SARAH PALIN- 'Not wired normal'

Asked how Mr McCain would find it working with her, Todd Palin, her husband, said: “She’s a hard worker and she’s not wired normal"*

Well that's encouraging, I think I rest my case - this is not just a bad pick, it's a scary one.

As many of the papers are pointing out today, 72 year old McCain has an uncertain life expectancy, so the gun-toting 44 year old 'mother' could potentially become President by default - even within days or weeks of his election to office. Is this why many of us astrologers have been interpreting our charts over these last 19 months and seeing a woman (most assuming it would be Hillary) at the helm in the White House** ?

Listen to what Charlie Black, a senior McCain aide, has to say. he was unwittingly less than reassuring: "She is going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years and most doctors think he'll be around at least that long" We'd laugh if it wasn't so serious.

What will be will be - but it is a choice. One can only hope all American's vote wisely on November 4th and take the long term view.

* ( quote from Financial Times)
** Aug 10 2008.... I wrote: Is this Virgo alignment pointing to a female (maiden) VP or a time when Hillary reappears? Jan 16 2008....I wrote: many astrologers are looking at Saturn being in Virgo on Nov 4 and are talking about this denoting a female leader - as Virgo is a feminine sign and has connections to maidens and the Goddess Ceres (or Demeter goddess of agriculture and the wheat harvest)

HURRICANE GUSTAV

Here's the path(s) the geodetic lunar eclipse (lunar = water, especially when connected to Neptune as it was on this eclipse) chart suggests are most probable for Gustav to take. Perhaps it will suddenly track more to the left of New Orleans towards Texas. Fingers crossed it loses power and saves New Orleans from more misery.

Click to enlarge.

NO SHOW SARAH - NO SHOW VEEP?

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't being Vice President of a country entail the greatest commitment to your work role and an unwritten contract that you'll throw any ideas of obtaining a 'work/life balance' out of the window? Indeed isn't this a position that requires even more sacrifice to the person's family life than the number one job does - at least The President and family are all under one roof when he/she goes to the Oval Office. So what is Sarah Palin, vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party, thinking of when accepting this nomination? She gave birth just four months ago!

Oh please don't tell me that I'm being sexist. I'm all for woman like Hillary Clinton shattering that glass ceiling and sure, she and many woman manage to hold down important jobs whilst bringing up their families... BUT Hillary was not a presidential candidate when Chelsea was young. Yes, she would have had to juggle her high-powered career demands, and later her role as First Lady, but when push came to shove she could be there for her child, ditto Michelle Obama and other career mum's.

There comes a point though when all this political correctness (excuse the pun) about woman's rights becomes ridiculous and this I fear is that point. A mother with young children can head up a corporation, a conglomerate, any damn concern she likes and she can be every bit as good at her job as a man, but she always retains the choice of pushing the eject button to put her family first. Not so a Vice President of a country, especially when that country is as globally important as the United States of America!

In the past when push came to shove for Sarah Palin, she was able to delegate and prioritize - why else did she gain the nickname of No-Show Sarah for missing so many campaign appearances before being sworn in as Governor of Alaska. But, I ask again, can Americans really be so liberal minded when it comes to the second most powerful role in, arguably, the most powerful nation in the world - a nation that is currently all but sinking in political problems. Is her skill set really so unique that a call to serve her country overrides any maternal considerations and justifies at least two of her five children growing up without her guidance during their early years. What confused message does this send to American citizens about the role of family? Power is more important than your children perhaps? That's skewed values in my book.

This choice of the Republican Veep stinks; you can bet your bottom dollar that she would never have been picked if Hillary was on the Democratic ticket, Mitt Romney would be in. Which means Governor Palin is a political pawn. What's more McCain and his party obviously think the American people will be dumb enough to believe that this decision was based solely on what this woman can bring to the Presidency. They think Americans are not smart enough to know that the Republicans have to win over (or keep) the voters who are for the guns, for the war in Iraq, against abortion, and disenfranchised over the lack of a female voice at the top. So what do they do, they scout around for someone who ticks all the boxes. It shows a distinct lack of moral fibre that John McCain would attempt to manipulate the voting public and act in such a disingenuous way by claiming she's the best one for the job. Is this how he'll lead if elected, by putting popularity before doing the right thing.

