The Celestial Wheel Vedic Commentary World societal, economic and political forecasting since 2002   February 1-- 28 , 2007     Doug Riemer VedicPredictiveAstrology.com  vedic@esedona.net  (928) 203-4347  Back to: The Celestial Wheel Archives

February 19

A Challenging Mars Tuesday

     Mars changed signs Saturday.  It left Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius, finally ending a 2 1/2 month association with Jupiter that: increased public advocacy, brought a record number of presidential candidates and stimulated too much spending.  Mars is now in Capricorn, it's exalted sign, where Mars is most powerful, for both good and ill.  (Note: a malefic planet like Mars is most harmful when it is either overly strong or weak.) 

     As Mars is machinery, I e-mailed a NASCAR fan subscriber that, With Mercury (communications) retrograde and Mars (machinery) weak right now in changing signs -- it could be that some NASCAR cars don't run well or break during this weekend's races.  Last evening, she replied, There was a hell of a lot of wrecks in the Daytona 500 today.  See today's Washington Post article, Harvick Wins It by a Nose -- Martis is 0.02 back in a crash-filled Daytona 500 Finish.

     Transit Mars acts quickly, when it reaches between one and two degrees in a sign.  Mars is now at 1 1/4 degree in Capricorn, and it promises to exert itself prominently Tuesday -- Mars' day of the week. Considering again communicative Mercury's retrograde, use care tomorrow in your dealings.  This heightened Mars tension and communications issues may extend to Wednesday, for that is Mercury's day of the week.

Stirring The Planetary Currents

     The January 29 Celestial Wheel described heightened planetary karmas this Spring -- listing both double planetary retrogrades and eclipses.  Below is a graphic of these dispositions to illustrate overlaps and sequences.  (Note the above discussion about NASCAR crashes when Mars is weak and Mercury retrograde to see how multiple significations bring events.)  Mars' conjunction with Rahu is added, for that combination brings violence.

Merc Retro 2/14 to 3/8

Saturn Retro 12/14/06 to 4/20/07...................................................

                                                                                  Jupiter Retro 4/6 to 7/28........................................

 February 14 -- 28                             March 1 -- 31                                    April 1 -- 30

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1    1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1    1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

                   Lunar Eclipse 3/3

                                              Solar Eclipse 3/19

                                                                                                  Mars/Rahu 4/22

     Eclipses, by definition, block the light of the all-important Sun and Moon.  They are impactive when a chart's planet is close to the eclipse point -- like when Osama Bin Laden disappeared* in the last solar eclipse September 22..   Retrograde motion, by turning planets' energies inward, takes the wind out of the planetary sails and thereby disempower planets -- like the ongoing Saturn retrograde that has harmed its significations for organization and structure, which has made it difficult to get traction on goals.

     While more analysis, specifically comparison with charts of nations and leaders, remains to be done, the following observations have been made:     

     This will be a total eclipse of the Moon March 3 at 19 degrees Leo. Since this eclipse occurs while both Mercury and Saturn are retrograde, it can be tremendously impactive in wiping out a chart's capability for action.  This eclipse does come close to G.W. Bush's 16:12 Leo Mars and may thereby impact this Mars' significations for speaking, creative intelligence and career.

     The solar eclipse will be a partial one -- and thereby not very impactive.  This eclipse will occur at 4 degrees Pisces.

     The Mars/Rahu conjunction will occur when Jupiter is retrograde and as Saturn is slowing down (to become powerfully restrictive) as it prepares to resume forward motion.

{*See, the Au guest 18, 2006 In-depth Celestial Wheel, #67 The September Eclipse Season And Osama Bin Laden, and note that the September 22, 2006 Celestial Wheel Commentary reported, This morning, the media is abuzz with a French report from yesterday that Bin Laden recently died of typhoid.  See: the Washington Post, France Looks Into Bin Laden Death Report and Reuters.  Too, a recent CNN documentary about Afghanistan included the observation that Bin Laden has disappeared}

Deadly Asteroids

     Reuters today article, U.N. urged to take action on asteroid threat,

     This chart is shown, below left.  See the destructive Saturn/Rahu combination in the fourth house of the home.

     There were previously reports that an asteroid will threaten the earth March 21, 2014.  About: Space / Astronomy describes this threat in , New Asteroid Threat to Earth.  However the writer doubles back on himself in stating the odds of a hit are only 1 in 909,000.  That chart, below right, has an even more lethal combination of Mars/Rahu/Saturn in Libra, all of which aspect (glance upon) Aries, symbolizing the self.  For World Transit charts, self means the globe. (Note: In both the 2036 and 2014 charts, the Moon (life) is in its fallen sign of Scorpio.)

