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The Celestial Wheel Vedic Commentary
July 1 -- 30 , 2007
Doug Riemer Certified Vedic Astrologer Sedona, Arizona
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Commentaries are posted on a single web page for each calendar month. Each new Commentary is placed at the top. This results in Commentaries appearing in reverse order.
A Heads-up
The primary, and really overriding, concern is the upcoming mid August to mid October Saturn/Ketu conjunction -- bringing chaos. This topic has been discussed in several Celestial Wheel Commentaries and will be analyzed further in upcoming forecasting. Because Vedic Astrology includes effective remedial measures, these will be included. Remedies both mitigate the harmful karmas and stimulate the beneficial ones. Even the most difficult planetary combinations bear nourishing fruits.
Although mid August is still 2 1/2 weeks away, traumatic events this past week signal some early Saturn/Ketu disruptions. This is sort of an introduction to chaos. Here are some highlights:
The stock markets have been bucking like an angry bull -- not bull-market ups, but rather bear-market downs
More negative housing market news emerged, notably Countrywide Mortgage's poor earnings
Oil reached a record $77 per barrel, and gasoline prices are already rising again
The Attorney General was caught flat footed lying to Congress, and that's just the most recent of serious Bush administration scandals
Saturn and Ketu have been conjunct in Leo since July 15, and although they are quite far apart (12 degrees), they still influence each other. Too, they naturally also impact the sign of Leo and Venus, which is currently transiting Leo. This sign-wide influence results because Vedic Astrology considers planets to affect the entire sign, including any occupying planets -- like turning on a light anywhere in a room illuminates the entire room.
This forecast alerts you to these early Saturn/Ketu impacts. Add that the above-mentioned Venus is sandwiched between Saturn and Ketu. Further, Venus goes retrograde today, weakening it further. So, Venus' significations are all severely challenged. These Venusian harms include: happiness and contentment, wealth, vehicles, females, sisters, relationship, kidneys and the reproductive system. Additionally, warrior Mars is getting ready to change signs -- Aries to Taurus. From Taurus, Mars aspects Leo, which means also Saturn, Ketu and Venus. That influence can only inflame discord and begin to ignite the fiercest of karmas. |
World Transit Chart July 31, 2007 |
Also from its Taurus location, Mars aspects Jupiter, exhausting its wealth and harming Jupiter's optimism. This combination is good for leadership, however, suggesting progressive forces will push back harder against Bush and his neoconservatives.
Tuesday, July 31, promises to be a particularly stressful day, for Mars reaches strength in Taurus then, and Tuesday is Mars' day of the week. Confirming this karma, the Moon will be with toxic Rahu then, inflaming emotions and threatening violence. Actually, multiple violences are inevitable then -- over the globe. Wednesday is also risky, because then the U.S.'s planetary cycles (Dasas) change to Moon/Venus/Rahu/Mars -- emotional fury. Although The Celestial Wheel has rarely indicated a terrorist threat, the U.S. is vulnerable this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney will also be at risk.
Because karma can be dodged, or at least reduced, The Celestial Wheel suggests you keep a low profile and avoid risks and confrontations of all kinds. Vehicles are particularly vulnerable.
Copyright 1999-2007 |
Step I -- The Ship Of State Flounders
The June 3, The Bush Presidency Update, Part 1 June 3 to July 28 predicted G.W. Bush would lose stature, power, mental capabilities -- and suffer health issues, which will sooner or later culminate in a nervous breakdown and/or an associated stroke.* These have all resulted, as gamblers would say, in spades.
Thus, the ship of state flounders. The Celestial Wheel identified the dilemma in the January 2, 2003 In-depth Forecast, Face-off 2003 Bush/Hussein. Of course, this was even more prophetic considering it was written well before the Iraq invasion, which became Bush's Great Misadventure. Here's the haunting text, in the old blue of the early forecastings years,
II Preface At the inception of this second year of the new millennium, uncertainty hangs like an impenetrable fog blanketing a sailing ship. The view ahead is obscured. The captain's fair sailing promises and favorable marine weather reports fail to dispel the crew's cold clamminess. In this unfamiliar disconnection between personal reality and official statements, the cold penetrates right to worried bones. An outward optimism (a cloak over the inward discomfort) gives the confidence needed for the crew members to operate the ship. Each must do is duty for the safety of all. Cerebrally the crew believes, but doesn't feel the belief, that all is well. To the senses, the fog conceals the course and hides dangers. Instincts give alarm, stimulating a search for truth about the suddenly fated voyage. In its cloaking of reality, the fog even steals free will. This fog-bound ship analogy to our nation's current dilemma doesn't suggest a prophetic "Heart Of Darkness" voyage, nor a "Brave New World" society view. Yet, memories of these kinds of worrisome scenarios inevitably echo back from the disconnection between the reality we feel and the reality we're told. We are figuratively floating, seeking firm ground, even as the ship blindly floats with no clear course. As the analogous crew's fears stimulate a search for truth, we too search for certainty in our foggy sea. |
(Note: Besides the 5 polyps removed from Bush's colon July 21, The Celestial Wheel has tracked three other recent health problems: (1) February 17, President Has 2 Moles Removed From His Face. (2) June 8, Bush sick at G8 summit, (3) the June 24 Celestial Wheel reported, Bush having problems speaking and suffering from fatigue in Alabama. For this last, the Denver Post link is dead.)
