DONNA KARAN ZODIAC HANDBAGS + more

Clearly Donna Karan, described by The Sunday Times as 'a yoga-loving, astrology-obsessed designer', needs to either replace her astrological advisor or hone up a bit more on her astro knowledge. I say this (slightly tongue in cheek) because her new range of handbags, which The Times informs us are 'loosely inspired by the characteristics of a star sign,' have obviously been so wrongly assigned....

Surely the Saddle Bag would be far better attributed to Sagittarius then to her choice of Libra. The Messenger Bag should most definitely be Gemini and not Pisces, and as for the Square Bag..... well I don't want to upset one twelfth of the population by saying who I think this bag may be perfect for but Leo, square ??? noooooo Donna, AND anyway the Leo 'Square bag' is black and not obligatory bling bling gold! The only bag that I can see has been perfectly named is the Drawstring Bag, given to the sign of Virgo - I have yet to meet a Virgo who does not possess the ability to keep a tight control of anything that goes in and out of their purse - and indeed their life! Having said that it looks practical but it is not the most economical bag in the range and therefore someone fell down with the naming process here too.

Speaking of names, do you know how important it is to research the name you are calling your baby, your pet, your company, your website, your house and indeed the name you use for your 'Self'. Every word carries a vibration and in my recent newsletter I have written more about this and quoted the Sufi perspective on the matter. My summer '08 newsletter is here.

Usually science and spirituality are at odds but on the subject of names it appears that even the skeptics have to agree something is going on. Astrologers call is correspondence, scientists call it Nominative Determination (or the study of aptronyms AP-troh-NIM); all refer to the 'aptness' of a person's name to their profession and even to the course their life takes.

A classic aptronym would be Mr Slaughter the local butcher or someone called Star, Starr or Stellar who pursues astronomy or astrology. I had a look through the Internet and came across a few more, some of which are really very funny such as Cardinal Sin, former Archbishop of Manila.

There is Joe Holiday, a Minister for Tourism. Mr Woof, the dog show judge, Chris Moneymaker, a poker player from Atlanta, Mr Wood the tree surgeon and Mr Bird the ornithologist etc., etc.

Although the entire subject has become something of a running joke it would be very revealing if an impartial researcher could undertake to do a full investigation into the topic of correspondence and linkages - just to force those old fuddy duddy scientific types to stretch their awareness.

One example that has always tickled me is that of my business colleague Martin Davis. The name Martin comes from the root word Mars, the Roman God of War and is given to the fourth planet from the Sun. In astrology Mars has correspondence with knives, swords and physical contact competitive sports. Martin is a former Olympian and his chosen sport was fencing. How apt is that!

Likewise, the planet Jupiter has correspondence with anything that grows and is particularly lucky. While I don't know anybody called Jove or Jupiter, whenever I see a company set up who choose to include the word Jupiter in their name, I know it possesses the potential for huge growth. Jupiter Asset Management was surely an inspired choice of name, they are now one of the leading fund management groups in the UK. Perhaps best not to name your cat or dog Jupiter just in case it starts to occupy more floor space than you had intended!

Correspondence goes further than just the vibration of the whole name though, the ancient belief is that the individual letters of a name can make a difference, as I highlighted in my newsletter article.

The study of number to letter correspondence is known as Numerology. I recall watching This Morning with Richard and Judy in the early '90s when a numerology expert was a guest. Unfortunately I can't recall his name (although it was undoubtedly a pseudo-name chosen as numerologically perfect) but I wrote down what he was saying and I have it in front of me now-

'Names with double LL in them are very lucky e.g Gillian, Elle ( I later called my daughter Ella) but avoid the letter B. Avoid M and especially never go near a double M'. He cited Marilyn Monroe and some others that I didn't record but it has since struck me that little Madeleine McCann may have been at a disadvantage from the start if what he was saying has any foundation in truth.

Please don't shoot me if your name has the dreaded M in it, I'm just the messenger but over the years I have developed the utmost respect for the power of words and the vibrational frequency or wavelength emitted by everything, whether animate or animate. I have,however, never heard this before or since so maybe someone reading who is expert in the study numerology could write to me with more information about double MM's and I'll let you know. I think the sales of M&M's are doing okay though so it is a bit dubious!

Certainly there is little dispute in the world of metaphysics that words carry far more potency than one would assume from casual observation and the effects are due to tone and rhythm in the spoken word as breath is a carrier of consciousness across the ethers.

One would therefore surmise that if a word or name is just written down, and not verbalised its energy will remain dormant, like an unplucked harp string. Not so. If we remember that the ancient belief is that we don't have consciousness but that we are consciousness, then even a written word or an invisible thought has' wings'. Thoughts are things and resonate somewhere!

Another area worthy of study in the field of correspondence is that which again, to the casual observer, may be dismissed as coincidence - a word that surely stems way back in history from Sider: relating to stars and constellations (coinside). Anyway, the astrologer Charles Harvey told us in the book Mundane Astrology that:


'Swiss astrologer Hitschler suggests there will be strong affinity between the names of towns and their namesakes (astrological) chart. Thus we might expect events in Washington DC and indeed Washington State and other towns and communities named after the president to respond to transits to George Washington's birth chart. John Addey noted how Churchill's Mercury degree was being activated on the day that Paris dedicated the Avenue Churchill to his memory. We might expect something of the events in all such avenues and streets to be reflected in the charts of their namesakes. A new slant on accident prevention presents itself! Systematic work on this kind of resonance would make an interesting and valuable study.

