QUAKES, MCCANN AND MONEY - updated

Over the last few days I have been trying to plan a last minute getaway. In order to take advantage of the strong US/UK dollar exchange I decided to skip my normal summer holiday to Spain and I was contemplating where else I could go. Then someone suggested Hawaii. I went there once and loved it. So, the fact that Hawaii is so affordable for British tourists at present made it a doubly attractive option and I decided to check out flights on Travelocity.

There were some great deals but I hummed and hawed and felt very indecisive. Then just as I made my decision not to go there I heard of an earthquake on the Big Island and Hurricane Flossie blew in.

Naturally, I quickly switched my attention. I moved on to deals for the Caribbean (their dollar is also linked with the US dollar) specifically Antigua and surrounding islands. Again there were some great bargains but something held me back. I hummed and hawed again and just as I decided no, I heard news of a tropical storm system moving into that area. Then this morning they had a 4.7 earthquake in the Leeward Isles. Now is that synchronistic or what?

Do I feel lucky, blessed, guided not to have committed? Hmmm I'm not sure. Just after breakfast today I turned on the news and heard of the underground jolts from the Solomon Islands all the way across to Peru. This made me a little twitchy about my final choice. I've settled on California but the last time I was in California was in the early '90s when I was caught up in two major earthquakes!** I was even more alarmed when I brought up the astrology charts and saw that Venus was retrograding ( through Virgo) at the time and, as those of you who read my posts frequently will know, that's what Venus is doing now too. Perhaps I am magnetised towards underground activity due to all my Scorpio planets! Just when I was choking on my toast and questioning if I should have booked this trip at all I looked at the IRIS site and discovered that even Spain had an 4.7 jolt this week. It seems nowhere is immune to the forces of nature. However if it isn't storms, earthquakes or flooding, there is terrorism, Bird Flu and a myriad of other things to stress about. I'll just go, have a good time - and trust.

For those of you intrigued by these things, Venus was at 2 Virgo Rx on 17 Aug 1991 - the Honeydew earthquake - and the Sun was conjoined with Jupiter in Leo. The Sun returns to the same degree today but that's a once yearly event. Venus returns to it's 1991 (and 1999) position on 11th October 2007 and that's an 8 yearly event. The Northridge earthquake and others had nothing at this degree, so I won't make too much of it. What I did find intriguing is the position of 2 Virgo on the descendant of this giant Peru quake. I'll have to look at this 2 degree Virgo/Pisces axis more closely and see how it relates to earthquakes along that plate. For that I will use this USGS site which has all the facts about earthquakes one could ever require.

Peru and it's coast has suffered a total of 18 successive earthquakes recently. Although many of the worlds worst earth tremors come without any warning, it's apparent looking at the charts from IRIS and USGS that something was very unstable in that area for a while.

Many astrologers, myself included, have long predicted major planetary changes and upheavals as Pluto moves into the Earth sign of Capricorn in early 2008. We've also placed special focus on coming months as Saturn also moves into the earth sign of Virgo on September 2nd. This current international spate of activity was possibly triggered by the conglomeration of planets in the fixed sign of Leo all in aspect to Pluto - although in the ACG maps Mars in Gemini seems to have been the trigger in Peru. It reached what we call a mundane square with the Moons node at the time of the quake. Mundane squares (aka Parans) occur when two planets or points are angular in the chart by RA rather than angular in Celestial longitude. Mars was on the IC and the Moons node on the Desc (close Saturn) at 18.40 EST when this 8.0 struck, as you can see in the chart above.

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So, the blood in the McCann apartment did not belong to Madeleine*. I really hope some breakthrough is forthcoming soon. I added a small update to my previous post on the matter and all I can do is urge people to look at the facts and not the conjecture. Police say they have no leads but why are they not pursuing the Murat family/McCann friends/Exeter link? Here once again is the Local Space map that links Murats house to the McCann apartment. This time I have traced in the line in the other direction (with the law of Polarity we link Aries/Libra Taurus /Scorpio, Gemini/Sagittarius etc etc, just as we link East/West North/South and NE to SW etc etc). The Red line shows Pluto and the Blue line Saturn. Murats property is marked and the lines go through the edge of his garden and boundary wall. The other way the lines go from Apartment 5a out to Burgau which is where Ralph Eveleigh, Murats Uncle, also from Exeter, has a property. These lines don't always show where a person currently is but they show the person (Madeleine) will be linked to people and places under these lines in a Saturn/Pluto way (or nature).

Click to enlarge
So we have Murat, Eveleigh, Gorrod, Tanner and O'Brien all linked to Exeter. Just a coincidence? Come on Detectives. Do some detective work. As for investigative journalism, well that seems to have bitten the dust entirely. What am I doing going to America. Perhaps I should just get down to Devon myself!

Seems I have a lot in common, or some invisible linkage, with someone who goes by the name of Papaj. This person recently left this comment on a Daily Express article which allowed feedback and it intrigued me. It read:

James Gorrod is a specialist in Property Law and Construction Law at Foot Ansteys in Exeter. Also have offices in Plymouth.

Isn't Robert Murat in the property business? Wasn't he in Exeter during the 10 days leading up to Madeleine's abduction? Wasn't he said to be rennovating a property? Have these two met before do you think?

Okay we know that but then he says:

Des Taylor - the architect who desinged (sic)the Murat's place in Praia Da Luz if from Plymouth. Are they the sort that move in the same circles?

Robert Murat's cousin is called Sally Eveleigh. There's a Sally Eveleigh in Plymouth who works for a christian adoption agency (Families For Children). Might not be the same one - but interesting.

Did James Gorrod used to live in Leicester? There's someone the same age and same name here:
http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/friendsreunited.asp?WCI=OtherProfile
&member_key=272427&surname=Gorrod

Also: Robert's wife's sister, Shirley also lives in the Exeter area. Seems he knew her before her sister Dawn.

Bizarre. But most likely coincidences.

I can't vouch for the accuracy of PapaJ's information but he/she has added a few more interesting facts and names into the mix here. The synchronicity and coincidences just keep on coming.

