Saturn Contains the Virgo New Moon,
The EMMY AWARDS &
The Saturn Return of the Golden Age of Television
Mercury Retro Backs Into and Venus Enters Virgo on
The Transformational Autumn Equinox of 2009

By Shelley L. Ackerman © 2009

SHELLEY ACKERMAN
Photo: Rich Press

Mercury Retro’s ‘Hoof in Mouth’ Parade:

It’s been a cavalcade of bloopers, blips, and slips of the tongue this week as Serena Willliams, Kanye West, and veteran NY TV anchor Ernie Anastos (b. July 8, 1943), each let it rip and made news with their respective lapses in decorum.

Anastos, who has the Sun in Cancer and Moon in sexually obsessed Scorpio, stunned co anchor Dari Alexander and weatherman Nick Gregory when he said, “It takes a tough man to make a tender forecast, keep f*cking that chicken” Here it is on YouTube. Without a doubt, Ernie meant to say, keep plucking that chicken. Of course.

Here is the story of Anatos’ apology.

Why has this particular Mercury retrograde, which began on September 6th/7th been so wretched and when will the effects of it subside?

Part of it has to do with the fact Mercury began the retrograde phase in a tight ‘square’ (a 90° frustrating and tense aspect) to feisty impatient Mars, who acts before he thinks and ‘sharpens’ Mercury’s impulses like a knife. Also, Mercury conjoined Saturn and opposed Uranus during this sequence- and though Saturn is restrictive, Uranus in the mix contributes a wild, wooly, unpredictable and rebellious quality. As was the case with Rep. Joe Wilson, Uranus won out with Kanye, Serena and Ernie. Oops.

Mercury stations direct on Sept 28th/ 29th, and will slowly begin to move forward before picking up speed by the second week in October. Planetary stations (standstills) are very powerful. It’s as if the planet takes a stand at a particular degree.

In the weeks ahead, Mercury will again meet up with Saturn (Oct 7/8) and square Mars again on Nov 1st. Whatever went down in the first half of September will either come home to roost or be rectified by early November. Stay tuned.

Friday’s New Moon, tightly conjoined with Saturn, occurred at 25 Virgo 59. The Sabian Symbol for that degree is: “A Boy With a Censer Serves Near the Priest at the Altar”. (I’d love to see Ernie or Kanye cast as the altar boy in that shot).

According to Australian astrologer Lynda Hill, expert on the Sabian Symbols (and how they add color and meaning to each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac), this particular degree speaks of youthful attitudes, and advises participation in the toil without an expectation of glory. The degree also evokes images of altars and shrines, incense, burning candles, passing down wisdom and knowledge. It can allude to playing 'second fiddle' to someone else. Here’s Lynda’s missive on this week’s New Moon.

EMMY AWARDS 2009 - The Saturn Return of TV’s Golden Age?

And speaking of playing ‘second fiddle’ with aplomb, grace, and dignity, I must mention Malcolm Gets (b. Dec 28, 1963), the wonderfully versatile actor who played George “Gould” Strong (Big Edie Beale’s accompanist and devoted, pained, and probably gay quasi boyfriend) in Michael Sucsy’s riveting film “Grey Gardens”. Gets should have been nominated for an Emmy for best-supporting actor in a movie or mini-series but wasn’t. He’s an accomplished musician and actor, and his work in Grey Gardens was subtle, powerful, and choice. (Click here for the Gothamist’s interview with Gets). Hang in there Malcolm, recognition Capriocorns often comes later.

Lange and Barrymore
in Grey Gardens

“Grey Gardens” didn’t hit a false note. And what actor wouldn’t shine under the loving and tasteful eye and the impeccable direction of Michael Sucsy? He's divinely guided to be sure and we’re lucky to have him on the planet now. Any actor (or editor or cinematographer) who works with him is blessed. Michael is deeply aware of and grateful for the contribution of every participant in his project. When I spoke with him he raved about composer Rachel Portman and praised his crew. He is a very special and sensitive man. What will Sucsy turn out next? He’s working on a film called “The Goree Girls”, the story of Texas women jailbirds in the 1940’s who formed a country-western band and sang their way to freedom. The movie is set to star Jennifer Aniston and it sounds like it has elements of “Nine to Five”, “Playing for Time”, “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”, “Caged”, “Women Behind Bars” and “Chicago”. I’m psyched.

FYI: In the 1980’s, before starring in 1988’s 20th anniversary of “Jacques Brel” I did some bit parts in jail scenes in “Desperately Seeking Susan”, “Prizzi’s Honor”, and was a hooker in the bordello scene in “The Purple Rose of Cairo”. I could easily be coaxed to step back up to the mike, brush up on my Texas accent, and drop whatever weight needed to work with Michael in this or any film or project he’s a part of. He’s that inspiring.
Here, on Huffington Post, Michael Sucsy writes about his ‘baby’, Grey Gardens.

