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Viva Sonia Sotomayor!
Libra Rising as First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice Takes Oath;
Mars in Gemini Squares Saturn in Virgo
Health Care Town Hall Meetings Ravaged by Organized Assaults
SHELLEY ACKERMAN
Photo: Rich Press
When no-nonsense Saturn first went into health and labor-centric Virgo in September 2007, t’was but a matter of time before Wall Street would begin to tank and the housing market would falter. After all, Pluto’s January ‘08 ingress into Capricorn was approaching which guaranteed upheaval in and purging of the business world, a cycle that astrologers knew would continue through the early 2020’s.
So far, the planets have not disappointed.
But planetary activity merely sets the stage, and is in no way reliably indicative of what the corresponding human response to said activity will be, nor does it necessarily insure the ethical ‘high road’ choices of the public officials we’ve entrusted to do right by us.
While members of congress luxuriate in their upscale vacation homes and exclusive resorts, moveon.org has posted the sobering data stating that in the three weeks of their August recess -- 43,250 people will lose their health insurance coverage, 53,507 people will file for bankruptcy because they can't pay their medical bills, and 1,265 people will die due to lack of coverage all together.
In the meantime, “ObamaCare” Town Hall meetings are being sabotaged by organized right-wing disruptions. “Insurance industry funded fascism” is how Frank Schaeffer describes the maniacal mobs that show up and shout down the town meetings designed to inform Americans about the ins and outs of Health Care Reform and to listen to individual concerns. Here, Schaeffer, a former right-winger and founder of the religious right who “lived to take most of it back”, writes about who funds these groups and why. It has always struck me as the height of insanity, that the very people who are suffering the most under the current policies are so easily manipulated into believing propaganda designed to mask the real issue (low cost alternatives mean competition for profit-driven insurers) and fight to the death to prevent the policies that would most benefit them from being implemented.
While some uninformed and misguided Americans continue to disrupt Town Meetings, others are still working to get some sort of a Health Care reform bill passed. Here, Amy Goodman and Sharif Abdel Kouddos interview Congressman Henry Waxman, who explains his role in Health Care Reform, how congress has been working on it, and why he withdrew his longtime support of the single payer option (hint: he says it can’t pass). The interview also features inserts of DN interviews with former CIGNA mouthpiece turned industry whistleblower Wendell Potter and single-payer crusader Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
In a way, the current conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron in Aquarius, is descriptive of healing the nation, the feminine aspect of America (US Sibly chart has the Moon at 27 Aquarius), and speaks of health-reform efforts. But Neptune confuses the issue and contributes to a climate in which deception of the masses is that much easier.
On August 10th, Mars, the planet of action and aggression in the sign of Gemini (words, media), will be challenged by the limiting and containing energy of Saturn in Virgo. Mars and Saturn in hard aspect to one another are often described by astrologers as an energy of “dynamic tension”: Mars/Saturn squares are frustrating, sometimes dangerous, and always push for a resolution. The Town Hall meetings are likely to get more violent- especially as Saturn approaches Obama’s Mars at 22 Virgo, and transiting Mars squares that point. Bill Maher suggested this week that we don’t have Town Hall Meetings, but “Study Hall” meetings to bring the millions of woefully under-educated and easily manipulated Americans up to speed. As far as congress’ vacation goes, my feeling is that this won’t be much of a vacation at all.
Wise Woman to the Bench, Por Favor!
Bronx-born Cancerian (June 25, 1954) with the Moon probably in Aries (no birth time is available yet) Sonia Sotomayor took the oath as the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. Transiting Pluto was opposite her Sun and conjunct her Mars in Capricorn. The chart for the swearing in also had Libra rising within two degrees of the U.S. Saturn and the Moon in Pisces trining the midheaven (about to square Mars and oppose Saturn). Sotomayor’s appointment will be filled con gusto and with mucho controversy. Though Sotomayor is the third woman on the bench, in my mind, she’s the first hot-blooded one with her heart, mind, and guts fully integrated.
Latin Impact
Three days before the swearing-in of Sonia Sotomayor, there was an all together different kind of Latin –impact: Within hours of the August 5th lunar eclipse, George Sodini, a sociopathic blogger, who in his own words was “unable to emotionally connect” and had been “rejected by 30 million women”, opened fire at an LA Fitness center just outside of Pittsburgh, killing three and wounding nine others in the Latin-Impact dance class in progress before turning the gun on himself.
