Rebel WITH a Cause

The Mars in Aquarius Retrograde (June 26-Aug 27) for Aries/Aries Rising and Scorpio/Scorpio Rising (Scorpio's modern ruler is Pluto, but classical ruler is Mars) impacts Mars-ruled people in weird ways. 

 

You may have a hard time prioritizing, as everything seems important. You may feel too many demands are being thrown at you from too many directions, each with their own sense of urgency. You may begin to feel resentful as the needs of friends, community and your affinity groups feel like they are about to overwhelm your own need for individuality. You might want to join a rebellion against the communal structures you've built in your own life.

 

I'm not saying "don't give in to these urges." I'm saying that by the end of August, you'll want to re-think the reactionary choices you make right now. If you're going to rebel, make sure your "cause" isn't something that will disintegrate by the end of summer.

Mars in Retrograde Aquarius: Say, You Want a Revolution?

Remember May 12-14th? That's the WHIPLASH POINT Mars will take us to, and back again, during the impending Mars in Aquarius Retrograde, which begins Tuesday, June 26. 

Here's the Celestial Schedule for Mars:
Retrograde begins on June 26 at 9 degrees Aquarius. Retrograde ends on August 27th at 28/29 Capricorn (the position Mars was in May 12th-14th).
Mars then stations Direct on August 27th and proceeds to retrace his steps through the shadow of its own Retrograde motion ("whiplash"), until it arrives back at 9 Aquarius on October 7th.

This is a tougher-than-usual time for people with Aquarius Rising. Aquarius Rising has it worst of all because Saturn (your Classical Ruling Planet until Uranus was discovered) is in Capricorn, your 12th House. 12th House transits of Saturn are never fun, but for Aquarius Rising people they are especially challenging (Saturn being the ruler of Capricorn). Why? Because 12th House is the a place of dissolving boundaries and structures, and Saturn / Capricorn is about structures, borders, building, and manifesting. The need to individuate must fight against the urge to dissolve into undifferentiated One-ness.

Aquarius Sun or Aquarius Moon also won't find this Mars Retrograde a picnic. Retrograde Mars on Aquarius Sun brings out the combative, stubborn (remember Aquarius is a FIXED Sign), rebellion for the sake of rebellion, and self-righteous side of Aquarius Sun-Signs. Retrograde Mars on Aquarius Moon is emotional revolution.

The other Fixed Signs (Leo, Taurus, and Scorpio) will be Squared by Mars in Aquarius Retrograde. Enhanced threat perception, defensiveness, passive-aggressive or just plain aggressiveness can appear, disguised as Aquarian-themed manifestations: "Humanitarianism" and "Universality", "friendship" and "community," "future" and "unique individualism." Soylent Green is a cinematic example of a Retrograde Mars in Aquarius solution to the problem of food shortages and overpopulation. Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio need to resist internal pressure to seek extreme solutions. 

As for the rest of us: In whichever of the 12 Houses of your personal natal chart the area between 28/29 Capricorn and 9 Aquarius falls, that's where all the action happens between now and when we get "back to" now on October 7th.

Mars in Retrograde Aquarius asks: "Say, you want a revolution?" Don't answer back unless you know what you're revolting against and where you want that revolution to lead. Best place to start a revolution is inside yourself. 

Melania Trump's Conservative Rebellion

Melania Trump, birth time unknown, w/Transits

Warning: Birth time unknown: This chart's Ascendant and therefore the positions of all 12 Houses and the planets therein unknown. What CAN we know about #Melania #Trump just from the planets, asteroids & theoretical mathematical symbols we use in astrology? 

Transiting Uranus, the planet of surprises / the unexpected / erratic behavior / "hiddushim" (Divinely revealed ideas) / instability, has moved into Taurus, making a conjunction to Melania's natal asteroid Admetos, symbol of entrenched stubbornness in the already ultra-stubborn sign of Taurus, as well as her natal Sun in Taurus. Uranus literally "shakes things up," especially the status-quo. 

Melania has a lot of conservative-tending planets, making her surprisingly traditional (notwithstanding her stint in the skin game). Sun, Saturn, Mercury and Venus all in solid, practical, Venus-ruled, pleasure-loving Taurus, and Moon in practical, materialistic Capricorn. So it takes something BIG, really really big, to move her from her comfort zone. 

