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Autumn Equinox 2008
Billionaire$ for "McPain" Ticket
The Sun in Libra, Venus Enters Scorpio,
Mercury Goes Retrograde-Again!
[From my 'Shimmering Stars' column in The Westchester Guardian, © 2008]
SHELLEY ACKERMAN
Photo: Rich Press
$One Trillion to save AIG and Other Failing Financial Institutions
Yes, the astrologers told you this was comin’ and it’s just the beginning I fear. Pluto will spent a good 15 years in Capricorn.
As I write this, the Feds continue to meet and congress is voting on the specifics of the giant bailout for the financial meltdown created by the unregulated culture of greed that began during the Reagan years and reached dire extremes during the Bush years. The Full Moon conjunct Uranus unleashed the beast this week in which Lehman tanked, Merrill Lynch was bought by Bank of America, and AIG almost went under.
In his must read, exceptionally clear piece for the Huffington Post, “A Nation of Village Idiots”, author James Moore explains in clear and simple terms how this happened and what it means going forward.
Photos: S.Ackerman
Jeter's Milestone
Bye Bye Yankee Stadium
Common Ground: Subway Enlightenment 101
You never know where you’re going to engage in something meaningful. New York is magical in that there are people and opportunities everywhere. As I was on my way to see the phenomenal production of “Hair” in the Delacorte Theater in Central Park for the 4th time this Summer (The Clintons: President Bill, Senator Hillary, and daughter Chelsea saw the show on Sunday Sept 7), I bumped into several Midwestern-type ladies on the uptown IRT Lexington Avenue subway. I knew they were not from the Big Apple by how polite they were to one another. Each offered the other their seat.
“You must be from out of town”, I said. They laughed and replied, “How did you guess”? I said, “No New Yorker would be this insistent on offering anyone their seat”.
They were such fun and shared that there were three hundred of them here from Tulsa, OK for a prayer meeting in a church near Bloomingdales (Isn’t Bloomingdales a church itself?).
Anyway, they asked me what I’d like them to pray for. I took a moment, and knowing I was on treacherous ground, I asked them to pray that Barack Obama win the election. The woman smarted for a second, but with grace she instantly composed herself and said, “Why don’t I pray that the best man win”?
I responded by saying “That’s wonderful. Yes. Pray that the best man will win for the highest good of all concerned.”
All of the ladies smiled, and I did too because we genuinely reached a place of commonality. Clearly we had different political views, but we also genuinely wished the highest good for all and shared a sense of reverence for prayer and the good that comes from turning things over to a higher power.
As the Sun enters Libra, and Mercury goes retrograde from Sept 24-Oct 15 it will trine Neptune three times during the sequence. The political rhetoric, deceptive banter, and economic mayhem will go back and forth and quite possibly, some of the players and/or our perceptions of them will change dramatically as events unfold. The important thing though is to keep in mind that we are struggling with getting to the bottom of some pretty ugly stuff. With this kind of economic foul up, politicians are mostly interested in covering their tracks and not owning up to their part in how this came to be. Our perceptions and varying degrees of understanding of how we are being manipulated through are fears, our religious beliefs, and the threat of further economic loss is hard to take. I’m trying to keep the lines of communication open and my compassionate self available to those who think and believe differently than I do.
I did like those ladies on the train. I wonder if they completely get what’s at stake for their daughters and granddaughters if the McPain ticket gets in? In Friday’s NY Times, Senator Hillary Clinton and Cecile Richards, the director of Planned Parenthood, wrote an op-ed about the pending Bush proposal to block health services for women. If passed, the Department of Health and Human Services (governing family planning) would require that any health care entity that receives federal financing — whether it’s a physician in private practice, a hospital or a state government — certify in writing that none of its employees are required to assist in any way with medical services they find objectionable.
Billionaires Rothschild and Trump for “McPain”
Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, former wife of Democratic Manhattan Borough President Andrew Stein, and major supporter of Hillary Clinton’s bid for president, held a news conference this week in which she threw her support to John McCain, calling Obama an “elitist”. This from a woman who married a Rothschild, spent her honeymoon in the Whitehouse, and owns the Chelsea estate of artist John Singer Sargent.
Not to be out done, Donald Trump also threw his support to McCain this week on Larry King Live. Both stand to pay much more in taxes under an Obama Presidency.
C’mon guys- you’ve had a free ride for too long. McCain/Palin would not only eliminate a woman’s right to chose, they would fill the Supreme Court with right wingers who further erode our freedom and privatize social security and most employer-provided health insurance benefits. The selfishness here is beyond anything I can personally understand.
Joe Biden came forward and said that for the super rich, paying more taxes displays patriotism. Unlike most in his sphere, Biden lives modestly on his senate salary.
Here Nicholas Kristoff goes into specifics about how much (in one case $500 million) the failed execs have earned.
Charts:Libra ingress of the Sun
Click for larger view
Sept 18: Moon in Taurus
Sept 19: Moon V/C @ 6:51 pm, enters Gemini @ 11:17 pm,
Mercury trine Neptune @ 11:22 pm
Sept 20: Sun square Pluto @ 11:44 am
Sept 21: Mars trine Neptune @ 10:58 pm
Sept 22: Moon V/C @ 1:04 am, enters Cancer @ 1:49 am,
Sun in Libra @11:45 am, Venus sextile Pluto @ 6:23 pm
Sept 23: Moon V/C @ 5:17 pm, Mercury conjunct Mars @ 6:51 am.
