Mercury stationary as the S.A. Secrecy Bill/Protection of state info Bill is voted in.

22 Nov 2011

As the planet of communication, Mercury retrograde tends to breed a certain level of confusion. Mercury rules our mind--how we perceive and interpret information that we receive from our environment, and how we relay that information to others. Mercury has rulership over such things as speaking, negotiating, buying and selling, listening, formal contracts, documents, travel, the mail, journalism, media and so forth. All of these areas of life are affected when Mercury is functioning in a sluggish state. Decision-making is challenged during Mercury retrograde. Needless to say, it is not advised to sign contracts, engage in important decision-making, or launch a new business. Delays and challenges are more probable with Mercury retrograde. This period is best used for re-organizing and reflecting.

Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, is the sign traditionally associated with law, philosophy, religion and other such academic issues – issues of tertiary education, morals and ethics and what may be considered lofty ideology and abstract concepts of epistemology or meaning; broader, larger ideas. With Mercury going stationary and then retrograde in Sagittarius at the moment, issues of law and constitutional rights are brought into focus now. Today, as Mercury approaches its stationary position, on the way to going retrograde, the “Protection of State Information Bill” was voted on and passed in South African parliament with 229 votes, despite a one third opposition of 107 votes. As a result of this, the opposition has decided to take the Bill to the Constitutional Court, the highest court in the land, to campaign that it is directly against the Constitution, the highest code of law in S.A. – higher than the current ruling party of the day. The Bill proposes to gag the media and whistle-blowers from speaking out on issues of corruption within parliament. Not only are investigative journalists and others liable to be jailed for up to a maximum of 25 years if the political party chooses, (citing, if they choose that such revelations are a risk to national security) but even those who harbour such people or documents are also subject to the same disciplinary action. This is tantamount to taking the nation back into Apartheid era control mechanisms, (something already in place in Israel, and to a degree in America with the Patriot Act.)

The fact that this law is being passed as Mercury goes stationary and retrograde, suggests that the process may not go through as smoothly as hoped, and will be subject to opposition and revision, hopefully being revised to at least allow a public opinion clause. It has already had over 100 amendments. Mercury’s retrograde continues until 13 December and only really returns to its current position at 20 degrees Sagittarius in early January next year. If the Bill goes into law, it will give power to a few at the top to use as a weapon, just like the Patriot act in U.S.A which now allows the state to arrest and detail anyone they wish without trial for almost as long as they want. Externally it may come across as in the best interests of state security, but in time it can also be used as a loophole by which they can control the masses, much like a police state, removing constitutional rights from the very people they are supposed to serve and protect. Why such a law if you have nothing to hide? Democracy is safest in the hands of the people, not just the powerful ie intel agencies. Academics around the world have been ignored, clearly indicating that a potential tool is being set up for future dictatorship. And South Africa is not the only country, as mentioned, where this is going on. How do you feel about your freedom and constitutional rights being subtly eroded from under your very nose? As the powers that be allocate themselves still more power – the politicians and bankers – the people are rising up and saying enough is enough. Where do you stand? Freedom of thought is what Mercury in Sagittarius strives for. Mercury in Sagittarius defends justice and freedom religiously.

Who eclipsed your consciousness?

Fri 18 Nov – Thurs 1 Dec 2011
Sun in Scorpio/sag 22^nd; Mercury in Sag (R 24^th); Venus in Sag/Cap 26^th; Mars in Virgo.

On the 22^nd when the Sun joins Mercury (going retrograde on the 24^th) and Venus in Sagittarius, we shall have all our primary planets from the Sun to Mars in mutable signs. These are the planets that move the fastest and thus change signs rapidly, thereby indicating the predominating trends and mood of the day. Jupiter spends a whole year and Saturn up to 2.5 years in one sign. The Moon of course changes signs so quickly – every 2.5 days – that its influence is fleeting, though not to be underestimated; just not mentionable in a forecast such as this. Except, for example, when there may be an eclipse, like the solar eclipse on the new moon of the 25^th; curiously only really visible from my place on the southern coast of South Africa if you want to pop round for the breakfast show just after 08h00 local time; or you can catch it in New Zealand too. Although only a partial eclipse of 87%, it is the largest or brightest this year.