Harvey went on to say:

'With towns Hitschler notes an intriguing relationship between the Sun's degree on a saint's day and towns named after that saint - an outbreak of polio in the town of St Quentin, France during the week of 20 Sep 1954 coincided with Saturn passing over 7 Scorpio, conjunct the position of the Sun on St Quentin's Day....Such cases as Hitschler quotes may be happenstance or may be pointing to deeper layers of connection within the collective.'

I'll be pursuing this subject more over coming weeks as a result of a couple of wonderful books that I have recently been led to but for now though does anyone know of another Barack Obama or Hillary, with a double L, Clinton dead or alive in the world? I have a theory I would like to put to the test.

THE MOTHER OF ALL STITCH-UPS

John Leslie epitomizes (in my opinion) what is wrong with society today - the lack of ability to see the connections between cause and effect and take responsibility for our actions.

Once again John Leslie, a former TV presenter (and ex-long term lover of Catherine Zeta-Jones) stands accused of rape. Leslie was acquitted of charges of indecent assault in 2003 whilst simultaneously contending with allegations of rape from fellow TV Presenter Ulrika Jonsson. Women came crawling out of the woodwork when Ulrika's story hit the news. The upshot was that a pretty unsavoury picture was painted of Leslie as a (an alleged) predatory, sexual deviant with a recreational drug habit. Not surprisingly this finished his career and by all accounts left him 'a broken man'.

Leslie has slowly been rebuilding his life but his party boy lifestyle doesn't appear to have abated. He has worked his way through a series of females since the trial, fathering a child with one and then dumping her (he allegedly has no contact with the child) and a series of other unpleasant stories continue to emerge. This latest allegation of sexual impropriety refers back to an event in 1995, over which he apparently has no recollection. I'm not going to get into the whole debate about whether it is fair that someone can make such an accusation so long after the event, for, as much as John Leslie would like us to focus on the unfairness of this and his 'trial by media', it really isn't the fundamental issue. What is, is why someone who claims to be a paragon of virtue around women (or at least not the savage beast he is portrayed as) should repeatedly be the target of these accusations.

Whenever someone keeps meeting the same circumstances, instead of going into defensive mode and claiming 'they're all out to get me' it's an opportunity for honesty- not a war to be fought. If John Leslie, and everyone feeling hard done by like him, would just stand back and take stock they would see that 'unfair' events are huge signs being put in their path, saying Stop, look within. Instead Leslie chooses to play the indignant, persecuted victim.

Throughout the world people are waking up to the truth of the 'Law of attraction' - the premise that what we have inside us, what we give out, sets up a vibrational alignment with things of a similar nature and causes them to be energetically attracted to us. There are no accidents or coincidences in life, just the outworking- the effects - of our thoughts and actions. We pull towards us the circumstances and situations we most need for our growth. And the great news is that what is going on in someone's psyche can be discerned relatively easily; either with the help of a trained professional or even by self examination and patterns can be changed.

The best place to start is by a totally honest perusal of what siutation keeps repeating and usually there are clues in the situation itself. For example; John Leslie could ask himself the following: Where do I persecute myself ?; In what way could I unconsciously be enjoying this attention? ( working on the basis that all attention for the starved ego is good attention); Where do I treat myself and my needs with so little respect? Where do I feel like I am just an object for other people's amusement, only to be discarded like yesterday's toy? How do I abuse myself etc., etc.

To the casual observer John Leslie appears to have gone off the rails as his fame increased but also after his relationship with Catherine Z-J ended. I used to live in the small village of Barnes and they shared John's house there. They were an item for a few years and as they were not hugely famous then and integrated with the locals, titbits of gossip often reached my ears, but never anything salacious. In fact he always 'seemed to be' the perfect boyfriend. His co-presenter on Blue Peter, Yvette Fielding, also agrees that at that time he appeared very gentlemanly. Perhaps he's never forgiven himself for letting long term love Catherine slip away - especially as he now sees what a beautiful and elegant superstar she has become. Maybe his behaviour with her was not exemplary and is something he regrets?

Perhaps the clues to this very sordid, but ultimately sad ongoing tale are in the story itself. Girlfriend Abi Titmuss who was by his side during the 2003 ordeal is a perfect example - Abi was, to the outside observer, a mousey blonde nurse, pretty but no visual comparison to Catherine and nothing to really write home about. She always looked adoringly up at her man. She smiled coyly, but rarely spoke, to the waiting paparazzi. As soon as the case was over however she metamorphosed. With the help of the surgeon's knife she was transformed into a pneumatic, mouthy ( gobby we might say) platinum blonde who regularly stripped off for men's mags, spoke about her bi-sexual exploits and fronted a porn channel. Abi Titmuss ( yes I kid you not, that is her surname) was obviously never what it said on the tin.

The question here has to be why would John Leslie and Abi be attracted to each other and likewise Leslie and 4X4 Ulrika - so named because she has had 4 children by 4 different men (Ulrika also once took out a court order banning an ex-lover from selling an explicit video of her having sex) - if they don't all share an 'unconventional' side when it comes to normal boundaries. Remember, we attract what we are.