Step 2 -- Chaos
The June 11 Celestial Wheel Commentary discussed in detail the terrible Saturn/Ketu transit conjunction, specifically in regard to gasoline prices escalating once again. Also forecasted is an economic decline (brought on by real estate crashing) and the Iraq war coming to a head. Following Celestial Wheel entries predicted Iran would be attacked, and the U.S. government will go into a two month crisis.
The inimical nature of Saturn's and Ketu's energies -- made worse by their confrontation in Leo, the sign of government, ruled by their enemy the Sun -- is difficult to describe. It can perhaps be best done so by summarizing in one word, chaos.
Step 3 -- Consciousness Rising
The July 7 Celestial Wheel Commentary included a section, The Vedic Astrology For Consciousness Rising, explaining the major planetary karmas impacting the U.S. through the fall. Below, again, is the text.
This summer, the U.S. chart's Dasas (planetary cycles) are Moon/Venus/Rahu from May 7 to August 6. While the two female planets, the Moon and Venus, bring humanitarianism, Rahu (the head-of-the-dragon eclipse point) stimulates turmoil and catastrophes, which effects are all too obvious. (Note: This Rahu cycle is adding problems for Bush, Cheney, et al.) However, from August 6 to October 26, Jupiter replaces Rahu for a lineup of Moon/Venus/Jupiter. Combining the nurturing Moon with Venus' compassion and Jupiter's wisdom brings a rebirth of judgment, hope and optimism -- and the capability to overcome the most egregious obstacles. Putting the Moon/Venus/Jupiter Dasa cycle and Saturn/Ketu transit into the context of the river of life analogy (coined by and used often in the Celestial Wheel), here's what happens. From August 6 to October 26, the Dasas promise a smoothly flowing river current advancing society. However, from mid August to mid October, the Saturn/Ketu conjunction ( a transit) brings terrible storms, finally wrecking Bush's already battered ship of state and the sinking the economic fleet. (Note: the latter is doomed to fail sooner or later anyway for being built upon debt, greed and wealth transfer to Second Gilded Age elite.) It is possible that the destruction of this Second Gilded Age government and economy will result in the public jumping that ship and clambering aboard a modern day ark, a great transformational idea that can rebuild society. As stated in the email announcing the last Celestial Wheel, certainly, burying our heads in the sand isn't going to work much longer -- not in this heat! |
To summarize, Step one (already completed) discredits and disempowers G.W. Bush and his administration. From mid August to mid October, Step 2 wrecks the country. This stimultes Step 3, a popular revolt to reclaim America from the the Gilded Age robber barons in government and business.
Comparison With The First Gilded Age
Following G.W. Bush's reelection in November 2004, The Celestial Wheel analyzed the United States' chart from independence to today to determine why he prevailed. The result was a Vedic encyclopedia of American History. Here's the first part.
#58a Part I The United States Through Its Planetary Cycles
This analysis unveiled the country's heretofore hidden karmic current that carried Bush to victory -- a Gilded Age that comes when U.S. runs its ten year Moon planetary cycle. Below is the full text of the first Moon cycle, the first Gilded Age.
