Author: Joan Porte

2011 continued – Aries all Around!



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courtesy of arlenew.com

April is always a wild month astrologically. The archetypal energy is of Mars, the god of war. Mars and the sign it rules, Aries, is the epitome of male aggression. We need energy and spunk to make our mark in our world. However, keep in mind the shadow of this is testosterone overload – unbridled aggression and violence. The Revolutionary and Civil Wars started in April. Hitler was born in April just as the Sun was moving out of Aries. Columbine was in April. We invaded Iraq in 2003 under Aries. You get the picture.

It is no surprise, therefore, that we face the coming Stellium of asteroids and planets in Aries with some trepidation.

On April 4th when Neptune moves into spiritual Pisces (see last week’s entry) we will also have the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars and even the black Moon Lilith all in Aries. Fortunately, most of these are “personal planets” – the inner guys who make the biggest impact on an individual’s chart not the planet as a whole. If you have Aries personal planets or if yours make aspects to Aries – you will be able to start new activities just be sure you don’t fly off the handle for little reasons.  Watch for spikes in personal violence during this time.  Just remember to stay in the light – the energy Aries brings – and not the shadow.

Uranus is Aries is a generational shift – it hangs around a sign for about 7 years. Jupiter stays about a year in each sign.  Uranus and Jupiter will be squaring Pluto in Capricorn – this will be a huge time when the big issues of fairness, justice and truth come to light. I would advise any President of Prime Minister or dictator to be very careful at this time. Any act of dishonesty, any act of underhandedness will see the light. Anyone who acts with extreme individualism will get a good smack in the face.

Uranus in Aries can blaze the trail for social reform and science. Expect to see big breakthroughs in these areas.

It is all about the harnessing of this energy. Those who use it for social good for social justice will blaze new trails in these areas. Those trails will not always be smooth sailing – there can be wars and battles needed to bring about these changes. Anyone who goes to shadow of Aries – who seeks to subjugate freedom and justice – will wreck havoc on the world around them.

Hopefully from this disruption will come the beauty of Neptune in Pisces (see last week) when the spiritual overtakes the illusion.  If we all do our part to try to stay out of the shadow that can happen. Yes, I know, I know — but we can all try.

2011 -2012 preview



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 I saw some signs in downtown DC a few months ago telling me to repent because the world was ending in May 2011. Apparently the Lord is returning and he is still pissed. Then, of course, the New Agers are telling me we have all the way until December 2012. If I thought either were correct I would daily eating my way through a bathtub of chocolate chip ice cream.

While I can’t see the end of the world coming, I do see some hum dinger of planetary changes coming in the next few years.

Neptune will be moving into Pisces on April 4, 2011 and will remain there until 2026. Pisces is ruled by Neptune so this will be a time when Neptune will be felt particularly if it makes a strong aspect to Neptune, Pisces or their aspects in your personal chart.

Remember Pisces is a sign of duality. Look at the two fish, one swimming upstream toward the God-source and the other stuck in the illusion of life.

The last time Neptune was in Pisces (1848 – 1860), we saw the growth and flourishing of the Transcendalist Movement. These were people like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Louisa May Alcott who believed in spirituality, and humanitarianism. Utopian societies sprang up and around the country and spiritualism was in favor. Impressionism, the style of painting characterized by flowing and visible brush strokes became popular. Sigmund Freud, the father of dream therapy was born. Charles Darwin published the “Origin of the Species” and Marx the “Communist Manifesto.”

All of these are very Piscean qualities – a rejection of the traditional religious dogmas for a spiritual outlook, a belief that we all must find our own path to God, a dreamy quality and a rejection of the individual for the good of all.

Pisces is also the sign of the martyr and throughout Europe tens of thousands of died in Peasant Revolutions that raged from France to Sicily and Hungary to Poland. Desperate people banded together to try to change entrenched political systems that favored only the nobility.

The shadow of Pisces is illusion, disillusionment, giving into addictions and ennui. Pisces is that great ocean of cosmic consciousness but it has a hard time deal with the nastiness of Earthly reality. Be aware of people following false gurus. Sadly, we might see more people martyring themselves in hope of furthering a bigger cause. We will see more pathetic and dangerous violent outbursts. Those people who are upset and disillusioned will have a hard time getting on course.

We are seeing signs of this with the self-immolations in Tunisia and the job riots in Spain. If you have the ability both financial and innate to grow spiritually it is a wonderful time. However, anyone stuck in desperation – even those who aren’t forced into those situations by governmental of money issues; people who keep themselves stuck – will be that swirling pool of illusion for a long time.

Get Your Valentine’s Chart Today!

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day then to get a chart of your relationship for your honey? Order a synastry or relationship analysis chart today and it will be ready for February 14th.

If you don’t want to explore the depths of your mutual love… why not get his or her natal birth chart done?  It is a very personal day what more personal gift than an in-depth personal chart analysis?