As for the woman herself, was it just me or did anyone else notice that immediately after shrieking through her acceptance speech she seemed to be on such a high from her instant fame that she acted in what could only be termed as an irreverent and dismissive way towards the man who had just picked her. (Watch as he attempts to congratulate and guide her from the podium).

Finally I notice the media are full of Palin's apparently terrifically principled stance on the pro life issue. Sorry but I don't entirely buy that either. Here's a woman who claims to be so anti abortion that she proceeded with a pregnancy resulting in a Down's Syndrome child. This would be a truly commendable action if she was the one who was going to have to rear the child, with all the attendant emotional and physical adjustments this presents. Personally I save my admiration for those mothers who are going to be there day by day for their disabled child, dealing with all the ignorance and discrimination they will meet in the playgrounds, shops and during general hands on mothering - something Palin won't be doing. Sarah Palin appears to be holding her Down's baby aloft as a symbol of her political beliefs against abortion, not as a mother who is prepared to sacrifice her own needs to ensure her child feels loved and wanted. If the decision to proceed with life is taken when you know that you are going to hand that baby over to a carer for 90% of the time -as Governor or VP - it's not quite such a difficult decision is it. It's not unconditional love but sending a message that it's conditional on the child not disrupting the Mother's choices in any way.

Maybe I'm casting terrible aspersions on her character but if I'm wrong then is the alternative any better- Sarah Palin may have figured she'll take the job and then just carry on as before, in which case it's entirely likely she could go down in history as The No Show Veep. Is this really who America needs as the second in command - the one who puts herself first?.

Sarah Palin Feb 11th 1964 Idaho, USA
Venus in Aries - say no more... Venus = what one loves. Aries = me me me - oh and guns and the military. Five planets in Aquarius = I did it my way - and shocked everyone or = tell me to do it this way and I'll do it that way 'cause I'm perverse like that. Oh and Mercury in Aq = I like to give my kids unusual names

Lest you think I have taken leave of my senses, this is my impassioned view and personal opinion on the political puppetteering that is damaging our society. The truly noble viewpoint would be that everything happens for a reason and sometimes that reason is not yet clear to anyone. It may be that the nomination of Sarah Palin will swing the election in a way which it may not previously have gone or will engender some other ultimately positive effect. In the end everything is always perfect in this Universe!

ALL CLASSIC PLANETS VISIBLE

I'm preparing to go on holiday for a few weeks, so in this long post you'll find bits and bobs and some links to interesting reads. I'm choosing a really 'wild' time to travel; we are between eclipses (the next one on the 16th) and there are numerous aspects reaching critical junctures; Mars square Pluto, Venus opposite Uranus and the triple conjunction of Mercury, Venus and Saturn in Virgo. I'll be keeping careful note of how these play out on the world stage, and for myself personally.

As with all my trips (and having Venus in Sag, travel is 'what I delight in') I'll be practicing what I preach about visualisation techniques. This means carefully running through a mental vision and written synopsis of exactly how I wish my trip to proceed, seeing and feeling it as if it has already happened. For those of you who don't yet recognise the power in these techniques, I urge you to try it - you can also hop over to Vision Lounge for some support from like-minded individuals.

The first bit of major astro news is that from August 9/10th - 18th, 2008 – all planets are visible in the night/evening sky

Such an event is fairly rare, happening every decade or so. August also features a series of conjunctions (close meetings) between Mercury, Venus and Saturn, in particular Venus/ Saturn on the 13/14th, Mercury/ Saturn on the 15/16th and Mercury/Venus on the 21/22nd. This info is for North and South Hemispheres with North dates in italics.

The astrological jury is out on what it means to have all the 7 traditional planets ( that includes Sun and Moon although they are not actually planets) visible at one time. I'd be interested to hear any comments from traditional astrologers about what this might portend. Nina, over on Gryphon Astrology had this to say when we last communicated:

One source for further information may be Enuma Anu Enlil, the earliest known astrological text from Babylonia, which compiles the meanings of astronomical omens.

