Author: Joan Porte

I just love relgious holidays that follow the stars…!

Happy Easter and Happy Passover. I do just love religious holidays that have their roots in the movements of planetary bodies! Easter is calculated as the first Sunday after the paschal full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is the following Sunday. The holiday can occur anywhere between March 22 and April 25. Of course, since Passover came first it too follows an astronomical path. Passover begins on the night of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox.

While you are enjoying your Easter meal remember that the word derives from Eoestre the pagan celebration in honor of the young goddess who would shower d the countryside with eggs during the vernal equinox.

Which ever Spring celebration you partake in have fun and remember they are wonderful connections to the universe and the stars above us.

Energy Energy – Uranus and Pluto Squares.

Between 2012-2015 when Uranus in Aries will square Pluto in Capricorn 7 times. This is the ultimate clash of unbridled change energy and slow and steady almost grinding change energy.

For those who like to keep track of such things here are the dates of the exact squares:

June 24, 2012
September 19, 2012
May 20, 2013
November 1, 2013
April 21, 2014
December 15, 2014
March 16/17, 2015

These transits are not always easy. The demand to change and rebel against old stuffy institutions will be intense. There can be even bigger revolutions that we are seeing now, corporate power struggles and even unexpected deaths of people and institituions.

This will also be a time for the further advancement of scientific and technological breakthroughs.

For indiviuals, you could see the end of old relationships.

Remember what I said when Pluto entered Capricorn – this is a time of big change to corporations and government. Well when Uranus throws it’s electical energy into that hang on kids becuase the ride will excilerating and very bumpy!

Venus on the first – Clinton and Limbaugh

After my little walk through Rush Limbaugh’s chart last week (don’t worry, I washed afterwards), I got thinking of another person with Venus in the first house – the house of personality – yes, it is Bill Clinton. OK Venus on the first house normally indicates someone who has a certain amount of appeal. Now my progressive friends stop making retching sounds, like him or not Rushie Boy wouldn’t have gotten this far if he didn’t appeal to a number of people! As for Clinton, well we all know how his appeal works.

 As I said last week, Rush’s Venus is in the quirky and rebellious Aquarius and carries some pretty heavy karma with it. Basically his mouth is compensating for a whole host of inadequacies.

President Clinton’s Venus is in its ruling sign – Libra – which increases his sexual appeal. He doesn’t haven’t to rely on rebellion he can rely on the sexual energy of Libra – and –oh boy is this a hoot —his Venus is conjunct both Neptune and Venus! So he has a double dose of Venus energy – Venus is the sign of the woman – and of sexuality and of physical appeal. Add Neptune to the mix – with its air of unreality and well you can see the issues he had.

Two Venus placements in the first bring both of their people to some prominence but they don’t yield the same results – it is all about the aspects they make with other planets.

You Knew It Was Coming — The Rush-ster

OK my progressive friends hold onto your hats. But this chart makes me sad. If I didn’t know this belonged to Rush Limbaugh, I would actually have some sympathy for the person who had to carry this chart around for a lifetime.

With his retrograded Mercury (in the 11th house – the house of group contacts) squaring a retrograded Saturn that is in the 8th house, the house of personal power,it is clear that all of his bluster and bravado is covering up some deep seeded power and education issues. Mercury retrogrades often produce people with learning disabilities, problems expressing their true thoughts and in general being heard and understood. His Mercury is also next to the sign of the sacred wound, Chiron. We know Rush wasn’t a stellar student.

I can see a little Rush, overweight, not very smart, not popular – not being in his power and having big problems with authority figures (all that retrograded Saturn.). Brings a tear to your eye doesn’t it?

The fact that he was able to parlay his Venus on the ascendant ( a sign of creativity and appeal) into quite a career is actually a testament to the old boy. Even if he does spread lies and hatred – hey we can’t be perfect. That Venus is in Aquarius the sign of the rebel and his rising sign is Aquarius so there is a big call to be different and shocking.

Venus in Aquarius also indicates the ability to have an unusual romantic life. I will say no more!

It is the karma Mitt

Sometimes Astrology makes me laugh out loud. I can’t “predict” who is going to win Michigan tonight mostly because we don’t have a full chart on Santorum. (Since he doesn’t have a full deck to play with I guess that is fair.) However, and this is what made me laugh, looking at Mitt Romney’s current situation it seems that he is dealing with a bit of karma.

I know triwheels can be confusing – but what this is showing is his birth chart way in the center, his progressed planets – how they have moved since he was born – and the big wheel on the outside is current planet placements in the sky. Just look at the 12th house, it is opened by Aries, but then Taurus comes in and intercepts it. (I am working with the cusp wheel – the thin wheel running around the outside.) All interceptions show a pause for karma.

So right now he is dealing with karma around Aries and the 12th house and Libra and the 6th house. Libra intercepted on the 6th house means that is now dealing with karma around being of proper service to people in the past. So even in the past he was polishing his cars instead of being taking care of his fellow Man and now it is coming home to roost. Aries intercepted on the 12th points to someone who was too involved with self and not with “the brotherhood of Man.”

It seems he can’t help talking about his wealthy life – he can’t help showing his disconnect right now. This phase will pass by mid March – will it be too late? Will he be able to make amends for all the dopey, snobby things he is saying now? I don’t know but I do know that this is a lovely manifestation of karma in action!

Rick Santorum – Taurus South Node

OK. I know several people have asked me to look at Rick Santorum’s birth chart. The problem is that his birth time is not public. Birth time is key to determining what the rising sign is and that tells us what the personality traits are of a person and it places the planets in the correct houses. I refuse to do a full chart based on a birth time of noon which is what is done when the time is unknown.  It just won’t be accurate.