Venus enters Scorpio @ 10:59 pm
Sept 24: Moon in Leo @ 5:13 am, Mercury station retrograde @ 3:17 am
*Moon v/c = ‘void of course’, Best for spiritual not earthly pursuits
ARIES: Your presence in a group of artists or seekers on the 21st sparks a compelling debate and kicks the conversation up a notch or two. Be cordial but don’t hold back on your truth! And as the Sun’s enters social Libra on the 22nd, bringing the total up to four planets (including your ruler Mars) in that sign and in your 7th house of “the other”, it’s time to dust off your deferential self and join the party-any party. Pay close attention to the key players in your life and commit to the process of revising those terms of endearment. Going it alone is no longer an option.
TAURUS: Your voice, gusto, and star-power are needed in the workplace, but weigh those pearls of yours carefully: With Mercury stationing and going retro on Sept 24 through Oct 15th, and despite the initial “yes, let’s run with this” from the top, you may need to take some of those words back and rework your good ideas in the weeks ahead. Your ruler, Venus, enters Scorpio on the 23rd, making your closest relationships that much more intense. Through Oct 18th, your capacity to forgive, forget, and turn the other cheek will be tested, but lord knows, you’re so good at it.
GEMINI: A casual flirtation may get quite serious after the 23rd, but promise nothing for now: Your ruler, Mercury, will be retrograde in your 5th house of romance and creative pursuits through October 15th, and that quick mind and fickle heart of yours may go back and forth on the same subject (should I or shouldn’t I go for that fun project or get involved with Mr. or Ms. So and So?). It would be kinder and wiser to spare them and keep your inner deliberations to yourself. How would you like being put in that yo-yo position?
CANCER: The interplay and cross-pollinating of your family and professional life (or your parents presence in your home) is pretty much unavoidable now, but this won’t necessarily turn into the huge problem that you think it will. As a matter of fact, the exchange could serve to clear up many a misunderstanding that has plagued both sides of the families involved for generations. Inviting a boss or authority figure who expressed interest in a home visit in the past does all concerned a world of good.
LEO: Before diving in to any pool, it’s a good idea to check on how deep the water is. So whether love, money, or both are what’s tempting you at the moment, this is no shallow affair and all of the possible complications are not yet visible: Bide your time until you learn more. The Sun’s entrance into your 3rd house of siblings, neighborhood, and media highlights communication. Bet on a lively exchange with quite a few literate types in the weeks ahead but since Mercury will be retrograde from Sept 23rd to Oct 15th, make no new promises. A project that was first proposed and dropped in the Spring may resurface for a second look.
VIRGO: The focus is clearly on money, your self-worth, and what’s of value to you-all of which are in a state of flux. Be with the back and forth for now, and don’t force a resolution till your ruler Mercury (retrograde in your 2nd house of income on Sept 24th) goes direct on October 15th. As unsettling as this phase may be, there are several silver linings that could come your way. One of them may be an offer that was never acted upon when first presented. Listen and consider carefully before deciding yay or nay.
LIBRA: The Sun enters your sign and the spotlight is on you, and while the Mercury/Mars combo in your first house prompts you to spit out some choice words to a deserving party without thinking first, you could regret it the minute you say it. So breathe, breathe, breathe, before speaking. Venus enters your second house of income that same day and as it good as it feels to let said deserving parties have a piece of your mind, you wouldn’t want to cut yourself out of a bonus by insulting and/or offending the wrong person.
SCORPIO: The build-up of planets in your unseen and oft unconscious 12th house could be quite irritating but don’t blow off steam before you’ve had a chance to discuss what’s bothering you with a trusted adviser. Your greatest power is in your presence (Venus enters your sign on Sept 23rd) and you really don’t have to say much to have the influence you need-just do your best to look good. Keep your thoughts private for now and plan on your next big “reveal” after the November elections.
SAGITTARIUS: An alliance between yourself and a female community-minded acquaintance may prove to be more valuable a connection than meets the eye at first. Cultivate this ally, she will come to your aid when you need her. Your involvement in a group will try your patience as the rules of the game are apt to be rewritten over the next few weeks. Resist the temptation to get involved in any side dealings, there is no privacy in which to maneuver.
CAPRICORN: Flip-flopping has become a tainted phrase in recent years, and unfortunately we have come to undervalue the benefits of the back and forth dialogue needed to clearly analyze a situation from all sides. As the Sun lights up your career house for the next month, and as Mercury goes retro in that sector as well (through Oct 15), you have a chance to show others the importance of having “all things considered’ before committing to a plan. This is not flip-flopping or indecisiveness: It’s good old fashioned common sense.
AQUARIUS: In the musical “HAIR”, Claude (one of the leads) declares: “I am Aquarius, destined for greatness or madness”. So what’s wrong with having some of both? The Sun’s entrance into Libra combined with Mercury retro in that sign for the next few weeks has you revisiting your core philosophy of life. While these kinds of questions are necessary and valuable every now and then, you needn’t pursue with the added pressure of solving the entire riddle of the universe. Venus enters your very visible/image oriented 10th (career) house on the 23rd, suggesting that sometimes a little lipstick, a new tie, or that sex change operation you’ve been saving for is all you need to brighten your day.
PISCES: Extreme sensitivity such as yours can be such a bitch at times, and the only way to alleviate the psychic pain is through understanding what’s at play at the deepest level. “How do I do that”, you ask? The answer over the next few weeks comes by way of Mercury retrograde in the airy and intellectual Libra in your psychic 8th house. Libra loves words and through language you can access and clarify that which has plagued you for ages. Accept a partner’s help with this endeavor, provided they’re in a healthy and drug-free place. No crazies for now!