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The Celestial Wheel

An In-depth Forecast

January 4, 2010

Back To The Celestial Wheel

Goodbye 2009 & Into 2010

Here's a potpourri on 2009 issues, spiced with a few thoughts about the beginning of the new year

Goodbye 2009

The Millennium Contraction In 2009

Much of Celestial Wheel publishing 2009 focused upon the gathering economic storm, which will not be over until 2015. (See the several In-depth Forecasts on the home page for specifics.) The media has labeled this the Great Recession, on the assumption everything will return to normal in 2010 or 2011. However, there remain a lot of bad loans in residential and commercial real estate that will require further government lending. And, as discussed in the section Debt Bomb (below), despite the stock market's irrational exuberance, economic conditions worsened for most this past year. No documenting article links are needed here, for we've all experienced economic stresses in one way or another.

Sunspot Activity May Relate To Cardiac Stress & Other Ailments

The lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve didn't portend much, for partial lunar eclipses aren't potent astrological signatures. (The upcoming January 15 total solar eclipse, however, will be impactive. It's discussed below.) Too, that this was a blue moon eclipse is irrelevant, since blue moon only means two full moons in a calender month. Still, as explained in the July 4, 2004 Celestial Wheel,

There's scientific truth here, for sometimes the Moon actually does turn blue.

Volcanoes can cause Blue Moons. The 1883 Krakatoa explosion in Indonesia spewed out massive quantities of the one micron-sized ash particles that scatter light, allowing blue and other colors to be seen. For years afterward, the Moon appeared blue, sometimes even green.

A Blue Moon

Forest fire smoke can also be in the one micron size. Fires in Alberta in 1950 blew east to bring Blue Moons to the east coast. Even England saw the striking visual effect.

The resumption of sunspots, however, appears have brought events at New Year. In Vedic Astrology, the Sun is the heart. As an astronomically based system, the dispositions of the planets (including the Sun as a planet) are relevant to their symbolisms. (Note: the October 19, 2003 In-depth Forecast, in the section, The 4 Hotspots, examined the influence of a solar flare upon G.W. Bush.)

NASA's Spaceweather reported a sunspot surge in December, ending the solar minimum, right up until month's end. The media reported on December 31, Rush Limbaugh in hospital after chest pains. But then, just one day later, Limbaugh: Tests show no ailments after chest pain. Upon calculating and reviewing Limbaugh's chart, no cardiac stress was found.

This astrologer has previously elevated blood pressure but felt on December 31 tension and fatigue, prompting a visit to the supermarket's blood pressure test machine. Wow! It had surged 60 points, but like Limbaugh, there was nothing in the Vedic chart to indicate cardiac stress. A January 1 check showed 1/2 this rise gone, and yesterday, blood pressure is back to normal. Well, that could be coincidence -- except that upon leaving the machine, a fellow standing nearby advised his blood pressure has soared to over 200 on Thursday. But in checking it just before me, found it was okay. I could see that improvement because he left his score on the digital display -- 138/95.

While there may be other astrological factors at work here (the lunare eclipse likely gave a small kick), it seems sunspots can bring cardiac stress. With the exceptionally long solar minimum apparently over, expect increased sunspot activity will signal further cardiac issues. So, if you have any cardiac sensitivity, watch for new sunspots, and take care of yourself to deal with any illness spikes. NASA's spaceweather.com will send you free alerts.

The Sun does symbolize other physical qualities -- the right eye, the skeleton (notably the back) and the head are primary. These then are other physical conditions to monitor as sunspot activity increases. While this astrologer always refers clients to their physicians for illness, sunspots tend to peak, suggesting it's okay to wait a day or two if you back hurts, right eye vision blurs, you have a headache, even unusual hair loss...

December 19 & 20 Sensitive Dates

The December 22 Celestial Wheel also discussed results of the December 19 and 20 sensitive dates. Beyond those events, this astrologer learned of three participants and clients suffered illnesses. One spent all day on the 19th vomiting, and this is a person who is never ill. Another reported coming down with a prostate infection. The third involved a client from due in Sedona on vacation and not yet scheduling a Vedic consultation. This astrologer looked at her chart and emailed on the 25th, You may have experienced a major setback on or about the 19th. She replied three days later, I had a severe migraine. It lasted 8 days. Setback is an understatement.

This is another example of seeing the world through Vedic eyes. It also points out that when The Celestial Wheel predicts a sensitive date, participants should pay attention and use care in their lives. Karma can often be dodged, or at least mitigated -- but you have to be alerted in advance. Too, if you have serious concerns already in advance of a sensitive date, you can have your Vedic chart checked or fully interpreted to learn if and how it impacts your chart.

Weather Is Different From Climate

While the science for climate warming is certain, the public remains uncertain because of cold weather. Climate is long term and global. Weather is short term and local. Too, weather results from many factors. Yet, U.S. Faces Record Cold Weather; Florida Crops May Avoid Damage, will be cited as disproving global warming. These critics will again fail to make the distinction between climate and weather.

