“When you enter birth information into an astrology software program, a Natal chart magically appears. The Natal chart is a two-dimensional (2-D) picture of a particular configuration in the three-dimensional (3-D) cosmos. It’s useful to understand the 3-D cosmological picture and to draw connections with the 2-D Natal chart. I know many of you cringe at the thought of geometry, so we will proceed slowly, step by step.”

In this chapter, I construct a 3-D picture in the cosmos and then portray and discuss the equivalent 2-D natal chart. Geometrically, I show how the astrology houses are determined using the Krusiński method, which is rapidly being adopted for its accuracy and simplicity.

Bogdan Krusiński, a resident of Poland and mechanical engineer / astrologer invented this system in the mid-1990′s. In my conversations with Bogdan, we both felt it was a good idea to put this chapter on Bogdan’s astrology web as the use of 3-D pictures more clearly conveys the Krusiński house system than just using words.

Bogdan and I would both like the astrological community and those new to astrology to understand that this is the only house system that does not distort the sky from the perspective of the birth location – and is geometrically simple and pure as is the rest of the calculations for a natal chart.

You can view chapter 27 in my new book at Bodgan Krusiński’s Astrologia web site.

Enjoy!

The subject was primarily focused on the world-wide major astrological configuration in play and how it relates to our current monetary system.

Please enjoy!

Download audio file (livingjuicy-aug2011.mp3)

You can also download the mp3 file by right (ctrl) clicking on the following link: http://www.usefulastrology.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/livingjuicy-aug2011.mp3

 Astrological Configuration

Astrologically, we are in the midst of a major planetary configuration which will be substantially in effect from 2008 to 2015. The energies of this configuration will be ebbing and peaking several times during this period. Specifically, the configuration continuing through 2015 consists of the planets Saturn, Uranus and Pluto with Neptune, Mars and Jupiter popping into the picture periodically. The last three times we had similar configurations were during the periods of 1929 – 1934 (Great Depression), 1940-1944 (World War II) and from 1964-1967 (civil rights and liberation movement). Even earlier in history this configuration lined up with significant periods such as the American Revolutionary war.

Let’s get a bit more specific and see what these planetary energies are and how they can manifest from the perspective of our monetary system.

There are three major actors in this world-wide planetary configuration whose energies interact strongly with each other. Let’s first look at the individual planetary energies.

• Uranus transitioned from Pisces into Aries in 2010 and is an energy that wants to take the shackles off and break free in a way that advances the world’s sense of compassion, spiritual growth, support of community, fairness, and consciousness of our planet. This energy can be very abrupt and sudden, and will become much stronger starting in the spring of 2010 as it enters Aries and becomes much more ardent. From a monetary perspective, this energy represents the people and wants us to break free from the stranglehold of debt.
• Saturn transitioned from Virgo into Libra in 2010 and is an energy that wants to hold together our major global structures such as our business and banking institutions as well as our governmental structures. Because Saturn is in Libra, one may be tempted to think that this should be all about harmony and balance. Experienced astrologers know much better. Yes, Libra is about harmony and balance – and the path that Libra energy typically flows is to find the balance point by first experiencing the bleeding edges. From the perspective of our monetary system, Saturn would represent our banking and financial institutions.
• Pluto (sometimes also represented as ) transitioned from Sagittarius into Capricorn in 2008 and is an energy that wants to use power to transform – to purge that which isn’t working to make room for new growth and direction. While Pluto had been in Sagittarius for the past decade, the transformational Pluto energy would naturally be directed toward expansion outside the normal boundaries, and when overdone, leading to excesses which are unsustainable. When Pluto entered Capricorn early in 2008, the transformational Pluto energy shifted toward  a sanity check on power, structures and institutions in order to transform and eliminate those that no longer work or are unsustainable. Pluto will remain in Capricorn for about 15 years. From the perspective of our monetary system, Pluto would represent the “shaking up” of those aspects of our monetary system that are no longer serving us.

I also mentioned that Jupiter , Neptune and Mars  come in and out of the picture. When Jupiter periodically comes into play by touching another planet, extra desire for growth and expansion shines onto the affected planet. When Neptune touches another planet, an expanded desire to change the game from confrontation and aggression to heart based approaches shines on the affected planet. When Mars  occasionally comes into the picture, it has the effect of putting the planet it touches on steroids. While Mars has a temporary effect on other planets it touches because it is relatively fast moving, it can at times serve as the “straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

Now let’s put these planetary energies together to see the possibilities. Pluto, Uranus and Saturn are configured in what is known as a T-Square. In this case,  Saturn is opposing () Uranus (i.e. they are opposite each other)  and both of these planets are square to Pluto (i.e. Pluto is 90 degrees from both Saturn and Uranus). Because these planets are at either oppositions or squares with each other, their energies will play out in an environment of tensions, problems and obstacles. Saturn, the fastest moving of these three planets has had its strongest interaction with Uranus and Pluto from 2008 until recently. This is gradually shifting the focus on the Pluto Uranus interaction.