From a slightly more recent astrological perspective, it is very important that Venus, Mercury, and Saturn will be conjunct in Virgo at the time of the Lunar Eclipse. In locations where the three-planet conjunction will be angular, we might expect unusual weather and mundane events. I wrote about this in my weather forecast article, anticipating interesting weather, and possibly earthquakes in areas where the the conjunction triggers a sensitive point of the lunar or solar eclipse, or the Cancer Ingress.

So I had a look at my eclipse maps and oh deary, deary me - take a look at the map above, click to enlarge - the conjunction falls right through Los Angeles. Nina, for once I hope you are wrong. There won't be an earthquake in my visualisation but I'm not sure that I can sway the Gods of Fate for everyone! Seriously though, hopefully all will be well for all on the West Coast (the conjunction is along the entire coast from Canada down). The other location where the triple conjunction occurs is the Middle East.

As you can see in this map, the Lunar Eclipse itself joins Neptune through Beijing with a Moon/ Neptune paran, which is like a mundane square. Looking at the rain there today, Neptune, the God of the World Ocean seems very apt, the city is swimming in water.

The 'Oceans of the World' also connect us all and therefore it is symbolic that the world is connecting at this time via the ethers ( ethers are Neptune too) to Beijing and China. One possibility is that the swimming, rowing or sailing events may hit the news headlines in some way. It may also relate to a drug testing scandal, which is very Neptunian.

VIRGO
Many planets are beginning to congregate in the astrological sign of Virgo now and soon, 19th Aug, Mars leaves for the World Point of 0 Libra when war and diplomacy issues will be to the fore. Virgo is the sign of the maiden, the harvest; things that run in an ordered and precise fashion or are carefully documented (Olympic races and times), but Virgo is a sign that is also closely related, according to the author David Ovason, to Washington DC. He writes in the book:

The cornerstone for the Washington Monument was laid at the northeast corner of the foundation in the early afternoon of July 4, 1848. As I have indicated, probably one reason why the Masons chose to lay the stone in the afternoon was because they wished to allow the all-important Virgo to become operative in the chart. Shortly before lunchtime on that day, the Moon went into Virgo."

"In fact, there was another Virgoan influence in this chart which might be missed by someone not familiar with the workings of astrology. The all-important Dragon’s Head in the 1848 chart is in 25 degrees of Virgo."...

I find this correlation of Ovason's fascinating given that we are in a critical juncture for American politics and the race for the White House. Is this Virgo alignment pointing to a female (maiden) VP or a time when Hillary reappears?

What I also find interesting is that everyone is quite content to hear that the Olympics in 2008 would begin on 8/8/08 at 8pm because that nation consider it a lucky numerological combination but the mere suggestion that in 1878 (or indeed in 1776) that Americans would use propitious astrological alignments to 'consecrate' their country, or the foundations of a city, is dismissed by most non-astrologers as ridiculous!

Virgo is also the sign corresponding to the service industry, training routines, employment in general, military services ( army, Navy, Airforce) health and national health service, small animals and especially birds *

MAKEMAKE
Over on her blog, Barabara Palliser points out that the newly named dwarf Planet MakeMake is at 23 Virgo. You can read Barbara's post here. Since she penned this we have exchanged e-mails and noted that MakeMake, in the mythology of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) was the creator of humanity and the chief god of the bird cult. So is it just another coincidence that the Olympics are taking place in 'The Bird's Nest' and all eyes are on China??

Everywhere we look the world is full of symbolism and hidden meaning.

Over on Planet Waves, Eric Francis takes a look, in his usual inimitable but slightly shocking style - so don't click if swear words offend you - at the chart of John Edwards. Libel laws prevent me from saying more but I know another triple Gemini male with a strong Cancerian, 12th house and Saturn Neptune signature who I feel may have something to hide. Obviously everyone is an individual and being a Gemini is not an affliction, but it seems some people are more programmed to live a double life than others. Sorry, I'll have to keep you guessing on who the individual, currently making the news, is.