The above section about sunspots suggested the unusually long solar minimum -- few sunspots -- is now yielding to elevated levels. Climatologists are in general agreement that global warming results from a combination of factors, with greenhouse gases and the Sun's energy being two major ones. This makes simple sense if one considers that Sun is the earth's heat source and sunspots indicate increased solar output -- just like a campfire flaming up indicates more heat being released. Thereby, if sunspots indeed are beginning to increase, expect global climate to warm more quickly as the earth receives increased solar energy and greenhouse gases trap more energy.

Still, weather will continue to cause confusion, for as stated above, weather results from many factors. The following article, Peru's mountain people face fight for survival in a bitter winter, illustrates, In a world growing ever hotter, Huancavelica is an anomaly. These communities, living at the edge of what is possible, face extinction because of increasingly cold conditions in their own microclimate, which may have been altered by the rapid melting of the glaciers.

There is no Vedic Astrology in this, excepting that perceiving order in the universe brings knowledge, and Ignorance is not bliss. It's merely ignorance. This naturally applies to our individual reactions to global warming and weather -- and also the long term economic and social transformation of the Millennium Contraction. To believe otherwise is simply delusion.

Continuing this line of thought, Americans are prey to being deluded in two ways -- optimism with wealth and mysticism with paranoia are clearly seen in the U.S. chart. These have been discussed many times in The Celestial Wheel. The August 7, 2009 Commentary explains both in the first section, U.S. Psychology. Also, the November 3, 2009 In-depth Forecast, Global Economic Outlook Into 2012 And Beyond, describes this optimism with wealth succinctly -- and if you think about it, reveals it to be the nation's Achilles Heal that will worsen and prolong the Millennium Contraction.

This quality is especially important in the U.S. dealing with its repeated booms and busts. Great wealth is built.. Then, a terrible bust comes that would tear apart any other nation. But the country shakes off the failure and pulls together to harnessing its wealth to regain prosperity. Other nations and cultures must believe America is endlessly excessive and crazy for this, but Americans just revel in the great opportunities and believe they can always recoup.

Undue optimism combined with mystical paranoia combine for truly destructive delusion.

Only by becoming realistic, understanding and acknowledging the deep private and public debt pits that won't soon or easily be resolved, can we navigate through to safety.

Otherwise, the nation will be mired in an unnecessarily long and calamitous interval like the Great Depression of eighty years ago. And just like the Great Depression, the U.S. will drag the entire globe down with it.

There is no such thing as a free lunch is an old homily. Yet, many continue to believe this -- again a result of optimism with wealth and mystical paranoia. The economy will recover, it always does, believe the conservatives. We can create abundance just by thinking it believe the liberals -- opposite ends of the bell curve. So, the monied elite offered free money from credit cards and the real estate boom, and New Agers embraced The Secret. These delusions have become so widespread that the entire culture has embraced The power of positive thinking. Here's the problem -- when the wolves are at the door, they won't go away by either throwing meat at them or believing they aren't going to attack.

This results in the truly bizarre dichotomy we are now seeing in the stock markets going up, up, up as the economy we experience individually goes down, down, down.

This dysfunction colors the consciousness of the entire culture -- even to media on the web, which most continue to believe is free. The business model for free information on the web doesn't work any longer because advertising and contributions have been reduced as the the economy has weakened. Well, it costs money to produce quality web content. So, both credible mainstream and alternative media are turning to paid subscription as the only alternative and becoming realistic - by linking cost to product. The option of free media is incredible. (Yes, this is also a pitch for The Celestial Wheel, a Participatory Publication. This forecast can only be offered free to the public because some have paid for access to all that forecasting.)

Sarah Palin & James Arthur Ray -- Extremists

The December 6, 2009 Celestial Wheel predicted, Palin's chart becomes sensitive beginning mid December. Reputation is a big issue. Accidents and health issues are likely.

Following is a whole bunch of recent Palin flaps: Sarah Palin's hat trick, Evil Sarah Palin Trying To Keep Levi Away From His Baby, Sarah Palin's climate change flip-flop, Sarah 'Palinocchio' Wins 'Lie of the Year. This last is about Palin inventing the term Death Panel last summer to frighten Americans about the health care reform bill.

The December 6, 2009 Celestial Wheel also predicted James Arthur Ray would soon charged by the Yavapai Sheriff, which promised in November to file indictments in December for the three sweat lodge deaths October 8 at his Spiritual Warrior retreat in Sedona.

While the Sheriff has delayed any indictments until the month, a reporter sued to the police to unseal investigation information. The judge agreed. Check out this article, Breaking news: new police info released on James Ray death lodge. Examiner.com has done a series of articles recently on this information, Arizona sweat lodge probe stretches into new year. It's truly shocking

The November 26, 2009 Celestial Wheel examined Palin's and Ray's Vedic charts, stating, Palin and Ray are on opposite ends of the social/political bell curve -- the former an arch conservative and the latter a New Ager liberal, -- but also the two edges of the spiritual curve and ending with, what does this all mean?

Below is the bell curve from that Celestial Wheel, representing a normal distribution. Bells curves show at about 10% of a population is extreme, either one way or the other. So, for example, only 10% of men are less than 5' tall, and 10% are over 6', 4." For the U.S. political population, however, about 20% are on the Liberal Left and 20% on the Conservative Right. These percentages are well documented by pollsters, as the Republican base has been repeatedly shown by to be 20% of the population, and the same holds true for the die hard liberal left.

