The Chronicles of Plutonia

Pluto Transit

Pluto in Capricorn is now transiting my 8th house, trine my natal 4th house Moon in Virgo. I’m already faced with the necessity to move, as well as deal with a lot of emotional baggage within my family as well as externally among friends and associates. I can say that so far, I’ve done a fair amount of crying. The moments before my menstrual cycle are much more emotionally stressful and physically draining than they used to be.

I’m also considering doing astrological readings. Since I’ll be examining my own inner world for much of this Pluto transit–and for the upcoming Neptune/Moon opposition–it would probably serve me and others well by examining everything. I like finding patterns, probing into deep, dark corners, and talking about what it all means.

PA Political Astrology: Tweeting up after DemFest 2010

[tweetmeme]Today I had the pleasure of tweeting up with Sue Stoltzfus of the Lancaster County Democrats after we crossed paths on twitter yesterday during DemFest. (See also: PA Political Astrology: DemFest 2010 and Social Media and the Pennsylvania Young Democrats hashtag “Twub.”) Sue is the President of the Lancaster County Dem Women, a club that I had wanted to become a part of for some time. We had a wonderful conversation at Isaac’s Restaurant & Deli, which I added as my first, Newbie check-in point on foursquare. I was delighted to discover that we both share an interest not only in politics but also in social media. We have since connected on facebook and LinkedIn, and were brainstorming like crazy on new ideas for community and county engagement. When I left our meeting, I felt as though I was finally connected to my new town after leaving Montgomery County in late 2007.

Astrology isn’t confined to the birth of people; it can also be applied to the birth of relationships. Now, naturally, as a Virgo/Libra cusp, I can get carried away with casting an event chart whenever I meet a new guy (see also: Astrologers in Love). But, when I returned home, I couldn’t wait to cast an event chart for my first political tweetup. And wouldn’t you know, the event chart house positions for my tweetup today are almost identical to my natal chart! I’ve seen this configuration before when I cast the event chart for the first day at my current job (that I love, by the way). It’s also interesting that Susan is an October 30th Scorpio, which puts her Sun in my natal and event chart 6th House (near the Vertex, a point of fated connections) – the house of service, everyday routine, and work. Looks like I’ve made an auspicious connection and I’m eager to get started. Yay technology! (See today’s tweetup chart below.)

PA Political Astrology: DemFest 2010 and Social Media

Photo courtesy of micahmj11

[tweetmeme]When I heard the snowmageddon was coming, I was prepared for a comfortable, snowed-in Saturday. What I wasn’t prepared for was the phenomenon of #DemFest on twitter this morning and afternoon. I’m not a political insider in the traditional sense, so I wasn’t invited to attend the actual Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee endorsement gathering, known as DemFest. I don’t really rub shoulders with powerful people either but I read and watch a lot of news like MSNBC, FoxNews, CNN, Daily Show, Colbert Report and pay attention to local political blogs like PoliticsPA, Pa2010, Capitol Ideas, and subscribe to CapitolWire‘s Under the Dome email newsletter. What I also do is follow people that are interested in politics on twitter.

Lucky for me, I was able to pick up on the gossip of DemFest 2010 as it was happening thanks to the #demfest twitter hashtag and the wonderful political twitterati and bloggerati that kept us all up to date. Some, like @micahmj11, even had live video and pictures of the event that they shared with their tweet updates. It’s funny that while I was immersed in the PA Drama, I also clicked on a link tweeted by @spedwybabs (also partner in Progressive PST) on How Scott Brown friended, tweeted, and LOLed his way into the people’s Senate seat. Back in January, I tweeted about how Scott Brown had 3x more twitter followers than Martha Coakley. I even wrote a post comparing their astrological charts to see who’s chart looked more favorable for the special election (Brown’s did). And even though I was ultimately disappointed in the unsurprising endorsements by the PA Dems of Arlen Specter for PA Senate and the disappointing drop of Joe Hoeffel from the 1st round of ballot voting, I found out that I wasn’t alone and that I am still connected for change.

I exchanged tweets with 4 wonderful twitter “entities” that are also in my voting area: @Susan1030, @politicslovr, and of course @spedwybabs / progressivepst. This is wonderful for me because I recently relocated to Lancaster County (see also Lancaster Democrats), after having lived in Montgomery County my whole life (see also Montco Democrats), and haven’t had the chance to meet a lot of local Democrats because I commute to Philly for work everyday and still spend the majority of my time there. From these twitter connections, I’m looking forward to having a tweet-up and talking with and ultimately organizing a nice grassroots social media group for 2010 and beyond. Oh, what fun!

