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Lammas Night. As the fixed and fiery Lion grasps us in its flaming maw, we traditionalists, witches, peasant folk, nostalgic tragics, astrologers and general antiquarians must prepare ourselves for the celebration of Lammas on the eve of August 1, known in Ireland as Lughnasadh. This is one of the four traditional cross-quarter days, this time celebrating the first wheat harvest (Lammas = "Loaf-Mass") and signalling the end of summer in the Northern Climes. Mike Nichols, an authority on all things pagan, explains that its true astrological point is fifteen degrees of Leo (the avatar point), but that tradition has set August 1 as the day Lammas is typically celebrated. These cross-quarter days, or High Holidays, were communally celebrated during the "Age of Faith", having been reassigned by the Church from already established, astrologically-based pagan festivities. More on Lammas.
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Leo the Lion On July 22 the shining Sun strides into Leo, the sign of courage, determined pride and a sunny disposition. As we celebrate the ingress into Leo, the fixed fire sign, we are focused on exploring the deep and fascinating world of astrology and relationships. Leo, the Lion, our featured Sign of the month has enough personal charm and physical magnetism to make Lions and Lionesses the centre of everyone's attention – which of course is very much to their liking! As an ardent lover, Leo's enthusiasm and passion must be returned in equal measure, for the big cat may become bored and dissatisfied with a less-than-ardent partner. A weak partner invites Leo to completely dominate the scene, a situation which is less than ideal for both parties. Lions need to keep their egos under control, even when surrounded by admirers and sycophants. Read about Leo and all the other signs right here on our website: click here.
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Prometheus, Creator and Benefactor of Humanity. The story of Prometheus, the mythical creator and benefactor of mankind, has always fascinated us—especially how he stole fire for us from the Olympian Gods. So too, the story of Pandora, with her Jar of Hope. The stories of the cosmic gods have shaped our culture, our literature, our art and even our religion. They are a portion of our heritage from the distant past, and they form perhaps as important a part of our intellectual life as they did of that of the people among whom they originated. This is the second of a series of Old Greek Stories by James Baldwin, which will be added to in weeks ahead. Read about Prometheus, Creator and Benefactor of Humanity..
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When Giants Wrestle, the Earth Trembles... As the Cosmic Clash of the Cardinal Climax comes closer, one of the cosmic chess pieces falls into place. Neil Giles examines the new and potentially shattering developments for the world in view of the transit of Uranus into Aries in 2010/2011. Uranus is the planet of upheaval, catastrophe, and of genius, while Aries is forthright and passionate, a warrior and a fighter, committed to justice or inclined to belligerence, ill-temper or impatience. He notes that the study of history reveals a period of instability accompanying the ingress of Uranus into Aries, accompanied by waves of military or political conflict and geophysical disruption, including civil war, tsunamis, earthquakes, storms and occasional phenomena. This important change of sign from mystic Pisces to aggressive Aries declares a major shift in our awareness and the events of our lives. Read the prognosis for when Uranus Enters Aries.
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Still Mind, Crooked Path. Malvin Artley, our regular esoteric commentator, discusses the esoteric meaning of the New Moon in Cancer for 2010, which is also a total Solar Eclipse. The New Moon in Cancer takes place on the 11th of July 2010 at around 19:42 UT (GMT), which is 5:42 AM, July 12, Sydney time. Since Malvin is writing in Adelaide, South Australia, his time and date is ahead of GMT. The date of the eclipse in the US and Western Europe is therefore July 11. If you want to know how this eclipse will affect you, look back at your life from the period of Oct 1992–Oct 1993. In October of '92 there was a triple activation of the Jul 1991 solar eclipse at the 19th degree of Cancer by Mars, Uranus and Neptune—life-changing stuff, that. It was 'finished', by the final passes of Uranus and Neptune over that point toward the end of '93. It ushered in the constitutional crisis in Russia under Yeltsin, the nuclear test by China which ended the de facto nuclear test ban, a large battle in Mogadishu, Somalia with US forces and the Killari Quake which killed 10,000. If your life was uneventful during that period then this eclipse will likely not affect you. Hahaha. Read more on the Cancer New Moon Solar Eclipse.
