February 7, 2013
Situational Awareness
I sometimes enjoy survival TV programs, with the current one being Dual Survival. It's pretty realistic, interesting and usefully informative. Who would have thought you can start a fire with a flashlight? When I take motor scooter trips, on side roads through sometimes pretty desolate areas without cell phone service, these tips can come in handy. I now have lots of ways to find and/or build a shelter if I get stuck -- or even signal for help if the scooter breaks down in a storm.
On the current show, the former special forces guy mentioned situational awareness -- the perception of environmental elements with respect to time and/or space. He teaches the lesson this to be of utmost importance to surviving in the world. Well, that sure is useful when riding my scooter, even on good roads, for I have to pay attention to my surroundings at all times. Pot holes may seem to be of greatest danger, but truly, road kill and retreads are far worse.
Situational awareness is also what The Celestial Wheel offers readers in planning their lives. If you don't know what's going on in the world, what upcoming trends may be, then you are like a pilot flying blind without both seeing ahead or navigational instruments.
Second Progressive Age -- Issues
As repeatedly explained in VedicLeaks entries and In-depth Forecasts, the emerging Second Progressive Age is a long series of battles on many fronts forming a war between selfish Second Gilded Age monied interests and the rest of us.
Situational awareness of the Second Progressive Age, as defined by it's battles, is absolutely necessary for you to effectively transform your life -- to fit into a world in which change is the norm, not the exception. Not only are the rules of the game of life changing, the game itself is in a state of continuous and accelerating flux.
The following excerpts from the December 19, 2012 Has The Second Progressive Age Begun?, get you back up to speed on this era's beginning (emphasis added),
Does this mean Obama's second term begins the Second Progressive Age -- restoring shared democratic values?
... that President Obama finished his 16 year Jupiter Dasa this past July, and then began is 19 year Saturn Dasa, is confirmation. Obama's Jupiter is fallen (weak), indicating wisdom and fortune are not favored, even as Jupiter pumped up his popularity by aspecting his great exalted Moon in the fifth house of creative intelligence and kingship. Certainly during his first term, he made misjudg-ments. Pushing health care was ill timed, for the economy was tanking. He also was too optimistic and diplomatic, allowing the opposition to role over him because they knew he would blink. He let the Second Gilded Age criminal politicians and banksters off the hook. Of course, Jupiter's wealth was injured in Obama's chart, reflected the nation's economic dive. Obama's first term could not launch the Second Progressive Age.
Obama's refusing to bend on raising taxes on the top 2% signals the birth of the Second Progressive Age. It is huge deal, a sea change in American politics. It turns back the three-decade Republican outgoing tide of lowering taxes -- that has put the country into the red and enriched the rich by shifting wealth and income from the middle class and poor. This is an incoming tide of increasing tax revenues to meet the shortfall.
(Obama's new) Saturn (Dasas) is very powerful for Obama. It brings out another side, determined to protect America, for his second term. It's almost like he became a different person. Obama's Saturn reorients him to support the common man, increases his authority and will, makes him more realistic and most importantly -- tough. Now faced with opposition yet again in raising taxes on the rich, Obama is holding firm.
Consider also the latest mass murder using an assault weapon, the Connecticut elementary school killings. As horrific as that is, it has the benefit of raising the alarm to reinstate the assault weapon ban that lapsed in 2004 under G.W. Bush.
How about comprehensive immigration reform, shrinking the military, building infrastructure, improving education... That these are already being seriously discussed is good news for the blossoming of the Second Progressive Age.
Too, although the Second Progressive Age seems to have begun, that doesn't mean the fated economic contraction following the Second Gilded Age is over.
I'll state it again in a different way, so that you really get that the economy is still on the ropes, and it will get worse again.. The current U.S. Dasa planets of Mars with Mercury until May 2013 signifies economic turmoil. Mars/Ketu which follows, lasts until late October 2013. Ketu, is a dissolving spiritual influence, following his being the tail-of-the-dragon eclipse point. He's only good for social change, as we had when the U.S. ran Ketu's seven year cycle beginning in 1965. Very challenging transits coming May 2013 and again late summer 2013 can topple the apple cart. It's possible the U.S. will default on part of its debt, for being unable to finance the debt in face of inflation --higher interest rates. Inflation will do us in, for the recovery requires continued low inflation. |
This graph shows the root of the issue.
