Astrology -The Red Pill: The Saturn-Uranus Dilemma

We have all watched “The Matrix” by now, and the defining moment in the movie is when Neo decides which pill to take. If he takes the Blue pill he will remain in ignorance and stay enslaved, but if he takes the red pill he will learn the truth and enter into the Matrix, and understand how it all works. Using this analogy, the red pill is Astrology, and at some point all astrologers have been presented with the dilemma of the blue pill or the red pill. To choose astrology is a difficult choice; it is not easy believing in something which is radically opposed and regarded as superstitious nonesense. Most people discover Astrology and they feel enlightened; they feel a re-newed sense of purpose. But there are those out there who wish that they never took that damn red pill. Knowledge is power, and too much information can be overwhelming. Other similar themes between Astrology and "The Matrix"  - is the dilemma of free will. Astrologer's deal with the issue of free will vs fate everyday in the work they do. According to Greek Myth Prometheus brought 'enlightenment to mankind', but he suffered and was severely punished by Zeus, he was chained to a rock while an eagle would come everyday to eat his liver.

I obviously swallowed the damn red pill, and my mind has been awakened to a larger system - at first it was overwhelming to believe the planets "out there" had any relation with my own journey on earth. Astrology has the power to alter the course of human destiny, it is only through raised consciousness and mass enlightenment that we can alter our lives. This can be difficult to achieve when Religions, Science and Astronomy are condemning Astrology. However, the journey of Astrology is still an ongoing one, and on it's course it has faced many 'trials' and yet it is still here today, living and breathing and a testament to it's relavance.



Take the Blue Pill:

1. Ignorance is bliss.

2. Accept life with no questioning, live within the status qua, this is a much safer option than stepping outside the line. You have every right to believe in the reality you see with your own eyes. Who is to judge you?
3. Live in the known world, and in the worse case scenario let sceptics dictate your thinking. Let them make you feel a fool if you dare to think different.
4. Follow the Herd, and allow the powers that be to condition you. There is security in numbers.

Take the Red Pill:

1. Know there is a higher intelligence behind life.
2. Say goodbye to the known world, your mind is about to be awakened.
3. Be prepared for isolation and a sense of aloneness.
4. And be prepared to be opposed by minds frightened to take that step off the cliff.


Which Pill will you choose:
The Red Pill Popping People


Liz Greene: It depends on what you mean by "real." The zodiac doesn’t exist in concrete terms. It is the apparent path of the Sun around the Earth, which we have divided into twelve segments; each segment is assigned an image and a set of meanings and behaviour patterns. But the zodiac doesn’t exist in the sense that there are animals floating out there. So, on one level, the whole system is not real. This table we’re sitting at now is the kind of thing that we define as real. If you take reality as something subtler, and you approach reality as being the connections, links, resonances, or correspondences between things, then, yes, these patterns are real. But there is no way that they can be measured in a quantifiable sense, according to instruments of so-called reality. When you ask me that, the whole problem is that I don’t know what you mean by real. Or, rather, I do know what you mean, but if Richard Dawkins asked, "Is it real?" he would mean something quite different by "real" than I do.

Nick Campion: I was using "real" in the Richard Dawkins sense.

Liz Greene: In that sense, no, astrology is not real. This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist or that it is not valid, but in his sense, no, I don’t think astrology is real. I believe there is an objective patterning or interconnectedness or unity of some kind or a set of resonances. You can use any phrase you like, whether it is mystical or hermetic or any other language you fancy. And it does exist outside us. It’s not just in the perceptions of astrologers.

Astrology is just a finger pointing at reality. ~Steven Forrest. All anyone can see in a birthchart are tendencies that will become facts if he does not do something to alter them. ~Isabel Hickey

The Blue Pill Popping People...

Carl Sagan coined the phrase that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." What this means in practice is that if a claim is not very strange or extraordinary when compared to what we already know about the world, then not a lot of evidence is needed in order to accept the claim as likely to be accurate. On the other hand, when a claim very specifically contradicts things which we already know about the world, then we would need quite a lot of evidence in order to accept it. Why? Because if this claim is accurate, then a lot of other beliefs which we take for granted cannot be accurate. If those beliefs are well-supported by experiments and observation, then the new and contradictory claim qualifies as "extraordinary" and should only be accepted when the evidence for it outweighs the evidence we currently possess against it. Astrology is a perfect example of a field characterized by extraordinary claims. If distant objects in space are able to influence the character and lives of human beings to the degree alleged, then fundamental principles of physics, biology and chemistry which we already take for granted cannot be accurate. This would be extraordinary. Therefore, quite a lot of very high-quality evidence is required before the claims of astrology could possibly be accepted. The lack of such evidence, even after millennia of research, indicates that the field is not a science but rather a pseudoscience. Atheism. com

As a predictor of the future, astrology just does not work either. Many studies have been made, and the results show that it is no more accurate than chance would have it. Astrology is deceptive that it takes away our free will and gives it to the motion of the planets. Astrology is a relic of past ignorance. It is bad to keep believing in stuff that is not logical and does not work. If it really were true astrologers rake in the money by playing the markets and would not waste time doing people's charts. Sorry, personalities develop from many variables and the location where you born and the stars and planet locations have nothing to do with it. Deeper Mind.com

Keanu Reeves

The absolutely gorgeous Keanu Reeves was first recognised for his role in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” he played the part of Ted a lovable airhead. However, in later roles it was hard for many people to take him serious because of his accent and earlier movies. Undeterred Keanu continued to work hard, and has proven he is a force to be reckoned with in the film industry. After his role in the blockbuster movie “Speed” he proved he could deliver intensity and drama on the big screen. Keanu is now taken seriously as leading man in any movie he auditions for.

Keanu is most famous for his role in “The Matrix” a futuristic film that broke new thresholds in movie making. Keanu was cast in the role of Neo (One) he played a computer programmer and hacker. There is a prophecy that one human being (Neo) once connected to the computer world can override the system rules and manipulate the code directly. Throughout the trilogy of Matrix movies we see Keanu awakened and thrust into the role of savior, and he comes to terms with his role as a messiah in some sense and his own humanity and love for trinity.



The Natal Chart

Keanu has his Sun in Virgo conjunct Mercury, Uranus and Pluto. Planets in a stellium reveal great focus and intensity upon the sign, house and planets involved. Early life had it’s fair share of instability for Keanu, he has dyslexia and never focused on academics; he had also been expelled from school and dropped out of college (EXACT Mercury-Uranus conjunction). The stellium is in wide opposition to Saturn in Pisces. This archetypes his role in the Matrix, as the computer hacker and leader of the rebellious group (Uranus) against the agents of control (Saturn)…

Family History

Keanu's family background was an unstable one; his father abandoned the family when Reeves was three years old. The Sun relates to father in astrology and is conjunct two outer planets (Uranus and Pluto) sudden abandonment can be one symbolism of this configuration. He also has Saturn in Pisces, and statistically this has been associated to cases of a father disappearing or vanishing completely. Keanu's’s father did spend time in prison for selling heroin (Saturn in Pisces again).

