Category: by Matt Savinar

Moon/Jupiter Conjunct the South Node in Scorpio: Past Lives and Priesthoods of Death (Astrology of the Central Intelligence Agency)

Editor’s Note: this is excerpted from “Astrology of the Central Intelligence Agency”, one of four features originally published in the Summer 2016 print edition of Hexagon. Using its establishment date as its date of birth, the Agency has its Sun (identity) in Virgo (analysis) with its Moon (needs), Jupiter (expansion), and South Node (past lives) in Scorpio (secrets). -Matt

The Moon and the South node are the two primary points we look to if we want to understand a person’s past, be it their past lives or the formative years of this life. An intelligence agency like the CIA obviously doesn’t have “past lives” per se but an analysis of its Moon and South Node can still provide a lot of information about the circumstances surrounding its formation.

The CIA has both its Moon and its South Node in Scorpio, sign of the Shaman and the Spy, the Hitman and the Detective, the Investment Banker and the Contract killer, the Criminal Deviant and the Depth Psychologist, the Covert Op and the Deep Cover Cop. Astrologer Raven Kaldera associates the Scorpio Moon with Hecate, an underworld goddess of sorcery, mystery, and mind-control:

Hecate well understands the cycle of death and rebirth. She specialized in the kind of magic that we might consider necromantic: contacting and channeling the dead, asking their advice, gaining their protection, and persuading them to aid her power. The places that she haunted most frequently were crossroads, which symbolize choice, or places where crimes of passion had been committed, or criminals executed. (Source)

The CIA’s Scorpio South Node is conjunct expansive Jupiter, the planetary ruler of priesthoods—be they religious priesthoods or judicial ones. If the agency was a person this would suggest that in past lives (South node) they were a priest or lawyer (Jupiter), involved in the business of contacting or channeling the dead (Scorpio). As it turns out, the CIA’s formative years (South Node) were very much characterized by the sort of necromantic magic Kaldera associates with Hecate (Scorpio Moon), all carried out in conjunction with deeply covert utilizations of the priesthood that is the legal system (Jupiter in Scorpio). While it was President Eisenhower who signed the Agency into existence in 1947, it was lobbied for and designed by the Dulles brothers: John Foster and his brother Allen. Both men were partners at Sullivan & Cromwell, a powerful Wall Street law firm known for representing companies from the Hecate ruled underworlds of high finance. The Dulles brothers never engaged in literal necromancy (Scorpio Moon). However, both did utilize their backgrounds in law (Jupiter/South Node) to contact people involved in the business of death, to assist them in channeling funds, to provide them advice, and even to persuade them to aid in the Dulles’ ascent to power—all behaviors Kaldera associates with Hecate (Scorpio Moon). According to a NY Times review of the book The Brothers:

[John Foster Dulles] played a central role in channeling funds from the United States to Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Indeed, his friendship with Hjalmar Schacht, the Reichsbank president and Hitler’s minister of economics, was crucial to the rebuilding of the German economy. Sullivan & Cromwell floated bonds for Krupp A. G., the arms manufacturer, and also worked for I.G. Farben, the chemicals conglomerate that later manufactured Zyklon B, the gas used to murder millions of Jews. (Source)

During World War II, John’s brother Allen was the top spy (Scorpio) at the CIA’s forerunner agency, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). While dispatched to Italy near the end of the war, he communed with Nazi officers who had committed crimes against humanity that make necromancy seem tame by comparison. He also engaged in secret, behind-the-scenes legal negotiations on their behalf (Jupiter in Scorpio). According to a review of The Brothers published in Washington Monthly:

Dulles sought out Nazi commanders in Italy to see if they would agree to an early surrender, and succeeded. Operation Sunrise relied on the cooperation of figures such as General Karl Wolff, commander of SS forces in Italy—who was later found to be complicit in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews…(Source)

Dulles promised select Nazis like Wolff that he would arrange for them to avoid prosecution for war crimes in exchange for their assistance in setting up a secret anti-Soviet network following the war. According to an account published by journalist David Guyatt, this network was to be funded through black market sales of “vast stocks of morphine, plundered gold, and a mass of counterfeit British bank-notes.” (Source) As Guyatt explains, the morphine-funded network Dulles created with former Nazis worked so well that the Agency later exported it as a method to finance covert operations throughout the world. When the French were ousted from Indochina in the 1950s, the Agency moved in and assumed control of the heroin trade. By the 1970s the trade was utilizing smuggling methods more than a bit reminiscent of the necromantic methods Kaldera associates with Hecate at her most extreme, all protected by deeply covert legal maneuverings (Jupiter in Scorpio).

The Moon describes what we need in order to feel nourished. A case could be made that in the chart of an intelligence agency it would describe where the agency gets its funding from since funding is to an intelligence agency what food is to a human being. With its Moon (nourishment), Jupiter (expansion), and South node (past lives) in Scorpio, the Agency has a long history of receiving nourishment (funding) from expansive depths of the black budget so filled with darkness and death that they remain nearly unspeakable. For example, Vietnam veteran turned DEA agent Michael Levine recounts:

The Chang Mai factory the CIA prevented me from destroying in [1971] was the source of massive amounts of heroin being smuggled into the U.S. in the bodies and body bags of GIs killed in Vietnam. (Source)

The Agency’s Moon, Jupiter, and South Node in Scorpio are all located in the 6th house of the workplace. If recent reports are any indicator, the CIA’s workplace culture is a cornucopia (Moon/Jupiter) of paranoia and suspicion (Scorpio). For instance, the Agency engages in a practice known as “eye-washing” in which it actively deceives its own employees. According to a 2016 Washington Post piece on the practice, leaders at the Agency’s headquarters will send a cable with certain information out to a large audience of its employees. That cable will be followed up by another cable to a smaller number of employees telling them to ignore the previous cable. As explained by the Post, the practice sows internal paranoia (Scorpio Moon) and could be utilized to conceal human rights abuses from ever being reviewed by the legal system (Jupiter in Scorpio).

About the Author: Matt Savinar is a California licensed attorney (State Bar #228957), voluntarily inactive as of June 2013. He can be reached for questions, comments, or consults at his contact page.

Hexagon #3 now shipping:
Hexagon #3 now shipping

Mars in Cancer Trine Jupiter in Scorpio: The Homefront Hitwoman and the High Finance Holy Roller (Astrology of the Central Intelligence Agency, Part 4/4)

Editor’s Note: this is excerpted from “Astrology of the Central Intelligence Agency”, one of four features originally published in the Summer 2016 print edition of Hexagon. A Virgo (analysis) with its Moon in Scorpio (secrets), the Agency has a trine (supportive contact) between its Mars (fighting) in Cancer (the homefront) and Jupiter (expansion) in Scorpio (secrets). -Matt

The Agency has Mars (fighting, aggression) in Cancer, sign of home and family. According to astrologer Sue Tompkins, Mars in Cancer “may be prone to interfering inappropriately” in domestic matters. (Source) The Agency’s Mars (assertion) in Cancer (home) receives an expansive trine from Jupiter (religion, zealotry) in Scorpio (the underworld, the occult). The Agency’s mission statement prohibits it from operating domestically, but there are numerous reputable sources that indicate it has been fighting (Mars) on the home front (Cancer) and doing so in a very expansive (Jupiter) if totally undercover (Scorpio) fashion. For instance, in the 2007 documentary American Drug War: The Last White Hope, former LAPD narcotics investigator Michael C. Ruppert explains that, during his time as an officer, the Agency kept its eye on the domestic drug trade via operatives it had implanted deep within police departments throughout the country. These officers had access to what was then known as the “Narcotics Intelligence Network”, a computer system that kept track of pending drug busts. If a CIA-affiliated ring was about to get raided they would get a tip to clear out. “That’s the way the CIA protects its share of the drug trade,” Ruppert explains in the film.