Putting the three major planets together from a monetary perspective, we have Uranus (desire for people to take the shackles of debt off themselves and be liberated) facing off with Saturn (entrenched banking institutions) and both of these energies being squared off with Pluto (an energy that wants to purge that which is no longer working).

Let’s now take a look at our current monetary system.

World Monetary System

To put things into perspective, the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the World is now about $63 trillion. The total USA GDP is about $15 trillion. If we were to add up all the debt owed in the USA by governments, businesses and individuals, it would be around $50 trillion – or more than three times the USA GDP. This is not a very good place to be in.

Where did this $50 trillion come from which was loaned out to the USA at interest? While this happens through a complicated process (i.e. smoke screen), essentially most of the money which is lent to our governments, businesses, and individuals is (1) created out of nothing by the Federal Reserve (private institution) and given to the Federal Reserve banks essentially for free to lend out at interest – and (2) as bank leveraging practices (creating $10 out of nothing for every $1 deposited by savers) which is then lent with interest.

Take for example our total USA federal government debt of approximately $13 trillion. This money was created out of nothing by the Federal Reserve, given to banks (translation: adding $13 trillion to their ledgers by a few keystrokes of a computer) who then lent this money to the USA government at interest. Currently, banking institutions collect approximately $400 billion each year from taxpayers to service the federal government interest payments to the banking institutions (who created the money out of nothing through the Federal Reserve).

I know this sounds bizarre. While I have simplified the very complicated process of money-making out of nothing, this is essentially how it works. So, do you as taxpayers feel like you are getting a good deal?

This is not the way it was always done. When this country was founded and for about 100 years, money was still created out of nothing, but with a very important difference. It was the USA Treasury who created the money out of nothing and lent it directly to fund government debt and provide direct loans to USA businesses and individuals at interest. This is a huge difference because the interest payments went back to the USA Treasury and was used to support government expenditures.

If we were still having the practice today of the USA Treasury loaning the debt money to USA governments, businesses and individuals – and returning the interest to the USA treasury, the interest payments received by the Treasury (i.e. taxpayers money) would be enough to support virtually all of our government expenditures. In other words, there would be no need for an income tax.

Lest you think I’m totally off the wall, there are well respected economists who have crunched the numbers and they support what I am saying. One of my favorite books on this subject is Web of Debt by Ellen Hodgson Brown.

What Will the Outcome Be?

Astrologically, we are living in a several year period from 2008 – 2015 with one energy that wants to take the shackles of debt off to create liberation from oppressive debt (Uranus). At the same time there is another energy which wants the global banking institutions to solidify their power and keep the status quo (Saturn). Finally there is another energy which wants to purge and let go of power/influence which no longer serves in order to create room for new growth (Pluto).

From an astrological perspective, I can not predict the outcome. Astrology provides a sense of the energies in play and does not indicate how they will be directed – and subsequently play out. It could turn out that a major earthquake causes the $1.1 thousand trillion ($1.1 quadrillion) outstanding in derivatives to completely collapse the entire world monetary system – in which case there is a chance we become enlightened and have the Treasury of governments go back to taking full ownership of money creation and lending which will surely take the debt shackles off the people of the world. It could also turn out that our elected leaders become enlightened and work together for a long term solution. Then again, perhaps the entrenched banking and financial institutions cling onto power until this cycle passes. We will find out.

I’d like to end this blog by sharing the time periods over the next 4 years when the energy for transformation is the strongest. During all these dates, we have the very powerful Uranus (liberation) squaring Pluto (transformation).

• End of Dec, 2011: A dose of higher consciousness shining its light on monetary institutions (Neptune trine Saturn; Jupiter opposing Saturn)
• End of June, 2012: Expansiveness of higher consciousness (Neptune square Jupiter)
• Middle of Sept, 2012: Expansiveness of higher consciousness (Neptune trine Saturn)
• Beginning of Oct, 2012: Hidden secrets of institutions revealed (Saturn enters Scorpio)
• End of Nov, 2012: “straw that breaks camel’s back” (Sun trine Uranus; Mars conjunct Pluto)
• End of May, 2013: Expansiveness of higher consciousness (Neptune trine Saturn)
• End of July, 2013: Expansiveness of higher consciousness with increased energy focused on institutions (Neptune trine Jupiter; Mars trine Saturn)
• Beginning of Nov, 2013: Transformational energy on steroids (Mars trine Pluto)
• End of April, 2014: Transformational energy on quadruple steroids (Jupiter square Mars square Pluto square Uranus)
• Middle of March, 2015: Transformational energy on quintuple steroids (Jupiter trine Uranus which is conjunct Mars and square Pluto plus Nepture trine Mars)

It will be interesting to see all this energy unfold – hopefully to make this world a better place for all.

