Are We In For An Economic Catastrophe?

As the Sun enters Leo and we prepare for the 4-month cycle of Mercury going retrograde, the U.S. is facing what some think is a potential economic catastrophe. The notion that this country would ever default on its bills, debts that were created by Congress, has always been unthinkable. Because it is has always been regarded as a total impossibility, no one, even the best economists, can know what the outcome will be. How will other countries react? How will it affect interest rates? And most importantly, how will it affect the banks that we deal with everyday? Before getting to this, I think I must first describe where we are concerning the Mercury retrograde cycle.

Right now, we are in what’s called the ‘shadow’ period. This is the territory in which Mercury will travel back and forth between July 15, 2011 and September 9, 2011. This territory covers 19° Leo and 1° Virgo, so Mercury will be in this 12° area for 7 weeks. For the United States, Mercury will oppose the U.S. Moon. This will tell us quite a bit as we go forward. Mercury will go retrograde on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 8:50pm PDT. The retrograde period ends on Friday, August 26, 2011 at 3:03pm PDT. This one fact means that the public (Moon) will be changing their minds during the retrograde period. So, whatever people are thinking right now is very subject to change in the coming weeks.

Personally, I do not believe the new Republicans in the house who are pushing this draconian activity understand either history or economics. I can understand the idealism of their thinking, but they have not thought through the huge impact and consequences of their aims. For them, the idea of closing the U.S. government seems to be a trivial, almost fun, matter. This tells me that we strongly need Mercury retrograde at this particular point in time, as it is likely to force people to change their minds.

Let’s start with the meaning of the shadow period. Although people often do not pay attention to this part of the cycle, it is one of the most important. Firstly, we know that every decision made or considered right now will be reviewed. This is guaranteed. I have found that this is one of the most unstable periods there are in terms of astrological cycles. It can be described as an upsurge of unconscious material into consciousness. Thus, it is unpredictable and can easily create problems for the person. Let me give an example. A few years ago I met with a client who had said some very rude things to a close friend. It happened in the shadow period. As she thought about it during the Mercury retrograde period, she began to acknowledge how much she had hurt her friend, how severe and out of proportion her words were and she had begun to feel a great deal of regret. She sought to understand what had happened that caused this ‘needless’ and self-inflicted crisis in her friendship, which had been a good one for many years. What came up over several sessions was that she realized that she had not expressed her real feelings to her friend about certain problems in the relationship for a long time and that resentments were slowly building up during the entire time. She didn’t realize how angry she was when suddenly (during the ‘shadow’ period) she burst out with a nasty tirade that surprised even her. This is not unusual at this time. The problem, of course, was actually with her as she had not spoken with her friend at all about what she was feeling.

There is one more aspect of the story that is most important. After she did speak with her friend, she found out that most of what she was feeling was due to a small, even trivial misunderstanding that had become completely overblown due to its not being dealt with during the prior years. Her friend was extremely shocked at the entire episode as what was really going on was completely different from the perceptions of her friend. The entire matter need not have ever happened if my client had gone to her friend and straightened matters out in the beginning. In regular everyday life, this sort of thing happens all the time and while our lives can become quite stressful and difficult, the problems can be fixed. But now let’s asks the bigger questions. What happens to a nation when the same phenomenon happens? Are not the consequences going to be much, much bigger? Might they lead to catastrophic consequences?

This is what is happening right now in my opinion. The new legislators in the House of Representatives do not understand and do not seek to understand the consequences of the U.S. government’s failure to pay its legal and obligatory debts. This is a great example of idealism triumphing over practical knowledge. It is based on gross misunderstandings of what the consequences will be. The only thing we don’t know is what the Obama administration will do if no deal is reached. There is the 14th Amendment, which states the following:

“The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for the payments of pension and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”

There is no consensus among constitutional scholars on how this might affect the present situation, but that is only because this has never happened before in U.S history. It appears that Obama does not want to use this option, but if he did, while it would be challenged in the courts it could take years for his action to go through the legal process and by then, he would either be serving a second term or be replaced.

Now, let’s go back to the fact that the Mercury retrograde cycle opposed the Moon of the U.S.

It certainly means that the media and public will be watching the events of this process with the same attention and intensity that is given to a Presidential election. It will be analyzed and debated 24 hours a day and will ignite the passions of a confused and disturbed public. This alone suggests a degree of panic, caused simply by the great uncertainty of what effects of the default will be on the average citizen. Will it cause a cascade effect that brings about a depression and/or a collapse of the U.S. currency? Will it feel like complete chaos or will things return to normal? Do the Republicans in the House have any idea of the consequences of their extreme position and what will they learn from this? Or, will this turn out to be a non-event?

