Chinese Arithmetic: The PRC's "Bridal Shortage" Problem

Chinese Arithmetic: The PRC's "Bridal Shortage" Problem

1:01 AM 01/20/2007 Sat

Some of you might have heard the news earlier this week, when the People's Republic of China issued a government report which stated with great alarm, that by the year 2015, there will be a bridal shortage in China to the tune of 30 million. Or, put another way, there won't be enough women in China to go around for the guys. This comes as a result - a direct result - of China's "One Family, One Child" policy, which imposed abortions on any family who desired more than one child in order to control population growth. Because China is both a heavily agricultural society and one that highly values sons traditionally, millions of Chinese couples chose to have sons and aborted daughters upon learning that they were getting a girl via ultrasound testing. The Chinese government, trying hard to hold on to Communist power in the wake of the onslaught of Democracy and Free Markets, fears that this recent rurn of events could threaten the stability of the country, as millions of men have more and more trouble finding wives. Already, news reports of the better off of Chinese society, have begun saving large amounts of money, to serve as attractive dowries to prospective brides in the short years to come. This has created fierce competition among middle and upper middle class families, who of course want the best for their sons. And of course, this will leave out the even more millions of poor men in the hinterlands of China, now streaming into the teeming city centers like Shanghai and Beijing looking for work and a better life. As it hardly needs mentioning, the prospect of millions of horny - and angry - men unable to find wives isn't a very pleasant one.

Astrologically, it's so very easy to see, in the Chinese national horoscope:

People's Republic of China Oct 1 1949 3.15PM CCT Peking (now Beijing); Placidus 5 Aqr 57, Campion. According to Nick Campion's "Book of World Horoscopes", the data above is based on the moment that Chairman Mao Tse Tung issued his first address to the nation on State Radio.

The chart reflects very well China's Communist identity - note the extreme emphasis in Air Signs, with the triple conjunction of the Sun, Mercury and Neptune in Libra, and both the Asc and Moon in Aquarius, while Saturn is Peregrine in Virgo (Tyl) in the 7th, ruling the 12th (Political ideology running rampant, unrealistic outlook on the world, arch-discrimination, tight controls on societal norms and institutions). Mercury is Rx, with Mars conjunct Pluto in Leo in the 7th; AP=Saturn/Neptune, Saturn=Sun/Pluto (misguided public policy, rigid control of the Press, potential for brutality, violence, in the name of the State - recall Tianamen Square - Saturn/Neptune combos denotiong Communist/Socialist leanings. See Greene, "The Astrological Neptune").

But the most interesting feature here is China's 5th House, which in Mundane astrology represents the country's birth rate as well as it's national attitude, mood and approach toward children, birth and reproduction/sexual mores. Note the planet Uranus is placed in the 5th, in Cancer, the Sign ruled by the Moon, and is square the national Sun - in the 8th House of death. The astrologically astute will note that here in the USA, Roe v. Wade - the Supreme Court ruling that granted the right to abortion to any woman who wanted it for any reason whatsoever - came down the pike as Uranus was transiting Libra. To this day, Abortion remains a hotly debated political issue, and so is no surprise that it would be involved so intimately in the astrology of the Chinese state.

Note also that this same Uranus position is in Mutual Reception with the Moon, which sits on the Asc from the 12th House. The 12th House in Mundane applications, among other things, represents how a country proposes to deal with its problems, such as crime, illness and other real of perceived threats to the country's stability (which is why the 12th House represents prisons, hospitals and the like). The Moon is the universal planet of the Mother, childbirth, the midwife, and children, especially infants. The Moon is also a female planet (daughters), and, on the Mundane level, represents the pulbic as a whole (and by extension, would have a grand say in "public policy"). The connection between the Moon and Uranus here, clearly shows China's approach regarding "family planning" and the ultimate killing off of millions of girls in the womb. Note also Mercury, the ruler of the national 5th, again Rx, placed in the 8th, and conjunct Neptune.

Going back to my comments above regarding Uranus' transit of Libra, you will note that it was during this time that it was square to the Chinese national Uranian placement, in the late 60s and early 70s - the time of China's "Cultural Revolution". Hmm.

It's hard to see how women would get a fair shake in Chinese society, on the basis of its chart - again, the Moon is placed in the 12th House, and while trine the Sun, is also quindecile Pluto in the 7th (and again itself conjunct Mars). Now see, that Venus is in Scorpio in the 9th House and square the same Mars-Pluto conjunction in the 7th. Pluto rules the 9th - which represents any country's "moral compass". As noted earlier, women are forced by the State to get abortions, with many of them permanently injured or worse.

As we know, the Sexual Planets of Western astrology are Venus, Mars and Pluto, and in the Chinese chart all three are in aspect to each other, with the Sign Scorpio highlighted in the case of Venus. This accounts in my view for the fact that China remains the most populous nation in the world, exceeding well over a billion citizens. Saturn's Peregrination in Virgo, represents the State's "solution" in the "one child" policy, i.e., trying to restrict or limit the sexual mores of the public, or at least the outcomes of said sexual activity. But with the intense involvement of Uranus, those approaches would have drastic, if not disasterous, unintended consequences.

China made this announcement earlier this week as transit Uranus prepares to oppose the all-important Saturn position (the threat of Democracy challenging the Communist government position of authority) and as transit Saturn has recently squared the national MC (reality check); SA Mars=MC, SA Saturn=Moon/Pluto, SA Venus=Node - fitting astrological measurements! In the year 2015, the projected period ahead for the bridal shortage, transit Neptune will conjunct Saturn, while the Uranus-Pluto square will impact on Mercury and Neptune. Keep in mind, Mercury is the ruler of the 5th, while Saturn sits in the 7th - the Houses most associated with Sex, Childbirth and Marriage. In the short term, China is preparing for a period of deep reflection, a reckoning, of the ways in which it has chosen to govern itself, especially as it relates to the areas that have been the subject of this essay - Saturn moves into Virgo in Sep of 2007. The chickens will have come home to roost indeed.

