Many years ago, when I was still just learning Vedic Astrology basics, I gave my visiting daughter a page-long interpretation, explaining this showed how something worked -- like predicting thunderstorms or why her mother was a good cook....

Always a people-pleaser, but not a good reader until she was older, she replied, Lots of words, with a puzzled smile.  I got that and let her off the hook.  After all, understanding planetary symbolism isn't easy for everyone, just as dancing, and other endeavors, requires a certain affinity and skill.  Well, with my Ascendant (body) ruler in the twelfth house of loss and the feet, I have clumsy feet and simply can't dance to a beat.

Similarly, the last three Celestial Wheel entry, Back To Basics, heavy on Vedic symbolism, likely went over many subscribers' heads. Beyond being a specialized skill, Vedic Astrology is slow deep absorption.  So, it's not easy, nor quick, to grasp.  But too Vedic Astrology holds in-depth information about the incredibly broad range of human endeavors and nature. 

To achieve that penetration, reach and specificity, Eastern Vedic uses at least ten times as many analytical tools as our Western Sun-sign system.  Further confusion results from Vedic being an Eastern system, which is a different type of mentality.  To an Indian, the twelfth house's loss, sexual pleasure, the sleep cycle, feet, final liberation, left eye and left ear... form a natural group.  To a Westerner, these must seem unrelated -- just a jumble of qualities.  For an Indian, though, these fit into their cultural and world views and how they perceive them.  And to make matters even more confusing, Indians don't always follow strict Vedic rules.   They don't process information in a linear way.  Some Indians folks look to the eleventh house and twelfth house together for the left ear, or even just the eleventh, and the third house for both ears, all of which the Indians, able to hold opposing thoughts simultaneously, agree with! 

The Back To Basics three-part series attempted to show how Dasas (planetary cycles) and transits operate and work together.   The intention was to explain the need to use both, with predominance given to the Dasas, to identify and understand upcoming karmas -- and thereby make accurate predictions.  Those three forecasts are A Lot Of Words, but hopefully through patience and using slow deep absorption readers can gain a basic understanding of this primary quality of Vedic Astrology -- predictions.

This discussion comes at what we should understand as a pivot point in American history -- part way through the eighteen year Rahu Dasa.  During this transformational Dasa, the Second Progressive Age comes in fits and spurts, advances and losses, turmoil off all kinds and the ending reality still shrouded in dense fog approaching an unknown shore.  On a physical level, will we blow ourselves up (or be blown up), get washed away, suffer drought, enter a major depression...  And will these happenings impact us mentally? And will we surrender to fear or use the fear to rise above the emergence yet again of our lower natures in society?

With Rahu, you never know, especially with its placement in the U.S. chart in the deep and dark eighth house of secrets and calamities.  Actually, we do know one thing -- that with this Rahu, transformational change is inevitable, a fixed karma, as it was in our history.  The U.S. chart's first Rahu Dasa ran 1775 to 1793, and by its end, a democratic republic had emerged.  The second eighteen year Rahu planetary cycle ran 1895 to 1913, which period is called the First Progressive Age.  This third Rahu Dasa run 2015 to 2033, promising what the Celestial Wheel has labeled the Second Progressive Age.

But consider how these Rahu Dasas are so different, yet have some common fundamentals. They are all rebellions against authorities dominating America -- the Kind of England, the robber barons, and now the tech robber barons with hard right fundamentalists (secular and religious).  Rahu is flying machines.  The Wright brothers flew during the second Rahu Dasa and by its end, aviation had changed the globe.  Now we have rockets landing on their tails, billionaires in space, and who knows what further advances will occur, with similarly puzzling results?  Isn't somebody making up the story that  90 year old William Shatner, the original TV Captain Kirk, will go to space in a rocket next week?