John Leslie is being very arrogant in believing that the public are too dumb to see what's right before their eyes. He is, of course, innocent until proven guilty and what I am writing here is not a comment on sex crimes, or part of his persecution, it is simply a call for him and many others, to wake up. Usually I would be quite sympathetic to such a story of wrongful accusation but in this case his lack of self awareness would test the patience of a saint. If he was one of my family members I would be saying, 'Stop whingeing and moaning about your fury and your victimisation and ask why this might be being visited upon you'.

John Leslie said in his latest 'poor me' statement that this is "the mother of all stitch-ups" and ''My Mother and Father are beside themselves with worry" Perhaps what his parents need to do is sit their little boy down, wipe his tears, away and tell him 'John it's not a stitch-up, it's time to grow up'.

Here is his chart and it speaks for itself - note tr Mars opposite Neptune hitting his Moon/Neptune as the latest allegations came to light and all the planets in Pisces. Over on my Cosmic Cipher blog I'm going to be writing about another case of Neptunian delusion, collusion and deceit in 'The Fraud of the Crystal Skulls'.

CRrrrrrrrUNCH

One of my relatives works for a US-owned, global conglomerate and in discussions at the weekend I asked if they employed Futurists. He said he knew of a few but overall he revealed that the company tends to favour short-termism whereas perhaps, he mused, there may be benefits in looking farther ahead. Is this shortsightedness now becoming apparent amongst many of the larger corporations? Is it something as simple as a general lack of foresight that is a contributing factor to the woes that are now coming to haunt many of the large institutions? Is the corporate mentality 'Make hay whilst the Sun shines' then deal with problems as they occur?

What they need is astrologers. Just basic knowledge of cycles can pinpoint trends months, years and even decades in advance. For example when Saturn was in Leo those with an eye on the planetary correspondences could have told them that they should be taking speculation very seriously indeed and should be curbing excesses despite the apparent buoyancy in some quarters (Jupiter was in Sag at this time). The 5th house ruled by Leo, the sign Saturn was in, is the house we associate with money from property. Saturn is a sign of restriction and realism! Put them together and what did we get - Saturn was in Leo when the US encountered the start of the Sub Prime mortgage problem due to overzealous lending and yet the UK initially ignored it.

When Saturn moved into Virgo astrologers could have warned anyone who would listen that this cycle would herald some serious restructuring of day to day organisation and working practices. We could also have foreseen lack of contracts for house sales (Virgo is 3rd house from 4th); the threat of layoffs, unemployment, and shorter working hours - maybe in time for the movers and shakers to do something about it (?? moot point). I remember warning my estate agent when I decided to sell up at the top of the market and rent, that I was doing it because the market was going to crash and he just laughed at me!

Looking ahead Saturn in Libra from late 2009, (until it is exalted in this sign in late 2011), points to difficulties with fulfilling legal obligations; trade embargoes; the breakup of many established business and political partnerships. Many house conveyancing companies, shops and estate agents will have folded by late 2009 as any trade there will have switched to the Internet. Banks and money lenders (more) may fail. Money may be devalued or need redefining. There may be problems with a lack of diplomatic co-operation and problems due to some new warfare situation in the world as Libra rules open enemies.

It's all a bit dismal, of course there will be upsides too, but with Pluto in Capricorn for the next 17 years it perhaps time that big business woke up to the possibility that recovery is not just around the corner for the housing and financial markets. Any upturn whilst Pluto re-enters Sagittarius now until Nov 2008 is likely to be temporary. What we are living through now is the start of a total transformation in the way we measure security in our life. No longer will it be by the size of your house or the amount of savings and investments we have, instead we'll be measuring our worth by very different criteria.

In the UK many people call themselves cash poor but asset rich because, although they may only have a three bedroom house, if it's on the right plot of land the price has steadily risen to absolutely ridiculous figures - to over a million pounds in some parts of London. These people have believed that this is their financial security blanket as, next to death and taxes, the rising value of property has been the only sure thing in life. They rationalise that demand is always going to outstrip supply - which may be true but demand for what? Houses of bricks and mortar on a postage stamp of grass or energy efficient houses made from eco-sources where people have the land to grow their own veg and chop their own trees? I'd hazard a guess that the former is a dead duck or at least having its swansong.

What goes up must come down, it's the natural rhythm of life. I'm going to go out on a limb and urge people to think like a strategist or futurist - think long term and start a serious reappraisal of where your money is, what you are investing in and if it is worth hanging on to see if house prices rise, or prudent to get your capital out asap and into something more stable and sustainable.

Everyone is expecting some global event - out there somewhere - in 2012 but they are ignoring the warning tremors right under their own feet.

So what should you invest in? I can't give that advice without the threat of being sued. You may want to consult a Futurist like Ray Hammond, but it's not difficult to see which way the wind is blowing. Next year Jupiter (growth) moves into Aquarius the sign of nuclear fusion, emergency lighting, batteries, auxiliary power units and all alternative power sources. It also speaks of group efforts and communal living, perhaps pooling family resources.

After that it moves to Pisces in 2010 when water, oil and biofeuls is going to be on the agenda in every respect i.e., a need for water but also a need for water pumping and drainage systems,(and sterilisation pens?) Alternative petrol/fuel sources will be needed to sustain travel options.Drugs from natural sources (herbalism and allopathic medicine) fall under Pisces as do methods of travel that require the feet or boats i.e walking to work or using water taxis. This company shows some innovative homes being designed to rest in water! Wine is also Pisces ruled and some economists suggest investing in wine.