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A reader of my blog who has an excellent astrology site at www.astrevolution.net has pointed out the synastry that exists between some very wealthy people and the Euro and/or American Dollar. You can read that specific article here I pass the information on to you as I feel she may well be onto an untapped area of astrology. It started me thinking....If one discovers the astrological linkages between a currency and a company (or person) are more fortuitous with say the South African Rand than with the US Dollar, would it make sense to concentrate your business or money making opportunities in areas trading in Rand?

I think this is worthy of greater investigation.

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Update:
*This from The Times (normally a fairly reliable source) and repeated in many other national newspapers saying the blood was from a North European male. Today (17th) newspapers say results won't known until next week.

Interestingly too, I have just noted that the upcoming lunar eclipse at 4 Pisces (28 Aug 10.38GMT) falls on the node of Peru. The Sun/moon (eclipse) is on the Saturn/Node midpoint. Saturn Node relates to sorrow, renunciation, widows/widowers and orphans. The eclipse obviously hasn't happened yet. Does this confirm the power of eclipses to manifest prior to the actual observation or does the country have more to come?

This eclipse also rises and sets over Washington DC. Additionally it also impacts the UK Pluto position at 3.52 Pisces. As Pisces is ruled by Jupiter and Neptune, this eclipse (So/Mo) could see the ending or transition of some important male/female union. Make or break time for Prince William may be? Pisces is a sign associated more with sorrow than joy. Virgo is the sign of doing ones duty.

However Jupiter/Neptune in mundane astrology relates to speculation. With Pluto in the mix, it relates to large scale collapse. JU/NE/PL= A large loss. Despite market analysts saying the current problems are just a 'correction' this could be the point where the bubble well and truly bursts and some frauds, scandals or unwise dealings are revealed with resulting implications and sorrow (SA) for many people (Node). Then as Saturn moves into Virgo, we are looking at a two year period of more realism. Virgo is the sign of the harvest and the reaping of the corn sowed. People who made some shrewd long term investments will ride it out but those who gambled and threw everything in hoping to make a quick killing may regret it. We reap what we sow. Saturn reveals their 'harvest' may be anything but abundant from September.

For the Cancerian USA, Saturn will bring talk of trading restrictions and cost cutting. Growth will be curbed, employment (Virgo) may decline in this cycle. There may also be far greater border controls to prevent migration and another clamp down on illegal workers from places such as Mexico.

The Sun in the chart of NYSE is 17 Pisces. That is where Uranus currently is and will leave on 2nd September the day Saturn moves into Virgo. Saturn will gradually move to oppose this Sun placement. Uranus returns to 17 Pisces in February 2008 so expect more 'sudden corrections' by which time Pluto will be in Capricorn. Capricorn is an earth sign related to large corporations and professional standing and, by polarity, to our home and hearth. The instability connected to the Countrywide Financial crisis could really start to bite by then. If the US economy is further threatened by other unexpected crisis in this period only radical reforms will help. Uranus hits Pluto at 23 Pisces in the chart of the NYSE in early 2009. Saturn leaves Virgo in late 2009. More on this later.

Further update:
Oh dear. I told you I had a 'twitchy' feeling about this. It appears that just a few hours after I wrote this original post on 16th (BST time) the following happened. See here Now what was it I was saying about trusting! Ah well it's only two of them and small ones are fairly common. It's just that where I go big earthquakes seem to follow. Wish me and fellow SoCal residents luck!!

MURAT OR MCCANN GUILTY?- and other stuff

I've received quite a few e-mails as a result of comments I made in my previous post about what Gerry McCann has said in interviews. Some people now think Gerry (and Kate) may have had a hand in their daughters disappearance. Others think that he is being framed by the Portuguese Police and my observations were unhelpful as they only fuel belief Gerry may be involved. For the record I would just like to say that I was not implying that Gerry has (or has not) had any hand in Madeleine's demise.

What I was conveying is that we all unconsciously use words or phrases that have a deeper significance than we might ordinarily realise. Gerry's decision to recall that Madeleine was playing 'Monsters' may have been his unconscious prompting him to look at who was playing the game or who was watching it being played that day. I also said that I believe his decision to choose the phrase "We will leave no stone unturned" will hold significance. Madeleine may be found somewhere that has associations with stone, or hard material. If you look at the definition of the words in the idiom dictionary for the phrase' Leaving no stone unturned' you will see what I mean by the term 'has associations with'.....

1. Concreted earthy or mineral matter; also, any particular
mass of such matter; as, a house built of stone.

In popular language, very large masses of stone are
called rocks; small masses are called stones; and the
finer kinds, gravel, or sand, or grains of sand. Stone
is much and widely used in the construction of
buildings of all kinds, for walls, fences, piers,
abutments, arches, monuments, sculpture, and the like.

Although in the interests of impartiality the following prose from Dryden should perhaps also be noted in relation to the idiom:

[He] left unturned no stone To make my guilt appear, and hide his own. --Dryden.

What I will say (again) - and this is putting my neck on the line as it is reported he is about to be cleared this week - is that I still believe, despite all the meandering trails, dead ends and false leads that (astrology reveals) Murat is (possibly) involved in this crime. (It appears) he either took Madeleine himself or knows who did. I lean towards the former. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty but if something looks bad and smells bad, it probably is bad. Right from the start of this investigation I have noted significators in the various charts that later, when it emerged Robert Murat was a suspect and his birthdata was revealed, dovetailed precisely.

Italics above added in '08 for legal reasons. Please note all comments here were written when public feelings and opinion was running very high indeed in 2007. It could one day prove wrong or right, everyone is innocent until found gulity in a Court but blogs are about personal expression and these observations are based on astrological charts.

The Portuguese Police obviously had strong reason to cite Murat as an 'Arguido'. The British Police, even all this time down the line, obviously concur with their findings - if it is to be believed that they had a hand in the recent re-searching of Murat's house.

Due to his chart configurations and all the additional circumstantial evidence (see below) it remains my conviction that the Portuguese Police know far more about Murat's involvement than we are being told and Murat should be regarded as prime suspect until there is 100% proof that he was not involved - even if they have to downgrade his status due to their legal system. I also believe that any links to Murat, his family and the McCanns and their friends in Sidmouth, Devon and environs should be ruled out in this investigation.

