January 14 In the January 4 Forecast, Winter/Spring Shifts Of The Major Planets, I listed upcoming changes for the major planets indicating an interval of karmic intensity. These would be used as a guide for further forecasting. For reference, here again is that listing, Saturn Retrograde November 8, 2004 to March 22, 2005 Retrogrades back into Gemini January 13 Turns forward March 22 at 26:27 Gemini Reenters Cancer May 25 Jupiter Retrograde February 2 to June 5 All in Virgo Rahu and Ketu change signs on February 22 Rahu shifts from Aries to Pisces Ketu shifts from Libra to Virgo Mercury retrograde March 20 to April 12 (all in Pisces, its fallen sign) With Saturn having retrograded out of Cancer and into Gemini yesterday (highlighted), some snapshot predictions can be made. For the world chart, I mentioned in the Winter/Spring Shifts Forecast, Saturn is currently very weak at less than one degree in Cancer, a water sign symbolizing the home. Because Saturn is structure and things under the earth, its fragility brought the Indonesian tsunami. ... Look for continuing earth crust events - earthquakes and volcanoes, through the spring. It seems clear Saturn's weakness in structure in watery Cancer has brought flooding and also the California mudslides. Now that Saturn is in Vata (air) Gemini, there could be severe and windy winter storms during the next few months. I also suggested in the Winter/Spring Shifts Forecast for Iraq that Saturn's transit back into Gemini (the eleventh house of friends and groups) must stimulate separation from the U.S. occupation and ... pits Iraqi groups against each other. In the days leading up to the January 30 election, Saturn will be inexorably forcing these separative influences, and Mars will be transiting into its fifth house of government. When Mars changes signs, it stimulates violence, just as it did in Iraq during third week of December. News reports quoting officials predicting spectacular violence before the Iraq elections appear to be correct. For Bush, he forges ahead with his big plans issuing from his third house of desires being tremendously empowered. His planetary cycles (Dasas) of Saturn/Jupiter, and Jupiter's transit position in his third house adds unreasonable ambitious optimism. However, transit Saturn now in Bush's twelfth house of loss must restrain his success and bring setbacks, just as it did in November 2003 and spring/early summer 2004. The indication here is that Bush's ambition is beyond practical achievement. Further, Bush's third level Dasa planet is Ketu from December 6, 2004 to January 29, 2005, which continues to harm his governing. (Ketu is placed in his fifth house of government.) Also, Ketu always gives a dissolving serpent bite at the end of its cycle, which coincides with Mar's sign change inciting violence in Iraq, as discussed above. That transit Mars crosses Bush's birthchart Ketu beginning January 23 suggests his governance problems will begin on that earlier date -- almost immediately following his inauguration triumph January 20. (Bush will be tremendously upset as he's blocked and may say or do something extreme in response.) In the United States chart, Saturn in Gemini is the seventh house of partnerships. Since Saturn transited into Gemini from July, 2002 through August 2004, we've seen its separative influence costing the U.S. friends and goodwill globally and separating the country into red and blue camps. Watch for a resumption of this energy this month with a pushback against Bush attempting to ramrod his agenda -- dismantling the New Deal and Iraqi violence disrupting the January 30 elections. In the October 7 Celestial Wheel, pointed out Tony Blair had surgery on October 1, 2004 to correct an electrical short circuit in the cardiac nervous system and that he had irregular heartbeat problems for at least a year. This dovetails with the November, 2003 Tag-Along Tony Blair Forecast that during the first week of February, 2004, It is also possible during this interval that emotionally volatile Blair will suffer medically, and the sensitive areas here are the nervous system and the heart. Blair has another period of cardiac sensitivity now. Saturn being in Gemini throws a weak (harmful) aspect to Blair's fourth house of the heart, transit Rahu is crossing Mercury (electrical) in the twelfth house of hospitalization and he's running Sun (heart) in his planetary cycles January 9 to 19. These significations are also negative for his political reputation. Blair faces another interval harming health and government mid March, when Ketu in transit crosses Saturn, his career planet. Yassar Arafat's passing and the elections in Palestine fit nicely with Israel's improving chart. Although still in its violent six year Sun cycle, this is mitigated with a greatly fortunate Venus subcycle that began August 9, 2004. Saturn's transit into Gemini, where Israel's good Venus is posted, must delay somewhat further movement toward peace. However, this restriction is temporary and will end with Saturn moving back into Cancer May 25, 2005. With Israel's great ten year Moon cycle beginning August, 2005, when a new (hopefully female) Prime Minister coming in, It is expected, then, that the Palestinian discord can begin to calm beginning in August (2004) and that Israel will begin solving the Palestinian problem after August 2005. (Note, Israel's chart was delineated in the June 30, 2004 Forecast, The Timeless Mideast Bottleneck -- Israel.) While this Celestial Wheel is certainly long enough, I'll just mention that I just don't see anything happening in Iran for it's running its Ketu cycle, and a subcycle of Jupiter beginning January 19, 2005 can further calm concerns about its nuclear ambitions and its disrupting Iraq. Also, I remain pessimistic about the Saudi royal family being able to maintain control in Saudi Arabia, especially after June of this year.