Stay tuned as I begin to analyze the astrology charts of our candidates for the upcoming Senatorial and Gubernatorial races. For the Democrats, we’ve got Aquarius Arlen Specter and Capricorn Joe Sestak against Republican Scorpio Pat Toomey for PA Senate, as well as Democrats Virgo Joe Hoeffel, Capricorn Jack Wagner, Aquarius Dan Onorato, and Pisces Anthony Williams, against Republican Leos Tom Corbett and Sam Rohrer. You can read my previous posts on Jim Gerlach, Tom Corbett, and Ed Rendell to catch up on what I’ve seen so far. Please feel free to tweet me, too: @signon2nine.

Friendly Astrology: Renee, The Fab Capricorn

[tweetmeme]Back in 2004, my first year in graduate school at Arcadia University, I was sitting in a classroom waiting for the Intro to Humanities class to begin and something happened. That something was a woman who walked in, with a purple bandana, pigtails, and Grateful Dead t-shirt. I didn’t know it at the time but I was to become good friends with that young lady. The Humanities class progressed throughout the semester, taught by the great Finbarr O’Connor (who later introduced us to the “philosophical deep waters of Socrates”), and at one point, the purple-bandana woman revealed that she would love to make out with John Stuart Mill. The class eventually ended, the semester concluded, and I wondered what was next.

The following semester I took an Acting for Musical Theater class to fulfill an Arts requirement. Wouldn’t you know, Miss Purple Bandana walked into the theater for that class, too? And thus began the friendship of me and the Fabulous Renee (Capricorn). Although, we disagree on William Shakespeare—she strongly for; I strongly against—we both ended up in the same Poetry Workshop. You can listen to my poetry reading on my podcast page: http://signon2nine.podbean.com/—there you will also find links to Renee’s reading and the rest of the other amazing poets in my class. You can search for “Signon2nine” on iTunes to subscribe to my podcasts, as well.

Well, now the fabulous Renee has launched a new blog, What’s the Sign for Disillusion?. To answer her question simply, I would say: Neptune, Pisces, and inflated expectations (Jupiter). Let’s peek, briefly at her natal and progressed chart, shall we? (Born Jan 6, 1979, 5:45pm EST)

I have a fairly accurate time of birth, give or take 30mins or so, but off the bat I see retrograde Jupiter in her first house and close to the Ascendant in Cancer. Magnanimous, fabulous, and tragic goddess that she is, Jupiter also rules her sixth house of service and work. This, coupled with her Capricorn Sun conjunct Mars in the 6th house, is a very obvious sign for her obsession with work, volunteering, and community service. Renee is the reason I started volunteering at WXPN—when I met her, she was a professional student and volunteer, with 2 or 3 other jobs! I now have the pleasure of working with her in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), formerly the School of Social Work (SSW). Furthermore, Renee’s dedication to work and community service is emphasized more by her natal Saturn/North Node conjunction in her 3rd house of community, not to mention transiting North Node is conjunct her natal Sun/Mars conjunction in the 6th. She’s now reconsidering her application for the Peace Corps, which was put on hold because of a boy…

Ah, boys, the rise and fall of Renee in the tide of her natal Venus in the critical 29th degree of Scorpio, also in a wide conjunction with natal Uranus. Please note that Uranus is conjunct the Pluto/Scorpio-ruled 5th house of creation and love. And that’s not all. Transiting Uranus is currently in trine to her natal Venus, and transiting Pluto is sitting conjunct her progressed Venus and natal Moon, while trining her natal Moon in Taurus (ruled by Venus). So we’ve got the vainglorious, indulgent qualities of Venus under constant assault by crazy, erratic Uranus and obsessive, destructive Pluto—and the Moon while in stable, earthy Taurus has to deal with a conjunction with wounded Chiron and Pluto’s unrelenting scourging for truth. SHIT!  Keep fighting, Goddess! And fight she will with her natal Mars/Pluto square, which is EXACT (19 degrees Capricorn and Libra, respectively). See chart below. Renee, if you want a further reading, let me know. In the meantime, Power to the Priestess!!!