Read it through. You'll be amazed at how the karma repeats. Note especially the 1886 Haymarket Square labor riot, which unfortunately failed in 1886 -- though popular revolt in 2007 doesn't need to meet the same grim fate. (Note: The Vedic view of this Second Gilded Age is described in #58b Part II The United States Through It's Planetary Cycles (12/2/04) )
The Moon rules the deep and powerful but destructive eighth house and is placed in the third house of desires. There, the worldly Moon signifies intoxication with power, strength to win and willingness to use tough, even brutal, means. Jupiter throws an aspect to the Moon, which serves to expand wealth, overcome obstacles and to stimulate resource development. With this greedy, even rapacious Moon, the powerful grabbed whatever they chose, and there were abundant resources, labor and inventions to enable their quest, with no government regulation restraining their running roughshod over the populace. In fact, the 1886 Supreme Court ruling that corporations are persons, expanded business power. This concentration of economic power in a few naturally resulted in business gaining great influence over government, discussed below. These were the qualities resulted in the decadent Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark Twain to mock and expose industrialists and government corruption. The period was characterized by monopolies, price fixing, poor working conditions and worse living conditions in burgeoning cities. Carnegie (steel) and Rockefeller (oil) dominated the steel and oil industries, became known as robber barons. The urban poor sought help from political machines, most famously, Boss Tweed's Tammany Hall, which took much more than it gave to the public. The gap between rich and poor widened, and the middle class was stifled. And, of course, segregation became fully rooted, with its attendant racism.
Government corruption was fueled at least in part by the wealthy elite buying off politicians. Concurrently, the States and Federal governments indulged in pork-barrel spending mirroring the robber baron's excesses. Yet, there was an apparent contradiction in scaling back government expenditures. The answer here is that the wealthy pushed legislators to spend for their narrow interests but cut spending for programs benefiting the general public. Government during the Moon cycle was an advocate for Laissez Faire capitalism, not an altruistic force for the greater public's welfare. The election of 1884 was memorable for its mudslinging and personal attacks. Democrat Grover Cleveland was a former sheriff who personally hanged two murderers, but he was assailed for avoiding military duty during the Civil War and for having a child out of wedlock. Republican James Blain was accused of selling his influence in Congress to a railroad. The turning point came when, just six days before the election, Blain was falsely accused of believing urban immigrants were drunkards, followers of the pope, and the cause of the Civil War. Handbills denouncing Blain were circulated stating, Rum, Romanism and Rebellion. Blain lost New York and the election by 1,149 votes. Cleveland, essentially as conservative as the Republicans, failed during this term (and his next in 1893) to restrain the robber barons or corrupt politicians. Because the worldly Moon rules the eighth house of the occult and is aspected by traditionally religious Jupiter, eighth house mysticism was an undercurrent to the conservative Protestantism of the Victorian Age. Victorians advocated asceticism, church attendance, hard work and extreme moral purity -- Queen Victoria required skirts on piano legs to prevent prurient thoughts leading to lasciviousness. Victorianism thereby stimulated a purity crusade, which basically responded (again) to American's fear of sex. Blue Laws, first promulgated by New England's Puritans seeking a theocratic state, prohibited business on Sunday and targeted a wide range of immoral activities: lotteries, cigarettes, alcohol, opiates, obscene literature, birth control information, contraceptives. Attempts were also made to censor books and theatre. Victorianism served admirably to keep the masses in check, working selflessly for the tycoons, who professed to Victorian minimalism while indulging in the most extreme material excesses. Obedient citizens didn't initially object much to this this infusion of religious restriction into government, nor to the two-faced behavior of many in the new upper-class. Yet, not all tycoons had lavish lifestyles. Some, like Rockefeller, lived by puritanical Victorian age values, and as the Progressive Age arrived in the early twentieth century, they and their heirs became philanthropists. During the Moon cycle, the powerful were in control, obviating the system of checks and balances that protected democracy. The 1886 Haymarket Square labor riot was an early signal of the popular and often violent protests that would grow into the Progressive Age. The Moon cycle's period of unfettered and abusive business expansion, government corruption, pork barrel spending, cuts in public services, a dirty-tricks presidential campaign and enforced moral purity is an eerie echo to the Moon's next ten year cycle, which began in 1999. (The Moon's next cycle, from 1999 to 2008 -- began with G.W. Bush's controversial election won in Florida by 537 votes.) |
Copyright 1999-2007 |
The Mars/Saturn Mutual Aspect Ends July 16
Mars aspecting (glancing upon) Saturn, and Saturn aspecting Mars has been the source for roughness in the world and in your personal lives as well. This planetary conflict was described in the July 4 Celestial Wheel, below. Specifically predicted were: bad news about real estate, further weather extremes, forest fires and perhaps earth crust events. These predictions have largely been born out. If you think severe weather is limited to the U.S., however, read, today's Washington Post article, Typhoon Hits Japan; at Least 34 injured. Too, the media hasn't paid much attention to Reuters, July 13 report, Indonesia volcano ups activity, ash showers villages.
