Can We Vote for REAL Change?

Someone directed me to a site put up by Naomi Klein. My initial reaction was that she seems to have a limited focus for much of her rather pessimistic views. For example, rather than simply blame Wall Street for the present financial woes (which is what liberals like to do, focus on a single individual or entity and demonize them), one should understand the greater picture of the financial crisis.
I would like to mention that I'm really open to any view, be it left, right or center, providing that the facts, logic, and intuitive awareness is reasonably in place. My opinions here, about the present financial crisis, reflect only a small proportion of the overall problem.
About every 10 years we enter a down cycle economically, and you can see this happen around the turn of every decade. The present downturn however, is much more extreme, and the rather long lasting Saturn/Uranus opposition will create a very erratic economic situation over the next few years. One moment we experience some stability and the next all hell breaks loose. Thus, the Saturn/Uranus opposition is simply attempting to give us a wild ride correction, but our actions will dictate the long-term effect.
There are a number of factors coming together in recent years aside from the financial problems. Things like the oil crisis, an over burdened activity with wars in the middle east, the shift of manufacturing overseas without a productive investment in our workforce, and a crisis in education where a lot of young people are more interested in I-Pods and sneakers than learning anything.
The present financial crisis is not just the result of one party as the Democrats or Republicans have controlled the White House and Congress. The credit mess has been brewing for over 15 years, with Banks and Financial institutions being too liberal with giving credit. Real Estate agents have been too keen to make a sale to naive homebuyers--some of whom bought property way above their means. Home prices have continually risen even during the last recession around 2000 creating an extreme bubble.

The Democrats in Washington coerced lending institutions to give loans to low income people, and the two main democrats responsible for finance committees in Washington, Chris Dodd and Barney Franks (both Democrats), were apparently given millions of dollars by banks and Finance institutions during their elections. Government is far more corrupt than most corporations, and I for one won't vote for a Democrat or Republican in the next election (most likely is Libertarian).

Just watching a snippet of the congressional hearings where the Fed Chairman and Treasury Secretary were being grilled by congress, it was blatantly obvious that house members knew nothing about finance and could not even understand what they were being told.
It seems that the government does not have a choice but to bail out these financial institutions. Yet the way it has been done by Congress is absolutely disgusting and unless there is some serious asset control in the manner in which this bailout is used, I fear for the stability of the economy. I won't go into the hundreds of pages of pork in this bailout bill that morally should not have been included (only about $130 billion in so-called sweeteners).
To make a point, we should go after the CEO's, Finance executives, politicians, realtors and traders who are responsible for this mess and prosecute them. Trouble is, there might not be anyone left to run these institutions!
In spite of all these unfortunate events, we have to remain optimistic to work our way out of the present crisis.

For all 13 videos, click here

The Illusions of Neptune

Being married to a Pisces, and observing a number of friends (that term may just qualify for being plural!), I’ve seen how the effects of this strange planet can influence people in obscure ways.

At its highest level, Neptune can provide an awareness of one's spiritual and social ideals. It can also invoke imagination, spirituality, compassion, subtlety, clairvoyance, empathy and devotion. The problematic side of this body can reveal dreaminess, deception, shyness, diffusion, and escaping reality by living in other worlds.

As Neptune rules Pisces, there is often a strong association with a person being passive, evading responsibility or conflict. However, if Mars or Pluto has a strong presence in a person’s chart, such passivity can be overruled. However, if Mars is in Pisces or aspects Neptune, Neptune tends to diffuse the aggressive energies of Mars. Under stress, Mars/Neptune individuals can become victims to a controlling person. There may also be unusual sexual preferences.

One of the saddest effects of Neptune can be in the area of romance. It can create romantic ideals, and illusions of love that bring couples together only to find out much later that the relationship is a disaster.

So, wherever Neptune is in your chart, it is important that we develop the spiritual side of ourselves, and dissolve the vein of illusion that this body can create in order to see reality as it truly is.

This weeks video is one of Farley’s shows that I uploaded to Google.

Lonely Boy

During my early teens I remember a song that was one of my favorites. It was called Lonely Boy by Paul Anka. I guess because I had a karmic lesson of learning self love and self esteem, I suffered a lot of rejection as a child. At the time this particular song had a big impact on me because I did feel so lonely and always had an intense desire to give and receive love.

What took me a long time to learn this lesson was that I did not get into Astrology and Metaphysics until my mid-thirties. Now, the song Lonely Boy, has a new meaning with regard to the line:

"But all I want is someone to love"

That someone is primarily myself (spiritually), and that enabled me to love others. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I have Saturn rising square my Sun, a heavy karmic aspect requiring that I learn the lesson of self-love. There a quite a few planetary placements that can indicate low self-esteem or self-love, such as afflicted planets in the first house, or an afflicted Sun. Also, planetary combinations that indicate emotional wounding, unfulfilled desires, and a tendency towards anxiety can also reveal a low self-esteem.