January 11 I recall a lecture at one of the Vedic Symposiums by an Indian discussing the qualities and nature of karma. Someone asked about a recent natural disaster, whether Vedic charts would show death in the people who were killed. Yes, the lecturer replied. All those deaths were in those charts. Silence followed. While fixed karma (unalterable fate) is accepted in Vedic Astrology circles, it's too controversial to discuss in public. Independent Westerners rebel against the concept of fated lives and are frightened of death. The Eastern concept of an impersonal God stipulates the soul reincarnates many, many times in the journey of detaching from Kama -- desire, which is also ego. (There is no equivalent cultural or religious fear of death in the East.) Once this detachment has been achieved, the person is completely free (of his ego) and always blissful. This is self-realization, becoming one with God and no longer bound to the wheel of karma. Selflessness replaces selfishness. Fate is integral to the process, as it is fate that tests us and challenges us to let go of our selfish egos. However, we are also fated to have free will. It is this capability that empowers us to learn, from fated setbacks and harms, detachment and the accompanying selflessness. For example, Martha Stewart's current incarnation is fated with potent desires for, and achievement of, great power and wealth and misuse of her power. (Note: this was one of my predictions proven by events.) Being merciless is one of her ego-driven strengths that brought her achievement, often at the expense of others. That this has negated romantic love in her life didn't bother Martha, for power and wealth were her sole goals. During Martha's Rahu cycle, she finds that the Department of Justice is similarly ruthless in convicting her of a minor crime. In prison now, Martha is (hopefully) learning that she must soften her hard heart and abandon her ruthlessness for loved-based altruism and philanthropy. Martha will be released in a few months, and it will be interesting to see if she indeed has subdued her ego. She may even find romantic love and value that more than all the money and power. Arnold Swchwarzenegger is also running his Rahu cycle, placed as Martha's in the twelfth house, which signifies loss and confinement -- prisons, hospitals. ashrams and islands. His continued success should not be misconstrued as Arnold somehow dodging his karma. A sensitive area is his heart, and further cardiac illness requiring hospitalization is indicated during Saturn's transit across his first house. (He's already had one heart valve replacement in 1999.) The first major risk period is August 2005 through January 2006. If this occurs, then my prediction for Arnold's (election) failure will be proven, although I would acknowledge being two years early. Then, Arnold will have to opportunity for personal growth and truly using his power to selflessly serve humanity. I've began this Celestial Wheel writing about the karma of death and then sidestepped to examples of karma bringing downfall that can stimulate personal growth. These are not so dissimilar if you include reincarnation. Martha and Arnold have opportunities in their current powerful incarnations for tremendous growth toward self realization by gaining power, experiencing downfalls and then surrendering their egos. There is no assurance, of course, that Martha and Arnold will choose selflessness, but in these incarnations the karma includes that opportunity. This process is not unlike death, which is only a punctuation mark in the long book of life, death and rebirth. People die when their time is up in their current incarnation, after they've experienced the karmic challenges fated for this life and used (or not) their free will for personal growth toward self realization. Then, they reincarnate and continue the journey. This includes those dying in disasters, whether its 9-11 or the recent tsunami. All have finished their karma in this incarnation and will continue to experience and learn detachment in the next life. I'm not claiming to be a theologian here, only reciting Vedic Astrology's understanding of karma within the greater context of