Saturn slips away from Mars by transiting into Leo late in the day tomorrow (Sunday). So, when you awake Monday morning, this stress, of unstoppable force (Mars) crashing head-on into an immovable object (Saturn), will be over. Take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy the summer, but also to prepare yourselves for the Saturn/Ketu conjunction's expected turmoil mid August to mid October. Then, gas prices will skyrocket to new heights, the economy will suffer, the U.S. government will go into crisis, Iraq will reach a culmination and Iran may be attacked.
This astrologer will put his old gas-guzzling Lincoln on the market next week and will begin searching for a less expensive home rental (rental rates are already down 25% in Sedona because the real estate market is dead). Last year, I upgraded Vedic gemstones, which are an inflation hedge and readily converted to cash. That utility costs have creeped up also encourages finding an energy efficient home. Too, energy efficiency to combat global warming is an individual responsibility -- especially since the movement hasn't yet peculated upward to the federal government. Readers may wish to consider protective actions such as: making your home more energy efficient, putting off major expenditures, setting aside savings, moving assets into precious metals and gemstones, reducing high interest credit card debt, reducing your commuting costs...
However, these actions in themselves are a type of self fulfilling prophecy for recession. Personal financial conservation now reduces spending and thereby hastens and worsens upcoming economic setbacks. Yet, truly what choice is there? This house of debt cards upon which the economy has grown cannot stand, and you aren't responsible for propping it up.
Oil Up & Gasoline Down?
The June 11 Celestial Wheel Commentary predicted gasoline prices will hit a new peak mid August to mid October. Yet, pump prices have actually dropped somewhat, in defiance of the summer gas demand increase. This graph is the same one shown on that Celestial Wheel, excepting it's updated to the July 3.
Yet, crude oil prices have been rising again. (See: July 13 The Guardian, $80 a barrel prediction as oil soars again and July 14 Chicano Tribune, Oil rises to 11-month peak: gas prices on way up.) What's up with that? It appears greedy oil companies are using psychology to move gasoline prices upward.
Notice in the graph above the first short peak to $3.00 in September 2005, followed by prices quickly dropping back to a low of $2.10 The second peak in April 2006 lasted longer, and the correction back took longer and resulted in a higher base of $2.20. This spring's third peak was high at $3.25, and the drop has been minor, to just under $3.00. The concept is to repeatedly use higher and longer peaks, interspersed with price drops to prevent protests -- training consumers to accept gasoline as an increasingly expensive commodity.
Second Gilded Age investors appear to take great joy in this inevitable up roller coaster, as the July 12, Marketwatch.com, article, Exxon's market cap erupts past $500 billion, reveals. Yet, this is a slippery slope, for oil price increases result from the U.S. invading Iraq, which has set all of the oil rich Middle East against the West.
Where Is Osama Bin Laden?
From time to time The Celestial Wheel reminds readers that Osama Bin Laden died as a result of the September 22, 2006 solar eclipse. (See the August 27, 2006, The September Eclipse Season & Osama Bin Laden)
Infrequent news articles continue to describe the fruitless hunt for Bin Laden. The most recent is the July 12, Washington Times, Bin Laden search frustrates officials.
Was Live Earth DOA?*
The July 4 Celestial Wheel, below, championed Al Gore's Live Earth as the great transformational idea needed to save us from either a quick disaster or slow ruination. It also asked, Will Live Earth work? Can it change the political landscape? Will Al Gore be propelled to run again for President for his selflessness idea-based leadership? Or will someone else emerge to carry forward his standard?
(*Dead On Arrival)
So, what happened? Not much, if you believe the typically superficial media. There are three reasons for the lackluster response. First, Al Gore's chart shows he ran Rahu (big career in the tenth house) and Venus fulfilling goals, entertainment, powerful friends....) from June 29, 2004 to June 30, 2007. This is the interval when Gore resurrected himself with An Inconvenient Truth, won his academy award and planned Live Earth. With Rahu/Venus over June 30, Al Gore simply lacked the planetary karma on July 7 to make Live Earth a major and immediate success. Second, global warming is, after all, the newest manifestation the environmental movement, which originated from the people, a true grass roots effort. Combating global warming follows that model. |
Al Gore March 31, 1948 at 12:53 PM Washington, CD |
Third, as explained at the bottom of the July 7 Celestial Wheel, this great transformational idea is not yet ripe. It won't be until U.S. chart runs Moon/Venus/ Jupiter from August 6 to October 26.
