Astrology Institute Newsletter 01/01/2007
by Joseph Crane

Contents: Updates -- Winter Sky in the South -- Charts for the Months: Gerald Ford, Donald Rumsfeld & Britney Spears

We begin:

It's been a rather busy couple of months for my astrology work, and I apologize for missing the November issue.  My personal life has had its tumult, but I've also had to prepare a couple of online courses for Kepler College.  Having had to learn an online format, this will bode well for teaching opportunities in the future. These courses will take place from January through most of March.  I've been working on a course on Hellenistic astrology -- no surprise! -- but also one on Greek and Roman Mythology.  Although this should have been less work, it has been more work and I have learned a lot that I would like to apply toward a course in New England.  (Although I've taught enough Hellenistic astrology for now, I may do a summer course based on Plotinus and astrological writings inspired by him.) 

This winter I will presenting to a group of classical scholars and astrologers in London: we can thank Dorian for helping set up this important conference.  My contribution will be the ancient background of astrological aspects.  This is a rare opportunity for two groups to meet who  can learn much from each other.

More on the subject of updates: I continue to meet with clients and students in Cambridge, Ma. on Fridays during the day.  If that is difficult for you, we can always meet by phone or you can come down to Rhode Island to see me.  Trust me -- I am not so far away from where you are!  This helps me -- by supporting my work, and it helps you -- by supporting your life.  I should be in Cambridge every second Friday -- you're welcome to contact me for details.

Now onto business:

Winter is a wonderful time to view the night sky -- during this season we can easily see the constellations Taurus, Gemini, and Orion.  Stars of these constellations are so bright that even in the city you can make out some of these shapes -- on a cloudless night, that is.

Easily recognizable is the three-star belt of Orion, up to its left are the twins of Gemini, which are right next to each other and of equal brightness.  To the right of these constellations but more difficult to make out is Taurus and its prominent star, Aldeberan, the Eye of the Bull. (I have that star labeled in red.) During the course of the next few months we may see planets making their appearances with these constellations, and so it would be easier to understand why the word "planet" comes from the Greek word meaning "wanderer" .

Below is a map from the Starry Night astronomy program.  This will show these constellations due south at 8:30 PM at the end of December.  Over the next few months we will note how and when you see these stars during the night.

I hope you find this as wonderful as I do.

Now for some charts.  I was ready to go over two charts, but with Gerald Ford's death two days ago, and with all the news features on him, it is appropriate to look at his chart.

We begin with Gerald Ford

What strikes us about his chart?  

He and Rumsfeld's respective Mars placements tell us much about the two very different people.

From an astrological point of view, Ford might strike one as the more aggressive, with Mars in detriment in the First -- yet remembrances of him discuss his calmness and gentleness.  Yet Ford would not be confused with somebody passive

Note that Mars does have a trine with Jupiter in Capricorn, bringing out more the earth and less of the fieriness of Mars. (Jupiter is in fall) You may also note that the ruler of Taurus, Venus, is in Gemini accompanied by Saturn. Both bring out a more controlled, perhaps more subdued, Mars.  Note that Mercury is in square to Mars, both being in fixed signs.  This argues more for steadfastness and resolve than acting out and rage.  Mars is also in sect in Ford's nocturnal chart, and is oriental.  Ford's Mars is contained purposeful.  However, because Mars and Venus are not in signs that connect, there may be a tendency for Mars to fail him and he might not bring enough energy to bear when the chips are down.  People may remember Ford's rather passive style during the 1976 presidential election that he lost to Carter.

Jupiter also forms a trine to Ford's aseendant in Taurus, bringing out a practical but confident side of his character.  Jupiter is also the dispositor for his Moon, as well as the planet that may signify his basic character (according to Ptolemy).

Ford's Lot of Spirit, signifying his quality of initiative and personal independence, is in Virgo, which means that both Saturn and Venus in Gemini are in the tenth house to this lot.  This gives him further congeniality as well as some inhibition.

Where does Ford's famed clumsiness come from?  (One can hardly forget Chevy Chase's imitation of him walking off an airplane!) I'm looking at Mercury, occidental, unconnected to Sun, which is Mercury's dispositor.  Mars in Taurus squaring Mercury may have given further difficulties with coordination.  Then there's his Moon in Sagittarius....

And his Moon's contra-antiscion is Neptune -- in other words, the midpoint of Moon and Neptune's chart in Ford's chart is the 0 Aries/0 Libra axis.  These bring the planets together.  Neptune's influence is hardly grounding!

When he became president, rather accidentally, what were his transits like?  

Saturn in Cancer was opposite his Jupiter.  This makes sense, as Jupiter is such as strong planet for him.  The opposition from Saturn would signify heavy responsibilities -- merely Nixon and Watergate and how to close the books on Vietnam.

Uranus in Libra was squaring his Midheaven degree in Capricorn -- within a fairly short time Ford went from being minority leader in the House to President.

During much of his  presidency, Saturn was making difficult transits: it was conjuncting his Sun and Neptune, opposing his Midheaven degree and continuing to oppose Jupiter.  His miserable time was matched by the difficulties of the country he was attempting to preside over.

