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.

Saturn-ruled 8th house: Needs? I don’t have needs.

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Saturn eats the needy. Yes, that means babies too. Image source: Heidekolb’s blog: http://jungianwork.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/rubens_saturn.jpg

Phew! I’ve finally uncovered the mystery of my 8th house, ruled by Capricorn/Saturn. I have difficulty getting my needs met. I don’t like to ask for help even when I desperately need it. I don’t like to acknowledge my needs because I see them as weakness. I don’t like to acknowledge other people’s needs because of the inability to acknowledge my own. I keep tight boundaries around my emotions and expect that others do the same. I’ve found that some of these qualities work very well—I have tremendous coping abilities. However, I’m lacking in real human relationships with other people who are not so frigid with their feelings.

The downside to this Capricorn/Saturn-ruled 8th house is that my natal Saturn is in my natal 4th house. And that’s not all. Natal Saturn in the 4th house is also conjunct my natal Sun (cusp of 5th house) and natal Moon. Yes, I’m a  cold-hearted, daughter-of-a-bitch. These placements are awesome when I hear that someone has died or that impending doom is approaching—these placements are not awesome when I really just want to cuddle. Seriously, I do like to cuddle. I just don’t get the opportunity to do so because I’m too busy setting boundaries around when the proper cuddling time starts, who the proper cuddling partner is, and how the cuddling should be performed. Oh, and most importantly, self-imposed guidelines to determine if the cuddling is deserved, necessary, or merely an indulgence that highlights my weakness for wanting intimacy.

Dealing with this astrological arrangement poses many challenges. I swing to extremes when I decide that my emotional needs are important. I throw tantrums. I get drunk and cause scenes. I demand attention during inappropriate moments. I cry randomly. I laugh when others cry. Sigh… I have to find the appropriate balance with my humanity and my machine-like temperament. I admire machines and systems. But I admire humans more. We made the machines and systems to suit OUR NEEDS.

PA Political Astrology: Lancaster County Democratic Women’s Association Honors Janice Stork (D-Scorpio)

(Middle, at the podium) Janice Stork, a Scorpio, the first female Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who served from 1990-1998.

[tweetmeme]This afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending my first “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” luncheon hosted by the Lancaster County Democratic Women’s Association (LCDWA). The LCDWA, headed by Sue Stoltzfus (Scorpio), presented the first annual Catherine Baker Knoll (a fellow Virgo, yeah!) Award to Janice C. Stork (Scorpio), who served as Mayor of the City of Lancaster, PA from 1990-1998. (Just a quick note: Catherine Baker Knoll shares a September 3rd Virgo birthdate with Joe Hoeffel, who is getting my vote for the next Governor of PA!) Janice currently has a one-line Wikipedia entry, as of today, but Tracey Lynn Arriola, Secretary of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee (LCDC) and member of the LCDWA, is working to change that. The luncheon had a great turnout at The Press Room of over 50 people, which included many male and female local officials such as Bruce Beardsley, Chair of LCDC; Craig Lehman, Lancaster County Commissioner; Nelson Polite, Lancaster City Council; and State Rep. Mike Sturla (Aquarius), among others for the males, as well as Lois Herr (Capricorn), candidate for PA Congress (16th District); Pat Brogan, Lancaster Mayor’s Office; Susan Rutt, PA Federation of Democratic Women; and Pat Coller, Lancaster City Council, among others for the females.

I cast a chart for the CBK Luncheon and thought the Cancer Ascendant was quite a nice indicator for honoring females in politics, considering the Moon rules Cancer and is symbolic of women, political favor, nurturing and emotions, and the public. The Moon in Aquarius is separating from a recent conjunction with Neptune and Chiron in the 9th house of the higher mind, philosophy, and freedom. (See chart below.) Check out my tweetphotos of the event here and my Picasa Web Album here.

I almost didn’t make it to the lunch, however, because last night, my beloved 1991 Buick Riviera—that I just poured money into, repairing the fuel pump and rear windshield—finally blew its transmission. How fitting a time for my car to give out as transiting retrograde Saturn (ruler of delays and restrictions) passes over my natal Mercury (ruler of communication and transportation), while transiting Mars (ruler of action and aggression) goes stationary direct on the cusp of my 3rd house of communication and transportation. ¡Que Lastima! Thankfully, I got a ride from my brother and was able to meet up with my new found LCDC and LCDWA friends, Sue Stoltzfus, Martine Elianor, Janet Spleen, Kathy Rammer, and Renee Martin, and I met a few new ones as well. In case you missed it, you can read how I met these wonderful women at DemFest and the LCDC Convention.