Quartz crystal are Pisces ruled but I'm not sure how this will translate. I know quartz is used in timepieces but it may have other properties. Old people's homes are Piscean (12th ruled) which is interesting as a vast proportion of the population is above 50 and living longer each year. Welfare, hospitals and care centres fall under this sign. There will be no let up in the need for charitable organisations and it also points to success in getting a national health system set up in the US.

Overall then, today's Full Moon in Sagittarius conjunct the Galactic Centre and Pluto points to the turning point in optimism and beliefs which were based on political propaganda. It's not however a time to get depressed - more a time to have foresight and start making silk purses out of sow's ears - to transform our relationship to money and energy ( because the two are inextricably linked) and find value in old fashioned methodologies.The economic boom is over for this cycle and based on cycles it is likely it will be another 7 years before we can look back and see how events in 2007/2008 changed the face of the World's economy and indeed maybe the World itself.

BARACK OBAMA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE & ACG

For those of you who haven't yet seen this Barack Obama's birthtime is confirmed as 7.24pm, which is pretty damn near to the 7.11 time Joni Patry shared with us. Here is the slightly amended ACG chart with all lines and midpoints. This will be a mass of confusion to the non astrologer so you might want to skip to my last post on Oil, Money, Panic in the markets and Vice Presidents.

There's a nice Sun/Mercury IC midpoint in this map, close to a Saturn/Uranus Desc right through the birthplace of Kathleen Sibelius. She has to be a strong contender.

Click to enlarge












Here's a synastry report for Kathleen's Pluto exactly conjoined to Baracks Sun

This combination of planets indicates a relationship, which is life changing, whether it be a friendship, love union or work association. Both Barack and Kathleen feel a powerful attraction for each other. It is as if they are both compelled to relate. The nature of the relationship depends on other aspects of their relationship. It is possible that this relationship is a positive one for both Barack and Kathleen bringing rewards and challenges that lead to greater fulfilment in both their lives. Power and wealth may result from this relationship. Both Barack and Kathleen are ardent in their pursuits enjoying intense and fulfilling pastimes, which are ultimately life changing. However, it is also possible that both Barack and Kathleen experience the less attractive aspects of this relationship. They may become embroiled in a struggle for dominance, their relationship resembling a battleground from which neither emerges triumphant. They can be either intensely loyal friends or formidable opponents. Barack feels empowered by this union, learning to rise to the challenges set by Kathleen. He feels that life is more exciting and intense, thanks to his union with Kathleen. Kathleen is a powerful force in this union.

PANIC? 1873, Money, Oil and Veeps

Call me cynical but would the Iranian Oil Bourse (IOB), which won't acept dollars for oil, have anything to do with the Bush adminstration getting trigger happy again? See this and Wiki.

What are the odds of 'oilman' Bush wading into another battle in the Middle East now? It would certainly throw the cat amongst the electoral pigeons if, during this time between Barack being named as Presidential nominee and the Election ( or even just the Democratic Party Convention in August), Americans were flooded with propaganda from the Republicans that their personal safety and the future of the Country could only be assured under the leadership of a tried and tested leader who also happens to be a war veteran. Far better than revealing that under a Republican adminstration the dollar is so close to collapse that the Iranian's have to be stopped. It's not the economy stupid, it's oil, stupid.

Even if Bush doesn't go directly for Iran, this windfall tax which Obama wants to reinstate for US oil companies is, according to astrological charts, going to form part of the battleground upon which this election is fought.

Additionally, as much as Hillary now pleads party unity it would play into her hands if this 'We need a road tested leader when fighting the enemy' scenario comes to pass because it could sway the super delegates back her way. This drama is not over yet and as 'Hillbilly' has only suspended her campaign, it has been mooted by political pundits that she could yet pull off a coup at the Convention. Never underestimate a Scorpio.

In the UK/USA and indeed across Europe people are being urged not to panic that oil is now at record highs. We are being told: Don't panic that food prices seem to be spiralling out of control. Don't panic that there's a petrol(gas) delivery strike (UK) or that no one can afford to fill up their tanks anyway and don't panic that banks, building societies ,and now even the usually solid investment banks like Lehman Brothers, are losing money hand over fist. Hmmmmm, 'Don't panic'. It's solid advice in an unstable world but rather than downplaying the threats that we face there should perhaps be more advice from the Government(s) about getting prepared.

When a Tsunami occurs in the middle of an ocean, seismologists give out warnings that, although it may all look calm and peaceful on the shore, there's an inbound threat. They can save many people by advising them to move to higher ground - just in case. It's called 'preparedness'. People in earthquake zones know all about earthquake preparedness. It won't always work, as the tragedy of Sichuan Province has shown, but usually if you live in an earthquake zone you know that you need to ensure you have solid foundations, a degree of flexibility in your structure and a planned escape route.

If we look at what's happening in the markets as akin to our seismographs, only a very blinkered person, or one who feared the panic could be worse than the event, wouldn't be screaming 'Get prepared, move to safer ground' by now.