National Political Astrology: Jupiter in Pisces and SCOTUS Campaign Finance Ruling – Gemini John Edwards’ Road to Redemption

[tweetmeme]I’ll tell ya, that planet Jupiter sure knows how to make an entrance! I was reading the headlines today and thought, “what the hell kind of alignment is occurring now?” Well, according to Astro.com’s current transits, Jupiter is at 0 degrees Pisces. Not only did the Supreme Court of the United States (or SCOTUS) overturn campaign finance restrictions for corporations, but John Edwards decided to start his Baby Mama, Road to Redemption PR campaign in Haiti.

Now, I’m no expert on Supreme Court rulings or the history of campaign finance in America, but boy, oh boy, the reactions to the freedom of corporations and nonprofit groups to spend freely on campaign ads are sure to dominate our political scene for the upcoming 2010 elections. Not to mention, President Obama decided to take on the banks in an address today. Many astrologers have been writing about the current Saturn square Pluto transit, and I find it interesting that, on the day of this court ruling, Jupiter has entered into the sign of Pisces while the transiting Sun and Venus in Aquarius have entered into aspect with the Saturn in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn square. Further explained:

• Transiting Jupiter is making a 60 degree (sextile) aspect to transiting Pluto as well as a 150 degree (quincunx) aspect to transiting Saturn
• Transiting Sun and Venus are making a 120 degree (trine) aspect to transiting Saturn, as well as a 30 degree (semi-sextile) aspect to transiting Pluto

When I use astrology, I tend to look for patterns in planetary movement, so when I see…

• Jupiter, which represents the law, entering a sign of Pisces (ruled by Neptune), which represents the dissolution of boundaries, enter into aspect with
• The Sun and Venus, which represents identity and money, and
• With Saturn which represents rules and boundaries, and Pluto which represents power and destruction

… my analytical, Virgo eyes take notice. AND THEN, there is our beloved John Edwards (Gemini), former Democratic VP candidate in 2004 and Presidential candidate in 2008. (Note: John was born on the same day but different year, June 10,  as fellow Gemini Eliot Spitzer, who I discussed in an earlier post.) Oh, John, I won’t trash you because the popular media and American people can do that themselves. And lord knows, my critical Virgo nature is salivating at the opportunity to talk shit. But right now, I just want to peek at your astrology chart and see what the HELL is going on. Sigh…

Hello Pluto! Transiting Pluto has decided to get all up in John Edwards’ dirty business and expose the truth as it opposes Edwards’ natal Mercury and progressed Moon/Venus conjunction in Cancer, not to mention forming a trine with his natal Venus in Taurus. His progressed Sun is also approaching a conjunction with natal Pluto. You CANNOT hide from Pluto. Pluto digs, Pluto exposes, and Pluto destroys, but it also clears the way for a new beginning. You have to hand it to a slick Gemini to time a paternity scandal with a redemptive trip to Haiti, as well as media highlights on service work in El Salvador. I find it interesting that the transiting North Node is also conjunct Edwards’ natal Chiron, a planet associated with healing that I also referenced in my post yesterday regarding Governor Ed Rendell’s orphan rescue in Haiti. There is also some natal South Node activity as John’s progressed Mars forms a conjunction, and in addition, transiting retrograde Mars is forming a conjunction with his progressed Sun. Mars doesn’t only provide energy, fight, and courage—in this instance, it is marring or damaging this man’s reputation. Not that it is unwarranted. Yes, I’ve been reading Game Change and Edwards sure had it coming. (Chart below with 6am default birth time- actual birth time unknown.)

MA Political Astrology: Martha Coakley (D-Cancer) vs Scott Brown (R-Virgo) for late Sen. Ted Kennedy Seat

[tweetmeme]First, I want to start by sending a positive energy wave to the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Pisces). You are missed and I hope your good work will never be forgotten.

Now, for the nitty-gritty question: Who will be voted to succeed his place in the Massachusetts Senate special election that takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, January 19, 2010? Well, I’ll tell you something— I’m not a fan of “predicting” things with astrology because I believe in free will as much as I believe in the planets—but when I looked at the charts of Martha Coakley (born July 14, 1953, Cancer) and Scott Brown (born September 12, 1959, Virgo), I couldn’t help but notice Brown’s chart is stronger at this point in time.

