September

September 2022

September 5 2023

Four Retrogrades!

Recent Celestial Wheel entries have discussed challenges signaled by the heavens this fall. As explained in August 22 From Sea To Shining Sea, there are four major afflictions.

There are two afflictions specific to the U.S. chart: first the Dasa planets of Rahu/Saturn and second Saturn crossing the Moon. Global afflictions are via transits, as these are: four retrogrades and two eclipses. Naturally, these transit ills, being universal, also impact the U.S. chart. So, the U.S chart is being hit four times.

It is worthwhile noting that having four potent afflictions overlapping and in a short interval is unusual and remarkable -- like putting 4 kids on one side of a teeter totter.

Right now retrogrades are the energetic focal point -- because they are what's currently happening. That is, retrogrades dominate the planetary energies and will continue to do so for some weeks -- really, until November 3 when the big planets -- Jupiter and Saturn -- end their concurrent retrogrades.

Here's that listing from the August 22 From Sea To Shining Sea,

planet	begin retrograde	end retrograde
Saturn	June 17	November 3
Venus	July 23	September 3
Jupiter	September 3	December 31
Mercury	August 23	September 15

Retrograde planets are unique for being both strong and weak. On the strong side, they promote inward concentration, which is great for spirituality -- self awareness. That is why which is why the Indians say retrograde planets are strong. On the weak side, retrograde planets are passive, their energies latent. Thus, in worldly matters, retrograde planets have lost their assertive forward energy, and having four retrogrades in a short interval stalls out the entire solar system.

It's thereby extremely difficult now to marshal energies dealing with worldly challenges -- both man made and natural. The situation is even more challenging for the attention being inward, away from outer worldly concerns. Thereby, lack of forward power, plus the focus being in the wrong direction (in not out), results in challenges growing without restraint and lacking a concerted and effective positive response.

Below is a great editorial cartoon from an article in the Washington Post, The Impending doom. At first glance, the image seems to compare newly frequent and violent hurricanes with the national debt. Both are huge problems, of course. And sooner or later hurricanes, and other climate warming destructions, will be as devastating as the national debt bringing an economic crash.

(This latter issue has not been discussed much in The Celestial Wheel. However, with the federal government pouring money into the economy -- first for the Millennium Contraction in 2009 and then again with COVID beginning in 2023 -- well that must burst the economy. The national debt increased from 12 trillion to 32 trillion during these past 14 years! Economic travail is unavoidable.)

Returning to the cartoon, looking more closely we see the space station, emblematic of the tremendous and ongoing progress in Rahu's flying vehicles. Advances in space, drones, AI and other technological areas can both help the world deal with global warming and reconfigure society to be safe and sustainable. That's a positive from Rahu Dasa, when the serpent transforms by destruction and creation.

Think about it.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2023©
Doug Riemer

September 17, 2023

One Quarter The Way Through

The Celestial Wheel has been slowed down during this difficult Mercury retrograde -- August 23 to September 15 -- when the other planets are afflicted in several ways. Well, as this planet of communications is now moving forward, some mental clarity and writing capability are returning. Still, with the other planetary ills, nothing is easy -- for anyone and everyone.

Celestial Wheel entries this summer predicted planetary energies gathering together for tremendous difficulties this fall -- most notably September 3 to November 3. It is then that Jupiter and Saturn are both retrograde. As the big planets enclosing and protecting the solar system, this weakens their ability to control and mitigate events during an interval that is beset by other ills.

The June 21 U.S. summer/fall natural disasters introduced this concept, stating,

It seems extreme weather and other destructive natural events have become bunched together in the summer and fall seasons. This makes sense with global warming affecting nearly the entire country. The additional heat has been exacerbating summer/fall droughts/heatwaves/forest fires in the west, hurricanes in the east and sometimes tremendous thunderstorms/tornadoes/floods in the Midwest and Atlantic seaboard.

Too, we have to keep in mind that COVID is changing everything, with ripples of its societal disturbances everywhere. Well, this is Rahu Dasa in the U.S. chart, and this head-of-the-dragon eclipse point brings overwhelming events that cannot be anticipated, nor controlled -- global warming and COVID are Rahu's primary karmas now.

That entry also gave a partial list of these planetary afflictions:

The planetary cycles (Dasas) of Rahu major and Saturn minor January 6 2021 to November 13, 2023. (If you have any doubt about how damaging this is, consider the combination began the very day of the attack on the Capital -- an attempt to overthrow the government. It overshadows 9-11 like a total eclipse.)

The building planetary karma of transit Saturn crossing the U.S. Moon three times -- March 18, October 4, December 3.

Rahu conjoining Jupiter in Aries (plus Saturn aspecting Jupiter.)

The entry ended with This forecast lays the groundwork for upcoming Celestial Wheel entries zeroing in on the whens and ifs of natural disasters through the fall.