This blog takes you through an actual scenario so you can see one way in which the timing of projects/ventures can be accomplished. Before proceeding, I caution you that this gets a bit technical – in other words – it will make sense to an astrologer and may not make complete sense to the layman. With that in mind……

New Project Specifications

My client wants to launch a new series of exquisite ceramic tea cups for her  business. She would like the venture to be expansive, yet practical in implementation. Furthermore, she would like the energy of creativity and spirituality in her designs. Finally she would like the venture to generate money and grow in sales globally. It is now July 26, 2011 at her location in Santa Fe, NM (MDT) and she would like to launch her venture within the next month.

Astrology Analysis

Let’s do the good news first. As it turns out, the sun is currently in Leo – and the sun rules Leo which is a strong placement in the chart of her venture launch. The sun has the potential to add an energy of creativity, individuality, and personality to her venture. Also, Jupiter (expansiveness, optimism) is in the sign of Taurus (practicality, money) during this time period. Furthermore during this time period, Uranus (sudden insights and breakthroughs) is in Aries (no time like the present). Finally, Saturn (structure, boundaries) is in Libra (harmony, balance, beauty).

The bad news is that Mercury is retrograde from August 2 (9:00 pm MDT) to the 26th of August. Initiating a venture while Mercury is retrograde is not a good idea as it brings an energy of having to re-correct, redo, re-direct and backtracking. So we want to stay away from those dates. That leaves us to explore the launch from today until August 2 which is seven days away. The other constraint is that it is better to initiate a venture or project when the moon is waxing (after the new moon and before the full moon). The moon is currently waning and will not start to wax until Sunday, July 30 at 12:40 pm MDT (new moon).

So now we are constrained to initiating the venture sometime between July 30 (after the new moon) and August 2 (before Mercury retrogrades). This situation is pretty typical in that we need to find the best solution within a handful of constraints.

One option is to launch the venture immediately after the new moon which symbolizes new beginnings. This would be a strong placement of the sun in Leo, but I’m not too keen on the placement of the moon in Leo which is weak. Another option in this short time period is to wait for the moon to work its way into Virgo at approximately the same degree as Leo which would put the sun semisextile (30 degrees – supportive energy) to the moon. The moon in Virgo will add a need for attention to detail as well as continual improvement (not to mention some humbleness) which will help balance the potentially strong ego of the sun in Leo. For that reason, I will opt for the Virgo placement which has the moon/sun semisextile. This is exact on July 1 at 6:12 pm MDT. Looking at the “birth” chart for this time/location, we have Capricorn at the ascendent. Given the nature of my clients business, she would prefer to show herself to the world (ascendent) with more of a Sagittarius energy (optimism, expansive, wide ranging) than a Capricorn energy (seriousness, boundary conscious). Since the ascendent changes sign every two hours, we can adjust the time backwards slightly to lock in a Sagittarius rising energy. I then fine-tuned the times to have Saturn at the mid-heaven which is a strong position as Saturn rules the 10th house (career, reputation).

This monkeying around gives a venture birth time of 5:08 pm MDT on August 1, 2011. Let’s see what the “birth” chart looks like (below). Note that clicking on the chart will open a pdf file of the venture birth chart.

Tea Cup Venture - Natal Chart

Comments on this Astrology Birth Chart

Here are a few comments on the potential positive energetic flow for the new tea cup venture:

• Sun in Leo in 8th house – strong, creative transformational energy that runs deep
• Moon in Virgo in 9th house – Need to continuously improve through expansion and manifested with optimism
• Sun sextile Moon – Supportive energy between wants and needs for the venture.
• Saturn at midheaven – Reputation for delivering results
• Sagittarius ascendent – Perspective of the customers is that the business is expansive, wide-ranging, and optimistic
• Capricorn at cusp of the 2nd house – Discipline for generating money
• Jupiter in Taurus in 5th house – Creativity is expansive, yet practical and durable
• Mars in Gemini in 7th house – Assertiveness in developing and maintaining relationships with a large number of customers.
• Neptune and Uranus in 3rd house – Out of the box communication with a humanitarian flavor done in a way that has higher meaning.

All in all, this is potentially a very good birth date to launch the ceramic tea cup venture. The energetic combination is very supportive of success assuming the client directs these energies in useful and mature ways.