Tragedy Strikes

Keanu’s sister is sadly battling Leukaemia, and further tragedy was in store: In December 1999 Reeves girlfriend gave birth to a stillborn daughter who he named Ava. It was a particularly hard few years for Reeves as transiting Pluto the planet of death, change and transformation was moving through Sagittarius and squared his stellium of Virgo planets (Sun, Mercury, Uranus and Pluto). Pluto transiting the Sun (life force) can indicate a time when your life is being transformed by the birth of a child, or the birth of new creativity, but unfortunately the baby didn’t survive. When an outer planet moves into a mode where you have a stellium (i.e. mutable) your life becomes a lot more eventful, and it can indicate a phase in life where you may experience uncomfortable change or testing challenges.

In 2001 tragedy struck again when his ex girlfriend was killed in a car accident, she was later buried next to their baby daughter. Transiting Saturn squared his natal Saturn in Pisces, and this can describe times of loss and separation, and a difficult period. Transiting Jupiter was in the mutable sign of Gemini and square to his natal Sun, Mercury and Uranus. For Keanu this would have indicated a restless time, and unexpected time - as Jupiter stirred up his Virgo stellium. Jupiter-Uranus can foretell major change and disruption.

Permanent Home

Keanu has mostly lived in hotels, and this pattern changed when he bought a home in 2003, this was a good time to put down roots as Saturn was transiting through Cancer (security, home, family) and sextiled his Sun and Mercury in Virgo. Overall Keanus has had massive success in sci-fi films, and he even received positive reviews for his role in “The Gift”, in his part he played an abusive husband. I watched this movie and was stunned by his emotional intensity and explosive rage. Natally Reeves has Sun conjunct Pluto and this worked well for his powerful yet brief performance.

What Dreams May Come

My favorite film is What Dreams May Come. In the movie Annabelle Sciorra plays the leading female role. Here is the summary of the movie by Wikipedia. Annabelle Sciorri plays an artist, wife and mother who loses her two children in a car accident, and the trauma of the event sends her into deep despair and to the psychiatric hospital. With the help of her husband she regains some of her strength to cope, but is dealt a double blow and left devastated when her husband dies in a fatal car accident. The intense trauma leaves her in a tormented state, and she falls deeper into dark depression. The pain she suffers is unbearable and she takes her own life. Instead of seeing her husband and children in heaven, she goes to Hell because she can’t accept her life gone wrong. Here are some of Sciorra's planetary placements.




Pisces Planets, Neptune in Scorpio, Chiron in Pisces opposed Pluto
Mercury, Venus, Chiron and South Node are all placed in Pisces. This would give Sciorra the ability to empathize with the role she is playing, the pain, anguish and emotional exhaustion of the tormented artist. The South Node in Pisces can symbolise patterns of behavior where she feels weakened, possibly through escapism, illusions, oversensitivity. Piscean depression and sensitivity to the environment can hinder the ability to focus. The North Node in Virgo is learning to function on the earth plane. Mercury/Venus/Chiron in Pisces all trine their dispositor Neptune in Scorpio, can be a healing, emotional and transformational combination. However, Neptunian feelings can be carried too easily. Venus exalted in Pisces symbolizes empathy in love and this is emphasised by having Venus trine Neptune. A beautiful aspect and she may have a longing to find love in the divine, a soulmate and she can be swept away in Neptunian fantasy.

Chiron in Pisces is on a critical degree and can symbolize deep sensitive wounds on the emotional level. Chiron opposite pluto - a great deal of intense pain, a wound which cannot be healed. Annabelle’s portrayal of the suffering mother/widow left to cope alone, projects the cruel and unfair devastating loss that life can deal us. The most devastating loss in life is the death of a child. How do you heal this kind of loss? The film raises these kinds of questions, along with the afterlife, reincarnation, soul mates, souls taking on different physical forms and returning to earth. I believe Sciorra brought something to the collective in her role, and films have a way of portraying the archetypal themes in astrology, the motifs which exist in life. The film did create debate over Annabella (Sciorra) going to Hell, and being punished for taking her own life - yet I thought it was a self-imposed hell, and she was locked inside the maze of her own tormented soul.

The book

I have not read the book. However, from what I have been reading online the children are not killed in the novel, only the parents. Here are some of the elements of the book which did not appear in the movie.

The details of Chris’s life on Earth also differ strongly in the novel. Only Chris and his wife (called Ann) die. Their children, who are grownups rather than youngsters, remain alive, as minor characters. Albert and Leona are exactly the people they appear to be, and the character played by Max Von Sydow does not appear in the book at all. Albert is Chris’s cousin and not African American as in the film, while Leona’s ethnicity is not divulged. Chris and Ann are rural, country types rather than the urbanites portrayed in the film, and he is not a pediatrician, nor is she a painter. He’s a Hollywood screenwriter, and she has a variety of jobs.

The afterlife imagery is based on natural scenery rather than paintings. The Heavenly environment doesn’t automatically mold itself to people’s thoughts, as it does in the film; some practice and expertise is required to build things. There is more explanation of how the afterlife works, and we get more of a sense that a functioning human society shares the space. The novel’s depiction of Hell is considerably more violent than in the film. Chris finds it difficult to move, breathe, or even see, and he suffers physical torture at the hands of some of the inhabitants. He does not encounter ships, thunderstorms, fire, or the sea of human faces that he must walk upon in the film. Instead, he and Albert climb across craggy cliffs and encounter such sights as a swarm of insects that attack people’s bodies.

Ann is consigned to Hell for only twenty-four years, not eternity. Chris’s meeting with Ann in her private Hell is much longer and more complex than in the film. At the end, which resembles an alternate version of the film but not the standard version, she escapes from Hell by being reincarnated, because she is not ready for Heaven.

Currently Reading

At the moment I am reading Penny Thornton's The Forces of Destiny, Incarnation, Karma, and Astrology, it is an interesting read, there isn't too much astrology, but lots of thought provoking information on how Fate and Destiny play out in our lives. Here is a quote from the book as an example of it's content:

When I took the diploma of the Faculty of Astrological Studies, I had to discuss in an essay the dilemma between fate and free will. At the time, the issues appeared quite cut and dried to me that while there was a divine plan at work, we also had the God-given ability to exercise free-will. I find the issue much more complex now. As an astrologer, one cannot avoid the knotty problem of fate, since a birth chart at almost every level is showing a fated pattern, even if character is the fundamental issue and future 'trends' are avoided; character may indeed be destiny, but how did we come to have such a character in the first place? Is this not also fate? And where does free will come in when the individual is born with deformities or multiple disabilities?

I am a quarter of the way through the book, there is talk of planetary spheres in chapter 4. Edgar Cayce discussed this in his 'sleeping states', and here is a link to this information, and also here in the index you will see Astrology.

That which we call a rose...

There’s a few things about living in Turkey that I don’t like; the habit of ‘turkifying’ names being one of them. So Catherine is sometimes changed to Kadriye, a completely different name. I don’t understand why anyone would want to change a perfectly good name to another one, isn’t changing countries/cultures/languages enough?

Plus there was more than enough name-changing when I was growing up. In school for Irish class all our names were translated into Irish. I became Caitriona, a very nice name; it just wasn’t mine. Calling into my Dad’s office was nerve-wracking.

Dad’s office was right outside the wall of the university in the centre of Dublin, but I’d never had any reason to visit. I have a vague recollection of going to a Christmas party there many years before but it’s very hazy. On this particular day I had some good news to share. I knew my Mam wouldn’t be home so I couldn’t ring her and this was before mobile phones were so widespread. So I thought I’d pop in to Dad and share it with him.