Perfect faith in oneself allows an individual to rise above any trouble.

I don’t think we easily perfect our lessons, and if I do get anxious I try to rise above it by facing the Sun (an emblem of the Collective Spirit) and say:

"I am a part of the Collective Spirit. I am indestructible. I am eternal. I am infinite. That which is finite and part of the world of matter cannot touch me."

Paul Anka-Lonely Boy - 1959

Education

One of the most influential things I’ve read was a series of Silver Birch books. Silver Birch is an evolved spiritual being who returned to the world of matter in the guise of an American Indian Spirit. He channeled through an English trance medium (Maurice Barbenell), in England, for over 60 years.

There are some eight books that have been written by various authors that describe his teachings and philosophies from the world of Spirit. His message provides significant enlightenment for the individual who is ready to learn more about Spiritualism and the world beyond the third dimension. Of knowledge Silver Birch once said:

"Once we have knowledge, it is our responsibility to spread this to those willing to be receptive. Faith is then allowed to be built on such knowledge enabling us to give a rich service to a world of darkness. The resulting faith illuminates our pathway, enabling an understanding of our rightful place with the eternal, divine scheme of life."

I’ve often thought that the world would be a much better place when more people can realize that knowledge is responsibility and not power. It is unfortunate that we see so much abuse of this in relation to power. It is one reason why I try to share my knowledge with others.

When an individual appears to lack knowledge or education they are referred to as ignorant. The ignorance that exists impedes growth, induces fear, and creates conflict. Overcoming ignorance is the greatest battle for all mankind.

Ignorance, sorrow and poverty are the three great problems in this third dimension. These will endure until a greater knowledge and awareness is joined with politics and the children of this planet think and live by the new knowledge.

We inculcate our children with limited teaching, ignoring proper social development, personal awareness, and an understanding of relationships. While so called leaders play politics with education, the resultant ignorance and neglect simply impedes a child’s growth.

When children are taught with a greater knowledge that enables love, creativity, understanding and compassion, this world will take a major step forward in its evolution.

Global Impact of Population Growth

Growing up in the 60’s, I’d often hear the expression "The Rat Race". I was informed at the time that this was a reference to a boring, unfulfilled lifestyle of burden and chaos. I was also told that the term was derived from an experiment with rats, in which these animals were allowed to over-populate themselves in a confined area. The result was chaos, with rats becoming increasingly aggressive to the point of fatally injuring one another. I guess we are already experiencing this effect in ghetto-like areas around the world.

Another experiment carried out by H. F. Harlowe, involved placing infant monkeys in cages with surrogate mechanical mothers, one hard metal machine providing sustenance, and a soft terrycloth mother providing no sustenance. The monkeys unanimously sought the comfort of the soft mother. For more details, see "The Rat Race" blog.

The point of mentioning this is that I’m particularly concerned about the societal effect of an ever burdening population and the resultant additional effect on global pollution. Have you noticed that there is little mention of population when talking about the political phrase of "Global Warming". Even if it is brought up, advocates of western change mention that Americans use 17 times as much as someone in a third world country. Of course they don’t take into account that someone in a third world country is cutting down trees and shrubs to exist and reducing the oxygen release.

By the way, I’ve planted a dozen trees on my tiny parcel here in Southern California, mainly fruit trees—even along the sidewalk!

I’m dismayed that religions encourage large families without the use of any birth control and wish that we could become more focused on how much we can save rather than how much we can earn, as well of course on becoming more spiritually aware without the dogma of misinterpreted biblical scripts.

I suppose you have to be a bohemian to escape the present rat race. A strong placement or aspect with the planet Uranus in one’s chart may depict this trait—which I have.

See also my original discussion on Global Warming.

Happy New Year

I had a rather quiet Christmas/New Year holiday, which for this recluse is really quite nice. I’ve spent a lot of time consolidating things, cleaning and creating a few things. I watched a bit more TV than usual.

Life is flowing a bit more easily of late (transit Jupiter and Saturn sextiles my natal Sun/Jupiter) and there are no real challenging transits. This offers a good start for 2008.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed watching on TV (PBS) recently is a children’s program called Jakers,--The Adventures of Piggley Winks. OK, so I have Moon in Sag which can make me a little child-like at times, but this TV series is not only entertaining, it’s one of the few children’s programs that can be more readily watched by parent and child.

Here’s a British clip…

Relationship Astrology

When Astrologer’s compare the charts of two people, this is known as Synastry. If a software program is used, not all of the interpretations are likely to be exact. Emotional and spiritual growth can circumvent some of the interpretations or one aspect may overwhelm another.