The Millennium Contraction is the most recent slide down in a 35 year trend of increasing inequity
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Second Progressive Age Battles
The above excerpts from Has The Second Progressive Age Begun? include the U.S. chart's Dasas (planetary cycles), explaining why so much stuff is hitting the fan now. The current U.S. Dasa planets of Mars with Mercury until May 2013 signifies economic turmoil. Mars/Ketu which follows, lasts until late October 2013. Ketu, is a dissolving spiritual influence, following his being the tail-of-the-dragon eclipse point. He's only good for social change With this situational awareness, I've been on the lookout for emerging Second Progressive Age Battles increasing.
We can pin this down further by considering the U.S. chart's Dasas (planetary cycles) to three levels. The US. is currently running Mars/Mercury/Rahu 12//19/2102 to 2/9/2013. There's anger, mystical paranoia, secrets revealed, all stirred into the pot of a very spicy witch's brew!
This first February VedicLeaks entry reflects my situational awareness that a lot of stuff is going on right now. The news is chocked full with battles in the war to regain shared democratic values. If you are not affected by some, others must change in your life. However, while these statements are convincing, they are vague.
Also, just the sheer number and importance of the joined battles alerts to accelerated change. Of course, that can result in truly important issues not be resolved, or nothing getting done at all! Of practical use here is the January 31 VedicLeaks, in which I explained the four big planets are shifting into more favorable transit positions. These bring fair winds, empowering us this winter and spring to respond better to change. It's always good when riding a bicycle, and a thunderstorm is approaching, to have the wind at your back. This fair wind won't blow all the time for everyone, of course, but if you use your own personal situational awareness in your daily life, you'll sense when it comes, enabling you to use it to advantage.
I've divided the numerous Second Progressive Age battles into two groups. First are those which result because President Obama failed to address them in his first term -- misjudgments. Now in his second term, they are coming back to haunt him and the rest of us. The second group is new battles Obama is fighting, although they naturally tend to be older issues that have festered like sores now requiring attention. Let's hope he's learned some situational awareness himself!
Obama's First Term Misjudgments
TARP Bailed Out The Bankers, Not The Economy Everyone said the bank bailout in October 2008 -- TARP, Temporary Asset Relief Program -- was absolutely necessary to save the banks and thereby the entire financial system, indeed the whole economy! Obama bought that lie too. Yowsa, Yowsa, Yowsa!!! Step right up folks and pay your money. Everyone a winnah! But, P.T Barnum did not say, There's a sucket born every minute. That was a joke circulating around Wall Street Bankers just before the crashed the economy in 1893, or was it 1929, or maybe 2008? See, Timothy Geithner Saved Wall Street, not the Economy This article is about the outgoing Treasury Secretary, who was truly just a Wall Street pawn, or actually just another Wall Street Bankster in disguise.
The accolades for Timothy Geithner came on so thick and heavy in the last week that it's necessary for those of us in the reality-based community to bring the discussion back to earth. The basic facts of the matter are very straightforward. Timothy Geithner and the bailout he helped engineer saved the Wall Street banks. He did not save the economy.
(Federal Reserve Chairman) Bernanke could have taken whatever steps were necessary himself to keep the financial system from collapsing even without the TARP. The amount of money dispersed through the Fed was many times larger than the TARP, much of which was never even lent out. The TARP was primarily about providing political cover and saying that the government stood behind the big banks. |
Obama Failed to Prosecute The Bankers See the January 27, 2013, Arrest The Wall Street Bankers This is the issue the Justice Department failing to prosecute any Wall Street banker for their massive frauds that ruined the economy, and which continue to haunt us. This was a huge Obama mistake, for it establishes a special class immune to the rule of law. That was a fatale flaw in his response to economic recover, which is why the economy didn't truly recover and is slipping back again into recession.
The Credit Ratings Companies Cooperated In The Fraud This February 4 article, S&P expects U.S. lawsuit over pre-crisis credit ratings explains the credit ratings companies also participated in the mortgage fraud. Obama failed to take action on this too in his first term. Finally, four years later, the Justice Department will prosecute, but only civilly. There's no criminal action against executives for their purposeful fraud that would put them in prison.
| S&P, Moody's and Fitch have long faced criticism from investors, politicians and regulators for assigning high ratings to thousands of subprime and other mortgage securities that quickly turned sour.