If you have more than 35,000 GBP in any one banking group then it would be prudent to spread your money amongst different institutions. The UK FSCS scheme ( Financial Services Compensation Scheme) will guarantee only 35,000 of your cash deposit, per person ( 70,000 if it is joint account) - but where people could potentially get caught out in a worst-case scenario is that this applies to the group as a whole. So, for example, were you aware that HBOS Group owns Bank of Scotland, Birmingham Midshires and The Halifax? If you have large amounts spread amongst each of these, you are only entitled to claim 35,000, in the event of that companies financial collapse See the complete list here

If you have money invested in one of the high interest accounts with foreign banks like Icesave then UK rules do cover you, but in the first instance you would have to try and recoup your money back from their own scheme which could take a long time. You may like to read this article and see the list that shows how much of your investment is covered.

This is not panic, this is prudence. One of the reasons I am going out of my way to flag this up now is because my readers are going to be a different demographic to those who normally read the Financial Times and some of you may not be aware of this. The other reason is that I have been looking back in history at previous Saturn/Uranus oppositions. I have previously mentioned the cycle in general and this one began in 1988 (which coincidentally is the year that Reagan abolished Windfall Tax on US oil companies!). Now though we are in a to and fro-ing Saturn/Uranus opposition which continues for an abnormally extended period, until 2010.

As a general rule of thumb, the first oppositions in a retrograding cycle are generally thought of as
1) the CRISIS phase
2) the second or middle ones as ACTION
3) and the last as RESOLUTION (or the finale).

This series of oppositions is getting interwoven with a Jupiter/Uranus -0- and Jupiter/Neptune -0- cycle in 2009 giving it further clout as a 'finale' i.e something has to give by 2010 latest.

Looking back, I started with the Saturn/Uranus opposition of 1873 and here's what I unearthed:

A major economic reversal began in Europe and reached the United States in the fall of 1873. The signal event on this side of the Atlantic was the failure of Jay Cooke and Company, the country’s preeminent investment banking concern. The firm was the principal backer of the Northern Pacific Railroad and had handled most of the government’s wartime loans.

Cooke’s fall touched off a series of events that encompassed the entire nation. The New York Stock Exchange was closed for 10 days. Credit dried up, foreclosures were common and banks failed. Factories closed their doors, costing thousands of workers' jobs. The volume of destitute people soon overwhelmed the abilities of charities to function. Most of the major railroads failed.

The public tended to blame President Grant and Congress for mishandling the economy. The causes were much broader, however. The postwar period was one of frenetic, unregulated growth with the government playing no role in curbing abuses.

Sound familiar?

To read more about the panic of 1873 go here

Now I'm no financial astrologer but I know one who is - Christeen Skinner. Her book 'The Financial Universe' is available from the 'Horoscope's section on my website and using cycles, Christeen (one of the world's most well respected financial astrologers) saw all this coming many moons ago. Try and read her book but let me just say here - it ain't looking good for the dollar - and that means all of us, seeing as our financial systems are 'interdependent'.

Other Saturn/Uranus oppositions were in 1920:

The Federal Reserve System's monetary policy was a major factor in initiating the 1920-1921 depression - from The US economy in the 1920's

and 1965

Not many noneconomists today may remember it, but there was a "1965 recession" in the midst of that vaunted high growth. It was created by the excessive capital investment in the preceding years - Japanese Economy

I must stress that Saturn/Uranus is just one cycle - we have to look at the overall picture (including the sunspot cycles) to make forecasts but, as I say, forewarned is definitely forearmed. With Pluto moving into the sign of Capricorn for a 17 year stay, things that come from the Earth are under threat and that not only includes resources such as food and oil but our houses.

* * * * *

If you managed to get to the link in the first paragraph you'll see it's quite likely that Kathleen Sibelius will be VP if Hillary can be appeased. The asteroid Sibelius is presently at 10 Cancer (close to the USA Sun) and I notice Pluto is transiting to her Jupiter but otherwise I haven't studied it yet. Here's her chart. Click to enlarge

Keep an eye on the NYSE too. 17 May 1792 and 18 Feb 1971 10am NY. In the former Mars is at the position of the Saturn/Uranus opposition on Nov 4 2008 18 Virgo and yes this is the exact date of the election

A DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE

In essence a Declaration of Independence is an announcement, or assertion, of separateness. This is the antithesis of what our World needs right now - yet it forms the backbone of belief of each and every citizen of one of the largest and most powerful nations on the globe.

To my mind it is obvious that the (still presumptive) Presidential nominee, Barack Obama, has appeared on the World stage at this juncture because he is a catalyst for a change in consciousness. He stands poised to either unite or divide the nation - possibly in ways not witnessed since the American Revolution.

Since 2001 the face of Politics has changed across the globe. What happens in America now may be determined by the US voters, but it affects the entire planet. As such we all have a vested interest in the outcome. If this campaign now turns really ugly and democracy is derailed by religious or racial slurs and tensions then wherever you are reading this, you, me, our children and our children's children are going to suffer - such acts will continue to reverberate for decades to come across many shores.

What is needed now is a new type of American Revolution - a change American's can not only believe in but the entire world can benefit from - and that may involve Mr Obama (and his opponent) instilling a 'declaration of interdependence' into the hearts and minds of the public. American's and the nations of the globe need to pull together and recognise that nothing happens to one part of humanity that doesn't affect the whole.

The image above is of Indra's Net, this is a visual Buddhist metaphor for the characteristics of the Cosmos as being interconnnected and holographic at every level...

