Eclipse Season: The Lunar Eclipse on 7 September at 15 Virgo is intense and while there’s always the chance that it presents significant opportunity to make some dramatic changes for the better, it’s more likely to express itself through dramatic challenges first. With Uranus in Pisces creating victims and martyrs of revolution (it rises with the Moon in London), it’s conjunction with Moon suggests there’s still more pain for the people in countries at war. It will require considerable discrimination (Sun in Virgo) to separate right thinking from those who simply believe they are right. At the same time, the methods employed to put those points across will be scrutinised as never before. The intense polarities in this chart leaves little to the imagination, standoffs everywhere and with oppositions from Virgo to Pisces what’s no longer of service should be abandoned but there will be yet more victims and oppressors. Saturn begins to pull away from it’s opposition to Neptune, but only just. I think I’ll stay home that evening, Mars hits the Solar Eclipse spot 30 Virgo with this Full Moon, it’s all so…uh, provocative.

A Solar Eclipse follows on 22 September in the last degree of Virgo, how explicit can it get! This critical degree, in arguably the most critical sign, conjunct the South Node and square recently turned direct Pluto is certainly trying to tell us something…a not-so-subtle cosmic wake-up call to clean up our act. The Moon moves quickly into Libra little more than an hour later. The Autumnal Equinox occurs the next day, 23 September, joining the Moon, Mars and Mercury in Libra. The build-up to the October lunations begin immediately! If we don’t learn to co-operate and to share, to discuss the problems that affect us all, things look like getting a lot harder before they get better. Many wars begin in the sign of Libra, what’s fair, who’s not sharing water, power, money (In London the Moon, Mars and Mercury are all in the mundane 2nd house) and Uranus opposes the Ascendant. So much mutable energy is activated…mixed reactions abound along with ambivalence, indecision, uncertainty, lack of clarity and changing information are top of the menu, and with such polarity, more blame and finger pointing. It’s tuff to be optimistic but I keep trying.

Who Gets Hit? Lots of countries, but, and you probably aren’t expecting this, Mongolia! Hmmm. And it began with the 29 March 2006 eclipse at 9 Aries (conjunct Mongolia’s Chiron in the 10th—the leader with a bad reputation—keep reading), in fact, the eclipse path ended there. In September, the Lunar Eclipse picks up Mongolia’s Sun and October lunations trigger natal Mars, Venus and the lunar nodes. In July this year there were celebrations in Ulan Bator (the capital) marking the 800th anniversary of Genghis Khan’s march to world conquest. But have a look at that March eclipse path…it broadly covers the very countries he invaded in the 13th century Russia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Syria, eventually forming the Mongol Empire! Modern Mongolia faces it’s own challenges, primarily economic. Perhaps the stimulation to the points in Aries and Libra will bring improvements.

Mongolia: 3 March 1921, 4:55 GMT, Kyakhta, USSR, 50 N 25, 106 E 10, Asc 11 Cancer.

Which brings us back to a major theme of this 2006…the May 2000 Jupiter Saturn conjunction at 23 Taurus (I’m so ready to see the back of this one). On 25 October 2006, they make their final opening square, Jupiter at 24 Scorpio (opposite the 2000 conjunction) and Saturn at 24 Leo. The square has been going on since late last year and almost everyone has accepted that changes to our way of life—especially in the western world—and unavoidable and absolutely necessary. So much has happened in the years since the conjunction but the primary feature of the square highlights the acceptance, at last, by the general public, and most governments, that we must learn to make much better use of our natural resources. It’s a matter of survival and the health of planet Earth.

Headlines around the world confirm this changing awareness. A call for aircraft fuel taxes, a plea for tourists to stop taking cheap flights (this may take some time…’how you gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Paree’ is problematic to say the least, personal carbon footprints and so much more. There’s also an increasing distance between the rich and everybody else. The rich can afford to be ‘green’ a few more pounds or dollars on their flights won’t make much difference to them, nor will the cost of organic groceries and wine, solar panels or hybrid fuel cars. It’s the erosion of better economies and living conditions acquired by so many nations, in the second half of the 20th century. Maybe the scariest thing is the sinking middle class, squeezed between the wealthy and the poorest, they’re paying the heaviest price, literally, for everything they’ve managed to acquire in the last 50 years.

