Saturday, October 13, 2007

Venus In Virgo, Mars In Cancer & Domestic Violence

Venus In Virgo, Mars In Cancer & Domestic Violence

6:17 AM 10/13/2007 Sat

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this year it could not have come at a better time, as several major astrological events takes place that speaks directly to love, romance, sex and unfortunately so often these days, domestic violence and spousal abuse. This year is unusual in that both Venus and Mars go retrograde, and in their Fallen Signs, highlighting these issues surrounding domestic violence. As Mars and Venus spend extended time in their Fallen Signs, both sexes, men for Mars and women for Venus, will be called to closely examine themselves and others of their gender. Although admittedly I'm a "big tickets" kind of guy - I tend to focus more on Outer Planet movements and the like - I have to admit that so much activity among the Inner Planets is a sight to behold. The Inner Planets are called such because they represent those things that are close and dear to all of us; the term "intimate" clearly comes to mind when discussing the issue of domestic violence.

Astrological Overview
On July 15 2007, Venus entered Virgo, with Mars in Taurus; then, on July 28 2007, Venus went retrograde in the same Sign. On September 29 2007 Mars entered Cancer, and will go retrograde on Nov 15 of this year, to last until early next year. Venus, which had been transiting Leo by this time, had returned to Virgo on Oct 9.

To add more flavor to the mix, Mercury then went retrograde on Oct 11 2007, where it will remain until early November, just days before Mars itself goes retrograde. All of these patterns points to a period of time where heightened focus will be put on the issue of sex, domestic violence, and the like.

But not entirely in the way we all may have thought. Remember, all planets are subject to the condition of their dispositors, the planet that rules the Sign another planet is placed in. Said condition of a dispositor ultimately calls the shots as to how well or badly, a planet will perform. This is true no matter what style of astrology one chooses to use - Natal, Medical, Mundane, etc.

So, the recent retrograde transit of Mercury in Scorpio, puts added emphasis on Venus, due to it being in Virgo, the Sign ruled by Mercury. In Scorpio, Mercury tends to be darker in its thinking patterns, perhaps secretive, and can be quite controlling. Being retrograde, the thinking goes in before coming out - a lot of cards are kept close to the vest, so to speak.

But we can go even further in this analysis, as we note that Venus and Mercury participate in a Mutual Reception, as Venus finds its Detriment in Scorpio; romantic and love interests can either be deeply passionate, or darkly manipulative. The image of a "crime of passion" emerges easily. Put this together with a "flying off the handle" Mars in Cancer, and the mix is an explosive one for sure.

This gives us pause to consider one chilling fact - that while domestic violence is widespread, its not as clearcut as many would make it appear. True, there are many women who are abused. But so are men. So, why is so little of this documented fact known to the wider public?

Astrology Of The VAWA
Although domestic violence had existed in one form or another for as long as there have been human beings, in the year 1994 something special happened. President Bill Clinton signed into law the Violence Against Women Act, which gave special protections to women being physically abused by their mates. Clinton, long viewed as arguably the most woman-friendly President ever, was praised by the National Organization of Women, who called the new law "the greatest breakthrough in civil rights for women in nearly two decades". Among other things, VAWA provided some $1.6 billion in federal funds to ehance investigation and prosecution of violent crime against women, increased pre-trial detention of the accused, and imposed mandatory arrests of the accused.

The astrology of VAWA, which President Clinton signed into law on Sep 13 1994 at Washington DC, is striking to the eye - set for a noontime mark, Scorpio rises with Pluto in Scorpio in the 1st House and tightly conjunct the Asc point! Right off the bat we can see the imagery of power, control and manipulation, with deep sexual overtones; remember, it was during the Pluto in Scorpio period, that Domestic Violence became a household name.

We also note that Venus is in Scorpio(!) and Mars is in Cancer(!!), emphasizing the current astrological situation. The Mars in Cancer placement in the VAWA chart shows men in the worst possible light, as uncontrollable beasts out to destroy their wives and girlfriends. Mercury in Libra squares this Mars placement, a clear signal of bickering and arguments that lead up to violence in the home. But note that Mars, the classical ruler of Scorpio, disposes of Venus, who is tucked away in the 12th House - she is not without blame here. And note that this Venus is sextile the Moon in Capricorn - the women of the country are not only seeking government redress, but becoming more and more, part of the government aparatus and political process. However, despite Mars' rulership of Venus, the Moon has the upperhand, as it disposes of Mars - and with Mars tucked away into the 8th House, there was little men could do about the VAWA being passed.