The Chinese state of affairs regarding its "bridal shortage" serves as a sort of international cautionary tale about, what else, abortion - and the very real unintended consequences when the State tries to play God with the power of Life and Death. To be sure, there have always been ways, attempts and methods to in one way or another control or otherwise regulate sexual activity and the direct result of said activity, pregnancy and/or childbirth down through the ages around the world. And in our time of vastly improved medical science, this isn't likely to stop anytime soon. But the Chinese situation begs us all to seriously consider the longrange ramifications of such broad sweeping measures, be they in the name of "family planning" or be they in the name of a "right to privacy". As I've always said, Ideas have consequences, and if ever that was the case, it's certainly true here, seen in the life, times and astrology of one of the most ideologically based countries the world has ever seen. Here in the West, we like to take a libertarian view of Sex, Children and Marriage, that it's all a purely "personal" affair, one of but many lifestyle choices, that has little if any effect on the rest of us. Yet the Chinese example shows just how profound, and deeply impactful, these areas of life can be for all of us, whether we're personally involved or not. True, no one here or in the West in general is forced to undergo abortion, and I would be the first one to stand up to say that I'm most thankful that I live in a Free Society. But you'd have to be either blind or intellectually dishonest to say that our governments in the West haven't tried their hand in the "Love & Marriage" game either, be it in the form of Roe v Wade or the current Gay Marriage debate (and we have to note that there are at present, 5 countries who have legalized Gay Marriage outright) - with troubling results, to say the least. All accross Europe, birthrates are falling sharply, the direct results of policies instituted by the governments of those countries, to say nothing of the changes and endorsements in the attendant cultures (and we'll be taking a look at this situation in due course). If the Bridal Shortage in China, born of a well-intentioned Neptunian dream of "balancing" (Libra Sun, etc.) its population growth, tells us anything, it's that perhaps - just maybe - some things are better left to Mother Nature and time-honored Tradition to sort out.

Hmm...

Salaam,
Mu

Obama: ALL IN

Obama: ALL IN
mumin_yahoo.com

6:36 AM 01/20/2007 Sat

This week's news of Barack Obama's announcement on his website, that he had decided to form an Presidential campaign exploratory commitee, has all but said that he is indeed running for President of the United States next year. Now, the fun starts.

Aside from the very real fact that Obama virtually has no experience in US gov't, he will have to overcome several very siginificant obstacles on the road to the White House. First, he will have to raise somewhere around 100 million dollars to even make a credible campaign, and so far as everyone knows, Obama doesn't have that kind of money. And second, he will have to face & beat Hillary Clinton in order to get the Democratic Party's nomination for Prez.

It's widely speculated that Obama can raise the money - one or more bigtime donors is likely to pony up the cash. Plus, Obama can raise money along the lines of Dr. Howard Dean back in 2004, getting lots of smaller donations from younger voters, who Obama certainly appeals to.

But beating Hillary is another issue - not only does Hillary have a hardcore base of support (rumored to be around 30% of the Democrats), but she also has "the first Black President" as hubbie, Bill Clinton. Make no mistake about it, both Obama and Clinton will be workin' the Black Vote hard, because they both know that it's very hard to win any major US office as a Dem WITHOUT the Black Vote. Not only that, but Obama will have to, at some point, "go negative" on Hillary, most likely on the Iraq War, if he hopes to separate himself from her in the minds of potential Democratic voters. And, on top of all this, Obama will actually have to lay out specific plans both with regard to Iraq and to domestic issues here at home, as the campaign heats up; cutesy and pithy soundbites will start to get real tired, real quick soon.

Like I said, the fun is about to begin...

Last year, I suggested that Obama could have a late Gemini Asc with Pisces on the MC at around 19 degrees; Obama's birthdate is Aug 4 1961 in Honolulu HI, according to Wikipedia. To date, there is no known birthtime for Obama, although I'm pretty sure that before it's all over, his confirmed birthtime will come to light. But I think my "test" rectification of his chart seems to hold up pretty well, given the facts of his life.

One of the reasons why I think he could have a Gemini Asc (my "test time" is set for 4AM AHST) is because in this option, both Venus, which is at the Aries Point at 1 Cancer, is rising in the Asc, reminiscent of Bill Clinton, and the Moon remains in Taurus, at about 24 degrees. This brings the Moon into square with Uranus - electrifying the public, "rock star" image, etc. - as well as being so well at ease with the public, extremely likable persona, and so on.

When we put this together with the fact that Obama's Sun in Leo is square Neptune in Scorpio, it all makes for a very formidable horoscope. People who are born with BOTH Lights in hard aspect to the Outer Planets are almost always folks who make a very strong impression on the environment around them. They have the ability to "tap" into the energies and concepts that those Outer planets represent, and to use them for good or ill. For example, Adolf Hitler had both Uranus and Pluto at his Sun/Moon midpoint; Betty Friedan had the Sun opposed Neptune and the Moon opposed Pluto; and Mao Tse Tung had both Saturn and Pluto at his Sun/Moon midpoint.

It is for these reasons, that Obama is able to tap into the large vein of discontent and yearing for "change" (Uranus) which was so very evident in last year's Midterm elections, and, as well, for the public's sense of "hope" (Neptune). On this score, the Neptunian factor is huge, and threatens to come crashing down when Obama is finally revealed as a very real man, just like anyone else, and when it comes to his ideas and policies, could just be proven to be less than expected. For more on Neptune in this regard, please see Liz Greene's excellent treatise, "The Astrological Neptune", the chapter called "The Political Neptune".

Obama also has some very interesting midpoints going for him, most notably Sun=Venus/Mars=Jupiter/Uranus, combinations that denote considerably popularity with the public (especially among females; poll results consistently show that a large bloc of Democratic voters are unmarried women) and a more "futuristic" outlook, which includes Obama's use of his website to virtually announce his run for the White House.