Today transiting Venus in Leo and Mars in Aquarius form a tight T-Square to her natal Sun/Saturn in Taurus. Transiting Jupiter in Scorpio makes that T-Square into a Grand Cross. There is literally so much internal pressure built up inside of her that she's rigidly suppressed, and unless some of it is released it's going to be Hiroshima, mon amour. At least that's what we're all hoping for - a mushroom cloud of rage directed at her husband. We all desire to partake vicariously - I'll admit it. But do the stars compel? No, they REFLECT - and this is the reflection of Melania's reality right now.

Some little leakage on that front today, as she's wearing an "I Don't Care, Do You?" jacket on her unannounced fact-finding visit to the Texas/Mexico border. "I Don't Care" is clearly a message Donald Trump had better get, loud and clear, unless he wants to find himself in the embarrassing (if indeed he is capable of such an emotion) position of being publicly outed by his wife for any number of potentially horrifying things (the mind boggles). In answer to her jacket's question - hell no, we don't care and we're here for you whenever you jump ship with Barron. An entire nation is ready and waiting to catch you and your child!

Melania wears a message to her husband on her back

Of course, wonderful as that would be, I don't actually expect it to happen. But the great thing about the current planetary transits on her natal chart (and his) is the unexpected does occur, and you never know when!

The other really prominent thing about her chart is the close Ceres/Chiron conjunction in Aries. Ceres is the "Earth Mother" who will go literally to hell and back to save her child, and Chiron is the "Wounded Healer". In Aries this is a trigger for violence (Aries) against children (her own, other children, or herself as a child). When I see that in the chart of a client, I usually ask if there was childhood trauma or violence, and there usually was. Not knowing which of her 12 Houses this conjunction falls in, I can't guess where that "Wounded Healer" around issues of children and the mother/child relationship instinct plays out or originates.

Tekufah Tammuz / The Summer Solstice (Plus Venus-Mars Opposition): It's an Energetic Day!

Modern-Day Druids Celebrating the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

Tekufah Tammuz / The Summer Solstice today - the turn of the seasons again as we welcome summer ( קיץ), my least favorite season because heat - but everyone else seems to love it, so enjoy. 


The Sun enters Cancer today, though we've been in Chodesh Tammuz for the past week already. We're moving from the Mutable Air (Transformative Thought) sign of Gemini into the Cardinal Water (Initiating Emotion) sign of Cancer. Key words for this month: FOOD, HOME, MOTHER, MONEY. Issues of emotional security are played out in these realms. Ancestors (particularly women), heritage, legacies, nostalgia, family heirlooms both material and emotional (that's called "baggage" in psych-speak) come to the forefront. 

More in celestial news: Transiting Venus in Leo and Mars in Aquarius opposite each other today. Venus in Leo says: "Adore me," Mars in Aquarius says: "Unique is the new sexy." Venus replies, "But I'm so fabulous! Sparkling, charismatic, confident, warm, affectionate - what more could you ask for?" Mars replies: "Something interesting."

Yes, it's that simple, folks. Nothing is more boring to Mars in Aquarius than the expected - and nothing more annoying to Venus in Leo than when Mars ignores or doesn't notice her.  Take my advice and give yourself the attention you deserve and don't go looking for it from other people - that will make you a lot more interesting to yourself and others.

Trump Transits: "Suffer the Little Children"

Fellow #Astrologers, join me in this #TrumpTransit analysis! 

The Full Moon in Capricorn on June 27/28 conjuncts Transiting Saturn in Capricorn in Trump's 5th House ("Children"), opposite the Sun in maternal, moon-ruled Cancer ("The Mother") - which conjuncts his Mercury (communicative self) in his 11th House (public: community, claal, collective, affinity groups, friendships).

Tremendous pressure / opposition between Moon/Saturn and Sun/Mercury - theme: "Security" (Capricorn), "Confinement" (Saturn), "Structures/Rules & Regulations" (Saturn), "Borders and Boundaries" (Saturn) "Children" and "Motherhood" (Moon) vs. "Ego" (Sun), "Think/Speak" (Mercury), "Social/Political Base" (11th House) in the naturally maternal sign of Cancer. 
 
If Trump can withstand this transit and NOT back down from his policy of separating children from parents at America's borders next week, he will surely be crowned the Once and Future Teflon President. He'll either double-down because tremendous, inflated ego (note the transit of the North Node over his natal 12th Pluto = control freak on steroids unconsciously projecting his own combativeness on everyone and everything else) or play the benevolent sovereign, setting the children free (transiting asteroid Ceres, the mother who literally went to hell and back to rescue her child, conjunct his natal Mars in Leo at his AC) and taking all the credit for solving the problem he himself created, while blaming others (the Democrats, Obama, etc.) and painting himself a hero.