Here's why and here too is what we know:

1) Murat has a daughter around the same age and physical description of Madeleine and he was missing her presence.
2) Murat lives right next to the 'crime' scene
3) Murat's grandmother was called Madeleine.
4) Murat admits to being mistaken (i.e lying) about a phone call he received late at night on 3rd May with Serge Malinka having earlier said he spoke to no-one except his mother.
5) Murat travelled to Faro and then to England between the the night of the disappearance and his being officially named as a suspect.
6) Murat has strong family links to Sidmouth, Devon (Murat's mother Jennifer was brought up there and his sister lives there) and synchronistically this location (Devon) is where some of the friends on holiday with the McCanns reside. (e.g. Dr Russell O'Brien) Is there any link?

Update: Now another man from Exeter (which is the nearest large town to Sidmouth and the location of the hospital Dr O'Brien works at), has been questioned. He is Jim Gorrod, a keen sailor and solicitor specialising in 'commercial and residential landlord and tenant and freehold disputes as well as property related professional negligence claims'. Murats family were in property. Murat is renovating a family house near Exeter.

Gorrod has been cleared but was on holiday at Praia Da Luz at the same time and a newspaper reports says 'Mr and Mrs Gorrod already knew two of the McCann group, Dr Russell O'Brien and his partner Jane Tanner because they live two streets away in Exeter and have a child of the same age'. That's 3 links to one small town in the UK all in Praia da Luz on 3rd May and all questioned by Police.

Again it doesn't 'smell' right. You may also like to read this from a May 25th newspaper report Ralph Eveleigh, Murat's Uncle, is from Exeter and has a property in Burgau, Portugal. I wonder if Ralph links into all this? I have just looked at my Local Space maps and the Pluto line extends to the North East to Murats house but the same line the other way links to Burgau. This is highly significant. Has Burgau been searched? Indeed have any houses in Exeter been searched? These coincidences must lead to something.

7) The cross aspects between Murat's chart and that of the time of disappearance show major synastric connections as does his chart, Madeleine's birthchart and Gerry's.
8) Madeleine's Local Space Saturn/Pluto lines point directly to Murats property, specifically the garden wall boundary. Pluto Local Space lines often point to dark dealings. Saturn/Pluto to the destruction of property and to harsh conditions and even the end of physical life.(see update above re these lines)
9) Murat's birthchart shows a propensity, that may or may not be acted upon, to impulsive and aggressive actions.

Astrology is not an infallible practice but it can provide good insight. We will just have to see how this story unfolds in coming days. (14 Aug See new update above)

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Further to my previous post on leading an extra-ordinary life, shortly after writing that post I was given a book to read. I opened the book at random and read the following quote:

To run around trying to fix your world with the consciousness that produced the problem in the first place will only aggravate the situation even more. To change your world you must change your consciousness. You must draw forth from within a new awareness, understanding and knowledge of the Universe, the power that sustains you and the true nature of yourself. And with each degree in the shift in your consciousness, more reality is revealed in your world.- John Randolph Price.

Now, that's exactly what I was trying to say in that previous post. To change your life from the ordinary to the extraordinary all you (we) have to do is look at it differently!

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Stock Markets are quivering around the world since Venus went retrograde. As Venus is natural significator of what we value - and for many that is money - we are being forced to contemplate our relationship with it and to question our values.

I found a lovely site this week, which I highly recommend that you explore and bookmark for fascinating articles and tit-bits. It's called Living Now and from that site I reproduce an article about Venus RX by astrologer Stella Woods. Brilliant!

On the 28th July, relationship planet Venus turns retrograde and will travel backwards for six weeks, turning direct again on 9th September. This phenomenon only occurs every 18 months but its effects can be extremely disruptive! Venus is a dual goddess with a light and a dark face. She embodies the paradox of the sacred and the profane; the divine and the temporal; life and death and love and war. As ruler of Libra and the Morning Star, Venus represents the refined, ideal, heavenly and socially acceptable idea of love and what we consider to be aesthetically pleasing or culturally desirable. As ruler of Taurus and the Evening Star, Venus represents the sexual, sensual, physical and selfish or instinctual side of love and desire.

Venus Retrograde Mythology

The Aztecs appear to have known a great deal about Venus retrograde and attached great significance to her cycle. When Venus was the Evening Star and stationery retrograde, she came to earth in the form of a man. The man met Xochiquetzal, the beautiful goddess of passionate sexual love and prostitution who seduced him, making him break his vows of purity. From their union, a sky monster was born. In his shame at allowing his base instincts to take control, Venus descended to the underworld and was challenged to play a ritual ball game, peylota, also known as “the game of life.” He lost the game and was sacrificed by the Sun. As Venus died he became invisible, resting in the arms of the Sun for eight days but was eventually reborn as the Morning Star, in female form. The Aztecs set armies marching as Venus rose from the underworld, accompanied by human blood sacrifice and fertility rites. This was Venus, goddess of war, covered with the blood and bones of the dead after her 40-day retrograde journey.

What does Venus Retrograde mean for me?

Symbolically, the Venus retrograde period makes us re-evaluate our deepest values. As Venus moves towards conjunction with the Sun (28th July - 18th August in this cycle), we are challenged to let go of old ideas of purity and ‘right behaviour’. Seduced by our desires, we often feel ashamed and try to hide our actions and thoughts, creating ‘sky monsters’ in our minds. Going within (to the underworld or unconscious) a battle takes place between our values (Venus) and our essential self (the Sun). We play the game of life. When our essential self defeats our values, we are forced to surrender and release them. We can then be reborn with new values and a more honest heart.

Venus retrograde is no picnic, particularly for those in unhappy relationships or living lives devoid of pleasure. Imagine a torch shining into your heart – you can no longer keep up appearances. When analysing a Venus retrograde transit, look back eight years to see when Venus was retrograde in the same area of your chart (early Virgo – mid Leo). This area will be vulnerable again.

Here are some possible manifestations
.War on the senses, on attitudes to love and on old, dead values.
·Hatred, infidelity and jealousy - the dark side of passionate and romantic love.
·A cold hard look at relationships of all kinds, often leading to break ups but also to reconciliation.
·An examination of what is needed to maintain personal integrity.
·A time of failure, resignation or accident.
·Conscious or unconscious retreat.
·Instinctive understanding of events and interactions.
·Dealing with opposites (cf Hanged Man in tarot).
·Hidden needs emerge, creating emotional turmoil.
·Contemplation of one’s own creative needs and needs for love and nourishment.