NUMBER 8
Back to the Chinese love of the number 8 before you all start rushing out and buying houses with the number 8 on the door or using it at every opportunity to increase your luck, let me just add that 8 is the number of Karma - we reap what we sow - and sadly not everyone has their planting technique perfected just yet!

The incredible astrologer Linda Goodman wrote extensively** about this number and its power. She relates it to the planet Saturn and to fanaticism in religion. She believed that people who are influenced by this number i.e., birthday on the 8th or birth number 8 ( born on 17th or 26th) or when the entire birthdate reduces to an 8, the house number, hotel room number, 8th year etc., can all be the instruments of fate for others. .

The number 8 often relates to issues of wealth. It seems one can magnetically attract wealth and prosperity towards themselves by using this number but you have to be careful about the way that you gain and use it. 'Lore' has it that it won't necessarily bring happiness. One good example of this is the rogue trader Nick Leeson who brought down Barings Bank. Nick infamously used an account with the 'lucky number' 888 to squirrel money away.

Nick was sentenced to six and a half years in Prison!

JUPITER /SATURN
This lunar eclipse is conjoined to Neptune and, as well as water, Neptune relates to collapse and public scandal. We are at a critical turning point in the currency and banking markets and as Neptune rules oil and gas, the collapse of some banks or currencies will undoubtedly be related to the soaring costs of these fuels and to financial scandals. Jupiter turns to direct motion in September and trines (120) Saturn, at which time we can expect a brief return to some kind of stability to the financial and housing markets. We should perhaps also note that all Jupiter Saturn phases are intimately connected to the Presidential Death Cycle. Here's an article I wrote last year on this cycle Although it is usually the hard aspects i.e., 45, 90, 135, 180 that bring less desirable manifestations in cycles, the trines show a time when the literal or symbolic death of a leader or President will be apparent. This may simply be manifesting as George Bush being in his 'dying days' of leadership, or it could show up in another fashion entirely.


*(according to Micheal Munkasey).
** Star Signs Linda Goodman

ASTROLOGICAL CLUES FOR THE MCCANN CASE

Surely it's perfectly obvious, to anyone with any empathy, why Kate McCann would have remained silent in the face of a barrage of questions from the Portuguese Police. If she realised that she or she and her husband were being implicated in the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine, and she had no trust in a foreign legal system, then to say' No comment' to every question is a belligerent but entirely understandable response.

What won't sit well with me - and I suspect the many people who contributed to the Find Madeleine Fund (s) is if the parents don't now answer those questions on their site or make some official announcement via their spokesman that all the answers to those questions have been given to the English authorities.

In many of the interviews the couple gave to the media, they often said that they were unable to comment further due to the legalities of the Portuguese system. As this no longer applies one would expect them, or Mr Mitchell, to be talking to everyone about what they were previously unable to say as it may jog someone's memory or lead to the breakthrough that they need. They have had to be very defensive but now they can legitimately forge forward again.

We have an interesting series of planetary aspects at this time, between the two Aug 1 and Aug 16th eclipses that tie in to May 3rd 2007.

On the day of the start of their holiday, Mars was conjoined to Uranus, it now comes to the opposition phase - a significant turning point. Mars was also approaching the first separating square to Pluto in their cycle on May 3rd 2007 and we find these planets coming to the closing square on Aug 16th with the Lunar eclipse.

On Aug 11th Pluto arrives back at the precise position it occupied on May 3rd 2007.

All the aforementioned points to a window of opportunity for this whole tragic saga to reveal new leads by returning to the events of the night. Something that is occurring naturally with the release of the files. Unfortunately though, if the Press don't uncover something from these files and those involved aren't willing to organise any kind of reconstruction or to look back at dates and perhaps see connections and witnesses they previously missed, they could scupper any hope of finding out what happened to Madeleine. At least until the next phases occur in early (12th) December 2008 and January 2009, if not forever.

Everyone is looking at what happened after May 3rd 2007 and nothing has surfaced. It may then be an idea to look at what was happening PRIOR to May 3rd.

