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Sunday,
January 29, 2006
Data
Mining
Pluto
and Saturn are both associated with mining. Pluto probes deep
beneath the surface and Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, is heavy
earth. When Pluto enters Capricorn in 2008, a particular form
of mining—data mining—will assume great importance.
Data mining is the extraction of information hidden in large databases.
We recently got some portents of how controversial and political
this issue could turn out to become. The U.S. Department of Justice
has subpoenaed search engine databases to “mine” for
pornographic sites that children can accidentally access. Although
Yahoo, AOL, and MSN complied with the subpoena, Google—the
biggest search engine—resisted. For now, the subpoenaed
databases contain no names of individuals who are searching. However,
some people fear that this is a first step in the government’s
actively mining and exploiting search engine databases for individual
search records. An excellent London
Times article
looks at this issue. Data mining will become increasingly controversial
as Pluto moves closer to and finally into Capricorn.
Pluto
in Capricorn and the Public-Private Interface
As
I have pointed out elsewhere in this blog and on
my website, Pluto
is nearing the cusp of Capricorn. In less than two years, Pluto
will enter Capricorn for the first time since the 18th Century.
We are already seeing intimations of this sign change because
Pluto has drawn close enough to the cusp of Capricorn to be
affected by it. Pluto represents transformation. Capricorn can
symbolize different types of masks, the interfaces between our
public and private selves. Two recent events brought this symbolism—the
transformation of the public-private interface—to light.
First, a woman in France received a much-publicized face transplant.
Second, a newly published book, Self-Made
Man: One Woman’s Journey into Manhood and Back,
is the story of a female reporter’s 18 month adoption
of a male disguise to enable her to report on “the world
of men.” It has been very well-reviewed and became an
instant bestseller. Because the reporter herself is a lesbian,
the book reflects the complexity of gender roles in the 21st
Century and, I think, portends many of the issues we will see
surfacing as Pluto enters Capricorn and individuals attempt
to sort out their private identities in a world of shifting
and fluid gender definitions.
Thursday,
Jan. 19
New
Horizons Launch
Click
here to see the horoscope for the launch
of the New Horizons spacecraft mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt
and to read a more detailed analysis of the event chart. Note that
the Sun is--where else?--in the 9th house of exploration and Jupiterian
expansion. Saturn is in the 3rd house, possibly indicating some
possibility of communication difficulties as the flight progresses.
Gemini is rising. We are curious. At least, I know I am.
Car
Trends
I
visited the Los Angeles Auto Show. Pluto in Capricorn will start
in early 2008, but its influence is already being felt as Pluto
moves through the later degrees of Sagittatarius. Capricorn
can relate to nostalgia, longing for the stability of the past.
Some of the cars I saw at the auto show were prototypes and
concept cars, not due on the market for another two or three
years. Others will be introduced later this year or next. Many
cars are designed to appeal to a retro nostalgia market. The
Pontiac GTO is being brought back and was wowing a swarm of
young males, as well as Pluto in Leo Baby Boomers like myself
who recalled the early 60's heyday of "my little GTO." The new
Ford Fairlane (see photo--those lines on the side of the car
are indentations designed to suggest panelling) recalls
the 60's family station wagon and the Jeep Willy (see photo) has
a distinctly 1940's retro look. The Mini Cooper continues to
refine its British mod sensibility, attracting huge crowds who
delighted in its unabashedly 60's styling. We can look for much
more of this retro nostalgia trend in cars, whose marketing
taps into and exploits deep cultural and social trends.
Exploring
Pluto
An
excellent article in today’s Los Angeles Times, “Shining
a Light on a Dark Planet,”
discusses Pluto and the about-to-be-launched NASA spacecraft
New Horizons. One point which the article fails to give
much "space," however, is the large amount of plutonium on board
the New Horizons--a fact which has alarmed many. If the launch
goes as planned, New Horizons will reach Pluto in July, 2015,
then go on to explore the Kuiper Belt. This is an exciting event
because of Pluto's status as--literally and astrologically--a
hidden planet of darkness. The launch of the New Horizons exploratory
spacecraft also comes amid renewed debate about Pluto’s
status as a planet, as well of some of the mysteries of the
Kuiper Belt. Times writer John Johnson, Jr., writes that
“Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh could not have known how fitting
it was to call his new planet Pluto, after the Roman god of
the underworld. In the 76 years since Tombaugh discovered the
solar system's ninth planet, Pluto has remained an enigma —
a shrouded phantom lurking in the dark recesses of the solar
system. Three billion miles from Earth, the diminutive ice world
is so distant that even the Hubble Space Telescope can produce
only a hazy image of an object resembling a chewed-on tennis
ball. Now, Pluto's time to shine has finally arrived.”