According to astrologer Austin Coppock, when Mars is placed in the sign of the crab, one of the most primitive forms of life, it “taps directly into the primordial pool of blood and bathes in it.” (Source) Coppock associates Mars in Cancer with both Norman Bates and the archetype of the “Werewolf” who must guard against suppressed drives, eventually “damaging what one is sworn to defend.” (Source) In the case of the CIA, its suppressed (covert) drives to defeat Communism abroad have prompted it to engage in Werewolf-like forms of behavior at home, as described by Fletcher Prouty, Mike Ruppert, and others. The subsequent Norman Bates-style bloodbaths of addiction, violence, and economic devastation that erupted across the country as the crack epidemic took hold have proven extraordinarily damaging to communities throughout America—the very country the Agency has sworn to defend. Since the Agency is legally prohibited from operating on U.S. soil, this also means it has been “interfering inappropriately” in domestic matters, exactly what Sue Tompkins warns is one of the liabilities that attach to Mars when it’s placed in Cancer, sign of its fall.

Mars/Jupiter aspects like the one seen in the Agency’s chart are considered absolute powerhouse combinations as they combine the natural aggression of Mars (the warrior) with the religious fervor of Jupiter (the preacher). Tompkins considers Mars/Jupiter the combination of the “Holy Crusader” who can “often be found fighting for or on behalf of God.” (Source) The CIA’s extensive ties to religious organizations throughout the world have resulted in its being referred to derisively as “Christians In Action” by more ribald corners of the military-industrial complex. however, the true God(s) on whose behalf it crusades are the Lords of Big Business, most notably Fortune 500 members of the weapons and oil industries, both of which are dependent on war for their livelihoods. As part of this crusade the Agency has applied energy (Mars) to suppressing dissent on the domestic front (Cancer) via far-ranging (Jupiter) if totally secret (Scorpio) methods. For instance, as part of its 1967-73 “Operation Chaos”, the Agency “kept files on 7,200 Americans, and a computer index totaling 300,000 civilians and approximately 1,000 groups” as part of its crackdown on the anti-war movement. (Source) The Agency conducted similar operations on university campuses, codenamed “Operation Resistance” and “Operation Merrimac.” Given recent revelations regarding the surveillance state combined with the decades long hyper-ascendancy of Big Business, it’s by no means unreasonable to suspect similarly zealous, pro-business, home-front holy crusades (Mars/Jupiter) are still being carried out by the Agency.

Mars/Jupiter aspects are also associated with the mass mobilization of resources in the legal or judicial systems. The combination can be interpreted as warfare (Mars) involving the legal system (Jupiter). The Agency has a long history of conducting “lawfare” operations (Mars/Jupiter). For instance, in 1981 the Agency worked out an agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in which it would be exempted from any formal requirements to report drug law violations on the part of its employees. The importance of that agreement in regards to what would soon be unleashed (Mars) upon the home front (Cancer) is difficult to overstate. According to Mike Ruppert’s analysis of the CIA’s agreement with the DOJ, “With the stroke of a pen the CIA had been absolved from turning in its employees, its contractors, and the employees of its proprietary companies who were soon to be found smuggling cocaine, hand over fist, and airplane over cargo ship.” (Source) That memorandum was, in effect, the legal justification for the crack epidemic—a multi-billion dollar business enterprise that would go on to generate enormous profits for scores of companies in the prison and judicial industries.

About the Author: Matt Savinar is a California licensed attorney (State Bar #228957), voluntarily inactive as of June 2013. He can be reached for questions, comments, or consults at his contact page.

Hexagon #3 now shipping:
Photo: Hexagon #3, front and back covers

Marvelous March Horoscopes from Elodie Miaow

(Photo Credit: NAAN/Shutterstock)

Sun sign horoscopes cannot replace a proper analysis of your birth chart and transits of the moment. They are meant to be a broad insight into certain time signatures. If you want a more detailed forecast, you can book a reading with me at 9thhouseastrology.com. It will be my pleasure to help you unlock and prepare for any upcoming opportunities or challenges. The rising sign is essential in understanding our personal dispositions, please read your Sun sign and Rising sign for extra clarity. Happy explorations! -Elodie

PISCES/PISCES RISING ♓︎

If you haven’t noticed, I decided to switch things around and put you first in the line to receive your monthly forecast. That way you don’t have to spend the extra few seconds scrolling passed all the other signs to get to yours. By being number one (even if it’s just for this month) it also keeps you from having to pass by everyone else’s “problems” and run the risk of getting sucked in. This month is about You. The New Moon/Solar Eclipse on the 8th and 9th is in your sign. The Sun will disappear for a moment and re-emerge – signaling the beginning of a new cycle. It will be dark for a moment but it is in the darkness that new life begins. Seeds sprout deep in the soil, away from the harsh and drying sunlight. This is why it is believed that a New Moon is a good time to set intentions. The eclipse will bring with her some revelations or perhaps a shift that could have some important impact in your life in the next year. It’s also good time to consider where in your life you might have “eclipsed” yourself and your needs and how you could find some equilibrium. The next 6 months will reveal a lot about partnership and the people you share your light with. There is a shift that is happening now and a story that will unfold and culminate in September. This time could be very energizing and confusing all at once. Focusing on a few important projects instead of spreading your sight in all directions will help you stay on course.

ARIES/ARIES RISING ♈︎

Don’t forget the momentum that you’ve felt around the Virgo Full Moon of February 22nd. Hold on to the vision of future victories in your mind’s eye. You will need a distant light house to get you through the waters of March. You might momentarily forget your crystal clear intentions as ghosts from you past resurfaces to test the dedication you have in moving forward. The Sun will find its heat again in the fires of Aries on the 20th of March. Until then, you are walking on the old battlefield. Mingle with the spirits who resides here. Get to know who, or what, they are so that you can release them. The more you resist the encounters, the more they will have a hold on you. You might as well get it over with. Old heart breaks, failures and self-defeating habits will try to get a hold of you. Acknowledge them for what they are and then let them go. The New Moon/Solar Eclipse on the 8th and 9th is a perfect time to set your intentions around releasing. Bury the dead and realign the helm of your ship. Be aware of any lingering delusions around dead-end scenarios. But this month is not all about your ghost stories. The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd highlights your partnerships and a possible culmination of a recent team effort. You will find a second wind for your work and projects as the Aries season officially begins.

TAURUS/TAURUS RISING ♉︎

Your talents have gotten you a lot of praise recently and it’s not over. Expect a month filled with inspiring connections and inspiring people. The New Moon/Solar Eclipse on the 8th and 9th is a good time to set intentions around sharing your bliss and what you love doing. It could also be about bringing more inspirational people in your life so that you can exchange knowledge and ideas. Collaborating on something bigger could prove to be a lot of fun. Step outside of your immediate concern to participate in a collective experience. In other words go out! A movie, a play or a concert could give you the prefect dose of soul-soothing medicine. Taureans usually like to have their boundaries delineated but you will have to put your walls down a bit this month. If you don’t do it voluntarily, it will happen anyway and it could be the type of boundary crossing that makes you feel invaded. There could be issues around a collective space that you have to share with others and a need to re-evaluate the situation. Communications should be handled delicately all month. Some people could be extra sensitive or on the defensive. Pay attention to what surfaces in your conversation and adjust your message in accordance. Earth signs like you can be anchors for the more emotionally fragile folks. Practice staying grounded and receptive. Flexibility will be your best ally all month.

GEMINI/GEMINI RISING ♊︎

If I had a magical formula that would help you resolve the conflicting dualities you are experiencing, I would give it to you. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that and you have to find your own answers. Perhaps it is also that deep down you love contradictions because they keep you on your toes? Either way you have done your fair share of weight lifting in the recent months and I am wondering if you noticed your muscles getting bigger? With all the questions you have asked yourself, you should really start to know exactly what it is that you want. You are also very aware of what is lacking or what you can’t have at the moment and that might be why it’s challenging. Instead of focusing on the missing elements, maybe this month you can take stock of your blessings? The New Moon/Solar Eclipse on the 8 and 9th is connecting you to your career or your social/public standing. You can bring significant changes that will have long-lasting effects but you have to discriminate between your fantasies and what is possible. Cultivating awareness of your inherent dualities and the narrative you tell yourself will help sort out your priorities. The greatest opportunities are found in adversity. Focus on your talents and all the tools that you have in your arsenal. Reality is stranger than fiction and you will be amazed at what you can set in motion with a little elbow grease.