Of course, I can also awfulize and be very prescriptive on how the energy can flow in an immature form and cause havoc. I can also grouse about the very slow moving and long term configuration of Pluto squaring both Saturn and Uranus. That, in my opinion, is not helpful. Instead, focusing on the potential and having a positive “can-do” attitude will go a long way toward success. As Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) once quoted: “All you need is ignorance and confidence – then success is assured.” I would also add that a synergistic start date is helpful.

More importantly, I developed a negative viewpoint regarding those practices of which science either could not measure or could only measure at the fringes. For me, it didn’t matter that some of these disciplines had been successfully practiced for thousands of years and continually refined.

These practices I’m referring to include Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, I Ching, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, reiki, shamanism, all other energetic healing modalities and at the top my crap list was astrology. The science community as a whole even had a disparaging name for all these practices: pseudo-science. The view of the science community was that if they could not figure out how these practices worked, then they must be fraudulent. Furthermore, people who believed in these practices are naive and uninformed – and subject to wasting their time, money and sadly having false beliefs.

Being in the world of science, I bought into this attitude lock, stock and barrel. While my former attitude about these disciplines surely comes across to you as arrogant, naive and uninformed, I can now understand why I had this viewpoint.

If one looks at the evolution of scientific progress since its roots with René Descartes in the 17^th century, science was originally viewed as a method to better understand those areas of life which could be measured under controlled conditions and, with adjustments, produce repeatable and predictable results. The mindset at the beginning of the scientific age was that science could be properly used in only some areas of life. Those other areas where it is not applicable are left to the realm of religion and spirituality.

Over time, the areas of life which could be explained by science significantly expanded into the territory which was originally held by religion and spirituality. In fact, this expansion was so successful, that people in the scientific community began to believe that eventually everything will be explained by science – and there will ultimately be nothing left over in the realm of religion and spirituality – and this area of life will cease to be relevant. You can see how this attitude naturally gravitated to a place where there is now a pervasive belief that science is everything, and if science can not explain a phenomena, that phenomena is false – and should be placed in the category of pseudo-science unless and until the evidence of its existence is so overwhelming that it can not be ignored any longer.

While there is this attitude in the scientific community as a whole that if science can not explain something at the moment, it is in the status of junk, the fact remains that science is far from explaining some very basic questions. For example, why is it that we can examine everything there is to know about every cell in the human body, and when we do, we can’t find any entity called consciousness? The separate parts don’t add up to the whole. There are myriads of unknown answers to basic questions in life which mainstream science chooses to avoid and worse yet, disparage those who dare to develop theories which are difficult to measure.

In short, the attitude of mainstream scientists is to spend time exploring that which we can currently measure, and reject ideas and concepts which they are not yet able to measure. To the mainstream science community, a discipline which has been successfully practiced and refined over thousands of years is worthless if it can not be scientifically explained. This arrogance is actually slowing down the progress of science because those practices labeled negatively by the scientific community are actively suppressed to the point where only the brave and crazy dare to explore for fear of being labeled a nut case and thrown out of the “respected” scientific community.

The good news is that there is now a modern scientific renaissance unfolding which can no longer be ignored by mainstream science. Thanks to new ways of communicating and disseminating information, respectable scientists on the fringes of science are being heard by the masses. Those scientists with curiosity, novel concepts, and unconventional approaches are being given the space to plow new territory in a credible way because the masses are increasingly able to see through the arrogance of the mainstream scientific community.

Since the 1990s, I have been gradually waking up to the pervasive attitude of mainstream science. My practice of astrology is a good example. Even after having had several hundred astrology conversations with people over the last few years, I can not explain how it works – and fully admit it. Yet astrology consistently works well and for me is by far the best practice I have yet to learn for having meaningful and insightful conversations with people. Where as the negative opinion of mainstream science regarding astrology used to strongly influence me, I now have a much healthier perspective on the limitations of science and also the deserved respect for practices which and been successfully used and refined over thousands of years.

How refreshing these times are!

More specifically, we have this summer the following configurations occurring:

June 26 – Moon in Capricorn opposing the Sun in Cancer (exact alignment being an eclipse) which is a strong pulling between the activities in the outer world with that of our instincts in our inner world.

July 24 and August 2 – Jupiter squaring Pluto which is a expansive and philosophical energy meeting power and the desire for transformation.

July 26 – Saturn opposing Uranus which is the same energy as that which occurred in the USA presidential elections of 2008 when Obama was elected. This is a tension between conventional structures and the desire to take the shackles off and create a space for more freedom and choice.

July 30 and 31 – Mars opposing Uranus and aligning with Saturn – this adds much more energy to the July 26 configuration just above – and is also a “greasing of the skids” for the configurations coming up in August.