One month before becoming President, by solar arc direction, Ford's Ascendant was opposed to -- you guessed it -- Jupiter!  

Perhaps, if Jupiter were a better-placed planet for Ford, he would have been more personally successful as President.

If you look at his Hellenistic planetary periods, the planet emphasized is Sun, befitting somebody taking over as US leader.

Donald Rumsfeld

Now that Rumsfeld is no longer Secretary of Defense, why would I want to look at his chart?  Partly because this is our last chance to do it, as he will probably not be making any more news (except maybe for a bitter set of memoirs, probably.)

The birth data for Rumseld, time zone and all, is from Astrodatabank.)

Rumsfeld was well known as a confident self-assured person who might not listen to others' ideas and advice when they conflicted with his own.

He also conducted the war in Iraq according to his convictions even when his ideas proved inapplicable.  He also may  have had an important part is providing an atmosphere that led to the bad treatment of detainees in Iraq and elsewhere.   Interestingly he had two stints as Secretary of Defense.  Serving under Gerald Ford in the mid-1970's, he was the youngest Secretary of Defense ever.  (Thirty years later he may have been the oldest.)

We can begin with his self-confidence.  We might notice Rumsfeld's Jupiter, in sect in Leo, has an exact trine from Uranus.  Here we may see Uranus as Promethean but as autocratic.  What makes this trine of critical importance is that it also trines the Ascendant degree, making an exact grand trine.  The involvement of his Ascendant gives us a sense of how impressive Rumsfeld is as a personality -- at least when he had good news to discuss.

Now we arrive at Rumsfeld's Mars. It is angular in the seventh house of open enemies.  During the day of his birth, Mars rose at the same time that Antares, the heart of the Scorpion, set: this configures the planet with a star  of its own nature. Mars is also out of sect and is very fiery in a diurnal chart.  One may contrast his Mars with a seemingly passive Sun in Cancer in the Eighth house.  One will notice, however, that Sun and Mars are in antiscia to one another, creating a strong bond between them.  You might notice that Mars is about eighteen degrees before 0 Cancer, and Sun is the same distance the other way from 0 Cancer.  (The midpoint between Sun and Mars is the 0 Cancer/0 Capricorn axis.)

Moon is in Libra and is heavily influenced by Saturn, as Libra is Saturn's exaltation and Moon is in exact trine to a dignified Saturn in sect in Aquarius. This can give Rumsfeld great steadiness and resolve and a tendency to be the authority.  But do not confuse Rumsfeld's Moon with Libran balance and tolerance for different perspectives!

I'll say a little about his transits, etc.  By progression, Mars was opposing Saturn during the summer of 2002 -- when the initial decision to invade Iraq was probably made, followed by the public relations campaign.  One interesting event is that in the spring of 2004, when stories of prisoner abuse put him in the hot seat, Pluto was on his Ascendant.  What transit accompanied his being ousted as Secretary of Defense?  ---  Saturn was conjunct Jupiter, just as Bush was telling everybody that Rumsfeld was going to finish out the term when behind closed doors his replacement was being selected.

Now onto somebody completely different  -- Britney Spears

Is there hope for this young woman?  To pursue this I humbly present her chart.

Believe it or not, this is a very positive chart!  It is not without its problems, however.

The reader who is really good at antiscia and contrantiscia would notice that Venus at 25 Capricorn is the same distance from 0 Cap/0 Cancer as Mercury at 4 Sagittarius!  This does indicate charm and cleverness -- even deviousness.  Adding to her willfulness and her tendency to say the wrong thing is that her Lot of Spirit is conjunct the same Mercury and so configured also with Uranus.  (The modern astrologer would also notice that the midpoint of Sun and Uranus is Mercury: this can give inventiveness but real instability.  We have at least seen the latter!)

What encourages me is her Saturn, which is in her First and with great dignity over the degree of her Ascendant. Moon in Aquarius (governed by Saturn) applies in a trine to Saturn, giving her emotional strength and resolve -- we just haven't seen it yet.

Because Saturn is out of sect in her nocturnal chart, the uglier side of Saturn may manifest more prevalently -- at least until she grows up a little. Helping her relationship life is that Venus is  in a mutual reception with Saturn -- she just needs to find the right guy!  Venus is also configured with Spica, which is a very beneficial fixed star.  One can find that, in spite of her unrelentingly bad publicity, Spears continues to have great personal appeal.

Her solar arc directions give us some indication of her present difficulties.  In September of this year, Neptune was in square to her Saturn -- this makes accessing some of Saturn's positive features even more difficult.  Within range is also solar arc Mars conjunct Saturn.  You can see that Mars in Virgo is about twenty-six degrees from Saturn, roughly conforming to her age.  Here the consequences of her impulsiveness are swift and clear -- believe it or not, this is a good thing!

Transits finishing up are Pluto in Sagittarius squaring her Mars in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces squaring her natal Sun in Sagittarius.  Both can manifest in extreme behavior; Uranus on her Sun can account for much of her reckless instability of late.  Fortunately for her and unfortunately for the tabloid industry, these transits are over at the end of 2006 and Jupiter transiting through Sagittarius should bring up better possibilities for her work.

Okay -- must go for now.