CANCER/CANCER RISING ♋︎

The month begins with the distant calls of sirens, luring you towards nebulous territories. Since you are a natural dreamer with a rich fantasy life, this might not seem out of the ordinary. I would still take advantage of the first half of the month to renew with your love of dreaming. Connect with your muse. Let her guide you to the hidden treasures that your imagination holds. I would suggest that you keep a pen and paper handy so that you can write down the incoming waves of inspiration. Exploring uncharted territory will not suffice. You will need to translate your experiences. And that might be the difficult part. You might be tempted to bask in the glory of the indefinable emotions you experience and surrender to the immensities. However you will need to retrieve the treasures you find and bring them back. Connect to what you know in your heart to be true and take the first step towards aligning with that truth. Even if it is just a baby step. Find the proper vehicle for your revelations. If you had to give a physical shape to your dreams, what shape would you give to them? What material do you have available to you right now that would help you? Work with what you have. Expect the pace of things to pick up around the Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd. There may be a culmination of a recent project you’ve been working on. You could receive some praise for your contribution in your career. It looks like the end of the month will be very busy for you.

LEO/LEO RISING ♌︎

Recently, you have let all sorts of old insecurities take center stage in your mind. They crawled up, uninvited and made themselves comfortable, pretending that this is their rightful place. Your imagined downfalls, your flaws and fears have nagged you; starved for attention. What you might not have realised is that they are mere shadows and that your apparent loss of power is but a trick of the light. Don’t be fooled! You have already conquered them all. These ghosts are testing your resilience. They are not making you weaker, they are making you stronger by reminding you how far you have come. They are directly connecting you to your power and helping you surpass yourself. The New Moon/Solar Eclipse on the 8 and 9th is asking you to exorcise remnants of these old narratives you might still be telling yourself. Be very clear about who you are and what you are made of. Let them know that there is no space in your life for anything but solid goodness. The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd brings the completion of a process that started about 2 years ago. You can close that chapter and expect a new one to begin soon. Be flexible about what is possible. This month, you are crossing a bridge and it’s up to you to visualise what is on the other side. Be ready to move forward with your head high and an open heart. Be ready to reclaim your rightful place.

VIRGO/VIRGO RISING ♍︎

The New Moon/Solar Eclipse on the 8th and 9th is connecting you to your partnerships, what you are getting from them and what you wish you were getting from them. Discriminate between realistic expectations and fantasy. Are your expectations too high and are you constantly disappointed by what others deliver? Or is it that you expect too little and you undervalue yourself and your needs? It could also be a little bit of both. Plant your seeds. What is your vision of a healthy relationship? The give and take dynamic between 2 people doesn’t mean sacrificing your integrity. There is a certain amount of pressure right now to get to know your own needs. There is an emphasis on bringing health and vitality to you first. You are learning to delineate your boundaries and are experimenting between give and take. You need to find the perfect dosage and write down your recipe. This process might take some time but you already have a pretty good idea of the ingredients you need. One of the essential ingredients of course is: communication. We cannot expect others to telepathically anticipate our needs. We have to be able to articulate them. Often that is the tricky part. Misunderstanding happens when we tell a story in our heads and then assume that the other person heard us. We even react to others with the assumption that they know exactly where we are coming from. Good relationships don’t get built on assumption. Observe your interaction with others and see how your messages are received; I bet you this experiment will be a very enlightening.

LIBRA/LIBRA RISING ♎︎

The New Moon/Solar eclipse on the 8 and 9th is a great opportunity to bring back some well needed attention to your physical and mental well-being. You don’t need to go completely overboard with this. In fact, just a small barely noticeable adjustment to your routine could bring huge results down the road. One of my good friend was recently telling me about the concept of Kaizen which is the japanese word for ”improvement” or “change for better”. One of the most notable features of kaizen is that big results come from many small changes accumulated over time.(1) The emphasis is on the process and not the result. If you had to make one small adjustment to your routine to feel more vibrant, what would it be? What small step would you be willing to take to bring more vitality and health to your body? It could be as simple as taking 5 minutes a day to focus on your breath. Making ambitious resolutions is very noble but it can also be discouraging when life gets in the way. The beauty of Kaizen is that power lies in the minor adjustments. Since it doesn’t disturb your daily flow, the changes are barely noticeable. Overtime those small changes become more and more noticeable. In other news, the Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd is in Libra. It could signal the culmination of a relationship or a process that started about 2 years ago. A New chapter is about to begin.

SCORPIO/SCORPIO RISING ♏︎

Until the end of June one of your primary focuses will be on gathering the resources you need for your master plan. If you don’t have a master plan (which would be really surprising because you’re a Scorpio) I would suggest you formulate one. Dream big but remain fully aware of the work and the assets you will need to realise your goals. Keep in mind that you will likely need to step outside of your comfort zone to get there. The New Moon/Solar Eclipse on the 8 and 9th could be carrying with her old memories. You might have to take resolutions about something from your past that keep showing up but that belong to another time in your life. There will be ample opportunities this month to heal old standing issues. But don’t get stuck in the hurt trying to cover it up with a stoic demeanor. Find the medicine or in some case: poison that you need and take it. The important part is that you move through the month with a complete awareness of why you do what you do. The Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse on the 23rd will bring with her some form of completion and the work you have done in the last 2 years to uncover the ways in which you undermine your success will start paying off. You are aware of your darkness and more willing than ever to coexisted with your shadow. You can finally close an old chapter that has dragged on too long and focus on your master plan.

SAGITTARIUS/SAGITTARIUS RISING ♐︎

It looks like you might have the drive and the steam to work hard this month. You are about to receive a triple dose of will-power to fire up your engines and whatever you are working on will benefit from this dose of vitality. You might feel like re-inventing the wheel but I would guard you against such a foolish enterprise. Be mindful of where you decide to invest your energy because it might come back to bite you later. Discriminating and prioritising are your new best friends. It’s not that you can’t do it all. But be aware that what begins now will take longer to complete than you think. Discriminate between what is possible and perhaps what needs to stay in the realm of fantasies for now. Knowing where you want to invest your time and energy will keep you from draining your batteries and will help you have the staying powers in whatever project you are working on. You might feel enthusiastic about many ideas but prioritising is essential if you don’t want to get overwhelmed by responsibilities down the road. Save yourself the headache and differentiate between the people who are worth collaborating with and the ones who may not be reliable. This might not sound like much fun but actually this is a period in your life when you can get a lot done and reach new grounds. You have the discipline, the guts and the stamina. That is why it is even more important to be wise about where you invest your time and energy.

CAPRICORN/CAPRICORN RISING ♑︎

With Spring on the way, the urge for renewal is increasing for all us. The trees are ready to release their sweet waters and it is the contrast of cold nights and warm days that trigger the flowing of the sap. Birch sap is commonly used here in the North for it’s diuretic and purifying properties. The sap taste like water but it contains vitamins, proteins, amino acids, sugars and enzymes. It helps the body detoxify toxins accumulated during the winter months, also eliminating toxins that only the liver can process. The reason I am telling you about the birch is because I think you could learn a lot from this tree right now. You have an abundance of sweet juices accumulated that are ready to be released into the wild/world. If you wait any longer these sweet juices might start fermenting into an intoxicating brew. Now would be prime time to nourish others with your unique properties. I was also thinking that you could probably use a dose of your own medicine at the same time. Before the end of the month, I would suggest you clarify, detoxify and purify your internal and external space. The medicine or ingredient you need to do that is within you. You hold the key to your sense of ease and it has to do with releasing, letting go, surrendering to the natural movement/flow that wants to happen.