Now, for one thing, as superficial as it sounds, this guy, Scott Brown, is good looking, not to mention he posed nude in Cosmopolitan. (Um, Neptune, anyone?) I can admit to being superficial and in politics you have to take into account that many voters are very superficial when it comes to choosing their candidates. It’s sad but it’s true. Looking at Brown’s Progressed/Natal chart (below), my first glance is focused on the Sun, Venus, Neptune, and also the Moon but not so much because I don’t have an accuarate time of birth. Instantly, I see Neptune, the planet of glamour, smoke and mirrors, escape, Savior-syndrome, and all the delusion and salvation that it conjures up in humanity. Not only are Brown’s progressed Mars and Sun conjunct his natal Neptune, but also transiting Neptune is in a wide opposition to his natal Venus. The Venus/Neptune aspect also exists as a sextile in his natal chart. Transiting Jupiter is also in almost exact opposition to his natal Venus and progressed Venus in a separating conjunction to his natal Sun. Another Venusian indicator is transiting Saturn currently in Libra (and the sign of its exaltation) conjunct his natal north node. In short, these transits can be seen as “favorable” in astrology especially in regards to popularity, which is a superficial and fickle thing but it gets people elected.

A quick note on Brown’s Moon, a planet that is a strong indicator of popularity. It can be anywhere between 18 degrees Capricorn and 1 degree Aquarius with his 9/12/59 birthdate. Why is this important? Well, currently the transiting north node is at 21 degrees Capricorn and if he also has a Moon/Node connection, in addition to the Saturn North Node transit I mentioned earlier, he’s got favorable planetary timing on his side. The North Node in astrology is almost always a positive auspice to be hoped for in times such as these. Also, his estimated progressed Moon is lurking around in a conjunction with his natal Jupiter, another good indicator of likability and positive public opinion.

Moving on to Martha Coakley’s chart, I see no such indication of the “Wow-Factor”—something that is desperately needed in a special election. Besides having a natal Venus/Jupiter conjunction, natal Sun/Mars/Uranus conjunction, and likely Moon/Pluto conjunction (no birth time-no exact accuracy on Moon position), I don’t see any current transits or progressions that are strong enough to combat the favorable activity in Scott Brown’s chart. Whereas Brown had a double-whammy of North Node activity, Coakley has a double-whammy of the South Node: 1) transiting her natal Sun/Mars/Uranus conjunction and; 2) natal South Node in a wide conjunction with progressed Venus conjunct natal retrograde Mercury. In astrology, the South Node is less-known for granting material success; however, it represents ease, spiritual gifts, and pitfalls in some instances. In Coakley’s case, it looks like complacency set in. It was said that Coakley did not do the things needed to win this election—for example, she did not get out and knock on doors, speak with voters, and get her face in front of people. What did Brown do? He got endorsed by Doug Flutie and Curt Schilling, two prominent sports figures in Massachusetts. What can I say? Even her chart looks a little boring (below). I hope the Massachusetts Democrats prove me wrong and go out and vote blue, otherwise, Mr. Glamour-and-no-substance may just get elected into a seat once held by our Last Lion, Ted Kennedy.

PA Political Astrology: Narrowing down the candidates for Governor (Part 1)

[tweetmeme]The race for PA Governor has taken a slight turn during this lovely Mercury Retrograde (ending this Friday, January 15, 2010), in that Jim Gerlach (R-Pisces) has decided to withdraw and, instead, run for re-election in the 6th Congressional District. This leaves only two GOP candidates left—Tom Corbett and Sam Rohrer—both Leo Suns (though Corbett is on the Leo-Virgo cusp). The Democrats, however, still have four candidates (that I’m aware of) in the mix: Joe Hoeffel (Virgo), Dan Onorato (Aquarius), Jack Wagner (Capricorn), and Tom Knox (unknown- if you know his birthdate, please share it). Fortunately for me, I can avoid experiencing the Democratic, decision paralysis that comes with more than two options—if you know me personally, then you know who my choice for Governor has always been and will be when I walk into the booth, then out of the booth, and on with my blue-blooded life. However, for the sake of the science of astrology—which has no “favorites”—I will remain relatively objective-ish and save my opinion for twitter, facebook, and casual conversation. 🙂 I’ll hold off on breaking down the natal charts of the Democratic candidates until after the field has quieted down. I wish them all luck in raising money and bolstering confidence and name recognition amongst the voters for the Primary—plus, I’d like to see some Lt. Governor action so I can have a clearer picture of what’s in store.