CHANGE THE ORDINARY INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY

It's the holiday season, so this post is a slight detour from my normal topics . This one reflects the current Sun/Mercury/Neptune alignment. These aspects can lead to delusion and confusion but they can also lead to times when we are able to see beyond our normal confined way of thinking and become inspired. So, aiming for the latter please read on.......

What can turn a life from being an ordinary one into an extraordinary one? Some may say extraordinary describes the life of someone like the disabled person who has overcome all the odds to be a Para-Olympic sportsman, or the humanitarian who gains a posthumous sainthood, or perhaps even the person who has conquered a high mountain summit. Indeed these people, and many others like them, are undoubtedly very special. However another definition of the word extraordinary is 'not ordinary'. There are ways that each one of us can turn our life from an ordinary one into an extraordinary one almost overnight, whatever your age or circumstances and with comparatively little effort. Living life at an extraordinary level is possible simply by changing your awareness of what is taking place within and around you.

Am I about to suggest you start meditating? No, but if you should have that desire it may well reap similar rewards. Am I going to suggest you become a veggie, give up alcohol and watch your carbon footprints? No. I also don't feel anyone needs to pay for 'A secret to getting XY or Z' thousand dollar boxed CD and video set with instruction manual and affiliate opportunities either! All you need to do to initiate instant change in your life is make a few small alterations to the way you conduct and perceive your everyday interactions. I know this is starting to sound like some cheesy infomercial but I'm not here to sell you anything so please bear with me.

Before I go on let's look at why you may need to consider changing anything about your life. You may have read books like 'The Secret'. I loved the book/film and have been actively encouraging people to read it and to put its tenets, which I have used for years, into practice. The problem (I now realise one year on from its major marketing hype and listening to the feedback of those who have got involved with The Secret and its offshoots) is that people are 'pick and mixing' parts of the message without looking at their life as a whole. They utilise positive thinking techniques and vision or 'order' cars, mansions, holidays even happiness. The problem is that as manifesting techniques tend to work for everyone, the car or the job shows up but still the person feels something is missing.

Therein lies a big message - a huge proportion of the population are just going through the motions of life without looking. They are concentrating on DOING and HAVING but paying little attention to BEING. Many people will tell you that they are happy but watch carefully and you will see that they spend their lives in all kinds of diversionary actions, doing anything (even making vision boards!) that will avoid them having to take a stark, frank look at themselves, who they are and what their values are. Competition and comparison to peers and celebrities has risen to epidemic proportions, leading to mass insecurity.

"But I'm not unhappy with my life" I can hear many of you saying. Well good but please take time to look at the statistics showing the rising amount of people, including children, visiting health practitioners with depression and the numbers of people taking prescription drugs like Prozac just to get through the day. Look also at the regular headlines about people in the grip of recreational drug taking, alcohol abuse or eating disorders. Your life may be just fine but there are millions of people out there leading lives of 'quiet desperation'.

So how do you make your life extraordinary? Simple - connect to a different paradigm. Life is always whispering messages to you and all you have to do is open your ears, and eyes to hear and see them.

I believe that just by following three small 'rules' and applying them to your everyday life you can kick start the process of turning your life from one of a pretty humdrum existence to living in the 'extraordinary' realms.

RULE ONE
1) 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Before you take any action, ask yourself this simple question' How would I feel if this was me?' and adjust your actions accordingly. I can't begin to assess the amount of people there are in this world who drift around in an unconscious fog, where their only concern is how an action or a person is affecting them. Switch perspective and see you as 'them' then gauge how it feels. When someone is talking don't think about what you are going to say next, think about them and how they are feeling. Just this simple action shifts you away from a me, me me, attitude. What's incredible is that this internal shift will automatically bring external change in the way other people react and treat you.

RULE TWO
2) 'Don't listen to what a person says, watch what they do'. There is often a revelatory gulf between people's words and actions - words come cheap but actions need willingness and intention. Watch closely for that follow through. Apply this to your own life too. Don't indulge in a life of meaningless drivel. If someone cares for you they will show it in actions. No amount of 'I love you's' or 'You are really special to me' mean a thing as they are merely words. Sort the honest from the flakes.

If you find yourself saying things that you know you don't really mean, simply become aware you are doing it and resolve to not do it next time. This advice will lead instantly to you living a more authentic existence and you will know which people to give your energy to and who to give a wide berth. People unconsciously pick up on your every thought and if there is a mismatch between thought and deed they will feel uncomfortable around you without knowing why and vice versa. This changes the dynamic. We all respond best to authenticity, given and received.

RULE THREE
3) In astrology, as with many areas of psychology, we are noticing the universal language of symbolism and metaphor, as well as the Law of Polarity.Therefore similarity and contradiction can be reconciled. So, although the second adage still holds good I also counsel people to listen carefully to the words that a person chooses to use for they often reveal a great deal about, not only the person, but the deeper levels of the situation at hand.

Our choice of words may seem to be arbitrary but they reveal the unconscious workings of the mind. In fact if you can detach your conscious mind from the 'choosing' your mind can be the vehicle that allows you access to the 'collective conscious' - the flowing stream of energy and information that connects us all.

Next time you are involved in a conversation, listen for the dialogue beneath the words. Watch body language, choice of words, metaphors and throw away remarks often termed as 'Freudian slips'. For example in the Maddie McCann disappearance case the person living at the non or extraordinary levels of existence would have noticed that out of all the recollections of his daughters last day, Gerry McCann chose to tell us that they were playing 'Monsters'. He didn't talk about building Sandcastles or watching birds fly, he chose to recall that game. He also used the phrase ' We will leave no stone unturned'. These messages well up from the unconscious and when this McCann mystery is solved I have no doubt that these remarks proffered by Gerry, which have no significance to the 'ordinary man' on the street, will be proved to have vast significance on another level.