AQUARIUS/AQUARIUS RISING ♒︎

You might be blissfully unaware of what is happening around you right now. We could say that you are focus on the task at hand, dealing with the daily grind and doing what needs to be done. It’s not that nothing is happening in your life but I have a feeling that you are one of the most equipped to deal with a crisis at the moment. The world could crumble around you, I think you would still keep all of your faculties. Your ability to deal with stressful situations was seriously tested in the last few years but now, nothing can surprise you. Your peace comes with a deep understanding that you cannot control everything, and you are fine with that. You know where you stand but it might be the people around you who create some drama this month. Be ready to deal with external fluctuations and temperature changes from scorching heat to freezing cold. I don’t mean this literary of course, but some of the situations that arise this month are not definitive. Use your own discretion on how you want to deal with them but keep an objective stance if you can. Things are not completely as they seem, there will be changes made down the road so there is no need to jump to conclusion. Be careful about quick fix solutions or something/someone who seems to good to be true: it/they probably is/are. The end of the month brings a flurry of activity, communications and responsibilities. Projects that begins now might take a lot more time than you think. Keep that in mind before you sign up for anything.

About the Author

Elodie Miaow blogs at 9thHouseAstrology.com

Horoscopes copyright Elodie Miaow, republished with permission.

Hexagon #2 Now Available:

Professional astrologer Elodie Miaow with her copy of Hexagon #2
Professional astrologer Elodie Miaow with her copy of Hexagon #2

Mecca Woods on the Astrology of Hip Hop Duo Salt N’ Pepa

Professional astrologer and hip hop aficionado Mecca Woods of MyLifeCreated.com joined me to discuss her article on the astrological connections between the all-star hip hop duo Salt-N-Pepa:

Mecca’s article on Salt-n-Pepa appears in the Spring 2016 issue of Hexagon, which you can purchase at your local Barnes and Noble. If there is no Barnes and Noble in your area you can also order from our store.

Fabulous February 2016 Horoscopes from Elodie Miaow

(Photo Credit: Denis Belitsky/Shutterstock)

Sun sign horoscopes cannot replace a proper analysis of your birth chart and transits of the moment. They are meant to be a broad insight into certain time signatures. If you want a more detailed forecast, you can book a reading with me at 9thhouseastrology.com. It will be my pleasure to help you unlock and prepare for any upcoming opportunities or challenges. The rising sign is essential in understanding our personal dispositions, please read your Sun sign and Rising sign for extra clarity. Happy explorations! -Elodie

ARIES/ARIES RISING ♈︎

Some interesting developments are happening in your career or how you are seen in the world. You now have a pretty clear idea of who is on your side, and who will help you further yourself and your work. The New Moon on the 8th of February connects you to your friends and the groups you mingle with. Doors are opening if you are willing to intertwined your fate with the folks who think like you. You have the skills and the avant-garde visions; you might be asked to take part in a group collective and teach what you know. There is also the possibility of a conflict between your ambitions and your personal life, as the responsibilities start piling up. There could be issues or fears around money and how you make it. That which ties you to others loom large this month; you might also have to face issues of shared resources or finances. In the second half of February, there is an opportunity to find inspiration and renewal through solitude or meditation. The Full Moon on February 22nd illuminates any dependency or addictions you might be struggling with; your focus turns toward healing any long-standing issues. Make your body a priority. Detoxify and rid yourself of any self-defeating behaviour that keep you from feeling whole. Jupiter has your back.

TAURUS/TAURUS RISING ♉︎

Your beliefs have been under incredible transformation. You have been slowly getting rid of assumptions, political views or teachings, that you’ve held on to, as you realise they are not serving you anymore. All of these considerations are giving you fresh perspectives and new philosophies to contemplate; it’s also allowing you to see new possible ways you could put them to good use. We could call this process: ”the creative reform”. The repercussions of your creative reform will be mirrored in all facets of your life. You will start seeing new roads toward places you can’t even begin to imagine. Taureans are known for being stubborn and single-minded, but it couldn’t be further from the truth at the moment. An iconoclast is hiding within you and is starting to make itself known. We are still in the early stages – you might have to stick to conventions for now. The New Moon on February 8th is asking you to integrate your recent ideas and visions to your career and to a larger extent your community. This looks like an excellent month to think about furthering yourself in your chosen path. You might feel like you can take on all the work by yourself, but by the end of the month, you will realise the important role people around you play in your success. Give thanks and acknowledge the support you’ve received in implementing your ideas. The Full Moon on February 22nd will illuminate the way you handle stress and the impact on your body. You might be curious about alternative or innovative trends in the holistic world. It could also be that you feel a need to detoxify and rejuvenate your body. Listen to what comes up.

GEMINI/GEMINI RISING ♊︎

Your obligations and responsibilities towards others is still being felt heavily this month. However, your ruler Mercury, now direct after being retrograde for most of January, allows you to look towards the future. You should really start feeling the ease flowing back into your life mid-month. Your gaze is on the distant horizon and possible new ventures. You could feel a need to break from the beaten path. Your career also needs to be addressed; you might be giving a lot more than what you are getting in return. At this point, you should ask yourself if it’s worth the sacrifices. There could be some stress around money, other people’s assets, and taxes. Make sure to give yourself ample space to decompress at home and consciously release stress and tension. The New Moon, on February the 8th connects you to higher learning, dreams, journeys or distant travels. It is a good time to set in motions long-term ventures that will help you broaden your horizon. Explore new ideas and concepts. You might also be asked to share what you know with a group of people; this could take place over the internet. By the end of the month, you should have a clear idea of where to invest your energy in the coming months. You will also have a clearer sense of where you need to make yourself and your well-being a priority.

CANCER/CANCER RISING ♋︎

The contracts, agreements and the work attached to obligations are strongly highlighted this month. Your wishes have been granted and you now have to deliver the goods. Lucky for you, your creative reservoir is bursting at the seams. Some folks might wonder how you do it, but you wont give your secrets away. One thing is certain: you have many tricks up your sleeve that are helping you succeed where so many failed. You could also give thanks to Mars in Scorpio, who is in partly responsible for fueling your engine at the moment. You are walking on a sharp edge that is directly connected to your career. You are also getting a lot of inspiration from the small details of everyday life: rejoice! You don’t get the creative juices flowing by indulging in front of the tv like a beached whale. You get it by rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty; and that is exactly what you have been doing. You could say that the wisdom you have acquired in the bottom of your own darker corners is finally being integrated in healthy ways. If you don’t harness all the stamina in your creative pursuit, you could find your sex drive increased or, at worst you might become edgy and argumentative. If possible, defuse the tension in your personal relationships. Acknowledge your needs and the needs of your partner; and notice that it all originates from the same flame. You are too busy to be fussing over trivial details anyway.

LEO/LEO RISING ♌︎

The New Moon on February the 8th is in your house of partnership. It serves as a kind of reset button. Set your intentions around your relationships and what you expect from them. Let yourself be seen by others and reach out. Unexpected but fated encounters are very likely this month if you step out of your comfort zone. I realize that this might be easier said then done. How can you go about impleting new ways of doing things when you are so busy with the daily grind? Well, it starts with staying open to new encounters: people who could bring a lot of creative freshness, the ones we sometime label weirdos – artist, rebels, inventors or mad-scientist types. The current tensions you are feeling are mainly connected to the struggle between your need for unrestrained explorations and the obligations that are weighing you down. In other words, the battle between two very dissonant urges. By teaming up with others, you will be able to find some novel ideas and new perspectives. The Full Moon on the 22nd of February is in your house of material resources. It could clarify the things that are available to you, and how you can put them to good use. You will understand the sort of initiatives needed on your part to get where you want to be. Get in touch with your core motivations. What is driving you? What do you need? Exorcise your impatience by getting to the roots of your ambitions. Get feedback from others on your role and responsibilities. Then you can choose which road you want to take with a clearer sense of direction.