How amazing is it that eclipses even occur at all. The Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon, and the Moon is 400 times closer to Earth than the Sun, this means that the two effects cancel each other out with the Moon and Sun both appearing to have the same apparent size in the sky. They therefore look the same size to a viewer observing from Earth’s surface. So when there is an alignment during a solar eclipse, the Moon fits exactly over the Sun, blocking all sunlight while still allowing the beautiful corona to be observed. Now if this precise degree of ratio and proportion all happened by accident or coincidence then I’ll eat my ice cream cone. It seems more likely to me that the Great Consciousness behind it all, of whom we are all part and parcel, was being quite deliberate in this cosmic manifestation. And these are precisely the topics of focus during the current Sagittarian alignment of planets – topics of vast, expansive, universal or cosmological import. Sure, the Sagittarian theme is currently potentially more fired up, festive and fun-loving than the previous rather introverted, intense or introspective Scorpio flavour, but it is also a perfect time to raise the ceiling, explore the vast outer realms of space and it’s origins, as well our place in the grand scheme of things. Thinking big, going large and expanding the realms are all possible now. After all, the precise relationship between us and our satellite Luna are extremely rare. Most planets have much smaller moons, so the fact that ours is just the right size and distance between the Sun and us to create an eclipse which is occasionally so exact that the one heavenly body is totally hidden from our sight, practically to the millimeter (from our point of view) makes you think that someone was behind it, someone with a sense of humour, or at least an artistic flair. The chances of it being pure blind accident are about the same as if all the monkeys in the world, given all the time and all the laptops, were able to come out with Shakespeare’s complete works. They could, but the chances of it are infinitesimal. And this unique manifestation of precision and proportion between the Sun, Moon and Earth is only one of countless other manifestations of such harmony, beauty and life-supporting precision that anyone who still can’t comprehend the notion of Consciousness being at the root of it all, must be quite dull. Lets forget about the numerous concepts of God presented throughout the pages of history and just refer to the source as Consciousness, leaving the details until later, or to poets and mystics, and already we will have to rethink life, the universe and everything. Think about it.  

Let there be lights

Fri 4 Nov – Thurs 17 Nov
Sun in Scorpio; Mercury in Sagittarius; Venus in Sagittarius; Mars in Leo/Virgo 11^th

With Sun, Mercury and Venus still in Scorpio all facilitating not one but two Diwai Festivals in the Garden Route, the Scorpio theme of coming out of the darkness and into the light seems to be resonating healthily amongst locals. As with Halloween, we are all encouraged or permitted to face our demons, open our skeleton-filled closets and meet our dark side occasionally like this. Once having faced the darkness we are then taken through a rebirth of the light, in synch with the start of the new waxing moon in Scorpio. Hopefully you too have harnessed this opportunity in the grand cycle of time and space to turn from the dark or oppressive shadows that may haunt you, to face the clear diamond light of day. Why wrestle with your inner demons when you can just as easily banish them at will and cultivate the sunny attitude of your own choosing?

With Mars still in Leo for one more week until November 11^th, vitality, confidence and self-sufficiency are still available to those with Leo prominent in their horoscopes, and to the rest of us also, to a degree. We can all continue to benefit from the physical stamina it provides, as well as the creative flair to channel that into whatever department we require it. Take this opportunity to make a vibrant or dramatic impression on those you wish to impress, even if the Scorpio Sun has you feeling somewhat secretive or more sensitive than usual.  The bedroom may be the prime place to couple those contrasting flavours, mixing them and moulding them to each other so that they eventually melt like scoops of ice-cream, merging into each other and running down your cone and onto your fingers so that all you can do is lick them off with your tongue while the sweet sticky flavours of cherry and chocolate explode in your mouth and your brain freezes under in overdrive. You get the picture. Add to this the equally fired-up and flirtatious arrival of Mercury and Venus, hotly seated in Sagittarius, and you have an opportunity to openly and honestly flaunt your feelings of affection with a freedom seldom available to all. Considering the continued Scorpio Sun, you may just want to do it in private first – and then tell the world from your soapbox with dramatic flair. But make it fast, for by the 11^th Mars moves into Virgo and takes his libido into the office or the Health Club where he may just be too busy to reciprocate with flirtatious Venus, who will want a partner who shares her visionary and idealistic views, while simply unable to hold back her feelings. Keep it somewhat spacious and casual though, for now, as she can’t be too pressured or caged in just yet. And romance or marketing favours the foreign or imported now, so ship them in at your leisure and for your pleasure.    

