Author: Joan Porte

Ebeneezer!

DG Vinyl Clip ArtOk I can’t do fictional characters and not examine the classic story of Mr. Scrooge and his merry band of ghosts now can I? Some are a no brainer: Mr. Cratchet, long suffering victim – ding ding – heavy Pisces influence. (As is his little son, Tiny Tim.) Is it me or does he annoy anyone else?) Mr. Fezziwig – strong family man, brings a familial touch to his workplace – strong on the Moon Child. The ghosts are also easy. Christmas Past is also strongly Moon Child, which vibrates to the 4th house, that of roots and home and our past. Christmas Present is a Taurus, of course. Look at all of the food and candles which surround him. Taurus loves luxury and comfort and food! Spooky Christmas Future has to be an Aquarian. Ruled by Uranus, Aquarians defy normal time and remember what Marley said, “The third, more mercurial, will come in his own good time.” Also, Aquarius is future minded – it is all about what is to come.

What about Scrooge? Well obviously he embodies the shadow on the signs because there isn’t too much positive energy there. I see Saturn in his first house because that is always a harbinger of depression. Come on, he has to have depression to live in the house. Added to that Capricorn, the ruler of Saturn is his rising sign. The shadow of Capricorn is being stuck with the nose to the grindstone and all about gathering material wealth. Added to this I think his Sun would be in Aries. Shadow Aries folks are all about themselves and being the boss and letting everyone know they are in control. Remember Scrooge doesn’t really have his epiphany until the Christmas Future ghost scares the be-gabbers out of him by showing what his future will be like. That is the way to get to Aries – show him how something will affect him!

So Merry Christmas or Bah Humbug…that is my take on Scrooge. Now I have to figure out George Bailey in time for next year!

Be Sure You Are Awake Tomorrow Morning – December 21

between 3 -4 AM. It will be the best time to see the pink sky caused by the total lunar eclipse. It will be the first lunar eclipse on the winter solstice since 1638! It is also taking place when the Sun is at 28 degrees Sagittarius which is the location of the galactic center — the spot where astronomers believe is the giant black hole remnant of the big bang.

A lunar eclipse happens when Sun and Moon are in opposition to one another so the Moon will be in Gemini. As I said last week, that is the axis of my North and South Node so this is a time of huge soul evolution for me. Even if this isn’t the case for you with the Sun in the Sag. the truth seeker and the Moon in Gemini, the communicator – this would be a good time to evaluate your personal truth and your ability to express it.

Happy viewing, Happy Solstice!

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The Sixth

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No not the sense, the house; today I want to talk about the 6th House of the zodiac, the house of day to day work and health. Now that sounds a little bit goofy at first glance but it does make sense. If you have health issues, either real or imagined it is going to affect your work, right? I know of one chart that, among many other “issues”, has Neptune negatively aspected in the 6th with Pisces on the cusp of the 6th. Neptune deals psychosomatic illness – Neptune is all about vagaries – so perceived illness, illness driven from the mental arena, these are all Neptunian in nature. This person hasn’t worked a full six months in twenty years because of a wide variety of health issues which always crop up when work gets too difficult.

My current interest in the sixth house is sparked by two occurrences. First, I have had those two very slowly moving planets Uranus and Jupiter transiting my sixth for about 5 months now and they will be there for a few more. During this time I have gotten more colds than I normally get in a year. One came upon me so fast (Uranus lightening) and just when I thought it was gone it came roaring back (Jupiter’s ability to be expansive. Thanks a lot.) I have also started acupuncture during this time – a very Uranian activity. Although acupuncture is an ancient science it is for Westerners new and unique. Acupuncture also deals with grids and the electricity which runs throughout the human body and all electrical matters fall under Uranus.

I have a friend who is having another recurring bout of coughing which is believed to be link to allergies and may be a mild allergy driven asthma. It appears as an annoying tickle in her throat. As always, when I hear of someone’s illness I run to look at their chart. Hmmm, remember that Mars/Mercury/Pluto mishmash I spoke of last week? Well guess where it is intersecting in her chart? Right, in the 6th. These planets are also now in conjunction with her solar progressed* Venus and to make it more interesting she has Pallas Athena also in her 6th right now.