VIRGO/VIRGO RISING ♍︎

The darkness that has emerged in the last few months should be seen as a creative process. To touch others, one must have the necessary depth and the wisdom. That is, to some extent, the process you have gone through. By digging deep into your core, you have retrieved some pretty powerful stuff; and this process is not over. The romance or playfulness you are craving might not be forthcoming, but you are at the moment, one of the luckiest signs of the zodiac. Everyone has had to work hard to exorcise their demons, some more than others. With Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion in your sign until September, you can definitely count on some positive development in the near future. Here is the thing: Jupiter is currently moving backward through your sign until the second week of May as part of its retrograde cycle. You might not feel the blessings of the great benefactor quite yet, but he is working his magic backstage, and you are too. In astrology, it is widely understood that easy aspects or planets that are deemed beneficial are not always positive. Why is that? Because when things are easy, we usually take it for granted. You have until May, to train in becoming a grateful recipient of all the positive things that are happening, or that will happen to you. Part of your homework for the next few months is to learn to see and use opportunities that might not seem like opportunities, to your advantage. Develop an optimistic gaze; see the good in others; spot the silver lining; become a faithful devotee of chance; trust the outcome. Don’t take the gifts you receive for granted. The Full Moon on February 22nd is in Virgo. Expect some clarity around partnership.

LIBRA/LIBRA RISING ♎︎

Libra, you have hosted some interesting guests into your very private quarters in the past month or so. Their visit has prompt you to clean up all of your blind spots—the ones you can’t see everyday, where dust builds up. Some of the clutter has been family mementos you are holding on to for no reason except a sense of burdensome responsibility. This process felt scary at first but quickly turned into a catharsis. And now you can feel the spaciousness and ease that is slowly permeating through all the aspects of your life. All you had to do was be willing to shine the light in the attic for a moment to see the “monsters” for what they really are: a pile of old insecure rubbish that you have outgrown. There might still be some boxes in your basement that needs sorting, but at least you are aware of it. They say ignorance is bliss but, in your case, knowledge is power. The New Moon on the 8th is a push that can help you innovate in a project you are working on. Be alert for ingenious ideas that seem to pop out of nowhere. Listen to the iconoclast in you, the one who doesn’t want to do things like everyone else. The Full Moon in Virgo on the 22nd will prompt you to find solitude and tranquility. Retire from the world for a moment, maybe finish cleaning up your basement.

SCORPIO/SCORPIO RISING ♏︎

The first 2 weeks of February continue to be about clarifying your message. The way others receive what you have to say, the methods you use to communicate and the meaning behind what you are trying to convey was a big part of January. Studying the way others have communicated in the past might help inspire you to reform the way you use language and words. With Mars transiting in your sign for a good part of the year, you could appear a lot more pushy or combative than you really are. You don’t want to start an argument, you just know what you know—you know what you want and you want it now. The New Moon on February 8th prompts you to deal with family matters or your home front, and the material resources available to you. You are craving independence and self-sufficiency: set you intentions and get to work. Expect a tidal wave of inspiration to flow in around mid-month and make sure you capitalize on it. Deal with any fears associated with your powerful creative urges. Find allies that will help you further yourself and your creative projects. You have so many resources available to you at the moment; you just need to be willing to put in the extra hours.

SAGITTARIUS/SAGITTARIUS RISING ♐︎

The material resources available to you at the moment seem to be in a state of flux. Your income or the way you make money had to be reviewed or reformed in the last few months. You are now starting to feel the repercussions of these changes. It looks like you have a lot of work on your plate, and a lot of inspiration to get down to business. The New Moon on February 8th is a reset button in regards to the way you communicate. You are now in a place where you could teach what you know, if you don’t already. Another big theme coming up for you is connected to your sense of authority. Have you ever considered passing on your knowledge or mentoring? I think you know enough in your field of expertise to consider the option of taking students or apprentices or to work on your current projects. The Full Moon of February 22nd will highlight a sort of dichotomy between your place in the world and your inner sanctuary. Confusion on the home front is very possible in the second half of the month and you could find solace if you step outside, walk around, and talk to people in your neighbourhood. In the last week of February, there is an opportunity to clarify an issue or misunderstanding around boundaries and personal space. You should feel confident enough to bring up the conversation and find a solution.

CAPRICORN/CAPRICORN RISING ♑︎

As you go about your business this month Capricorn, I want you to contemplate this famous quote from the Greek philosopher Plato: ”The measure of a man is what he does with power.” Such a simple statement but in reality, very hard to put into practice, especially when we are asked to step up in a leadership role. Of course most Capricorn will say it is their natural birth right since they are after all one of the most competent sign of the zodiac. The problem arises when other people start relinquishing their own authority and look to you for answers. What do you do with the heavy responsibilities that are handed down to you by others? How do you handle problems that are not your own? Now would be a good time to reflect on your place in the world and how you go about using your powers. Venus in Capricorn until mid-month will give you a good balance between social grace and getting what you want. The New Moon on February 8th is a fantastic reset in regards to finances. Find new ways of generating revenue, and look for the trend setters that could help you innovate. You have a lot of resources available to you at the moment, capitalize on what you have. The Full Moon on February 22nd highlights your learning journey; take stock and adjust your sails.

AQUARIUS/AQUARIUS RISING ♒︎

Aquarius remains the most misunderstood sign of the zodiac. It is not that you are inaccessible; in fact, you are very much a social creature, but your mind dwells where not many people dare to venture. You are not bound by time in a mundane sense; but time is the thread that leads you to perceive future realities. Your gaze is set on the multiple possibilities that would allow you to reform our social mores and align them with your vision of the future. In a sense, time allows you to experience the future. Society needs people like you to move us forward and help us break free from the stale structures. It is so easy for you to see solutions for the problems that plague modern society that you wonder sometimes why people are still so archaic. The good news is that this is your time of the year. The New Moon on February 8th is in your sign and it is in some ways a new start for you. Forget about the projects that didn’t reach what you had envisioned. The future is now. Saturn, the traditional ruler of Aquarius, will be in Sagittarius until December 2017. This is your cue to reform some of your beliefs and philosophies. If you are still holding on to dated misconceptions about what you want, what you are or what you want to be, now is a great time to let them go. You are ripe for a new vision.

PISCES/PISCES RISING ♓︎

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ― William Arthur Ward

My father is a Pisces and a guitar maker or luthier. Growing up I spent many hours in his shop looking around at all the exotic woods and little drawers filled with pieces of bones, shells, tagua nuts and ornamented guitar keys that would later become part of an instrument. He probably kept a watchful eye on me, but I felt like I had free reign to play around and explore. He would let me use his band saw to cut pieces of wood that I would turn into jewelry, giving me tips but also letting me make mistakes. Sometimes he would give me a small job, but it never felt like it an obligation. To this day, there is always an “aprentice” in his orbit and through the years many young artist have adopted him as a sort of “spiritual father”. As a Pisces, you hold a key to the mysteries of life that make others want to be close to you. You naturally take people under your wing without questioning their intentions which in turn makes them feel accepted. Your deep understanding of pain and struggle allows you to have compassion for everyone and this is a true blessing. Make sure you do the same for yourself as you come to the end of the yearly cycle and are about to celebrate another trip around the Sun. Have patience with yourself and for your perceived flaws and imperfections. Acknowledge your wounds and give yourself the compassion and acceptance you would give someone else.

About the Author

Elodie Miaow blogs at 9thHouseAstrology.com

Horoscopes copyright Elodie Miaow, republished with permission.

Hexagon #2 Now Available:

Professional astrologer Elodie Miaow with her copy of Hexagon #2
Professional astrologer Elodie Miaow with her copy of Hexagon #2

Cancer Sun, Libra Moon: The Balladeers with Business Sense and the Opera Singers with Attitude, the Family Melody and the Street Smart Fairy Tale

Editor’s Note: this article appears in the Winter 2016 print edition of Hexagon. It’s also been turned into a YouTube video and uploaded to both Vimeo and Soundcloud. -Matt

Using its first public screening (July 21st, 2015 @ 7:30 pm in Philadelphia) as its date of birth, the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton has its Sun (identity) in Cancer (sign of family) and Moon (needs) in Libra (sign of melodies, justice). The film documents the rise and fall of an ad-hoc family (Cancer) of rappers best remembered for justice minded melodies (Libra) so controversial they drew the ire of everybody from the FBI and Focus on the Family to Oprah Winfrey and Tipper Gore. It’s one of the most anticipated musical biopics in history and, as coincidence would have it, astrologer Linda Goodman describes the biographical arc of the Cancer/Libra pairing in distinctly musical terms. In her 1978 book Love Signs she writes:

. . . for a while this can be a melodious scene. Libra adores laughter and the humor of Cancer becomes a rhythmical lyric to the mellow music of Libra’s Venus essence, smooth and restful at times, yet also containing crashing chords and sour notes, punctuated by a kind of rocky roll. It’s pure entertainment, and fortunate indeed are the innocent bystanders brightened by the musical duets of this combo while they’re getting along. The innocent bystanders should enjoy it while it lasts.

