Lyssa Strada

May 19: (Second) Scorpio Full Moon, 2008

Sol in Taurus opposes Luna in Scorpio at the anaretic degree. We should be finishing up a cycle begun at the previous Scorpio Full Moon on April 20, 2008 at the first degree of Taurus. This is a cycle of purification of the emotional waters, or the release of toxic feelings and memories associated with old hurts that have lingered for a long time.

May 05: Taurus New Moon, 2008

Sol conjuncts Luna in Taurus at the 16th degree. The Taurus New Moon is trine to Jupiter in Capricorn and sextile to Uranus in Pisces. Retrograde Pluto in Capricorn is trine to Saturn in Virgo. This is very good, solid energy for material foundations with potential for growth, but there may be a problem communicating the wisdom inherent in the positive aspects of this chart.

April 20: Scorpio Full Moon:

Sol in Taurus opposes Luna in Scorpio at the first degree. Sun and Mercury in the early degrees of Taurus are making a grand trine in earth to retrograde Saturn in Virgo and retrograde Pluto in Capricorn. This is a very good time to review and restructure plans for economic and governmental systems, as well as personal finances and all things earthly, such as the rennovation of old buildings or public infrastructures. Jupiter in Capricorn helps in the process, since Jupiter forms a sextile to Uranus in Pisces and Mars in Cancer, so there is fertility of growth in applying new scienfic ideals to the renovation of home and country. Venus in Aries sextiles Neptune and the North Node of the Moon in the late degrees of Aquarius, giving an artistic flair to the fruitful application of humanitarian ideals. This chart has good, solid energy for practical, durable change.

Aries New Moon 2008

April 05, 2008:

Luna conjuncts Sol in Aries at the 17th degree. This Aries New Moon forms the apex of a T-square involving Mars in Cancer and Jupiter in Capricorn. The best way to set the will and emotions into harmonious conjunction to begin new projects would be to focus on the void in Libra (relationships and fairness) at the 17th degree.

If that's not a good spot for you, you might choose to pass on this time for your astrological New Year's resolutions because there is a lot of tension and potential stress in this pattern; it's more like a grin-and-bear-it moment favoring stasis rather than the beginning of new projects, which could be marked by an intensely active tendency towards emotional turmoil having to do with an increase in restrictive energies.

March 21: Libra Full Moon, 2008

Sol in Aries opposes Luna in Libra at the second degree. This Full Moon falls into a cardinal grand cross pattern with Pluto in Capricorn and Mars in Cancer. Important changes are taking place that affect the world globally (Pluto at the second degree of Capricorn). Public places, as well as domestic spaces (Mars in Cancer) could erupt in violence. Take care: Avoid trouble.

On Secrecy and Silence

from "ondelette:"

Next week, March 9-15, is Black Flag Week in Pakistan. The lawyers in Pakistan will carry black flags. And they will probably march, as they have done since November, for the reinstatement of the judiciary, for the rule of law, and for the return to the Constitution and democracy in Pakistan. The head of the lawyers, Aitzaz Ahsan, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, has been knocking heads with the government over the rule of law during multiple dictatorships going back to Zia ul Haq and Ayub Khan. Pakistan has not had a steady democracy, but rather military dictatorships alternating with often corrupt democratic rule, for most of its history.

Brief History of the Lawyers Protests

The current military government took power in a coup in 1999 at the end of a standoff with India at the line of control, the separation between the two countries in Kashmir. Pervez Musharraf rewrote the Constitution, and ruled as both the head of the military and the president, and has staged rigged elections to maintain power. When the Constitution forbade him to run again this year, he fired the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Chaudry, hoping to get a better decision on running. Ominously, he had also been apprehending and interrogating terrorism suspects, holding them without charge, and allegedly turning them over to the Americans for interrogation. The Court released many of them, and demanded that the government either bring charges against the others and arraign them in court, or release them.

Visible Over USA

February 20: Virgo Lunar Eclipse, 2008

Sol in Pisces opposes Luna in Virgo at the second degree. The health and welfare of the common people are emphasized as tax rebates and short-term welfare monies are distributed in an effort to ease the inevitable transformation from a national to a global economy (Pluto in Capricorn). Retrograde Saturn at the sixth degree of Virgo conjuncts the Moon, decreasing the nation's food supply.

Agape

February 17: Venus enters Aquarius, turning our affections toward a social orientation that uplifts humanity. We may be less interested in the personal affections than we are in changing the political and scientific prospects of creating a better future for large groups of people.

Article: "Love as Activism"

February 06:
Aquarius Solar Eclipse, 2008

Luna conjuncts Sol in Aquarius at the 18th degree. We are ready to remove our masks so that we reveal our true identities within our social circles, or a pretense involved in a game may end so that the real identity may be openly displayed. Conversly, a social mask may be donned in order to express the real identity. Nearby Neptune in Aquarius at the 22nd degree brings humanitarian ideals into the picture.