PA Political Astrology: Lancaster County Democratic Committee Goes Joe!

[tweetmeme]Well, well, well … after attending demfest via twitter hashtag, then tweeting up afterwards with one of Cocalico’s finest, I was finally able to attend Saturday’s Lancaster County Democratic Committee endorsement convention. Woot-woot! Click here for the twitter hashtag roundup: http://twubs.com/lcdc.

I got a ride with Sue (@susan1030) and a few of the Cocalico Democrats. We arrived at the Lancaster Host Resort and I checked-in on foursquare at 8:07am. (See chart cast for this time below.) It was then that I met Lancaster County Commissioner, Craig Lehman, and put my name on Joe Sestak’s petition for PA Senate. I even took one to get more signatures, so if you are a Lancaster, PA resident, are registered to vote, and haven’t yet signed a petition for Benedict Arlen DisreSpecter, come sign my petition for Joe Sestak! Then, I signed Sue Stoltzfus’s petition for PA State Committee, as well as 5 other petitions for Lancaster Committee people. I was introduced to Renee Martin at the Jack Wagner for Governor table, then I grabbed some coffee and finally got to meet Martine (@politicslovr) who was working the Lois Herr for Congress table. Lois Herr is a Capricorn, running against Libra, Joe the Pitts of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the Affordable Healthcare for America Act. After Martine and I chatted, I looked on my UberTwitter and saw that Beth Becker (@spedwybabs) had arrived and was looking for me. The funny thing was that as I told Martine that Beth was looking for me, she said, “Oh, Beth is right over there.” Beth was within 10 feet of where I was, haha! So, we got a picture together and proceeded to tweet away about how the convention was progressing.

Eventually, everyone settled into their seats as Bruce Beardsley, the Lancaster County Chairman called the meeting to order and gave the introductory remarks. We then broke out into workshop sessions, of which I attended the “Computer Sampler” with Ken Ralph, Common Ground newsletter editor. After the first session, I moseyed over to the Joe Hoeffel for PA Governor table, signed his petition, and then met Jena Grosser (@jena_grosser) who I had been following on twitter since DemFest 2010. The second breakout session I attended was “How Not To Do It Yourself,” led by Ken Ralph and Sally Lyall.

Lunch was a blast, where I met Sonya and Sandy Duncan of Columbia Borough, and sat with my committee person and district leader, Bill Sheaffer, as well as the LCDC office manager, Tracey Lynn Arriola. It was also during the lunch break that the candidates for PA Governor showed up: Dan Onorato the Aquarius came by our table first, then Jonathan Saidel the Gemini (Lt Gov), and finally Joe Hoeffel the Virgo. I got a picture with Joe but am waiting to get it from Bill’s camera. You’d better believe it will be on my facebook and twitter! I’ve been a fan and supporter of Joe Hoeffel since I met him at the Ambler R5 train station when he ran for Congress in 1998. I was a Sophomore at Temple University and rode the SEPTA from Ambler to Philly 5 days a week and was impressed to see Joe out on the tracks, greeting the commuters. Then, in 2005, he agreed to read my poem, Closet Rebel (email me if you’d like to read it), that I wrote for the Montgomery County Wissahickon Democrats, “Thank You” party for volunteers. To top it all off, Joe is also a Virgo, born on September 3rd, my astrology sign as well. We Virgo’s are awesome. Organized, hard-working, virtuous, practical, and down-to-earth.

You can bet I was sooooo totally stoked when Joe not only lit the room on FYRE with his speech but then clinched the endorsement for PA Governor from the Lancaster Democrats. Hell yea! Then, Joe Sestak the Capricorn shows up in his green military jacket and takes the floor. He didn’t speak from the podium like the other candidates—he stood with the people and walked up and down the aisle speaking to us with passion and conviction. (He did the same at the Chester County Dems meeting. See YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozJF9z0tXLQ) I must admit, I almost cried. The only candidate that didn’t show, was of course, Arlen DisreSpecter. And guess what, he got NO LOVE from Lancaster County. Joe Sestak received the endorsement. And although Gemini Jonathan Saidel didn’t get endorsed by the Lancaster Dems, I got a chance to talk with him and to hear him speak. He’s already been endorsed by the state committee and many other county committees. Doris Smith-Ribner (no birth date known yet) is great as well—in fact, she’s amazing. I wish I had known who she was prior to Saturday’s convention but I have time to learn more and hope she stays on the scene for a while.