I walked in through the revolving door and was confronted by two security guards behind a desk. One looked at me expectantly as I muttered something about my Dad working there.“Alright, what’s his name?”

A perfectly reasonable question in the circumstances.

I gave the name my mother called him, the one most of his close friends use.The security guard looked at the computer screen in front of him “Sorry, nobody of that name works here.”

I probably stared at the man for about thirty seconds. Then I remembered that Dad’s brother and sisters translate his first name to Irish. It’s a hangover from a time when an English name on a birth cert was an advantage if someone emigrated, but a family would use the Irish version in daily life. I tried that.

Another glance at the computer screen. “Sorry. No one of that name here.” By now the second security guard was taking a keen interest.

Stumped again, I had visions of being frogmarched out of the building for wasting time. It would be embarrassing to be tossed out by the Revenue Commissioners before I’d even had a chance to defraud them. The penny dropped. Dad joined the Irish civil service at a time when all names were translated completely into Irish. Our surname jumped from the very end to the beginning of the alphabet. I tried both first and surname in Irish.
“Ah we have one of them, he’s on the second floor.”

I climbed the stairs a little shakily. I may have just gotten a scholarship but I didn’t even know my own father’s name!

That which we call a rose...

There’s a few things about living in Turkey that I don’t like; the habit of ‘turkifying’ names being one of them. So Catherine is sometimes changed to Kadriye, a completely different name. I don’t understand why anyone would want to change a perfectly good name to another one, isn’t changing countries/cultures/languages enough?

Plus there was more than enough name-changing when I was growing up. In school for Irish class all our names were translated into Irish. I became Caitriona, a very nice name; it just wasn’t mine. Calling into my Dad’s office was nerve-wracking.

Dad’s office was right outside the wall of the university in the centre of Dublin, but I’d never had any reason to visit. I have a vague recollection of going to a Christmas party there many years before but it’s very hazy. On this particular day I had some good news to share. I knew my Mam wouldn’t be home so I couldn’t ring her and this was before mobile phones were so widespread. So I thought I’d pop in to Dad and share it with him.

I walked in through the revolving door and was confronted by two security guards behind a desk. One looked at me expectantly as I muttered something about my Dad working there.“Alright, what’s his name?”

A perfectly reasonable question in the circumstances.

I gave the name my mother called him, the one most of his close friends use.The security guard looked at the computer screen in front of him “Sorry, nobody of that name works here.”

I probably stared at the man for about thirty seconds. Then I remembered that Dad’s brother and sisters translate his first name to Irish. It’s a hangover from a time when an English name on a birth cert was an advantage if someone emigrated, but a family would use the Irish version in daily life. I tried that.

Another glance at the computer screen. “Sorry. No one of that name here.” By now the second security guard was taking a keen interest.

Stumped again, I had visions of being frogmarched out of the building for wasting time. It would be embarrassing to be tossed out by the Revenue Commissioners before I’d even had a chance to defraud them. The penny dropped. Dad joined the Irish civil service at a time when all names were translated completely into Irish. Our surname jumped from the very end to the beginning of the alphabet. I tried both first and surname in Irish.
“Ah we have one of them, he’s on the second floor.”

I climbed the stairs a little shakily. I may have just gotten a scholarship but I didn’t even know my own father’s name!

The whole truth

I took some photos recently and was criticised for it. An example: a man sits on a tree stump in front of a cobbled wall. Beside him on another tree stump is a glass of tea. He has grey hair, a weathered face and is dressed in well-used work clothes. The knees of his trousers are dirty and his rolled-up sleeves are grubby. His expression is a little bemused, there may even be a hint of mischief in his eye. The criticism: 'That doesn't reflect his social status.'

You see he looked like a villager. He didn't look like an apartment owner and landlord, or a shopkeeper, or father to teachers and other educated children.

Being seen as a villager in Turkey is the highest of praise according to Ataturk but more likely it's a dismissal in modern Turkey. It could mean someone hardworking or lazy, crafty or slow, noble or not. It can refer to a mindset that is superstitious, introverted and traditionalist. As Turkey has urbanised so quickly this divide is seen more in the cities than in the villages themselves. Virtual ghettos form, where people from neighbouring villages live close to each other and bring the village with them to the city. Any patch of land is used to grow vegetables, clothes are shaken over balconies without regard for the fancy cafe below and the village network takes over shops and businesses. This may clash with the established order in the city, an order created by people only a generation or so from the village themselves.

To judge a person based on a single photo may indicate there are self-esteem issues linked to this divide that Turkey will have to face.

The whole truth

I took some photos recently and was criticised for it. An example: a man sits on a tree stump in front of a cobbled wall. Beside him on another tree stump is a glass of tea. He has grey hair, a weathered face and is dressed in well-used work clothes. The knees of his trousers are dirty and his rolled-up sleeves are grubby. His expression is a little bemused, there may even be a hint of mischief in his eye. The criticism: 'That doesn't reflect his social status.'

You see he looked like a villager. He didn't look like an apartment owner and landlord, or a shopkeeper, or father to teachers and other educated children.

Being seen as a villager in Turkey is the highest of praise according to Ataturk but more likely it's a dismissal in modern Turkey. It could mean someone hardworking or lazy, crafty or slow, noble or not. It can refer to a mindset that is superstitious, introverted and traditionalist. As Turkey has urbanised so quickly this divide is seen more in the cities than in the villages themselves. Virtual ghettos form, where people from neighbouring villages live close to each other and bring the village with them to the city. Any patch of land is used to grow vegetables, clothes are shaken over balconies without regard for the fancy cafe below and the village network takes over shops and businesses. This may clash with the established order in the city, an order created by people only a generation or so from the village themselves.

To judge a person based on a single photo may indicate there are self-esteem issues linked to this divide that Turkey will have to face.

The Crow: Scorpio Themes

I have this movie on DVD, and the Scorpionic themes are powerful. Eric and his girlfriend are both murdered on Halloween. A year later, Eric is brought back to life by a Crow and granted superhuman powers, so that he may seek vengeance upon those who killed him. One by one he seeks out the gang who murdered him, and they are unaware of the fate that awaits them. The Sun moves through Scorpio at the time of Halloween, and Scorio is related to death and the potential for transformation.

In this movie you root for him to seek revenge and for justice to be served. Astrologically retribution is the 8th house (Scorpio's house). The 8th house rules fated events and inescapable fates. Our source of power belongs in Pluto's realm, and it is often only in the face of total destruction that we make changes and discover our hidden resources of power.

Planetary Talk

Traditional and Modern astrology vary in their views on how planetary strengths in the natal chart should be interpreted. My view of this is simple, exaltation's and planets in rulership refer to how the planet prefers to act, and in my point of view it has a higher symbolic meaning. I will write a series of posts on these ideas, this is my view of them, and many other astrologers will probably disagree, but it's how I have come to understand them.