Hindu philosophy. This view relieves us of grief for those killed, stimulates our selflessness in helping survivors and explains that this impersonal God does actually care for us. He just insists that we do the work. There are no shortcuts from the personal responsibility of selflessness. This, of course, is contrary to the Fundamentalist Christians' personal God, who watches over them and sends them to heaven only if they believe, have absolute faith. While there is some credit given for doing selfless deeds by following Biblical teachings, a personal relationship with Jesus is sufficient for salvation. This is the only work their God requires for going to heaven. It's not necessary for these Christians to actually follow the Bible's teachings in their thoughts and deeds. Even the worst miscreants of all kinds go to heaven if they repent and give themselves to Jesus before they die. (Actually, selfless action is of no value at all in that theology, because those who are absolutely selfless don't go to heaven if they fail to believe.) Of course, this is fear-based religion, for if you fail to believe, you go to hell. Since none of you are Fundamentalists (you wouldn't be reading this if you were) this view of America's evangelicalism may seem incomprehensible. Yet, that is exactly what these folks believe. I demonstrated this in the November 3 Celestial Wheel, stating, ...as Pat Robertson recently told Paula Zahn on CNN, Bush is blessed by God. "His mistakes don't matter." It's a very neat trick to claim only belief is needed to go to heaven, use fear of hell to require this belief and use belief yet again to let followers off the hook for their actions. It's also delusional, just as I would be if I said, Just one more credit card scam, a trip to Vegas to indulge all my sins, and then I'll give myself to Jesus. After all, isn't that what George Bush did after forty years of dissipation? This exclusive reliance upon belief in a personal God and a consequent abdication of personal responsibility in Fundamentalist Christian churches becomes problematical when their religious leaders stumble on the question of why their kind and loving God brought the tsunami that killed so many. They don't dare publicize outside the group their real theology, that heaven is exclusively for their flock, and all who died were unbelievers bound for hell. All they can say is that this disaster strengthens faith and promotes charity. A more universal truth is what I stated above, that, All have finished their karma in this incarnation and will continue to experience and learn from their karma in the next life. With this understanding, there's no fear, no sadness for the dead, no questioning why God allowed the tragedy to happen. There is, in contrast: hope for those who passed for continued growth in their next incarnation, empathy for survivors and the love and joy that elicits from the detachment of selfless service to relieve the suffering of those the tsunami spared. In closing, I'll apply the law of karma to my predictive efforts, which is what the Celestial Wheel and in-depth Forecasts do, and why you subscribe. Some predictions are on target. (If you followed my suggestion to wait until December 20 for price markdowns, you saved much more than your subscription costs.) Yet, I missed the big election prediction, and the karmic consequences were a loss of trust and thereby subscribers. I have to conclude I was too eager to predict. I didn't do all the necessary work. I attempted to short cut personal responsibility. As discussed in yesterday's Celestial Wheel, this prompted the historical interpretation of the United States chart, to find the deeper, formerly unseen, karmic current, the one upon which the nation subsists. While I certainly hope this predictive work is correct, its validity ultimately depends upon how well I was able to detach from my ego and how selflessly I was able to do the work.
(The research and composition for the Celestial Wheel is underwritten by paid subscribers. If a subscriber has forwarded this to you, and you find the information is of value, please honor this work by subscribing. See the Forecasts page of VedicPredictiveAstrology.com.