The point is - do this with every conversation. You are not turning 'detective' you are opening yourself to other realms of invisible information and increasing your awareness and understanding. In our outer physical world we have Internet Broadband where we can be permanently connected to a stream of information, this is mirrored at the inner levels by our ability to hook up to whatever piece of information we may wish to retrieve.

If you wish to test this out you can participate in a demonstration of your 'connection'. Ask someone to give you a possession whose origins are unknown to you (but known to them) and then hold this item - perhaps their grandmother's wedding ring, or something like that, in your hands. Then just start talking. Don't hold any particular thoughts about what you are going to say and don't censor anything, just speak about whatever comes into your mind. Once you let go and have gotten past the gatekeeper of your conscious mind, you'll find that you start to reveal things about the owner of the item. 'Ordinary' people will most likely exclaim 'Gosh you are psychic!' and you can reply ' Yes we all are! In this stream of consciousness you will begin to bypass linear time and although much of what you say will not make sense ( for once you access the collective conscious, the seat of all that is ever has been and ever will be, you can move into the past or the future) you will 'feel' when you are right and tuned in. Your vocal tone may change slightly, the words will trip out faster and you'll find yourself asking' Gosh where did that come from?'

Is that it? Are these three 'rules' all you need to follow? Yes, it is as simple as that as a first step to realising that you live in an extraordinary world and can have an extraordinary life. Once you have witnessed the way you don't just exist in the world but interact with and effect people's responses to you, you will be starting to live at a magical level of awareness that will bring further possibilities and benefits - once only thought accessible to adepts and mystics.

We are all poised at a tipping point for humanity. The Mayans knew it, Metaphysicians know it and at some level you know it. It's time to start looking not at what you have but how you are Being in this Cosmic Soup that we call Life. Be the change you want to see.

NOT THE SILLY SEASON

Two bridges collapsed in America this week. One in Oroville, CA at 7.15am PDT on 31st July the other in Minneapolis, MN at 18.05pm CDT, 1st Aug.

Both events have correlations to the Mars/Saturn/Pluto alignment. Here I'm looking at the event in MN.

The map above shows that at 18.00CDT the midpoint of Mars and Uranus IC was aligning with the city of Minneapolis and at 18.01 the midpoint of the Sun and Mars DS was setting exactly at this location too(Click to enlarge). Although press reports give the time of the collapse as 18.05 whatever forces were responsible for the collapse of the bridge were obviously set in motion shortly before any visible affects. Mars/Uranus IC with Mars in an Earth sign tends to point to underground tremors or agitants. MN has only recorded 18 earthquakes in the last 35 years and terrorist activity has been ruled as unlikely. When investigations are all completed, the cause of the sudden collapse will be apparent but the involvement of Sun, Mars and Uranus midpoints does point to something 'breaking free', snapping or sudden strain, whether caused deliberately or by accidental conditions.

Why here? Well the ascendant at the moment of the collapse acted like pulling the trigger on a gun loaded back in 1967 i.e. ASC 26 Sag (18.00) Pr Sun 26 Sag, Tr Pluto 26 Sag - all in square to the natal Uranus. Online reports say the bridge opened on 9th November 1967. If this is so then the progression of that chart to 1 Aug brings the Moon to the square of Neptune this month. It also places the transiting Pluto on the progressed Sun and that Pluto formed an angular relationship involving Mars and Saturn. Mars being at the dreaded 'piled up corpses' degree of 25/26 Taurus.

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In the UK Peter Phillips, a grandson of the Queen, announced his engagement this week. Over in the USA comedian Steve Martin got hitched. It will be interesting to see how these relationships pan out. Traditional astrology decrees that matters pertaining to love, marriage and romance will not proceed well if Venus, the significator of these matters, is weakly placed in the 'birth' chart - whether this be the birth of a person or an event ( such as engagement or marriage). Astrologers would not normally choose (elect) a time for such an event when Venus is retrograde as this renders it debilitated. However there can be mitigating circumstances, so if you have just announced your engagement or are sorting out your trousseau for this summer you may like to know more. To read about some of the traditional rules that horary astrologers work by for choosing the time of a marriage here's a great site - Rules For Marriage. Or alternatively skip along to the Gryphon Astrology blog and ask a question of horary astrologer Nina.

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This time of year is designated as the Silly Season Somehow I think this one is shaping up to be anything but. Not only do we have the recent tragedies mentioned above but in the UK thousands of families are facing a grim future as they are unable to return to their flood damaged homes. The insurance bill for the UK is likely to be huge and the clean up operation will add additional strain to the overall economy, already affected by falling tourism due to terrorism. In many other parts of the world there are also fluctuating financial problems, not least in the US housing market. Worldwide we are in politically unstable times. Astrologers have long noted that the final days of a slow moving planet in the final degrees of a sign often coincide with large scale events that impact us all at some level. Saturn is now edging towards its final days in Leo.

Although 29 Leo is the position of the fixed benefic star Regulus, denoting events and headlines to do with Royalty, leadership and military success, Saturn is traditionally a malefic planet and correlates to Governments and older statesmen(women). Saturn with Regulus (which can also denote revenge, fall from grace and accidents) may bring a few changes on the International stage and events this summer will set the tone for the following two years that Saturn will spend in the sign of Virgo. More on Saturn's move into Virgo soon and hopefully some more uplifting news.

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My article on The Beckhams Local Space charts in LA and David Beckham's personal ACG are now up on my website www.Kathryncassidy.com These show the various applications and different uses of AstroCartoGraphy. The articles were written prior to David's first outing for LA Galaxy and it does seem to be panning out that his injuries are proving more problematic in this location than originally expected. I also have a few new books up and an additional article on Vision boards. If you would like a personal consultation concerning your local space charts or marriage maps my colleague Martin Davis will be available throughout the summer and can be reached via my website consultations page.

VENUS RETROGRADE & DIVINE PROPORTION

If you are a Libran, Taurean or have these signs on angles in your chart you're probably feeling as if your life has slowed to a virtual stop. That's because Venus is standing still in the sky today - what astrologers call stationing - in preparation for it's about turn tomorrow as part of its retrograde cycle. If you are interested in reading more about Venus cycles you may like to visit this site which has a seven page article on the astronomy and astrological meaning of this phase.