True to Ms. Goodman’s description of the Cancer/Libra pairing, Straight Outta Compton’s most enjoyable scenes are those depicting the group’s melodiously ribald musical performances. Those performances, all of which take place during the first half of the film, combine the smoothly restful, rhythmically mellow proto-G-funk style of Andre “Dr. Dre” Young’s producing abilities with the crashing intensity of O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson’s lyrical genius, all punctuated by the menacing irreverence of Eric “Eazy-E” Wright’s high pitched, rock-n-roll street drawl. The result is pure entertainment. In contrast, the second half of the film focuses on what happens when the musical duets stop and disputes over money begin. By the end of the film, those disputes have left a trail of innocent bystanders in their wake: wives and girlfriends, business partners, even Eazy-E himself.

In his book Moon Phases, astrologer Raven Kaldera describes the combination of Cancer Sun with Libra Moon as “The Black Knight” for whom:

Idealism has turned to anger . . . hopes have been betrayed by the cruelty of unjust people. Anger explodes and the Black Knight takes justice into his own hands. He knows that he is not working for the Man, as it were. He is aware that he is outside the law but considers the law corrupt . . .

As per Kaldera’s description of the Cancer/Libra pairing, the subjects of Straight Outta Compton are entirely “aware they are outside the law but consider the law corrupt.” Their anger at injustice meted out by the deeply corrupted LAPD explodes into music too powerful to be ignored. “They have the authority to kill a minority”, lyricist-in-chief Ice Cube hollers in “F**k Tha’ Police,” the group’s 1988 protest anthem as relevant to the Obama years as it was to the Reagan era.

As far as fashion goes, the group favors the all black attire of the L.A. Raiders (knights) professional football team. None of the young men own any horses like the knights of old but their leader Eazy-E is known for cruising around town in a 1964 model Chevy Impala, a high performance vehicle that is to rap musicians of his era what destrier charging horses were to knights of medieval times. He even records a hit song about it, the film’s depiction of which is both wryly humorous and deeply humanizing.

The members of N.W.A. may not be Kaldera’s “Black Knights” in the literal sense of the word but the film does depict them as low-rider driving anti-heroes who speak out about police brutality at a time when public discussion of such matters was kept under the tight control of corporate media. The film even engages in a bit of family (Cancer) lawyering (Libra). In one scene, Ice Cube responds to a reporter’s criticism of the group’s lyrics by citing the Constitution, “Freedom of speech includes rap music. We’re exercising our first amendment rights as far as I’m concerned.” He and Eazy-E then explain that the parties alleged to be responsible for gang warfare and the crack epidemic may not be the ultimate culprits they’re made out to be. “The cocaine comes from Columbia, the AKs [assault rifles] come from Russia. But none of us have a passport. So you might want to check the source,” they adroitly observe.

In their book Sun Sign Moon Sign, Suzi and Charles Harvey tell us that an “image for integration” for the Cancer/Libra pairing is, “Mother Goose recites a poem, surrounded by adoring fairy tale creatures.” Strange as it may sound, that’s actually an excellent metaphorical approximation of Straight Outta Compton. The film’s operative scene takes place inside a rented recording studio where Eazy-E recites the lyrics to “Boyz-N-The-Hood,” a bass-heavy, urban folk-poem that would become legendary for its unflinching depiction of life on the streets of Los Angeles at the height of the drug war. Eazy-E isn’t “Mother Goose” per se but the film does portray him as an ambitious, business-minded midwife to a group of artists whose life stories have since taken on such mythological levels of significance that the film is now the number one grossing musical biopic of all time.

While both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Straight Outta Compton is not without serious shortcomings. Astrologically, it’s a good example of the Cancer/Libra tendency to deny or ignore uncomfortable issues out of existence even as it confronts others. Most notably, N.W.A.’s rampant misogyny and homophobia are left unquestioned while Dr. Dre’s vicious beating of music journalist Dee Barnes is left unmentioned. The contributions of all-star girl group J.J. Fad are conveniently written out of the film even though it was money and acclaim from their hit song “SuperSonic” that established the group’s label as a legitimate player within the music world. With a few brief exceptions, women are depicted as little more than bitches, hoes, and “house-whores.” This is a systemic and not-insignificant blight on what, at times, is one of the more emotionally moving (Cancer), justice minded (Libra) films in recent memory.

Saturn in Scorpio: Planet of Challenges in the Sign of Underworlds

Straight Outta Compton’s Sun (identity) at 28 degrees Cancer (sign of family) receives a supportive contact from Saturn (planet of structures) at 28 degrees Scorpio (sign of underworlds). From beginning to end, the film is structured (Saturn) around a series underworlds (Scorpio). It starts in the underworld of a South Central Los Angeles dope house where we see a drug deal between friends go from bad to worse to even worse. It ends in another underworld, the AIDS ward of Cedar Sinai Medical Center. In between, it’s structured around the psychological underworlds of backroom business deals and joint financial transactions. Early in the film, a closed door agreement between Eazy-E and N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller is depicted as financially shortchanging other members of the group. Later, the strong arm tactics utilized by Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight in procuring the services of Dr. Dre prompt Eazy-E to consider having Knight assassinated, a course of action Heller dissuades him from pursuing.

In his book Myth Astrology, astrologer Raven Kaldera associates Saturn in Scorpio with the myth of Cerridwen, a Celtic goddess who assists others by regenerating slain corpses in her cauldron. Nobody depicted in Straight Outta Compton is able to regenerate corpses but we do see Dr. Dre persuade Eazy-E to invest money acquired from the corrosive dead end that is the crack trade into a cauldron of smoking hot musical acts that end up cracking the top of the charts. There’s no voodoo or magic in the film, but turning money accrued from an industry backed by bullets made of lead into records made of gold arguably qualifies as something akin to alchemy.

North Node in Libra: The Other Side to the Other Side of the Story

Straight Outta Compton was released as the transiting North Node (point of destiny) was in Libra, the sign responsible for providing the other side of the story. In many ways, the film accomplishes its North Node directive as there are numerous scenes in which we see police violence depicted from the other side of the boot or battering ram. It’s in these moments that the film operates as counter-programming to officially sanctioned narratives regarding the application and misapplication of justice (Libra) in our culture.

At the same time, even compelling counter-narratives often require additional counter-narratives if justice is to be truly served (Libra North Node). In regards to the counter-narrative offered by Straight Outta Compton, most reviewers have chosen to look the other way when it comes to the group’s appalling dehumanization of women and the film’s near total erasure of them. However, a few voices have come forward with counter-narratives to the counter-narrative. For instance, in an interview published by the Huffington Post, Sikivu Hutchinson reminds us that “N.W.A. was instrumental to the normalization of terroristic, misogynistic violence against black women and girls.” Writing in the Washington Post, journalist Jamilah Lemieux acknowledges the film’s cinematic brilliance but explains that the current mobilization against police violence is “far less driven by rap and rappers than it is by black women.” Critics and fans who celebrate the group’s anti-authoritarian valor but fail to question the injustice of music that treats black women as disposable commodities are thus “missing the other half of the story”, she points out.

About the Author: Matt Savinar is a California licensed attorney (State Bar #228957), voluntarily inactive as of June 2013. He can be reached for questions, comments, or astrological consults via Twitter, his first YouTube channel, his second YouTube channel, SoundCloud, LibSyn or this site’s contact page.