The August 22 From Sea To Shining Sea added the quadruple retrograde and powerful October eclipses. It summarized by stating the influences are victimizing, losses, destruction, vulnerable, blocking. The entry further stated, The terrible natural disasters already experienced this summer gives a clue to the magnitude of harms as these five planetary combinations occur this fall -- again, mostly in September and October.

But there's more! I missed that Mars also aspects Jupiter. That makes six ills.

The Maui fire disaster in early August was an introduction to disaster. With the peak September 3 to November 3 interval now in progress, two hurricanes have already hit the U.S. -- Idalia August 26 to September 7 and Hurricane Lee September 5 to September 16. Expect more destructions -- anytime. And as Rahu harms are both unexpected and uncontrollable, well, checking the news every day is just a good idea.

With transit Mars approaching the U.S. birth Saturn now, this next week looks especially dangerous. Although I have a generator, the hurricane shutters are up, and I switched to an electric moped, I still need to stock up on staples and hide some cash under the bed. Remember, You can run, but you can't hide.

The watery Moon is the general planetary symbol for the home, and watery Jupiter in the U.S. chart is the country's home symbol. With both planets are beleaguered, havoc is centered on hurricanes, but, of course, other natural and man made disasters must also occur. And we're only only one quarter of the way through.

(The terrible earthquake in Morocco September 8 and just two days later the even more devastating flood in Libya would relate to Jupiter being triply harmed -- conjunct Rahu and aspected by both Saturn and Mars.)

Upcoming Celestial Wheel entries will discuss the country's politics and economy. But for now, enough is enough.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2023©
Doug Riemer

September 25, 2023

Almost Half Way Through!

The September 17 one Quarter The Way Through summarized this fall's planetary energies.

Celestial Wheel entries this summer predicted planetary energies gathering together for tremendous difficulties this fall -- most notably September 3 to November 3. It is then that Jupiter and Saturn, are both retrograde. As the big planets enclosing and protecting the solar system, this weakens their ability to control and mitigate events during an interval that is beset by other ills.

Natural and man made disasters were predicted. The September 17 entry stated two hurricanes have already hit the U.S. -- Idalia August 26 to September 7 and Hurricane Lee September 5 to September 16. Expect more destructions -- anytime. Since then, Tropical Storm Ophelia began September 22 and continues today to bring heavy surf, coastal flooding and rain to the northeast. And just out, Accuweather reports Another ‘homebrew’ tropical storm may emerge, but this time in the Gulf of Mexico. God's bowling.

And, of course, Trump's shenanigans have blossomed like cherry trees in Washington as the nooses tighten on his four criminal trials and one civil (NY Attorney General's financial fraud case.) And everyone knows the Republicans beset by extreme mystical paranoia, will likely shut down the government by month's end.

Below is the chart for today's placement of the planets in the signs -- a world transit chart. There's been much discussion about how weak (retrograde) and beleaguered (aspected badly), Jupiter is -- in the U.S chart. As the planet of luck and fortune, ruling the U.S. chart of the self and the home, these afflictions explain in large part why hurricanes and man made disasters have been occurring.

As shown before, Rahu is conjunct Jupiter, which causes conflict -- between Jupiter's higher mind and Rahu's endless greed. Saturn (SaR) aspects this weak causing Saturnian loss and suffering. Mars also aspects Jupiter, inflaming Jupiter's significations for good with angry desires and revenge. Plus the October eclipses are on the horizon -- blocking.

There's a third arrow, which originates and Libra to target Jupiter. This is Mars' continued aspecting Jupiter when he (Mars) shifts into Libra October 3. This is triply bad for hot Mars also being conjunct hot Ketu, the dissolving eclipse point. From this position, Mars aspects Rahu, the cold demonic eclipse point. This combination of Mars with Ketu and Rahu impacting Jupiter is extremely violent, and we can see that in it occurring 9/11/2001. This time it's worse for Saturn, the great malefic, also aspecting Jupiter.

Explosions, fires, personal violences and other significant destructions are called for.

World transits September 25, 2023

Again, as this is a transit chart for the world, it's a global influence. So, expect awful, even shocking, events to occur anywhere -- but certainly in the U.S.

The reason America is so vulnerable is the additional karma of transit Saturn crossing the birth chart's Moon -- called Sadi Sati. One way of understanding Sadi Sati is, Because Saturn's essential purpose is to temper the soul, it attacks our weak points to drive us to Maturity. Another is, Saturn destroys that which is no longer necessary to make room for the new.

To better understand this, the below section of today's transit wheel in the U.S. chart shows transit Saturn in the outer wheel right on the Moon in the inner wheel.

The events this fall stimulate glimmerings of the Second Gilded Age in the U.S. finally shifting into the Second Progressive Age, Imbalances and inequality among groups stimulate conflicts to reintegrate the culture along shared democratic values One is the actor's guild strike ending. Another is the autoworkers strike moving toward resolution. A third is Trump, now obviously flailing about but caught like a rat in a trap. And, of course, Biden has been tremendously successful with legislation dealing with climate change, green energy, infrastructure, healthcare... all of which are Progressive policies.