Brigit Bright

Lady of Flame and Forge
Bring rhymes, some hymns, good times and song.

Awaken minds
Our hands keep deft and strong.

Bring sparkle to eyes
And wit to tongue.

Little spark to flame doth rise
Old Year out, New Year
Young!

I Have a Dream

January 22: Leo Full Moon: Sol in Aquarius opposes Luna in Leo at the second degree. A balance of self and others stresses communal values. Mercury, Neptune and the North Node of the Moon are trine to retrograde Mars in Gemini, reminding us of the great humanitarian speeches upon which the notion of human rights was founded in the past. Venus and Pluto in the late degrees of Sagittarius sextile the Aquarian stellium, giving the humanitarian impulse an extra measure of philosophical depth and beauty.

Dear Lyssa Stradians,

I have posted at Uranias 9th House:Astrology for Living two excellent astrology articles on the passing of Benazir Bhutto and the historical importance of this moment in time.

Robin Jenkins

photo: wikipedia

The Home

December 23: Luna in Cancer opposes Sol in Capricorn at the second degree; Sol conjuncts Jupiter in Capricorn at the first degree so that we feel generous in a material way. The new Capricorn cycle brings profit to business: Scrooge goes on a shopping spree.

Full Moon in Cancer brings an emphasis on home and family. This year, retrograde Mars is conjunct the Moon, bringing an irritated quality to the feelings for those who may be ruminating about the past and feeling slighted.

Al Gore's acceptance speech for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize is a perfect example of the Sagittarius New Moon for December, 2007 cradled within a stellium.

Mahatma Gandhi awakened the largest democracy on earth and forged a shared resolve with what he called "Satyagraha" - or "truth force."

In every land, the truth - once known - has the power to set us free.

Truth also has the power to unite us and bridge the distance between "me" and "we," creating the basis for common effort and shared responsibility.

December 09: Sagittarius New Moon for December, 2007

Sol conjuncts Luna in Sagittarius at the 18th degree. A very merry Sagittarius stellium consisting of Mercury, Moon, Sun, Jupiter and Pluto is loosely involved in a mutable t-square, consisting of Saturn in Virgo playing the part of Scrooge, and Uranus in Pisces, giving us the freedom of imagination to change. The empty spot is in Gemini, giving us the compulsive urge to communicate our generosity. Christmas stories go over very well now.

Don't let the news blackout by the corporate media keep you in the dark about the success of the movement to impeach Dick Cheney.

Cheney, along with the neocons, is planning to take us into nuclear war with Iran. It has been Cheney's foolish and radical will to world domination that has lead the USA into the dire financial and geo-political straits it is in today.

Let's balance out this insanity with some common sense and good judgement coming from the people of the USA. Join the movement to impeach Cheney today.

Rep. Wexler (D-FL) Supports Cheney Impeachment

Magical Mystery Tour

is coming to take you away -- provided you can eliminate, release, and let go of old obsessions, toxins or tendencies to domineer.

According to Isabel Hickey, the Plutonian energies when transformed into higher consciousness become the wisdom of Minerva, the Etruscan Moon goddess of poetry and culture, associated with sacred baths and healing.

Samhain

This year's Taurus Full Moon is especially strong because it falls not only in the sign of the Moon's exaltation, Taurus, but also in the degree of the Moon's exaltation, the third degree of Taurus.

This chart contains a seer's pentacle, and two mystic rectangles, so the heavens are beautifully balanced for magic.

The seeds of last year's crops now fall into the fertility of Earth, where they await their germination in the spring.

Good news from Oslo, Norway: Al Gore won the Nobel Prize for Peace and Doris Lessing for Literature (that promotes peace). If you have any spare time, do read some of Lessing's work. It's worth it and you won't forget her voice.
Article: Doris Lessing Wins Nobel Prize for Literature

Peace and Justice

Imagine Peace.

For without that inner vision, there will be none.

This year's Libra New Moon on October 10 presents us with a beautiful warp and woof to weave peace into the cosmic loom, simply by imagining it.

...and because I am preparing to leave next week on a two-week trip, I have turned off the comments option. Internet access will be sporadic, and cleaning up the spam is time-consuming. I'll try to figure out a better solution after I return...

Vocation: The Call to Serve

Blessed are those who serve with a sense of devotion to a higher calling.

The Virgo Solar Eclipse of September 11, 2007, reminds us that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Sometimes it is wise to adjust our course of action after taking stock of our past successes, along with the prospects for future support.

Team efforts are what brings in the harvest.

Torrential Rains