Mars’ male energy, Pallas Athena coupled with, androgynous female energy with Venus – that planet which rules the throat all churning together. Can you see how the allergy has come back? What has me more concerned is that Pluto is in this mix. Pluto is the harbinger change and transformative. Some astrologers look at Pluto, with its rulership of the 8th house the traditional house of death and change, as a harbinger of death and rebirth. I don’t want to go there, but I do see a change in her health that she will have to take good care of.

*Solar progression is charts the movement of planets from the time of a person’s birth.

P.S. Does anyone else see the Wikileak attacks on websites as the secret “violence” I mentioned in my last blog entry?

Mars and Pluto and Mercury – yikes



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Hold onto your hats kids and not just because the wind is going insane out there.

For the next week or so we will have a conjunction that is fraught with issues. Pluto which has been in Capricorn for a few years now, is conjuncting the North Node. OK that is pretty good. Pluto brings slow change – the North Node is one’s evolutionary goalpost. That should help people make moves into their right path. So far not bad.

However, today Mars will also join this conjunction as will Mercury on December 10th and it will also be retrograding. Mars and Pluto together can always spell trouble. You have the clash of pure, raw male aggressive warrior energy (Mars) and cold but formidable Pluto. When hot and cold mix we get thunder, right? When Mars and Pluto mix we can misunderstandings, arguments and even war. Remember the sign this is all happening in is Capricorn – that which rules authority structures, government and keeps society in place. This next week to ten days is a time we all need to be on our toes. With Uranus and Jupiter hid Pisces which likes to be hidden, these could be secret attacks or attacks we learn of later.

Add to this the mental confusion and miscommunications that are the signature of Mercury retrograde and you can see where the spark for the tinderbox can come. This retrograde will remain until December 30 so all of those cautions about thinking before you speak, reading before you sign, watching your electrical equipment should be in place.

Once we ride this wave, we have right on the winter solstice, December 21, a total lunar eclipse in at 29 degrees Sagittarius. Guess what else is 29 degrees Sag? The Galactic Center. That is the center of the Milky Way basically where it is believed that there is a giant black hole. Now for someone on a spiritual path this can be a fantastic time. Remember we still have Uranus and Jupiter conjunct for a few more weeks. The forward thinking Uranus and the expanding and spiritual Jupiter make good partners in the spiritual realm. (Be careful where the conjunction is triggering your natal planets however, as they can bring accidents and overspending in everyday life.)

A lunar eclipse, therefore one that moves our emotions, right at the Galactic Center can be a fantastic spiritual ride for someone who can capture the power. My concern is that the less spiritually aware a person is the more this tremendous power, coming on top of the Mars/Pluto storm, can cause havoc in their lives. People (including leaders of governments or splinter groups) can be reacting in dramatic ways that they really don’t understand. When you have the potential for great spiritual awakening for some you also have the flip side of great upheaval for those prone to be at the mercy of Mars.

Personally the solstice eclipse should be interesting since it will awaken my nodal Gemini/Sagittarius axis (Gemini being the opposing sign to Sagittarius.) My South Node is in Gemini in 8th house so my North has to be in Sagittarius in the 2nd. I am evolutionarily moving from existences of gathering and dispensing lots of information to hold onto whatever power I had (often not my own but the words of others – that comes from the heavey Libra influence in my chart) to thinking deeply and seeking my own truth for my own self value. (How is that for soul intention in a nut shell?) This will be a time of great spiritual growth for me if I play my cards right. It will be a time to see what I am still holding on from the past and how I need to still shed my own skin. Remember, the ruler of Gemini is in still retrograding at this time so a lot of “junk” from my past will be hitting me in the face. Retrogrades are karmic pauses. With Pluto and the North Node together I can really make some huge evolutionary moves.

I point this out only to show how personal planetary movements can become. With all of this energy roaming around I urge you to pull out your chart and see if any of these will directly affect you this month. The more aware you are the more you can make these changes work for you in a positive fashion.

Let’s hope that so called world leaders and those who can agitate world events don’t get too over wrought during this Mars/Pluto/Mercury conjunction and we don’t pay for the spiritual awareness with earthly terror.

The White House –

As I walked past the White House last night and saw it decorated for the Holidays, I renewed my oft-repeated but never followed up on pledge to do some research on the House and the people responsible for it. Well, no time like the present.