Sodini was born on Sept 30, 1960 in Pittsburgh (no birth time available). He had the Sun in Libra, Moon in Aquarius (close to the degree of the eclipse), Venus conjunct Neptune in Scorpio, and Mars at the tell-tale 5th degree of Cancer (the one with the Sabian Symbol of the train wreck). “We have become so accustomed to living in a society saturated with misogyny that the barbaric treatment of women and girls has come to be more or less expected”, wrote Bob Herbert in his NY Times op-ed, Women at Risk. Herbert raised my awareness about the pervasiveness of misogyny and it’s continued “funding”. For example, though it’s obvious that “The mainstream culture is filled with the most gruesome forms of misogyny, and pornography is now a multibillion-dollar industry”, I didn’t realize that ― “much of it (is) controlled by mainstream U.S. corporations.” No doubt many of these corporations present a pure-as-mountain-snow, űber Christian right-wing public face.
How Can We Rip You Off - Let US (Banks) Count the Ways
“When Banks Turn Evil” is neither my teaser, nor my line, but it is my sentiment, especially after what I went through at Bank of America this week. Because a check that I wrote was deposited earlier than it should have been, I was charged EIGHT overdraft fees for several tiny transactions including $2.15 for coffee, $3.32 at the post office, etc. totaling $280 dollars. Banks have it rigged so that if a large check comes in, they pay that and charge the consumer for each small transaction that would have easily cleared. It’s a sneaky way of offsetting bad mortgages, obscene bonuses for big-wigs and miscellaneous expenses that they’re having a hard time covering. Many banks no longer have $500- $1,000 overdraft protection products, and instead link checking accounts to credit cards. Adding insult to injury, they not only charge interest on these ‘loans’ but a $10 processing fee per transaction. It’s the equivalent of ‘tax on tax’ (or fees on fees), both of which lack the good faith assumption that we associate with ethical business practices.
Here, on MSN-money, Liz Pulliam Weston explains how banks unfairly bilk consumers with the collection of disproportionate fees and continue to get away with it. In her article, Ms. Williams sheds light on the more than $50 billion in fees we are charge annually and how banks continue to get away with it.
And speaking of pest control :-) , I found this helpful list: Green Peace’s guide for non-toxic elimination of indoor pests. Hmmm. Wonder if they work on bank CEO’s?
Chart: Mars Square Saturn
Click for larger view
Aug 6: Moon in Aquarius V/C @8:20 pm
Aug 7: Moon in Pisces @ 5:34 am,
Mercury sextile Venus @ 11:53 pm
Aug 9: Moon V/C @ 8:44 am, enters Aries @ 4:23 pm
Aug 10: Mars square Saturn @ 8:16 pm
Aug 11: Moon V/C @ 4:04 pm
Aug 12: Moon in Taurus @ 12:50 am
*Moon v/c = ‘void of course’, Best for spiritual not earthly pursuits
Bonus: 2009 Astro Crib Sheet
Mercury begins 09 @ 0˚Aquarius07’ & ends 2009 @ 19˚Capricorn29’ Rx
Mercury Retrogrades 2009:
Jan 11-Feb 1, May 6-30, Sept 6-29, & Dec 26-Jan 15, 2010
Venus begins 2009 @ 27˚Aquarius48’ and ends 2009 @ 7˚Capricorn13’
Venus Retrograde: March 6-April 17, 2009
Mars begins 2009 @ 3˚Capricorn57’ and ends 2009 @ 18˚Leo54’ (Retro)
Mars turns retrograde on December 20th (thru March 10, 2010)
Jupiter begins 2009 @ 29˚Capricorn02’ and ends 2009 @ 26˚Aquarius15’
Jupiter enters Aquarius on January 5, 2009
Jupiter Retrograde: June 15-Oct 13, 2009
Saturn begins 2009 @ 21˚Virgo46’ Retrograde and ends 2009 @ 4˚Libra30’
Saturn Retrograde: Dec 31, 2008-May 16, 2009
Saturn enters Libra on Oct 29, 2009 (will retrograde back into Virgo in 2010)
Uranus begins 2009 @ 19˚Pisces15’ and ends @ 23˚Pisces05’
Uranus Retrograde: July 1-December 1, 2009
Neptune begins 2009 @ 22˚Aquarius27’ and ends 2009 @ 24˚Aquarius34’
Neptune Retrograde: May 28-November 4, 2009
Pluto begins 2009 @ 1˚Capricorn16’ and ends 2009 @ 3˚Capricorn17’
Pluto Retrograde: April 4-September 11, 2009
Question: Will you use the Mars/Saturn energy to overcome an obstacle, fight for what is due you now, or chill for a few and wait out?
Answer: Saturn always wins!
ARIES: Your ruler, Mars, in chatty Gemini and in your 3rd house of transportation, communication, siblings and neighbors is in no mood to be restricted, but a rude awakening is about to remind you of your earthly limitations. So before a minor inconvenience mushrooms into something far more problematic, a little self-discipline is in order: Watch your words, write all emails and texts as drafts and reread before sending, and for heaven’s sake, shut your cell and blackberry while driving. There’s no wiggle room right now.