The Moon-Venus aspect I have found to be very prominent in the charts of women's groups and in the charts of individual women's advocates and feminists. In a general sense, such an aspect denotes a very pleasing manner, but the downside is there can be a selfish indulgence about things as well. One of the chief criticisms feminist groups and the like have endured over the years is that they seem interested in advocating for *only* their causes, and not for the cause of human beings, read, men. In other words, they are interested in Spousal Abuse only if the victim happens to be a woman.

Dazed & ConfusedThis came along at the same time as the "Year of the Woman" theme in 1992, when more women were elected to both Houses of Congress than ever before in American history at that time, and when life became quite confusing for the American Male. This paradigm-shifting event occured as the Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn was taking place in 1993, and as we can see here in this map, the conjunction is still well within orb. Note how they both oppose Mars in Cancer, and recall one of the catch phrases of the period, "The Angry White Male". Two years ago, when Mars was retrograde in Taurus, I wrote an extensive piece about it and the wider topic of men that relates to the aforementioned aspect configuaration:

"If you haven't already, I urge you to get a book called "Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man", by Susan Faludi (born Apr 18, 1959, New York City). Best known for her reporting work and her book "Backlash" this feminist writer spent the better part of the 90s taking a hard look at men at the end of the 20th century. While I don't agree with all of her premises, and definitely am shaky about her final conclusions, nevertheless, Stiffed is an important read at this time, and forms much of the backdrop of this essay.

Let's go back to the future, if you will - the roaring 90s. Bill Clinton was President, the Internet Bubble (and Economy) was just beginning to bloom...and men were in big trouble. The film "Falling Down" starring Michael Douglas showed a man who dedicated his life to his job and family, and was betrayed by both, finally driven over the edge, literally, by the end of the film, chillingly brought to life the much written about "Angry White Male". Other movies depicted the state of affairs men were in: "Boyz in the Hood", "Menace to Society" and "Colors" showed boys - in this case, in the main, African American young men - trying to forge for themselves the meaning of manhood in the midst of the rapidly shifting socioeconomic landscape of late 20th century urban America.

Astrologically, we can see this shift occurring with respect to men, in two "waves" if you will - the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of 1965, and the Uranus-Neptune conjunction of 1993. As we all know, these conjunctions had massive social, legal and economic implications for all concerned. One of the most sweeping - and far reaching - was with regard to Women. The Women's Movement gained monumental steam during the 60s, and by the time the early 90s rolled around, more women were in every sphere of public life than ever before in American history. On the micro level, more women had choice in nearly every aspect of their lives than ever before, ranging from career choice to reproductive options. While we astrologers were caught up in assessing these conjunctions themselves, I posit that we might have overlooked their impact on the "inner planets", in this case, Mars; at the time of the Uranus-Pluto partile, Mars was conjunct Venus and trine the Moon (both female planets); and, perhaps even more ominous, at the time of the Uranus-Neptune conjunction, Mars was sitting opposed it in Cancer and RETROGRADE. Classically its sign of Fall, Mars in Cancer shows a much-weakened male population, made all the moreso by its retrogradation. The Uranus-Neptune conjunction, portended a protracted period of confusion, befuddlement, literally being in a fog, about what it means to "be a man" (and please note, that Faludi's book centers on this period!), as all of the "male" institutions - schools, colleges, corporations, industries, even the military (think VMI and The Citadel) - underwent massive and rapid change. Today, most men don't know whether to hold the door open for a woman or not; many men are chided for having "base" desires, such as the liking for buxom women; and we all have either heard about and/or read about the dangers of "patriarchy". Men have truly lost their "male compass" and it's my view that this Mars in Taurus Rx transit is pointing us in the proper direction to go - if we but would listen."

- Mars Retrograde And The Incredible Disappearing Man, Oct 3 2005 muminspeaks.blogspot.com

Critics of VAWA assert that it is a flagrant violation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees that every American will get equal protection under the law; since men can be and often are abused just as much as women, many men's rights groups assert, the law should either be rescinded or changed to reflect that fact, in addition to other changes, such as due process and presumption of innocence violations. The American Civil Liberties Union derided VAWA as "repugnant" to the US Constitution; even the US Supreme Court ruled that parts of VAWA were unconstitutional. The group RADAR (Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting) has released reports which find that male DV victims are treated as criminals, restraining orders are issued with no claim or proof of physical violence and men often falsely accused.

In fact, the World Health Organization's study on the matter found that among the estimated 31% of couples worldwide who engage in physical violence, 68.6% of the time both parties are involved, and of that 21.4% of the time the violence was initiated by the female, versus only 9.9% of the times when the male initiated.

That's more than twice as many times. No wonder so many men are dazed, confused and often, very angry.