Madeleine's abduction has to somehow be tied into a pattern of behaviour previously exhibited by the person involved in her disappearance, or by an event someone has deemed insignificant.

This pattern or event would most likely have surfaced on or around these dates before she went missing:

22 Dec 2006
13 Aug 2006 30 Aug 2006 and maybe the period in between
12 March 2006 and 7 April 2006 and again maybe the interim period
13 Jan 2007


There was a transit of Uranus to Kate and Gerry's respective Sun's occurring in tandem (as their Sun's are at the same 14 degrees) in April thru August 2006. It is highly unusual for anyone to have a Uranus transit to their Sun without having a major change occurring either internally, on the psychological level, or externally in the events of their life - usually both. We know what happened in May 2007 has changed their lives forever but it must be linked to mid 2006.

Often people of a 'uranian' nature enter our lives at this time. They become catalysts for the change and may be unusual, exciting and even highly intelligent or off the wall; madness and genius being a fine line! Sometimes they are Sun sign Aquarius or can be spotted by an unusual, quirky style of dress or appearance or are connected with cutting edge technology like computers, telecommunications, X-ray equipment etc.

Uranus transits happen with surprising speed and can turn what once seemed stable and mapped out on its head overnight. Sometimes we become more experimental and crave more freedom. Uranus also refers to friends, clubs and political associations we may join. Whatever new situation entered Kate and Gerry's lives at that point may have some bearing on what occurred in May 2007 and the link is worth investigating.

Anyone who has any suspicions about anyone involved with the events of that holiday ( nannies, friends, any staff, shop servers, maintenance workers, neighbours, fellow guests or villa tenants etc etc) could perhaps cast their mind back to the dates mentioned above in 2006 and see if any link is triggered in the mind. This is how astrology can be put to best use, as everything in life is cyclical.

Moving away from Uranus aspects and with regard to the approaching Mars/Pluto square aspect on the 16th, and that which was forming on May 3rd 2007, you may be interested to read the following post and its answers. Whenever Mars/Pluto aspects are around there can usually be abuse of power, violent situations, sex crimes, flaring tempers, undercurrents of bubbling anger, an iron will, an inability to suppress a base nature - many of which are reported by people who have the aspect.

It can also be noted that stories of corruption, brutal regimes, violent death, underworld figures (and even bouts of poisoning and violent sickness bugs , sewer and plumbing problems, volcanic activity) emerge when these two planets are in aspect because the main manifestation of Mars with Pluto seems to be to the inability to keep inside whatever is 'not nice' - it flares to the surface. The ultimate aim being not to intentionally cause pain or unhappiness, but to bring the hidden to light for awareness and healing.

Those with Mars/Pluto aspect in their natal chart ( of which Gerry is one) can either be victims of wrongful treatment or vice versa or both. So returning to the McCann's, in a situation like the one they are faced with, those people who may have some reason to be angry towards Gerry should be given a higher priority when revisiting their story if their movements or behaviour on that holiday, or before, have already aroused even a smidgen of doubt or suspicion.

I don't know who committed this crime, all I can do is use the astrological aspects to put 'weight' on certain possibilities and take it off others but in the end all will be revealed with the passage of time and we can only hope the Law courts are able to deliver justice for Madeleine.

INJUSTICE

Saturn is approaching an opposition to Uranus which speaks of 'revolts' (Uranus) against the establishment (Saturn) and I don't mind telling you that, today, I am first in the queue of those willing to agitate for change. I'm normally placid but the Sun, Moon, Mecury and Venus, all in the fiery sign of Leo, are obviously igniting something. I'm running out of patience at the increasingly blatant discrimination between rich and poor and the way that money seems to be able to buy justice. I was delighted to read that the new Columnist in the Daily Mail, Jan Moir, (who will also be responding to these energies) feels exactly the same.

She writes today:

If you're a junkie who lives on the kind of housing estate where a rusting pram in a puddle constitutes a nice view, you can expect no quarter of kindness or generosity from the law.... If, on the other hand, you are a junkie who lives in one of the finest streets in London and enjoys access to one of the biggest fortunes in Europe, well, why don't you just go right ahead and do as you please?