First up: The Sun is strong in it's own sign of Leo and is EXALTED in Aries the sign of identity, potency, and self-will. The mantra for Aries is I am, and this is in full alignment with the Sun’s conscious purpose of shining in it's own individuality. Every individual is born with a unique purpose and destiny, and this can be symbolic of the 'Heroic quest'. The Sun in Aries 'will' realize his own identity, and he needs to be courageous on this path. The Hero's quest begins when we leave behind our family of origin, our past, and rigid expectations of us (Saturn falls in Aries where the Sun shines). The Hero's journey involves separation and initiation, it is an "awakening of the self. "

Astrology, Psychology and the Four Elements

Astrology divides up the 12 signs into Four elements - Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Each of the elements contains three signs and they are also referred to as the triplicities. The four elements are known in psychological astrology as the 'four functions' which govern the human psyche. Each element has a specific way of manifesting energy. Four ways of understanding the world, and four ways of perceiving life. The element of Fire is 'intuitive', it symbolizes the initial spark of inspiration, creativity, and future vision. Earth rules the 'senses', and concerns itself with maintaining and organizing the material aspects of life. Air is the 'thinking' element, it can logically analyse information and develop a theoretical understanding. The Water element dominates 'feeling' and is the nurturing and caring component in life, it also refers to the spiritual aspect of life.

The elements in astrology correspond to the basic temperament or the "psychological makeup" of an individual. When a planet is in one of the elements (Fire, Earth, Air, and Water) the planet will express itself through that element. We form ourselves through Earth, and we find our vitality, optimism, and aliveness through Fire. Through Air is how we socialize and 'circulate' and communicate. The emotional and spiritual connection to life is symbolized by Water, and here we can nourish and heal our souls from within. No person is 'wholly' one element we are all a mixture of the different elements. We will view the world from our own unique elemental makeup contained within the natal chart.

The Fire signs

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius: The fire signs respond to life in active, outgoing, confident, spontaneous, energetic, and enthusiastic ways. A joy for life! Fire signs inspire others with their own optimism. Fire is direct, honest, warm, and self interested. The element of Fire is volatile and unpredictable. Fire embodies strength of purpose or meaning in life. Planets placed in fire signs symbolize energy that is incautious and impels the individual to constant movement and action.

The Earth signs

Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn: The Earth signs respond to life in a practical, physical, enduring way, they are concerned with the material aspects of living. Earth signs provide the foundation needed to establish something tangible. Earthy individuals are patient, responsible, and they work hard and plan carefully. Planets placed in earth signs will express themselves in a grounded way. Earth holds firm and gives form to the spirit, it takes no risks and resists change. Earth takes comfort in what is known and dependable.

The Air signs

Gemini, Libra, Aquarius: The air signs respond to life by accumulating information, and appear detached because they are analytical rather than emotional in situations. The air group are intellectually orientated. The Air signs direct by interaction, circulation, socialization. Planets in Air relate intellectually even the Moon (a water planet) in air will talk about emotions rather than actually feeling them. The element of Air represents the universal mind, facts, observations, rationalizing, and making judgements.

The Water signs

Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. The water signs respond to life in an emotional, sensitive, and instinctive way. Water 'feels' and are oversensitive and overprotective. A planet in water is subdued, the planet becomes more inwardly directed, and is emotional in expression.

Jupiter

Jupiter is the planet which represents the symbolic world, and intuits it’s meaning. The function of Jupiter is to enlarge, make fruitful, and bestow a feeling of being protected with a spirit of hope and optimism. Psychologically it is from this archetype of paternal benevolence that we derive self confidence, our ability to extend our horizons, to take life as it comes, and our urge to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. It enlarges all that it touches and, as a result, it can lead to exaggeration; either the tendency to take risks because of an overdeveloped sense of optimism, or the depletion of resources because of over expansion.

The influence of Jupiter can also lead to an over inflated idea of our own importance and a desire to “play god”. When we lose our connection with Jupiter, we may experience feelings of inadequacy, negativity, skepticism, sluggishness or pessimism. Our Jupiter position by sign, house and aspect will describe where we seek to grow, to expand to find meaning in life. Where we seek to be expansive and do things in a Big Way and the areas which we need quite a bit of space in order to do so. Above all else Jupiter, represents our ability to grasp meaning.

Jupiter urges us to look beyond the immediate facts and the current situation, and see a deeper meaning and significance and purpose. In holding any kind of beliefs, religious, political, philosophical we are having to do this. When Jupiter contacts a planet in the chart we tend to philosophize about the things represented by that planet, we ask what that planetary principle actually means, we want to spread our wings in that area, take as much as possible on board, travel tremendous distances with it.

The house where Jupiter is placed is often an area where we are lucky, where we can get away with things. Our Jupiter placement usually describes an area where we can enjoy a certain measure of protection. Jupiter pushes out our boundaries, away from the personal and immediate to wider horizons. It represents setting out to explore our destiny and make our fortune. The influence of this planet takes us away from the preoccupations of the self and makes us much more aware of the larger whole. Our knowledge is therefore expanded and we are able to intuit future possibilities.

Jupiter is associated with wisdom to be wise we have to have knowledge and information, but also the capacity for understanding these in the right light of the greater whole. Jupiter represents the function which enables us to see the grand scheme of things, the wider implications, and in seeing the whole picture we are better able to make judgments. Being hampered limits one capacity to grow. Jupiter rules the zodiac sign Sagittarius and, in common with that sign, the Jupiterian impulse prompts a dislike of responsibilities and a dislike of limits of all kinds, in Jupiterian mode we like to be at liberty.

Our beliefs dictate the extent to which we may be visionaries. The overly Jupiterian individual believes anything is possible. Without either self-belief or belief in some kind of higher power, basically without the notion of positive thinking, nothing is possible. Our Jupiter, together with planets in the 9th house and planets in Sagittarius, will have much to say about our search for meaning. Life becomes much more joyous if we believe it has some kind of larger significance, without a sense of meaning and purpose, life can feel very bleak indeed.

Astrology in a Nutshell

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Dispositor Trees

Encouraging the Participation of Female Students in STEM fields - the Congressional Hearings

Yesterday the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held hearings on encouraging the interest of girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in primary and secondary schools. The subcommittee Chairman Daniel Lipinski noted that skilled scientists and engineers play an important role in keeping the United States competitive for the 21st century:

We have heard time and time again that, as a nation, we are not producing enough scientists and engineers for the increasing number of technical jobs of the future. We need to make sure that we have the scientific and technical workforce we need if we are to remain a leader in the global economy, and it is not possible to do this without developing and encouraging all the talent in our nation. We must have women engineers, computer scientists, and physicists. By broadening the STEM pipeline to include more women and other under-represented groups, we can strengthen our workforce.

Some of the testimony highlights:

Dr. Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) testified that K-12 science education standards are too low for all students and expectations are low for students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. He also pointed out that the is a wide difference in percentage of women participating in different fields of science and engineering, and notes that the participation of women drops significantly at the faculty level.

Although the story of women in STEM fields is one of tremendous gains over the past 40 years, it is a bittersweet story that is coupled with uneven progress and sometimes loss of ground—a discipline-specific program here, a department there, but seldom an institution-wide effort

But he didn't just point out the problems - he discussed a number of AAAS programs and made some suggestions for what the federal could do:

Many researchers and program managers believe that STEM fields are not being “marketed” appropriately to girls and young women. While President Obama has articulated specific challenges where science and engineering must play a role, it is also important to provide materials (and opportunities for engagement) that demonstrate how STEM connects to addressing the real world problems we face as a nation and as a world. Consider, for example, the areas of engineering where the distribution of bachelor’s degrees in environmental and biomedical engineering awarded to women approaches that of men.