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Jupiter and His Mighty Company. In astrology, we hear a lot about the planets, with strange, resonant names, like Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, Venus and Chiron (or in Greek, Zeus, Kronos, Aidoneus, Aphrodite and Kairon). These names resonate so deeply because they were the names of the ancient gods and goddesses of the Greeks and the Romans, thousands of years ago. Although the powers of the ancient gods relate to astrological forces as taught today, their mythologies are not exactly the same as their astrological influences—but nevertheless, the stories of the cosmic gods have shaped our culture, our literature, our art and even our religion. It's important and these days little-known stuff, so we have decided to put the legends on line in a simple format. Indiana's famed storyteller James Baldwin (NOT the activist of Go Tell It On The Mountain fame) wrote more than 50 books, mainly for children, on many subjects, including Greek and Roman mythology. We now present the first of a series of his Old Greek Stories, which will be added to in weeks ahead. Read more on Jupiter and His Mighty Company.
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New Moon Solar Eclipse on July 11. The second solar eclipse of 2010 is a total eclipse of the Sun, at the New Moon in Cancer on July 11th—the climax of the FIFA World Cup. Football fans can expect some real excitement, even though the eclipse will not be visible in South Africa. In a total eclipse, the whole Sun is blocked out and darkened. This eclipse will not be seen by many, as its pathway lies over the vast expanses of the South Pacific Ocean, ending in southern Chile and Argentina. A partial eclipse is visible from a larger region in the South Pacific and South America, but no eclipse is visible from the rest of the world. It occurs at 19°24' of Cancer, the Crab, tightly conjunct the Fixed Star, Wasat (δ geminorum), a star of Saturn (karma; restriction; sorrow) and Mars (violence; action; passion; warfare) on the midriff of the Immortal Twin, Pollux, son of Jupiter. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are all involved in the eclipse and a number of potent planetary aspects are at work, prefiguring the Cardinal Climax on July 31, and giving a foretaste of what we can expect in 2011. Get the full juice on the Solar Eclipse.
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Monthly Moonbeam. Apologies are in order, as the delivery of our Monthly Moonbeam is running late again! By Jove! Will this never end?? This time Neil's ISP has mysteriously blocked him out. No doubt it's thanks to the movement of Uranus into Aries, creating major techie problems for us. I managed to get the dailies up, but was working till 3 AM last night. Crikey! Lili's new computer has mysteriously failed, though she has delivered her Monthly Tarotscopes early, luckily. Last week our website lost control of its SSI function, causing navigation to fail, though that is now working again, thank heavens. If anyone has any moderately-priced accommodation available on or near the North Coast of NSW, please contact us urgently. Or if you do not have accommodation, you can send him a donation (via our paypal account)! In the meantime, check out your Monthly Tarotscopes, by Lili Rosace, for a tasty, mystical slant on your month ahead.
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Cancer Solar Festival at the Lunar Eclipse! Malvin Artley, our regular esoteric commentator, presents his analysis of the Cancer Solar Festival, 2010, a Lunar Eclipse of the Full Moon in Capricorn. This is Cancer's Full Moon, as the Moon is full in the sign opposing the Sun. The Full Moon of Cancer (the Full Moon at Capricorn 4º 46') takes place on the 26th of June 2010 at around 11:40 UT (GMT). Malvin says that these days there is no security in worldly matters (money, home, jobs, governments and the like, even the very ground that we walk upon) and that the only thing we can ever really rely upon and that will bring us any long-term and lasting happiness is our own peace of mind. It is this peace of mind toward which all the great teachers and religions of the world, and even our life experience, direct us. It is that peace of mind that ensures happy future lives, along with this one. Read more on the Cancer Solar Fest!
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Moon Wobble Strikes! Well we got through the solstice with only minor disruptions, but now we have a new Prime Minister in Australia, Julia Gillard, who has been raised to her now august heights in a "palace coup" that has overthrown the prev. champ PM Kevin Rudd, in his first term. Gosh. Evidently the Labor Party feels that Kev has lost his rev. Hmm. 10 days before the Moon Wobble on Jul 4. And on the wider stage, General McChrystal has just been fired from his job as head honcho of the NATO troops in Afghanistan, for being insubordinate to Pres. Obama. Now they have put Gen. Petraeus in charge of the glorious war for peace. Happy St John's Day! The fall of the mighty is on already, and the eclipses have hardly poked their heads above the trenches. What will happen next? Not only that but our website has lost control of its SSI function, so our navigation system has gone Kaput! Thanks, DreamHost. Let's hope we can fix that before the eclipse, which is right on my Part of Fortune. Ugh. Eclipses are associated with a phenomenon known as the "Moon Wobble". This is a regular cosmic shuffle that occurs when the cosmos grinds its teeth every 86.5 days on average. They seem to be the regular triggers for terrestrial disasters, whether natural (earthquakes; tidal waves; eruptions etc) or manmade (wars; terrorism; crashes, etc). If you thought Mercury retrograde was a problem, compare the Moon Wobble! We have been tracking events for some time related to these, which you can see if you check out The Moon Wobble, at least, you will if the SSI is back up!