After being caught with enough drugs to blast them to Neptune and back, society figure Eva Rausing and her husband, Hans, one of the heirs to the Tetra Pak fortune, seem to have evaded any kind of punishment or recrimination from our ever-so even-handed justice system. All charges dropped! How remarkable.

The Rausings have even evaded being given criminal records, which appear to be things that only common people get, along with scurvy, bad schools and cheap shoes. Perhaps that's what happens when you can afford the best lawyers that money can buy. Yet, as with Pete Doherty, who seemed to evade punishment for his blatant drug taking for years, it sometimes suggests that those who preside over our judicial system are too dazzled by money and fame to dispense justice correctly.

I often talk about The Law of Correspondence, (As Above, So Below, As Within, So Without) in this blog, and from this perspective it seems obvious that the current financial woes in our world are just mirroring a society that is well on its way to becoming morally bankrupt.

Here's another highly contentious issue making the news tonight that's also perturbing me:

Barry George just been cleared of murdering Jill Dando. After initially being found guilty and serving 7 years, George has 'got off' on a technicality. For those of you who know little about this, here's The Telegraph's precis:

Detectives had been alerted to Mr George within days of the murder, when workers at a local charity reported his odd behaviour as he tried to establish an alibi the day after the crime. Further checks showed he had an obsession with guns and celebrities, and forensic tests discovered a single particle of gunpowder in his coat pocket which was said to match gunpowder found in Miss Dando's hair. The gunpowder residue was crucial in securing his conviction, but last year, following a review of the case by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the Court of Appeal ruled that the gunpowder had no evidential value, as the risk of it getting in his pocket through contamination was so high, and ordered a retrial

Shades of the OJ trial all over again. You might have gunpowder in your pocket which matches that found in the hair, and on the bullet, retrieved from the head of Jill Dando's body, or, as in the case of OJ, a defendant may have blood on their shoe that almost perfectly matches blood found at the crime scene, but unless someone video's you in the act of murder (or someone can afford to bring a civil case against you) you are home and dry. Actually even video evidence probably wouldn't stand up in Court.

I don't know about the US but in the UK it seems you can get put away for non payment of council bills or parking fines more easily than you can get convicted of murder whilst holding a smoking gun. No one would dispute that there should be judicial processes in place to ensure that everyone gets a fair trial but sometimes common sense flies completely out of the window. Methinks it's time for the collective, via the energies of Saturn/Uranus (and Pluto in Capricorn) to do its stuff and transform certain outmoded rules, regulations and political correctness!

You only have to look at the recent case of Neil Entwhistle who murdered his wife and 9 month old daughter, to know how stories can be twisted and people can be led down false paths. If the evidence had been slightly more 'circumstantial' one can almost imagine the jury may have believed his defence that his wife killed herself (even though he didn't call 911 and then fled to the UK) and acquitted him. Certainly his parents were reported as saying upon his conviction that they believe in his innocence.

Venus is currently opposite Neptune and stories of fraud, alleged fraud, fantasy, lies and duping are everywhere- Look up news on Google about James Frey, Steve Fossett. the Darwins etc. What do you believe about Barry George? Here's a picture of this man who the Law has deemed highly unlikely to pose any threat to normal folk.


Sure looks like your average guy on the street eh.

And here is some more information that came out in the trial. This report also from The Daily Mail:

UPDATE: I can hardly believe what I have just read. Apparently the Jury were not told about the points below that I have now put in bold typeface.

Mr George worked for a short time as a messenger at the BBC (Dando was a BBC presenter) but he frequently called in there to collect copies of the staff newspaper.

He was arrested by police in 1983 hiding in bushes outside Kensington Palace in an attempt to see Diana, Princess of Wales.

He was dressed in combat gear, was carrying a length of rope and had a knife in his belt. He was not charged.

Mr George was often in trouble with the police, with complaints made against him for sexual assault.

He was convicted of attempted rape and his Japanese former wife complained that he beat and raped her.

Dr Philip Joseph, another leading psychiatrist who was called by the prosecution, said George was 'far more competent' than tests would suggest and capable of lying in police interviews.