Many believe that a new call to serve for both young men and young women needs to link the critical role of education in STEM fields with the opportunity to address global concerns such as food security, clean water, climate change, clean sources of energy, and infectious diseases and other health issues. Students need examples of people who are doing this work today as well as access to opportunities for experiential learning. It is important in such efforts to prominently include women as well as men.

The "marketing" of science can be a controversial issue*, since it conjures up images of tricky advertising tactics that value "sales" more than accuracy. It's not clear to me that the gendered assumption that girls and women would be more interested in science if they understood it's role in taking care of people and the planet is an accurate one. It certainly doesn't explain why women who are interested enough in science to obtain their Ph.D.s seem to be dropping out of academia.

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Next up was Dr. Marcia Brumit Kropf, COO of Girls Incorporated**. In her testimony, Kropf points out that the gap between girls and boys in math and physical sciences has closed significantly over the past 30 years. Her suggestion (and the approach of Girls Incorporated) is informal science education:

Girls Inc. Eureka! is a four-week summer STEM and sports camp program for girls 12-15 held on a college campus. In Alameda County, CA, girls in Eureka!, who were predominantly urban, minority girls, increased their math course-taking plans, while control group girls’ plans to take math decreased. Second-year Eureka! girls’ math and science course‐taking plans almost doubled. Their interest in science careers increased, and the percentage of girls whose wish for the following school year was “to do well/be on the honor roll,” increased from 38 percent to 66 percent.

Alarmingly, however, this study also seemed to indicate that being away from school had a positive impact on girls—both Eureka! and control girls—in terms of wanting to do math and science. For most, being back in school tended to decrease that interest.

Part of the problem is, not surprisingly, sexism:

Girls Inc. sponsors eight FIRST Robotics Lego League teams, with support from Motorola. The Girls Inc. teams often find themselves the only all-girl teams in the competitions (except of course when there are teams sponsored by the Girl Scouts). But on the co-ed teams, staff observed that it was always the boys who were operating the robots. In fact, on one occasion when I had the pleasure of speaking with some members of Robot Chicks Union, a group of female FIRST Robotics competitors, they complained that on co-ed teams they were actually assigned roles such as marketing and bringing the snacks for their team. This phenomenon plays out in classrooms as well, where girls are too often relegated to supporting roles, such as recording notes, as they watch boys perform the experiments and work with equipment.

I don't think it's surprising that girls with such experiences wouldn't end up being particularly interested in pursuing science as a career.

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The testimony continued with Dr. Sandra Hanson, Professor of Sociology at The Catholic University of America whose most recent book is Swimming Against the Tide: African American Girls and Science Education. She testified that her research has shown that girls start out with similar interest and abilities in science as boys, but as they get older - especially during the high school years - enrollment of girls in STEM classes drops and their attitude towards science becomes more negative. Girls do better in single-sex classrooms, it turns out, and she agreed with Dr. Kropf as to the value of out-of-school informal science learning experiences. She recommended the use of the National Center for Education Research's practice guide "Encouraging Girls in Math and Science" in developing classroom programs.

Hanson also pointed out that STEM isn't just a male culture, but a predominantly white male culture, and that girls and women of different races and ethnic backgrounds can have very different experiences pursuing science and mathematics.

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Barbara Bogue is director of the Penn State Women in Engineering Program and co-founder and co-director of the Society of Women Engineers' Assessing Women and Men in Engineering Project (SWE-AWE). She pointed out in her testimony that science and engineering have different challenges. There is also a lot of variation in the representation of women in engineering from field to field.

For example, 2006 National Science Foundation (NSF) statistics show that women received almost 50 percent of science and engineering bachelor’s degrees in 2005- 06.

Taken on face value, these statistics make it look like there is no problem. If we break out engineering, however, the percentage of women receiving degrees is a very low 18 percent. And even within engineering, there are great variations. Environmental, bio and chemical engineering—all fields related to biological sciences—have high percentages of women at 40 percent, 37 percent and 34 percent respectively. Unfortunately, these are relatively small disciplines in terms of numbers enrolled. Mechanical and electrical engineering, on the other hand, are disciplines that traditionally have the largest populations of students, but have very low percentages of women at 11 percent and 12 percent respectively. Computer engineering, another field critical to national competitiveness, has only 11 percent.

She notes that differences between fields need to be taken into account when developing programs to attract women to those fields.

One of the findings of the SWE AWE is that women do not pursue engineering because they are turned off by the culture of engineering education, not because they lack interest or talent.

Much research shares common findings that women who are equally prepared academically as men when they enter engineering leave engineering or science with higher GPAs than their male counterparts who leave, having found less of a sense of community and citing that they have encountered poor teaching. Surveys of students leaving engineering or science, including surveys developed and implemented by SWE AWE, find that students who leave are less involved in discipline-related activities and fail to develop a sense of community.

AWE results and other findings belie the postulation that women do not pursue engineering because they are just not interested or don’t have the talent. Rather, they indicate that women who have the talent and interest are being turned off by how the discipline is presented. Women’s high school preparation and GPAs once in college are comparable to men’s. In fact, in our recent research females show significantly higher intentions to persist in engineering than their male counterparts. These results show that we don’t need to fix the women; we need to fix environments in which they fail to thrive.

Increasing the participation of women in engineering fields will require changes in the education system to make it more welcoming - or at least less off-putting.

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Finally, Cherryl T. Thomas, president and founder of engineering consulting firm Ardmore Associates, spoke about her own path to a career in science and engineering. Unlike most of the other witnesses, she hasn't studied women in STEM, rather she based her suggestions on her own experiences starting out as one of the few women working for the City of Chicago's Department of Water and Sewers in the early 1970s.

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Read all the hearing witness statements, which have attached statistics and citations to support their discussions.

Watch the hearings (requires Real Player)

* see, for example, the discussion of the proposed selling of science to the public in Unscientific America (which I blogged about elsewhere)

** Girls Incorporated has published fact sheets on "Girls and Science, Math, and Engineering" (pdf) and "Girls and Information Technology" (pdf), among other topics.

(via Fairer Science)

Image (left to right): Alan Leshner, Marcia Brumit Kropf, Sandra Hanson, Barbara Bogue, Cherryl Thomas.

Tags: women in science, women in engineering, education

Quotes for the Red Planet: Mars

First an astrological look at the Planet Mars

The Sun formulates our goals: Mars pursues them. Through Mars we learn to act as independent and self sufficient beings, and to project ourselves into the world. Mars gives us the courage to stand up for our rights to assert ourselves and express our anger when necessary. Mars describes what we want from life and corresponds to our basic drives and motivations. Mars is concerned with assertion. To assert oneself is to declare one’s interests, to affirm, to be positive, to maintains one’s position, one’s individuality, in the face of pressure. The Mars principle not only helps us fight off unwanted pressure from the outside world but can also enable us to cope when the internal psychological conflict. Psychologically Mars represents the heroic archetype. Mars loves testing our strength and courage through competition of all kinds. Mars in the birth chart shows how we impose our will on the world, and whether we have the mental and physical stamina to follow through.