January 9 On November 3, I naturally looked at what had gone wrong. Initially, it appeared Bush had stolen the election in Ohio. A grassroots effort did uncover extensive voter fraud and forced the issue in Congress January 6. This was a signal victory, albeit a small one, but not pyrrhic. It fuels legislative change, questions Bush's legitimacy, empowers the investigation by the General Accountability Office (Congress' investigative arm) and lends support to the lawsuit in Ohio. I then decided to do a historical interpretation of the United States chart, to determine whether the repetition of planetary cycles now occurring would be mirrored in history. This would be looking at a deeper, formerly unseen, karmic current, the one upon which the nation subsists. It took a month of tedious detailed effort and yielded the conclusion, since stated in these Celestial Wheels, that America is now in its second Gilded Age during its current ten year Moon cycle begun in 1999. (Perhaps with this further analysis, I've found the relevant karma.) This is alarming, not only for having another four years of neoconservative/fundamentalism, but also for suffering continuing, as explained in the Conclusions section,
However, I also offered hope, for I believe there is always a path ahead which can bring success,
I also explained how analysis of the twenty year Jupiter/Saturn cycle reveals another deep karmic current influencing against the neoconservative/fundamentalist movement,
I've included these extended excepts from the United States Through Its Planetary Cycles Forecast to both review this signal predictive effort and encourage Subscribers to read it. In the latter regard, I noticed that only a handful of Subscribers had set aside the time to review this long Forecast. Others were intimidated by its length, simply too depressed to attend to politics and/or felt I had let them down predicting Kerry would win. Entering into the political forecasting fray cost me clients, for it's true that mystically inclined Americans are sometimes conservatives and fundamentalists. The election prediction, upon which many Subscribers had pinned their hopes, naturally reduced subscriptions, as these folks felt I somehow betrayed them. While I'm not crying poor (only a fool would become a Vedic Astrologer for the money anyway), the shrunken subscriber base naturally reduces my forecasting efforts. I'll do my best, however, to keep reporting on trends and events. Well, that is how the diced rolled in this world forecasting venture. Yet, the wheel of karma keeps turning, and either hope will seep back in to consciousness to enliven protest, or the neoconservative coalition with the Fundamentalists will succeed in turning to dust the social and economic achievements of the twentieth century. Now that the busy holidays are over and regular schedules have resumed, please do take the time to read the United States Through Its Planetary Cycles Forecast. You paid for it, and the information illuminates America's karma uniquely and comprehensively. In this regard please also read the January 4 Forecast, Winter/Spring Shifts Of The Major Planets, for this interpretation suggests much change this winter and spring. Here, again, is the link to the Forecast Archives, where you'll find these Forecasts, http://www.vedicpredictiveastrology.com/forecasts/ Your password is subscriber and username is moon.
It is up to you, of course, how much credence you give this work. I admit this is a challenge to you to refocus your attention on world affairs and again wrap yourself in the brave cloak of spiritual citizenship -- to reclaim for America the true essence of Krishna, the Universal Lord, Jagannath.
(The research and composition for the Celestial Wheel is underwritten by paid subscribers. If a subscriber has forwarded this to you, and you find the information is of value, please honor this work by subscribing. See the Forecasts page of VedicPredictiveAstrology.com.