However, we can learn a few things just by knowing the place and date of birth. Santorum has a South Node in Taurus and North in Scorpio. In general someone with this past life – current life access is someone who needs to find their personal power; they must face some kind of fear or even near death experience. They must go into the fire of life and be transformed by it. Taurus is epitomized by security at all costs, Scorpio loves the risk even the risk of death.

Coming from lives with a Taurus influence he only knows how to rely on his “gut instinct.” Stability and all that it represents – a “good” family, a dogmaticeee religion, safety, security are essential. He has to feel safe – he needs to be wrapped in the security blanket of life. Scorpio is pushing him to put himself out there – break the safety net but it is hard. Therefore, he wants to bring that blanket with him when he faces the world.

One of the shadows of a Taurus South Node is unbridled stubbornness. Is there anything more immovable than a bull?  So you will see him doubling down on his rather bizarre world and social views because they represent comfort to him. They are his Linus blanket.

At some point, in this life or the next or the next…you get my drift – something will happen that will force him out of his shell and open him up to face the world without that blanket but if and when is anyones guess.

Whitney Houston – Pisces

I feel a bit ghoulish about this but several people have asked me if her chart can give us some insight as to the tragedy of Whitney Houston. The answer is fairly clear when we see her first house. Whitney was born with Pisces rising and more importantly she had a retrograded Chiron, the sacred wound asteroid, on her first house cusp. The shadow of Pisces is illusion and escapism. Pisceans in a tail spin will want to leave reality and addiction is a big problem. With her wound issue also in Pisces and right on the cusp of her personality house – which is basically I don’t feel worthy to connect to the universe – I am not worthy of spiritual blessings – we can see how her demons had to be huge.

Pisces is ruled by Neptune and her Neptune ironically was in Scorpio and in the 8th house – the house which vibrates to Scorpio energy. Scorpio is a very dramatic sign and the 8th house is the house of death and transformation. It would be too pop-psychology to say she had a death wish but the idea of challenging death of going to the edge – would have been fascinating to her.

That Leo Sun conjunct Venus gave her the artistic talent and that huge collection in the 7th house – the house of intimate relations – how we connect to the other showed how she reached us deeply with her talents.

Your birth chart is an indicator of what you are dealt…it isn’t set in stone. She wasn’t “doomed” at birth nor did she have to develop her considerable talents. We have free will. However, some people are dealt harder hands than others.

Neptune in Pisces: All Peace and Love?

Neptune moved into its ruling sign, Pisces, on February 3 and frankly I have been a bit shocked over what I have been reading in the “Astro-circles” about this movement. There is an awful lot of this is the harbinger of the new wonderful world we will all transit to in 2012 and there is nothing more wonderful than Neptune being in Pisces. Right, let’s all wait for the fairies and angels to arrive. It seems that many people are caught up in one of the biggest shadows of Pisces – that is illusion and delusion.

Don’t get me wrong Neptune in Pisces is a mild placement. It is a wonderful time for spiritual awakening and for connecting to the cosmic unconsciousness. However, let us step back into time to the last time Neptune was there. It was 1846 – 1861. Spiritualism did bloom and it was the time of Transcendentalism. Still there were many spiritual charlatans around who promised people they could see the spirits of their dead loved ones in the new found technology of photography. There were also many people running “peaceful communes” who were living well off the people who gave them all of their money in a fit of brotherhood. Lest we not forget what happened when Neptune was still in Pisces – April 12, 1861 – the attack on Fort Sumter and the start of the Civil War!

I am afraid that too many astrologers are buying into the 2012 hype and in Pisces delusion! Use these years of Pisces in Neptune to develop your spirituality and use it act on social injustice and unfair imbalance: these are wonderful aspects of the sign.  Pisces knows no bounds and caste systems are distasteful to her – so be all for furthering brotherhood. Just remember that it is also a time where people can get so caught in their own reality – or rather unreality – that they can’t see anything but their own side – leading to huge battles. It is a time where escapism can be rampant – where addictions and “dropping out” are the order of the day.

 Like all things, Neptune in Pisces is both positive and negative. Keep your head about you and you can reap the benefits and avoid the pitfalls!

Mitt Romeny – Uranus and Gemini In The First

I assume I will be talking a lot about Mitt in 2012. Although my progressive heart would love to see Newt as the GOP nominee I do think they will eventually nominate a beaten and bruised Romney.

One knock on Mitt is his shall we say flexibility. He has the amazing talent to be all things to all people – liberal governor of Massachusetts and author or “Romneycare” or conservative businessman. He adapts for the occasion.

Well no wonder! He has as an ascendant or rising sign – Gemini, the sign of duality and the twins. The ascendant is how we present ourselves to the world. Remember, in the ancient days the Sun Sign was a triviality. Who you were was determined mostly by the first house – the ascendant. This is a much better way of doing Astrology than the modern fascination with the Sun.

Also, in his first is wild and crazy Uranus, the electric, quick change artist! How can he not be a chameleon! His first house is all about change and duality…perfect for a politician but not in the days of instant replay when the many opinions can be played against one another.

Stay tuned…

Feeling especially spiritual today?

I just had to share today’s chart with you! There is a huge conjunction or stellium of planets in the 12th house – the house that connects us with God, the Universere –  Right now, Pallas Athena, Neptune, Chiron, Venus, the Moon, Vesta and Uranus are all transiting the 12th house.  So if you feel like chucking your work and contemplate a flower go with it – there is no better time!