The Martian impulse is a selfish one, it is concerned with going out and getting what we want. Aspects to our Mars may indicate what we have learned about being selfish when we were young. Some people are told very strictly in childhood that it is wrong to be selfish, and then find it difficult late in life to allow themselves to want for something or be able to ask for it. Others are raised in a very competitive environment, and are taught the only way to survive is to push oneself forward. At worst Mars energy causes us to react in the heat of the moment without thinking of the consequences. This highly volatile and primitive energy works it’s best when it is consciously focused.

Mars is also the significator, along with Venus, of our sexuality, but whereas Venus relates to harmony of sexual union and to sensual pleasure, Mars relates to the sexual part of life which involves forcing the issue, the chase, the conquest, penetration. Again this incurs vulnerability. Mars brings passion and excitement to our lives, the more fully we live our Mars, the more vibrant we feel and the greater our well being. Mars represents male sexuality, and in man’s chart it shows how he feels about about and expresses his masculinity. In a woman’s chart it describes the qualities she finds desirable in a man, as well as the manner in which she expresses Mars energy herself.

Mars can also describe a tendency to be too eager to fight, perceiving threats from the outside where none where intended. A mismanaged Mars can incline towards aggression and anti social behavior. Mars in the chart shows how we direct our energies, our capacity for displaying forcefulness and aggression, and to the extent where our anger can be quickly aroused. It also indicates how far we are able or willing to be hurt and hurt others. Mars also represents the courage we need to become independent. We need a certain amount of drive to fulfill our inherent potential, as well as the conviction that we have the capacity to make something of ourselves. Mars assists the Sun in developing our healthy ego so that we can achieve our personal aims. Our sense of aggression provides the impetus that enables us to master the world and learn new skills, both qualities are essential to our sense of well being and self esteem. We need some fight in us to turn a potential situation into a concrete one.

Quotes for Mars

" The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well being of others." Sharon Anthony

"Too many of us fail to fulfill our needs because we say no rather than yes, or perhaps later in life, yes when we should say no." - William Glasser

"The practice of assertiveness: being authentic in our dealings with others; treating our values and persons with decent respect in social contexts; refusing to fake the reality of who we are or what we esteem in order to avoid disapproval; the willingness to stand up for ourselves and our ideas in appropriate ways in appropriate contexts". Nathaniel Branden

“Happiness and self confidence come naturally when you are moving and progressing toward becoming the very best person you can possibly be".

Palmistry and Astrology

Here is a look at Palmistry and Astrology. I used to have books on this subject, but I couldn't read the lines on my hand at all. I am also bad at Tarot reading, and tea leaf reading, and I am not psychic. I just scrape by on Astrology. I tend to read a lot of occult type of books, and I have an open mind to new subjects. However, astrologically I have a natal Mercury square Neptune aspect in my chart, and I can be warned not to delve into spiritual topics. This aspect is an easy target for deception, and mis-information, and they can be gullible and easily confused. I don't totally disagree with this, but I have enough intellect to know if something is false. I understand there are individuals who do lean on spiritual practices as a way of escaping reality. Yet, it is still in my nature to believe in things beyond this world , and this is because my Moon and Mercury conjunct in Pisces (a sign that rules the other side) and both planets trine Uranus in Scorpio 3rd house and square my Neptune in Sagittarius 4th.

I naturally learn and communicate about these type of subjects, they are tied into my south node in Pisces 7th. According to James Braha on Mercury square Neptune in his book How to be a Great Astrologer. "The person is metaphysically-orientated and open to the occult. He believes in astrology, the psychic world, and all phenomena of non physical reality. His greatest task in life is learning how to communicate clearly and effectively." I am receptive to people, information, many different thoughts enter my head. I was reading today I should keep a note book on me, and especially by my bedside table. Apparently as I am about to fall asleep, I can be most receptive. With Moon-Mercury in Pisces I might as well be sleeping all day, I can drift off all the time. I don't journal that much considering I have a Moon-Mercury conjunction, the natural communicator. However, I am more impressionable, and hypersensitive to the environment (Pisces). I obviously blog a lot and I like to talk about people in an astrological way. I am genuinely interested in other people's lives, patterns, and how the universe fits in with it all.

Saturn Quotes

"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life." ~James Allen.

Why do children want to grow up? Because they experience their lives as constrained by immaturity and perceive adulthood as a condition of greater freedom and opportunity. But what is there today, in America, that very poor and very rich adolescents want to do but cannot do? Not much: they can "do" drugs, "have" sex, "make" babies, and "get" money (from their parents, crime, or the State). For such adolescents, adulthood becomes synonymous with responsibility rather than liberty. Is it any surprise that they remain adolescents? ~Thomas Szasz

You are not responsible for the programming you picked up in childhood. However, as an adult, you are one hundred percent responsible for fixing it. ~Ken Keyes, Jr.

Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him. ~Booker T. 

Washington. Dr. Miller says we are pessimistic because life seems like a very bad, very screwed-up film. If you ask "What the hell is wrong with the projector?" and go up to the control room, you find it's empty. You are the projectionist, and you should have been up there all the time. ~Colin Wilson

It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities..........

Meet the Judge: Consequences of Breaking the Law in Society

I thought a good example of a man who abides by the Law/authority on the Law, would have to be a Judge . Anthony Kennedy is tough against crime, and deviance in society. A look at his astrological chart reveals that he has Jupiter in it's own sign of Sagittarius (strong) in the 8th house square to Saturn, the combination is associated with moral codes, it brings up concerns of what is right or wrong in society, and the potential to be an authority (Saturn) on the law (Jupiter). The Moon is also placed in the sign of Libra, a sign that values fairness and balance. The symbol of Justice is portrayed by the Librian scales - an image often found in courts. A blindfolded woman holding a set of scales, and she measures the strengths of the case put forward and also judges the case of the opposition fairly. The sword she holds symbolizes the power of reason and justice which may be wielded for or against the case. I was reading about the meaning behind the blindfold, and it indicates that Justice should be fair and objective without fear, and regardless of identity (rich people, famous, or anyone in power). Kennedy's chart has Sun, Mercury and Mars all in trine to Saturn suggesting he has an easy authority, and that he can be disciplined, mature, and practical. According to James Braha in his book How to be a Great Astrologer:

"Sun in trine to Saturn knows to do the right thing, and the person gains from his father, the government and men in general. This person is of good character and moral fiber. He does well in politics and positions of authority.

This is all incredibly accurate because Kennedy followed in his father's footsteps, he had a substantial practice as a lawyer and a lobbyist, and this gave Kennedy an early taste for his future profession. While practicing he attracted the attention of then governor Ronald Reagan, and he was quickly appointed to the Court of Appeals. Kennedy has his Sun in Leo which can mean a position of leadership and authority (Saturn). Kennedy also has Sun, Mercury, and Venus in square to Uranus, and his views have not always been popular, and tough decisions have to be made. I think he is willful (Sun-Uranus) and won't be swayed easily. Kennedy approached each case on an individual basis. He is also a good teacher, one of his exercises for attorneys and students is entitled "The trial of Hamlet" regarding the criminal responsibility of Shakespeare's hero. Here is an extract from Wikipedia concerning the issues he has faced.