Yet, this quality of consciousness rising is already being seen in government, and following Live Earth, in the most unlikely of places. (See Forbes, com, Fla. Gov Champions Environmentalism) This is obviously encouraging.
Are Investors Crazy?
U.S. Stocks reach record highs yesterday, FT.com, S&P 500 closes at record high Yet, on the very same day (well it was a Friday the thirteenth), two bombshells hit -- but bounced off Second Gilded Age investors.
Bloomberg reports on July 13, Iran Asks Japan to Pay Yen for Oil, Start Immediately. If this doesn't cause concern, consider that the U.S. dollar has long been the international currency, especially for oil. This break from the dollar reflects loss of confidence, for it is just the latest of several such moves around the globe.
Also, the AP article, Dollar Recovers From All-Time Low, while sounding a positive, is really about the dollar's weakness. The U.S. has simply borrowed too much for too long to finance imports and run federal record federal deficits that may never end. Also, the government has not financed Security and Medicare, and the middle class is saddled with high credit card and mortgage debts it can't repay. The final straw here may be the collapsing real estate market (See FT.com July 10, U.S. mortgage problem fears spark sell-off). Thus, the dollar is viewed as increasingly less valuable and more risky.
There is no good ending to this. Interest rates must continue to move higher to attract foreign money to pay our trade and government debts, and these higher lending costs will crash our economy. Alternatively, foreigners will stop buying our debt, which will make the dollar worthless, again crashing the economy. Of course, the Chinese, who now hold over a trillion dollars, could just buy up huge chunks of American assets -- companies and real estate -- and we'll end up becoming indentured workers of a communist dictatorship. After all, that's what the communist creed dictates. They've already begun doing this, of course by buying IBM's personal computer division. (See the March 8 International Herald Tribune, China to invest its foreign currency reserves.)
How Wide Spread Is The Real Estate Bubble?
The U.S. media pays some attention to the decline in real estate, but it doesn't consider the problem onerous, for our government and Wall Street keeps telling us all is okay. Too, stock investors really are crazy with their greed and thereby don't see the real estate rot in their portfolios.
However, the above referenced article, FT.com July 10, U.S. mortgage problem fears spark sell-off. gives a clue that this is not just a U.S. issue.
Here's how to find out what's happening. Google real estate bubble. If you hit search, Google will search the web. Nothing alarming there. Now, look at the top of the Google screen. You'll see several choices: images, video, news, maps... Click on news, for that will access 4,500 news sources from around the world. Read a few of the entries, and you'll see that we truly have a global economy. The real estate bubble is bursting all over -- Spain, Georgia (not the one in the U.S.), UK, China, Uganda, New Zealand, India...
Is G.W. Having His Nervous Breakdown?
The June 3, The Bush Presidency Update predicted that during June and July Bush would lose subordinates, groups would disassociate themselves from him, his approval ratings would dive and Bush's ability to think clearly and speak coherently is completely blocked, preventing him from effectively defending his positions and uttering inane, even nonsensical statements. This last relates to the prediction for his having a nervous breakdown, or a stroke. Some lose their minds slowly, others in short reality breaks.
Dan Froomkin at the Washington Post has recently emerged as a dirt digger, a real journalist who doesn't pull punches. His White House Watch column has objectively examined Bush's recent shenanigans, which smack of uttering inane, even nonsensical statements. The Scooter Libby pardon was one of these, the repeated assertions that Al Quaeda is the chief enemy in Iraq is another. But today's column about leaking Valerie Plame's CIA status beats them all, 'Move On'? Not So Fast, Mr. President. Read it.
Will Iran Be Attacked?
The Celestial Wheel has predicted Iran will be attacked -- as a result of the September 11 solar eclipse hitting it hard -- the second eclipse hit this year.
Here are some recent articles pointing in that direction: July 10 Yahoo News U.S. Navy sends carrier to Gulf but no build-up. July 10 The Jerusalem Post 'Time running out for Iran strike'. July 13 Newsmax.com, Israel 'Approved' to Strike Iran.
Copyright 1999-2007 |
Consciousness Rising?