Meanwhile Pluto in Sag seems to be transforming some developing countries, in reverse—back to 3rd world status, encouraged by fundamentalist religious leaders hijacking believers and turning them away from the 20th century ideals. Peace is another resource that’s being eroded and, in those places, a hard-won better quality of life is fading, too. It will NOT get easier anytime soon. Pluto is non-negotiable.

The tension heightens dramatically in September adding more pressure to the fighting in the middle east. Lebanon is not ‘represented’ by Hezbolla but whether it is or not, there is little doubt that the destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure is the result of the antagonism between Hezbolla and Israel. Hezbolla said it crossed the border and kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers on 12 July 2006 to gain bargaining power for the release of Palestinians now in jail. Israel was incensed by the breach of its border and, in what appeared to be a massive over-reaction, bombed the living shit out of southern Lebanon. Now its airport and infrastructure are in ruins and the citizens of Lebanon have been subjected to vicious air and ground attacks. And this following 10 years of Lebanese restoration and democracy, of a sort. Syria could well enter that fray, having already said, in early August, it would support the insurrection. It’s worth bearing in mind that both Lebanon and Syria have almost identical charts, both contain a dramatic, dangerous conjunction of Uranus and Mars at 5 ½ Gemini. Both countries also have the natal Moon at 15 Pisces, the exact location of the September’s Full Moon.

Lebanon: 1 January 1944, 0:00 EET (-2), Beirut, 33 N 53, 35 E 30. Asc 13 Libra.

Israel: 15 May 1948, 0:00 EET, Tel Aviv, 32 N 03, 34 E 45. Asc 14 Aquarius.

Syria: 1 January 1944, 0:00 EET, Damascus, 33 N 30, 36 E 18. Asc 14 Libra.

 

Poland: This country, also hit by the eclipses, is seeing double, perhaps not surprising with the Moon in Gemini and, despite a promise to the contrary, identical twins Lech and Jaroslav Kaczynski now share government power, Lech as President, sworn in 23 Dec 2005 and his brother Jaroslav was sworn in as Prime Minister on 10 July 2006. And yes astrologers, they’re Geminis born 18 June 1949, Warsaw, time unknown. Poland’s Mars is at 14 Virgo, conjunct the MC, it’s Mercury is 28 Virgo. Poles are dubious about this double act, especially the reasons that made the appointment of a new Prime Minister necessary. This story has yet to unfold.

Poland: 24 August 1989, 13:05, CED (-2), Warsaw, 52 N 15, 21 E 00. Asc 19 Scorpio.

 

Cuba: Fidel Castro’s illness forced him to hand over power on 31 July, to his brother Raul, after 47 years in absolute control. Although Fidel might be on the mend, many believe he’ll never rule again, however, the initial cheers from the exiled Cuban community may have been premature and we don’t know exactly what was wrong with him. Castro’s actual birthday is disputed. Some say 12 August 1926, some say 13 August 1926 and Courtney Conrad Roberts in StarIQ uses 12 August 1927. What we DO know is that Neptune is definitely opposing his Sun…how confusingly appropriate...and that tr Saturn conjoins his Sun in September. A 1926 birthday places his natal Saturn at 20 Scorpio, tr Jupiter will be there in October. In 1926, his Jupiter would be at 23 Aquarius, tr Jupiter will square it in October. If 1927, his Moon is in Aquarius and his 2P Jupiter is Rx in late Pisces. Whichever, all that activity with transiting Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune looks, sounds and smells like goodbye. And if his progressed Jupiter is involved, the Solar Eclipse might be his finale. Fidel: see above.

Cuba: 2 January 1959, 1:00 EST (+5), Havana, 23 N 08, 82 W 22. Asc 18 Libra.