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Cosmic Clash! It's a uniquely fascinating time for an astrologer, as the cosmic aspects this year focus strongly on the Cardinal Signs and Cancer in particular. Disruptive Uranus allied with mighty Jupiter at the Aries point do battle with stern Saturn as the Sun and Moon clash, aligned with Mercury versus Pluto at the lunar eclipse on Jun 26, closely followed by a solar eclipse in Cancer at the new Moon on Jul 11, just as the World Cup in South Africa comes to a close. And what a World Cup it's been, at least so far! Talk about the fall of the mighty! We are now in the countdown and it's all up for grabs, as the solstice takes us under the reign of creative, nurturing Cancer, the sign of deep emotions, family feeling and a moody, moon-ruled mind. Cancer is the fourth sign of the tropical zodiac. As we celebrate the ingress into Cancer, the cardinal water sign, we are focused on exploring the deep and fascinating world of astrology and relationships. Cancer the Crab, our featured Sign of the month has a sensual, caring and nurturesome approach to life. Cancerian people love to travel, but they are always deeply attached to home and family. Cancerians are very emotional, but they can seem to have a hard shell, which protects the tender inner world into which they can retire without any warning. Cancerians are moody, for they respond most readily to the phases of the Moon. They are adventurous and passionate lovers, but they have a strong sense of ownership, so flirts beware! Their inclination is to gather their friends and family about them and surround them with a thick, protective castle wall, for the Cancerian is naturally acquisitive and loves to build up wealth and security. Read about Cancer and all the other signs right here on our website: click here
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New Free On Line Chart Wizard! Hey, we are now able to offer an instant horoscope wizard! Excellent. It is superbly accurate, using the Swiss Ephemeris, and best of all, it's completely free! Now you can calculate your own horoscope chart, free, on line and in a flash—to find your true rising sign, Moon sign, and all the other planets—with our handy new chart calculator. You can even see where the upcoming eclipse hits your own chart (hint: it's in Capricorn, then the following Solar Eclipse is in Cancer). Check out our New Free Chart Wizard!
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Important Lunar Eclipse on June 26. The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is always a powerful emotional experience. It happens this year on June 26th, 2010 at 4°50' Capricorn, a Cardinal sign, with the Sun on the mid-heaven in Cancer, another Cardinal sign—the Sun and Moon are always opposed at a Lunar Eclipse. It's a potent one, so I am posting this a bit earlier than usual. The Moon is exactly conjunct Pluto (obstruction; transformation), while Saturn (karma; restriction; sorrow) is rising conjunct the ascendant, closely opposing Uranus (disruption) and Jupiter (leadership; fortune), which are setting in Aries, another Cardinal sign. An angular Grand Cross is formed, superimposed upon a Grand Trine! This is a foretaste of the complex Cardinal Climax phase that is forming in the heavens, climaxing on July 31, a rare occurrence indeed and one which will have powerful effects upon the world and those who dwell therein. It makes intense contacts with the US chart, the UK chart, the EC (European Community, now the European Union) chart, the Federal Reserve and the Wall Street charts; not to mention the Australia chart! Read more on the Lunar Eclipse.
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The Solstice. The word "Solstice" in English derives from the Latin "Sol" + "systere", meaning "Sun" + "standing still". How can the Sun stand still? Well, as the Ancients discovered and calibrated using remarkable prehistoric observatories such as Stonehenge in the south-west of England, the Sun seems to travel (decline) ever so slightly southward in the ecliptic each day for some six months of the year, beginning in June. The Sun appears to stand still at the solsticial points over the Tropics for about three days, with the actual entry of the Sun into Cancer this year on June 21 11°30 UT, but bear in mind that the Solstice is a process, not an instant. The process is eternally repeated, though due to the phenomenon known as the precession of the Equinoxes, the actual starting point moves back slightly from year to year and this has given us the Ages of the World, such as the one we are soon to enter, the Age of Aquarius. Read more about the Solstice.