The Cornerstone for the White House was laid on October 13, 1792 after a parade from Georgetown. By the way, I have read so many conspiracy Mason theories on their “take over” of our early government which state that this was a Friday. Oh, Friday the 13th well see how that links it to the Cathar’s and the original evil connotations of Friday the 13th…… Wrong, it was a Saturday!

Anyway, the first thing that struck me was that Capricorn was “rising” – on the Eastern horizon at that time. That is a great time to dedicate a structure that you hope will endure. Capricorn is the sign that gives form and structure – it keeps things in place. What a great start for a grand house. Capricorn’s ruler, Saturn is in the 4th house – the house of home and home-life. However, it is in Aries, a fiery warrior sign and in retrograde, a pause for karma. This is a harbinger of the burning at the hands of the British during the war of 1812.

Now look at the 10th house, the house of government and leadership in society. The Sun, Vesta, Neptune and Mercury are all there in Libra. Sun and Vesta together is a very powerful placement. It combines our internal energy drive with the devotion of Vesta – the burning heart’s desire. This was intended to be a house that would dominate the world scene. Mercury indicates our thought process – how we learn and communicate. And Neptune is a symbol of our dreamy idealism. All of these are in Libra, the sign that while it may go to extremes from time to time – seeks balance This tiny country that just defeated the worlds’ largest military power, was holding itself out to a new experiment of freedom for all (well some anyway – but at least we continued to extend those benefits albeit slowly). Yes, it has gone to the over-board at time but we still have that candle of belief that we are dedicated to freedom and pursuit of happiness.

In the future I will look at the men who made the house a reality from Washington, who never lived there, to Adams, who was the first, to Hoban, the architect behind it all.

Green Mountains and Taurus



naturalpattern3.jpg
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Hello from Vermont – up here for Thanksgiving with some family and friends. We are spending the week cooking at an inn here. Should be very “New Englandy”.  Of course, I had to take a minute to look up the chart of Vermont. You know I love Maine because as a Scorpio Sun/Pisces Moon I need the water but the politics of Vermont is much closer to my heart than lovely Maine!

Made a state on March 4, 1791 Vermont is by Sun Sign a Pisces. Figures – it is full of touchy feely people dedicated to live and let live and go connect with the Universe in the Green Mountains. What is really interesting is the stellium (more than 5 planets) in the 9th house. Remember, the 9th vibrates to Sagittarius – the archer seeking truth – his personal truth. Vermont has Venus, Pallas Athena, Mars the Sun and Moon all there in Pisces. Can you see the desire to balance male and female – Venus and Mars with the androgynous queen Pallas in between them? There is also the union of male Sun energy and female Moon energy. Vermont, the only state to have Socialist Member of Congress is one of our most  progressive, most forward thinking States.  It was the first to pass a host of anti discrimination laws and is the leader of environmental legislation.

In the 10th house, the house of our social status – how we are perceived by the world. On the cusp of Vermont’s tenth is Taurus. Ruled by Venus, Taurus is the Bull who sits calmly in the beautiful pasture. Well guess what the nickname is for Vermont? Right – the Green Mountain State. I love this stuff! Vesta, the burning hearts desire, Ceres, the symbol of Mother Earth and Saturn, the planet that gives form and structure, are all in Aries, the leader, in the 10th. They take their preservation of Vermont’s beauty very seriously here.

The influence of the Universe is all around us. To be able to connect to it – in every setting at every season is a wonderful gift. It is one I will be thankful for this Thanksgiving among other things.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Why Am I In Such An Awful Mood?



Lighthouse
I need a little peace!

 I consider myself a pretty even-keeled person. I credit this to four cardinal signs on my “anchor houses” (1,4,7,10.) (Ah ha, me thinks me sees another blog entry about those houses on the horizon.)

Anyway, for the past week I have been grumpy and irritable and just plain not happy. This is not a state I would recommend to others or particularly enjoy myself.  There had to be a reason for my general grumpiness so I went to my charts. What? You are surprised?

Low and behold there it was. The transiting Moon in Aries was exactly opposite my natal Mars. Think of it Aries, god of war, rules Mars – it is opposing my emotional barometer, the Moon. Hello. Fortunately, that Moon is a quick little sucker and that has gone away. However, when I checked my chart it was the three day high of my grump ride so I could see the Moon-Mars opposition doing it’s thing.