The June 10 Celestial Wheel Commentary deplored the state of world affairs, criticized the spiritual community's belief in consciousness rising and challenged readers to set aside their wishful thinking and take positive action.
| Integral to the New Age movement, and Western spirituality in general, is the belief in consciousness rising. (If you Google the term, you find there are nearly 1 1/2 million results.) If anything, consciousness appears to be going down -- should we actually consider what's going on in the world. If any readers know where consciousness rising is, let me know. In the meantime, it looks like we need to take off our saffron colored glasses, put down The Secret and resist gathering injustice by adhering to Hinduism's karma of personal responsibility -- just as Gandhi and Martin Luther King did in bringing freedom to the dispossessed. Anything else is wishful thinking -- unless you know where consciousness rising is. (Note: You could ask Mukesh Ambani about this, but the 400 servants needed to run his (Indian) palace doubtless protect him from such inconvenient questions.) ... As Mr. Spock would say, fascinating. Yes, it's all indeed fascinating. Maybe he knows where to find consciousness rising? |
Surprisingly, no one responded to this blatant criticism, which, after all, targets very basic and fundamental beliefs. Perhaps The Celestial Wheel is not viewed as serious, or the predictions either wrong of of little value. After all, G.W. Bush continues to wreck havoc with our lives, the country and in global affairs; and while Celestial Wheel predictions for his failures have accurately tracked that inevitable downward slide, the bastard is still there! -- the despot of The Second Gilded Age.
A more likely reason for this apathy is that people are depressed. They've lost hope. All they (we) can do now is to somehow protect ourselves from the ravages of Second Gilded Age economic inequities, war, elitism, global warming... Well, at this stage, that's an all-consuming focus. And certainly, no presidential candidate from either party has brought forward the great transformational idea needed to save us from either a quick disaster or slow ruination.
The Democratic candidates are the most disappointing, for this is their chance, and all they do is play the political spin money game -- offering something for every interest group to win votes, which is ultimately nothing for the country, and substituting raising money for raising ideas. Leadership means guiding us out of the darkness toward the light of freedom and equality, not pandering -- cater to the lower tastes and desires of others or exploit their weaknesses -- which is how G.W. succeeded, and which ultimately will be his downfall. Even Barack Obama, the squeaky clean the outsider, uses personal charisma instead of the magnetism of a great idea.
Charter subscriber M.L. in Maryland recently emailed me her view, which I've been holding until the right time to publish.
| I get to thinking that I'm just a stodgy old baby boomer. I can remember when we were young and we had so many ideals about the government, a better world. How come I feel like I'm the only one who took it seriously! I often feel like I've been left out on the idealism limb here, trying to live the life of integrity in accord with my ideals -- and there aren't too many of us of that idealistic generation who have kept at it. Most have jumped on the "me at any cost" bandwagon. |
But maybe there is an awakening of sorts ready to bloom, for today something really unusual, actually unique, happens -- Live Earth. Yes, it's been criticized as meaningless, but read these excerpts from Larry King's July 5 interview with Al Gore (emphasis added),
KING: How is this going to be funded? ...
KING: But back to Live Earth, which takes place Saturday night around the world, what do you want to accomplish with this? KING: All right. A critic of both of you is Bob Geldof. Mr. Geldof is the noted producer. He has produced concerts like Live Aid and Live Acres (ph) and he calls this an enormous pop concert. Says we're already aware of global warming and says he would only organize an event such as this if he could go onstage and announce concrete environmental measures from the American presidential candidates, Congress or major corporations. Al, you want to go first? |
The obvious point is that Al Gore's crusade against global warming is real leadership -- galvanizing and rallying the public through a great transformational idea. This is markedly different from Bob Geldof's concerts, which raised money for causes. In this sense, Al Gore is more like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, who demonstrated the power of idea in the hands of the people. Geldof is more like a Second Gilded Age hero, such as monopolist Bill Gates -- throw money at it. (Note: When people rave about how wonderful Bill Gates is by being so charitable, I remind them his Microsoft monopoly in computer operating systems is the worst of all capitalist abuses -- it's a tax we all have been forced to pay. Some understand this, but others are dumb to the monopolist concept, preferring instead to view Gates as a hero, but that's just the inevitable golden idol of The Second Gilded Age.)
Will Live Earth work? Can it change the political landscape? Will Al Gore be propelled to run again for President for his selflessness idea-based leadership? Or will someone else emerge to carry forward his standard? (a flag, emblematic figure, or other object raised on a pole to indicate the rallying point of an army, fleet, etc.)
Vedic Astrology finds that only from challenge comes growth. Here's the challenge. From mid August through mid October, the Saturn/Ketu conjunction promises to cause all kinds of problems, as most recently described in the June 4 Celestial Wheel Commentary, Then, gas prices will skyrocket to new heights, the economy will suffer, the U.S. government will go into crisis, Iraq will reach a culmination and Iran may be attacked. The growth can be shock of the U.S. spiraling into failure, which must also harm our personal experiences. This can cause the public to finally and firmly reject partisan Second Gilded Age gold (which has lost its false luster and value), for there's finally a replacement -- a great transformational idea.