I will say that it’s almost obvious who the Republican candidate will be: Tom Corbett (Leo), Attorney General. I mean, come on, he has the name recognition and is the Republican poster boy leading the charge of investigating corruption in the PA House of Representatives. He’s probably investigating you right now. (Damn, I may have just been targeted…) He squatted and claimed the domain name “www.attorneygeneral.gov” before anyone else did and is very interested in technology. (I only know this because I watched him being interviewed on PCN TV a few months ago and this is what he said.) Plus, he’s got a bit of the Jimmy Johnson thing going on. So, unless some miraculous manipulator gets him to withdraw from the race in order to continue his post as Attorney General on a Legislative witch hunt, it will be Corbett who faces the “chosen one” on the Democratic side of the ballot.

When looking at political candidates, I always look at the Moon and Venus first because those two planets deal with popularity and finances—two very crucial components for getting elected. Because I don’t have a birth time for Corbett’s natal chart, I’m using 6am. (This is a standard that I use as a default when I want to see how the planets are relating to one another.) I can only estimate the position of his natal Moon since it moves so quickly in the course of 24 hours (approx 13 degrees per day). At 6am it was at 5 degrees Leo, however, it can range between 2 to 15 degrees Leo on his recorded birth date of August 22, 1949, per Project Vote Smart. If it’s in the early degrees of Leo, his nata; Moon is favorably aspected by natal Venus (usually a good thing) and also the progressed Moon is conjunct the progressed Sun- forming a Progressed New Moon (also viewed as favorable). However, if his natal Moon is more toward the mid-degrees of Leo, it forms a tight conjunction with Pluto (a very powerful planet for good or ill) and also would be forming a favorable aspect to progressed Venus.  Additionally, transiting Pluto is forming a T-square with his natal Venus and natal Uranus, an indicator of dramatic and unexpected changes to finances and popularity, or females in one’s life. Any way I look at it, he’s got a strong chart, which can be seen by his current station in PA politics.

What is interesting is transiting Saturn is conjunct his natal Venus, which is also involved in the T-square with Uranus and Pluto. Saturn always adds an element of restriction, and when involved with Venus it can signal monetary restriction. However, that may not be a big deal because of his apparent lack of need for campaigning  (See header: Tom Corbett’s Free Campaign). On the other hand, Corbett has been accused of targeting Democrats over Republicans for investigation, most recently in the case of Senator Jane Orie. Time will unravel all the exciting details—his natal Sun is being supported by the energy of progressed Mars (even though the rest of us are experiencing the Mars retrograde), though opposed by the Jupiter, Neptune, Chiron conjunction. Also, the transiting north node is passing over his natal Jupiter. His chart (below) is nothing to scoff at but stay tuned…

National Political Astrology: Sagittarius Harry Reid (D) Makes a Negregious Slur

[tweetmeme]First, the Census 2010 has the word “Negro” as an option for racial classification. Then, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada says President Barack Obama lacks a “Negro dialect.” What is the deal with all this Negregiousness? Okay, I’m being a little silly, but really, is it that big of a deal? How old is Harry Reid? Um, he’s 70…and he’s a Sagittarius. His natal Mercury is not only in Sagittarius, too, but it is also, you guessed it, Retrograde. Sagittarians are born with Centaurian “hoof-in-mouth” syndrome and lack of tact. Just ask Nancy Pelosi about their inappropriate public gestures. But of all the signs of the Zodiac, Sagittarians are one of the least likely to be racist. Why? They are ruled by Jupiter, the ruler of foreign places, expansive consciousness, higher learning, and generosity. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t any Sagitta-racists, I’m just giving you some food for thought.

Give Senator Reid a break. His natal and progressed Mercury are both receiving transits from the Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron conjunction, while transiting Pluto is sitting on his natal Venus, and transiting Uranus, in concert with natal Pluto and natal Neptune, are forming aspects to his progressed Venus. In short, his reputation is taking a beating and the public is not very appreciative of him right now, while the media is using his words and actions against him rather than for him. His progressed Sun is awfully close to Chiron and Neptune which can sometimes be a signal of retirement but we will see how he fares in the upcoming election. In any case, I’ve got nothing against the man.

PA Political Astrology: Pisces Jim Gerlach (R) drops out of 2010 Gubernatorial Race

While I was fluttering about on twitter, I came across a tweet by Politicspa about Jim Gerlach’s withdrawal from the PA Governor’s race. My immediate reaction was, “Well, that sounds very Mercury Retrograde-esque,” and then I decided to check the planets. I found a birth date of February 25, 1955 on Wikipedia, and plugged it into Astro.com. I’ve used a default birth time of 6am, though exact time is unknown- I will not be taking house positions or rulerships into account. (See chart graphic below.)