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St John the Baptist's Day. June 24, marking the birth of Saint John the Baptist, is St John's Day, a major Christian Feast marking the Solstice. It is also an important Masonic one, as the two Saints John (the Baptist and the Evangelist) are cornerstones of Freemasonry. The symbolic role for John in Christianity is to act as the "tanist" or sacrifical twin for Jesus: the dark twin of the summer solstice (John) being replaced by the light twin at the winter solstice (Jesus). It is one of the "quarter days", signalling the beginning of each quarter of the year and welcoming each of the four seasons. These holidays were communally celebrated during the "Age of Faith", reassigned from already established astrologically-based pagan festivities. More on St John the Baptist's Day.
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Midsummer. Mike Nichols presents his view of Midsummer, the traditional festival on June 24 designed to celebrate the solstice. Mike outlines the history, customs and meaning of the holiday, which is still celebrated around the solstice, as well as on the symbolic birthday of St John the Baptist, the tanist or "twin" of Jesus Christ viewed as solar hero. One of the eight sacred days of the year, holidays such as Midsummer were communally celebrated during the "Age of Faith", reassigned from already established astrologically-based pagan festivities. Just as the Pagan Midwinter celebration of Yule was adopted by Christians as “Christmas” (December 25), so too the Pagan Midsummer celebration was adopted by them as the Feast of John the Baptist (June 24). Occurring 180 degrees apart on the wheel of the year, the Midwinter celebration commemorates the birth of Jesus, while the Midsummer celebration commemorates the birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce his arrival. Read more about Midsummer.
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OMG. We've been Gematriculated... Again! It seems the worse I get at running this website, the better it rates on the magickal mystery scale of the Gematriculator. Since we were first calumniated by the Gematriculator back in 2009, we have been getting less and less evil, according to Dr Panin. Dedicated readers will recall that before Christmas last year we were rated 66% evil, then in Feb 2010, we had become a mere 21% evil, but now, we have risen to the august heights of only 16% evil! OMG, that's 84% good! Here's what they say "The Gematriculator is a service that uses the infallible methods of Gematria (developed by Dr. Ivan Panin in 1890) to determine how good or evil a web site or a text passage is. Basically, Gematria is searching for different patterns through the text, such as the amount of words beginning with a vowel. If the amount of these matches is divisible by a certain number, such as 7 (which is said to be God's number), there is an incontestable argument that the Spirit of God is ever present in the text. Experts consider the mathematical patterns in the text of the Holy Bible as God's watermark of authenticity. Thus, the Gematriculator provides only results that are absolutely correct." As I mentioned at the time, it's a little-known fact that the Bible and nearly all ancient scriptures can be understood numerically and symbolically, rather than literally. The qabbalistical art of Gematria was used by the authors to encode deep layers of meaning into a great deal of otherwise incomprehensible or strangely unlikely events contained in scripture. Numbers are deep! BTW, our new article on Ceres, the Great Mother, is rated 42% evil. So the goddesses are not so popular with Dr Panin—but our article on Jupiter, the King of the Gods, gets an even more offhand response: 56% evil! Cor. Incidentally, if numbers now have you hooked, you can order a numerological analysis and forecast from our beloved Lyn on our order page here.
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Jupiter, Lord of the Gods. The shuddering of the cosmos as it switches gear is almost palpable! Jupiter, mighty Lord of Fortune and cosmic schemer extaordinaire, has moved temporarily from his home in the greenery of lusicious Pisces, to the fiery landscape of Aries, the aggressive sign of the Ram. In mythology Jupiter (consciousness; civilisation; the higher mind) overcame his titanic father, wily Saturn (earth-centred pre-consciousness; natural cycles; edenic awareness), just as Saturn had overcome his own father, Uranus, the creative power emerging from Chaos. Now Saturn and Jupiter are battling again, with Uranus cheering him on. The cycles of Saturn and Jupiter mark turning points in the history of humanity, and this is one of them, with Jupiter on the Aries point. Read more on Jupiter and listen to the song of Jupiter on this site.
