January 2015

(2 January 2015)  As the calendar turns over for another year, we can again look up to the heavens to see what signals the stars may be giving for 2015.  Although it is not conventional astrological practice, I have found the planetary alignment at the stroke of midnight on January 1st can provide intriguing hints for what may come during the coming year.  As with all astrology, it is as much art as science, and we have to reserve significant room for interpretation.  The effects of the planets cannot be read deductively or according to some simple formula as one might do in chemistry or physics.  Human beings are not atoms or molecules.  They are endowed with consciousness and free will and this makes prediction an inherently uncertain and open-ended process. 

For example, my analysis of last year’s New Year’s horoscope left something to be desired.  I had spotted Mars rising in the Ascendant in Virgo at midnight and saw the nasty-looking square aspect with the Sun, Mercury and Pluto and thought some kind of significant destructive or violent events were more likely during 2014.  The fact that unpredictable Uranus was also in a hard angle with these planets seemed to increase the impact of any of those kinds of events.   Read more…

A question for investors in 2015: Do you feel lucky?

(4 January 2015)  As Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry famously noted, it sometimes just comes down to luck.  The New Year is upon us now and investors are once again assessing the risk-reward ratio of this vastly inflated stock market. As the world economy continues to struggle, central banks have been desperately trying to stimulate growth by various clever means of money printing.  Even though the average person isn’t doing much better, the stock market has responded favourably to all this borrowed government money as the bull market now enters its six year since its 2009 low. 

Can the stock market rise for yet another year despite unimpressive economic fundamentals and so-so job growth in the US and a deflationary stagnation taking shape in Europe and Japan?  Bullish investors may pause to consider whether their luck can hold and the central banks can keep this game going for another year.   While no one can know the future with certainty, an understanding of the effects of the changing alignments of the planets can provide useful hints for the year ahead.   Read more…

The Bill Cosby rape scandal: a case of Venus afflicted

(3 December 2014)  They say what goes around comes around.  That definitely seems to be the case here for beloved American comedian Bill Cosby whose squeaky clean image is now in tatters after the accusations of rape by more than dozen women.    The 77-year old star has is now the subject of  investigations over a string sexual assaults that date back as far back as 1960s.  After years of whispered accusations and formal denials, Cosby’s luck may well have run out as he has seen his current television show abruptly canceled amidst this very public scandal.  While no criminal charges are pending at this time, the fallout thus far is such that Cosby has been forced out of the board of his Alma Mater at Temple University in Philadelphia.  The rape charges are a shocking contrast to the public persona of the friendly and avuncular Cosby whose appeal over the years cut across both age and racial lines.

It is hard to imagine how he can reinstate his name and reputation after this episode.  The first whiff that something was amiss came in October when a fellow comedian, Hannibal Buress, gave voice to the murmured attacks in a stand-up performance and publicly accused him of repeatedly drugging and raping women.  The accusation then took on a life of its own in social media.   By mid-November, the scandal became undeniable as more women came forward with more stories of abuse.   Read more…

An astrological perspective on the protests against US police

(8 December 2014) The nationwide protests over the death of Eric Garner has added yet another chapter in America’s historical legacy of slavery, racial tension and civil strife.  Garner died from a chokehold administered by a New York police officer in August while being arrested for selling individual cigarettes on the street.  Despite the presence of video evidence of the police actions during the arrest, the officer was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by a Grand Jury.  This has sparked protests in New York and across the country as African-Americans voice their anger and frustration over what they feel as unfair treatment by the police and the justice system.   The protests come just a week after rioting in Ferguson, Missouri following a similar non-indictment of a white cop who had killed another unarmed black man.

These kinds of racially-based riots and protests have been a frequent occurrence in the US for over a century.  As an astrologer, I am curious to know if the current race-based unrest can somehow be a reflection of planetary placements in the horoscope of the USA.  There is a short list of possible planetary patterns that could fit the bill.  Violence often implicates Mars in some way, so we could see some affliction there involving malefics.  Read more…
 

Hillary Clinton’s difficult summer

(18 August 2014)  It’s been a tough summer for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.   The former first lady and Secretary of State published a political memoir that met with tepid reviews and poor book sales.   Many commentators saw it as thinly-veiled political ploy designed to boost her profile before her formal declaration for the race to the Democratic nominee for President for the 2016 election.  Her subsequent book tour did little to improve the the book’s reception as Ms. Clinton tried in vain to deflect criticism.  Then in a magazine interview two weeks ago, she was openly critical of Obama and distanced herself from him over his handling of the Middle East and Syria in particular.  She was forced to awkwardly walk back her comments in order to appear less confrontational towards the Obama White House.  These missteps have seen her popularity fall 10% in the past two months although she remains the overwhelming favorite to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. 

We can see that Hillary Clinton has been suffering from a bout of "Saturnitis" for much of the summer.  The Saturn station in late July was just one degree off her natal Venus.  Saturn-Venus transits are often times when life feels like it is contracting rather than expanding.  Read more…

Robin Williams 1951-2014: the burdens of creativity

(13 August 2014) Millions of people around the world are mourning the passing of beloved American actor and comedian Robin Williams who died by his own hand on Monday.  Williams had endured a life-long struggle with depression and substance abuse which belied his high energy and cheerful public persona.  He was 63.  Williams was known for his lightning quick wit and improvisational ability in his comic roles as well as his depictions of a tender and often wounded soul in his dramatic performances.  He also had a singular talent for creating — often on the spot — numerous voices, characters, and hilarious dialogue for his many animated children’s films.  As a measure of his popularity, his many films are said to have grossed $5 Billion.

While astrology can only begin to capture his unique genius, Williams does have a remarkable horoscope that befits one of the most popular actors of all-time.  Venus is usually a dominant planet in the charts of entertainers as it reflects an aesthetic sensibility that is pleasing to others.  His Venus was conjunct Ketu in the 11th house (gains!) in a close opposition to the Moon, which was tightly conjunct Rahu.  The Venus-Moon aspect is a marker for an ability to please others through aesthetic creativity such as acting.  The fact that Venus rules Libra, the rising sign, suggested how artistic pursuits would be the guiding force of his whole life.   Read more…