My view is that we are a democracy and that this is what is being challenged. In a democracy it is always easier to say ‘No’ to things and to take positions that stop the advancement of solutions to problems. But this is my position.

So, to end this article, I have a question on a subject that I am not even close to understanding. I would love to hear from the readers of my newsletter on its possible answer.

Why is the so-called Tea Party, who is composed primarily of blue-collar and middle class citizens (although financially supported by extremely wealthy oligarchs) so vehemently against increasing the taxes on the super rich among us? These are the citizens who can easily afford to pay the extra taxes and who did so in the recent past. Many of them did not object then and are not objecting now. The richest person in the U.S., Warren Buffet, is one of them. Why is the Tea Party protecting the wealthy 1%, of which they will never be a part?

Your responses to this article are welcome.

Best Wishes,

Jim Sher

The Lunar Eclipse on July 7

Every six months or so, we always experience a Lunar (Full Moon) and Solar (New Moon) eclipse. They occur within two weeks of each other although sometimes the Lunar eclipse is first while at other times the Solar eclipse is. We are about to enter an unusual phase where there will be three eclipses running in succession. The first of the series is the Lunar eclipse occurring on Tuesday, July 7th, at 2:21am PDST near 15 deg. of Capricorn. The next Eclipse is a very strong Total Solar Eclipse on Tuesday, July 21st, at 7:35pm at 29 deg. of Cancer. The last will be a Lunar eclipse on Wednesday, August 5th at 5:55pm PDST at 13 Aquarius. Eclipses are inertia changers in my view.  Although many astrologers regard eclipses as predominantly negative, I don’t agree with that assessment. Yes, they can close doors, but also they open new ones. They allow new energies to come into our lives, though there are times when they also usher out old structures before the new ones can be created. When we have three eclipses instead of only the usual two, we often see a cycle of greater levels of change and this is also true in this case since the coming Solar eclipse is a very strong one. I will speak more about this in the near future.

The first thing to know about a Lunar eclipse is that it must occur at a Full Moon. The basic meaning of a Full Moon is that it always brings forth some kind of culmination, fulfillment and revelation of the ‘seed’ that was born at the New Moon two weeks earlier. We get to see fully whatever is developing either in us or in our world. The fact that this Full Moon is an eclipse makes its effect much stronger. The issues are bigger and strike us more deeply. So, it is an important period for us. At this time, the Earth stands between the Sun and the Moon. If you were on the Moon, the Sun would be blotted out for a time. Since the Moon rules subconscious emotions which are often negative, the fact that those very emotions are hidden allows them to be examined more clearly. For example, if we normally feel fear about some issue, we may be more willing to experience and move through that fear at this time. We can become motivated to handle an area where we are easily triggered. Of course, sometimes, we just feel forced to do so.

To gain some perspective on the nature of the Tuesday Lunar eclipse, it is best to begin by looking at what the New Moon tells us. It occurred on June 22nd at 1 deg. of Cancer. What is significant about it was that it was in a very close opposition to Pluto. When I study the nature of the Moon in mundane astrology (the area of astrology that examines events of nations, governments, politicians, etc.) it refers to things that affect the mass consciousness, what the people think and how they are affected. With Pluto ruling transformation and even death, in the past few weeks we have seen many national figures die, including Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Karl Malden, and the most recent tone being Steve McNair(ex-football player) who died in a violent shooting along with a woman whose relationship we do not yet know. What is significant about this type of event in the national psyche is that it often sends forth strange reactions in the people. It seems to me that any public figure who achieves some sort of intense attention, is actually resonating with something far beyond just themselves personally. It sends out ripples into the mass consciousness because those individuals somehow represent something significant in ourselves. It doesn’t matter if they are famous or infamous, they tell us about our own consciousness as a people. That’s part of the heightened expression of this New Moon. Now we are about to have the Full Moon of this very same cycle and it is an eclipse as well.

