the order considered by astrologers in writing horoscopes. If you must change signs, find out your rising sign and adopt it.
As for a thirteenth sign, yes for years we have also known that a constellation Ophiuchus in the neighborhood of Libra and Scorpio intersects the path of the Sun (and other planets). This is true no matter which way you measure the zodiac. But in both zodiac systems, there are four seasons, each associated with three signs. Although astronomers (who in general have no love for astrologers) might like to stick a new sign into the nice, neat twelve-sign system (which would throw astrologers for a loop), do not hold your breath for any astrologers, sidereal or tropical, to rush to embrace Ophiuchus as a sign and assign it a ruling planet and affiliated behavior and associations. The system is not broken. We do not need to fix it.
When an astronomer states that the zodiac signs as we have known them are incorrect, astrologers must respond! This view is based on the sidereal (star-based) zodiac, which is the literal measurement of the Sun against the backdrop of the constellations along the path of its annual apparent journey. The astronomer is right that we have known a long time about the change in the calendar dates related to the movement of the Sun through the zodiac stars. What this astronomer does not mention is the more common, though more abstract, method of measuring the movement of the Sun through the zodiac constellations based on the seasons. This is known as the tropical zodiac (think Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and how these are the signs of the solstices, at the extremes of the earth’s tilt). In referring to the slow wobble of the earth, he is acknowledging the "precession of the equinox." This phenomenon accounts for the changing of the Great Ages and how we are currently entering the Age of Aquarius. Simply put, the location among the stars where the Sun appears at the spring equinox continually precedes the prior year's starting point. The backward shift amounts to one degree (of the circle's 360 degrees) every 72 years, taking approximately 26,000 years to go around the whole zodiac. When neatly measuring the twelve signs as thirty-degree sectors in relation to the spring equinox, no one is changing signs. This is a convenient protocol and maintains a lot of merit in interpreting personality traits and conditions associated with the signs. To adopt the perspective of Minnesota astronomer Parke Kunkle, the dates he lists need to be altered every 72 years to be accurate. (Years are always 365-1/4 days long and days are 24 hours; pretty consistent). Aligning with the seasons, variation is minimal, just a quarter of a day per year due to the man-made insertion of Leap Year. So if you assign the signs to periods of the year, you can use the seasonal system and enjoy your sign as you have always thought it to be OR if you want to go backwards, follow this guy. And if you want to know your REAL horoscope, find out your real birth time and learn your “rising sign” (the sign coming up over the eastern horizon at your birth). That is the sign for which you should read astrological forecasts. It lines the signs up with the departments of your life according to the order considered by astrologers in writing horoscopes. If you must change signs, find out your rising sign and adopt it.
As for a thirteenth sign, yes for years we have also known that a constellation Ophiuchus in the neighborhood of Libra and Scorpio intersects the path of the Sun (and other planets). This is true no matter which way you measure the zodiac. But in both zodiac systems, there are four seasons, each associated with three signs. Although astronomers (who in general have no love for astrologers) might like to stick a new sign into the nice, neat twelve-sign system (which would throw astrologers for a loop), do not hold your breath for any astrologers, sidereal or tropical, to rush to embrace Ophiuchus as a sign and assign it a ruling planet and affiliated behavior and associations. The system is not broken. We do not need to fix it.
October 29, 2008
Welcome! Janet Booth's Astrology Blog - Janet's Plan-its calendar author
Hello, and welcome to my first blog ~
For years my aim in astrology has been to "take it to the streets." I specialize in making a complex subject easy to understand for people who have no background in the technical INs and OUTs of the study of the stars. Check back often for views from an experienced astrologer who likes to share and teach.
For instance, my Janet's Plan-its easy-to-use astrology calendars have been popular for years with people who want the quick low-down on the celestial influences daily and weekly. Many of my customers once used Llewellyn's or Jim Maynard's astrology calendars, but prefer mine because I translate the planets' movements into English. Instead of looking at a bunch of symbols that you have to figure out, I've distilled what you need to know about each week and each day into a quick read. Of course, being the teacher I am, I also include a section that explains the connections between the planets, many of which occur in a series of three times stretched out across weeks or months due to a zigzag phenomenon called Retrograde. For more advanced aficianados of astrology, I offer some handy reference tools, like my 2008 On a Page bar chart of the planets' movements, available as a free down-load pdf.
My calendar is a great starting point for selecting the best time for an endeavor or activity, a process called "electional astrology" - which refers not to an election like we have on November 4, but electing an astrologically appropriate time. For those not versed in astrology, I can do an election for you. That's one of the many services you'll find in the Sales Booth at my website, AstrologyBooth.com. There are some cool gift certificates for my readings that you can customize - perfect for any occasion.
In the Study Booth at my website, you'll find free articles introducing you to the various building blocks of astrology, as well as my popular "Astrologer's Apprentice Cheat Sheet" (another free download pdf file), which has symbols and keywords for the most common chart components. Check out my great links and my recommended reading list. I also offer conference call classes at reasonable rates and private tutoring.
No matter what level your interest in astrology, we can "talk."
For years my aim in astrology has been to "take it to the streets." I specialize in making a complex subject easy to understand for people who have no background in the technical INs and OUTs of the study of the stars. Check back often for views from an experienced astrologer who likes to share and teach.
For instance, my Janet's Plan-its easy-to-use astrology calendars have been popular for years with people who want the quick low-down on the celestial influences daily and weekly. Many of my customers once used Llewellyn's or Jim Maynard's astrology calendars, but prefer mine because I translate the planets' movements into English. Instead of looking at a bunch of symbols that you have to figure out, I've distilled what you need to know about each week and each day into a quick read. Of course, being the teacher I am, I also include a section that explains the connections between the planets, many of which occur in a series of three times stretched out across weeks or months due to a zigzag phenomenon called Retrograde. For more advanced aficianados of astrology, I offer some handy reference tools, like my 2008 On a Page bar chart of the planets' movements, available as a free down-load pdf.
My calendar is a great starting point for selecting the best time for an endeavor or activity, a process called "electional astrology" - which refers not to an election like we have on November 4, but electing an astrologically appropriate time. For those not versed in astrology, I can do an election for you. That's one of the many services you'll find in the Sales Booth at my website, AstrologyBooth.com. There are some cool gift certificates for my readings that you can customize - perfect for any occasion.
In the Study Booth at my website, you'll find free articles introducing you to the various building blocks of astrology, as well as my popular "Astrologer's Apprentice Cheat Sheet" (another free download pdf file), which has symbols and keywords for the most common chart components. Check out my great links and my recommended reading list. I also offer conference call classes at reasonable rates and private tutoring.
No matter what level your interest in astrology, we can "talk."
People Are Talking about Astrology
PEOPLE ARE TALKING . . .My clients give me feedback like the following:
"I appreciate the astuteness of your insights!"
G.H., Bend, OR
"Your technical skills were amazing to me, especially as I have studied astrology for 26 years, and have had my chart read by many wonderful astrologers, but you brought many new insights, via the natal and progressions and transits. Your reading felt like a laser beam of clarity, especially because you gave me so many practical (concrete) suggestions that would help me deal with the issues indicated. That is incredibly valuable - a huge gift. I also enjoyed and was comforted by your style of expression - your very charming and gentle manner of communication while dealing with some very difficult issues (that must be your Libra and Pisces energy!). Also your sense of humor helped me hear what you were saying. ... I cannot thank you enough for helping me."
After a couple's chart consultation: " ... We've been talking about our reading all week! You're very accurate - right on the nose."
Sometimes the test of time is the greatest testimonial:
"Janet, about fourteen years ago in San Francisco you did a reading for us. Part of that reading was a compatibility chart rating. You indicated that a couple who scored a 10 probably had a real strong bond and were likely to have a successful long-term relationship. Our rating at 22 was the highest you had ever seen and we certainly have that kind of connection. We just wanted to share with you that it has been twenty years now and it's just getting better!"
G&T C, Sacramento, CA
Early in my career, I met with a woman in her mid-life transition who had just taken a psychological test to determine what she would be good at for a second career. After my reading, she told me that what I'd said was almost word for word what the test had shown.
"Do you know what that tells me?" I asked her.
"That you're a good astrologer?" She replied.
"Thanks, but what I was thinking," I countered, "was that it was a very accurate test!"
A long-distance client whom I never met in person wrote:
"Your observations are very true to my personality traits - at least as I perceive them. I have listened to the tape twice, but will probably do so many more times. It has been most helpful in making me realize that I am not achieving my full potential in my career. That will be the first area I work on. Thanks again."
A client gave her friend a reading as a gift and then wrote me:
"(my friend) was thrilled. She said she's going to send her sister to see you. She was quite impressed with you. Thanks!"
A little sticky note memo, from a phone reading client:
"I enjoyed my reading. I was really amazed how you were accurate on every aspect. Thanks again. "
This postcard came from an American emigrant to Belgium:
"Oh Janet - you have a real gift. Fate is confirming everything, and I am very happy. Merci, Janet, thank you a million-fold for your part in the plan."
Another happy client wrote:
"Wow! You are awesome!!! I can really feel the heart and soul you put into your work - and am lucky to have been referred to you!"
Find out more about my services, and I hope to "meet" with you soon!
Ancient Science and Art of Astrology
Welcome to the ancient - and modern - science and art of astrology!The vast field of astrology seems to have as many facets as the universe has stars! It's not my intention to duplicate the great work being done elsewhere on the internet. I'll just be adding my thoughts and perspectives. This section will be updated with new articles - so visit again periodically.
If you're new to astrology, you'll probably want to read about the basic building blocks of charts, namely signs, planets, houses and aspects. There are a few keywords for each in my Astrologer's Apprentice Cheat Sheet (a great tool to have handy as you learn more about chart reading!) and a number of articles in my STUDY BOOTH. If you're trying to understand your chart for the first time, see Understanding a Chart.
Some good resources can be found on sites like:
astrology.about.com has a Crash Course about the "Basics"
astrologynow.com provides a number of articles on fundamentals
Whether or not you know any astrology, you can benefit from knowing what's going on with the planets, so see my forecasts in JANET'S PLAN-ITS. It will clue you in to good days, challenging days, what you can expect during a Moon Cycle. It gives you a "heads up" so you can take advantage of positive energies and try to avoid the pitfalls of difficult times.
Mary Plumb, reviewer for The Mountain Astrologer, praised my calendars as a great tool for those interested in learning about astrology.
My INFORMATION BOOTH lists two articles that are particularly helpful to the general public or newcomers to astrology:
MAKING PROGRESS - ASTROLOGICALLY (about the astrological technique called "Progressions")
YOUR PERSONAL MOON CYCLES (about your 29-year cycles of growth - this is related to Progressions, so read this after you've read MAKING PROGRESS - ASTROLOGICALLY)
And what's astrology without astronomy, too? It's fun to see what's going on in the heavens. Check out my "EYE ON THE SKY" comments.
I began my studies of astrology in 1976 and haven't been bored once in all these years. I hope your journey in the exploration of this cosmic science will be equally enjoyable.
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