Again, from the Larry King interview, GORE: I think that we ought to cut taxes on employment and replace them dollar for dollar with pollution taxes, including CO2 taxes, and that would help us deal with this. As simple as this sounds, it contains solutions to all our major issues -- a uniting nonpartisan action plan to combat global warming, rebirth the economy, restore political, economic and social fairness...
The Vedic Astrology For Consciousness Rising
This summer, the U.S. chart's Dasas (planetary cycles) are Moon/Venus/Rahu from May 7 to August 6. While the two female planets, the Moon and Venus, bring humanitarianism, Rahu (the head-of-the-dragon eclipse point) stimulates turmoil and catastrophes, which effects are all too obvious. (Note: This Rahu cycle is adding problems for Bush, Cheney, et al.) However, from August 6 to October 26, Jupiter replaces Rahu for a lineup of Moon/Venus/Jupiter. Combining the nurturing Moon with Venus' compassion and Jupiter's wisdom brings a rebirth of judgment, hope and optimism -- and the capability to overcome the most egregious obstacles.
Putting the Moon/Venus/Jupiter Dasa cycle and Saturn/Ketu transit into the context of the river of life analogy (coined by and used often in the Celestial Wheel), here's what happens. From August 6 to October 26, the Dasas promise a smoothly flowing river current advancing society. However, from mid August to mid October, the Saturn/Ketu conjunction ( a transit) brings terrible storms, finally wrecking Bush's already battered ship of state and the sinking the economic fleet. (Note: the latter is doomed to fail sooner or later anyway for being built upon debt, greed and wealth transfer to Second Gilded Age elite.
It is possible that the destruction of this Second Gilded Age government and economy will result in the public jumping that ship and clambering aboard a modern day ark, a great transformational idea that can rebuild society. As stated in the email announcing the last Celestial Wheel, Certainly, burying our heads in the sand isn't going to work much longer, not in this heat!
Copyright 1999-2007 |
Some Current Roughness
On Wednesday, June 27, I sent subscribers an email notice about that evening's beautiful Moon/Jupiter conjunction in mysterious Scorpio, stating, Although there is some current roughness in the planetary dispositions, there is also an astronomical treat tonight that is also uplifting astrologically.
| Included was this striking, though foreboding, image of a previous Moon/Jupiter conjunction --glowing through a gloomy forest. The next several days fulfilled this premonition in terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow Friday and Saturday, plus the ongoing western U.S. heat wave and floods the the Midwest. Of course, too, there's the daily drone of heightened Mideast death and destruction. The capstone was G.W. Bush's commuting Scooter Libby's prison sentence on Monday -- within hours of the Appeals Court enforcing his prison sentence. |
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| So, what's this current roughness about? There have been several planetary issues, which can be seen in this June 27 natural zodiac chart starting at Aries -- the World Transit Chart.
Mercury was retrograding past the Sun, inflaming criminal minds, and G.W.'s as well. Gentle Venus was approaching destructive Saturn in Cancer, the home. The nearly full Moon with Jupiter in Scorpio (the Moon's fallen sign) in the eighth house of turmoil is negative on its own merits -- but a bad aspect (glance) from Mars stimulated destruction. However. these afflictions are short lived. The truly difficult and definitive planetary affliction is violent Mars aspecting destructive Saturn in Cancer, which is Mars' fallen sign, and also Saturn aspecting it's fallen sign of Aries. |
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This is a tremendously harmful combination. Think of it as an unstoppable force (Mars) crashing head-on into an immovable object (Saturn). This quality is validated by this combination last occurring in the summer of 2005 (see the June 5, 2005 Mars' Summer And Fall Of Discontent.) Then, Mars/Saturn brought the hurricanes of 2005, and also the tipping over of the real estate market. The real estate fall occurred because Mars is landed property, Saturn real estate dealers and Cancer the home. However, 2005 was uniquely difficult, for Mars went retrograde, it stayed in Aries for six months, which naturally exacerbated the harms.
This year, the Mars/Saturn conflict lasts just a month, from June 16 when Mars entered Aries, to July 16, when Saturn transit out of Cancer. Expect continued bad news about real estate, further weather extremes, forest fires and perhaps earth crust events. This Mars/Saturn roughness will impact your personal experiences in accordance with your Vedic chart.