The diagram at the top of the page shows the retrograde cycle marked out from 2001 to 2007 and I will discuss the symbolism of this shape later on in this post.

The last time that Venus reversed in the sign of Virgo was in July - Sep 1999 and although it is interesting to look back and see what your circumstances were in the cycles since 2001, it is the 1999 phase that will most reflect what is reoccurring with you now.

All retrograde cycles call for review and reflection. For many people this week will see a turn around in some area of your life and a need to revisit something, or someone, from which you thought you had moved on. As Venus is most closely associated with matters pertaining to who and what we love and value, it is these things that will be most highlighted. In Virgo, Venus points to indecision in matters of love, intimacy, financial and employment contracts ( check the details) and diplomacy. As Venus has correlations to the hormones, kidneys, thyroid and venous system, if there has been ill health you may want to think about how best to support these areas of the body through dietary changes ( less sugar!).

Venus is not well placed in Virgo, it is known as the sign of its fall, this renders it weak and ineffectual. Venus will travel back into the sign of Leo on August 9th when it naturally gains more strength and 'feels happier'. The obvious symbolic relevance of this is that Librans and Taureans will all feel a lot better about life by August 9th, but until Venus goes direct on September 9th it is still a time to review how far your life is from where you want it to be and to instigate changes, if not complete reversals or retreat The main advice is to focus on internal values and make adjustments to your external goals as a result of what you discover.

Librans will find more time to enjoy friendships in August (and sort out any that have gone astray). Many worries will temporarily lift. It's also a good time to look once again at any plans for the future and spend more time with your children.

For Taureans it could be time to reassess your foundations, whether that be the emotional support you receive or the foundations of your life - and this may include your home. Partners' jobs may also be up for review and discussion in August. Children may need more time and support too.

Leo's will find the 'love and light' returning to their lives in August after a period of dealing with issues of self worth and financial concerns. They may need to review partnerships vs independence issues and those involving siblings and neighbours.

Virgo's have enjoyed a short taste of what is to come in their life while Venus has been in Virgo but now need to go back and make sure that head and heart align and deal with unfinished business you have been avoiding. Inner wealth vs material wealth, and people at a distance, are your key issues now.

All of us will be impacted by the retrogradation of Venus. Ancient texts advise this is not a good time to make large purchases, redecorate, to have hair cuts, plastic surgery or beauty treatments ( all venusian ruled) as the work may need to be 'gone over again' at a later date.

Venus retreats then disappears from view entirely, rising back above the horizon in the Mid August. It then turns to direct motion on Sep 9th 2007 but does not return to the position it is at today until October 11th, so this entire retrograde cycle is one of review and retreat and then slow emergence with a new outlook from what one has learned about oneself during this period.


THE PENTAGRAM OF VENUS RETROGRADE
It's interesting to note that Venus is associated with love, harmony and proportion when the pentagram that its 5 retrograde cycles describes in the heavens contains a ratio that conforms to the Golden Mean. The Golden Mean is also known as phi- 1.618, or Divine Proportion. Since the 'discovery' of phi by the Greeks it became obvious that 'God Geometrises' and that the world is essentially founded upon the arrangement of number.

The pentagram has all sorts of occult connotations but it is actually one of the oldest symbols known to man next to the circle. We know this as it has been found etched into cave walls dating back to prehistoric times, showing that Man was obviously tracking the cycles in the skies above him. Next to the Sun and Moon, Venus is the third brightest object in the sky and it periodic disappearance from view at phases in its cycle would have been of tremendous symbolic importance to ancient tribes, whose world stretched only as far as the visible horizon.

The pentagram divides the ecliptic up into 5 equal sections of 72 degrees, which is the quintile aspect in astrology. The quintile refers to creativity, inspiration and the forging of links. Albert Einstein possessed quintiles which brought his Moon, Jupiter and Neptune together in the 5H chart. Here was a Man whose inspiration came in the form of his 'geometrisation' of physics.

The cycles of Venus were of particular relevance to ancient civilisations in particular the Mayans. They saw time, not as linear but as a series of interlocking cycles and it is mainly from their observations of the Sun, Moon and Venus phases that they have predicted the end of one vast cycle of Man for the date of 2012. It is now perhaps easier to cast out any 'conspiracy theory' that the classic era Mayans were part of a super advanced intergalactic race. This theory had been postulated based on the fact that the Mesoamericans (and the Egyptians) appeared to know about Phi long before it had been 'discovered' however it's abundantly clear that the tracking of the heavenly cycles allowed these ancient races to discern the divine geometry inherent in nature and they used this knowledge as the basis of their architectural designs. Their pyramids, towers and other monuments were all observatories from which they tracked the heavenly movements and/or offered sacrifices up to the Celestial Gods and many were based on the Divine Proportion.

It was also the cycle of the planet Venus which the Mayans used to time the start of their wars*. Although Venus, and the quintile in modern astrology, is associated with harmony rather than discord, the opposite planet to Venus is Mars, the known planet of aggression. The Venus ruled signs of Libra and Taurus are both opposed by Mars i.e Taurus/Scorpio Libra/Aries. So it may be that due to their natural understanding of the law of polarity (in which the meaning of opposite signs is inextricable) the Mayans saw both Mars and Venus as significant of conflict and diplomacy and vice versa. Venus is never far away from the Sun, and was even thought to be its twin by the Mayans, but for certain periods in its cycle Venus disappears from view This gave rise to the mythology that it had a periodic sojourn in the Underworld, or was devoured before being resurrected. This may be one reason why the Mayans timed their wars to begin with the heliacal rising of Venus and why to this day it has correlations of aligning with the loss of reputation of old leaders and the rise of powerful new ones.

The next heliacal rising - the first observable rising of the planet in the morning twilight after it's symbolic retreat- of Venus above the eastern horizon will occur this year on August 24, 2007 at 05:44 EDT for New York and August 26, 2007 at 05:25 London local time for London. It will be interesting to watch news headlines around this time.

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I should also add that the Mayans related Venus cycles to pestilence - the ancient term for disease. On these pages here you will find an article abou the correlation of modern day flu epidemics to the cycle of Venus.