It is also quite important to consider what is called relationship qualification. This is an individual's capacity for a relationship. Here we are dealing with the level of self-esteem or self-love that a person has or reveals. Simply put, how can a person truly love another if there is no love and respect for the self. This is not the vain, narcissistic appreciation of the surface self, but the true love that is deep within and revealed outwardly--which is a spiritual love.

A very common lesson that many of us have during our physical lives is to learn self-love. To understand and learn this, we must often endure rejection. This is when we are subjected to teachers and parents who will verbally abuse us, put us down, state we are not capable, etc.

Once we learn self-love and the more spiritual we become, the more we can associate with others. To understand a person's primary relationship needs and desires, we need to first examine how the energies of the Moon, Venus, and Mars vibrate.

Chart Comparison, or synastry, is the result of placing one person's chart over the other. One simply places the charts so that the zodiac signs line up. Most software places the primary person (Person number 1) as the inner wheel, and the planets of the partner's chart (Person number 2) on the outer circle or wheel.

The Sun forms our conscious sense of being, which includes the ego. The Moon represents instincts and feelings. Women generally identify more with lunar qualities than men, who tend to be connected more to solar traits. A Moon with squares and oppositions may depict people with emotional karma and emotional problems, which can sometimes be quite erratic, especially if Uranus is involved. The Moon also represents balance from the mother. At times we may even act like our mothers without our knowing.

Stress on the Moon from the Sun can create restlessness and fluctuations in close relationships. Beneficial aspects induce balance and emotional stability. A Moon stressed by Mercury can produce nervous tension & excitability, whereas a benefic aspect can provide common sense and fluent communication. Clearly, examining the natal chart is just as important to gain a greater understanding when dealing with synastry.

Individuals who have Cancer planets, 4th house planets, Cancer rising, water Moon, Libra planets, 7th house planets, Libra rising, and Libra Moon, are more likely to be insecure and unclear. It is not surprising the rulers of these signs are the Moon and Venus, so aspects to these planets play an important role. Many of the more stressful aspects to the primary planets in a natal chart can reveal this loss of self-esteem, particularly where they have a relationship to Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto and the other outer planets.

Some of the first things to check in a synastry chart is the Ascendant, aspects to it, the descendant, and the seventh house. Look to those houses where your partner's planets fall. See how the interchange of energy is described by the planetary aspects, remembering that the wider the orb, the weaker the effect. If you have, for example, 7 degrees rising, you may notice that others with whom you feel comfortable often have the same degree of rising. It does not have to be the same zodiac sign and indicates a spiritual bond. There may be conflicts in certain relationships with respect to lifestyle, but such conflicts are often lessened through this aspect. You may find that the trine and sextile are the most powerful.

The sign on the seventh house cusp of your chart will indicate the type of person you are consciously looking for. If you have Cancer on the 7th house cusp, you will desire a nurturing, sensitive individual. Planets residing in the 7th house will modify this portrait. The seventh house is the area that most astrologer's focus on, as this is commonly known as the relationship house. While the sign on the cusp of the seventh house and planets in this house indicate what a person is looking for in a relationship, there may be karmic factors elsewhere in the chart that color this effect. We should not forget that the seventh house is opposite the first house which forms the personal axis. The first deals with our projected personality and the seventh with the personalities of close friends and partners. Aquarius on the seventh house cusp of a person's chart might indicate the need for a more open relationship, but not necessarily sexual. Saturn in the seventh house may show that a person is attracted to a Capricorn or it could indicate a seriousness in relationships and contracts.

Another important house is the fifth house because this is the house of entertainment, love affairs, role-play, and drama. The fifth/eleventh house axis is the social axis. The fifth deals with our personal enjoyment and responsibilities, and the eleventh deals with the larger social side (including social consciousness). The eleventh house tends to be important, especially if a partner's primary planets fall here. This tends to enhance friendliness and social activities.

As the planet Jupiter opens up opportunities, the transits of this planet through the first or fifth house are often periods when love affairs predominate. The first tends to be more creative, while the fifth is more playful. If there is a lot of fire in a person's chart, the fifth house can enhance the desire to conquer another.

The fifth & eighth houses are both related to sex--playful in the fifth and intense in the 8th (particularly if Scorpio is on the cusp and also if Mars and Pluto fall there). On a higher level, the eighth house can reveal the urge for a kundalini release in sex. For some, this energy can provide a healing role.

Other houses will obviously deal with the life initiating patterns they represent. The second house, for instance, concerns personal values. If a partner's Saturn falls in your second house, you may feel that your personal resources are either restricted or consolidated by this person. However, it may depend on how Saturn's vibrations are affected by both charts.