What are your thoughts? Let me know!

Pictured: Trump's natal chart with transits for June 27th. The day starts off (at midnight) with transiting Moon conjunct Trump's natal Moon in Sagittarius. By the time the full moon occurs at 9:35pm Pacific time, it will be at 6 degrees Capricorn, conjunct transiting Saturn and opposite his natal Mercury & the transiting Sun in Cancer.

Retrograde Neptune in Pisces: Counter-Intuitive Clairty Opportunity!

Neptune Retrograde in Pisces, by Josephine Wall

Dreamy, inspirational/delusional/romantic/idealistic/distortion-prone Neptune in his native sign of dreamy/imaginative/porous-boundaries/vague/flow-y Pisces goes Retrograde today, until the end of November. Somewhat counter-intuitively, Retrograde Neptune is actually helpful in achieving clarity around unclear/murky (Neptune) situations.
 
The time period under review is April - November, 2017. Things that were ambiguous or unclear during that time are up for reconsideration and clarification. This is applicable in a general sense to everybody's natal chart, and in a specific sense wherever Pisces falls in your own natal 12 Houses, and the position of your natal Neptune.

Neptune is the modern astrological ruler of Pisces. The classical planetary ruler of Pisces is Jupiter, currently in Scorpio and making a supportive sextile (60 degree angle) to Neptune. As Pisces and Scorpio are both Water signs (Pisces is Mutable Water / Transforming Emotion, and Scorpio is Fixed Water / Establishing Emotion), the influence tends towards the emotional and, because Pisces rules the unconscious/subconscious mind, psychological as well. The spiritual healing potential of this transit is very high! Take advantage while you can.

Rosh Chodesh Tammuz Tov! Prepare for the Turn of the Tide!

Image from a Torah binder, Germany, 1858, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Chodesh Tammuz Tov!
 
Tammuz is the month of Cancer the Crab and the Tribe of Reuven. It's one of the four Cardinal (initiating) Signs, each of which contains a "Tefukah", or turning point in the year. In the case of Cancer, that's the Tekufah of Tammuz, a.k.a. the Summer Solstice. 

Check out my column on Tammuz in the latest edition of J-The Jewish Weekly of Northern California.  

There are four Tekufot during the year: Tekufah Nissan / Spring Equinox, Tefukah Tammuz / Summer Solstice, Tekufah Tishrei / Autumnal Equinox, and Tekufah Tevet / Winter Solstice. 

Each of the four Tekufot occurs in one of the four Cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. Cardinal energy is "initiating" energy: Cardinal signs are "starters". New beginnings! 

The other modalities are the Fixed signs, which is "establishing" energy (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius), and Mutable signs, which is "transformative" energy (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces). 

Tammuz, the month corresponding to Cancer, is Cardinal Water: Initiating Emotion. This quality can clearly be seen in the archetype of Reuven, the Tribal Ruler of Chodesh Tammuz.  

Reuven is concerned with his mother’s fertility (in the incident of the mandrakes) and her honor (in the incident of moving his father’s bed). His sincere but unsuccessful efforts to save his brother Joseph in the pit and to sacrifice his own sons to redeem his brother Benyamin from Egypt reflect Cancerian concerns with family identity, responsibility and status. 

Cancer’s gift to us is sensitivity, loyalty, intuition, pride in our heritage and sacrificial love. The New Moon in Cancer today can help us all initiate heart-centered connection, repair our family ties, and strengthen communal bonds during this Moon-ruled month.

Excited to announce that I'll be teaching about Jewish Astrology at the JCC of the East Bay's Tikkun Leyl Shavuot all-night study session! 5am to 5:30am in the South Hall - because you need something to WAKE YOU UP before Shachrit!

Ramadan in Chodesh Sivan: Testing Our Soul-Root Connection

#Ramadan in 2018 is the last Ramadan which coincides with the Hebrew month of Sivan in the current triplicity cycle. Ramadan has coincided with Sivan since 2016. This year is our last chance as the Jewish people to get it right this time, before the next triplicity cycle begins and Ramadan will coincide with the Hebrew month of Iyar in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The Islamic calendar is a lunar system, and the annual occurrence of the month of Ramadan runs on an approximate 32 year cycle varying as to which Hebrew month it falls in, throughout the years, decades, centuries. Unlike the Hebrew solar/lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar has no feasts or fasts that must fall in a certain season (as the Jewish people do with the Month of Nissan, Chodesh Aviv, which the Torah mandates must start in the Spring). 