August 3 – Mars opposing Jupiter and also Mars squaring Pluto – this is a turbocharged energy encouraging an expansive desire to transform through the use of power – and is a set up for the other configurations coming in August.

August 16 Jupiter opposing Saturn which is a tension between the desire to expand in a way that is opposed to conventional structures and practices – and is a set up for the next significant alignment coming on August 21.

August 21 – Saturn squaring Pluto – this is a very strong energy which pits the conventional structures of our society with the energy to dismantle those structures which are no longer serving us.

September 18 – Jupiter aligning with Uranus – this is the coup de gras which is an expansive energy for sudden surprise which allows a new path forward to occur. This configuration along with much of the above was in place at the beginning of the Renaissance period in the early 14th century.

Any one of these configurations by itself would probably not amount to much. However the combination of all of these energies can create a rhythmic energy which forms a standing wave. This kind of energy is very powerful. An example of the power of a standing wave is the famous collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge. This potential standing wave phenomena is what has the attention of astrologers.

Fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride!

- Mike

I think it would be meaningful for the start of the new decade to view the signs of the zodiac from the perspective of quotes by famous people.

Each of us is born with a unique combination of energies, represented by the luminaries (planets) (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) – and we mature with the use of these energies throughout our lives.

Each of our luminaries (planets) have characteristics represented by the signs of the zodiac (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces).

In this blog, I selected famous quotes which I feel are excellent and positive representations for each of the 12 signs of the zodiac.

If you are not familiar with your birth chart, you can go directly to the sign of the zodiac associated with your sun sign. If you are familiar with your birth chart, you can also view the signs of the zodiac section below which are associated with your moon sign, ascendent (rising sign) as well as the signs of the zodiac in which you have several luminaries (planets). Of course you can also look at all the quotes to see what is in them for you.

I invite you to ponder and enjoy these quotes.

Aries.

It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them.  They went out and happened to things.

Eleanor Furneaux Smith

Writer

1902 – 1945

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.

Mark Twain

Writer, humorist

1835 – 1910

No one ever yet was the poorer in the long run for having once in a lifetime “let out all the length of all the reins.”

Mary Cholmondeley

Writer

1859 – 1925

Success is not gained by perfecting the known, but by imperfectly seizing the unknown.

Kevin W. Kelly

Creator of Wired Magazine

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.

Samuel Johnson

Lexicographer, critic

1709 – 1784

If you travel the earth, you will find it is largely divided into two classes of people — people who say “I wonder why such and such is not done” and people who say “Now who is going to prevent me from doing that thing?”

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister

1874 – 1965

Racing is a process of learning where the edge lies.

Steve Podborski

World Cup Champion

..

.

Taurus
.

.

Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have.

Joanna Field

Artist

Live simple, love well, and take time to smell the flowers along the way.

Mark Twain

Writer, humorist

1835 – 1910

If people knew how hard I have had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.

Michelangelo

Sculptor, painter, poet

1475 – 1564

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

Theodore Roosevelt

U. S. President

1858 – 1919

When you understand all about the atmosphere and all about the rotation of the earth, you may still miss the radiance of the sunset.

Alfred North Whitehead

Mathematician

1861 – 1947

Sow an act and you reap a habit.  Sow a habit and you reap a character.  Sow a character and you reap a destiny.

Charles Reade

Novelist, playwright

1814 – 1884

..

Gemini

.

.

There are no uninteresting things, there are only uninterested people.

Gilbert K. Chesterton

Critic, novelist, poet

1874-1936

To the person who says, “I know what I like,” I can only reply, “You like what you know.”

Edgar Dale

Educator

The less of routine, the more of life.

Amos Bronson Alcott

Educator, mystic, writer

1799 – 1888

Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago.

Bernard Berenson

Art historian, connoisseur

1865 – 1959

Never let schooling interfere with your education.

Mark Twain

Author, humorist

1835 – 1910

I am going to give a long speech today.  I haven’t had time to prepare a short one.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister

1874 – 1965

.

.

.

Cancer
.

.

Love…force it and it disappears.  You can not will love, nor even control it.  You can only guide its expression.  It comes or it goes according to those qualities in life that invite it or deny its presence.

David Seabury

Psychologist, writer

Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow.

Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead.

Walk beside me and be my friend.

Albert Camus

Existentialist writer

1913 – 1960

What you are speaks so loudly, I can not hear what you are saying.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Essayist, Poet, Speaker

1803 – 1882

When I was young, I admired clever people.  Now that I am old, I admire kind people.

Abraham Joshua Heschel

Educator, writer

1907 – 1972

A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit.

Francois Rabelais

Satirist, physician, humanist

1494 – 1553

What happens to a person is less significant than what happens within him.