"This lawsuit is significant because it could augur future government action or, even worse for the agencies, more litigation by investors," |
Obama Didn't Prosecute War Crimes And Continues Them Himself. See, Brennan nomination exposes criticism on targeted killings and secret Saudi base. Obama failed to take any action against G.W. Bush administration officials for the lies they told to mislead Congress into allowing the Iraq invasion. He also failed to prosecute anyone for torturing prisoners in Iraq and use of torture at Gauntanamo and other U.S. facilities, some secret CIA jails. See, The White House is “Judge, Jury and Executioner” of Both Drone and Cyber-Attacks -- Bush and Obama Have Set Us Back 800 Years. Further, I emailed my editor on one obvious ramification of having a secret drone base in Saudi Arabia,
| George Bush's staging US troops in holy land Saudi Arabia for the Kuwait war in 1991started the Islamic terrorist revolt against America. This should fire them up all over again! There are a lot of young Bin Laden's in Saudi Arabia just waiting to fire their AR 15s. Wait, wait, that's the same gun the keepers of the faith in the US use! Of course, our friend Obama won the Nobel prize for peace -- so all's well. |
ObamaCare Was Mistimed And Fails To Control Costs When Obama was inaugurated late January, 2009, the nation's economy was in free fall. Within months, the DOW Jones hit a bottom of under 6500. Instead of focusing only upon pulling the economic boat off the rocks, Obama did a weak stimulus plan and put most of his effort into the Affordable Health Care Plan. That plan itself was flawed because it failed to address the underlying problem of health care in the U.S. -- that we spend 17% of GDP on health care, and the other first world countries spend 1/2 to 2/3 that. Our neighbor Canada spends $3000 per year per person, the U.S. $4000, a full third more, and in Canada, everyone has full health insurance. Meanwhile, at least this large section of the population's health is falling behind, Boomers aging worse than past generation, report suggests.
The Fiscal Cliff Obama blinked on this in the summer of 2011, when the Republicans in the House threatened to not raise the debt ceiling. Now, even as he won a the tax increases on the rich at the turn of the new year, the mandated huge cuts in defense and domestic spending must be dealt with. As these will serve to nosedive the economy, Obama's being weak in his first term can have terrible consequences early in his second term.
New Second Progressive Age Battles
Comprehensive Immigration By now, everyone knows the Republicans have decided to woo the brown people back to their party by agreeing to a comprehensive immigration bill that resolves the issues of illegals in this country now, and future arrivals. That's good. Whether anything comes of this is not so certain, for the radical right won't budge on a path to citizenship for those already here, calling it the hated word amnesty.
But What About The Black People? Scholars sketch bleak economic picture for black Americans
The white-black wealth disparity is more than 20 to 1. Black homeownership has declined. Black joblessness is up. Black income is down.
...the government released new figures showing the black unemployment rate at 13.8 percent, nearly double the 7.0 percent for whites. The overall jobless rate is 7.9 percent.
President Obama seems reluctant to attack economic disparities between blacks and whites head-on.
Anderson said that Obama’s second inaugural address was notable for lifting up gay rights, sounding the call for immigration reform and signaling his determination for women to receive equal pay in the workplace. “But there was not a single, blessed word on race,” |
It is more than sad that America's first black president hasn't done anything to help his downtrodden race during this downturn -- when they needed some federal muscle more than ever. Perhaps he's decided that he's not half black but rather half white?
And what about the yellow people? They are doing just fine, better than the white people, in fact. Thank you, Conny Chung. You took a real leadership roll here. And the red people? Oh, the Native Americans, or perhaps rather the Forgotten Americans? Nobody worries about them at all anymore, even as they suffer the most of any minority.
Under Attack, U.S. Postal Service Ends Saturday Delivery Yesterday was a sad day for a great American institution that is woven into the fabric of our culture in every city, town and burg in the country. The Postal Service is so important, it's even mandated in the Constitution, via the Postal Clause. See, U.S. Postal Service to end Saturday delivery The main reason for the revenue shortfall is this, which the article lamely includes on the second page, ...the postal service continues to hemorrhage money, much of it because of a 2006 law requiring the agency to set aside $5.5 billion a year for health benefits for future retirees. It fails to explain that the lame duck Congress that year passed a law insanely requiring the Post Office to fund health benefits for 75 years out. See, Shock Doctrine at the Post Office: How the GOP Manufactured a Crisis and Too Many Dems Went Along. 75 years out! Most Postal Service Employees covered by this haven't even been hired yet! The reason for this is the typical one -- Republicans are trying to starve the Postal Service to either privatize it or shut it down, allowing Federal Express and UPS to take over all mail and package deliveries.