TAURUS: Like a puppy wagging its tail and jumping up and down in anticipation of buying a delectable bauble (or a boat or car) you’ve had you eye on, you’re in no mood to look the other way and delay gratification. Unfortunately, the legitimate (and practical) needs of a child or romantic partner may get in the way, and truth be told, their case is stronger than yours. A caring neighbor or a nurturing sister offers surprisingly good counsel while distracting you from destructive spending. BTW: The car or boat is probably a lemon.
GEMINI: When you think about it, many of your woes come as a result of your not paying attention at a critical moment and/or the assumption that taking a short cut actually works (it never does). This week, your patience will be tried but it’s better to go along willingly in the first place than to be hit with a ton of remedial responsibilities all at once. No short cuts, especially in the home or with family. Dot every I and cross every T and you’ll spare yourself a lot of grief later. If you have guests, make and post a list of house rules and chores. They’d rather have that and comply than lose you.
CANCER: Know your bottom-line boundaries and limitations, especially when it comes to the unreasonable (and impossible) demands of a boss, a parent, or an authority figure who may need to be gently reminded that there are just so many hours in the day and that it’s impossible to drive 100 miles in ten minutes. Your mobility may be a bit compromised, so try to do as much from home base as possible. Luckily, Venus in your sign adds sweetness and charm, and with the helpful aspect from Mercury, you’re effective as can be with your well-chosen words.
LEO: Life is a party most of the time, and you’re in the mood to go on every wild ride offered with the most active members of your entourage. But cooler heads must prevail and a tighter budget this month will simply have to override most indulgences. Don’t worry about losing your popularity, it won’t happen. No extensive explanation is needed either. You’re entitled to lay low- aren’t you? A sweet and delicious conversation with a female enlightens and gives you a lot to think about.
VIRGO: While an authority figure, a boss or a parent acts like General Patton and shouts his (or her) orders in full view, you are well within your rights to be stoic and resistant, as long as you do so gracefully and without judgment. As a matter of fact, your refusal to go along for the ridiculous ride to nowhere could actually save the day. On another front, a series of pleasant interactions with a group of nurturing and caring friends makes this Summer one to remember. Have you been thinking about a cooking class or gardening in a group? Yes to both.
LIBRA: There’s been an inordinate amount of red tape you’ve had to deal with and the transit of Saturn in your 12th house is far from over. This kind of frustration, while unfair, is little more than an accumulation of many teeny bits and pieces of karma from the past few hundred lifetimes trying to get resolved all at once. Keep breathing and know that it won’t last forever and will go that much better if you cooperate and ‘pay up’ with time, information, details and (gulp) money as required. This way, when Saturn enters Libra in late October, you’ll be in line for some of the goodies that the universe owes you.
SCORPIO: As your co-ruler Mars in your occult and transformational 8th house is challenged by the square from Saturn in your 11th house, friends may not be in any mood to tell you what you want to hear, but will tell you things that you NEED to hear. Don’t count on this being the warmest and fuzziest of weeks for group support, but the good news is, that the cold shoulder effect will be minor and short lived and tempered by reassuring communication with a female abroad.
SAGITTARIUS: A spouse, business or romantic partner may get in the way of an exchange with a boss or superior. This is confusing, because usually, the person (or persons) in question are your best asset, but now it’s better for you to handle this professional situation by yourself. This may temporarily put you between a rock and a hard place, as you don’t really get a sense that you’ve made anyone happy. But your discomfort will be short lived, and by the end of the week, it’ll be a closed case of no harm/no foul.
CAPRICORN: If an underling or coworker is unreasonable or dumps their ‘list’ of grievances at your doorstep, you have my blessing to tell them to “tell it to the MARINES”. With so many pressing matters at hand that must be managed, you’re in no frame of mind to deal with or respond to petty nonsense. And besides, your firm but limiting energy is actually a needed kick in the pants for the immature and unreasonable expectations of said ‘offenders’. A partner of very close female family member is of great help to you so go the extra mile in being kind and receptive.
AQUARIUS: You’re wise to take some time off for fun and R & R, but be really wise and see to it that it come in under budget. Over-spending now will mess you up big time in the Fall. If you’re concerned about not being around to mind the store, there’s a female co-worker of family member that can use the extra work and will be thrilled to cover for you. She’s capable and trustworthy - so take her up on it.
PISCES: The natives are restless on the home front but there’s no need for you to act as referee. This time, it’s just fine for you to let a partner, a spouse or a BFF play the heavy and handle the fall-out. Listen to this ‘significant other’ on a few other matters as well, as you could really benefit from the reality check. Their tough love is true love, and what you give up in one area, opens an even better opportunity for fun in another-one that is far less destructive than what was behind door number one.