State of the Union

Will President Obama continue his upward spiral in the polls with his State of the Union address? I progressed his chart to see where the stars will be for him that night and found some promising news.

First, his transiting Moon will be conjunct his progressed Mercury and Mars in the 12th house. Don’t expect a fire and brimstone barn burner – the 12th house is introverted.  Mercury and Mars together especially in Libra the house of the “other person” – gives mental energy and a sharp mind and the ability to reach people. Add the Moon and you get emotionalism but they are all tucked away in the 12th, thus the more subdued approach.

With transiting Sun and Mars conjuncting his natal Saturn/Jupiter in the 3rd house (see last week’s entry for more on that) , his words will have power behind them. I believe the blending of the toned down passion but words that are direct will make a very important statement to the American public.

My biggest cause for concern  sits in his 7th house where his progressed Vesta in Gemini conjuncts his Natal Vesta/Moon in the 7th house. The 7th, like Libra, vibrates to the energy of uniting with the other person.  With Vesta in Gemini it is a great time to focus energy on words and conveying information. However, Gemini can be somewhat professorial – too intellectual. There is a chance that Professor Obama and not Touchy Feely Obama will appear. I am hopeful that his words will hit the right spot with those people who enjoy having a President with a brain. Those who need to be hit over the head are probably a lost cause.

Overall, most of us will see the new Obama who will present his ideas in a new way – a way that will stress humanitarian ideals and the need for all to work as one. Those who hate him for who he is and what he stands for will be vociferous in their negativity but he will have reached the rest of us on another level.

Ophiuchus: Nothing New Under the Sun



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Ok everyone breathe… deep breath. Your astrological signs are NOT changing. Got it?

First a bit of self promotion – anyone in the Washington DC area – check out News Channel 8/TBD tonight I am taping a piece about this new Astrology chart brew ha-ha around 4:15 PM today.

The Minnesota Planetarium Society has apparently suddenly realized that there is a constellation called Ophiuchus or Serpentenius which sits between Libra and Scorpio and that the Sun moves through there for a bit in December. Well, guys can you tell by those names that the ancients knew about this constellation that has been sitting there for oh say 80 gazillion million years? Ptolemy wrote about it. The ancient Babylonians who are credited with being the parents of Astrology wrote about it. Ok here comes the trite saying. “There is nothing new under the Sun.”

Sidereal astrologers have been using it in their charts for millennia. Sidereals use constellations not signs to cast charts.

It is true that due to the shifting of the magnetic poles – which is always occurring* and the Moon’s small but steady pull on the Earth our orientation to the Sun has changed. From Earth it appears that the Sun is staying longer in Ophiuchus (pronounced O FEE u KUSS). However, Tropical Astrology which is the basis for what we do in the West is based on signs not constellations. The Babylonians, who by the way knew the Earth was round — sorry Columbus, chose a system of twelve signs of 30 degrees each.

This is not to stay Astrology doesn’t change. For years the furthest known planet was Saturn. However, as others reveal themselves the archetypical energy is incorporated. For instance Scorpio shared Mars with Aries for millennia until Pluto popped up. Taurus is still searching for its own planet and Virgo is just now being assigned by some to the asteroid Vesta. However, we aren’t reorienting the whole thing because of something the ancients were well aware of. Perhaps in another few millennia if things change to the point that the Sun appears to skip a sign or two this might happen but it won’t because of a press release from a group who doesn’t know anything about Astrology.

The funny thing is that no astrologer worth their salt looks at the Sun as being all that important in a chart. It certainly doesn’t do much to define a personality. For that we look at the Ascendant and the South Node.

So relax. If you were born a Capricorn you are still a Capricorn. No one is changing the whole archetypal energy of the system because of the Minnesota Planetarium Society. They may know planets but with all due respect they don’t know didly about the stars.

*The Tampa airport closed their biggest runway last month so that the markings used by pilots could be redrawn. The poles had shifted to the point making the old ones no longer compatible with compass markings.

He’s BAAAAAACKKKKK

Obama Download CollectionIn my blog entry entitled “Happy Birthday Mr. President” I wrote last summer about the transits to President Obama’s chart. At the time his12th house was loaded with personal planets including Mercury the communicator and that is always an indication of a time of inward looking. It is not a time of connecting to other and making heart stirring speeches. However, I told Progressives to hang tight because that would all be clearing out in 2011. And boy has it!

Just before the Tucson speech last night, I ran to the computer and checked out his chart. There was Mars, the sign of energy and strength sitting right in his 3rd house that which vibrates to speech and communication. Mr. Obama was born with Saturn and Jupiter in conjunction in the 3rd. Those two together indicate manifestation and give him the ability to stir with his words. So like a goof ball I was sitting in front of the screen yelling “Come on Barack! Mars is conjunct your Saturn/Jupiter let it rip!” (Sad isn’t it?)
He started out slowly. Professor Barack was at the podium. Then he went off script and said “Gabby opened her eyes.” You could see the spark come to his eyes and it was all over. By the end the audience and the country were on their feet and in tears. He is back.