The first thing I noticed was good ‘ol Uranus- the King of Unexpected. Gerlach has a natal Venus/Uranus opposition, though Jupiter is also conjunct Uranus which adds an element of expansion or luck (good or bad) into the equation. This opposition is currently being hit by a conjunction of the transiting North and South Nodes. In addition, his progressed Venus is sitting in a conjunction with transiting Uranus. To me, this signals an unexpected change in a financial situation. God knows, finances are key to succeeding in politics. It could also indicate issues with a spouse but I don’t know anything about his personal life. We’ll see if the news sheds any light on this issue.

I also noticed that transiting Pluto is conjunct Gerlach’s natal North Node, which is also being squared by transiting Saturn. Pluto always brings a heavy load with it- even when it’s good. He could be going through a major change to his lifestyle or career path, though I’d need further details on house positions to see that. There is talk that he will instead, run for re-election in the 6th Congressional District. (See articles on Politico, Politicspa, and Capitol Ideas.) In any case, I do wish him the best in whatever he decides- he is a good looking guy, even for a Republican. 🙂 I’m no longer hostile towards him since he defeated Lois Murphy…twice. She has just been elected as the first Democratic Judge in Montgomery County. You can also follow him on twitter: @JimGerlach.

An astrologer is born: How it all began

In the summer of 2003, I was wandering about the shops of Main Street in New Hope, PA when I came upon a store with a neon pentagram in the window. It was one of those “bottom-floor” stores, in which you had to descend a small flight of stairs to get to the entrance. Curious and eager to explore the “mysteries” inside, I explored the bookshelves— past titles of Wiccan Magic and Spells galore. I was about to walk out when I saw a book titled, The Complete Book of Astrology. When I removed it from the shelf, I opened the book to the exact page that marked the beginning of the description of Virgo (my sun sign). It was on this day that I began my investigation into the science of astrology. Yes, science, as in “knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study.” There are those that would scoff, ridicule, and (in some parts of the country) burn me at the stake for such a statement. However, astrology is a valid and reliable system of knowledge that reveals an accurate picture of individual human psychology and societal patterns.

A popular argument against astrology is that it is so general anyone can write a horoscope for any sign from which any reader will glean whatever truth they want from its generalizations and vagaries. This argument is usually supported by citing examples of the horoscope columns found in tabloids or pop culture magazines. Dear Abby’s advice is held in higher esteem than “Anastasia the Astrogazer” or any number of quacks that make a quick buck from writing the dailies. Another argument I’ve heard comes from people who read about their sun sign (solely based on the day they were born) and complain that the description is way off the mark. An even better argument is in the case of two people who share the same birthday and they are nothing alike. The hardcore skeptics of astrology always bring up the case of twins: those born within minutes or hours of each other and live totally different lives.

Many people fail to realize that astrology is more than just your sun sign— that is, the sign and degree the sun occupied at the moment of birth. For example, the sun was at 26 degrees Virgo when I was born; therefore, common knowledge would label me “Virgo.” However, upon further examination, you would also discover that the zodiac sign on the horizon at 10:54pm EST on September 19th, 1979 in Norristown, PA, was Gemini at 18 degrees. Furthermore, the Moon was at 12 degrees Virgo, the planet Mercury at 2 degrees Libra, the planet Venus at 3 degrees Libra, and the planet Mars at 27 degrees Cancer. Astrologers who cast detailed horoscopes will note not only the placement of planets in the sky but also the aspects made between them, in order to give a more accurate reflection of the energies these positions might imply. In the case of two individuals having the same birth date, the difference of an hour can change not only the rising sign at the moment of birth but also the house positions which give each horoscope its distinct “flavor.” And let’s not forget free will—the various internal and external factors and the responses to those factors that influence each human being which contribute to his or her outlook on life. It is important to note that astrological counsel has been sought throughout the ages by royalty, political figures, and the church, as a means to gain and maintain power. The Italian renaissance is rife with evidence of consultations and readings from astrologers such as Ptolemy, Marsilio Ficino, Cornelius Agrippa, and William Lilly. The foundations of American government and the planning and construction of the Capitol city of Washington, DC are steeped in astrological significance. There is compelling evidence that our founding fathers waited until certain planets occupied a certain degree in the sky before scheduling any important ceremonies related to the birth of the United States.