More importantly, and much more longer lasting. Saturn is now transiting my 12th house where my natal Mars lives. When Saturn conjuncts anything it always puts a blanket on it. Saturn holds things together – gives form and structure So big cold Saturn is pressing on my Mars warrior energy -churning. Because they are in the 12th house – the house of connection to the universe but also to things hidden, things not of the world, it shows my irritability when “the world” interrupts my solitude. I want to sit and read and let the cares of the world go by.

Saturn is poky so this will last well into winter.  When the Moon comes around again I am sure to feel really crabby but at least I know why!

This is why it is good to get your yearly charts read to see what is coming on the horizon.

Happy Thanksgiving all! Could be worse – I could be a turkey. Oh, and the full Moon is Monday November 22. I will be on train to Vermont with two of my sisters.  What a time to be crabby!!

You Either Got It Or You Don’t – The Astrology of Charisma.

The air suddenly seems to stop and the room crackles a bit. We have all been in that situation. Someone has walked into the room who literally has sucked the air out. That person has IT – charisma. Is there an astrological signature that would indicate a person born with that little something extra? You have to ask??
Of course, there is!

Take a peek at Mercury and how close it resides next to the Sun in a chart. I mean really close. They must be in  a conjunction for a person to even have a hope of charisma. A conjunction is when two planets appear to us here on Earth to be sitting next to one another in the sky. On the chart, a conjunction is when they are within 6 degrees of one another. 

Take a look at Frank Sinatra’s chart. The Sun (the little circle with the dot in the center) and Mercury the sign for the female with a funny little hat on top) are in Sagittarius.

Another person noted for her ability to wake up a room was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis whose conjunction was in the fire sign of Leo. She had the energy of Sun adding further fuel to her charisma fire. Her husband,
President Kennedy had an interesting Mercury/Sun combination – they are not that close really. BUT right between them he had Jupiter – the planet of expansion and reaching out to people – especially those beyond our borders and hope – How could he not have had people flocking to him?

The charts of Princess Diana and Madonna bear this out as well. However, you don’t have to be a president or superstar to have charisma. I remember doing a chart of a man I didn’t know and he had that conjunction. When I spoke to his wife about the chart, I asked her what he did and how would the charisma play out. She then told me he was a chaplain on an Army base and everyone is always flocking to his door. “He can’t get away from them. The minute he walks on base they are following him.”  Yup, he’s got it!

The Second House- Survival!

I know I have spent a ton of time of the 1st house or ascendant. It is a really important house, OK? However, there are other houses in the sky as they say. The second house is one easy to misinterpret. The traditional assignment given it is that it is the house of resources and money. Oh, have a strong second house and you will put Bill Gates in the poor house. Wrong! As is typical for much of Western Astrology that explanation is too pat, too compact, too trite.

The second house resonates to survival. More specifically it resonates to that which we need to ensure our survival…material goods upon which we rely to keep going. Yes, there is an aspect of money especially in a capitalistic society such as ours. Someone with a strong, well aspected second house is going to want more, as George Carlin would say, “stuff.” A person whose second house is badly aspected may fall into squandering money or even hoarding things. However, it is not all about money.

What resides in the second house is the question, “what do I need to keep me satisfied and comfortable?”

A heavily Aquarian second house is going to make a person really not concerned at all with wall paintings and McMansions. A car will have four wheels and an engine, of sorts. Work will be done for the pleasure of work or for the social good it will do and there will be little worries about building a pension. Top off the house with a strong Capricorn influence and that person will be toiling day and night perhaps in a job they hate to have the ability to buy what they want and to save up for old age. If Taurus alights there then hours will be spent a Neiman Marcus and Dolce and Gabana.

Each one of the latter two people will argue until death that all of things around them are totally necessary for them to survive. They don’t do it for the “stuff”. They do it for that inner feeling of peace of survival those goods bring them. That is the key to the second house.

With my Saturn in the second house I hated being a consultant because the paychecks were sporadic and the contract could be canceled at any time. (Saturn is ruled by Capricorn.) I had to build a business – steady and reliable. Now friends tell me to give up all other sources of income and rely solely on astrology. The picture is romantic – living in a small house with few financial responsibilities surrounded by my charts. But Saturn keeps screaming at me – are you nuts, you need money coming in regularly, you need security, and you need to save for your even older age? The idea threatens me at the level of basic survival and I shudder at that thought.

That is what the second house does to us. Pretty important little guy, No?