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Ceres, the Great Mother. The Monthly Moonbeam forecasts are now all on line. Thanks, Neil! It's quite a month ahead, and not only is there a Lunar and a Solar Eclipse in the offing, but some massive cosmic aspects as well. Ceres, the Great Mother, first discovered in 1801 and now designated a "Dwarf Planet", is retrograde and moving back into Sagittarius on June 7, in the midst of this planetary kerfuffle. Ceres is a mighty mythological force that has now been harnessed by modern-day astrologers. She has two distinct sides: one as bountiful mother of the grain (and the poppy!), bringing the earth blessings—and the other as gruesome harbinger of sorrow and revenge, often seen prominent in disaster charts. I have just posted a brief outline of her moody character. Check out Ceres, the Great Mother.
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More Monthly Moonbeam. Well, now that Neil has recovered from the flu and has started sending in the monthlies, a severe cyclone and tornado has struck the north coast of NSW, where he is huddling under an umbrella with his true love, Jude. No doubt just a foretaste of the upheavals in the cosmos coming up. Nevertheless, some forecasts have arrived. [Actually, I just rang him and it turns out he is still alive and busy on his laptop with Libra.] It seems that wild weather affects us astrologers, as our beloved Sue Hopper's life was turned upside down by Hurricane Charley in 2004. I will mention again that Neil had to move house at the end of April. He's still living in a motel, so if anyone has any moderately-priced accommodation available on or near the North Coast of NSW, please contact us urgently. In the meantime, read your month ahead, so long as you are between Aries and Virgo in the zodiac... More on line soon.
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Monthly Moonbeam. It's a dangerous month ahead, according to the cosmos, and one of the first casualties has been the timely delivery of our Monthly Moonbeam. Unfortunately, thanks to a week in bed with a horrible case of the flu, Neil's forecasts for the month of June are running late. I spoke to him on the phone this morning and he seems to have recovered, promising to deliver the forecasts later today, whereupon we will format them and place them on line for your enjoyment. As I mentioned last month, Neil had to move house at the end of April. He's still living in a motel, so if anyone has any moderately-priced accommodation available on or near the North Coast of NSW, please contact us urgently. In the meantime, check out your Monthly Tarotscopes, by Lili Rosace, for a tasty, mystical slant on your month ahead.
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Jupiter Enters Aries, Jun 6. Every year, mighty Jupiter, Lord of Fortune, moves from one sign to the next, setting the stage of human consciousness for the ensuing year. We discussed this in January, but 2010 is an unusual year. In the first half, Jupiter powered through Pisces in less than six months, crossing into fiery Aries on June 6 for a three-month visit till September 9. At almost the same time (May 28, only hours after the Full Moon in Sagittarius) disruptive Uranus moves into Aries too, for a visit lasting until August 14. Aries is a Fire Sign, eager and ready to run! In fact it's time to rerun the article, as the Aries Point, the first degree of Aries, is the beginning of the tropical zodiac—a very potent position. Jupiter forms a conjunction with Uranus at the Aries Point on June 6, showing that individual freedom and independence becomes an issue as the world veers down an entirely unexpected path. Group consciousness may overwhelm the individual, threatening personal freedom, for restrictive Saturn opposes this conjunction, which also heralds a Grand Cross in cardinal signs, associated with the lunar and solar eclipses in June and July. Jupiter versus Saturn. Phew! Check out the big switch. Read the Jupiter Transit.
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Asteroid Update Some asteroids, notably Ceres (now reclassified as a "dwarf planet"), Pallas, Juno and Vesta, have been found to have astrological value, especially with relation to women's issues and the development of influences more related to the feminine side and the power of the goddess. Orbiting the Sun in a belt between Mars and Jupiter are thousands of cosmic boulders, some as little as a few meters across and some reasonably large. Ceres, the largest and first to be discovered, measures almost 1000 km in diameter, so it would fit nicely into Texas and is slightly larger than France. I have been adding some material to our asteroid section, especially on Ceres, the Great Mother, which now deserves an article of its own (under preparation).
Interestingly, Bode's Law predicts that a planet should be found where we now see the asteroid belt and in 1801 Giuseppe Piazzi, following Bode's formula, discovered Ceres—thinking he had found a new planet. Indeed, the first four asteroids to be discovered were classified as planets, though they were later demoted to asteroids in the 1850's when it had become clear there were so many of them. Speculation has it that the asteroid belt may be made up of the remnants of a large disintegrated planet; or perhaps these are the pieces from which a planet will one day coalesce. Science is unsure. Chiron, on the other hand, orbits much further out, between Saturn and Uranus, so is not usually called an asteroid, because it is not in the "belt" between Mars and Jupiter. Read more on the Asteroids.