And still, depsite the mountain of evidence in this regard, VAWA still gets strong support at all levels of government, as well as funding, to say nothing of the general view held in the Public Mind, that in domestic violence situations, the woman is always the victim, and the man is always the attacker. And on those occasions where the woman did indeed use violence, it had to be as a last-ditch effort to get away from the man, or as retribution for a marital life in misery.

Often, women who blatantly abuse such laws and statutes, face little to no jailtime, censure or rebuke; indeed, the reverse can be true, where they are held up as examples of brave women taking matters into their own hands and striking a blow for aggrieved and put-upon women everywhere.

The Outrageous Case Of Mary Winkler
This was the case when Mary Carol Winkler, a mother of three in Selmer TN, murdered her husband, the Reverend Matthew Brian Winkler, as he lay asleep in the family home on Mar 22 2006. His death was by a close-range 12 gauge shotgun blast to the back, and his body was found by fellow church members who were worried when he didn't show up for Wed night Bible Study. By then Mary had taken the family's three daughters and fled to Orange Beach AL.

Though by all accounts from friends and church members, the Winklers seemed to be the perfect family, Mary herself and members of her family assert that Matthew was abusive. No hard evidence has been found to support this view, however, and as per usual, the woman's word must be taken as law.

Mary Winkler was eventually brought to trial, found guilty of voluntary manslaughter (after being released on bail!) and served a grand total of seven months locked away - four months in the country jail and two months in a mental hospital. She is now free and has vistation with her daughters. It must also be noted that when women murder their husbands, voluntary manslaughter is the usual verdict.

To add insult to injury, Mary then appeared on Oprah, to tell her story. Holding up a pair of white platform high-heeled shoes, Mary asserted that part of the "abuse" she endured was her husband's insistence that she wear them when they had sex.

Mary Carol Winkler was born on Dec 10 1972, presumably in or near Knoxville TN, according to Wikipedia. No time is known, but the birthdate is clear as day: she was born on a Full Moon in Gemini(!!!), with a Mercury-Neptune conjunction in Sagittarius in the Solar 12th! Astrologers know well that such combinations don't usually augur well for a sound mental state, or being completely upfront with the facts. Moreover, Mary has Mars in Aries, opposed Uranus, only six minutes from partile...and, get this...neither planet is Rx. This is highly unusual, and suggests that Mary could be prone to explosive outbursts of anger and violence. Her husband Matthew was born on Nov 21 1974 at Henderson TN, Wikipedia: the Jupiter-Neptune square in Pisces-Sag accounts for his interest and life's work in the Clergy, while a Mercury-Mars conjunction in Scorpio sits in the Solar 12th, along with Uranus in Scorpio. Matthew was born a Scorpion, so the part about the white high heel shoes makes sense - but enough to warrant him being blown away in his sleep? Both he and Mary shared Venus-Pluto aspects in their respective charts, and in Mary's case she had a Venus-Uranus Mutual Reception to boot; at the time of his death, Matthew had SA Venus=Jupiter/Uranus (Mar 2006), so I'm highly doubtful that sexual abuse was at the heart of why he is now dead. But money?-that could be the ticket, and there is documented evidence of wives knocking off their hubbies in order to collect on life insurance policies, wills, and so on.

By the way, in case you're wondering, if the date of Matthew's murder at the hands of his wife looks and sounds familiar, it might be because this grisly event occured only a week after the infamous Duke Lacrosse Rape Scandal went down in Durham NC. A Black stripper named Crystal Gail Mangum accused three White and well to do male students of viciously gang-raping her, even when there was absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support her claims, and even when the prosecutor in the case, Mike Nifong, deliberately witheld key information that would have exonerated the three men in question, and stoking the racial tensions apparent in Durham in a bid to get re-elected. One of the men had to leave Duke, the lacrosse program was shutdown for a year and the coach left, millions of dollars were spent in the male students' defense - all for the eventual result of Nifong serving one day in jail, and no criminal charges being brought against Mangum at all - she's crazy, dont you know. On the night of the bizarre event, Mercury was Rx in Pisces, opposed the Full Moon in Virgo.

What Can Men Do? Organize - And See An Astrologer!
From these two cases, only to name a scant few, the keen astrologer easily sees a clear pattern - that the Mental Planets, the Moon and Mercury, are badly afflicted, and have to be carefully inspected when it comes to synastry and the like. This becomes very important for men, who at present little if any legal or for that matter, social protections when it comes to matters like DV and rape alleagations. Here is what I said to a good friend of mine, when he approached me with the chart of a young lady he was interested in dating:

"Years ago, my best friend and fellow astrologer Zam asked me to look into the Vedic chart of a young lady he had met online; they were due to hookup downtown on a date and see where things go from there. As soon as her chart came up on the screen, I could see she had what is known as "Matibrahamana Yoga" - a combination where the Mental Planets, the Moon and Mercury, are BOTH impacted by Malefics. On the basis of this, I told Zam, "girlfriend's a headcase, drop her". Well, it was too late - they already had the date planned.