The premier issue of Hexagon, now shipping:

Matt Savinar, Novalee Truesdell, and Carrie Davoli on the premier issue of Hexagon

What The Hell Is Going On Up There and Who’s Behind It? The Search for the Real Assassins

(Photo Credit: Shutterstock)

Editor’s Note: this is a 400 word article excerpt from Michael Lutin’s 2,000 word appearing on pages 24-to-27 of Hexagon #2. -Matt

In the case of the United States, we are facing a Plutonian confrontation that began before the United States was even the United States and was just a ragtag bunch of settlers.

Way back then, Pluto was also in Capricorn. So let’s look at that.

Pluto in Capricorn represents the landlord, archetypically speaking, and always involves the question of the rightful ownership of property. In fact, we could say that it represents invasion and the seizing of property. So while attorneys litigate their heads off in long protracted court cases, the issue is, of course, who owns any property on the Earth. No matter how well we disguise the motivation for war and dress it all up in ideological and moral righteousness, it is always about real property and the development of natural resources.

Viewed astrologically, the United States’ Sun in Cancer is at a pretty wide angle to be considered a traditional opposition to Pluto. I’m not so interested in that sort of orb. I’m interested in at what point in time and space such an alignment would become exact or partile.

In the case of the United States, by secondary progression, that was around the year 1791. That was the year the Sun opposed natal Pluto by secondary progression. 1791 marks a very big defeat for the Native Americans when the US won the territory of the Northwest at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It was also the year that the Bill of Rights was ratified.

Transiting Pluto, currently in opposition to the natal Sun, is echoing the progression of 1791 in current events. And here we are at the doorstep of our Pluto return natal position being 27 Capricorn.

The United States of America was born in confrontation. The fundamental issue in the history of this country is the control of property, and especially the illusion that you can invade, conquer, and seize property and pilfer someone else’s natural resources with no consequences at all.

If you do it in the name of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, nobody can say a thing.

But wait, think of everyone in the world right now. Isn’t this a mark of the darker side of Pluto in Capricorn? It is easy to name names and fire away at political leaders and “terrorists” for their encroachment upon foreign territory since the 16th century. But are we not, as members of the Earth community, being encouraged to shiver in fear as our leaders all over the world demonize the next group whose lands they jealously covet?

But wait again: those heartless murderers who kill innocent citizens in surprise attacks—who are they? Who are they really?

This is not new. This is not news. Is the population of the world truly resolved to end evil? Who is the terrorist? Is there a macabre plot to intimidate everyone and demonize all Xenos?

Who are the Xenos? What is a Xeno? Are you a Xeno? Am I a Xeno? The fact is, we are all Xenos to somebody.

With Pluto in Capricorn, it is not so clear exactly who the invader is.

Final week to pre-order your copy of Hexagon #2:

Hexagon #1 and Hexagon #2
Hexagon #1 and Hexagon #2

Joyous January 2016 Horoscopes from Elodie Miaow

(Photo Credit: Cristian Kishborn/Shutterstock)

Sun sign horoscopes cannot replace a proper analysis of your birth chart and transits of the moment. They are meant to be a broad insight into certain time signatures. If you want a more detailed forecast, you can book a reading with me at 9thhouseastrology.com. It will be my pleasure to help you unlock and prepare for any upcoming opportunities or challenges. The rising sign is essential in understanding our personal dispositions, please read your Sun sign and Rising sign for extra clarity. Happy explorations! -Elodie

ARIES/ARIES RISING ♈︎

In the last few months, Aries, you spent a lot of time over-analysing your situation, yourself and everything that is possibly wrong with you. You might not have been aware of this ongoing internal critic, but I urge you to start the year with a clean slate in the self-esteem department. It’s ok to use a magnifying glass to look at ourselves,,all our little flaws and every little wrinkle, but sometimes you have to take a breather, take a step back and look around at what is going on outside of your immediate periphery. Make a New Year resolution to let go of a bad habit and then get your priorities straight. The urgent matter at the moment and the place where you need some restructuring have to do with your work, your career, and your place in society. The New Moon on January 9th is connecting you to “the boss that lives within”, your inner CEO, the person in charge. You are looking for more autonomy. You want to do your own thing. How bad do you want it? What do you have to let go in order to get more financial autonomy? The Full Moon is in Leo on the 23/24th, and it ILLUMINATES the part of your chart that connects you to your creative center. You want more freedom, more fun and you have a lot of creative juice brewing at your core. January is an excellent month to revise your ambitions, what you have to contribute to the community and the role you want to have in society.

TAURUS/TAURUS RISING ♉︎

January is a solid month and there is a lot on your plate to start the New Year. You have creative power at the moment. If there is someone able to bring ideas into reality this year, it is you. The New Moon in Capricorn on the 9th is happening in the part of your chart that deals with what you believe in, which to some extent has been under revision. How do your spiritual inclinations and what makes you rise above the mundane fit in with your surrounding, your friends or the people you associate with? Are they at odds or do you feel supported? Now would be a good time to take stock since you might be hyper aware of the disparities between your philosophies of life and the community you are a part of. A serious appraisal of the situation is called for. Mercury retrograde in Capricorn for most of the month is an excellent time to revise your overall direction and where you see yourself going in the long term. Your ruler Venus will conjunct Saturn which calls for maturity in all of your dealings and personal relationships. You might be working overtime and feel weighed down by responsibilities but since you are an Earth sign you can totally pull this off and come out strong at the end of the month. With all that work, your partner or loved ones could feel neglected, so make some time for them. The Full Moon on January 23/24th is in Leo and it is in your home sector. Take a breather, have fun and relax.

GEMINI/GEMINI RISING ♊︎

Oh the sobering effects and realisations that come with another year gone by and a new one beginning! This could be an emotionally churning period when you are asked to find the sweet spot in winter Gemini. Your personal relationships have been undergoing a huge transformational shift that has left you somewhat cynical about love but you are also learning to find faith within. The New Moon on January 9th is a heavy-handed one that makes you hyper aware of any structures that no longer sustain you. All work and no play can make Gemini a dull girl/boy. Your ticket to finding luck again has a lot to do with your foundation and your base of operation, your home and where you retreat from the world to charge your batteries. If you are setting New Year resolutions, I would suggest to set them around your home, your inner sanctuary and what that means to you. Where you would like your home to be, what you envision your home to look like or any actual renovations that would update your space and your living quarters. In order to expand and succeed in the world, we need to feel solid within. Your ruler Mercury will be retrograde in Capricorn for most of the month in the part of your chart that deals with other people’s money, taxes and inheritance. Be clear about your role within any partnership and anticipate possible misunderstandings. Double-check any paper work that involves taxes. I don’t want to make a big deal about Mercury retrograde but better to err on the side of caution. It might be a good idea to wait (if you can) till the end of the month to secure a commitment, a financial arrangement or sign a contract.

CANCER/CANCER RISING ♋︎

We are now 6 months away from your birthday, dear soft one. Most of the light you receive around this time of the year is coming from your partnerships, your sweetheart, the ones you love in your life or in your dreams. The New Moon in Capricorn on January 9th is making you aware of how much you need someone to support you and to a bigger extent how much you need others to support your work. How is your partnership helping you to express yourself and what role do other people play in helping you generate ideas? Acknowledge and give thanks to the people that matter to you. To bring luck in your future endeavours, show gratitude to all who have helped you bring your ideas to fruition. If you are not feeling supported, now would be a great time to voice your concerns and revise your partnerships and the roles they play in your life. Sometimes we expect that others will return the favour but not everyone is as caring or attentive as you are. Your generosity might go unnoticed if you don’t kick a fuss about it. You might have to spell it out or carve it in a rock for others to acknowledge or understand what you expect from them. Revise the systems you use for getting what you want and adjust. The Full Moon in Leo on January 23/24th illuminates the resources you have available to you at the moment. Remember what you are made of, what you already know and what you are good at. Remember that you have enough wealth, fortune and power within you to sustain yourself no matter what happens.