World Transits April 13, 2036

World Transits March 21, 2014

     Astronomers would benefit from appreciating that astronomy and astrology were closely related studies in ancient cultures, particularly in India, from which Vedic Astrology issued.  To be an astrologer, one had to also be an astronomer, and astronomers were also astrologers.  This is particularly valid when one understands that modern astronomy is only a couple hundred of years old, but that India's astronomy/astrology knowledge was accumulated and tested empirically for over 5,000 years.  The Indians thereby have 25 times more observations than current astronomers (5,000/200 = 25).   Too, that both the charts for these asteroid threat dates indicate tremendous destruction cannot be just a coincidence.

     Are we truly being well served by modern science when astronomers disregard thousands of years of empirical astronomy/astrology study in India -- especially when the two dates they are so worried about also result in dangerous charts?

February 11

Clipping Articles

     Scanning the on line papers daily gives both alerts and inspiration.  Provocative articles are saved in a Forecasting Info folder for later use, and sometimes the inventory builds up to dozens, or more.  Too, mundane astrology (world forecasting) cannot be done in an information vacuum -- you simply have to know what's going on to predict what may occur in the future.   Today's Celestial Wheel lists links to articles, clipped since December, relating to previous forecasting.  Also, there's a comment on the planets for this coming Valentines Day.

{Note: The New York Times articles are excl used because the paper archives free articles for only a week.  As the Washington Post usually follows the same topics, its articles replace New York Times articles.)

Technological Advance -- Convergence

     The September 30, 2003 In-depth Celestial Wheel, #27 A Technological Breakthrough, noted the absence of a major technological advance for (then) 13 years, as per the listing below.

      That Celestial Wheel suggested this advance occur in January, 2004 -- which obviously didn't happen.  The August 20 Celestial Wheel Commentary, in the section, Some Energy Hope, stated, this positive planetary karma could very well actualize in the summer/fall of 2008, when the U.S. runs it's Moon/Sun Dasa (planetary cycle), and Jupiter is well disposed. 

     While an energy breakthrough may occur, it appears even more likely that integrating personal computers with TVs, called convergence, will be the first step in fully integrating digital communications in 2008.  The following three articles describe computer/TV convergence.  The fourth discusses a current movement to liberate the cell phones, which have evolved into personal computers in pocket form, from cell phone companies. 

     You would buy the cell phone you like and then sign up with your cell phone carrier of choice -- just like when you buy a computer and separately select your ISP (Internet Service Provider).  Then, cell phone manufacturers could integrate these super phones into the computer/TV combination.  The result would be comprehensive and seamless communication capability -- the cell phone as the portable computer, which would dock with the computer/TV -- the long delayed technological breakthrough. 

     Since my computer is three years old, my TV an old tube design and my cell phone contact ending later this year, I plan to wait until 2008 to replace these three separate machines with a single integrated computer/tv/cell phone.  This, then, is a prediction that may directly benefit you.

Bird Flu -- Update

     The May 16, 2006 In-depth Celestial Wheel, #66 The Risk Of A Bird Flu Pandemic, predicted the Bird Flu would become contagious (human to human) August 30, 2006 and then become a pandemic in the fall of 2006.  Strangely, there has been little press about the Bird Flu this past summer and fall.   This likely relates to the flu being spread by migratory birds in the fall and winter. 

     The below listing of articles since early December shows a dramatic increase in media reports beginning in December and continuing this month -- with emphasis on further fatalities.

     A couple of sensitive dates for Bird Flu advancement are the Mars/Rahu conjunction April 22 and Saturn/Ketu conjunction mid October of this year.

More & More Scandals

     The January 29 Celestial Wheel Commentary predicted G.W. Bush would be plagued by scandals this winter and spring: ...Saturn's last dip into Cancer signals the completion of scandals that began during Saturn's transit of Bush's first house in recent years. and There must be further Saturnian retribution in late June.  Then, transit Saturn in forward motion will cross Bush's Venus again, and transit Venus will be also be conjunct Saturn.

     Anyone who is still breathing knows about the ongoing Scooter Libby trial, which will surely unveil even scandalous activities that will inevitably become grist for the Democratic Congress's mill.  The three articles below, all published this past Friday, reveal three more emerging scandals.  Interestingly, February 9 was the day transit Venus crossed Rahu -- and in Bush's chart, Venus symbolizes his friends, and this Venus/Rahu transit is in his eighth house of calamity.

Even More Second Gilded Age Excesses

     The Celestial Wheel unveiled the concept of the Second Gilded Age in the December, 2004 analysis of the U.S. chart.  For new subscribers, see,

#58a  Part I  The United States Through Its Planetary Cycles

&

#58b  Part II  The United States Through It's Planetary Cycles

     While the Democratic party taking control of Congress in the November midterm elections is obviously a positive, it is important to keep in mind that this Second Gilded Age does not end until November 2008, exactly when the next presidential election occurs.  The following articles reveal the continuing saga of excesses a Gilded Age brings.  Review these to better enable your understanding that the country remains under this greedy green cloud -- and will continue to do so for almost two more years.