When New Horizons arrives at Pluto and its moon (Charon) in
2015, there is sure to be extensive media coverage and worldwide
interest. Pluto will be midway through Capricorn. Will this
exploratory moment coincide with the surfacing of Plutonian
urges here on planet Earth? Especially given that Pluto is the
planetary ruler of Scorpio and repressed undercurrents, will
scientific elevation synchronize with greater release of Pluto’s
energy in the world?
Once
the spacecraft has been launched and NASA can calculate its
arrival at Pluto, I will post an event chart on my website
for the launch time and the arrival date, keeping in mind that
the arrival date will actually be the opening of a window
of proximity of the spacecraft to Pluto.
Bling-Bling
Astrology
The
word “accessorize” is not usually associated with
men. However, men’s jewelry—as in “bling”—has
taken hold of a burgeoning fashion market in men’s accessories
(read
the story, “Bling it On”).
Coming out of hip-hop culture, the trend toward titanium pendants
and silver dog tags is astrologically related to Venus, the
planet which rules jewelry. The 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction was in Taurus, which
was ruled by Venus. Although it might at first seem to be a
stretch of the astrological imagination, many big fashion trends
can be related to the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. Stephen Arroyo,
in his book New
Insights in Modern Astrology,
notes that the 1920 Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Virgo ushered
in an era of Virgoan fashions: tight Mercurial little hats and
dresses for women. We are now seeing a trend in Venus-related
fashions, although this is the Taurus expression of Venus and
not the Libra side. Taurus is generally given more to luxurious
display and material contact.
There
is an interesting blog, Cosmic
Blog, which has pros
and cons of the “Pluto is a planet” debate. It was
just posted today. It’s titled “Last Call for Pluto”
and is worth reading. The blog includes excerpts from some e-mails
with very well-informed opinions and arguments pro and con.
Astrology
of the Housing Market
Whichever
date and time one uses for the U.S. horoscope, Saturn was in
Libra—the sign of Saturn’s exaltation—throughout
1776 (see
U.S. horoscope)
A chart for the exact time of the 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction--a 20 year cycle which
sets 20 year trends-- shows a Libra Ascendant. If one uses the
Sibly chart (or any other time on July 4, 1776), the U.S. Libra
Saturn exactly conjoins the Ascendant degree in the 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
horoscope.
This indicates that for the United States, this Saturn point
in the U.S. horoscope is being and will be greatly affected
by the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction. In a national horoscope Saturn,
according to Charles Carter, stands for “landed and house
property." We have certainly seen in the United States an intense,
“exalted” emphasis on real estate and “house
property.” I live in Southern California and continue
to be amazed at the value of homes in this part of the country.
This does not mean that housing prices will continue to escalate,
just that they will continue to be a driving force in the economy--up
or down--over the next fifteen years. Their importance, if not
their value, will continue to be exalted.
The
Astrology Behind the Gambling Craze
What
is the astrology behind the current gambling craze? Although
most astrologers would ascribe gambling to Leo, ruled by the
Sun, and the 5th house, these mostly deal with risk and winning
or losing. Gambling today is a big business and it is everywhere.
Poker tournaments are televised on ESPN. Online casinos are
a booming business despite many restrictions which have been
put in their way. In the United States, especially, riverboat
gambling casinos and Indian casinos have proliferated over
the past several years. Part of this craze, especially the
poker part of it, can be attributed to the addictive tendencies
of the Pluto in Scorpio generation. You
can read a USA Today article on how poker has swept
college campuses.
It has to be more than the addiction-prone Pluto in Scorpio
generation, however, because the prime gambling market is
18-35 year olds and Gen Y Pluto in Scorpio kids are 21 at
the oldest. William Lilly, the great Elizabethan astrologer
and author of the classic Christian
Astrology,
wrote that "gamesters" (which in the olden days meant gamblers,
not kids playing Nintendo) were ruled by Venus. The 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction--a 20 year thematic marker--was
in the sign of Taurus. Taurus is ruled by Venus. Fifteen more
years of five card stud, anyone?
Uranus-Neptune,
Taurus, and Cell Phones
Cell
phones are the 21st Century version of magic wands. Cell phones
can now be scanned as electronic cash, like a credit or debit
card. Japan, always a leader in this area, has checkout scanners
which scan infrared signals on cell phones to deduct cash from
accounts. Read
the article.
Cell phones are also poised to become shopping aids in many
other ways. This may be yet
another manifestation of the Uranus-Neptune
mutual reception, as well as the Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction in Taurus. Uranus is technology, while Neptune is
diffusion and spread. The 2000 Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction in Taurus, with effects
lasting for twenty years, symbolizes widespread change in financial
systems and the transfer of money.