Conservative criticism

According to legal reporter Jan Crawford Greenburg, Kennedy attracts the ire of conservatives when he does not vote with his more rightist colleagues. According to legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, conservatives view Kennedy's pro-gay-rights and pro-choice rulings as betrayals. In the wake of 1996's Romer v. Evans, Ramesh Ponnoru wrote in National Review that Kennedy "is commonly acknowledged as the dimmest of the Court's intellectual lights"; in 2005, associate professor of law David M. Wagner called Kennedy "The worst of Ronald Reagan's appointees to the Court", and claimed he abandoned his conservative principles beginning in the 1990s in order to gain "the plaudits of the media and the Georgetown A-list." After 2008's Kennedy v. Louisiana, Rich Lowry called Kennedy the Supreme Court's "worst justice" and said that Kennedy's opinions "have nothing whatsoever to do with the Constitution", and amount to "making it up as he goes along.

According to Greenburg, the "bitter" quality of some movement conservatives' views on Kennedy stems from his eventual rethinking of positions on abortion, religion, and the death penalty (which Kennedy believes should not be applied to juveniles or the mentally challenged).

A short 2008 law review article by retired lawyer Douglas M. Parker in the legal journal The Green Bag charged that much of the criticism of Justice Kennedy was based upon "pop psychology" and the Justice's penchant for grandiloquence, rather than careful analysis of his opinions.

Bob Dylan - Questioning the Status Qua

Bob Dylan is a good example of somebody who questions society, and it's "norms". Bob Dylan has marched on protest rallies and is part of the civil rights movement. Lyrically his songs incorporated political, social, and philosophical as well as literary influences. Dylan was apparently a reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of his songs became anthems for both civil rights and anti-war movements.

By Wikipedia - In May 1963, Dylan's political profile was raised when he walked out of The Ed Sullivan Show. During rehearsals, Dylan had been informed by CBS Television's "head of program practices" that the song he was planning to perform, "Talkin' John Birch Society Blues", was potentially libelous to the John Birch Society. Rather than comply with the censorship, Dylan refused to appear on the program.

Dylan said of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "This was definitely a song with a purpose. I wanted to write a big song, some kind of theme song, with short concise verses that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way. The civil rights movement and the folk music movement were pretty close and allied together at that time."

By this time, Dylan and Baez were both prominent in the civil rights movement, singing together at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.Dylan's third album, The Times They Are a-Changin', reflected a more politicized and cynical Dylan. The songs often took as their subject matter contemporary, real life stories, with "Only A Pawn In Their Game" addressing the murder of civil rights worker Medgar Evers; and the Brechtian "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" the death of black hotel barmaid Hattie Carroll, at the hands of young white socialite William Zantzinger. On a more general theme, "Ballad of Hollis Brown" and "North Country Blues" address the despair engendered by the breakdown of farming and mining communities. This political material was accompanied by two personal love songs, "Boots of Spanish Leather" and "One Too Many Mornings".

By the end of 1963, Dylan felt both manipulated and constrained by the folk and protest movements. These tensions were publicly displayed when, accepting the "Tom Paine Award" from the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, an intoxicated Dylan brashly questioned the role of the committee, characterized the members as old and balding, and claimed to see something of himself (and of every man) in Kennedy's alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.


Bob Dylan's Natal Chart

In Dylan's chart we have Jupiter-Saturn and Uranus all conjunct in his 5th house, these are social elements and form a part of his self expression (5th). The traditional side of Saturn understands convention, and works within society's bounds. The conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn describes a man who is pulled apart in different directions - between optimism and pessimism, idealism and depression. Ethical and moral convictions can become a vitally important part of his psyche. Jupiter (knowledge) is also conjunct Uranus, therefore his higher mind is connected to the principles of truth and freedom, and personal growth is down a progressive path. This can be a restless and rebellious combination at times, because Jupiter enlarges the Uranian ideals. There is a tendency to argue and the fixity of Uranus tends to fix itself to Jupiter's world view. Sometimes a willful and tactless element is present in the personality. I do believe these individuals can be very bright, and two other celebs who share the same aspect and anti-social attitude are singer Pink and Marilyn Manson. These people are inspired by new orders, truth, and change.

Dylan also has Saturn conjunct Uranus, again the themes of rebelliousness, independence and a strong willed nature show through powerfully. Bob Dylan can be regarded as a genius (Uranus) of his time (Saturn), and we can see the archetypal battle of Saturn-Uranus in myth prominent in his psyche, and here the innate struggle between security and freedom, stability and independence is obvious. This combination does not always like authority and will often rebel (depending on the overall horoscope). Dylan's Sun is conjunct Jupiter and Uranus, he needs freedom and space, for his progressive personality. In addition, his Moon (innate response) is conjunct Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus, and the same themes are expressed in his home life/emotional nature. The planet Mars is heavily squared and this adds to his willfulness, aggressiveness and need to assert himself. It is a complicated horoscope.You know in my next post a law abiding citizen is coming up, he is more conventional but has an element of Uranus too.

Jupiter-Saturn: The Social Planets

Saturn and Jupiter link us to society, their longer orbits (twelve years for Jupiter, 29 years for Saturn) are said to have an impact upon how we relate to the world. Jupiter signifies rewards, higher education and contribution to benefiting society. The sign of Jupiter will describe the ways in which you grow, and the house Jupiter is placed describes the area in life where you can expand and find success. Saturn defines our limits and adheres to the the rules of society. It governs self-discipline, self-respect, and personal lessons in responsibility. Lasting achievements and hard won success.

Jupiterian greed or over-expansion needs to be curbed by Saturn's limitation and boundary setting. Both planets are important in understanding our role in society. However, society can collapse through different factors, such as economic reasons, or social, environmental factors which can throw the whole system out of balance. A natural disaster can cause the structures of society to collapse, creating poverty, where a whole town may need to be rebuilt and important buildings put back in place. The government can fail it's people, through corruption and lies or heavy handed leadership.

Ada Lovelace, Calculating and Fighting Crime

It's summer, so here's some light entertainment:

In honor of Ada Lovelace Day last March, Artist Sydney Padua created a comic featuring the mostly-true-except-for-the-inaccurate-bits story of Ada Lovelace's childhood, education, and her fateful meeting with Charles Babbage which ultimately lead to their crime-fighting partnership (I mentioned the inaccurate bits, right?). It's steampunk, it's geeky, and it's got copious explanatory notes - what more does a comic need?

Check out Ada Lovelace - The Origin. Then read the continuing adventures of Lovelace and Babbage:

• Lovelace and Babbage vs. The Economy
• Metaphysical Speculation Into The Nature of This Comic, or: Lovelace and Babbage vs The Salamander People
• Lovelace and Babbage vs. The Client (currently in progress).
  

The real Ada Lovelace began her life-long friendship Cambridge mathematics professor Charles Babbage when she was just 17 years old. The two corresponded on mathematics, logic and other topics, and, in the process of writing a description of Babbage's proposed "Analytical Engine" created the very first computer program. Ada married William King at the age of 19, had three children, and sadly died of cancer in 1852 at the age of 37. As far as we know, she and Babbage had no crime-fighting adventures , but it's fun to consider what could have been.