In addition to Grey Gardens, I am totally enthralled with AMCTV’s MAD MEN, Matt Weiner’s award-winning series. Comedian Elayne Boosler turned me onto the show last September and I've been hooked ever since.

Set in the 1960’s, MAD MEN triumphs in many ways but especially as a reminder of how far we’ve come in 46 years. The NY Times has a running blog /discussion after each episode. This is television at its best- it’s an entertaining, instructive, and a beautifully produced primer on the evolution of our culture.

The Golden Age of Television is said to encompass the years 1949-62. We are now at the Saturn-return of the beginning of those years. I’m hopeful that more intelligent shows like Mad Men and films like Grey Gardens are in the offing?

January Jones, Oprah and Jon Hamm

Oprah Winfrey will have stars Jon Hamm and January Jones with her on Monday 9/21 and the show will feature a special clip of both Oprah and Gayle in a scene from Mad Men. The show is now in the midst of a storyline addressing 1963 racial attitudes and the winds of change. Neither Oprah nor Gayle would have worked out front in a ‘glam’ spot in an ad agency back in ‘63 and today they’re two of the most powerful women on television.

Where Have All the Icons Gone?

As Summer 2009 began, I wrote about June-Sept ’09 as a “Season of Change”. Now, three months later, it seems as if at least 10% of the true greats of the world, those who have impacted our lives in the last 50 years, have left the planet.

Oh yes, people die all the time, but has there ever been a cycle in which SO MANY iconic figures and great souls have left en masse? In Summer of Celebrity Deaths, even the NY Times has noted the impact that these specific deaths have had on Baby Boomers.

Beginning with David Carradine on June 3rd, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Don Hewitt, Frank McCourt, Walter Cronkite, Dominick Dunne, Ted Kennedy all left us within an eight-week period, and in this past week alone Larry Gelbart (MASH), Patrick Swayze (GHOST), Henry Gibson (LAUGH IN), and Mary Travers (PETER, PAUL & MARY) have gone on to their greater glory. We’ve hardly had a moment to reflect upon the gifts and contributions of each and mourn them individually before the news broke of yet another passing.

“The eyelash is a friend to man.
It lives to serve the eye.
It fights the dirt and dust and grime,
And keeps the eyeball dry.”
               - Henry Gibson, Virgo

Though he died on Monday, I first heard of Gibson’s death on Wednesday (hours before the official news broke), from a FaceBook post by my friend, actor Kevin Scullin who heard it from a friend (who was) close to Gibson. Click here for Henry Gibson’s obit in the NY Times, and here for Laugh-In’s Christmas Show 1968 montage on YouTube (Watch for Gibson as Santa Claus, a pilgrim, and an elf).

The big Saturn-Uranus opposition of Sept 15 (an aspect cycle that will continue through August 2010) which represents the push/pull tension to either hold on tight to what we’re familiar with or to break from the past and completely set yourself free, precisely ‘hit’ the angles of Swayze’s, Gibson’s, and Travers’ charts- and I mean exactly. All three left within 24 hours of the exact opposition! From our KarmicRelief ‘Fan’ page on Facebook, here are: Mary Travers’ chart and Patrick Swayze’s chart progressed to the day of his death.

Read more here.

But perhaps more significant, is that Pluto, planet of death, rebirth, and transformation was at zero degrees of Capricorn for the better part of August and September, affecting the ‘world axis’ and in essence, restructuring the collective unconscious. Maybe we are being moved to cherish and honor the icon within.

The chart for the Autumn Equinox has Aquarius rising with Neptune and Chiron on the ascendant. In the northeast US, it does appear that we are sensitive to airborne infection. Swine flu is being talked about as the feared epidemic that we face, but it could also be something else.

Last week, this column touted Dr. Andrew Weil for his holistic take on the upcoming flu season. But if we take the Chiron/Neptune rising on the ascendant symbolism and the name ‘swine flu’ a bit more creatively, we can think in terms of ‘swine flu’ being the ‘influence of swines’, or those with a greedy or piggish nature. (Did some say “Lobbyist” or “Insurance Company”?)

This weekend, President Obama takes to the airwaves to promote health reform. The bill that was introduced by Democrat Max Baucus of Montana, is, according to former CIGNA PR man - turned insurance industry whistleblower Wendell Potter, an “absolute gift to the health insurance industry. ”Potter guested on Bill Maher’s REAL TIME on Friday night. Maher began his show with these comments on the Baucus Bill: "It is a watered-down, ineffectual blow job to the health insurance industry." Oh Bill- you have such a way with words and I couldn’t agree with you more. Let’s get Ernie Anastos (and his Scorpio Moon) to give it to these guys.

Chart: Autumn Equinox
Click for larger view

Bonus: 2009 Astro Crib Sheet

Weekly Horoscope: