Pope is pooped

And of course Neptune/Chiron in Pisces speaks of all things Pope-ish.  As the Pope wraps up his job I went looking for his birth chart and found a fabulous write up on Benedict at Astrology Weekly by Amy A.W. Bonaccorso.   

The minute the news broke about Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, I immediately checked his chart. Benedict is an Aries, and his aggressive Sun sign is the perfect match for his nickname, “God’s Rottweiler.” He was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl, Germany at 4:15 a.m.[1] I will primarily use the Whole Sign housing system for this interpretation, though much of it is also valid using the Placidius housing system.

Benedict’s chart immediately tells the astrologer that he is inclined to be both spiritual and religious. Benevolent and righteous Jupiter (Pisces, 20 degrees) is nicely conjunct his Pisces Ascendant, and kept company by Mercury (28 degrees, Pisces). While Pisces and Neptune are known for mysticism, intuition, and spirituality, Jupiter denotes organized religion as well as ethics, morality, and justice. The combination of Jupiter and Mercury in Pisces suggest both publishing and day-to-day communication about spiritual matters. Jupiter so close to the Ascendant is recognized as a placement of overall good fortune and optimism. The Jupiter/Ascendant native seems to benefit from special blessings every day! His Sagittarius Midheaven echoes Jupiter, and confirms career possibilities in religion, higher education, publishing, and international travel.

When Benedict resigned, Uranus in Aries (6 degrees) was trine his Saturn in Sagittarius (6 degrees). Saturn is located in the 10th house according to the Whole Sign housing system, and the 9th house according to the Placidius housing system.

The personalities of both Uranus and Saturn are reflected in Benedict’s resignation. Unconventional Uranus brings sudden, unexpected surprises that are hard or impossible to prepare for. Uranus in the independent sign of Aries impatiently demands action and authenticity. It challenges us to walk our own spiritual journey, regardless of tradition or what others may think of us. The unusual tidal waves that Uranus brings are affecting all Aries babies in particular right now, pushing them outside their comfort zones and challenging them to walk their own path. This sensation will also be felt by those with planets in Aries or signs that make contact with Uranus as it travels along its path.

Saturn is the planet of career, public life, fatherhood (the “Holy Father”), restrictions, and old age. Hence, the Uranian changes are occurring in these areas of his life. When Saturn is interpreted as lord of his 10th house, this is even more poignant. Modern astrology interprets this as the house of all things Saturn, plus fatherhood again (though I have heard that in Medieval astrology, it is associated with motherhood). Either way, it represents a critical parenting function, which the Pontiff fulfills in his role to Catholics around the world.

News reports confirm that he initially decided to resign in March 2012.[2] At that time, Uranus was approaching the trine with Saturn for the first time, which occurred in April 2012. The second hit in February 2013 prompted the announcement, and may also be the reason for the timing of the actual resignation, which will occur in March 2013. In his mind, it could be the one year anniversary of his decision, coincide with Lenten and Easter themes of sacrifice and resurrection, and also springtime themes of new birth, which Aries represents.

Further, his 10th house/Saturn are both in Sagittarius, the sign associated with religion, morality and ethics, travel, academia, and publishing. The Associated Press reported on February 11, 2013 that Benedict’s doctor had recently advised him against (Saturn=restrictions, old age) transatlantic travel (Sagittarius/10th house).[3]

The Uranus trine Saturn transit reflects a sudden change in his public status (religious office) that could seriously buck tradition and shock the public (Uranus = modern, unconventional rebel). Yet the trine means that Benedict probably decided harmoniously, which is reflected in the tone of his resignation speech. Reporters, bloggers, and Church insiders have remarked about his humility. This is a man at peace with his decision. And to a Christian astrologer who sees elements of God’s Will mirrored in the stars, it certainly seems that Benedict discerned thoroughly and is walking in the direction he is divinely called to.

Some people want a scandal, but I contend that the presence of a trine and the symbolism of this transit indicate a natural transition that reflects courage, sincerity, and a sober assessment of the changes and restrictions that advanced age brings.

Interestingly, Benedict cited how the modern world requires a lot of a pope, and Uranus rules modernism and technology. Forward-thinking Uranus, with iPad in hand, seems to be telling mature Saturn, “You know, you are too old for this job.” Saturn is nodding in acceptance, and dutifully stepping down from the throne.

Saturn is also sometimes depicted as the old hermit. It’s not surprising, therefore, that Benedict says he is retiring to a life of prayer, where he will be “hidden to the world.”[4] While Saturn can be the trailblazer and aggressive careerist in younger years, he can also be the cool and collected realist who has “been there and done that” in later years. Saturn transits are behind vocational choices, midlife crises, and important sacrifices or austerity measures.

Go to LINK for the rest of the article.  

In the time of Neptune in Pisces ...

 (and our little friend Chiron too)...

We see stories that are perfect for our times....Ripped from today's headlines a lost sunken continent has been found.

And a lost ship with no one driving is heading for Europe.   Man I can feel the Pisces..can you?  

Story #1---


A small, sunken continent was recently discovered beneath the Indian Ocean. The ancient mini-continent, called Mauritia, lies beneath the lava flows that created the islands of Reunion and Mauritius.
The lost continent dates back to when the early Earth’s super-continents, Laurasia and Gondwana, were shattering into the more familiar geography that we know today. Mauritia was once part of the chunk of Gondwana that gradually split into Madagascar, India, Australia and Antarctica after approximately 170 million years ago.
PHOTOS: The Hunt for Lost Cities
The micro-continent later broke away from Madagascar between 83.5 and 61 million years ago. The mini-continent was shredded as it passed over mid-ocean ridges. Lava eruptions then covered the sunken continent.
Volcanic eruptions on the island of Mauritius brought fragments of the lost continent to the surface. The fragments were crystals known as zircons that dated to 660 and 1,970 million years ago, far older than the rock making up the overlying crust and volcanic islands. This suggested that the rock beneath the crust was actually a part of the ancient mini-continent, according to the study documenting the discovery in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The study’s authors, a multinational team of geoscientists from Norway, South Africa, Britain and Germany, suggested that there could be other lost micro-continents buried beneath lava in other parts of the globe.
IMAGE: Map of Ancient Rodinia (Trond Torsvik)

TagsEarthRocks and Fossils

 

 

Story #2

A Russian cruise ship has been adrift in the North Atlantic since January, after breaking free from a towing line as it was being delivered from Canada to a scrapyard in the Dominican Republic.

The Lyubovy Orlova, built in 1976, once operated as a cruise ship, exploring the icy waters of Antarctica. In 2010, she was seized at St. John's harbor in Newfoundland following a suit by a haulage contractor against the Russian owners over $250,000 in unpaid fees. The ship remained tied up for more than two years before it was sold to Caribbean buyers in February 2012.

On Jan. 23 of this year, the derelict ship left Canada for the Dominican Republic to be scrapped, but its towing cable snapped a day later. The ship escaped again after it was secured by a supply vessel on Jan. 31. It then drifted into international waters.

Transport Canada claims they are no longer responsible for the ship and that there's little chance of it drifting back under Canadian jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, according to a document from a US intelligence agency, obtained by the AFP, the abandoned ship was recently seen about 1,300 nautical miles off the coast of Ireland, and is drifting toward Europe.

"Earlier this week, Canadian officials acknowledged they did not know the location of the ship, as the vessel's global positioning system was no longer working," the AFP writes.

Irish authorities are looking over satellite data to try and locate the loose vessel since there's some concern that the ghost ship, apparently infested with rats, could hit Ireland's shore. If that did happen, the government would likely "take the ship, bring it into a port and maybe look for compensation from the owner for any costs associated with that,” maritime lawyer William Cahill told The National Post's Tristin Hopper. Cahill says it would be hard to pin responsibility on Canada because it's not a Canadian registered ship.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/abandoned-russian-cruise-ship-adrift-2013-2#ixzz2M4B5gl4f

 

Virgo Full Moon

Virgo Full Moon

Feb 25, 2013 Monday 3:26pm EST

7 Virgo 23

Details, details & Details.  Are you dotting the I’s and crossing the ts?  If not you are missing the point of the Virgo Full Moon.   Remember the moon is in Virgo every month but this is the month when it is a FULL moon in Virgo.  Let's try to not let important stuff fall by the wayside because we are sloppy.     But at the same time let's not go crazy micromanaging the world.  

On this full moon there is a yucky square with Jupiter.  Eiyiyi…..Jupiter is loud and brash and in Gemini it double downs in snarky comments and gossip.     Jupiter alone is a planet of big ideas, broad approaches and in Gemini it can be super smart but ironically it can also have a very narrow vision and it can be small.  Gemini doesn’t trust anything it can’t figure out.  It will look a gift horse in the mouth.   And then there is Virgo who doesn’t believe in anything it can’t taste, smell, hear or see.    So, both the Moon and Jupiter are feeling pretty critical and poor old Sun in Pisces is also squaring Jupiter.    Pisces is super sensitive, tender, dreamy and it does not appreciate getting pushed around by exaggerated, gossipy, small-minded Jupiter in Gemini.    The only way Pisces gets even is by lying, drinking, drugging or all three.      We should prepare to hear people talking in extremes (Jupiter).   We should prepare to feel like our skin is being peeled off of us by critical thinkers (Gemini & Virgo).   And yes, we may be duped, lied to or feel like a martyr (Sun in Pisces).    Adding to the crazy soup is Neptune in Pisces on top of the Sun.    Neptune talks to our guts.  He is not a brash truth teller instead he uses a subtle hand, he talks to our dreams, he gives us psychic vibes, when we know something is ‘off’.    However, with Neptune also squaring Jupiter it does put accent on the CRAZIES. And take care that you are not over selling fear.    Watch the conversation in your life and in the world if you or anyone else is yelling,  “The sky is Falling”,  “The sky is Falling!  Take note—it probably is not.   But at the same time there may be a problem everyone is ignoring that is a real issue.    Try when you are stuck to use your intuition but not your fear. 

Finally Moon in Virgo is making a beneficial aspect to Pluto putting the emphasis on death and rebirth.    And remember, although the sun is in Pisces we are still in Aquarius lunar cycle where we are still finding our Inner Brilliance  so make this the week that you respond (moon) differently to something.  Don’t just do the same old thing you always do.   Just try to be a different responder and see if you feel liberated and brilliant for doing it.   

Spy Versus Spy

As I indicated last week, Saturn retrograde in Scorpio would bring out the spy versus spy..... and this week we got news that the US is pushing hard as espionage gets hacked up......

WASHINGTON—The White House threatened China and other countries with trade and diplomatic action over corporate espionage as it cataloged more than a dozen cases of cyberattacks and commercial thefts at some of the U.S.'s biggest companies.

The White House unveiled a new strategy to exert pressure on China and other countries that engage in corporate espionage against the U.S. Jared Favole reports on The News Hub. Photo: Getty Images.

Top administration officials painted a pervasive portrait of the far-reaching costs of espionage—competitive disadvantages, job losses, product impacts—that American firms as well known as General Motors Co.GM +2.26% and DuPont Co.DD +1.55% have already had to confront.

"There are only two categories of companies affected by trade-secret theft: those that know they've been compromised and those that don't know it yet," Attorney General Eric Holder said at a White House conference Wednesday. "A hacker in China can acquire source code from a software company in Virginia without leaving his or her desk."

A number of corporations backed the push to intensify pressure on foreign governments to combat the theft of trade secrets. John Powell, general counsel of American Superconductor, alleged at the conference that his firm's intellectual property was stolen by its largest customer, a big China wind-turbine manufacturer, with the help of a former employee.

"It's a real threat and it's a really costly threat," he said.

The new strategy is aimed at producing a change in Beijing, which has repeatedly denied it sponsors such incursions, including this week.....go to link for more....

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury Retrograde

Yes, it is time for our favorite 3 week stints...known as Mercury Retrograde.

Mercury stations retrograde on February 23,4:41am EST  at 20 degrees of Pisces.  It will be retrograde until March 17 when it turns direct at 6 degrees of Pisces.

The shadow period for Mercury retrograde started on Feb 9^th and goes until March 31^st.   We should not be surprised if some stuff comes up between Feb 9^th and March 17^th then gets revisited between the 17^th and March 31st.  

 

With Mercury retrograde in Pisces, we will double down in confusion. Absolutely someone will get something really important wrong.   “I thought”, “I believed”, “I understood”…. Whatever it was…will be wrong.   Seriously, just expect the wrong information to be disseminated by others or by you.   Double check ANYTHING that is important.    At the same time, Mercury in Pisces retrograde brings up spirituality.   Many people will find the power of prayer.  Or they will find their spirituality tested.    Faith is a verb and especially so during a Pisces Mercury retrograde where feelings of ennui and depression can emerge.    What to do when the sadness emerges?   Take it moment by moment and no matter how much you think it will be this way forever—you are wrong, it will dissipate.   Meditate, breathe and of course find faith.   

It is interesting that this Mercury retrograde is coming up during a lunar cycle where we are working out our resources (north node in Scorpio), our brilliance (Aquarius lunar cycle) and letting go in order to evolve (Saturn in Scorpio)—perhaps we need our minds to shut down a bit and just get quiet and tune in.  Pisces gets information viscerally.  It feels its way through any situation.   Mercury in Pisces is not comfortable playing all its cards.  It is not transparent in part because it figures things out from a way that it can’t explain.  And also in part because it can be deceitful.   It does not like the light shined on it.   We should expect some kind of deceit to come out in the news.    Especially after Saturn in Spyland Scorpio turns retrograde.

And of course there is Peggy Lee who may not have known it but certainly had the talent to sing of a Mercury Retrograde in Pisces.

A Ted Talk

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/en//id/848


I found this to be perfect for the Aquarius Lunar Cycle.

Solar Flare

Solar Flare Producing Sunspot Forming On The Sun, NASA Images Massive Sunspot (via Planetsave)

An enormous sunspot, six times larger than the Earth is currently forming on the Sun. NASA researchers predict that the sunspot could begin triggering powerful solar flares in a couple of days. The enormous sunspot has been monitored by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory over the last 48 hours as…

Ray Merriman

I felt inclined to go take a look at Ray Merriman.   Go to his link for a further discussion of the week ahead.