But he will really have to put the pedal to the metal and be willing to get dirty if he's really serious about being President, and his chart just doesn't show that "killer instinct" that almost always has to have to be successful at such a high level. In my test rectification, Mars sits at 22 Virgo right on the IC and opposed the MC point, which could do the trick, but from all that I've seen and read about Obama, he doesn't seem to exhibit any Martian traits. And charm and vauge slogans will only take him but so far.

According to news reports heard on NPR earlier this week, Obama will make his official announcement to run for the White House on Feb 10 2007, presumably in his home state of Illinois. No time is known, so I've case a chart set for Chicago and at high noon. IF he does indeed make his announcement at that date and time, the campaign will be in serious trouble - the Moon is both fallen in Scorpio AND is Void of Course! TO make matters worse, the Moon squares Saturn and Neptune. Ugh - and I'm not even in Obama's camp. The Sun is conjunct Neptune (what else is new) and opposed Saturn, which along with the Sun, forms a Mutual Reception aspect. Venus in Pisces does square Jupiter in Sagittarius, and Jupiter in turn squares Uranus, but there is little else on the date that "saves" the campaign for Obama. Hopefully, someone will get in his ear and persuades him to officially announce on another date.

Checking his measurements for 07, we can see that his website announcement was made as transit Saturn squares his Moon (needing to get things done) and SA Pluto=Sun/Asc in Jan; he'll try to clarify his position on the issues in Mar, with SA MC=Jupiter/Saturn. But it seems that he is likely to hit a snag in Apr, when SA Moon=Mars/Saturn and SA Uranus=Sun/Pluto - it looks to be quite a reversal from what he's used to. A real test of my rectification work comes in the Summer of 07, as SA Uranus=Moon in Jul, a potential period of an uptick in Obama's popularity, especially since this hit occurs at the same time as SA Pluto=Sun/Venus. The fall gives my test rectification chart another chance to bear fruit, as SA Asc=Jupiter and SA Asc=Mercury, both in Nov, along with SA Sun=Venus/Mars. It seems that Obama will have recovered from whatever trouble he was in earlier in the year, and should be riding high in the polls, going into the all-important Primaries in 2008.

Keep in mind, that transit Pluto will be right in opposition to the proposed Asc in my rectification, as well as transit Uranus sitting on the MC, two major, major transits denoting at the very least, a milestone event or series of events in a person's life. In light of his lack of strong Presidential aspects, Obama will need all the "ummpph" he can get going into 08 and facing off against Hillary.

Stay tuned - it gets a lot more fun from here...

Salaam,
Mu

Oprah Update: More Pluto On The MC

Oprah Update: More Pluto On The MC
mumin_bey@yahoo.com

7:33 AM 01/20/2007 Sat

My mailbox is full with all manner of reactions to my recent piece on Oprah and her efforts to open an all girls school in South Africa - mostly hatemail LOL. It seems that I've once again hit a vein, crossed a line, that isn't looked upon too kindly among the Oprah faithful.

This update, then, will come as no surprise to the opposition. Earlier this week Oprah had an exclusive interview with one of the boys held hostage for years in the home of a man who apparently abducted them, along with his parents. Although O agreed not to ask specific questions as to exactly what happened to the boy during his time in the suspect's house, she nevertheless went up to the water's edge, so to speak. I had the chance to see a portion of the broadcast, and felt very uneasy about it.

As Bill O'Reilly points out, on one level you really can't blame Oprah - she's only doing what a truckload of other talking heads on TV would have done, score the exclusive interview - it's a no brainer, it gets mad ratings, and in a country where children are so important (note the USA astrology with the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter ALL in Cancer), again, you really cant blame her on the "journalistic" side. But there IS something to be said from a decency standpoint, at least it is for me. The boy has barely been home for a few days, and already here we have Oprah trotting the boy out in front of the nation, potentially the world. In light of the fact that she herself was abused as a child, you would think that she could give the guy a break.

I'm cool with her interviewing the parents (even though I thought they could given the Press a break, too) but bringing the kid out...wow.

At any rate, we can go back and forth forever debating whether O should've done the deed, but what can't be denied - at least for me - is the fact that while O didn't hesitate to bring on these folks, the guys who were dragged through the mud down at Duke U - and their parents - were nowhere to be found. Why am I bringing this up? Simple - it's because, it shows yet again, just how biased Oprah really is. By now, everyone's aware of what happend at Duke U last year. A Black stripper contended that she was viciously gang-raped by a bunch of White, well to do Duke students who happened to be on the Lacrosse team. Immediately, a firestorm of controversey was started, with decided racial and political overtones, since Duke U sits amidst a Black community, with the local DA seeking political office. The entire Lacrosse program was shut down. Professors and other faculty released comments through the school paper denouncing the boys in question. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton came to the defense of the stripper, describing her as a single mom, struggling to put herself through college, and finding stripping as the only way to support herself and her family. One of the boys in question had to leave the school. All of their reputations ruined - and keep in mind, that the case had never come to trial.


Well, what do you know - the DA is found to be witholding key evidence that DNA tests performed on the stripper reveals that NONE of the boys accused were in fact guilty of the crime of rape, and that what DNA evidence that was there belong to at least several other men. The stripper's companion, another stripper, said that none of what was described happened, and the original stripper was forced to recant her statements. On top of this, the DA also appears to have committed several major errors legally, making him a target for prosecutorial misconduct, censure, even liable for criminal offense. The story was in the news all year. But it never made Oprah.

Do you honestly think the Duke U case would have made "page one" of the Oprah Show if indeed, the stripper WAS gang-raped? To ask the question, is to answer it.

Thank God for 60 Minutes.

Why do I seemingly focus so much time and energy on Oprah? It's simple. It's because she's more than just a chatshow hostess, more than just a talking head - and I think it's safe to say that she would agree with that statement. She's an activist for a particular point of view, and has the power to make those points of view public policy, or at the very least, to be able to influence the public discourse and culture.