All in all, I had a great time at the convention—I even got to be “mic runner” for all the committee nominations. I shook a lot of hands and actually remembered to hand out business cards. I should probably thank the recent new moon at 26 degrees Aquarius, that was conjunct my MC, the angle for career and reputation, for the public exposure I had this weekend. I cast a chart for the actual convention below. The time was set for when I arrived, a little after 8am, which was the time the convention was scheduled to begin. I like the Aries ascendant that had our group fired up but also in good spirits—note the chart ruler, Mars in the 5th house of recreation. The north node is in close conjunction with the 11th house of groups and associations, and power-monger Pluto is sitting very high in the chart near the MC, in the sign of Capricorn, ruled by Saturn. The moon in Taurus was set in the 2nd house of values, its home position as Taurus rules the 2nd house, and it was nice to hear Chairman Beardsley touch on Democratic values during his opening speech, mentioning how there are now over 100,000 registered Dems in Lancaster Co, 50 state offices are held by Lancaster officials, the PA State Democratic organization used Lancaster’s strategy as a template for the state, that power flows upward from the districts to the state level, and that we must keep in mind that for the primary we are running and competing against friends and allies. I’m optimistic that that Saturn in Libra on the cusp of the 7th helped to forge some fortunate alliances and partnerships for this year’s election cycle. More to come! Go Dems in 2010!

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.)

PA Political Astrology: Governor Ed Rendell (D-Capricorn) Touches Haiti Ground and Catches Some Hot Air from CNN’s Anderson Cooper (Gemini)

[tweetmeme]Haiti has been on my mind since I saw a friend’s troubling facebook status update last week when the earthquake hit. Yesterday, when I opened my gmail and read the email blurb from CapitolWire about Governor Rendell (Capricorn) rescuing 53 orphans from Haiti, I thought, “Whoa, that was the last thing I expected to read in my Under the Dome email!” Of course, the story doesn’t end there. As I was perusing the headlines on Politicspa, I saw that Anderson Cooper (Gemini), the “Silver Fox” of CNN, had something to say about Ed Rendell’s trip. In essence, Cooper wants to know why the Governor could gain access to enter Haiti while many rescue workers still cannot. It’s a valid question, no doubt. But is Anderson just a little jealous because he couldn’t be the one to throw some power around and be the on-the-ground savior of the day? The bottom line is, 53 Haitian children are away from the dangers that still exist in Haiti—not just the imminent dangers of aftershocks, dehydration, and starvation—but the dangers of kidnapping and trafficking.

So what would motivate the Governor to attempt such a daring act? Apparently, he is writing an autobiography, according to a PennLive article. But what else could have inspired him to leave the comforts of the Governor’s mansion and the political parties in Harrisburg, to fly to Haiti, still in a state of chaos and tragedy, just to help out a few orphans? Let’s check out the chart. (See below. 6am default time used- birth time unknown.)

Bang! Eddie has a natal Mars/Uranus conjunction while transiting Uranus is not only squaring his progressed Mars but also conjunct his progressed Sun. The Governor has spontaneous action written all over his chart. He doesn’t play around and he didn’t during this 22 hour rescue mission. Also, looking at his estimated natal Moon position, ranging from 13-26 degrees Taurus, he’s also got the compassion of a transiting Neptune square natal moon and progressed Moon conjunct transiting Saturn and natal Neptune. There’s emotion mixed with duty and compassion, right there. And it’s not just the moon under Neptune’s spell. His progressed Venus is conjunct transiting Chiron and Neptune, plus his natal Jupiter is receiving an opposition from those planets as well. I know I’ve trashed Neptune on numerous occassions but here is an example of Neptune’s good side: compassion and service. Judging from his comments on seeing the children, his natural sense of justice and service for good was moved to initiate immediate, charitable action:

“I don’t care about [criticism from Cooper]. If you had seen the faces of these kids … it would have absolutely melted your hearts,” Rendell said.

I mentioned Chiron earlier, as it is transiting close to his progressed Venus, but his natal Chiron is opposite his progressed Mercury as well. Chiron is most often referred to when speaking about healing and sacrifice. Perhaps, as our beloved and notorious Governor is winding down his final year in office, he found a way to redeem himself amidst constant attacks on his character and affiliations. Yea, so he used his political weight and contacts in the Secretary of State’s office to get entry into Haiti when most people are trying to get the hell out. He also gave 53 orphans a new chance at life. I’ve got no problem with that. Do you?

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…