 

Nepal: Earlier this year the possibility of anarchy seemed inevitable as Nepal’s progressed Moon reached natal Pluto and lots else. Events have been less anarchic and more interesting of late. King Gyanendra, who seemed unable/unwilling to make needed changes for the good of the country, was forced to bring back a parliamentary democracy, no longer commands the army, (tr Mars in Cancer opposite Nepal’s natal Mars in Capricorn in the 10th), has to pay taxes and in early August, was forced to give most of his land back to the country. In a startling development, on 19 May with tr Chiron in Aquarius conjunct natal Nepal’s Mercury in the 11th house and tr Moon exactly opposite natal Moon in Leo and tr Saturn conjunct the natal Moon, Nepal became a Secular Country and is no longer a Hindu state. Nepali Kings have always been considered the embodiment of Hindu god, Vishnu, Gyanendra, although still King, has been stripped of his god-like status. Gyanendra was crowned in 2001, in somewhat dubious circumstances, shortly after the Jupiter Saturn conjunction, as they square off his powers have been seriously diminished. Now let’s see what the people get and how the Maoists behave.

Nepal: 24 February 1975, 3:07 GMT, Kathmandu, 27 N 45, 85 E 25. Asc 22 Aries.

King Gyanendra: 7 July 1947, Kathmandu, Time Unknown.

 

Afghanistan: Rebuilding the Bamiyan Buddhas? Also in 2001, just weeks before the Jupiter Saturn conjunction the famous Bamiyan Buddhas, a world heritage site, were blown up by the Taliban. The Full Moon, 9 August 2006, brought news that there’s hope and money for the ancient statues to be resurrected. UNESO, the UN’s cultural agency, has $1.3 million, currently helping an international community of workers to clear and the sort the rubble…all that was left of the awe-inspiring monuments. Tr Jupiter reaches the final square to tr Saturn when it opposes the 2001 conjunction from 24 Scorpio. In August it’s unclear if agreement will be reached to re-construct the statues but as tr Mercury joins tr Jupiter, we hope there will be big news by October.

Afghanistan: 17 July 1973, 0:00 CET (-4.30), Kabul, 34 N 31, 69 E 12. Asc 9 Taurus.

 

Britain’s Museums Disappearing. It’s disturbing, museums up and down the nation are putting their collections into storage and closing down, with more being considered for closure. Historic institutions are being neglected by cash-strapped local authorities. Tr Neptune has been back and forth over the UK Venus at (17 Aquarius) in the 5th for years and here comes tr Saturn, once more to oppose natal Venus and tr Neptune again. As this is a 5th house matter for the UK, why the lottery hasn’t been funding them? Speculate to accumulate and all that? When these physical collections are just memories, people will find it more and more difficult to understand and appreciate the past. You cannot understand the past from cyberspace alone, you just can’t.

 

Madonna’s getting a lot of stick about her new show with thorny crown and crucifixion. Her 7 August performance in Rome drew an audience of 70,000 in general the fans loved her but the Pope’s representative called her act blasphemous. Tr Mars had just crossed her Ascendant and hit her Moon. With tr Jupiter opposing her Mars in the 9th and tr Neptune on her Chiron in the 6th, squaring Mars, the Vatican isn’t the only place that objects to her work. Scheduled to perform in Moscow on 11 September, a few days after the Lunar Eclipse, there’s quite a reaction, albeit mixed, from clerics of several faiths, including Muslims and the Russian Orthodox Church, most suggest the fans stay away. As if! There’s more. Her attempt to donate several million dollars to UNICEF for a children’s project in Malawi, might be rejected, Uranus in Pisces transiting her 7th house opposite her natal Moon (12 Virgo) and her Asc (9 Virgo), because the project she supports has direct ties to Kabbalah. Her work (natal Mars square Chiron and Uranus, tr Jupiter completing a fixed square) is, yet again, causing ructions around the world. She sure knows how to stir it up (I bet an astrologer sends her on tour in time with the eclipses) and she gets the best free advertising in the world.

Madonna: 16 August 1958, 7:05AM, Bay City, Michigan. 43 N 35, 83 W 53. Data: Clifford 2000.

 

All country charts: Book of World Horoscopes (BWH) unless otherwise noted.