LEO/LEO RISING ♌︎

Sometimes it can feel like we are working for very little in return. January might be one of these months for you, Leo. Keeping in mind that all the work you are putting in now will most likely pay off later might be a good idea. Your financial well-being this year is closely related to how much work you are willing to put in right from the start. The New Moon in Capricorn on January 9th is in the part of your chart that deals with your habits and general routine. Set your intentions around health, and support your immune system with plenty of sleep and good food. Your health is your wealth so be willing to invest in it. Now would be an excellent time to weed out any bad habits that are depleting your wallet, your energy or that are not helping you get where you want to go. I am not going to lie to you: everyone will have to put in extra hours in January. You can make money but you will need to be disciplined, serious and committed about your objectives. Long-term investments is your magic formula. Since this is the time of the year when the Sun is at the opposite of where it is on your birthday, you could feel an all-time low. The end of the month will ease off and the Full Moon on January 23/24th is in Leo, which could bring some form of recognition. Soak it in, and bask in the glory. This is your Full Moon. Acknowledge your accomplishments, your creativity, your amazing brain and give thanks to yourself for all the hard work that got where you are.

VIRGO/VIRGO RISING ♍︎

For you Virgo, the year starts with your ruler Mercury going retrograde in the part of your chart that deals with your creative center, romance, children or any projects that are like ”your babies”. Whatever you are working on at the moment will need to be revised, restructured and solidified in order to get the lasting result you are looking for. Start 2016 with the intention to birth or create a lasting legacy. What are the structures that are currently in place within your projects and what methods are you using to ensure maximum creativity within them? What brings you joy and are you serious about your pleasure? If you are not sure of what that means for you, now would be a great time to define it more clearly. Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you have a muse? If you are single and looking for love, what would an ideal courtship look like? How did you spend your free time before you became an adult? The idea here is for you to connect with your inner child. Make some room for playing and re-invent how you use your imagination. Have faith in your creative abilities and monitor the persistent internal critic that lives within. Your capacity for enjoyment is closely connected to the vision you have of yourself and your self-imposed limitations. It can also be that your ability to have more fun, flirt with life and connect to that child like innocence has the power to transform you. What do you love?

LIBRA/LIBRA RISING ♎︎

On first impressions you might seem to be gentle and agreeable, Libra, but the people closest to you know that under your charming demeanour hides a fierce and powerful will. This somewhat hidden side might become a lot more apparent in 2016. Your initiation into the warrior mindset began last year and you have basically been in training camp since then. You have learned to connect to your own needs while liberating yourself from the demands of the external world. And that is not easy for the sign that is most often associated with diplomatic compromises. The New Moon on January 9th shows that you still have some work to do in regards to communicating what you need to the ones who are dearest to your heart. And to do that, you need to have faith in your intuition as a guiding compass. Trust that only you know what’s best for you. There are a lot of opportunities for you to become a voice of authority in your field. In 2016, your opinion and expertise will be in high demand and you can make money with what you know. But you have to be serious about knowing your worth and knowing what you know. Take this month to revise your internal dialogue, adjust your base of operation. Liberate the skeletons in your closet. Let go of stale beliefs about yourself that you have inherited from your family and early childhood experiences. Find rooting in a new soil, a fresh soil, the soil of your own wisdom.

SCORPIO/SCORPIO RISING ♏︎

Mars, your ruling planet will be in Scorpio for almost half of 2016. That means that whatever happens, you will be able to tap into your incredible reservoir of strength, resourcefulness and stamina. Not that it is not usually available to you but you can find some comfort knowing that the year begins with a strong footing. Your strength came with a price and in the last three years you have worked really hard to be where you are. Basically, you rock. Now the question is can you apply your endurance in order to make more money this year? How will you apply all the will power that is available to you to birth a cool project that could be financially rewarding too? If you are working on something already, January should be spent tweaking all the details of that project. Prepare yourself for a month that will be spent going back and forth over details in what seems to be a meaningless dance. Keep in mind that your ability to go over things is closely linked to your ability to generate income. Spend time organising your thoughts and find a system that will help you be more productive. There might be an increased number of correspondence, phone calls and trips. There is a momentum building but it is important not to skip any steps. Everything will come in due time. Find your allies, the ones that can help you with your ideas, your paper work or anything you don’t have time to get to. A lot of luck can be generated if you team up with others. Define your plan of attack and put your army in order.

SAGITTARIUS/SAGITTARIUS RISING ♐︎

Who is this person in the mirror? Who is this responsible and productive human being? The little centaur is all grown up, how does it feel? Sagittarius, I am so impressed with you and all that you are doing. It is amazing to see the tangible ways in which you go about being the coolest sign of the zodiac. If there is one sign that deserves to have their philosophies broadcast loud and clear, it is you. Everything you stand for is finding a way to becoming a real part of your life and that is awesome. The first half of 2016 will be spent pretty much on the same path as the one you undertook in late 2015. You are working relentlessly at making your dreams come true: keep going. A big part of the work has to do with re-aligning your work and career so that they are in tune with what you believe and what you would like to do in the long term. Spend January calibrating your finances, calculate how much money is coming in and how much money is going out. Be realistic about the workload you want to take on because there are many opportunities regarding your career or how you could be making money. Be selective because the choices you make now will have an impact down the road.

CAPRICORN/CAPRICORN RISING ♑︎

The year starts with your birthday; you are the first in the line because you know how to tackle pretty much anything. You also get the first New Moon of the year on the 9th of January. People put a lot of faith in you and in the way you do things because you know where you are going and you make a great leader. If you end up getting lost along the way, you’re still pretty good at pretending to know where you’re going. So the New Year begins and you are in the lead, where are you going and what are you looking for? This is a great month to revise your ambitions and write your plan for the year. Mercury will retrograde in your sign for most of the month, which means you can take a breather and solidify your foundation before you keep moving ahead. It would also be an excellent time to revise what you believe yourself capable of doing. It is very possible that you are still following a course of action that is not suitable for you anymore but you are still going through with the motion because you feel obligated? You have changed deeply in the last few years and your transformation is not over. How can you take your more “out there” visions and make them fit into your overall scheme. You might actually feel like throwing conventions out the window completely. Would you dare?

AQUARIUS/AQUARIUS RISING ♒︎

The New Year starts with a major internal reform that will mostly take part behind the curtain and in the dark. What does that mean, you ask? Well, you are shape-shifting but your new shape hasn’t really taken up an official form yet. You can start seeing the changes but you haven’t grasped entirely what it means. It is exciting, but it is also nerve-wracking because you are not clear yet on what is emerging. You can sense the major impact your decision will have in the long run but you can also sense the hand of destiny at work and how small you are in the overall picture. You want to do something meaningful, you want to be meaningful and you are willing to work hard to bring your dreams to reality. To connect to your center, I would suggest that you spend January in a semi-quiet and meditative state. If you can retire from the world and into a stilled place for a few weeks, do it. It might end up being the most productive move you will do. Study your visions, listen to what your dreams are saying, smoothen out your new wings. You will also need to clarify your intention in regards to your partnerships: what you need from them and why you need others to be a part of your projects. Because you do. You need to have faith in others to help you complete the puzzle. The successful outcome of your ideas and projects in the first half of 2016 is closely linked to your alliances and collaborations.

PISCES/PISCES RISING ♓︎

Happy New Year, Pisces! There is always a good reason to stay hopeful but wishful thinking alone won’t get the job done this month. January could feel like you lack the support that you need, so revise your alliances. Who is on your team? How are you going about getting the help that you need and is it working? Maybe it’s the way you go about asking for assistance. Are you invoking the right helpers and are you being precise? If you feel like people aren’t there for you, can you find a better way to formulate your desires to get what you want? The way you make a living is closely linked to your friends, your community and your genius. How it all ties in together has a lot to do with finding practical methods of putting it out there. If you can ground your vision, it will be easier for other people to see it. If you can build a bridge between what you imagine your role to be in your community and reality, you can make some pretty cool things happen. Being the most philosophical sign of the zodiac makes it is easy for you to find the silver lining in any situations. But that doesn’t mean you have to put up with difficulties. Others can really benefit from your set of skills, so be serious about the methods you use to promote yourself and what you know. It will be really worth it in the long run.

About the Author

Elodie Miaow blogs at 9thHouseAstrology.com

Horoscopes copyright Elodie Miaow, republished with permission.

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