While some of his behaviour could be attributed to his epilepsy and cognitive impairment, his stalking of women appeared to stem from an "intense anger" caused by rejection, Dr Joseph said.

He also said that George developed a 'fantasy world' in which he believed he knew famous people.

Now this misfit, who should quite obviously be under a care in the community order, if not still under lock and key, is not only free but is entitled to claim up to one million pounds in compensation!

It does beggar belief but if you caught today's eclipse on the Webcast or news, despite chaos and anarchy appearing to reign amongst the inhabitants of Earth these spectacles serve to remind us of the perfection of nature and the ordered divine timing of everything that arises. Even the loss of Jill Dando must have some higher purpose and the same must therefore be said for all the other people and situations mentioned in this post, George included. Recognising this immediately cools down my own passions and irritations at what appears like an unjust world - for really ( hopefully) it simply cannot be so.

* * * * *

You can read a full astrological synopsis of the Jill Dando case, in which Astrologer John Frawley pinpointed Barry George as the likely killer - here

ECLIPSES - The most incredible coincidence

A short while ago I described astrology as the study of geometry in motion. Nowhere can this idea be more acutely observed than in the study of eclipses - especially those that are total.

From our perspective here on planet Earth the Moon appears to constantly change size. Most people have seen the huge red Harvest Moon, low in the sky close to the September equinox (see image at top) and yet at other times it is just a thin sliver of silver high in the sky.

We know that the Sun is many times larger then the Moon. Yet, miraculously, at a solar eclipse the Moon slides slowly in front of the disc of the Sun and appears to match it in size. In a total eclipse like the one occurring later today, they coincide precisely. This is solely down to geometry - Geo = earth or land, metry (from greek metron) = measure. The Sun's diameter may be 400 times larger than the Moon's but from the Earth it measures up as 400 times further away giving us the visual spectacle of totality.
Therefore, although it may seem like this hardly needs mentioning an eclipse is solely an earth based event. If you were in a spacecraft you wouldn't see the Moon blocking out the Sun. If however, someone in that spaceship were looking back at our planet they would see the path of totality as a shadow sweeping across a certain band of the Earth as it turned. This ACG map shows, in red, the start and end point of that band for today's ( 1 Aug 2008) eclipse. Click to enlarge.

Due to the wonders of modern technology you can watch the eclipse from 3.30am PDT, 6.30am EDT, and 10.30 UT by clicking this link

Eclipses in Leo seem to act strongly and quickly as the Sun is in its own sign. It's interesting to note that Leo is, amongst other things, the sign of showmanship and theatrics. In just 8 days time one of the greatest shows on the face of the Earth - the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games takes place and this eclipse occurs above China. That's millions, if not billions, of eyes pointing to one part of our globe twice in the same period.

This eclipse chart has Mercury very close by, pointing to changes in communication, trade and travel issues, but the Sun is in contra parallel to Pluto at this time and we are approaching a Mars/Uranus conjunction and a succession of very testing transits throughout August and early September. The Olympics could be 'overshadowed' by some unexpected event there or elsewhere in the World and for Leo's, Aquarian's, Scorpio and Taurus one would anticipate a very publicly visible change in some area of your life, whilst for the remaining signs the changes may be more hidden, internal or psychological.

Something ends and something new begins as a result of eclipses like this. A door closes just as another opens. It's advisable to step through it willingly rather than waiting to be pushed. Create change consciously. Usually by now one knows what it is that needs to move into the next phase but with Mars/Uranus and other aspects around the events of the next 8 weeks or so could be fast moving and far reaching.

You can keep tuning into the various astro blogs for updates and on that topic I see Elsa at www.elsaelsa.com has provided a replacement for the sadly missed Top Ten Sources widget*. Elsa is trying to give everyone a single place to collate feeds from all astrology bloggers. Stick with her while she irons out the problems and the new site will emerge.

Above all though, please remember that eclipses don't herald bad events anymore than they herald good ones, what they do point to is endings and new beginnings.

* Top Ten appears to have resurfaced now