One of my best friends, Zam, recently said that while he doesn't agree with my views regarding Oprah, he nevertheless feels that she does envince a level of prejudice with regard to men. His honesty is one of many reasons why he's one of my best friends I've ever had in this life - and in any event, is a rarity when it comes to Oprah, because I honestly believe lots of people, men and women alike, see the very same thing he does. However, given her past with men, he was willing to give her a pass. I'm not.

I don't because I see that O can make her prejudices, biases and the like, real or perceived, into a form of public policy, for good or ill. And, if the Duke U case is any indication, she has. While O has no problem getting on the Rappers case for their treatment of women, she like the rest of her Feminist sisters are nowhere to be found when things like the Duke U case goes down. We're all just supposed to turn a blind eye to such things, like my friend does when he clearly sees that Oprah has an axe or two to grind.

Whether you agree with me or not, just take both cases - the abducted boy and his parents, and the Duke U case - and compare and contrast.

Going to the astrology, as mentioned before, Oprah's having the milestone SA Pluto=MC, with transit Saturn sitting right on her 8th House Pluto, and transit Neptune sitting right on her 2nd House Mercury. The latter two measurements are those that can suggest a difficult time, particularly where communication, thinking, and one's point of view and perspectives are concerned. In Oprah's case, it certainly seems to tally with the measure of criticism she's received over the rapper controversey last year, the all-girls school and boy abduction this month, and so on. And, from what I can see here, the hits just keep comin' - this Spring she'll have SA Venus=Mars/Saturn with SA Saturn=Venus/Pluto (Apr), followed by SA Venus=Saturn/Pluto in Jul. These are NOT happy measurements, folks!-and in light of the fact that Venus rules O's MC, along with the aforementioned transits in play, it all adds up to O's reputation taking some more hits before the Summer's out. Look for yet more headlines with Oprah's name "above the fold" between early Spring and mid Summer.

A final note. As mentioned earlier, I've received quite a bit of angry letters from folks regarding my essays on O. After awhile, I've noticed a pattern emerging, and I'm seeing this in other quaters as well - that it almost seems blasphemous to criticize Oprah, to point anything that might raise real, legitimate questions regarding her stance and most importantly, her actions, of which her show plays a huge role. In truth, if it were Montel, or Maury, or Ricki Lake, or Jerry Springer, I couldn've cared less what they were doing, because none of them put themselves out as a sort of guru/activist to a signficant portion of American Society. But since Oprah has, I think she's fair game for scruntiny, at least as much scruntiny as anti-Bush types say he should get. Afterall, O was being pushed to run for President last year, and in many ways, has as much influence, moreso in some cases. In any event, while I find the hatemail to be quite funny, it would be nice to actually get some that debates me on the issues surrounding Oprah, rather than just the sounds of guzzling the Oprah-aide.

Word.

Salaam,Mu

Madame Speaker: Astrological Considerations Of The Nancy Pelosi Congress

Madame Speaker: Astrological Considerations Of The Nancy Pelosi Congress
mumin_bey@yahoo.com

11:25 AM 01/07/2007 Sun

WASHINGTON D.C. - On Thursday, Janurary 4, 2006, Democratic Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco CA became the first woman elected to the post of Speaker of the US House of Representatives in its more than 200 year history. Marked with much fanfare and pomp, Pelosi declared that "for our daughters, and grand daughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling; now, the sky is the limit". Promising to get major components of their Midterm 2006 platform passed through the House in "100 hours" Pelosi oversaw the revamping of House Ethics Rules, and along with her Senate counterpart, Harry Reid, fired off a letter to the White House, laying out their staunch disagreement with possible plans on President Bush's part to send a troop "surge" in a desperate effort to lock down Baghdad. Other major plans in the "100 hours" initiative include a hike in the Federal Minimum Wage, federal funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research, and reducing, if not eliminating outright, interest rates on College Loans. By all accounts, these measures should pass with relative ease; but the 5000 lb gorilla in the middle of the room, remains the Iraq War - and with only two years before the Presidential Elections, Pelosi doesn't have much time to get too bogged down in legislative fights. Will Pelosi be able to get the troops out of Iraq in time for 08?

Nancy Pelosi Mar 26 1940 Baltimore MD, no time as yet known; source, Wikipedia

Pelosi's birthdate reveals a tough cookie, to be sure - the Sun in Aries with the Moon in Scorpio gives a tremendous level of audacity and ambition. Additionally, this Sun-Moon blend feeds a Saturn-Pluto square, suggesting that Pelosi can be quite a tough lady when she needs to be, and again highlights strong ambitions. The triple conjunction of Uranus, Venus and Mars in Taurus speaks to, among others, the "San Francisco values" tag she's been saddled with, hailing from an area of the USA that is, shall we say, "alternative" to what the rest of the country thinks about itself. Jupiter is most likely Peregrine (Tyl) in Aries, seeking opportunity and reward in ego-centered terms (and yet another reflection of the big ambitions-focus of the birthdate astrology); Sun=Jupiter/Neptune, a strong strain of idealism, possible religiousity. The major flaw as I see it, based on her birthdate is her Mercury placement in Pisces, its Sign of Fall, and is also Retrograde. This Mercury position sextile both Uranus and Venus, suggesting the potential of further destabilization in terms of balanced thinking grounded in forethought.

Pelosi's Mercury placement is a glaring reflection of the Mercury position in the horoscope for the Democratic Party (May 13 1792 12PM LMT Philadelphia PA; Placidus 29 Leo 53) - Mercury is placed in Taurus (a Sign ruled by Venus - idealistic thinking channelled into practical forms in its best light - note the Venusian tone in both Mercury positions!) and also Rx; additionally, this Mercury is Combust, obscured by the Sun; this manifests as people being unable or unwilling to hear the ideas the Dems are trying to get out, and/or the Dems are simply unable to get their message out, due to insider bickering, shortsightedness and simplistic solutions.