If you would like to read more about the Mayans and the Venus Cycle please go here. and here

*In some older astrology texts that I have in my possession Venus is clearly linked to wars, especially when entering the 5th house, which is given as 'the battlefield' probably because it is 'the stage'. It would be revelatory if astrologers could look back through the start dates of more recent wars to see if Venus was prominent.

THE BECKHAM'S MARRIAGE IN LOS ANGELES - UPDATED

AstroCartoGraphers look at the individual natal charts of a couple and relocate them to see how they might fare in locations across the globe. Unfortunately though we have no precise time of birth for Victoria Beckham, so this has not proved possible. However, in my work with Astromapping over the years, I have developed another technique which I have found to prove very valuable - I call it 'The Marriage Map'.

Everyone knows their exact marriage details and by converting this data into a map we can see what influences will be brought to bear on a couple in various cities. We can do this because symbolically the moment of commitment describes the birth of the marriage and can be looked at as a separate entity, with cycles and phases of its own.

We can look at these relocated ACG maps but, what's more, we can also look at the Local Space maps. Looking at the one for the Beckhams we can discover the precise areas they are likely to enjoy being in whilst in L.A., the ones that will prove problematic, and the ones they should probably give a miss. For example Santa Monica, Montana Ave, Third Street and the beach look good for eating, swimming and general family fun and clothes shopping, but it's Pacific Palisades that may produce some thrilling and/or unexpected encounters!

I will post this map and interpretations in the features section on my website later this week. I will also look at David's personal ACG (as we do have his birthtime) and his Local space maps. These should be up by Friday - I'll keep you informed. Now though I want to look at the Beckham Marriage and how it will fare in LA.

THE MARRIAGE

The Beckham's were married at Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin on July 4th 1999 (Independence Day!) and they were pronounced Man and Wife' at 16.02. The map below shows the position of the planets in Los Angeles at the time of their marriage. It informs us about the influences they will meet as a couple in this region for the duration of their union.



The dark blue line running directly through the city (click to enlarge) is Jupiter on the Midheaven JU/MC. Jupiter has correlations to expansion, sport and luck. The standard text book interpretation from Jim Lewis of this placing reads:

Here is one of the best places to be – there are easy meeting with remarkable, rich and powerful people and you are preferred in work situations and tend to rise socially as business and personal status increases.

At first glance, it certainly looks highly auspicious for 'new beginnings' for David and Victoria. Jupiter MC is a position associated with beneficial contacts, promotions and opportunities and it is being brought to the utmost prominence in Los Angeles. It is a regal planet and thus this couple have easily slipped right into the role of Hollywood royalty. In the marriage chart though, as with all charts, we must look at what aspects Jupiter is forming before making our final considerations. Here we find it in alignment with Neptune and Mars. Whilst this is an aspect associated with huge celebrity status, artistic pursuits and spiritual aspirations it is also seen to correspond to exploitation, marital differences and un happiness or ill luck in the midst of wealth. It has correlations to feelings of inferiority, it can also bring danger from water sports and give a greater propensity to food poisoning and hard to diagnose ailments. The biggest danger it brings is that of ' the bubble bursting' syndrome, through over- expansion or over-'hype'.

GOSSIP, BACKBITING & WEAKNESSES
Just off the coast of Los Angeles we see Mars and Mercury*. These planets have correspondences to a great deal of concepts; whilst they speak of a frenetic lifestyle, lots of contact with children and nimble footwork, (whether this is in the form of dance routines for Victoria, or Soccer for David) these planets can also highlight injuries and inflammatory disorders to the hands and feet. Intestinal problems or chest/lung pain and disorders can occur.

Mars and Mercury are also related to communication. In this location we may hear more coming directly from the couple through interviews and the written word rather than through hearsay, unfortunately these two planets are also the significators of fickleness, gossip, opinionated outbursts and angry exchanges. This can come 'at' the marriage or be a factor within it. They may come under more scrutiny and criticism here than they had ever anticipated.

David will undoubtedly indulge his passion for cars in L.A. but both should be careful to avoid driving convictions as Mars and Mercury suggest fast drivers and, impatience. The Beckham children may also be particularly high spirited and accident or fever prone in this location.

VENUS IN VIRGO
The progressed Venus in the marriage chart has just moved into the sign of Virgo - this coincided with the move. The passionate volatility and flamboyance of the relationship we knew since they married, has now moved on. The relationship dynamic will be replaced with more introspection about how to make it work and keep it on track as new work regimes, daily routines and practical considerations begin to take their toll on the romance. Their ability to communicate is enhanced but so is the propensity to nit-pick and measure their relationship against an ideal. Diet and health issues will come to the fore, as will David's well documented fastidious habits. Both will have to become highly organised to fulfil their requirements as Mom and Dad as well as maintaining 'Brand Beckham'. One or other( or both) in this relationship may suffer from trying too hard to be all things to all people.

When planets change signs it denotes a significant shift in the things that the planets relates to. Venus speaks of love given and received, financial dealings, possessions and their style of relating and dressing.

As Virgo rules 'Daily News' we will undoubtedly hear even more about the minutiae of their daily life and habits. Victoria has already been slated for her ‘Coming To America’ documentary. To the majority it was clear that the whole programme was 'staged ' and dripping in irony and sarcasm - both very Virgoan traits. Unfortunately this was lost on many viewers who took it at face value. As Virgo is also related to staff and people we employ, it was interesting to see that acres of press coverage have been given over to the 'Victoria & Assistant' dialogue, which was taken as factual and revelatory. Far from it, not only was the assistant played by an actress but Victoria Beckham is one of the most controlled women in the public eye (Mars/Saturn conjunction in her chart) and whatever image is portrayed will be exactly what she wants you to see - her ad-lib lines are well rehearsed! Unfortunately these attempts at trying to control what viewers think of her often backfire badly. As Saturn is moving towards the marriage Venus in Virgo,this kind of mis-interpretation will have to be guarded against if both of them are to win over the American public.

Life will certainly never be dull for the Beckham's here but it is not a place to come if they were wishing to seek more inner tranquillity. The relocated Sun in the 12th house suggests they may have to deal with the emergence of deep rooted psychological issues that they may have been trying to gloss over. It sounds a cliche but some good old fashioned therapy could be just what they need the most here.