"Suspended above the palace of Indra, the Buddhist god who symbolizes the natural forces that protect and nurture life, is an enormous net. A brilliant jewel is attached to each of the knots of the net. Each jewel contains and reflects the image of all the other jewels in the net, which sparkles in the magnificence of its totality.

When we learn to recognize what Thoreau refers to as "the infinite extent of our relations," we can trace the strands of mutually supportive life, and discover there the glittering jewels of our global neighbors".

These words were (coincidentally) taken from a lecture given at Columbia University in 1996 entitled "Thoughts on Education for Global Citizenship".

This 'declaration' however should attempt to go beyond the material and mundane. Many people would take the word interdependence to mean that we have to help one another, or even just hear it as a reference to our connections via the web of communications - Internet, satellites and mobile phones. Instead, I instinctively feel that Obama gets the deeper reality; one which the Zen master and poet Thich Nhat Hanh expressed when talking about the interdependence and interpenetration of all existence.

"If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow, and without trees we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here either...

If we look into this sheet of paper even more deeply, we can see the sunshine in it. If the sunshine is not there, the tree cannot grow. In fact, nothing can grow. Even we cannot grow without sunshine. And so, we know that the sunshineis also in this sheet of paper. The paper and the sunshine inter-are. And if we continue to look, we can see the logger who cut the tree and brought it to the mill to be transformed into paper. And we see the wheat. We know that the logger cannot exist without his daily bread, and therefore the wheat that became his bread is also in this sheet of paper. And the logger's father and mother are in it too...

You cannot point out one thing that is not here -- time, space, the earth,the rain, the minerals in the soil, the sunshine, the cloud, the river, the heat. Everything co-exists with this sheet of paper... As thin as this sheet of paper is, it contains everything in the universe in it."

Thich Nhat Hanh's words may be dismissed as an existential debate by those of a more scientific and practical persuasion but Fritjof Capra saw (and many other physicists increasingly recognise) the similarity of the 'Indra's Net' metaphor at the quantum level of all matter.*

It's this very gulf between theory and reality that needs to be bridged so that more people can awaken to truth and realise the futility of clinging to a sense of separateness i.e you black, me white. You catholic, me protestant etc., etc

These are revolutionary times, we can only hope that Barack is able to lead a peaceful and spiritual revolution and not be the trigger for another in a long line of bloody and pointless wars.

* * * * *

*...particles are dynamically composed of one another in a self-consistent way, and in that sense can be said to 'contain' one another. In Mahayana Buddhism, a very similar notion is applied to the whole universe. This cosmic network of interpenetrating things is illustrated in the Avatamsaka Sutra by the metaphor of Indra's net, a vast network of precious gems hanging over the palace of the god Indra- Fritjof Capra

Also see ' String Theory' and articles on the Holographic model

THIS IS WHAT I MEAN - Making News today

Following on from the last two posts then.....note the dual BB in Balfour Beatty and B & Q (dual letters) and the orange colour in these images on Google news today. Maybe the letter B has some hitherto unknown correspondence considering Bradford and Bingley are also making headlines.

Other headlines just scrolling through the news sections are:

Shell to open dual gas-hydrogen fueling station in LA
CNET News, CA - 15 hours ago

Chinese-Americans living in the Twin Cities are hosting a relief concert for victims

Indian Police on Wild Goose Chase in Twin Murder Case, Key Suspect ...
MedIndia, India - 1 hour ago

Intel's next Atom CPU might be going dual-core
CNET.com.au, Australia - 7 hours ago

Six sets of twins to graduate in Palm Harbor

Six authors vie for Orange prize
BBC News, UK - 51 minutes ago

E-Ten's first dual SIM PDA-phone
Cnet Asia, CA - 1 hour ago

Seven die in twin mishaps
Calcutta Telegraph, India - 12 hours ago

Orange County narrows its finalists for sheriff to 2
Los Angeles Times, CA - 2 hours ago

Bradford & Bingley Sends Tremors
Forbes, NY
British mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley, whose profit warning and restructured rights

Grace athlete a dual track champ
PNW Local News, WA - 2 hours ago

Young emerged from the meet a dual champion, winning both jumps

The list is pretty endless. Sure, you can find news including the word twin, dual, double symbols and all Mercury/Gemini correspondences any day of the year, but the point is that these things increase significantly in line with planetary movements.

One of the people who read my last blog sent me this:

I was just watching our local news and there was a wacky item about a Frenchman travelling back (retro) over the English channel (Neptune) to France, by a bicycle (Gemini) powered air-ship! When interviewed he was wearing an orange-coloured jumpsuit!

Finally Obama picked the Twin Cities ( Minneapolis/St Paul) for his speech last night.

With regards to the Election news it looks like my view from my May 24th blog

Aspects to Hillary's, Bill's and Chelsea's birthcharts make me believe they will be a pretty gloomy family around 6 June

may transpire. However we cannot ignore the fact that if she stands aside this announcement will be in the Mercury Rx period.

This can be her 're-treat' or a re-consideration (which is what she is doing now as I write) but it also means that if she does bow out this week, Obama will announce himself as nominee under a Retrograde and, as I have repeatedly felt, this election is not going to take the normal course.

Luckily no one is an official nominee until the Democratic Convention August 25- 28th in Denver by which time Mercury will have been striding ahead at break neck speed. Mercury rules Virgo as well as Gemini and Mercury is McCain's sign, so he may pull ahead for a while. In late September however we enter another Mercury Rx period, so McCains campaign may start to lose steam for a while then.