This and other "defects" in the Democratic Party's astrology will make themselves more manifest now that they are in power of both Houses of Congress; varying forms of Economic Populism will only get them but so far.

Consider the chart for the moment Pelosi was sworn in as Speaker of the House; according to NPR's "Talk of the Nation" program, this happened around 1.30PM EST Jan 4 2006; Placidus 11 Tau 45. This is the moment that Pelosi also began swearing in the various members of the House, as the 110th "Pelosi" Congress got underway.

The chart is striking - Venus rules the Asc and is placed in the 10th in Aquarius, a fitting symbol for Pelosi's historic moment. The 1st and 10th Houses in this chart represent the Party in Power, the Dems, while the 4th and 7th Houses represent the Party out of Power, the GOP.

Saturn rules the 10th, the Dems, and is both placed in Leo, its classical Sign of Detriment, and Rx, in the 5th House. Since the 5th represents in Mundane astrology the legislative bodies, this suggests to me right off the bat that the Dems will be limited in what they can do; somehow, they're at risk for being derailed in someway.

With Saturn also ruling the 9th and holding and disposing of both the Sun and Mercury, obviously, this will have to do with Iraq. The Sun represents President Bush, the leader of the country, while Mercury rules the 6th House of the Military. The Sun and Saturn are in Mutual Reception, suggesting to my mind a sort of "Mexican Standoff" - Pelosi's Congress won't want to cut off funding to the troops, and Bush won't want to simply "redeploy" the troops out of Iraq either.

While it's clear that Bush's power has been diminished as a result of the 2006 Midterms, on the basis of this map I'd still say that he has a slight upperhand - note that the Sun is sextile Uranus in the 11th, suggesting that he still has considerable support among the Opposition. Also, note that Jupiter resides in Sagittarius in the 7th House, with the Moon in Cancer in the 4th. These Sign placements suggest to me that the GOP still has considerable influence, especially in the Senate, where the Dems hold a very slight lead in votes. With a key Democrat Senator out recovering from a stroke and not expected to return for weeks, if not months, the Dems will need key GOP support in order to get anything on their legislative agenda done.

Will the GOP, particularly in the Senate, provide it? On the basis of the Congressional Session Chart, it appears that they may not - the Moon, while in Cancer, is also technically Void of Course. I put it that way because the great William Lilly once observed that there are key exceptions to the Moon VOC rule; he said that "all matters go hardly" when the Moon is Void, yet when it occupies the Signs of its Exaltation, Dignity, or the Signs of Jupiter (both Sagittarius and Pisces would apply here) the VOC rule is nullified. Traditionally, when the Moon is VOC, either things will go on and there is little anyone can do about it, or, that nothing happens at all, or, things don't go as planned at all. The Moon's only aspect is an accross the signline opposition to Venus - Pelosi - suggesting considerable gridlock over monies/taxes, jockeying for position with regard to the Press for who can frame their issues the best, and how to best deal with the troops based in Iraq.

At the very least I see the GOP, particularly the Senate, basically sitting on much of the ideas that come out of the House, especially as it relates to Iraq.

At present, Pelosi has SA Saturn=Sun and SA Pluto=Sun, a time of consolidation of one's power, to be sure; back in the Midterm 2006 Elections, she had among other things, SA Uranus=Jupiter/Pluto, a signal of major success and good fortune, of turning things around grandly.

But Saturn-Pluto combinations are at best a bear to manage successfully, and most of the time, suggests defeats of some kind. Note that in the Democratic Party's chart, transit Saturn moves again to oppose Pluto and the probable position of the Moon, between now and Aug 2007. For certain, the transits of Saturn opposed Pluto and square the Sun can be seen as "breaking the marble ceiling" as Pelosi put it, but since these hits will continue throughout the year, especially in Jul 2007, I have a hard time seeing this as positive over the longterm. Saturn co-rules in this speculative chart the the 5th House of Legislative Measures; it will be difficult for the Dems to get things done beyond the "honeymoon period" taking place right now.

Additionally, transit Uranus moves to oppose the Dems' rising Mars in Virgo in May and Aug of this year. The earlier period looks a bit more favorable due to the combined transits of Jupiter in square to Mars, but the latter timeframe looks more troubling for the Dems, as transit Uranus opposes Mars for a second time, and right in between some rough Saturn transits to key positions in the Dems' chart.

The Democratic Party has always been one of coalitions, of gathering diverse voices under a big tent, so to speak; the past elections have seen a resurgence of "Blue Dog" Democrats, conservative leaning Dems who are Pro-Life and favor strengthening traditional Marriage, as well as being Pro-Gun and Pro-Defense. This is seen astrologically in the Party's chart, by noting the Sun and Moon positions (the more centrist-to-conservative wings of the Party, to the more liberal wings of the Party) in the main, while also noting the very prominent opposition between Saturn in Aries on one side and Jupiter in conjunction with Neptune on the other, in Libra. This "push-pull" effect will really be evident later this Summer, as the debate concerning the Iraq War really gets heated. This will put considerable pressure on Pelosi to keep the Party united as the 110th Congress wears on, and seen vividly in the virtually in-tandem transits of Neptune and Saturn in square to her Uranus all year! She will be faced with the fundamental question - does she allow the more Liberal elements of her Party to "go after" GWB & Co. in the form of drawnout oversight hearings, etc.? Or, does she struggle to keep the Party "on message" and focuses on getting as much done as possible before 2008? The Moon in Scorpio isn't particularly known for letting bygones being bygones, as we astrologers know all too well.

More information is needed before we can go any further, particularly a confirmed birthtime for both Pelosi and the Democratic Party itself. But from what we have here, I think it safe to say that Pelosi's honeymoon will soon be over, and then the real fun begins.