Filibuster Reform There were great hopes Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, would grab the reins on this in January, when he had the opportunity to change the Senate rules. Changing silent filibuster into a talking filibuster would have halted this egregious abuse of minority power. See, Real Filibuster Reform Appears to Be Dead in the Senate,
| ...the deal does not include the major reform liberals wanted: the so-called "talking filibuster," which would force senators to remain speaking on the Senate floor for as long as they wanted to filibuster. ...the deal does not include the major reform liberals wanted: the so-called "talking filibuster," which would force senators to remain speaking on the Senate floor for as long as they wanted to filibuster. |
This would have made CSPAN the top ranked channel on TV! As real, reality TV, it would have displaced all the made up reality TV. The filibuster without talking is like ordering a steak, and the waiter bringing a tray with a plate covered with one of those cute covers that keep the food warm. The waiter then puts the covered plate on the table, pulls off the cover and voila, an empty plate! We can't fault Obama here, for this is a legislative issue, but we can and should lay it on Harry Reid for not serving the public need.
Gun Control Legislation Everyone knows about this topic. If you don't, you have zero situational awareness. Whether any meaningful new control measures will be passed is not yet known.
The Feds May Actually Decriminalize Marijuana For 75 years, the Federal Law has outlawed marijuana, considering it a class A narcotic, Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act. Despite several states passing laws permitting marijuana use, and public opinion against it being illegal, Congress has not budged, until now. Faced with the imperative of raising revenue to reduce the deficit, there is suddenly a move afoot to legalize weed. Politics is such a despicable game, based really on money. But hey, this could actually happen! See,Effort building to change US pot laws Of course, Bill Clinton puffed but didn't inhale, and Obama actually inhaled -- so we have some presidential leadership here.
Gay Rights This is an area of long struggles with small steps ahead. But it seems to be heating up again. see, Boy Scouts of America delay vote on ending ban on gays and Pentagon to extend certain benefits to same-sex spouses.
The Celestial Wheel 2002-2013©
VedicLeaks 2012©
Doug Riemer |
February 7, 2013
Heads-up
Winter Storms
This current NOAA map screen shot shows two storms racing together to meet in the North East U.S., bringing the predicted blizzard conditions. This is confirmed by the U.S. Vedic Chart.
It looks like late Sunday to mid Monday morning will be the peak.
Obviously the Midwest and Mid Atlantic States are also impacted as the storms pass through these areas.
Take care
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The Celestial Wheel 2002-2013©
VedicLeaks 2012©
Doug Riemer |
February 10, 2013
Heads-up
Winter Storms Continue
Here's the Sunday/Monday severe weather I predicted in the above Thursday Heads-up, which turns out to be a second storm.
With the Moon (home) now also in the Mars/Mercury storm violence mix, this blizzard could actually be worse than the one that hit the Northeast U.S. Friday and Saturday.
Still, there can be post storm damages in the Northeast as well.
Accuweather reports,
"As the region recovered, another large winter storm building across the Northern Plains was expected to leave a foot of snow and bring high winds from Colorado to central Minnesota into Monday, the National Weather Service said. South Dakota was expected to be hardest hit, with winds reaching 50 miles per hour, creating white-out conditions. The storm was expected to reach parts of Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming and Wisconsin." |
The Celestial Wheel 2002-2013©
VedicLeaks 2012©
Doug Riemer |
February 17, 2013
Predicting Major Global Shifts
Whether the world is stable or fragmenting depends upon the big slow-moving outer planets -- Jupiter and Saturn. These enclose and steer the solar system. Rahu/Ketu, the eclipse points, are the other two slow-moving planetary players, powerful for their intensive karmic effects. When these four do not afflict each other, they steady the apple cart. When they conflict, the apple cart is more vulnerable to a major global shifts with enduring consequences. For a particularly bad conflict among these planetary heavyweights, the cart is turned over. The apples are scattered and lost. But also, the cart is broken. It takes years and years to regain stability, for a new cart must be built and filled with fresh apples. And sometimes, another conflict among these continues a process.