(via Making Light)
Tags: Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage, comics

Venus-Neptune: Someday my Prince Will Come

Camilla Parker Bowles is the second wife of Prince Charles. Camilla had been Charles' Mistress while they where both married. Today she supports her Prince in all his royal duties, which include charity work and attending events. Camilla's relationship began with Prince Charles when they met at a Polo match, and she became one of the numerous girlfriends of the Prince, and he was said to have wanted to marry her. However, she was seen as an unsuitable match for the future king. It was reported that Charles had met Camilla too early, and that he had not asked her to wait for him while he went overseas for military duties. It seemed the two of them could never really say goodbye and their feelings for each other never really ended. The affair between them became public knowledge with the Publication of Diana her True Story.

In this interview below Diana talks about her marriage with Prince Charles and his affair with Camilla.

Camilla Parker Bowles has a Cancerian chart, and the sign is emotional, caring and responsive. Even with these traits innate, she didn't elicit much sympathy from the public, not in the way that Diana could. The role of the "victim" in the whole relationship (Diana), will usually be offered a more sympathetic response. Cheating first and foremost is an act of deception, lying, and betrayal, and it is described as a violation of a relationships boundaries. 

Camilla was violating her own marriage and another woman's sacred bond (as Prince Charles was doing). A love triangle involves an unobtainable love, because the other person is involved in a permanent relationship with somebody else. The reasons may vary why a person has a love affair, but for Charles he was convinced Diana was emotionally unstable. So Charles would frequently seek comfort in Camilla's arms. She was emotionally supportive and protective over him and mothered him through his turbulent marriage with Diana, and perhaps this is where the Cancer themes dominate in Camilla's nativity. Camilla has a natal aspect of Venus-Neptune contact, and this represents the urge to lose herself in a partner, and she has a tendency to over-idealize love. 

Another manifestation of Venus-Neptune in the natal chart is the inability to see the other person realistically. Love can be blind drunk and full of longing. The high romantic idealism, sympathy and acceptance of the situation leads to her ability to overlook flaws and limitations in a relationships. In fact, the roadblocks to love prolonged the fantasy. When Camilla finally obtained her own bona fide "Prince charming" he may not have turned out to be everything that she hoped he would be, and the scales may fall from her eyes.

Venus-Neptune is a romantic, sacrificing and selfless contact in all romantic situations. Often Venus-Neptune contacts fall for people who are Pisces, Neptune or have a powerful 12th house. Some Venus-Neptune's are attracted to losers/victims in society, perhaps the penniless artist, or struggling musician. It appears any type of person who is in some kind of emotional mess and needs "rescuing" stimulates the sexual desire. Such romantic idealism is always best teamed with a realistic discrimination of the love, but then again it would spoil all the magic.

I wonder what happened when Camilla married her Prince, did it take all the "romanticism" away? No more secret rendezvous and pining for that elusive love. All her suffering and not being accepted by the public. Loving from a distance allows many of her fantasies to remain intact. Disillusionment in love is common too, here is a quote on Venus-Neptune by Sue Tompkins:

When I first started practicing as an astrologer I was several times caught out by Venus-Neptune clients requesting comparisons between them and their partners. "Caught out" in that I entered into their fantasies only to discover, after further, usually very directive questioning, that they were not in fact having a relationship with the object of their desire. It could be said they were having a relationship, but only with a fantasy, and certainly without the other person physically participating in it!

Michael Jackson: Jupiter conjunct Neptune

Michael Jackson's recent death has caused a surge of public interest, and he has achieved the status of saint again. I do like him as an artist, and with Jupiter conjunct Neptune in Libra this is an over idealistic sign/aspect, and he is a man who loved peace and harmony. Michael Jackson is the one of the greatest performers who ever lived. As well as helping to pave the way for other black artists, he has been a much loved entertainer around the world. However, he had some turbulent years, and after his death he was like a Phoenix rising from the ashes (Pluntionian). Michael has generously donated millions of dollars to charities, and he has raised a considerable amount of money throughout his "Heal the World Foundation". A highly compassionate nature, and emphasized sensitivity. This song particularly emphasizes the idealism of his natal aspect, it is a beautiful song. You can see the common thread through these three men (Luther, Obama & Jackson), although different in many ways, they all share idealism and hope for a better tomorrow. It becomes easy to understand why deep disappointment and disillusionment can often follow if these dreams are not materialized.

Barack Obama: Jupiter square Neptune

Another man with a Jupiter-Neptune theme powerful in his natal chart is American President Barack Obama. The symbolism repeats in his chart because not only is Jupiter in square to Neptune, but Jupiter is in Neptune's house (12th) and Neptune is in Jupiter's house (9th)! Obama became the first black president to hold office. Obama has worked as a civil rights lawyer, and he has described his earlier troubles to reconcile the social perceptions of his racial inheritance. Below is indeed an incredible speech, he knows how to inspire people and he believes in the "dream".

Martin Luther King: Jupiter in exact trine to Neptune

Martin Luther King in his famous speech said "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed " We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal. Martin was a true example of Jupiter-Neptune, and his dream was to live in a world were no boundaries seperated us, and it doesn't matter what colour what you are.

Martin Luther King was the son of a reverend, he was inspired by Gandhi's success and his non violent activism, King's hope was to deliver a message that would put an end to racial prejudice. King is an icon in human rights, and a martyr. Astrologically King's Jupiter-Neptune is part of a grand trine with Saturn. And Saturn (his Sun's ruler) is placed in the sign of Sagittarius in the 8th house (taboo issues), and this represents his personal struggle in facing racial prejudice (Saggitarian judgements/beliefs) the whole archetypal meaning of Saturn in Sagittarius in the 8th house is powerfully relevant to his mission in life. Jupiter is in Neptune's house (12th) in Taurus, and inner peace is important to him.

Dream Big: Jupiter-Neptune

The aspect is linked to any experience that broadens our awareness, such as the pursuit of knowledge, higher education and travel. Neptune stimulates Jupiter's expansiveness and idealism and this offers wonderful compassion to individuals with this aspect. However, when Jupiter forms a hard aspect to Neptune it may cloud and distort Jupiter's judgement and vision. For Jupiter-Neptune, reality (Saturn) is a bitter pill to swallow. You can often find a powerful religious tone to this natal aspect, and it can be found in the charts of preaches and religious workers. Or even in those people who sacrifice themeselves for a greater cause. When Jupiter and Neptune connect the individual needs to believe in something, and  without  religious faith or beliefs, it can be a dark and bleak reality.

According to atheist Richard Dawkins he contends that faith is merely belief without evidence, a process of non-thinking. A practice he believes only degrades our understanding of the natural world by allowing us to make a claim about reality that is based solely on personal thoughts, and possibly distorted perceptions. Astrologically many Jupiterian's and Neptunian's may strongly disagree with his idea and view of life. Yet, beliefs can not always be proven, and there is truth to his statement that belief is very often without evidence. Jupiter-Neptune can be fanatical in their beliefs, and have grandiose dreams. If these dreams fail, this often leads to great disappointment and disillusionment. Both Jupiter and Neptune are expansive energies and the tendency to overdo things is a potential pitfall, leading them to be unrealistic. Perhaps they are a victim of their own psychology, believing and dreaming that they really can soar. Often there is great impracticality, and excessive idealism, and they may make needless sacrifices for the good of the whole. Tremendous sensitivity is often present, sometimes a love of animals and high compassionate nature and humanitarian impulses. Sue Tompkins has described this aspect as having a misplaced belief in one's own sainthood. However, In the bleakest moments of our times, it helps to have these people around to inspire us to hope and dream for a better tomorrow.