Ramadan always begins in sync with a New Moon / Rosh Chodesh of the Jewish Calendar (Head of the Month). This year (2018), Ramadan begins on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, as it did in 2017 and 2016, as well as in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1984, and 1985. 

The Children of Ishmael enact great spiritual power during the fast of Ramadan. Their zealous devotion in fasting from sunrise to sunset during the entire month of Ramadan functions to stimulate, trigger and if needs be, to provoke the Jewish people, cousins of the descendants of Ishmael, to desire and even envy the Muslim level of devotion, surrender and commitment, stimulating us as we seek to emulate, and indeed, exceed it.

Sivan is the month during which we're given the Torah. Sivan is associated with the Tribe of Zevulon, the Planet Mercury ("Kochav") and the function of Mutable Air - Transformative Thought.

Zevulon traveled the Mediterranean in ships, interacting and trading and conversing (Mercury / Gemini) with all the peoples and societies around ancient Israel, in order to bring back riches - both spiritual and material - with which to bless and support his brother-tribe, Issachar (those whose time was given to wisdom-learning, such as the Seasons & Times, and Torah study).

An important aspect of Chodesh Sivan is that of the "Ger", the righteous convert, the soul which enters Claal Yisrael to complete the fullness of our common soul-root. Ruth the Moabitess is the soul associated with Shavuot, and as she is the archetype / soul root of all righteous converts, she is also the great-grandmother of King David, prototype Messiah and King of the Jews. The story of Ruth, who married Boaz and gave birth to Oved, who was the father of Jesse, the father of David, is read during Shavuot. King David, David the "Sweet Singer of Israel", beloved of the Lord, was born and died on Shavuot.

The tikkun of Chodesh Sivan which Ramadan will trigger for us in 2018 is the test of how we treat the convert, how we relate to the one who desires to draw close for the sake of the blessings of belonging. Those who imagine themselves to be righteous in Torah will be challenged to experience transformative thought in relation to the convert. Indeed, anyone who falls outside our identity comfort-zone will come under the category of "other" - and we are challenged as a People to transform our thought towards the "other" until we can see the "other" contains something we ourselves cannot be complete without!

Just as the Jewish People were not complete until Ruth came to add her spiritual DNA to the mix, producing MOSHIACH in archetype - King David himself - Ramadan during Sivan years challenge us to SEEK that which is MISSING in our Claal, so that we all might be complete and shalem, whole.

Just as the Hebrew Calendar and the Jewish Year is the manifestation of Sacred Time, our Muslim cousins have been given the Islamic Calendar to know the times and the seasons they are to enact their devotions, which are intended to arouse us to a purer and more passionate response to our own spiritual calling. It is a dance of devotion between root souls - Isaac and Ishmael, both sons of Avraham - and in the end, the time of one is the time of both and the time of both is the time of All.

Ramadan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem to the spiritual heirs of Avraham's firstborn. May your devotions spark our own desire to burn as brightly, illuminating all the world with the Light of God.

To contemplate / meditate upon which Hebrew Month Ramadan has fallen in since 1930, I present the following data:

Ramadan in Nissan - 1957, 1958, 1989, 1990, 1991

Ramadan in Iyar - 1954, 1955, 1956, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2019, 2020, 2021

Ramadan in Sivan - 1951, 1952, 1953, 1984, 1985, 2016, 2017, 2018

Ramadan in Tammuz - 1948, 1949, 1950, 1981, 1982, 1983, 2014, 2015

Ramadan in Av - 1946, 1947, 1979, 1980, 2011, 2012, 2013

Ramadan in Elul - 1943, 1944, 1945, 1976, 1977, 1978, 2008, 2009, 2010

Ramadan in Tishrei (Rosh HaShanah) - 1940, 1941, 1942, 1973, 1974, 1975, 2005, 2006, 2007

Ramadan in Cheshvan - 1938, 1939, 1970, 1971, 1972, 2003, 2004

Ramadan in Kislev - 1935, 1936, 1937, 1967, 1967, 1969, 2000, 2001, 2002

Ramadan in Tevet - 1933, 1934, 1966, 1998, 1999

Ramadan in Shvat - 1930, 1931, 1932, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1996, 1997

Ramadan in Adar (I and II) - 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995

12 Tribes, 12 Constellations, 40 Years and 42 Encampments = Our Sacred Mandala

This week we read the Torah portion of "BaMidbar," the opening chapters of the Book of Numbers, which describe how the Children of Israel were commanded to pitch their camp in the same configuration during the 40 years of wandering in the desert between Egypt and the Land of Canaan. The configuration of the encampment is the mirror image of the twelve constellations of the Zodiac and their associated tribes. As the constellations of the zodiac surround the earth, the twelve tribes encamped surrounding the tabernacle.