Liberal Left 20% Conservative Right 20%

That leaves only 60% moderates other either party and independents. Well, that's not a normal distribution but rather one distorted by America's mysticism and paranoia. And, 60% is not enough to overcome extremists on both ends of the bell curve. Consider that the Conservative Right has been able to block universal health care since Teddy Roosevelt first proposed it, while all other first world democracies have adopted it. Consider too the extreme liberals who embrace all kinds of wacko ideologies, including New Age, which is an American creation.

One obvious conclusion is that resolving the Millennium Contraction quickly and with a minimum of loss is going to be very difficult. That will require a broad consensus in which all groups moderate their positions and compromise. In England, compromise is honorable. In America it's anathema, seen as selling out to the other side. Our vaunted independence, self reliance, American right or wrong, don't tread on me..... is our great weakness during the Millennium Contraction.

Another conclusion elicits from the concept that, Only through turmoil comes change. The New Deal social welfare programs were only adopted because the Great Depression had resulted in massive suffering. Government simply had to step in. Social Security, minimum wage, labor standards, the SEC, FDIC.... As the Millennium Contraction inevitably continues and deepens, there will be a greater need for progressive policies to restore shared economic values.

Applying another historical parallel, the First Progressive Age grew out of the excesses of the First Gilded Age in the 1880s, which then culminated in the Financial Panic of 1893 -- a ruinous four year depression. (For an explanation of this process, see the December1, 2007, Through The Second Gilded Age.)

The big question is whether the Second Progressive Age begins soon enough, and with enough potency to resolve Millennium contraction problems before 2013, when the dollar will otherwise collapse under government debt. The stimulus for this must come from the grass roots, as really all major social and political movements have -- through popular protests. Thus far, only the extreme right has organized, in the Tea Party movement. Goldman Sachs Helps YRC Avert Bankruptcy Following Hoffa’s Plea is a rare case of popular protest resulting in compromise saving a great American company and tens of thousands of jobs.

It is possible, however, that when the U.S. ends its mystical paranoia Mars/Rahu planetary cycle May 17 of this year, and wise Jupiter replaces toxic Rahu, that popular protests will begin to mount force the government and private enterprise to begin seriously addressing Millennium Contraction harms. (See the December 12, 2009 In-depth Forecast, U.S. And Global Economic Trends For 2010.)

Sedona's Financial Crisis

The August 22, 2009 In-Depth Forecast, Sedona Through The Millennium Contraction predicted, ...Sedona will suffer a major financial crisis from October 2009 through May 2010. See City short $426,000 for Fiscal Year ’09.

As the Angel Valley sweat lodge death indictments are filed, Sedona's reputation will take another hit, and the big spring tourist season will likely be another blow out. Sedona has been a focus, not because it's the Celestial Wheel's current publication location, but because it's a case study in Second Gilded Age excesses and the resulting impacts of the Millennium Contraction. It will be interesting to see if popular protests being to arise here in 2010.

Hello 2010

Debt Bombs

The December 12, 2009 In-depth Forecast, U.S. And Global Economic Trends For 2010, cautioned about debt bombs -- when national debts, bloated by bailouts all over the globe, overwhelm and countries default, causing currencies to collapse.

However, just as Abu Dhabi saved Dubia from defaulting on a $4 billion bond -- Abu Dhabi gives Dubai $10bn to help pay debts -- expect other teetering counties may need to be saved by more secure neighbors and allies in 2010 and beyond. The Worst May Not Be Over for Europe states, Day by day, fears are growing that Greece or another weak country may default on its sovereign debt obligations, forcing the richer countries in Europe to ride to the rescue...

This process of plugging dikes will likely continue until 2013. As stated in the December 18 Celestial Wheel, 2013 will be the year when the Millennium Contraction hits the hardest, but the initial convulsion may begin in December 2012.

Yet, countries may not be the only governments harbouring debt bombs, and these can also take the form of unresolved deficits in U.S. States -- California's scary sneak preview. Smaller public entities, like counties, cities, towns and school and fire districts are also vulnerable to revenue shortfalls and unaffordable debt. Sedona, with its $75 million in debt in a small town of only 11,000 (and shrinking daily) is again a good case study.

New Years Resolutions
If you've pledged to clean up your lifestyle in 2010, these changes hopefully include continued moderation in spending, eliminating debt and making other changes to achieve a sustainable lifestyles. See, In Recession, Americans Doing More, Buying Less. Certainly too, helping others and participating in popular protests are worthy goals.

However, if you've vowed to lose weight or cut another addictive habit, these next few weeks will be difficult. As Mercury is the nervous system and Venus is pleasures, they are the planets of addiction. Currently, both are afflicted. Mercury is retrograde (until January 16) and conjoins toxic Rahu to early February. Venus is combust (burnt) by the Sun, and also with Rahu through this month. Further, Venus will be eclipsed in the January 15 powerful annular solar eclipse. The suggestion here is to delay until early February these noble efforts.