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Two Way Street?? Glorious Gemini, the sign of communication, gossip and a wicked sense of fun, is the third sign of the tropical zodiac. As we celebrate the ingress into Gemini, the mutable air sign on May 21, we are focused on exploring the deep and fascinating world of astrology and relationships. Gemini, the Twins, our featured Sign of the month has a lively, vivacious and witty approach to life. Gemini people love to enjoy life to the full, but they are always on the lookout for anything new and different.
Geminians are wonderfully exciting people, who are usually the life of the party. Geminians are mercurial and all too easily bored, but a charming and witty manner lets them get away with just about anything, short of murder! This said, they are really rather more interested in talking about it than in actually doing it, if the truth be known. Gemini loves to talk about it, so the way to the Geminian heart is through the head. Their inclination is to express their emotions in words, filtering their feelings through their intellect. Read about Gemini and all the other signs right here on our website: click here.
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Mercury Turns Direct May 11. Mercury turns direct today, after a period of retrograde motion that began on Apr 18. The swift Messenger of the Gods turns direct at 2°41' Taurus, still in the sign of the Bull. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the zodiac. It's been a humungous period of disruption, as anyone can see by watching the daily news, including the airline chaos, the Greece financial catastrophe, floods & tornados in the US, oil disaster in the Gulf, change of govt in the UK and catatonia from me and Neil, but everything finally straightens out on May 28, as Merc passes the shadow point where he first turned retrograde. Phew! Check out Mercury Retrograde.
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New Rising Sign Wizard! Your Ascendant, or Rising Sign, is the sign rising over the horizon at your time and place of birth. This affects your self-image and physical appearance, setting the pattern of your astrological houses, for it is always the first house of the twelve. This is a key element of your character, but one that is not often recognised in this age of the Sun Sign. Even twins born as little as five minutes apart could have different ascendants, which would make a real difference in their horoscopes and so in their personalities. It's far from easy to calculate, due to the complex math and number of tables needed, but now, we've made it simple, so get yours now with our new free online Rising Sign Wizard!
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Monthlies Updated! Predicting the future using the horoscope is one of the traditional uses of Astrology. Horoscopes are used by millions today, as a way of forecasting the trends. Not only dailies, but also weekly, monthly and yearly forecasts are available on this site. I thought I'd let you know that the Monthly Moonbeam, Neil's astrology forecasts for the month of May are all on line now. We apologise for the tardy delivery, but thanks to the peculiarities of life under a retro Mercury, Neil had to move house at the end of the month. Ugh. Now he's living in motel, so if anyone has any moderately-priced accommodation available on or near the North Coast of NSW, please contact us urgently. In the meantime, check out your Monthly Moonbeam by our travelling astrologer, Neil Giles.
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Tarotscopes Updated! and Dailies Updated. We have now updated our Tarotscopes from Lili Rosace, which are beautiful forecasts for the month of May, based on the energies of the Sun signs as reflected in the Tarot Cards. You'll enjoy them. We have also updated the daily forecasts by Rob Tillett for the first week of the month. Great stuff! Unfortunately, we are not yet up to speed with the Monthly Moonbeam forecasts by Neil Giles, as Neil has been under a lot of pressure lately and is moving house this weekend, so is running behind with his accurate, well-written monthly forecasts for May. Doh! But we hope to have them on line ASAP. Check out the Monthly Tarotscopes by Lili Rosace.
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Wesak Festival Comes Early in 2010. Malvin Artley, our regular esoteric commentator, presents his commentary on the Wesak Festival, 2010, the celebration of the Buddha. This is Taurus's Full Moon, as the Moon is full in the sign opposing the Sun. The Full Moon of Taurus (the Full Moon at Scorpio 8º 07') takes place on the 28th of April 2010 at around 12:20 UT (GMT). Wesak celebrations will also be held in May, but the key point is the Full Moon in Scorpio, which comes early this year. He writes that the fullness of the experience of the more or less permanent opening of the wisdom eye (for that is what the 'eye of the Bull' actually represents) is a very specific milestone on the road to enlightenment. Taurus leads us to the very portal of the first true initiatory experience, the first full direct experience (beyond all human thought and conception) of the clear light (the light of the higher nature), the Transfiguration experience or Initiation. More on the Wesak Festival.