Mu's Prediction: Pelosi gets the smaller domestic Bills through the House, with all but one - Stem Cells - going through the Senate. She'll have a hard time getting enough Blue Dog Dems to sign on to the Stem Cell piece, plus there aren't enough Republicans to take up the slack to get it through both Houses. Pelosi won't risk cutting off funding for the Iraq War, lest she raises the spectre of both Vietnam and of suspicions on the part of the Right that the Dems and the Left in general really are contemptuous of the Military/Troops. Despite all the sound and fury coming from both Pelosi and Reid, Bush's surge will happen, giving him at least another 6 months of cover to get things moving in Iraq, key now that Saddam is officially out of the picture. Look for headlines talking of a growing split in the Democratic Party, especially in the House, starting in Apr or so and really becoming apparent by Jul-Aug. Pelosi will have her hands full keeping the coalition together. Her first historic year as Speaker will be a guarded, modest success in light of the earlier populist domestic measures.

Salaam,
Mu

Muqtada Al-Sadr: Power Player Of Iraq

Muqtada Al-Sadr: Power Player Of Iraq

10:28 AM 12/10/2006 Sun

With the seemingly swiftly shifting sands regarding the political and social future of Iraq taking place, one name seems to emerge among the potential post-Iraq War leaders - Muqtada Al-Sadr. Described as "the young radical Shiite cleric", Al-Sadr has managed to transition from radical militant to legitimate political power-player in Iraq, forming one of Nouri Al-Maliki's key coalitions in his government. He leads the Sadr City section of the Iraqi capital city, Baghdad, he commands the Al-Mahdi Army, one of Iraq's largest militia forces, he is still wanted to the murder of other Islamic clerics in Iraq by American Forces, and he is a member of one of Iraq's most influential religious families; "Sadr City" is named after his father, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Muhammad Sadeq Al-Sadr. His horoscope may indeed prove key in future astrological considerations regarding not only Iraq itself, but perhaps the Middle East as the Shia Islamic World comes to power.

However, there is no known birthtime for Al-Sadr; according to Wikipedia, he was born on Aug 12 1973, presumably in Baghdad. Even in our times of vastly improved birthtime record keeping, there are still instances where such information will not readily be available, or indeed be nonexistant. For such times, Rectification is called for.

Rectification, the process used by astrologers to determine a native's potential birthtime, is in essence, a test of the astrologer's skill with Astrology; the idea is that you match known life events and other characteristics of the person in question to what you think their astrology *should* look like. Although many astrologers shy away from rectification, I've always found it to be a good way to test one's abilities astrologically, to keep one's powers of observation sharp.

My method, is to get as detailed, yet as concise a listing of information on the person possible; already, for example, on the details mentioned above, we have some key clues about a rectification of Al-Sadr's chart - he's a military commander, a political leader, a religious cleric, hailing from a powerful family. When I first read this, my astrological "spider sense" went off - immediately I thought, "strong Mars, prominent 4th and 9th Houses, possible strong 10th House". Mars, of course, represents war and the military; the 4th House represents one's family bloodline and cultural lineage; the 9th House represents religion and higer learning; and the 10th House represents political involvement and position.

Here's some other details of Al-Sadr's life, again from Wikipedia:

"History
The elder al-Sadr, a well-respected figure throughout the Shi'a world, was murdered along with two of his sons allegedly by the government of Saddam Hussein, though some believe it was by the Khoeis, in February 1999 in Najaf, the power center of the al-Sadr clan. Muqtada's father-in-law was executed by the Iraqi authorities in 1980. As Muqtada al-Sadr lacks the religious education and degrees required by Shia doctrines, he does not claim the title of mujtahid (the equivalent of a senior religious scholar) or the authority to issue fatwas (religious edicts), consequently he bases his religious authority on his lineage alone."

Hmmm!-death of a parent, clearly a major event in one's life, all the moreso if the native is young at the time; and Al-Sadr himself LACKS THE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT his famous father and father-in-law had. This clearly would lead me to think, in the latter case, a "stressed out" 9th House, perhaps the ruler of which being under hard aspects from other planets, and in the case of the former event, a major transit and/or arc moving to an Angle, hopefully the Parental Axis, the 4th or 10th cusps.

OK - now we're ready to take a look at Al-Sadr's birthdate: Aug 12 1973, Baghdad. The date itself reveals a potential change of Lunar position, from the Moon in Capricorn to the Moon in Aquarius; such things happen often in rectification cases, and here again, it's up the astrologer's skills to determine which Moon Sign is most likely to actually be the case. The Sun in Leo/Moon in Cap blend would lead us to think that Al-Sadr wants to be seen as a leader, a man who can make things happen; with the Sun in Leo/Moon in Aquarius, the focus can still be political, but there is also a sense of idealism, of social service; more "hardcore" tactics don't seem likely.

Given what we know about Al-Sadr, along with the relevant astrology operative in his life in major events (more on this below), I'm inclined to roll with the Sun in Leo and the Moon in Capricorn. At 6AM, the Moon would be in the late degrees of Capricorn, suggesting that around midday or so, the Moon would shift into Aquarius.

I'm thinking an early morning birth...now for the 4th and 9th Houses...

Al-Sadr comes from a powerful family, so planets relating to the 4th should be very well dignified. The Sun is in Leo, and a planet in its own Sign is almost as good as it gets (of Exaltation is even better). What if the Sun were in and/or ruling the 4th?

I roll the chart back from the "6AM" time till I get the Sun in the 4th. Now for the 9th...

On Al-Sadr's birthdate, Saturn squares Pluto, an aspect of considerable conservatism, toughness, *difficulty*; could Saturn be ruling the 9th? That would give us the "stressed out" 9th House we're looking for, yet still keeping the conservative Islamic leanings (religiousity) in focus.