Pluto and Vesta are transiting his second house bringing change and a new dedication to harboring resources. Hmmm have there been changes at the White House staff level? New resources, new dedication and new start.

The Astrology of Tragedy



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 I am as furious as every other thinking human over the carnage in Tucson this weekend. There is no way we can make sense of something like this — a madman aided by ridiculous gun laws and a crazy hate driven political atmosphere. Without the birth data of the shooter I can’t do a full analysis, however, we can look at what was going on over Tucson when he went on a rampage.

Remember that whole Mars/Pluto – hot and cold and anger and change conjunction we had going on a few weeks ago? In Tucson it was in the 8th house – the house of power, death and transformation. We tend to think that once an aspect has passed, the energy has passed. Not so. It can create a spark that sees ignition later.

Also, Uranus and Jupiter are still together in Pisces and both are in the 11th house in conjunction with the Black Moon Lilith over Tucson. The Black Moon is where we feel a void – emptiness. The 11th house is the location for group activities. If someone was Hell-bent on destruction that feeling of emptiness could manifest in the desire to bring mayhem to a public place. Uranus makes this electric and highly charges and Jupiter is all about expansion. Expansion can be a good thing but not when it is fuel to insane ideas.

When I look at Saturn I see it is in 6th House. Sixth house vibrates to health issues and Saturn is what gives us form and structure. It basically deals with our skeleton and protective bone covering. Need I say more?

Oh Aries You Little Devil….

courtesy of Arlenew.com

Happy New Year all! And what a year it is going to be. We came through that Mars/Pluto conjunction with a huge Wikileaks “attack” and bombings in various places. I don’t know how it manifested in your chart. For me it has been a lingering cough triggered in my throat. Pluto – Mars were passing through my 3rd house – the house of communications which vibrates to Mercury and controls the throat area.

So what is coming up? Aries will be on the march that is what is coming up! On January 20th Jupiter will move into Aries but will only stay for 5 months. That is about one half the time Jupiter spends in a sign and that is a big key – movement and speed. Jupiter in this fire sign of masculine energy indicates a time of new raw expression of and seeking of truth. In my chart Jupiter is conjunct Pluto – the instrument of transformation so I see a great time of personal growth and expansion.

This Aries influence will just increase as the year continues so by the new Moon on April 2, Mars, the Moon, the Sun, Mercury and the asteroids Lilith and Eros will join Jupiter in Aries. I am sorry but you will really have to be dead not to feel this influence on Aries warrior energy on the personal planets. More interestingly, over Washington, D.C. that Aries stellium will be in the 8th house of house of power, sexuality, and death – all of those fun issues. Can you just see the power struggles and testosterone eruptions that will take place on Capitol Hill?

Let’s hope that is all that manifests. Remember the Civil War, Revolutionary War and Mexican/American Wars all started in April. It is as if the rope is stretched so tightly and then Aries cause the spark that burns the last thread.

On the positive side this is a time of new beginnings or new growth but that can cause painful breaks with the past. Remember the old saying, “out of pain comes growth.” Riding this crescent of energy can be a fun ride if we are aware of what is happening and staying in the positive aspect of Aries – which is the courage to take the lead in life and not the negative warrior energy it can also embody.

How Pluto in Capricorn is WikiLeaks?

courtesy of Arlenew.com

Whatever you think of the whole Wikileaks thing whether it is treason or the height of patriotism — from an astrological stand point it epitomizes the concept of Pluto in Capricorn. When Pluto moves into a new sign, something it does every 15 to 20 years, it brings change to society – to the world — in the area that sign fuels.For instance, when Pluto was in Virgo in the early 1960’s we saw the rise of environmental movement and the “feminization of the workplace.” Virgo rules health and healthy eating and day to day work situations. When it later moved into Scorpio we saw the sexual revolution. Then when it went into Sagittarius we saw the rise of the “New Age” and spiritual movement. Each sign also has a shadow aspect – to every yin there is a yang.  The rise of fundamentalism was the shadow of Pluto in Sagittarius, AIDS the tragic shadow of Scorpio.

Pluto brings to the front those things that were hidden. Women came behind the apron with Virgo. People with different sexual persuasions did during Scorpio’s reign and those with alternative religious beliefs during the spin in Sagittarius.

Now that it is in Capricorn we will see changes in structures that hold society together. First, we saw the collapse of the financial system, then, thankfully, we saw the election of the first African American President. What must come to the foreground now are those things that governments, banks and other authority figures wanted to keep hidden… ta da… Wikileaks.

Pluto just moved into Capricorn in 2008 and will be there until 2020 so it will be a long interesting ride. The  last time it was in Capricorn was during the American and French Revolutions. See what I mean?

Happy New Year all.