Louis L. Mann

Actor

1865 – 1931

.

.

.

Leo
.

.

If you can walk, you can dance.  If you can talk, you can sing.

Zimbabwean Proverb

Let your enthusiasm radiate in your voice, your actions, your facial expressions, your personality, the words you use, and the thoughts you think!  Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Essayist, Poet, Speaker

1803 – 1882

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.

Alan Watts

Mystic, writer, lecturer

1915-1973

Problems are simply opportunities to be creative.

Chapman Kelley

Artist

1932 -

Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness.

May Sarton

Poet, writer

1912 – 1995

Leadership is the ability to put the right people in the right jobs and then stand on the sidelines and be a rousing good cheerleader.

Unknown

If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair.  We’d never have a friendship.  We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical.  Well, that’s nonsense.  You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.

Ray Bradbury

Science fiction writer

1920 –

.

.

.

Virgo
.

.

Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel.

Arab Proverb

Perfection, fortunately, is not the only alternative to mediocrity.  A more sensible alternative is excellence.  Striving for excellence is stimulating and rewarding; striving for perfection – in practically anything – is both neurotic and futile.

Edwin C. Bliss

Writer, productivity expert

I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success.

Thomas A. Edison

Inventor

1847 – 1931

When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty.  I think only how to solve the problem.  But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.

Buckminster Fuller

Inventor, designer, futurist

1895 – 1983

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

Albert Einstein

Physicist

1879-1955

Man needs challenges: they are necessary for health.

Carl Jung

Psychiatrist

1875 – 1961

.

.

.

Libra
.

.

We can choose to throw stones, to stumble on them, to climb over them, or to build with them.

William Arthur Ward

1921 – 1994

Spiritual writer

Respect is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.

Annie Gottlieb

1946 –

Psychologist, writer

Persuasion is the art of letting someone else have your way.

Danielle Vare

Diplomat, Author

1880 – 1956

People don’t resist change as much as the way they are changed.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister

1874 – 1965

When two people meet, they ought to be like two water lilies opening side by side, each showing its golden heart, not closed up tight, and reflecting the pond, the trees, and the sky.  And there is too much of the closed heart.  When I come to you, we talk for hours.  If I’m going to take hours of your time, I ought to unfold for you, and to be sure that it is myself that I give.

Mary Haskell

Letter to Kahlil Gibran

1873 – 1964

Love doesn’t make the world go around.  Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

Franklin P. Jones

.

.

.

Scorpio
.

.

Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.

Pablo Picasso

Artist

1881 – 1973

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of a problem to one who is striking at the root.

Henry David Thoreau

Author

1817 – 1862

We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.

Anais Nin

Writer, bigamist, diarist

1903-1977

Power can be seen as power with rather than power over, and it can be used for competence and cooperation, rather than dominance and control.

Anne L. Barstow

Shaman, writer

The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions.

Susan Sontag

Critic, writer

1933 –

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

T. S. Eliot

Poet, critic, playwright

1888 – 1965

Everyone has talent.  What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads.

Erica Jong

Writer, poet

1942 –

.

.

.

Sagittarius
.

.

Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.

Benjamin Disraeli

British Prime Minister

1804 – 1881

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

Thomas Jefferson

U.S. President

1743 – 1826

It is a myth, not a mandate, a fable not a logic, a symbol rather than a reason by which men are moved.

Irwin Edman

Philosopher

1896 – 1954

Dream what you dare to dream.

Go where you want to go.

Be what you want be.

Live!

Richard Bach

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

1936 -

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Henry David Thoreau

Writer, poet

1817 – 1862

.

.

.

Capricorn
.

.

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you’ll be amazed at the results.

George S. Patton

WW II General

1885 – 1945

The wicked leader is he who the people despise.

The good leader is he who the people revere.

The great leader is he who the people say, “We did it ourselves!”

Lao-Tzu

Founder of Taoism

604 BC – 531 BC

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

AA Serenity Prayer

Success doesn’t mean the absence of failures; it means the attainment of ultimate objectives.  It means winning the war, not every battle.

Edwin C. Bliss

Writer, productivity expert

Millions are idle – even if they have jobs.  Some carve great careers while other simply chisel.

Lawrence J. Peter

Author – Peter Principle

1925 – 1990

Strong people make as many ghastly mistakes as weak people.  The difference is that strong people admit them, laugh at them, and learn from them.  That is how they become strong.

Joseph Needham

Historian of science

1900 – 1995

.

.

.

Aquarius
.

.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

George Bernard Shaw

Playwright, essayist

1856 – 1950

You do not merely want to be considered the best of the best, you want to be considered the only one who does what you do.