January 8 Thursday, an Indian/American (not American Indian) told me about Indian tribes on isolated islands surviving the tsunami because they had metaphysical foreknowledge the waves were coming and retreated to higher ground. This agrees with my understanding of metaphysics -- that indigenous cultures maintained the connection with other-worldly realms to gain information protecting and enhancing their lives. This is why Vedic Astrology, which has survived unchanged for millennia in India, actually can predict the future. This is also why modern metaphysical studies, by applying bits and pieces of metaphysical knowledge from various cultures, are so fallible. An amalgam may yield stronger metals, but mixing metaphysical knowledge obviates the ancient connection between man and spirit that brings insight. I'll always be a Western Astrology skeptic for this reason. Modern science, of course, debunks all metaphysics, although some metaphysical medical techniques, like acupuncture and meditation, are slipping quietly into Western hospitals because they work so well. Their performance and consequent public acceptance is superceding scientists' doubts. Yesterday, I visited the blog, Brainspinning, which states, A roundup of how indigenous populations have fared on the islands in the Indian Ocean. It is interesting to me that the more “assimilated” a group is considered, the more damage they suffered. The article referenced, from Infoshop.org, is entitled, FIRST CONFIRMED NEWS ON ISOLATED TRIBES OF THE ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA. It states all the tribes survived. The scientific reason offered was that they knew from experience the tsunami was coming when the waters receded in advance of the tsunami waves. Yet, there was no accompanying explanation about why there's not one example of a modern urban area using this science to avoid the tsunami devastation. That is, the news report used science to account for how the unscientific tribes saved themselves while ignoring why the scientifically informed were killed. Read the article. It's fascinating. Recall in the December 29 Celestial Wheel I reported on an article describing how Indian geologists at the University of Madras had used Vedic Astrology to predict the tsunami almost exactly -- they were off by 1/2 hour and 157 kilometers and had underestimated the force. I mentioned this to a fellow I met at a social gathering on Sunday, and he scoffed, Well, they were obviously wrong! When I asked him to compare this Indian geology/astrology prediction with the failure of geologists the world over to predict any tsunami, he said he didn't want to hear anymore of this garbage and was on his was to church. I cheerily responded, But you're only going to church because of your faith, the validity of which is unprovable by any means. When the Indian/American told me about the tribes escaping, I mentioned I had heard on CNN that one of the tribes fired arrows at an American helicopter. (The helicopter story is also in the Infoshop article.) I sometimes now feel like I'm shooting arrows at the civilized vehicle of modern science piloted by folks blinded by their own faith. Yet, sooner or later, some arrows will fly true and stick.
(The research and composition for the Celestial Wheel is underwritten by paid subscribers. If a subscriber has forwarded this to you, and you find the information is of value, please honor this work by subscribing. See the Forecasts page of VedicPredictiveAstrology.com.
January 7 Jupiter is growth, and thereby optimism and hope. Venus is happiness and contentment. Neither of these planets has been able to project these uplifting energies since late October, which made the blow of the November 2 election much more depressing. Now, with restrictive Saturn retrograding away into Gemini, its aspect no longer afflicts Jupiter. Similarly, as of January 5, Venus moved into Sagittarius, away from Mars' discord. Yes, Venus is still combust (burnt) by Mercury, but this is a minor harm that manifests as lightness of mind distracting from organized planning and action. Hopefully, then, spirits are rising (figuratively not literally), encouraging a more affirmative view. In this regard, yesterday's election protest in Congress and Alberto Gonzales' Senate hearing on his appointment to Attorney General can be seen either as confirming the neoconservative/fundamentalist stranglehold or as demonstrating legitimate democratic protest against an authoritarian regime. You choose. In the January 2 Celestial Wheel, I used the word juggernaut to describe both the neoconservative storm and the Indian Ocean tsunami, quoting Websters, a massive inexorable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path. Vedic scholar and astrologer Jeffrey Armstrong remonstrated with me, pointing out that juggernaut, ...is specifically applied to Krishna as the Lord of all the universes. Its misunderstanding and misuse by the British arose during the colonial period when they were dominating and pillaging India. Jeffrey is correct, for both the denotations and connotations of juggernaut elicit from British error. Professor Jayana Clerk has graciously offered this summary of juggernaut's origins,
Jeffrey Armstrong explained further,
Thank you both Jeffrey and Jayana for these clarifications. I stand corrected and reminded yet again to pay attention to the illumination that Indian Vedic thought offers.
(The research and composition for the Celestial Wheel is underwritten by paid subscribers. If a subscriber has forwarded this to you, and you find the information is of value, please honor this work by subscribing. See the Forecasts page of VedicPredictiveAstrology.com.