Saturn, the planet of suffering, loss and oppression, conjoining Rahu*, the head-of-the-dragon eclipse point, is the worst such combination. Rahu intensifies Saturn's harms. Using just conjunctions of Saturn and Rahu, which occur about once a decade, the past is illuminated, and we can anticipate the next major global shift. Keywords for this combination are: victimizing, relentlessness, ruthless, remorseless, violent people, foreign matters and misery on both objective and subjective levels. But keep in mind always, Only through turmoil comes change.
And guess what? Saturn and Rahu are both in Libra now and heading for conjunction in mid September of this year -- 2013.
(*The Celestial Wheel editor, Pipe-smoking Yoda, doesn't understand Rahu. Well, nobody in the West can really grasp what this bogymen of the East is like -- even as the word bogyman brings an intense response from the bowels of our culture. We all know what bogyman are like! But Rahu is an Eastern symbol, the closest to which we can ascribe is maybe bogyman. But Rahu is a serpent's head, not a bogyman. Perhaps we could compare him to an alligator? No, Rahu isn't an alligator either. I finally told Pipe-smoking Yoda that Rahu is like the giant squid, the secretive monster from the deep that rips flesh, to shreds with his crushing tentacles, armed with suction cups rimmed with sharp claws -- bringing the disabled prey to the huge beak, which then chops it up like a Cuisinart does a carrot. He said, he got that pretty well. Yes, Rahu - giant squid. Yet, the Eastern Rahu symbol of the serpent's bite, which can either heal or harm. Rahu can bring great worldly benefits, although one must naturally be on the alert for his bite. Botox treatments do wear off, and sometimes the face has aged.)
Previous Saturn/Rahu Conjunctions
Let's look the last three previous Saturn/Rahu conjunctions to see what has occurred. In Vedic Astrology, patterns are everything. When patterns repeat, history repeats, although not exactly. As George Santayana famously said, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
(Notes. Planets impact each other if they are anywhere in the same sign. Because Saturn and Rahu both move slowly, they can be in sign conjunction for many months, even over a year. When planets exactly conjoin, they're energies converge most intensely. Because Rahu moves backwards and Saturn forwards, they conjoin with tremendous energy. For the purposes of this analysis, charts for the exact conjunctions are shown.)
| 1979 Iranian Revolution |
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Saturn and Rahu were in Leo, the sign of govern-ment leaders, notable kings, from December 2, 1978 until November 3, 1979 -- 11 months.
This was the Iranian Revolution. Recall the U.S. was a major ally of the Shah.
 January 16, 1979: The Shah left Iran for exile.
February 1, 1979: revolutionary forces under Khomeini seize power after his return to the country
November 4,1979: Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Teheran and held sixty-six occupants hostage.
December 2,1979, Khomeini became absolute ruler for life. |
 July 8, 1979
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Iran was the first Mideast nation in which an Islamic revolution threw out its autocratic leader Also, on July 16, 1979, Saddam Hussein became President of Iraq.
| 1991 Gulf War |
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Saturn and Rahu were in Capricorn, sign of government officials, from December 15, 1990 to April 12, 1991 -- 4 months.
This was the first Gulf War.
Jan. 12, 1991: U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution authorizing the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
Jan. 17, 1991: The air war commenced
Feb. 24, 1991: Ground war begins
Feb. 28, 1991: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announced a ceasefire and that Kuwait had been liberated from Iraqi occupation. |
January 21, 1991
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The U.S. stationing its troops in Islam's holy land of Saudi Arabia instigated the Islamic reaction against the U.S. That movement has resulted in Islamic militants terrorizing the West via Al Qaeda and then Islamic revolutions throughout the Mideast.
| 2001+ Afghanistan War |
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Saturn and Rahu were in Taurus, the sign of truth and domestic harmony -- or lack thereof -- from March 1, 2002 to July 22, 2002 -- 5 months.
This was the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Wikipedia reports,
Oct. 7, 2001: U.S. and British forces begin airstrikes in Afghanistan
Nov. 13, 2001: Taliban fighters abandon Kabul after weeks of air assaults. About 1,300 U.S. troops were involved in the offensive.
Dec. 7, 2001: Taliban stronghold Kandahar falls. Bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar escape.
June 13, 2002: Hamid Karzai is elected as head of state of a new interim government by the loya jirga, or grand council. |
June 20, 2002
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This was also the interval initiating and justifying torture. See, Torture Timeline. The Afghanistan war was the U.S.'s initial reaction to Al Qaeda's 9-11attacks. The Iraq war came next. The U.S. remains to this day mired in the Mideast.
| 2013-14 Saturn/Rahu Conjunction |
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Saturn and Rahu are in Libra, the sign of relationship and balance from January 14, 2013 to July 6, 2014 -- 18 months.