Jerry Garcia

Grateful Dead

1942 – 1995

The best swordsman in the world doesn’t need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no, the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn’t do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn’t prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do; and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot.

Mark Twain

Writer, humorist

1835 – 1910

If an idea does not appear bizarre, there is no hope for it.

Niels Bohr

Physicist

1885 – 1962

Without changing our patterns of thought, we will not be able to solve the problems we created with our current patterns of thought.

Albert Einstein

Physicist

1879-1955

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.  Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.

Henry David Thoreau

Writer, poet

1817 – 1862

.

.

.

Pisces
.

.

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge,

That myth is more potent than history.

I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts,

That hope always triumphs over experience.

That laughter is the only cure for grief,

And I believe that love is stronger than death.

Robert Fulghum

Unitarian clergyman, writer

1937 –

The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.

Albert Einstein

Physicist

1879-1955

If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.

Chinese proverb

My heart wants roots.

My mind wants wings.

I can not bear

Their bickerings.

E. Y. Harburg

Librettist, lyricist

1898 – 1981

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and the wrong.  Sometime in life you will have been all of these.

Robert Goddard

Rocket and space pioneer

1882 – 1945

You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus.

Mark Twain

Author, humorist

1835 – 1910

Forgiveness is primarily for our own sake, so that we no longer carry the burden of resentment.  But to forgive does not mean we will allow injustice again.

Buddha

Founder of Buddhism

563 BC – 483 BC

Each of these two configurations by itself has the potential to be very significant – and two of them together creates exciting possibilities. This article will focus on these energies from a business perspective.

Let’s get a bit more specific and see what these planetary energies are and how they can manifest in a general sense. Then I will discuss how businesses can flow with these energies to make the best of them.

First Configuration: Uranus, Saturn, and Pluto in Cardinal T-Square

There are three major actors in this world-wide planetary configuration whose energies interact strongly with each other. Let’s first look at the individual planetary energies and then consider the combination of their energies.

• Uranus transitioning from Pisces into Aries is an energy that wants to take the shackles off and break free in a way that advances the world’s sense of compassion, spiritual growth, support of community, and consciousness of our planet. This energy can be very abrupt and sudden, and will become much stronger starting in the spring of 2010 as it enters Aries .
• Saturn transitioning from Virgo into Libra is an energy that wants to do a sanity check on business and government structures. Having been in Virgo over the past couple of years, the focus has been on structural changes, controls and constrictions in the daily work habits of people – i.e. a significant change in the employment situation. As Saturn moves into Libra this fall, the shift will be on structural changes and control that puts things back in balance.
• Pluto (sometimes also represented as ) transition from Sagittarius into Capricorn is an energy that wants to use power to transform. While Pluto had been in Sagittarius for the past decade, the transformational Pluto energy would naturally be directed toward expansion outside the normal boundaries, and when overdone, leading to excesses which are unsustainable. When Pluto entered Capricorn early in 2008, the transformational Pluto energy would naturally be directed toward doing a sanity check on structures and institutions, and transforming and eliminating those that no longer work or are unsustainable. Pluto will remain in Capricorn for about 15 years.

Now let’s put these three planetary energies together to see the possibilities. These three planets are configured in what is known as a T-Square. In this case,  Saturn is opposing Uranus (i.e. they are opposite each other so that when one is at the eastern horizon, the other is at the western horizon) and both of these planets are square to Pluto (i.e. Pluto is at the noon position in the sky when Uranus is at the eastern horizon and Saturn is at the western horizon). Because these planets are at either oppositions or squares with each other, their energies will play out in an environment of tensions, problems and obstacles.

Considering the Saturn and Uranus combination with the planets opposing each other, we have a situation where Saturn energy is focused on fixing our institutions and organizations in a way that uses more control while Uranus wants to take the shackles off the institutions and organizations so that there is a liberating change. When Pluto enters the picture, its energy will purge and force transformation of those institutions and structures that no longer serve their purpose.

So, there is a very powerful energy playing out that wants to change, transform, purge, or significantly alter institutions and organizations that are no longer serving their purpose or are serving their purpose in a way that is too structured and stifling and not providing enough liberation and freedom.

The bottom line is that the powerful Pluto, Uranus, and Saturn combination can play out in two very different ways for organizations and institutions. If an organization or institution that has outlived its structure or needs to refocus its purpose tries to just batten down the hatches until the storm passes by, it will probably not survive. At the opposite end of the spectrum, those organizations which embrace these times and focus on liberating their organizations or institutions through novel changes and who redirect their purpose toward respecting people, the environment, and toward a higher purpose will more than likely look back on these times as the turning point and catalyst that allowed them to become successful.