A few days later, Zam let me know that they met downtown alright - and about 15 minutes into the date, girlfriend just snapped out on Zam, going ballistic. Now, such a thing might not make that much difference to me, with all my Fire and a kickass Mars, but for a guy like Zam, who has a million planets in Virgo and Libra, it's a HUGE turnoff."

- Astrological Eye For The Regular Guy 8:59 AM 06/18/2006 Sun muminspeaks.blogspot.com

In my time as an astrologer, I've helped lots of men avoid women who might prove to be problematic in the longrun. Its a wise investment when put against that which could befall you - being locked up on trumped up charges, having your reputation ruined, or worse, a fate like Rev. Matthew. When next you meet a lady, ask for her birthdate - the birthtime would be even better - but a birthdate will do. Most women happen to like astrology very much, so this shouldn't be hard to do, and there are many female astrologers who assist their female clients in being on the lookout for men who might exhibit over-agressive tendencies. If, per chance, she doesn't want to give you her birth information, you're still in luck - carefully note down the time, place and date you *asked* her to give you her birthdate. Take this to an astrologer. They will be able to tell from it if the woman you're about to go out with is playing with a full deck, so to speak. The astrologer will also be able to help you focus in on exactly what you want from a woman, how to go about it, and when the best times are as to when to proceed for the best chances of success.

One final thing here. Men need to learn how to organize, to speak up and out for their interests, and to work together to make that happen. Vote in all of your local and state and of course, federal elections. Know who your elected officials are. Ask them about the VAWA and about the blatant abuses of civil liberties therein. Ask them what are their stance regarding it all, and if they support seeing to it that the abuses are stopped? Also, get with Men's Rights groups and organizations. There are many on the Web, and one I would highly endorse is GlennSacks.com. Sacks is a syndicated columnist, writer, blogger and host of the popular radio show "His Side". His website has many resources for men and how to protect themselves from the current abuses in the VAWA system. The Mars in Cancer transit will go over the USA Sun twice between now and Spring 2008, signalling a time when men can be energized about these issues, as the USA Sun and transiting Mars will fall in its 7th House. Know your rights, get organized, and get involved, gentlemen!

Mu's Prediction: VAWA Overturned
Based on my study of the astrology of when VAWA was signed into law by President Clinton, there is every reason to believe that VAWA could be overturned in the coming year, if not by the end of 2009. Reasons for this are the following: transit Uranus opposed the VAWA Sun, Apr 2008-Feb 2009; transit Saturn conjunct the VAWA Sun, Nov 2009-Jan 2009, with a final pass in late Summer 2009; transit Neptune square VAWA Asc and Pluto, Mar 2008-Dec 2009. Key: SA Uranus=Sun, Feb 2008!

Conclusion
It should go without saying, that violence is wrong no matter who does it. It has no place within a marriage, relationship, or domestic partnership. Yet the myth persists that only men abuse, and only women are victims. This has to stop. In our time of heightened awareness of fears that our civil liberties as Americans are threatened by laws such as the Patriot Act, one would think that we all would be outraged by the day in, day out abuses of VAWA, but there continues to be relative silence, and makes this astrologer wonder if that is due to a political bias on those who play the role of the Squeaky Wheel. And while I'm sure there'll be lady colleagues who will take issue with me for this piece, I would remind them that they are hardpressed to find a man who sided with Scott Peterson when he killed his pregnant wife, or Stephen Poaches when he killed his pregnant girlfriend. Yet we all know of instances where men were killed in the manner Matthew Winkler was offed, and it was met with cheers by the Sisterhood, if not quiet approval. They need to understand that until both sexes are truly Equal under the Law, neither men nor women will ever truly be Free.

Salaam
Mu

Suggested Further Reading:
Of Mars And Men - The Other Side of Domestic Abuse...

Welcome To Oprah University! (Boys Need Not Apply)

- both found at muminspeaks.blogspot.com

Mu'Min M. Bey is a Western and Vedic astrologer with 15 years training and experience, including 5 years teaching Western astrology at Temple University's PASCEP program. Mr. Bey lives in Philadelphia and is founder of the University of Astrology discussion forum found on MySpace. Contact him at: mumin_bey@yahoo.com, or at his MySpace page.

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