Your open secret

Fri 21 Oct – Thurs 3 Nov

By the 23^rd the Sun joins Mercury and Venus as they stroll hand in hand through sensitive yet secretive Scorpio. With three of our primary heavenly bodies in this emotionally powerful water sign, there is the capacity now to experience very deep and penetrating insights into our own and others’ inner feelings. Even if not overtly visible, we can now plumb the depths of the apparently still waters of the psyche that is seldom made manifest at any other time of the year.

What is it that is being hidden? What are you hiding – even from yourself? Listen, if you want to know a secret, if you promise not to tell, there is far more going on behind the scenes, in the unconscious, in the underworld than meets the eye, and this is a good time to investigate, research or explore, even if all you have to go on is a feeling, an intuition or a rumour. It’s not just Wikileaks or investigative journalism that can expose the corrupt underbelly of some of those in power. But those secrets are not always going to be given up so easily. And what if I were to tell you that despite the dark, shadowy nature of the unconscious realm of the psyche, there are, in fact, vast treasures also hidden there; powers, skills and abilities on par with Tesla’s limitless storehouse of energy for all, if we just had the tools and techniques to tap in. Tools for remote viewing on par with Google Earth, tools for telepathic thought projection to rival even Vodafone. You have those tools. It’s an open secret. Government agencies use these tools already to maintain power and control over you and I, but refuse to educate us in the use of these latent – once thought mystical – skills.

Still, if you want to go deep into the Mystery of who you are and what you are capable of, now is the time to dive in. Just beware becoming too domineering in your expression of your newfound power. The will is strong and determined now, and with all the primary planets currently in fixed signs, including Mars in Leo and Jupiter in Taurus, the tendency toward stubborn, forceful and willful behaviour may help you to achieve more than usual on certain levels, but may result in a few squashed toes, or worse, squashed egos. In fact, the risk of inciting outright vengeful enemies is strong too. Just because Israel can do it in Palestine, or America wherever they smell oil doesn’t mean it is the mature or wise way to go. In previous centuries China was once a superpower too, as was Arabia, but even they fell to the West. Nevertheless, with time power changes hands and today the West is slipping as those old powers rise once more. And as archbishop Desmond Tutu warned the ANC when they were incapable of granting a visa to the Dalai Lama, your days are numbered too. Plays for power and power plays are inevitable now, as well as the ability to penetrate the hidden agenda by those few who can use their God-given tools.   

The poor South Africa

Fri 7 Oct – Thurs 20 Oct 2011
Sun in Libra; Mercury in Libra/Scorpio 13^th; Venus in Libra/Scorpio 9^th; Mars in Leo

With Saturn in Libra all year already, the Sun’s transit through that cardinal air sign this month will accentuate the need as well as capacity for tact and diplomacy in our relationships. Coupled with that is the need for justice and fairness in both business and personal partnerships. Even social justice, the equality and fairness required throughout the entire social spectrum, may need to be considered and addressed now. And the unequal proportion of all race groups represented in our national rugby team, the Springboks, is just a part of that debate now highlighted by the World Cup tournament. More importantly, our national disaster of one of the highest unemployment rates in the world highlights even more the inequality that abounds in our divided country. Historically that inequality has been cultivated along racial lines, but since the revolution of the Rainbow Nation in 1994 that leveled the playing field in the law books and judicial system, we should have seen the evolution of a sense of fairness and balance within our socio-political system. However, the proportion of people still living below our unofficial poverty line of $2 a day has only really improved by 5%, from 53% to 48% in the past 16 years. This is clearly a high level of poverty for a middle-income economy and indicates the sheer lack of fairness and justice in our system that, on paper, should be a social ideal. I mean what is half the country doing living in poverty when there are plenty of resources to go round? Of course social grants supplied by our somewhat socialist democratic government may have been the largest contributing factor to alleviating poverty, but at the same time the distribution of income between the richest and poorest sectors of society remained the same. The poorest 20% of the population earns about 2.3% of national income, while the richest 20% earns about 70% of the income. And although inequality still seems to be divided along racial lines, that is not solely the case, for the proportion of black Africans in the top 20% of income earners increased from 39%in 1995 to 48% in 2009. So in fact inequality within the black African population has actually increased sharply. Therefore whether we are black or white, pink or brown in this Rainbow Nation, if we are able to access the abundance of resources available (regardless of the fact that you did it on your own steam or by your own strength), it behooves us to cultivate an open and compassionate heart, to lend a hand to those less fortunate, to show the Libran qualities of considering the other as of equal importance as the self, and to ultimately birth the dream of the Rainbow Planet. Although God knows how we will hold a Rugby World Cup tournament again. The bottom line is that we are not alone in this life, we are social creatures, and we are all responsible for ourselves, our planet and each other. No longer can we close our eyes, our ears or our hearts to the blatant injustice, inequality and total disregard for the plight of our human family that has plagued this fledgling democratic state.

Comet Elenin

Fri 23 Sept – Thurs 6 Oct

Sun in Libra; Mercury in Virgo/Libra 25^th; Venus in Libra; Mars in Leo

With Mars in Leo now you may find yourself with an abundance of creative energy, accompanied by more confidence than usual which, depending on your nature, may bring out the performer in you who feels it’s time to be recognized, or if you are already a bit of a drama queen, may infuse you with the feeling that you are God’s gift to every nubile native out there. So take the initiative, polish that suit of armour, mount your noble steed and with rose between the teeth ride gallantly forth, knowing that Sun, Mercury and Venus in Libra are sure to facilitate your romantic pursuits and conjugal conquests like seldom before. Unless of course your amourous wonderings take you into the path of that new dark and irresistible babe on the block called Elenin, who has just rode into town with that long dark tail, looking nice from far but may be far from nice on closer inspection. There are rumours going round that the tail can cloud your vision, leaving you in the dark for three days, and who knows if you will be able to rise again on the third day after a stint with Elinin - or out. Mars in Leo may urge you to make your mark in the hearts of all the potential lovers out there, to put your stamp, take creative or romantic risks even, but Elenin may also be out there to cast a shadow on your current ability to shine or be a shining light, a shining knight. Nevertheless, there is sure to be a reward offered to the brave leader of the day who can vanquish that dark-tailed traveler who threatens to steal our thunder, and with the triple Libra influence (quadruple if you include Saturn), the best victory may not be to try to vanquish such a phenomenal opponent, but rather to use all the diplomacy available, and be a Prince Charming by negotiating a fair, just and equal (as in Equinox) place in the night sky for all parties to shine on like the crazy diamonds they are. Like you, Even Elenin wants to be appreciated now and nobody likes a bossy type who wants to throw their weight around and eclipse our right to shine too. So use your current ability to understand the feelings of others and put yourself in their shoes before trying to put yourself in their bed. Don’t fall in love with that fly-by-night Elenin, or any other, too quickly now either. Love may be blind, or you may be blinded by love and the seductive attractiveness of something or someone who is in fact a mere fleeting moment that too shall pass, leaving you clutching at a whisp of a tail of a dream as you wake to the clear light of dawn and the realization that someone as eternal as you can never be overshadowed by any shooting star, wondering comet or passing fancy.  For true love can never be substituted by lust, longing or a lack of self-worth. Real love is without ego, free from hankering and lamenting, encompasses all living entities and is eternal, which implies it has always been flowing from the reservoir of all pleasure and indeed, always will.

Love under the microscope

9 Sept – 22 Sept 2011
Sun in Virgo; Mercury in Virgo; Venus in Virgo/Libra 15^th; Mars in Cancer/Leo 19^th

 With the Sun, Mercury and Venus (until the 15^th) still in transit through Virgo, the mental faculties will be sharpened, making this a fine time to attend to the details in an orderly and business-like manner. Common sense may inspire you to read the small print on your box of breakfast or dinner snacks, not only causing you to pull out the sharp inner calculator to compare the price per rice grain, but also to weigh up the nutritional value of each rice grain and compare it to the nutritional value of every other grain to see if you need those extra thousand grains on your plate and what the most efficient amount of grains might be per liter of water for optimum cooking time according to the angle of the sun on your solar cooker at your degree of latitude north or south of the equator. That done, you may just find yourself settling for a salad instead. The tendency to lack confidence in your rice cooking, which sends you checking and rechecking every measurement, can possibly get in the way of a spontaneous and creatively inspired culinary delight now. Nevertheless, the dish will be a precision production when it’s finished with exactly the right amount of grains per body weight for your liking. Now imagine this discriminating state of mind also predominating in your relationships or love life. The likelihood is that you may be so preoccupied with work or duty, that you don’t even have time to cultivate that intimate relationship, and if you do finally manage to pull yourself away from the job and happen to catch the eye of a prospective partner across the crowded office (for that is where a potential love interest could manifest now), chances are that he or she has little chance of measuring up to your scrutinizing standards. This leaves you looking either shy, nit-picking, or preoccupied, when in fact you are just being super cautious. Playing it safe is the motto of the month now, as in “let me abstain to avoid the pain”, regardless of where you wish to apply this rule. After all he or she just may not quite match up to that internal anima or god/dess figure you have on a pedestal. But then who ever does?

Well, if you don’t find yourself retreating to a monastery to contemplate the perfect deity of Radharani as the love of your life, then when Venus shifts into her own sign of Libra on the 15^th you may finally have a mood swing that feels as if someone slipped an Ecstacy into your glass of purified mineral water, as suddenly love is not only in the air, but on the lips of every passing stranger. And by the 19^th, when Mars moves into equally romantic Leo, the tension that builds between the fastidious versus the flirtatious propensities may build to such a climactic conflagration that the chances of finding that perfect dream mate may well rise to the region of anywhere between 1.61803 and 3.14159, so be prepared.

Teaching by example

Fri 26 Aug – Thurs 8 Sept
Sun in Virgo; Mercury in Leo (d); Venus in Virgo; Mars in cancer

If the previous few weeks have been feeling fairly festive, or at least more sociable than usual, then that has changed as Sun and Venus leave lively Leo for the humbler pastures of the blessed virgin. And with Mercury officially moving direct again, the time is right to clean up our acts, get our desks in order and set the records straight. The only real Spring fever may be the cleaning one, as opposed to the one of the birds and the bees, for purification to perfection is the order of the day now. This may well help our learners at their exams, but will it help our truant and tardy teachers this term? Let’s hope they are also able to harness the hardworking, conscientious and diligent mood available now. Human Sciences Research surveys have shown that in this country almost 20% of teachers are absent on Mondays and Fridays. Absentee rates increase to 33% at month-end; and that teachers in African schools teach an average of 3.5 hours a day compared with about 6.5 hours in former “white” schools. This amounts to a difference of three years of schooling. Forgive me if the Virgo theme inspires me to go into details here, for this is the time for analysis – without the anal, of course. Also let’s watch out for the fussy and critical attitude for that matter too. It’s just that with Sun and Venus in Virgo, accompanied by Mercury in Leo someone needs to take charge of the faulty situations all around us, become informed, and become an authority on your field without seeming rigid or dogmatic about it. For example in the teaching field, the secret to success in solving the crisis is the leadership role of principals, teachers and parents. If this sounds a bit like the recent gang-related riots in the UK by youths, then maybe it is. If the kids see the teachers taking so much time off work, what to speak of going on strike (thereby stealing another 5% of the allocated time from the curriculum) then obviously they will imitate that example. Why do you think China, Japan and Korea are growing so fast? One reason is because of the work ethic. When I was in Taipei I observed learners taking lessons up until 5pm daily, with everything from extra English (from pre-school already) to violin or piano. This is because the demand for university level qualifications is so high that without the diligent endeavour of a Virgocentric mindset, you simply get left behind, relying on your welfare state to bail you and your unwanted progeny out of the doldrums. Unwanted progeny being another symptom of poor education or lack of Virgocentric vision, dear Prudence. Now you know why we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. These are all issues which can be tackled under the current planetary transits. South Africa’s horoscope places her Sun in Taurus, and with Jupiter in Taurus throughout this year, this is the ideal time to address and rectify the failings of our education system before the costs accrued due to its neglect begin to drown all her inhabitants in their own ignorance.