The reason this conjunction lasts so long is Saturn that retrogrades twice during this interval -- once this winter and the second time next spring. The longer the duration of any placement, the greater it's impact.
The previous three Saturn/Rahu conjunctions were Mideast conflicts -- Iran, the First Gulf War and the Afghanistan Invasion -- all of which involved the U.S.
The Celestial Wheel has repeatedly suggested the Saturn/Rahu conjunction signals inflation, a U.S debt default and urban riots in August and September.
This VedicLeaks uses history to predict the Mideast will continue its upheaval and involve the U.S. Great harms to both must result. The rest of the globe will not be exempt. |
September 16, 2013
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The January 31, VedicLeaks discussed the Arab Spring briefly, in a section titled Arab Spring. The February 2007 In-depth Forecast, Culmination In The Mideast, was referenced. Take a look to gain further historical perspective.
The Celestial Wheel 2002-2013©
VedicLeaks 2012©
Doug Riemer |
February 22, 2013
Two Favorable Planetary Influences
There is always more than one thing going on for the planets, and The Celestial Wheel can sometimes confuse by reciting one thing, then another.... So, let's briefly recite two positives.
First, the January 31, 2012 VedicLeaks entry ended with the section, Some Good News Too! This explained that the four planetary heavyweights were becoming better disposed:
Yesterday, (January 30) Jupiter ended a four month weak retrograde and began moving forward.
Saturn, the planet of loss, restriction, humility and overall contraction, will turn retrograde February 18 and continues thus until July 7. (That has now occurred.)
On January 14, Rahu and Ketu shifted backwards to new signs -- Rahu into Libra and Ketu into Scorpio. These are better positions. |
I described the energetic total of these shifts as, Going to the planetary weather analogy, its like driving your car with pleasant weather, or being on the sea with sunny skies and a gentle following wind. What has been hard or a struggle becomes easier, smoother. Effort yields more and better results.
Second, the above February 17 VedicLeaks explained the conjunction of Saturn and Rahu in Libra, from January 14, 2013 to July 6, 2014 -- 18 months -- signals unrest, particularly in the Mideast, but also globally, and affecting us individually as well. This is a long and often painful conjunction, but with Saturn now retrograde, he is moving away from Rahu. When planets are conjoined in a sign, they influence each other strongly when they are approaching each other. It's like two armies on a field -- they clash when approaching each other, but the violence dies down when one army turns away. Thereby, we get a respite until July 6 from Saturn/Rahu harms -- to some extent.
Mercury Turns Retrograde Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Saturday, Mercury begins his thrice annual retrograde for three weeks. This one is more challenging than most, but bear in mind the favorable planetary winds from the four planetary heavyweights and that the Saturn/Rahu conjunction harms are at a low ebb until early July.
Think of this like a team of three horses pulling a wagon. One horse is the heavyweights, another is Saturn/Rahu and the third Mercury retrograde. The first horse is pulling well and strongly. The second horse is a little uncooperative but still in his traces. Only the third horse is causing problems. The wagon continues to make progress, and when the third horse settles down after three weeks, the wagon can recoup and make up lost time.
Thereby, as difficult as this Mercury retrograde may be, the affects can be both short term and then remedied --when he turns forward again March 17.
Plus, Mercury retrograde isn't bad for everything. The retrograde motion gives an introspective and back-in-time mental focus. I have a client who will be cleaning out an old storage garage far from her current home during this Mercury retrograde. She'll finally dispose of boxes and boxes of old papers from an earlier period of conflict she is truly done with. She'll also rescue a beautiful car she had kept there for years, shipping it to her home, where she can enjoy it once again. In other words, the past-looking Mercury retrograde will serve to free her from the past.
Still, Mercury retrograde is negative for all communications, and also Mercury's nervous system. It's negative for starting business transactions, including partnerships, and both money matters and the equipment we use for those. Computers can act goofy. Bank transactions may get fouled up. Or, we could just forget some financial obligations... Mental confusion can result, in which case, it's best to take a break and attend to the matter later. You can't push a string characterizes Mercury retrograde.
This Mercury retrograde is in Aquarius, a sign ruled by restrictive Saturn. In this sign, then, Mercury is slowed down and can also be deceived. This sign placement thereby further weakens Mercury.