A Dicey Valentine's Day

     Fourth, Mercury turns retrograde on Valentines' Day, disrupting communications and logical thinking.

     Use care this Valentines to be gentle and kind with the ones you love.  To forgiveness -- of yourself and others -- is a valuable tool.

February 5

More On Saturn

      The January Celestial Wheel Commentaries discussed transit Saturn's house-edge weakness as causing problems  -- primarily for most of us in not being able to gain traction on our goals and specifically for G.W. Bush in stimulating more scandals and loss in general.

     However, there's some mystery in why this Saturn is so difficult, for as noted the the January 29 Celestial Wheel entry, The planets have been fairly calm this fall and early winter.  Really, nothing much has been happening in the planetary dispositions since last fall.  Implicit here is that there hasn't been much turmoil in the world.  We've certainly witnessed more bluster than action, both at home and abroad.  Iraq may appear to be an exception, but the civil war there has been an ongoing issue for years.

     It's understood the above statements appear contradictory -- Saturn, the great malefic, is more harmful than expected, but there's been a also real lull in Saturn-destructive world events.  Vedic Astrology interpretation requires the blending of a multitude of influences, some opposing and others complementary.  Too, sometimes opposing concepts can be simultaneously true, even while they can be oppositional. 

     There's a story of Gandhi visiting England during India's independence process that is illustrative.  In a meeting, Gandhi was asked if India should be an agricultural nation, to which he replied, Yes.  Another Englishman asked the opposite -- Should India become an industrial nation?  Again Gandhi answered in the affirmative.  How can you give such contrary answers? queried the English politicians, for the Western intellect is attuned to finding a single answer to a subject, not contradictory multiple responses.  The Eastern mind, however, is not so simplistic, nor black and white in its conclusions.  To Gandhi, India should indeed be both agricultural and industrial.  There was plenty of room and resources for both, and having both resulted in self-sufficient nation. 

     An Indian, therefore, would not be puzzled at all by the belief that Saturn is causing problems, but that the world is also comparatively calm.

    Another way to look at influence is to consider the Lunar Nakshatra,* through which transit Saturn is passing -- the fearsome Ashlesha.   A condensed version of this Nakshatra's significations is below.

     If you're still not clear on this dichotomy, perhaps you now understand the contradictions involved.  Or, if you are still confused, perhaps you're supposed to be?

     As an aside, Tony Blair joins G.W. Bush in being plagued by Saturn.  With Saturn in Ashelsha in his third house of desires, and running a lot of Saturn in his planetary cycles (Dasas), Blair is simply unable to fulfill his desires.  Thereby, he's extremely weak and vulnerable.

(*The Moon circles the earth every 27 days, and it is the primary planet in Vedic Astrology, symbolizing both perception and the benefits in life.  These 27 lunar days are called Lunar Mansions, or, in Sanskrit, Lunar Nakshatras.  They are unique to India's astrology.  As Nakshatra means, that which does not decay, the word refers to individual stars or star clusters, which do not move from the vantage point of the earth.  The star specificity of the Nakshatras gives specific information from deep in the cosmos.  The placement of planets in the Nakshatras often reveals unique information.)

Spring Ahead Transits

     The January 29 Celestial Wheel listed upcoming transits of the fast-moving planets across Rahu -- the head-of-the-dragon eclipse point.  Here's the listing again:

Venus is the first, crossing Rahu on February 9. 

The Sun follows on March 6. 

Mercury will be delayed by its retrograde and not transit Rahu until March 31. 

Warrior Mars is the last of the bunch.  It crosses Rahu April 24.

     Here's an example of an early manifestation of Venus (love) with intensifying Rahu, which creates fated and obsessive relationships, Astronaut charged with attempted murder is released on bond.  Read the article, for it's a great example of how Rahu can make Venus act in a truly bizarre fashion.

     Also, note that this event occurred when Venus was still five degrees away from Rahu.  Usually, events happen when a planet approaches another planet within one or two degrees.  (Note: Transits, operating like weather events on the Dasa river of life, are event actuators -- timing indicators.)  In working with personal charts, I've noticed other situations in which events have occurred either early or late in regard to transits.  One fellow's car broke down, five days before it should have.  This astrologer's car was hit in a parking lot about a week before it should have.  Another client had a filling fall out several days after a transit impacting the teeth.

     An answer to this mystery may again be found in this weak Saturn, for it is the planet of organization and structure.  With little of each, the planets are not able to act in their typically regulated ways.  Consider, then, these transits do bring events, but those can occur within a relatively broad range of dates.