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Mother's Day. The second Sunday in May (May 9, 2010) is Mother's Day, a day we traditionally set aside for honouring the role of the feminine in our lives. What better day could we pick for sending our healing prayers and energy to Mother Earth, the Great Mother that nurtures us all? The earliest known tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Ancient Greeks dedicated to the great goddess Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the Olympians. These celebrations were mirrored in the offerings ancient Romans made to the Great Mother Goddess, Cybele. Ceremonies in her honour began some 250 years before the birth of Christ, but the modern Mother's Day began in the US some 150 years ago and was designated a holiday in 1914. More on Mother's Day.
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Is Astrology Scientific? It's been a pretty stressful time lately, so I have been spending time updating some older articles, including the "What is Astrology" section, the Glossary and so on. I've been doing plenty of research, writing the Dailies and doing personal horoscopes. Gotta make money somehow.. And taking The Boy to his rugby matches. They won their first match of the season, on Saturday. Yay! The latest thing I have been working on is the question: "Is Astrology Scientific?" Most of us here probably have a view one way or the other, but whether it matters much is a question for theorists and sceptics; I mean, is music or art scientific? Astrology is a vast kernel of beauty and knowledge, wrapped in a shell of systematic, scientific and mathematical techniques. It was originally an inspired and intuitive creation by unknown geniuses hundreds of years before the Common Era; gradually fleshed out during the Hellenistic period, improved by Arab and Persian scientists in the Middle Ages, then expanded by Renaissance thinkers and English practitioners such as Lilly and Culpeper. It declined in the West during the so-called Enlightenment of the 18th Century, but the flowering of astrology began afresh in modern times, with the development of psychological and esoteric astrology, the invention of advanced techniques, and a revival of interest in hitherto lost or abandoned ancient systems. So is astrology scientific? Yes, and no. To read more click here.
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Taurus, the Bull! Taurus, our featured Sign of the month is attractive and magnetic. Practical, reliable Taureans are great lovers of sensual pleasures, although they do tend to be rather stubborn, possessive and conservative. Firmly anchored in the material world, Taurus has a fine grasp of what is needed in order to lead the good life. Ruled by Venus, Taureans are often quite musical and artistic, and can make great singers! They have personal magnetism and are able to draw others into their circle, rather than actively seeking them out. In other words, while they are very fond of members of the opposite sex, they prefer to be courted. Read about Taurus and all the other signs right here on our website: click here.
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Mercury Turns Retrograde April 18. Mercury turns retrograde today. It has been a problematic few weeks since the shadow phase began on April 4, which has been associated with a major geomagnetic storm on April 5 and the moon-wobble on April 6. This has seen some potent natural disasters, most notably the earthquake in China which has killed and injured thousands, and the volcanic eruption in Iceland that has thrown global airtravel, especially to Europe, into chaos. The actual retro phase (I mean, not the shadow part) starts today, with Mercury's station at 04:06 UT (Universal Time) Sunday, April 18th, 2010, as Mercury turns retrograde at 12°37' Taurus, in the sign of the Bull. Communications, travel, appointments, mail and the www can expect a general snarlup! The retro period lasts for three weeks or so, until May 11, 2010, when the Winged Messenger reaches his direct station. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the zodiac. Everything finally straightens out on May 28, as he passes the point where he first turned retrograde. Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. This period brings travel snafus and missed appointments of all kinds. Documents can go astray. Check out Mercury Retrograde.
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Moon Wobble Hits Hard. Although the peak of the moon-wobble phase is over for a few months (it was at max. on Apr 6 when Sun in Aries squared the Moon's Nodes), the natural disasters, floods, quakes, eruptions and the like continue unabated in the wake of a massive geomagnetic storm on Apr 5. I have not drawn it to your attention till now, but have been updating the disaster story as it happens. There are also manmade horrors, as for example the loss of much of Poland's elite, including President Lech Kaczynski and the top brass in a horrifying plane-crash in Russia. Another fearsome earthquake has struck Western China, mudslides kill hundreds in Brazil, quakes rattle the US and Mexico, a volcanic eruption in Iceland that has disrupted thousands of travellers to Europe, costing airlines hundreds of millions of dollars per day,etc. The regular triggers for terrestrial disasters, whether natural (earthquakes; tidal waves; eruptions etc) or manmade (wars; terrorism; crashes, etc) seem to be the eclipses and the Moon Wobble. Watch out for the next one, in June/July 2010, with the eclipse. If you thought Mercury retrograde was a problem, compare the Moon Wobble! Read more about the Moon Wobble.