Second Configuration: Uranus in Mutual Reception with Neptune and Jupiter

There are three major planet energies associated with this configuration with Uranus also being in the previous configuration. As with the previous configuration, let’s first look at these energies separately before putting them together.

• Uranus  transitioning from Pisces  into Aries  is an energy that wants to take the shackles off and break free in a way that advances the world’s sense of compassion, spiritual growth, support of community, and consciousness of our planet. This energy can be very abrupt and sudden, and will become much stronger starting in the spring of 2010 as it enters Aries .
• Neptune in Aquarius is an energy that wants to bring humanity to a higher level of spirituality and consciousness using new ideas, new technologies, and new approaches. This energy is generally not very tangible and concrete and instead is about ideas, visions, and aspirations.
• Jupiter in Aquarius is an energy that is expansive, experimental, and optimistic with a focus on ethics and philosophies.

Let’s now put these energies into their configurations. First we have Uranus in mutual reception to Jupiter and Neptune . This means that Uranus is in Pisces   and Pisces is ruled by both Jupiter and Neptune and at the same time, Jupiter and Neptune are in Aquarius I and Aquarius is ruled by Uranus. When we have a mutual reception, the energies in these planets reinforce each other and are much more powerful. To top it all off, we are also going through a period which will last throughout 2009 of Jupiter conjunct with Neptune. Jupiter has the effect of expanding anything it touches, in this case both Neptune and Uranus.

How do all these energies come together? This configuration has an energy that wants to remove constraints and come up with novel ways to advance mankind in the areas of compassion, creativity, consciousness, and spirituality. In short, it is an energy to take another step toward enlightenment.

For businesses, this powerful energy can be used to focus attention on addressing the pressing needs of the world – solving problems that previously seemed unsolvable such as world peace, greater connectedness with each other, removal of oppressive structures, nurturing the environment, and global cooperation.

Putting Both Configurations Together

We are living in an amazing time astrologically. The energy is very powerful and focused on transforming structures, patterns, and mindsets in ways that open up the paths toward great strides in the evolution of mankind. If we channel these energies constructively, we have the opportunity to gracefully move toward a new modern renaissance. If we don’t, we will still get there but there will be tremendous disruptions, significant chaos, and much pain in the process. The best way forward is to honor these energies and have the courage to make the big changes toward a common improvement of mankind and our planet.

I just published a new book.

Fast Track Astrologer: The Book I Wish I Had When I Became an Astrologer

It is available at Amazon.com and is available in local bookstores. I’m in the final stages for iPad and Kindle versions.

You can also save $2.00 by purchasing directly from Create Space and using the following coupon code: 93NAU9BB

Here is the press release:

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO—Author and astrologer Mike Grabarek’s new book, Fast Track Astrologer: The Book I Wish I Had When I Became an Astrologer, offers a concise, detailed and fascinating exploration of astrology for people at all levels in their knowledge of Western astrology.

Fast Track Astrologer will accelerate the path to learning astrology, whether you’re a novice or professional astrologer. Grabarek leads you through in-depth explanations of astrology’s fundamentals and major components as well as the steps of delineating birth, transit, relocation and compatibility charts, the basics of Mundane (World) astrology and celestial geometry, an exploration of the House systems and more.

Grabarek combines expertise with grace, humor and clarity, entertaining and educating readers as he delves deeply into this ancient discipline. You will learn about Zodiac Signs, Planets, Personal Points, Houses, Aspects and Transits. He also examines the effects of Two Planet Combinations in a birth chart and the notion of fate versus free will and growth and maturity in astrology. He is adept at finding the simplicity in the complexity of astrology and effectively communicating it.

“Learning to interpret and communicate the information provided by astrology charts takes a while,” Grabarek writes in his introduction to Fast Track Astrologer. “It requires an ability to synthesize information and communicate it meaningfully. This book provides numerous examples to accelerate your learning in this area.”

Fast Track Astrologer has already earned praise from acclaimed astrologers, including Bogdan Krusinski, who developed the Krusinski House system in the 1990s, which astrologers are rapidly adopting because of its accuracy and geometric simplicity.

“Fast Track Astrologer is a well-written and excellent introduction,” Krusinski says. “It’s clear language makes it read like a good novel.”

Santa Fe astrologer Tom Brady also lauds the book as a “first-class astrological primer,” adding “I only wish that I’d had a book like this available to me 44 years ago when I was beginning my astrological studies.”

Grabarek is planning several upcoming booksigning and lecture events.  Check usefulastrology.com for details. His available for interviews and lectures on astrology. For more information, or to set up an interview or event, contact the author at (505) 424.1990 or mike@usefulastrology.com.

Please click to purchase at Amazon. You can also save $2.00 by purchasing directly through Create Space and using the following coupon code: 93NAU9BB