The wild, card, of course, is COVID.  That changes everything, but then, Rahu Dasa changes everything, which explains why COVID is here now.  Both are poison, toxic to bodies and also to vulnerable systems and beliefs.  So, couldn't we understand COVID as a manifestation of Rahu Dasa?  And what about global warming -- another wild card?  Isn't that phenomena also transformational, as is Rahu -- which as the reptilian dragon's scorched-earth ability?  And, of course, Trump is a Rahu manifestation.

Given all of this, and I'm sure there are more transformational karmas unseen as yet,or simply not recognized, what's coming up with the current Sun/Mars conjunction?

Overall, the above discussion, by explaining the volatility and uncertainty of this Rahu Dasa in the U.S. chart, we now better understand how and why specific predictions are so elusive. Think, that since the typical predictive accuracy is missing, isn't that a prediction by itself?  Expect the unexpected.  Ah, there is one prediction that can be firmly made -- something, or things, is gonna happen during the next several days.  Events will be quick, violent, upsetting, risk excessive response but are not in themselves transformational.  Whatever happens will be a continuation, albeit severe, of ongoing trends which must culminate in a new society of shared democratic values.

The September 29 Back To Basics Part 3 Transits  identified two major karmas.   First, the U.S. chart's Dasas are the conflict-creating combination of Rahu major and Saturn minor.  Second, transit ills are the triple conjunction of Sun/Mars (fighting, discords) with a vulnerably weak Mercury retrograde October 9 -- as shown in the below chart for today.  Not shown in the chart is the U.S. chart's Saturn, sitting in Virgo at 24 degrees in tenth house of the public and government officials.

Transits October 9, 2021

As you can see from today's chart, the triple transit conjunction is at 22 degrees, almost on top of that Saturn.  This naturally magnifies the karmas, and in a typically Saturn way -- wreck my day.

Actually, the Sun and Mars are already just a degree apart, and they'll conjoin exactly October 7.  So, we're more than hip deep in that energy.  We can see this energy in the California oil spill and also in the endless squabbling in Congress.

Notice also that Venus, the planet of love and grace, is fast approaching dissolving Ketu in Scorpio, a dangerous sign.

So, it's a good time to keep a low profile and just tend to your business. The dragon is afoot.

PS   For the fundamentalist red states, where the virus is hitting hardest, the people should begin figuring out There's no voting after death.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2020©
Doug Riemer

Turning  Forward -- Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn

Recent Celestial Wheel entries have focused upon the basics of transits and Dasas for prediction and the challenging transit conjunction of Sun/MarsMercury in Virgo.  The latter is a real time example of the basics discussion -- that Dasas are primary karma and transits secondary.

This transit issue is seen in the below transit chart for October 9.  The referenced three planets conjunction is in Virgo, which has Mercury retrograding (backing up) into the Sun/Mars combination.  (Notice that Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury are labeled with retrograde R letters.)

October 9, 2021

Mercury turns forward today, after his three week confusing retrograde that began  September 27.  It (Mercury has no sex) has been tractionless.  That will be a great relief to communications in general, the nervous and respiratory systems.

Let's take a look at the below current transit chart.  You can easily see the retrograde R next to Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury have disappeared.  So regardless of whatever else is going on, this gives the zodiac planets normal traction -- power to exert their influences -- which is much better than the impotent and sometimes aimless retrograde we've experienced since the spring. 

Also, the Sun moves into Libra today, not a strong position but thankfully away from Mars and Mercury too.  Obviously then, this is a much better situation than shown in the above October 9 chart, especially for Mercury.

As for transit Jupiter and Saturn turning forward, Saturn did that October 11 and Jupiter today.   Capricorn is Jupiter's fallen (weakest) sign, where he's further harmed by Saturn.  Jupiter can't do much for another month, when he moves into Aquarius.  Yes, forward motion does restore Saturn's traction, but the great malefic is actually less destructive when retrograde.