The Uranus-Pluto square continues to manifest in explosive and unexpected ways, both in precious metals and in human lives.

    Over 1000 people were injured when a meteor shower struck central Russia on Friday.

    Over 4000 people suffered on the Carnival Cruise ship after an engine room fire rendered the ship without electrical power for the next four days, causing toilets to overflow the “…stinking, crippled ship,” until it could be escorted into the port at Mobile, Alabama.

    This is all consistent with the mundane astrological principles of Uranus square Pluto, which remains in effect through March 2015. It is a dangerous signature, one that can threaten the lives of many people, due to unexpected natural or out-of-control, man-induced, disasters. The thing with this aspect is that you cannot really do anything to prevent or avoid its sudden eruption. All you can do is control your response and reactions when it does strike.

    In terms of financial markets, it can also coincide with bizarre and unexpected behavior. For instance, as we look around the world and observe various equity markets, we notice the following occurrences last week: new multi-year highs in the Zurich SMI and London’s FTSE indices,  but new lows for the year in the Netherlands AEX and a test of the lows so far this year in the German DAX; new multi-year highs in the NASDAQ Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average, but new lows for 2013 in Brazil’s Bovespa index; new multi-month highs for the Australia All Ords and China’s Shanghai Indices, but new lows for the year 2013 in India’s  NIFTY and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indices. This is a remarkable case of intermarket divergence within each region of the world.  But is it bullish or bearish divergence?

    Yet the most pronounced activity last week occurred in precious metals. On Friday, February 15, Gold fell below 1600 for the first time since August 2012. Silver dropped below $30.00/ounce. Although this decline was fast and furious and shocked many, it was right in line with our forecasts in terms of both time and price.

Saturn stations retrograde

Saturn in Scorpio

For a lunar cycle that is all about Aquarius we have a lot of Scorpio in the mix.  Besides North node in Scorpio getting the rub from the new moon additionally Saturn in Scorpio stations retrograde today, Feb 18 at 12:02pm EST at 12 degrees Scorpio.  Saturn moved into Scorpio only last October, so we are just barely scratching the surface of this two and half year Saturn cycle.   When Saturn transits a sign he brings maturity and conserves energy.  For those of us who know our charts, we are well aware when we get a hard Saturn aspect. First we usually get bitch slapped then when it is over we are sober and wiser and can move from a new more mature place.   During the Saturn retrograde we will be restructuring, reprioritizing and if we have been lacking direction, we can work to find our compass.    The retrograde will last until July 7 so we have five months to find our way.  And if we have been outsourcing our power or our own authority, (Scorpio issues), during the retrograde we should now dig in and find our own worth. 

Of course secrecy and spying is also very much in synch with Scorpio and probably some of us will feel like we are spy versus spy during the next few months.   Perhaps a little personal espionage is in order.   But if we hang out in the dark shadowy world most of the time, do not be surprised if Saturn transits brings down the hammer.    Remember at its core, Scorpio imparts the value of death and rebirth.   You can’t hide in the shadows forever.

Saturn will turn direct in July at 6 degrees of Scorpio so if you know your chart and know that you have planets between 6 and 12 degrees of Scorpio, Taurus, Leo and Aquarius there will be tension.   But even if it stings or gets rough, hang in there.   And if you are really stuck, find a therapist, have good sex or find your inner spy.  

The Week Ahead

The week starts off with a first quarter moon in the Aquarius lunar cycle. 

On first quarter moon you take actions that support the seeds you planted on new moon.   Do those seeds you plant answer these questions?

How is your community?  How is your tribe?  Are you looking for them?  Are you breaking away?  Is your phone ringing?  Who is calling?  Who is not?    What does it say to you about your tribe?   Are you in sync?  And most important is your tribe in sync with your future?

Focus on:  What actions are you taking that are practical?  What actions are you taking that make you feel grounded?   How can you support the seeds you planted on new moon with good old fashion hard work?

On Monday  Saturn stations retrograde (see separate post) at 12 degrees of Scorpio. 

Also on Monday the Sun enters Pisces.  Take your Pisces friend to a foot spa and give them itunes.

Later in the week on 2/21 the Sun and Neptune are in a lovely putting emphasis on art, humanitarian and  spirituality.  And a little push on things involving the ocean and thing that go bump in the night.   

Gibbous Moon  starts later in the evening on 2/21 at 6:44pm est

 

Focus on:

What are you figuring out that speaks to family?  How are you processing your emotions?   How are you looking at your roots in a new way?   What can you take from your roots that speaks to your health?   Is it on the mark or off?   How does your community feel like family?