The repetition of this sacred and specific pattern – which may have been the collective embodiment of the Israelite’s mandala, was reenacted forty-two times as detailed in the Book of Numbers by the generation in the desert. This repetition may have served to embed this cosmic pattern into a symbolic primal identity point during the process of developing tribal consciousness during the forty years of wandering. 

The 42 times the Israelites encamped in mirror-image of the order of the zodiac may have been a primitive version of what the medievalists would later call the drawing down of rūhaniyyāt, spiritual energy which manifests as powerful energetic emanations above attracted by a “sympathetic” image below. The graphics here illustrates the order of the encampment and how it corresponded to the order of the zodiac.

Rosh Chodesh Sivan Tov!

Rosh Chodesh Sivan Tov! The Hebrew Month of Sivan is associated with the Mutable Air sign of Mercury-Ruled Gemini, the Great Communicator, as we celebrate receiving the Torah, the ultimate communication / Divine Download of all time!  

Sivan is the month of enhanced connectivity. We connect to thought, to speech, to information and ideas, to people and places. 

Gemini/Sivan belongs to the traveling Tribe of Zevulon. The Sefer Yetzirah connects Sivan to Thursday, the Right Ear, the Spleen, and the letter Zayin, and Mercury, the ruling planet of Sivan/Gemini to the letter Resh.

Follow this link to my "Astrolojew" column for Chodesh Sivan in J-The Jewish Weekly of Northern California!

Uranus Enters Taurus: Balancing Personal Uniqueness with Group Identity

The planet #Uranus enters Taurus today, a constellation it has not visited since the last transit (1934-1941). Uranus is a "modern" planet, discovered in 1781, and is associated with modern phenomenon such as electricity, space exploration, and the Internet. On a trans-personal level, Uranus speaks of the urge towards individuality and away from conformity. At the same time, Uranus has been given the modern rulership of Aquarius (classical ruler: Saturn), the sign associated with humanitarianism, the community/collective and affinity groups.

The lesson of Uranus is how to cultivate and maintain personal uniqueness within group identity. The last time Uranus transited Taurus, we saw a massive failure to learn this lesson unfold in Nazi Germany, where a toxic brand of Fixed Earth-based group identity took root ("Blood and Soil"). Let's hope we do better this time around. All of the current permutations of "Blood and Soil"-based hyper-nationalism which were activated during Uranus in Mars-ruled, combative Aries must now be mercilessly stamped out before they take root in Fixed Earth Taurus. 

On a personal level, the planet Uranus in your natal chart indicates where your own personal need for individuation and uniqueness is located. If the planet Uranus is conjunct (with 3-5 degrees) your natal Sun or Moon, or any of your other natal planets or cardinal cusps, it plays an enhanced role in pointing to where and how and why your uniqueness must be acknowledged and honored. Failure to be true to your own individuality can and does lead to frustration and unhealthy behaviors. 

Here's the schedule:Uranus enters Taurus: 15th May 2018. We're off and running. Then Uranus retrotgrades back into Aries on 6th November 2018, re-entering Taurus for the long haul on 6th March 2019, until it enters Gemini on 7th July 2025. Uranus then retrogrades into Taurus again from 8th November 2025 until it re-enters Gemini on 26th April 2026.

Lag b'Omer: Written in Our Stars

Fun Astrolojew Fact: Iyar 18, the 33rd Day of the Omer aka Lag b'Omer, is ALWAYS either Moon in Sagittarius or Moon in Capricorn (depending on where it falls in the 19-year Metonic cycle upon which the Hebrew calendar / Jewish Year is based).

Sagittarius is "keshet," represented by the bow and arrow of the archer. The symbol of the bow and arrow is historically synonymous with the holiday of Lag b'Omer. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn ("Shabbtai"), the planet associated with the Jewish People for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the association of "Shabbtai" to Shabbat.

So either way, via the bow and arrow of Sagittarius or the Saturnian "Shabbat" energy of Capricorn, Lag b'Omer is a holiday literally written in our stars as well as in our story. #JewishAstrology #OurCelestialHeritage