I rollback the time even more; now we're at around midnight on Al-Sadr's birthdate. Keeping in mind the current transits, I inch the Asc further and further, until I hit 12.30AM BAT - 13 Gemini on the Asc, Asc ruler Mercury in Leo in the 3rd, Sun ruling the 4th in Leo in the 3rd, Saturn ruling the 9th square Pluto. And, note how the Sun is quindecile Jupiter, now in the 9th and Rx! This ties in both the 4th and 9th Houses. And keep in mind, that Asc ruler Mercury squares Mars accross the signline, with Mars in Aries; Mars in declinational aspect to Uranus, ruler of the 10th. It makes sense.

Al-Sadr's dad was killed, probably by Saddam, in Feb 1999 - SA Mars would square Al-Sadr's trial MC, at 24 Aquarius, exact Sep 1999. Transit Pluto was hovering around the Dsc, in opposition to the trial Asc in 1999, exact a year later. In 2004, Al-Sadr became head of both Sadr City and the Mahdi Army - SA Asc=Jupiter, Jun 04; and in that same year, he was wanted for murder by the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority) - SA Neptune=Sun, Jan 04.

In Oct 2006, Al-Sadr was seen making public appearances with Al-Maliki, raising concerns about his rising influence in Iraqi governmental affairs and policymaking - transit Uranus square the Asc, SA Sun=Jupiter. Again, it all makes sense.

So, the trial rectification birthtime of 12.30AM BAT, on Aug 12 1973 in Baghdad Iraq, seems to be a good base for astrological considerations of one of Iraq's future power players.

The coming year will prove very, very crucial for Al-Sadr, give us our first test of this trial rectification; his power position (indeed, his very life) could be challenged, either by American Forces finally closing in on him, or, by way of his own grip on control of the Madhi Army getting out from under him as the sectarian strife continues to escalate in the waning days of the American military campaign. In early 2007, transit Saturn will be opposed the trial MC, while transit Neptune opposes Al-Sadr's Sun. This will happen again in mid to late Summer 07, when transit Saturn makes its final pass in opposition to the trial MC, and in mid Fall 07, when transit Neptune makes its final pass in opposition to Al-Sadr's Sun. However, his Solar Arcs for the year ahead look good - SA Sun=Venus Feb; SA Venus=Moon Aug; and SA Pluto=Jupiter Sep. All very, very strong and positive measurements. If Al-Sadr can hold on to his power position, he'll be here to stay come the end of 2007.

Comments?

Salaam,
Mu

Welcome To Oprah University! (Boys Need Not Apply)

Welcome To Oprah University! (Boys Need Not Apply)

3:38 PM 01/03/2007 Wed

JOHANNASBURG - As predicted in my essay back in Oct of 2006 ("Oprah: A Case Study of Neptune in the 10th, muminspeaks.blogspot.com, Oct 2006 entry), Oprah Winfrey's name did indeed appear in the headlines this month, with what she considers to be a lifetime event - the grand opening of her school for girls in South Africa. Oprah fans and the like will know well O's exploits in SAFR, among which were plans begun six years ago, to build a school specifically for disadvantaged girls. The school's opening was attended by none other than former president Nelson Mandela, along with other notable African American celebs, such as Spike Lee, Mariah Carey and Maya Angelou. 450 girls were finally chosen from over several thousand, the cost for the school ran about 40 million dollars (which O put up herself) and is slated to include the higher grades in the near future.

The school is said to be state-of-the-art, with a campus emcompassing some 28 buildings per O's specifications, including a reading room with a fireplace, a yoga studio and a sort of ampitheater designed to teach the girls in public speaking.

Consistent with what we've come to expect when Pluto by transit or Solar Arc comes to the MC, Oprah said that this is a major event in her life, one that not only took six years in the making, but one that she says she drew from her own life; she said that her dream was to make it possible for poor and disadvantaged girls to able to live their dreams. Without question, this is a great development in the post-Apartheid era of South Africa. But before the cheering starts, this story serves as a sort of prima facia example of just how "egalitarian" feminists like O really are. We are often told things like such people are interested in the equality of everyone, yet this example clearly shows, that "all" of the abject poor of the shanty towns like Soweto isn't the major criteria - being a girl is. Although this morning's report on the BBC's "News Hour" (heard locally on WHYY, the Philly NPR affiliate) took careful pains to point out that SAFR's boys are in need of help too, there could be plans afoot to see to it that they get the kind of "re-education" only Pol Pot and Chairman Mao would be proud of. Seriously, I kid, but hopefully you get my point - the idea is to see to it that South Africa's boys, if they are to be included in this grand scheme, are "socially engineered" to conform to the sensibilities of the likes of Oprah and her ilk, not truly taught to be fully functioning human beings in the World of Tommorrow.

We can also add, turning now to Oprah's horoscope (Jan 29 1954 4.30AM CST Kosciusko MS; Placidus 29 Sag 41, Rodden), that it speaks to a considerable interest in and success with, education: Sagittarius rises, with Jupiter, one of the three Education Planets of Western Astrology (Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus), placed in Mercury's Sign Gemini; Mercury in Aquarius is trine this Jupiter placement and rules the 9th House of Higher Education. Mercury is square Mars and opposed Pluto, and while under normal circumstances a stressed out 9th House and/or 9th ruler would portend difficulties with education, we can say in this case that it was not so. Note MC=Mercury/Jupiter, Uranus=Jupiter/Pluto, the latter three of these planets also in declinational aspect.

On top of this, please note that Oprah has, according to her ACG map, the Sun and Venus on the MC line going right through South Africa; her Saturn line goes right through Johannasburg. Hmm. And, when we overlay Oprah's chart onto that of South Africa itself (May 31 1961 12AM EET, Pretoria SAFR; Placidus 8 Pis 47, Campion) the resultant synastry is striking - O's Moon conjuncts the MC, opposes the Sun, square Pluto and square the Asc, while her Asc trines Venus; her Jupiter opposes the SAFR Moon, and much more. Clearly, these are contacts suggesting a major interest and involvement with the girls of SAFR and as well, having to do with education (note that SAFR's Moon in Sagittarius in the 10th, Venus in Aries, O's own chart specfics in this regard, etc.).