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Aries Solar Festival. Malvin Artley, our regular esoteric commentator, looks at Pandora's Jar and the Path to Enlightenment as he presents the subtle meaning of the Full Moon in Libra for 2010. This is known as the Festival of the Risen Christ, being Aries's Full Moon, as the Moon is full in the sign opposing the Sun. He asks "Why is the spiritual path so difficult at times?" And he answers, "Well, it is so precisely because we misconstrue what is actually happening with our process of trying to free ourselves from the wheel of life and death. We try to remain attached to what we have known, subtle as it may be." Aries is the sign of moving forward into the light, a Power Sign. The Full Moon of Aries (the Full Moon at Libra 09º 17') takes place on the 30th of March 2010 at around 02:25 UT (GMT). Read more about the Aries Solar Festival.
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Beltane. Mike Nichols, a leading figure in the Pagan Movement, presents an alternative view of May Day, the wild, ancient festival of fertility and sexuality celebrated on May 1. Yes, Beltane rocks! A cross-quarter day and one of the grand ancient holidays, Mike outlines the history, customs and meaning of the holiday, originally named for the great Roman fertility goddess, Maia. Check out Beltane.
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May Day. The merry month of May is nearly here! Did you know that across Europe in pagan times, May Day (May 1) was a festival of fertility complete with singing, dancing and orgiastic abandon? Also known as Beltaine (Bealtaine, the Irish name for May), these wild rites were meant to bring fertile blessings from the local spirits to the community for the coming year! Nowadays there's a political May Day and bank holiday. Guns and Roses.. Check out May Day.
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Year of the White Tiger. It's well into the Year of the White (Metal) Tiger for 2010, but better late than never. Mea culpa... However, at last we can get the gen from our esoteric astrologer and Chinese Astrology expert Malvin Artley, as he brings us the meanings of the Chinese Year of the Tiger in 2010. Tiger years are traditionally ones of great change and innovation, and we will see some of that this year. The Chinese New Lunar Year began on February 14, 2010, in association with the New Moon Eclipse in Aquarius, but the effects for all of us cover the whole of the twelve months ahead. Click to check out Malvin's take on 2010, the Year of the White Tiger.
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Mercury Turns Retrograde April 18. Although it's a way off yet, I am posting a warning about Mercury turning retrograde a bit earlier than usual. With retro Saturn sneaking back into Virgo on April 7, we can expect more problems than usual, and many astrologers consider that the "Mercury Shadow" phase begins on April 4, when Merc passes the point of direct station for the first time. But the actual station is at 04:06 UT (Universal Time) Sunday, April 18th, 2010, when Mercury turns retrograde at 12°37' Taurus, in the sign of the Bull, sending communications, travel, appointments, mail and the www into a general snarlup! The retro period lasts for three weeks or so, until May 11, 2010, when the Winged Messenger reaches his direct station. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the zodiac. Everything finally straightens out on May 28, as he passes the point where he first turned retrograde. Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. This period brings travel snafus and missed appointments of all kinds. Documents can go astray. Check out Mercury Retrograde.
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The Planets. In the earliest days of civilisation, when people first began to pay attention to the lights in the sky, they soon noticed that most of these lights seemed to hold their relative positions in a quite steadfast way. These they called the "fixed stars". Others, including the Sun and the Moon, seemed to follow a livelier, more random pattern. These they called "planets", or wanderers. Each planet symbolises particular sides of our character; for example, Mars stands for action and passion, Jupiter stands for fortune and higher thought, and so on. Planets are located symbolically in the chart: the signs and houses filter their energies through the planets, much as a coloured lens filters the image thrown by a stage-light, or received by a camera. It's the way cosmos communicates its intent! In modern times, new planets have been discovered, so I've updated this page to include glyphs and comments on Chiron, Ceres, and also the Moon's nodes (which are not new, but not really true planets, either, although they have planetary strength!). Read more on the The Planets.
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