The major reason this Mercury retrograde will be difficult is because Mars is in the planetary mix this year.
As discussed before, Mercury and Venus are always pretty close to the Sun as seen from the earth, which is astrology's vantage point. When, Mars, the planet of war, is conjoined with these, all suffer, but the Mercury retrograde interval is the most intense.
Sun/Mercury/Venus each go through a sign in about 30 days. Mars moves half as fast, going through a sign in about 60 days.
Thereby, the Sun/Mercury/Venus group encounters Mars every two years. |
 Mercury Retrograde February 23, 2012
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This last happened in April, 2011, which was a peak for the Arab Spring -- but also the Tea Party craziness. See the March 29, 2011 VedicLeaks.
The next previous Mercury retrograde when Mars was with the Sun/Mercury/Venus trio was late January, 2009. Then, just after Obama first took office, the economy was in a tailspin. See the January 22, 2009 In-depth Forecast, More On The Big Blizzard Of 2009, which noted the challenging upcoming Sun/Mars/Mercury conjunction. Yes, there were other difficult planetary dispositions then, but the Mercury retrograde afflicted by Mars was a potent karma for disruption.
There's lots going on in the world this winter. Notable in the U.S. is the Fiscal Cliff beginning March 1. With the Mars' afflicted Mercury retrograde running February 23 to March 17, don't expect this to be resolved. In fact, already the Republicans are a study in nuttiness. They insist upon cutting spending, but then at the same time, they admit this will truly harm the economy, continuing the trend from expansion to contraction.
I'll write more on this and other issues in upcoming entries. For now, just cool your jets.
The Celestial Wheel 2002-2013©
VedicLeaks 2012©
Doug Riemer |
Heads-up
Tuesday Will Be A Tough Mercury Retrograde Day
The (above) February 22 VedicLeaks discussed the February 23 to March 17 Mercury retrograde, noting, The major reason this Mercury retrograde will be difficult is because Mars is in the planetary mix this year.
This upcoming Tuesday, February 26, is a sensitive date for this Mercury retrograde. The shaded pink box shows Mars conjunct to calculating mind Mercury. The red arrow shows Mars aspect (glance) to the perceptional/emotional mind Moon.
It's very difficult to project what may happen this coming Tuesday. Certainly, minds all over the globe will be disturbed by this Mars energy -- anger, upset, reflexive actions. This could tip over already unstable folks into brash violent action.
For the U.S., there is potent karma for volatility in wealth and governing issues. Certainly this fits with the upcoming March 1 Fiscal Cliff, which politicians and the public are not dealing with effectively -- actually ignoring the issue. This results perhaps from post November election ennui and also mental fatigue from the many faux crisis created by Congress. Accidents are certainly an issue, and this building Mars/Mercury energy has already brought a whopper, At least 33 fans injured when car sails into fence at Daytona
There are certainly lots of disruptions in the world now --- from Europe to the Mid East to the Far East to South America -- that could boil over then. As my first Vedic teacher taught, when a chart has a particularly challenging combination, recite all the possibilities, for any can occur. That approach, even though sounding generalized, is actually more accurate than citing some specifics, which may or may not occur.
The last insight I can offer here is that whatever happens Tuesday will not resolve anything. Events then, though, could sufficiently frighten people into buckling down and taking responsible actions.
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PS One notable event Tuesday was The Berlusconi Effect: Political Gridlock Wins Italian Elections. First, there was Mercury-retograde confusion about election results, The first exit polls from the election in Italy were greeted with relief... Silvio Berlusconi had fallen short of his goal. His opposite, it seemed, had won the election, the center-left candidate Pier Luigi Bersan. Next, New forecasts showed that Berlusconi had won a majority in the Senate, the second house of parliament in Rome. Three parties with adverse interests splitting the vote resulted in Italy not being able to form a government, The results from the election on Sunday and Monday present perhaps the worst scenario possible, short of a Berlusconi victory. Europe is bound to suffer. An ailing Italy -- the third largest economy in the euro zone -- with a weak government is bound to once again become a plaything of the financial markets. Rome's massive, €2 trillion mountain of debt will continue to grow, as will risk premiums on Italian bonds, tearing new holes in the country's budget. And a wobbly Italy presents an acute danger to all of Europe.
The Celestial Wheel 2002-2013©
VedicLeaks 2012©
Doug Riemer |