In places around the world like South Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. - there is a great push to get girls into school - while the boys fall further and further behind. Afterall, like the Oprah School for Girls shows, such things are Cause-Celebres. But here in the USA, it is a documented fact that boys are more likely to be suspended from school, to be disciplined more often, to have more difficulty with curricula, to be demoralized and put off from the school experience, to dropout of school, to commit suicide more often, to be placed in "special ed", to be prescribed Ritalin and other mind-altering drugs in order to "behave" and more. It is also a known fact that at present, more women than men are enrolled in college, and this is very important since it is also a fact that such women are not likely to "marry down" or otherwise be interested in the local plumber, meat packer, house painter or landscaper (unless you're a White blue-collar guy, ala "Something New"; Oprah fans know what I'm talking about).

Additionally, it is a fact that the vast majority of the country's teachers are women (usually, but not always, White), which in a sane world would raise real questions as to whether such a thing could have anything to do with the difficulties boys face in this regard, as well as the modern day schooling experience (and we can note here, that a few intrepid education scholars have suggested that the current education model, including tests and curricula, are such that they more easily fit the aptitudes that tend to be found more on the female side of the ledger); boys, accross the racial and socioeconomic spectrum, are and have been falling behind the girls over the past few decades.

Over the course of the past generation, here Stateside and around the world, we have seen the decline of the all-boys academy; indeed, to the minds of most of the world's feminists, such institutions are the bastions of the all-dreaded "patriarchy" that must be eliminated at all costs. This just didn't go for educational facilities that catered to the development of young boys, but to other male institutions, like the Boy and Cub Scouts and military schools like VMI and The Citadel. Bryn Mawr, Rosemont and Wellsley are hot colleges for women; one is hardpressed to come up with an all-male equivalent worth its salt in our time.

The current feminist-assisted conventional wisdom states that boys are inherently more problematic than are girls and thus need to be "worked on", to be "socialized/civilized" in order to be more suitable for the Brave New World. Yet, anyone who actually has male children knows well, that some things rarely if ever change. The issue isn't to try to make boys into girls, but to find productive outlets for hardwired male aptitudes and behaviors, unashamedly, as unashamedly as Oprah put her school for girls together in SAFR.

But, the sad truth is, trying to mount a counter-offensive to save the minds (and literally, lives) of boys is at best a hardsell to politicians, celebs and pundits alike, let alone the average person in society; all that "consciousness raising" over the past four decades has really done a job on the public, in true "Old Jedi Mindtrick" fashion. Although the murder rates in American Big Cities is again on the rise, although other forms of wayward male behavior is making itself manifest, and although the girls like those Oprah intends to help will be the most educated and priviliged the world has ever known, there is scant interest or will to even try to address any of it on the boy's side of the room.

Just as Oprah draws from her own experience to give birth to her school, I can draw on a few of my own in this regard - I was completely TURNED OFF from school, so much so that the very thought of going back is anathema to me. I was subjected to completely indifferent, incompetent, culturally deficient teachers (who, for the most part, happened to have been female and White) who not only didn't have a clue, but also didn't give a damn to make learning anything worthwhile or relevant to me or my classmates. Like most Black boys, I was "tracked", placed into the Trades on the assumption that I didn't have the wherewithall to go on to higher education. To this day I cannot recall who my High School Counselor was because I never met him/her(!), and the only reason why things didnt turn out for the worst for me was because in my final year of a hellish public school experience, I happened to have a Black man who was my Psychology teacher. A Moorehouse man, this teacher took a great risk to teach us a subject that really made a difference to our world. It was the ONLY class in 12 years of "schooling" that I EVER got an "A" in, and actually was the reason why I didn't drop out altogether. Unfortunately, it didn't last - he was ousted by his own colleagues (who just happened to also be Black), too fearful they were of his rocking the administrative boat. Most folks know that there are a lot of bad teachers in the public school systems, the very same systems that form the basis upon which prisons are built - and we all know where the vast majority of inner-city, Black and Hispanic males wind up by or before their 30th birthday.

Yet, there continues to be strong resistance to even the suggestion that possibly, just maybe, all boys schools could be of help to such at-risk youth. For example, in the waning days of 2005, as my hometown Philly was inching closer to a homicide rate of 380 with 1600 wounded (and 406 dead in 2006!), city officials vigourously wringed their hands in trying to find a solution. Several of them said that they would be open to bringing the all-boys schools back - which was all that was needed to bring the Local Feminist Lobby down from their perch out on the Main Line. Within nanoseconds of the proposal being outed, these activist-ideologues vehemently opposed the idea, even for the public schools, arguing that to even think of such an idea is to set the Women's Movement back several decades. Being appropriately shamed for broaching such a retrograde topic, the city fathers scurried back into the dark corners of City Hall, tail between legs, and pretended that they had something else to do that was more important.

Of course, these ladies reserve the right to send THEIR DAUGHTERS to all-girls schools, from kindergarten through grad school-all while avoiding the certain purgatory so many boys will almost certainly face.

As interested readers know well, I have my issues with Oprah - yet, I salute her for doing something most celebs these days dare not even think about - she puts her money where her mouth is. Every dime that funded the new school for girls in SAFR came out of Oprah's purse, something that deserves a heck of a lot of credit, and for the record, I truly wish her and her new school well. But with transit Saturn sitting on her Pluto in the 8th House of Debts, and transit Neptune sitting on her Mercury in the 2nd House of Personal Finances, it will be interesting indeed to see if this school of hers will go on to pay for itself in the months and years to come.

In the meantime, it would really be great if the real issues concerning boys, both here and abroad, got as much attention. Afterall, it IS about "equality" - right?

Hmm...

Salaam,
Mu