PROGRESSED CHART
Let’s now have a look at the progressed chart. Progressions show us the dynamic in the relationship. Nothing stays static in life, everything is in a constant state of motion. As the planets move on in their cycles they mirror the unfolding of the relationship. In ACG mapping they tell us what the prevailing influences are at a location at this time – if any. In their progressed map the progressed Mars/Jupiter opposition is now exact over L.A. Jim Lewis’ interpretation for this combination says:

The symbol for this aspect might be the Roman Soldier. It is imperialistic, militant and vigourous with a respect for authority as well as a delight in athletics, sport, competition and power – this being the ideal location for an athlete.

Mars and Jupiter together in the sign of Taurus and Scorpio is a mark of controlled expansion and huge expectation. Earthquakes may strike during their residence here, or they may experience emotional quakes and rumblings in the foundation of their emotional relationship. Their attempts to establish themselves here could be very taxing as they find change much harder than they realised. Arguments will abound behind closed doors. Stubborn behaviour will be to the fore. A great deal of competitive people are also likely to cross their threshold. This marriage has remained newsworthy mainly due to David prowess as an athlete and sportsman. Victoria has struggled to find fulfillment. Mars and Jupiter suggests full on competition between the two as Victoria seeks to carve out a name for herself and break away from being just an appendage to David.

Some astrologers associate Mars and Jupiter with increased sexuality and sexual activity. Lewis goes onto say:

You imprudently grasp for power, lack moderation in sensory pursuits and experience strong sex needs.

Well, certainly we had never seen the couple in such raunchy, almost seedy poses as we did in the photo shoot designed to introduce them to America in W magazine. These photos were shot in Spain. Lets take a quick detour and see what their marriage chart shows for that location – their second home when David played for Real Madrid.


The red local space Venus line runs right through Madrid.

David is a Taurean ruled by Venus, so he felt very at home here and he was very vocal about his love of living in Madrid.What does Lewis say of Venus lines?:

Love tends to be with projected images of the self so that fetishes come to hold fascination. Romances may occur and standards of erotic perception are set for life.

This interpretation is interesting in view of the photo shoot but also because it was in Madrid that David was unable to resist the lure of illicit romance. He conducted a well documented affair with his openly bi-sexual personal assistant Rebecca Loos. Rebecca was born in the city of Madrid. Venus lines are known for describing the birth locations or meeting places of lovers. It is said that the influence of the planet Venus can either devote or devour. The consequences of that move to Madrid and David's affair are directly responsible for the Beckhams being in the USA at this time, perhaps because it almost devoured their marriage.

It should be remembered though that the mantra of AstroCartography is that 'wherever one goes, you take yourself with you'. It is possible to emphasise the positives and negate the negatives - that is the essence of ACG practice - but in times of stress the basic nature will prevail. I doubt David strayed through lust but probably more through feeling the projection of Victoria's need for freedom against his need for stability and security - but that's another article.

Let's return to L.A.....As Venus is about to turn retrograde in the sky this week, David may continue to have to take a back seat due to illness and injury. 9/10th Aug and 6/7 Oct should bring further headlines. As a couple, Venus turning around could mean that they will be very undecided until the autumn about whether they have made the right choice and public opinion will remain undefined until this time too. Contracts may be rescinded or agreements changed now.

CONCLUSION
My overall assessment of the couple in Los Angeles is that they will like the lifestyle and the enterprising and entrepreneurial spirit of the Americans. As mentioned, Mars and Jupiter are concerned with expansion. We will hear more about David’s plans for sports academies for children across the globe. Mercury close to the Ascendant suggests more writing projects, speaking engagements and continuing press and TV coverage. The Beckham children may take a while to settle in and one in particular may take up more of their time and attention.

Neptune strongly placed in David’s personal maps, plus Mars and Mercury in the marriage map show that he may suffer more from general ill health and injury in California and should guard against reactions to drugs or increased recreational alcohol intake. At the time of writing, David is not certain to be able to play at the first LA Galaxy match scheduled for 21st July 2007. The planet Venus is about to turn into retrograde motion for a few months, this happens on July 27th. One hopes that David will be able to live up to the media hype that has surrounded his arrival - but Venus retrograde does suggest this may prove difficult. Mars and Jupiter are the primary significators of legal action and ethical considerations. We can expect the couple to be more involved as spokespeople for humanitarian and political causes here but they must be careful not to be too outspoken or exploited for others people's agendas.


If the energies are harnessed and the couple are committed to each other, and to the contracts they have signed, this location could be very happy for them and inject some new spark into their marriage. If however they over-extend themselves, or get too indulgent, they could suddenly find themselves being bitten by the hand that feeds them. It is important for the Beckhams to keep their image clean. Any transgressions on either side could be disastrous for their contracts and friendships whilst the couple are resident in the ultra-litigious and image conscious California. There is a lot of unpredictable energy around now (and again in March 2008). Uranus in the relocated 7th signifies instability, change and a few shocks in the marital dynamics and the public arena, so this one will be interesting to watch.

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Update: I have just noticed that Mercury turns retrograde in the Beckham marriage chart on Nov 10th 2007 preceding a New Moon in their marriage chart in December. This is a pivotal turning point in their marriage, especially as Venus is now in Mercury's sign of Virgo. Expect a quite dramatic reversal by the end of the year. As Mercury rules contracts and ball games, this doesn't look great for David. Mercury is now slowed right down in the marriage chart. Transiting Venus is almost stationery -and so at this point it seems is David.

'08 Update: David remained unable to play due to injury for many. many matches.His injuries have dogged his entire time at Galaxy.

Latest '08 Update: David is now off to Milan for a few months 'leave' from Galaxy. Milan, like Madrid are bang on his personal prosperity map lines whereas although he has Propserity lines in Nevada and off the coast of California there are no prosperity lines in California itself. David obviously has made money in Los Angeles but it has by no means been an easy place for him. The Marriage Map shows a Venus/Saturn paran crossing through Milan suggesting he will be separated from Victoria here for long periods.

If you are interested in having a look at how your marriage or important relationship might work out in another location, my colleague Martin Davis is offering phone consultations about your marriage map or your personal ACG. You can contact him to discuss prices and arrange appointments via my website