The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is transitory, but its symbolic
effects last for twenty years. During the current Jupiter-Saturn
conjunction in Taurus, we are seeing huge upheavals and financial
dislocations throughout the world. When the concept of "money"
can be digitally embedded in a cell phone, we have indeed entered
a new era.
Regarding the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in the sign of the
bull: Taurus is a sign associated with money and the planetary
ruler of Taurus, Venus, shows what we value. In the U.S.
Sibly chart, for example, Venus
is in Cancer, showing the American love of home, real estate,
and ostentatious fountains. This proclivity is magnified by
the U.S. Venus' conjunction with Jupiter. It's hard to imagine
another country with so many Home Depots and Century 21 real
estate offices.
Steak
Restaurants and the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction
I’m
not a big beef fan, but it is interesting to note the proliferation
of steak restaurants since the 2000 conjunction
of Jupiter and Saturn in Taurus.
Although we like to think of Taurus as being lots of other
nice things, basically it’s just beef. (Read
a news article describing this trend).
I’d thought we were becoming a more Whole Foods-type
culture, but it looks like steak still sizzles.
Government
Surveillance=Pluto in Capricorn
The
recent news that the National Security Agency, without court
approval, has been wiretapping overseas communications, seem
to be related to Pluto's approach to Capricorn. Capricorn can
be heavily into surveillance. It
has now been revealed that the
spying, authorized by President Bush, may have been a masive
"data mining" operation, trolling huge telecommunication data
bases for terrorist activity. Electronic surveillance is an
issue that will become more and more pervasive as we actually
move into Pluto in Capricorn in early 2008.
Sunday,
Dec. 25, 2005
Pluto
in Capricorn at the Movies
Pluto
will enter Capricorn in early 2008, but we are already seeing
trends as Pluto moves closer to the cusp of Capricorn. One of
the traits of Capricorn has to do with security. New
York Times movie reviewer Stephen Holden, in summing up the
best movies of 2005, noted the following:
'Anxiety that shades into dread and dread that curdles into paranoia;
the past hammering on the door of the present like a vengeful
ghost: As ominous portents leaked into the movies in 2005, it
sometimes felt as though the hurricanes that decimated the Gulf
Coast and Florida had torn away the roof separating the movies
from reality and let in an acid rain."
The review goes on to cite A History of Violence as "a
loaded parable for the age of identity theft."
Pluto in Capricorn--it's coming soon, to a world near you.
Uranus-Neptune
Social Networks
The
Uranus-Neptune
mutual reception is helping produce
social networks of people who participate in linked games from
their cell phones. See
a website, Digital Chocolate,
which is leading in this area. Forbes.com
notes that “Digital Chocolate
is developing applications for digital handsets that emphasize
community, and make users feel connected to something ‘alive.’
” One of the founders of cell phone game networks said
that, “…what people want is the social aspect. There’s
a loneliness we feel in our society.” These social networks
(social networking through technology is a Uranus in Pisces-Neptune
in Aquarius trend) will grow and expand when Pluto moves into
Capricorn as personal loneliness and isolation become even bigger
social issues.
Mars-Saturn
Square--Ouch!
Mars
and Saturn, the two traditional malefics of the zodiac, have
been squaring one another for longer than usual. This square
will continue into the early part of 2006. Saturn rules the
bones, the body's skeletal support system. Mars can rule sudden,
sharp accidents. Within two days of one another, two friends
of mine--both in their early sixties--broke their hips by falling
accidentally! I don't have their horoscopes, but would think
Sagittarius, a sign relating to the hip, might be involved or
triggered on an individual level.
Neptune
and the Iraq War
Neptune,
the planet of deception and illusion, continues to exert an extraordinary
influence on the Iraq War. As I’ve noted on the front page of
my website and in a 2003
article in The Mountain Astrologer,
Neptune has been an integral part of the astrology of the U.S. involvement
in the war. As the political debate intensifies, more is being revealed.
Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff for former Secretary of State Colin
Powell, said in an interview broadcast on the BBC on Tuesday, November
29, that in retrospect he now doubted the intelligence that was presented
to the United Nations by his boss, Colin Powell (read
the story). This intelligence served
as the justification and basis for the subsequent U.S. invasion of
Iraq. Wilkerson stated in the interview, "You begin to speculate,
you begin to wonder -- Was this intelligence spun? Was it politicized?
Was it cherry-picked? Did in fact the American people get fooled?
I'm beginning to have my concerns.” If an individual got fooled
in a personal relationship, Neptune would be active in some significant
way. It's the same with international relationships.
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