MORE ON MERCURY RX

I am compelled to keep blogging today because (if you see my previous post) this is one of those very rare opportunities to note astrological correspondence in action. Too many intelligent people are dismissing astrology as mere fortune telling. These people deserve to be led to an awareness of the truth of divination ( i.e. looking at the Divine) because actually, as I repeatedly say "Astrology is simply the study of cycle and correspondence within the universe".

Basically without getting too deeply into this, everything in the Universe (so that includes the planets) is a differentiated form of one energy. The energy divides into streams - look at the rays you see coming out of the Sun - the light splits, but it emanates from one source.

Astrologers and mystics (all astrologers were at one time mystics, but sadly this is no longer the case) relate each manifestation of one energy to a fundamental sevenfold division; the only totally permanent frame of reference being the 7 visible planets and their cycles. The 7 energy streams manifest through form, for example as in a table leg, a person, a situation, a flower, a book - anything animate or inanimate - and in unmanifest form i.e a thought or an action.

As we have evolved it has been realised that there are sub-sections of the 7 streams i.e. Uranus a relatively new planet is an offshoot of Mercurial energy, Neptune of Jupiterian energy and Pluto of Martian energy. There are probably 4 more to bring the total to 7 sub-sections and then multiple 7 fold divisions again ad infintum.

This seven fold division has persisted throughout history and can be seen everywhere and through all religions too. Hence the following:

7 Days of Creation
7 Universal Laws
7 Ancient Wonders
7 Chakras
7 Colours of the Rainbow
7 Virtues and 7 deadly sins
7 openings into the body!

Actually the list is so long that I'll link you to another one here or you can go to Wiki or Google and look at the long list of associations to the number seven.

So, quick esoteric lesson over, back to today's events. As I say, very unusually all of the 'streams' are filtering back through one main ray today and tomorrow - that which we relate to Mercury. Disregarding the filter of your personal birthchart for now, the collective energy will be the same for us all.

Mercury is a quick planet, it has been mythologised as the 'Youthful Peter Pan figure' ;the 'winged messenger' - as its cycles relates to things that fly quickly - including our thoughts and mind processes - and those things which we group under the term messengers, messages and communications. At present people are feeling agitated, their minds are very active, people can't sleep well, communications systems are playing up, there's information overload etc.When the cycle appears to stall and go backwards the energy appears to act in ways that can be likened to reverse motion or covering old ground. Things stop or stall and have to be rearranged. Our memory either deserts us or memories resurface. Communications and connections we lost may reappear as they are 're-covered' or new ones may temporarily appear to recede from us. It's all about two words; correspondence and symbolism.

What does the apparent reversal of a cycle symbolise to you, because it is your will directed consciousness (ego) that is perceiving the world around you. Your subconscious is the bridge between the conscious and unconscious (at which level we are all connected).

As I mentioned in my previous posting (where I listed some of the correspondences), over the eons it has been noticed that whenever the planetary energy is Mercurial, the colour orange is also prevalent (because Mercury and Orange are indivisible manifestations of the same energy). So in the news today there is a story about how oranges, the fruit, are going out of fashion. Symbolically, they are Rx - receding from popularity.

Orange, the Telecoms giant is suffering too. Today's headlines read 'The Future is No Longer Orange!' as this company is having to lay off (Rx) staff and is restructuring.

'Orange county man arrested for leaving child in car' is another Mercury in Gemini correspondence.

'Berne prepares for Orange invasion - The Swiss capital Berne will soon turn orange'... is another headline today.

So you begin to get the idea. This isn't rocket science. It's an awareness of repeating cycles of energy. It is not something that Mercury is 'causing'. Rather the 'astrologer/mystic identifies the times when certain of the 7 streams of energy are active (and what is filtering them) and sees the expression permeating through all levels of consciousness ( of which there are most likely 7 but we only know of 3).

If we could just erase the, now tainted, word 'astrology' from the vocabulary and replace it with a word that doesn't have connotations with this being a system that lies outside, and separate to us we would be on the road to getting the general public to an awareness of their divinity;the total unity and interconnectedness (back to one source - light) of existence.

Over the next few days just open your eyes and mind and watch the headlines and life around you. See how many stories and events relate back to Mercurial energy. Note how you are uncertain about many things or faced with 2 choices or keep seeing dualism everywhere. By the way, add bicycles, motorbikes couriers and Italy to that list. Why? Because cycles have 2 wheels and move us about, couriers move fast and deliver messages and Rome, Italy's capital, is associated with twins, Romulus and Remus, so they are expressions of mercurial energy.

Has Angelina Jolie had her twins yet? Lots of rumour that she has. (Can you see the Mercury in Gemini energy just in that sentence?)

Once you have the basic understanding of how energies work you can start to pad out the matrix according to what other planetary energies are manifesting. For example, Neptune also appears to us on Earth to be going backwards, and is linked back to Mercury because Neptune is in Aquarius ruled by Saturn. Saturn is in Virgo ruled by Mercury. Mercury is in Gemini ruled by Mercury itself. This is what we call a final dispositer and links the planetary energies together. The other subsection of Neptune in Aquarius is Uranus, but Uranus is in Pisces and eventually disposited by Mercury too.

News: The Queen bids farewell to her ship the QE2 and to her Grandson who joins the Navy on a 2 month mission to scout out drug couriers.

