A Time for Every Purpose

Jyotish (the proper word for Vedic or Hindu Astrology) is in many respects nearly identical to western astrology, which makes it very possible for people with a background in western astrology to relate to at least the basic mechanics of the Jyotish methodology.

Both systems attach roughly the same themes and associations to the planets, signs and houses, although they sometimes employ slightly different criteria for defining where signs and houses are located in the sky (there's an article on the differences between the Tropical and Sidereal Zodiacs on my website).

You see, the point is that tomorrow (1 July 2008) I am going to be spending the day with my 4 year old daughter, Leah (a.k.a. Aliaki-ke-Paki). I haven't seen her for nearly two weeks now, so I'm looking forward to it (Vedic astrology places my Moon in the 5^th House; I'm a natural born mother!) and I have bought some pastels and crayons, and I'm envisaging the two of us making lots of pretty pictures! I confess that it's as much for me as for her; I've been craving to do some art!

What I find astrologically interesting about all this is the fact that we're finally getting together tomorrow after many recent delayed attempts (God has perfect timing!), since the (Transiting) Moon will then be passing through her Natal 3^rd House and in Opposition to (or 180 degrees from) her Natal (birth) Moon.

Although creative self-expression is generally associated with the 5^th House in western astrology, Jyotish places artistic activity under the dominion of the 3^rd House, since the 3^rd House is where we express our drive, skill and prowess. So, I suspect I've got the right idea and that our “higher selves” have simply been busy electing an auspicious day for the purpose.

I associate the Moon Opposition Moon Transit, which we all experience for a few hours, or perhaps a day, once every mo(o)nth, with a “direct emotional exchange” which tends to be intimate and nurturing. It certainly need not be unpleasant just because it's an Opposition (though it could conceivably aggravate underlying emotional tensions for some)! In fact, it can be a natural “bonding” time between two people. Furthermore, the 9^th House, where Leah's Natal Moon is located, is associated in Jyotish with the father, which would probably surprise many western astrologers who would tend to see the father in the 10th, or maybe the 4th House. Leah's Moon in the 9th House alludes to an imaginative, nurturing and sensitive father figure.

.... of course the fact that the Moon is in Opposition to my Natal Neptune as I write this (about 9:15pm, 30 June, Pretoria) could imply that I am for the moment enjoying my own blissful bubble of illusion about how perfect it's all going to be; but that's ok, God has perfect timing.

Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe Elections 2008

In light of the fact that tomorrow is the scheduled date of the Zimbabwean presidential run-off which Morgan Tsvangirai has pulled out of, but which Mugabe insists on going ahead with, taking a look at Mugabe's chart seems a topical theme.

A while ago I wrote a short piece on Mugabe for a Facebook group (The Uranus Club), and I've taken the liberty of importing some of it:

"I discovered (through a Google search) that Robert Mugabe was born on the 21st of February 1924. I do not expect to find an authoritative birth time for him (though I'd love to know what it is if any of you have more information), so we'll have to make do with an incomplete chart.

Here are the approximate Tropical Zodiac positions for 21 February 1924:

Sun 1 Pisces
Moon 4-18(?) Virgo
Mercury 9 Aquarius
Venus 9 Aries
Mars 20 Sagittarius
Jupiter 16 Sagittarius
Saturn 2 Scorpio
Uranus 16 Pisces
Neptune 18 Leo
Pluto 10 Cancer
True Node 2 Virgo

It is immediately conspicuous that he was born close to the time of a Full Moon, since the Sun and Moon are in opposite signs. The fact that the Nodal axis is close to the Sun and Moon indicates that this Full Moon would have been a Lunar Eclipse, and in fact the ephemeris informs us that there was a Total Lunar Eclipse the previous day (20 February 1924) at 16:09 GMT.

You may recall that there was a Total Lunar Eclipse on the 21st of February 2008, and this eclipse occurred at almost the exact same part of the zodiac as the eclipse just before Mugabe's birth- this recent eclipse would therefore obviously have held great significance for him. Although eclipses are in themselves considered a little ominous, it was the presence of Saturn close to the Moon at the time of this recent eclipse that made it somewhat more grave for those whom it was poised to influence most directly.
Quite apart from this recent eclipse the simple fact that Saturn has lately entered Virgo and is therefore in Opposition to Mugabe's Sun and Conjunct his Moon (though we can't be sure when this Transit will be exact) suffices to mark this period as critical in his career. Transiting Saturn in Opposition to Natal Sun is never easy, and is often profoundly difficult. It always places pressure on your “life structure”, and it is not uncommon for people to experience an irrevocable crumbling of some aspect of their lives that is simply not able to withstand the test. This crumbling will typically occur in the person's professional life and/or personal relationships (such as a marriage). Transiting Saturn in Opposition to Natal Sun is not great for general health and vitality either, and not the type of state in which to assert yourself boldly and recklessly. The ephemeris shows that this configuration is in especially sharp focus for Robert during April and May of 2008 (and the effect may still be evident for some time thereafter). The eclipse on his birthday this year was a “forewarning” of sorts (of the current events) and certainly serves to amplify the power of the prevailing Saturn/Sun Opposition.