However, as the combination ends before the U.S. hurricane season heats up, Mars/Saturn does not indicate a repeat of the horrendous hurricanes of 2005. Further, the U.S. chart's Dasas (planetary cycles) this year do not signal natural disasters after August 6.
This year, it's the Saturn/Ketu conjunction in Leo (mid August through mid October) that will cause problems. (See the June 11, 2007 Celestial Wheel Commentary.) Then, gas prices will skyrocket to new heights, the economy will suffer, the U.S. government will go into crisis, Iraq will reach a culmination and Iran may be attacked.
Eclipse Impacts
Last March's eclipses hit several nation charts, 3 in the Mideast, which is most unusual. (Note: hit means an eclipse point is within a degree or so of a chart's planet.) The eclipse impacts relate to that planet's significations in the chart. We tend to forget that eclipse effects last for six months or so. On March 3, there was a total lunar eclipse at 19 degrees Leo, and and March 19, a partial solar eclipse occurred at 4 degrees Pisces.
Iran's Ascendant ruler Saturn (self) was hit in the lunar eclipse. Iraq's Jupiter (government) was also hit by the lunar eclipse. Saudi Arabia's Moon (wealth and government) was hit by the partial solar eclipse. Finally, China's Saturn was hit by the lunar eclipse. (See Culmination In The Mideast (2/28/07)) So far, (and there's still months left on that eclipse effects clock), Iran remains in the hot seat with regard to Iraq and nuclear technology. Iraq's government teeters. So far, there's no news about Saudi Arabia, except this intriguing article July 3 article, Saudi Arabia foiled 180 terror plots since 2003. Although China's birth time is not known, its birth date is, which gives degree positions for its planets. Since Saturn is industrial production, that lunar eclipse hit explains why China has recently suffered from tainted products.
The upcoming eclipse season will bring an August 28 total lunar eclipse at 10 degrees Aquarius and a partial solar eclipse at 24 degrees Leo on September 11. While a thorough analysis of the chart library has yet to be done, two charts stand out. First, Iraq is hit again, this time in the solar eclipse, striking Rahu. This is the reason the preceding section suggested the upcoming Saturn/Ketu conjunction results in Iran being attacked. That this eclipse occurs on 9-11 is naturally disturbing. Second, the total lunar eclipse is exactly opposite Dick Cheney's Sun (heart and body) and Ascendant point (body), which will be bracketed by malefics Saturn and Ketu. Cheney could lose blood pressure or be shamed. (Recall that eclipses both block and reveal.)
The Washington Post & G.W. Bush
On June 29, Capital Hill Blue published, Bad times in Bush land. On Monday, July 3, the Washington Post printed an amazingly revealing article about G.W. Bush, A President Besieged and Isolated, Yet at Ease. That same day, columnist Dan Froomkin (also of the Washington Post), published, Peering Inside Bush's Head. Hours later, Bush cemented these concerns by commuting Scooter Libby's prison sentence.
Here's the interesting part. On June 5, I managed a short email correspondence with Froomkin, stimulated by the caging (eliminating people from the voting lists).
| Dan Froomkin wrote: Thanks very much. It's not clear what came of the caging, is one problem.... Doug Riemer wrote: Thanks much for your considerate reply, Dan. If you wish to read this June 3 forecast, or any others I've written since 2002, here's the link. (Last month I changed this from password protected paid subscription to free. Now my forecasting is more widely available. Note: I called the last two gas peaks exactly, the beginning of the R.E. slowdown, Donald Trump losing his TV show,Osama Bin Laden's death last fall...) http://vedicpredictiveastrology.com/The_Celestial_Wheel.html Doug Riemer |
Bush will lose further subordinates, primarily to scandals, for all three planets symbolizing them are harmed. Groups will also disassociate themselves from him.
When I saw the above two Washington Post articles, I emailed Froomkin again, The Post story on Bush, and your today column, prove out these predictions. Of course, Froomkin didn't reply. While alternative media has carved out a place in the U.S., The Celestial Wheel remains too far afield -- even as truly extreme and inaccurate media and pundits (like Fox News, the neoconservative websites and the doomsday evangelicals) get plenty of coverage. I would mention this to Froomkin, but I'm sure the Washington Post quoting a Vedic Astrologer remains unacceptable. However, Froomkin may remember The Celestial Wheel made predictions about Bush on June 3 that proved out by July 2 -- The Bush Presidency Update, Part 1, June 3 to July 28.
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