Mercury/Gemini - two, dual, couriers, news. movement
Rx - Farewells, leaving, going back to something
Neptune - drugs, sea, navy , ships

To understand the correspondences you would need to have a very sound knowledge of planetary rulerships and to allow yourself to re-member in your mind (very Mercury Rx) the truth that what is happening above us mirrors certain forms of energy here on Earth and within us. You cannot really learn astrology and correspondences by rote because we are dealing with underlying principles. If you are interested in learning more you can come at this understanding via studying astrology at a professional level (Traditional and Modern). However if you immerse yourself in mathematics. music or alchemy, it is highly likely the truth will reveal itself to you in that way too.

Overall all disciplines lead back to the same knowledge. You just need a mind that can see patterns. You also need an ability to detach from current paradigms - such as those that teach there is a separation between your form, your thoughts, your life and the planet!

* * * * *

See where the energies incline you towards in one of my Prosperity Maps. These are like your personal Ley Lines for abundance.

Read about the 7 Universal Laws that underpin existence

EVERYTHING disposited by Mercury Rx !!

Mercury is in its own sign in Gemini so when it goes retrograde we see the effects far more strongly than in other signs. Mercury does also rule Virgo of course but it is the 3rd Geminian house that holds sway over communications (and day to day to and fro-ing). If we combine this influence with the retrograde of Neptune, which rules the spread of things across the ethers, it's a double whammy for the Internet, mobile phone and communications industries.

So far this week my stat counter has been down due to a power outage. This morning I hear that, due to an explosion and fire my Kathryncassidy.com website is knocked out, along with 9,000 servers and 7,500 other customers of my 'host'. They are waiting for permission to start the back-up generator from the emergency services but nothing happening yet.

Then I picked up the paper only to read about the explosion and fire at the Universal film studio (Neptune rules the celluloid film and acting industry) and I'm tempted to wonder if this has anything to do with tomorrow's SuperMoon ( select June 2008).

It may well do but, looking more closely this really is one humdinger of a Mercury Rx because, as I pointed out last week, Mercury stationed in square to Uranus and is still in square and many of the other planets are feeding into the Mercurial energy. We have Saturn in Virgo disposited by Mercury. The Sun and Venus in Gemini - disposited by Mercury. In fact I won't bore you with it by going around the entire chart, but except for the Moon, the whole darn lot is currently finally disposited by Mercury in Gemini - Sun through Pluto and including Chiron and Node. The Moon enters Gemini later tonight making it a clean sweep for the next 2 days. This is highly unusual.

I'm switching everything off and, as a precaution I'll be taking great care when driving and moving about.

One other thing spooked me a little today and it may be worth mentioning. When reviewing previous Saturn/Uranus oppositions (like the one we are moving towards now) I noticed that in 1988 we had the Lockerbie disaster - when a 747 came down on the town of Lockerbie, Scotland as the result of a Libyan bomb. What's the first thing that springs to your mind when you see the picture of the crashed plane on the set in the picture above of the Universal Studios fire? It looks real. I get unsettled with things like this as it feels ominous.

On the bright side this was just one choice of photo by one newspaper, so it probably has no connection to air travel but, if you are travelling clearly mark your bags and do be more alert for unattended baggage and suspicious passengers at this time. Plastic explosives are ruled by Neptune as are gases, oils and viruses and crashes - or events where the wreckage gets spread out over large distances. This applies to all forms of transportation.

It may just be that we hear of another airline collapse* due to the high oil prices and credit squeeze but astrology looks for correspondences and Mercury square Uranus would suggest, as well as communication issues, disrupted air (or other forms of) travel. This would be especially likely to involve carriers/companies with double names or dual symbols like Twin Air, AA or dual digit flight numbers.

Ultimately if we focus on a fear there is increasing evidence that the fear may manifest in physical form. So rather than getting all uptight about all the Mercury in Gemini events that could take place, it would be wiser to concentrate on positive outcomes and focus on happy events occurring over the next few days. Send out light across those ethers!

Just for further information, here are some of the correspondences of Mercury in Gemini:

Young children/kids/youthful people
Twins
Double or two of anything
Dual nature/two faced communications
Wednesday (Mercury)
Announcements ( dual or about pairs. two people)
People who look alike or are in disguise
Journalists
Post Office
Colour Orange
Lung problems
Asphyxiation
Pleurisy
Arm, hand and finger problems
City of London
West and Southwest England
Some say, New York
The locations 60-90 degrees of Longitude East
Armenia
Bridges
Freeways
Distribution centres/communication centres/exchanges
Internet companies
Sleight of hand, trickery, thieving, deceit
Belgium & Netherlands
Children's schools and play halls
Hills and mountains
Rumours, gossip, spin
Winds
Melbourne
San Francisco.
Sardinia,
Baggage carried by hand and trunks, briefcases etc
Mayoral elections and candidates

Note: I couldn't even post this. Blogger servers were down too and it posted twice now Moon is void of Course. I'd suggest we all pack up for the day.

Also just noticed that Bradford & Bingley (B&B= two!) are in trouble. I have money with them and Mercury rules my 8th of savings and lendings.

* There are other ways that these visual 'omens' can play out. Someone's dreams could come 'crashing down' in California (Something to do with Presidential race?) A californian based airline has to fold or even house prices crash. These are all very negative though, maybe you can see something better?