January 5 Yesterday, my ISP (internet service provider) experienced problems that included failing to send my current in-depth Forecast to some Subscribers. Too, some you may have received two copies. If you didn't receive Forecast #59 Winter/Spring Shifts Of The Major Planets, here's the link, http://www.vedicpredictiveastrology.com/forecasts/Forecast_Archives_59.htm Just click on this link or paste it into your internet browser. Again, your password is subscriber and username moon. For those of you who have not yet read through the December 12 Forecast, The United States Through Its Planetary Cycles, here's an excerpt comparing the 1880s Gilded Age first Moon cycle with this second Moon cycle's new Gilded Age. Comparison With The Moon's First Cycle -- 1879 --1888 Here's an interesting tidbit tying the United States' first Moon cycle with its (current) second. John Conyers, the Congressman leading objections to the Ohio voting, is seeking a single Senator to join him in challenging the result tomorrow, January 6. The applicable law here is the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which requires one Congressman and one Senator. That statute was passed following the 1884 election of Grover Cleveland, ...memorable for its mudslinging and personal attacks. A similar effort in the 2000 election failed for lack of a single Senator to join several members of the House. Here's the explanatory article, Conyers to Object to Ohio Electors, Requests Senate Allies
(The research and composition for the Celestial Wheel is underwritten by paid subscribers. If a subscriber has forwarded this to you, and you find the information is of value, please honor this work by subscribing. See the Forecasts page of VedicPredictiveAstrology.com .
January 2, 2005 I've pondered the transition from an often difficult and disappointing 2004 to realistic goals and hopes for 2005. In the December 24 Celestial Wheel, I observed that, Although the planetary dispositions have improved, many are having quiet holiday seasons for their feeling beleaguered. A week later, I noted about the ongoing conjunction of Venus and Mercury, that, ...the mind is not serious enough, its difficult to plan ahead and people dodge duty and responsibility.. These significations explain why we are shying away from dealing with the tough political and economic issues facing us, as well as moving ahead in our personal lives However, avoidance does not resolve anything. As Aaron Brown on CNN's Newsnight recites the Chicago Tribune's next day weather forecast for Chicago with a one word description, Juggernaut popped out of my head to capsulate 2005. Its defin-ition, a massive inexorable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path, certainly sums up the neoconservative/fundamentalist election victory in this, America's second Gilded Age. Juggernaut also literally describes the Indian Ocean tsunami. Initially, I felt the tsunami to be a wake-up call for a global spiritual citizenship, and indeed this has and continues to result. Yet, there is also a reflexive despair that America, so recently the world's beacon of humanitarianism, has allowed a combination of economic greed and fear-driven religion to stomp out our spiritual citizenship. So, when most of the world's nations exhibited immediate and unrestrained gener-osity to Southeast Asian victims, we Americans weren't surprised that Bush was first silent, then offered a paltry $15 million and finally, under global pressure, fully engaged the U.S. in the disaster relief to save his political reputation. This obvious and embarrassing politicizing of a seminal human disaster only degraded America further -- in both our own eyes and in the eyes of the the world. Yet, the press, after a flurry of objections to embarrass Bush into generosity, let this transgression against humanity go, just as it has so many of the cruel lies and heartless manipulations we've been subjected to since 9-11. After all, since America has abandoned even the pretense of democratic morality, most recently evidenced by allowing revelations of widespread prisoner abuse to be unquestioned, it's obvious we are powerless against the juggernaut. Subscriber J.C. in Arizona sent me this poem she penned on December 28,
She concluded asking, Do you have an answer? Yes I do. The wheel of karma is also inexorable. In fact, karma, described by the planetary dispositions, is the ultimate juggernaut. During the first quarter of 2005, the shifting of Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu will stir popular revolt that can reject Bush's neoconservative/fundamentalist campaign to deliver America to the neo robber barons and to the neo fire and brimstone evangelical purifiers. The tsunami can serve as an early wakeup call to our humanistic democracy, beleaguered by America's rapacious second Moon cycle, but not yet subjugated by it. Unlike the tsunami's natural juggernaut, we can use karma's juggernaut to resist the unnatural one Bush et al have launched against our common humanity.
(The research and composition for the Celestial Wheel is underwritten by paid subscribers. If a subscriber has forwarded this to you, and you find the information is of value, please honor this work by subscribing. See the Forecasts page of VedicPredictiveAstrology.com .
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The powerful grab what they choose, with no governmental regulation restraining their running roughshod over the populace