To repeat — the nature of a Lunar eclipse is that it often brings out an hidden emotions that can result in a catharsis. This can enable us to release something that has been building up for a long time, so that we can feel a great sense of freedom. Because Pluto rules the depths of our subconscious and what Carl Jung referred to as the ‘shadow material (the feelings we may not approve of in ourselves), it is very helpful to confront these things, letting them see the light of day, so we can deal with them and move on. That’s what a Lunar eclipse can help us accomplish. However, the way it usually works is that one must go through a very intense confrontation with something that has been avoided, something from which we want to turn away. It will help us improve our lives if we don’t do that and instead take advantage of this pressure to work as consciously as possible with whatever is coming up.

Of course, where this eclipse occurs in our chart will tell us a lot about the specifics of what we will be having to deal. If it occurs in our 7th house, we may be dealing with important relationship issues or have to deal with someone who is going through the things I have spoken about here. If it is in our 4th house, it can affect our home, family or parents. This is a time to be a warrior and to make a noble effort to see into our depths no matter what we think we might see. Have the courage to face the demon and it may turn out to be far less of a beast than we thought.

Michael Jackson – The Moon in Pisces

 

The death of Michael Jackson, like so many events in his life, took us way beyond anything we could have ever expected. There were the usual unintended consequences that included the odd way in which Jackson’s doctor disappeared after his death to the surprising internet crashes that occurred shortly after his death was announced. We still don’t exactly know what happened. In a world of complexity, sometimes astrology can help us see the simplicities, the basic factors that can cut through all of the many opinions that may have formed around a person or event.

There are at least three birth charts being presented for him in the blogosphere and some believe that Jackson deliberately did this to hide his real time of birth. However, no matter what time he was born, we do have his date of birth so we know his Sun was in Virgo while his Moon opposed it in the sign of Pisces. We also know that transiting Saturn was almost exactly opposing his Moon for the third time. This one fact can reveal quite a bit about what Jackson was feeling and how all of it came to a head at this time.

Michael is said to have felt that his father made his life incredibly harsh in a geat many ways, but the chief one was that he programmed him to regard the outer world as a dangerous, unsafe, awful place against which he would have to defend himself. What affect would this have on a person with such a highly sensitive nature? He has the Sun in Virgo (basic modesty) with the shy, sensitive emotions of the Moon in Pisces?

A close friend who has Moon in Pisces once told me that he ‘couldn’t pass a bum on the street without giving him some money’.  Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac and represents the ending or dissolving of all that had been built up in the previous cycle. And when the Moon is in that sign, one’s emotional nature is creating conditions where the person is barely able to know it exists. The world is already seen as a scary, impersonal place even without a father like Joe is said to have been, where there is no room for compassion and love.

Can you see why he would work so hard to remain as a child and adopt the mythos of Peter Pan? The adult world was not a place where he could feel safe to be who he really was. Then the planet Saturn that asks us to face the harsh, stark and severe realities of life transits in opposition to this Moon and every fear he ever had about life must have been boring down on him with the force of a very heavy stone. It also informs us as to why he resorted to prescription drugs and how one drug was added to another until his life force must have already been almost empty. 

The task of Pisces is to engage in life WHILE being in a state of compassion and to avoid the temptation of running away and escaping. It is by doing this that the person becomes able to extend its natural gift of love into the world. With the transit of Saturn he was being asked to confront his fears and push through them in order to be able to fulfill his public role in the world. But it is clear he was not even close to being able to do this. According to Lisa Marie Presley, Michael told her 14 years earlier that he knew he would die like her father Elvis did and no one could do anything about it. Was he prescient or was this self-fulfilling prophecy? In my view, Michael didn’t know how to deal with the world and was so identified with being the King of Pop that there simply wasn’t any way to escape the fate he regarded as being destined for him. Pisces always has to deal with the archetype of sacrifice. This can serve to motivate someone to live for the highest principles no matter what the outer cost may be or actually be enacted by taking up the role of martyr. Perhaps in this case the truth lies somewhere in between as I don’t think Jackson would allow himself to grow up and face the hardships of life. My guess is that he was not a pedophile. I suspect that he was playing with the boys as another boy would. He was avoiding the issues of sexuality as part of his need to remain a child. No, that’s not appropriate for a man in his 40’s, but it does show how regressed he seems to have been.

The Moon in Pisces asks us to live in a fully engaged way while being in the midst of life’s sorrows and troubles and to then bear up under the weight of it. It is a very difficult challenge to achieve given the sensitivity of this planet and sign. With Michael’s early life being what it was, perhaps a tragic death was the only possible end for him.

