The Celestial Wheel Vedic Commentary   December1 -- 31, 2008     Back To The Celestial Wheel

December 26, 2008

A Holiday Season Heads-up

     The next several days until New Years will be somewhat uncertain and possibly conflicted.

      The all-important perceptional Moon is weakly dim and passing across disruptive Mars and Rahu -- the head-of-the-dragon eclipse point.  These malefics rile up the emotions and harm lunar benefits in life.  Alone, a disturbed Moon wouldn't be enough planetary karma to cause significant issues. 

      However, Saturn, the planet of focus and loss, is grinding to a stop December 28, in preparation for turning retrograde January 1.  Saturn's stabilizing organization and structure significations are weakened during this motion transition.  Yet, as Saturn is also powerfully motionless for a few days, it can be destructive.  (Note: Earth crust events often occur as Saturn's influence for structure shifts.)  Another view is that Saturn's deity is Lord Shiva -- the destroyer and the creator.  Saturn/Shiva destroys what is no longer necessary to make room for the new.  As a benign example, young children lose their baby teeth to make room for adult teeth.

      These dispositions indicate economic concerns, especially in regard to governmental actions -- central banks interventions to forestall the global economic decline.  Continuing extreme weather is also indicated, and long journeys can be disrupted. 

      Some Vedic Astrologers who use the outer planets are concerned about this interval, for transformational Pluto is conjunct destructive Mars on the U.S. chart's Ascendant (self) -- indicating violence.  This astrologer acknowledges that concern by looking to the Navagraha (nine planet) Vedic Astrology for stresses -- hence today's alert.

Shoulders To The Wheel

     The November 19 In-depth Economic Forecast: Mid November 2008 -- March, 2009 opened with the suggestion that we all have to pull together, ...for the U.S. is at a pivot point that will tip to either a short purifying economic trimming or a long economic retraction causing widespread suffering. 

     This is a bottom-up philosophy, as opposed to Second Gilded Age top-down economy.  The latter gives tax and regulations breaks to the rich, and when the economy consequently freezes up, the federal government gives trillions to financial institutions to protect their executives and rich investors.  Now in twilight-time, the Bush administration is befuddled as to why repeating the same action results in the same result -- which is a definition of insanity. 

     Again, the instability at this ending of 2008 can be useful in refocus to us to humanity's commonality -- to save us all by applying the bottom-up approach.   Incorporating that into your New Year's resolutions makes simple sense.  This astrologer remembered to donate his jar of change to the Salvation Army and also wrote off obligations for three financially stressed clients being helped via the donation principle.  Too, the Obama administration's stimulus plans are bottom-up by repairing infrastructure, advancing alternative fuels... to increase employment.  Obama's most crucial role, however, will be to stimulate hope, ending G.W. Bush's divisive selfishness to put everyone's shoulder behind the wheel.

T'was the Night Before Inauguration

     Subscriber A.H. in Arizona forwarded this clever poem, which at first glance seemed a little sappy.  But, after realizing this was Second Gilded Age selfishness thinking, a second read through truly inspired -- expressing the hope ingrained in the American psyche that has saved us from ourselves for over 200 years of booms and busts.

You're Fired Suzi Orman!

Suzi Orman's personal financial advice program on CNBC is helpful and her advice generally sound, for many have money stresses now.  However, Suzi does sometimes betray a Second Gilded Age selfishness.       After Suzi gave a recent male caller advice to not make a purchase, he asked, Well, what about the falling economy?  Wouldn't this purchase help?  Suzi nearly catapulted herself out of her chair, eyes afire, the demon of selfishness arising, Don't you worry about the economy, mister.  That's someone else's problem!

     Suzi rejects caller requests to spend money by saying, You're denied!  Too bad Donald Trump wasn't on the set to tell Suzi, You're fired!  (Well, The Donald isn't the best role model here, but Suzi might actually listen to her financial hero.  Too, even Trump's monumental and selfish ego may crash by this recession bringing his third bankruptcy.  Yes, third -- for all of you who mistakenly thought Trump is a financial genius.  Huckster is a better term.)

     Suzi should have instead taken this opportunity to discuss the urgent need to put our shoulders to the wheel, to each do our part, in even small ways, to support the economy from the bottom-up.  She could have listed a dozen acts to help society that wouldn't harm individuals financially.  She could have also solicited TV viewer suggestions for ways to help.  Unfortunately, Suzi was probably thinking about putting her change in coin wrappers to deposit into a high yield account -- for after all, she could squeeze another couple of bucks out of money sitting uselessly in a cookie jar.  Too, the title to her book is both revealing and incongruous -- since it is Second Gilded Age greed by the rich that caused the economic problem, and nobody is getting richer now.

Thank You Subscribers

     The December 12 subscriber email alerted to the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years and also announced a matching contributions offer from a Minnesota subscriber, A Celestial Wheel subscriber in Minnesota has offered to prime the pump by matching Contributions up to a total of $200.  It doesn't take much to keep The Celestial Wheel rolling along, but it can't run on fumes.  Please consider a debit or credit card Contribution

     Generous subscribers dug into their cookie jars from Taos, Annapolis, Baltimore and Orlando -- for a total of $196.  The contribution match funded the two week effort to research and compose the December 21, In-depth Economic Forecast For 2009.  Yes, it really did take that long to identify, graphically display and interpret key transits.

     Two other Florida subscribers helped others to navigate the recession by gifting a Vedic consultation to a friend and having a former spouse's chart interpreted.  Of course, these generosities also increased this astrologer's income from VedicPredictiveAstrology, which is added to The Celestial Wheel cookie jar.  If you help a little here, then you may be pleasantly surprised at positive results there.

     Again, thank you all -- except Suzi Orman!  But, if you happen to read this, Suzi, you can begin to cleanse your greedy soul with a Celestial Wheel Contribution!

An Early Second Progressive Age?

    Underway is forecast research on the short and long term effects of Obama's leadership and bottom-up economic philosophy.  Yes, there's still hope.  It's possible Obama can guide the nation through a brief recession in 2009 and jump-ahead into an early Second Progressive Age in 2010.  Consider that it was the Great Depression's severity allowed F.D.R. to push through the New Deal -- restoring shared economic values after the greedy decade of the 1920's.  The country has since been more fair and humane for social security, minimum wage and other protections from America's ever-lurking monied aristocracy.

     The December 21, In-depth Economic Forecast For 2009 offered a hint of this possibility by stating, The deepening recession is so far reaching and impactive, it will be determinative in all areas.  For example, how the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, or end, will be driven in large part by cost and affordability.  Ending these wars early can be the silver lining in this recession, as could other advances like universal health care, re-regulating industry, making taxes more progressive, breaking our oil addiction and safeguarding the environment -- much of which can also alleviate global warming.