Note that Robert Mugabe was born with a near exact Sun/Saturn Trine in his natal chart. This is certainly the signature of the long-lived and highly respected patriarch. As Desmond Tutu recently said, if he had surrendered control about 10 years ago he would have been held in high regard by posterity. I also find it interesting that, looking at his chart through the eyes of the Sidereal Zodiac, his Sun is in Aquarius and his Moon in Leo (and don't forget the natal Nodes are here too). This polarity represents “democracy vs. autocracy”, or “the people” as opposed to “the monarch”; a theme that has been exceptionally pronounced in his career. He has been both liberator and tyrant in his lifetime.

At the time of the recent eclipse (which highlighted Saturn, since Saturn was close to the Moon at the time) I pondered the significance of Saturn being in Leo, in terms of the Sidereal Zodiac. Saturn's association with failing and falling, and Leo's association with authority and kingship led me to form the interpretation that this could imply that “kings would be deposed”. I was tempted to post this interpretation with my notes on the eclipse for the Uranus Club, but I was not confident enough about it. The resignation of Fidel Castro around that time did hint to me that this was not, perhaps, an unreasonable line of speculation though."

Well, one reason why I'm revisiting this topic now is because within just a few days, early in July, Mars will enter Virgo and Oppose Mugabe's Sun (a very confrontational combination), and although we can't be sure when, Mars will in the weeks thereafter also cross over his natal Moon (and remember that Mars is here combining it's energies with Saturn which has been in Virgo since September 2007). This implies a period of aggressiveness in Mugabe's world, which in light of recent developments, would probably be dramatic, to say the least!

Shortly after the first 2008 election in March I did a horary chart (a horary chart is a chart cast for the moment that a question is asked), using Vedic astrology, asking whether or not Mugabe would win. Mars was in the 1st House in (Sidereal) Gemini in this map, showing militancy and the potential for violence, which at the time was far less obvious than it has been lately. Mercury, the Ascendant ruler for that chart, was located in the 10th House and debilitated in Pisces, implying false public information regarding the outcome. So, as much of the world is saying, even if Mugabe does win, the result is illegitimate and controversial.

The Rogue Trio- Mars, Saturn and Pluto

With (Transiting) Pluto these days hovering close to the cusp of (Tropical) Sagittarius and Capricorn the Sun will tend to dynamically trigger Pluto at Solstices and Equinoxes during 2008 and 2009. The Transiting Sun was in Opposition to Transiting Pluto at the recent Solstice, on the 21st of June.

Around the time of the Solstice a few days ago there seemed to be a conspicuous number of people involved in car accidents. At least two of these people have Mars at either 29 or 0 degrees of different signs, and were therefore under a Sun/Pluto/Mars Transit. Interestingly, in one of these cases the person is under Transiting Pluto Quincunx Natal Mars (which was then being triggered by the Solstice Sun) and was in a car that collided with a big dog at relatively high speed. Quincunx's (150 angles), in my understanding, carry a 6th/8th House connotation, and apart from accidents and other troubles, the 6th House is associated with "pets" (she's also been a little angry with employees and co-workers, other classic 6th House associations). I suggested that she engage in some intense physical work, like scrubbing a mucky kitchen floor, or something like that. There's probably a task of that sort crying out to her anyway; life tends to provide us with opportunities to release and express potentially hazardous energies in beneficial and constructive ways.

Mars and Saturn are approaching a Conjunction which will be exact on the 10/11th of July 2008. Vedic astrology would see them as being in the same constellation already. At the time of the exact Conjunction they will both be at 5 degrees (of Tropical) Virgo. This does arguably cast a somewhat tense energy over the coming few weeks, but of course especially closer to the time of the exact Conjunction. Of course people born at the end of August and the end February (with their Suns early in Virgo and Pisces respectively) will be amoung the most directly... challenged.

On the 4th of May 2002 there was a Mars/Saturn Conjunction that produced, where I was, an extremely cold night that killed my basil plants, and the following day was the only day in my life that I was present at a public shooting incident at a market, at which nobody, thankfully, was hurt.

I once did a reading for someone who asked me whether I could see any dramatic events in his past. I remembered well the Mars/Saturn Conjunction of May 2002, because of the shooting incident and the way my basil plants turned pitch black overnight, and I noticed that that Conjunction had occurred very close to my client's Natal Moon. I suggested that 4-5 May 2002 could have been a fairly dramatic date for him. He thought about it for a moment, and then his eyes grew wide as he remembered.... on that day his ex-wife (Moon) barged into his home and physically attacked everyone present! We might note, though, that at that time Mars and Saturn were together quite closely in Opposition to Pluto, which made it somewhat more "loaded". During that month, I seem to recall, Pakistan tested a ballistic missile meant to intimidate India...

Birthing an Astro- Blog...

I was born on the 8th of October 1973, at about 7:15am, in Brits, near Pretoria, South Africa. My natal chart will be the key to this blog. You can download The Astrological Alphabet from my website, www.richardfidler.com, if you're still learning the language.

Mercury has just turned Direct, is Trine my Sun, and this is what happens: a blog is born!!

I note, though, with just a glint of trepidation, that Transiting Sun is Conjunct my Saturn (in Sidereal Gemini) and Square my Pluto.... I'll be careful!

I think this is a great way to record little day-to-day astrological observations. I love the idea, and I've occasionally tried to keep astrological diaries, but I tend to eventually neglect them. May the present attempt be endowed with Saturnine persistence!

I spent much of today in a construction site type environment, waiting in long slow-moving queues, which is a fairly benign Saturn/Pluto manifestation.