Although I rarely write about the death of famous figures, I decided to write this as it gave me an opportunity to express something important about the real challenges Piscean people face. Many of you will be reading this article, so please know that it is written with you in mind. May you find the ability to face life’s harshness with the compassion that guides your own being! Come out and show us who you are for the world needs you.

The Mixed Tone of the Times – A Mixture of Energies

To this writer, we are in a very confusing period where there are certain indicators of emerging movements forward, while at the same time, there are other indicators that suggest the opposite. What this usually means is that both are true and that all we can do is attempt to move ahead on the projects we have decided upon and then to be willing to adjust and even change direction if it becomes necessary. Let’s take a deeper look.

The Sun/Moon cycle

On Friday, May 1st, we experienced the 1st Quarter Moon as we march forward to the Full Moon on May 9th. This is called the waxing Moon and is an indicator that energies are growing and developing. Also, we are in the sign of Taurus which represents the fullness of Spring and is often associated with slow and patient advancement. In addition, as mentioned in previous newsletters, Venus (which is now direct) and Mars are dancing together as they advance from Aries into Taurus. All these things create a feeling that this is a great time to get moving again and make things happen.

The Other Side of the Coin

Mercury goes retrograde on May 6th

Already Mercury is barely moving as it slows in advance of its change of direction on May 6th. Mercury retrograde, which occurs every 4 months, is a time for review of our plans and a time when old ideas can be seen as either something to be changed or held onto as those ideas have already stood the tests of time. But even more important than this is the movement of Jupiter into a conjunction with Neptune. It’s first introduction seems to be the utterly confusing swine flu scare.

The Swine Flu: a Sign of the Times?

Is it a real global pandemic or something that will pass with a few deaths and nothing more? We don’t know, at least not yet. Schools are being closed, many functions and trips cancelled, and no one knows whether or not this is an over-reaction. This is classic Jupiter conjunct Neptune. Neptune confuses, obscures, and creates a fog of uncertainty around the issues of that period of time. The Iraq war was declared when Jupiter was conjunct Neptune’s north node, and we all know how much confusion, uncertainty, and even deliberate deception was going on then. I’m not saying anyone is deliberately lying in the swine flu fear, but it’s true that the entire planet is strongly affected by the fear of this pandemic. It is my educated guess that the feared pandemic will not occur. The massive fog is, I suspect, clouding our judgments and blowing things out of proportion. I certainly hope this is true.

The essence of this is that it is not a good time to make any final decisions. We’re not able to be clear at this time. When Mercury, often called the ‘trickster’ in ancient mythology, is about to go retrograde, decisions made now are questionable as they are subject to review. And with the Jupiter conjunction to Neptune, which officially begins on May 27th, there can be confusion and unrealistic optimism. It is also my belief that the economy and financial problems this country is facing has not yet faced the severity of the situation. Much more is likely to be revealed and there are other banks and financial institutions that we will discover are in greater trouble that we thought.

At the same time that there is confusion and uncertainty, this is not a time to operate from fear. Should we move forward slowly, carefully, and prepared to change if we learn something new? Yes, of course. But when we are informed of the nature of the mixed signals we’re getting, we would be wrong to think that we shouldn’t take advantage of the opportunities we are encountering and visualizing.

The Economy

Right now, Venus is finishing its square to Pluto, which rules debt, bankruptcy, re-structuring, and mergers and acquisitions. We’re seeing the bankruptcy of Chrysler and its reorganization with a real possibility that GM will be forced to do the same. And the U.S. government may take it over. Obama is already forcing the issue and dictating terms. The fact is that no one knows where this will lead. My biggest concern is that if indeed these huge corporations are as badly run as it appears, what will the affect be if the government takes them over? How big will the government’s involvement be? Who will take care of the debt? How deep will it be? How much will it affect this country for many years to come? At best, the government is taking a huge risk, and it will take quite a bit of time to really know what all this will mean. As I’ve mentioned for several years, 2010 is a very difficult year as there are four planets forming a T-square configuration that can create huge crises. The fact is that before we actually enter that period, we have this confusing, optimistic period of Jupiter conjuncting Neptune that could easily bring about decisions that will only make matters worse as they are made in an idealistic and confusing time.

I’ll be writing more soon about the Mercury retrograde.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Westside Beginning Astrology class: There is one open slot for anyone interested in learning astrology. The class is on Thursday evenings. If you think you might be interested, please contact me as soon as possible as the class has begun. Makeup lessons are available at no cost during the first session. The cost is $150 for each 6-week session.

All the best,
Jim Sher