Transits October 18, 2021

Below is the U.S. chart, which because the birth time and location are known, adds houses to the simpler sign only transit chart.Overlaying this sign only transit chart on this sign and house chart, you can see the Sun/Mars/Mercury conjunction has been in Virgo in the tenth house of the public and government officials.  Saturn, which is the planet of public servants is also in Virgo.  So this is a double hit to the public sector and governing.

Although accurate predictions are elusive during the U.S. chart's Rahu cycle -- because of its alien reptilian energy -- the September 29 Back To Basics Part 3 Transits  did score a direct hit, Virgo is the tenth house of the public and government officials.  So that's where the action will likely be. ...We can see that influence in politics at all levels -- local, state and federal.

U.S. July 4, 1776 6:17 PM Philadelphia, PA

Overlay today's transit chart again to see that transit Saturn sits close to, and is approaching, birth chart Ketu. in the second house of domestic harmony and income.  As malefics with incompatible energies --Saturn is structure and stability and Ketu is dissolving and boundless -- both are naturally harmed. That is evident in the COVID discords, MAGA movement, protests, changing labor choices. and emerging economic challenges...  Recalling that Saturn is government officials, this is another hit to that area of society. Saturn will get close enough to Ketu by the end of December for real damage to occur.  They will be conjunct just before Christmas Day.  Because Saturn is so slow (2 1/2 years in a sign), its transit impacts are more durable.  Expect the above listing of challenges to intensify and not decrease until the new years.

Transits, especially fast moving inner planets, bring sometimes abrupt and serious karmas, but these tend to be short-lived.  Considering though the U.S. chart is running Dasa planets of Rahu major and Saturn minor, transit ills are more serious, although not longer lasting.  Expect the government gridlock to continue but wind down.

Joe Biden is naturally a key figure in advancing the progressive agenda.  His chart would give much more information about the battle between Democrats and Republicans -- and the future of the country.  Everyone has been using 8:30 AM without questioning, which resulting chart simply doesn't fit him.  (The very first thing an astrologer does when considering a chart is whether the first house of the self is correct, for that guides the identity and the rest of the chart.)  8:30 AM is a Scorpio rising chart -- Scorpio as the first house of the self, is ruled by Mars.  Biden is not a Martian.  I therefore did a rectification of his birth time, understanding this work during Mercury retrograde would not be exacting.  But at least I could determine the correct rising sign and get reasonably close to the actual birth time.  Backing up the birth time an hour brings a Libra rising chart, first house ruled by Venus.  That fits.  It works for his career, social nature, losing his first wife and child, aneurisms, sons.....  Biden is a Venusian.

With the correct rising sign of Libra, a chart with both signs and houses results, which gives great information about Dasas and transits.

Joe Biden
November 20, 1942 7:29 AM
Scranton, PA

Foremost are his Dasas -- planetary cycles, which are Jupiter major and Rahu minor -- August 2020 to the end of 2022.  This combination is great for career, for Biden did win the 2020 presidential election, but it brings conflict.  Rahu attacks Jupiter's luck and fortune, his expansionary ability.  That certainly fits with his presidency.  Just consider the tumultuous Afghanistan withdrawal.  Noting that Juiter/Rahu Dasa will be completed at the end of 2022, this signals the end of his great exalted Jupiter 16 year Dasa that first brought him the Vice Presidency.  Then he enters his 19 year Saturn Dasa -- bringing contraction.  Biden needs to make his administration successful by then, which interestingly just after the 2022 mid tern elections.

Also, and this is key to his current legislative challenges and popularity drop, the Mars/Sun/Mercury transit conjunction in Virgo has been in his twelfth house of loss.  With three planets there, he simply couldn't prosper.  It's lucky for him there are no planets in his twelfth.  It's again fortunate biden has no planets in his fourth house either.  So, the Sun/Mars/Mercury eonjunction stalled Biden, and Saturn turning forward is truly just a hindrance.

As long as he stays steady, at lest major portions of his progressive agenda should pass Congress.

The Celestial Wheel 2002-2020©
Doug Riemer