With no one keeping score but myself, unless a reader decides to keep me honest, I have to account for my own predictive accuracy in the realm of mundane astrology. The reasons for exploring and experimenting in the realm of predictions, as it applies to world events, leaders, and politics, were covered in last month’s version of Cosmic Musings. When writing in late August, I chose the dates of September 27th through 29th as likely days that certain on-going issues in this culture’s collective consciousness would once again make the news. Silly man, I did not have an opportunity to confirm my predictions before my column deadline came along. Chalking it up to inexperience, I wrote about the tradition and purpose of the specialized school of astrological studies known as mundane astrology, instead of verifying my risky ventures into the realm of prediction.
With the turning of the pages of the calendar, it has been possible, at long last, to check up on via Scroogle, (for those who look with suspicion upon the personal information gathering done at Google.com) on the dates in question and any big media coverage about the two items chosen for this column’s initial foray into making mundane predictions.
The first prediction went like this:
Murdoch media scandal
“…further governmental and judicial [Saturn] investigation [Pluto] of Rupert Murdoch’s [Pluto-crat] News Corp. telephone tapping scandal [Pluto] will result in disgrace [Pluto]with consequences [Saturn] such as heavy fines, loss of power [Saturn]in the media world (like the loss of The Wall Street Journal) [Pluto/Mercury], termination [Saturn & Pluto] of (more) key figures and/or sentencing (by a female judge) to time in custody or community service [Saturn]. It would not surprise me if Rupert Murdoch himself, his son James, or his close confidante, Les Hinton, falls seriously ill or worse [Saturn & Pluto] due to the pressure [Saturn]and fallout [Pluto] from the scandal.”
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/27/140829858/news-corp-s-u-k-actions-under-scrutiny-in-u-s
I can give myself a point for this one, although the details that were related to the “…loss of power in the media world…” seem to relate to the way Rupert Murdoch and his cronies had infiltrated the British government by virtue of appointments and influence. The scandal led Mr. Murdoch to withdraw an attempt to gain control of Sky TV earlier in the year, but the parliamentarians in England want to ensure that he cannot attempt to do so again, or ever attain as much power as he previously wielded. http://www.digitalspy.com/media/completecoverage/phone-hacking-scandal/
And the second prediction went like this:
European Sovereign Debt Crisis/U.S. dollar devaluation
Significant upheaval [Pluto] in the banking and world economic markets [Saturn & Pluto]as the devaluation [Saturn]of the U.S. Dollar and the European Sovereign Debt Crisis make more headlines [Mercury] http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/e/european_central_bank/index.html
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/27/140834485/eurozones-looming-financial-crisis
For this item, I can only give myself a half-point, making my score one-and-a-half out of a possible two. This second theme, concerning the world economy, particularly the interlocking issues of dollar devaluation and European debt, were too general and were being reported upon almost daily in the major media. Unlike the Murdoch News Corp. scandal, which was blinking in and out of the headlines, the news of the Euro debt and dollar dive have been “in the news” steadily, and continues to garner front page attention and multiple minutes of coverage on TV and radio, as it should. Score so far: 1and ½ out of a possible 2.
That is encouraging enough to prompt continued interest in predicting when collective attention will be drawn to world figures and happenings. What is going on currently, and in the recent past, is so very dynamic and interesting, however, that another example of how astrological factors in the sky are correlation with events here on Earth seems to be called for.
In the heavens: Saturn is transiting back and forth (direct and retrograde) in the final third of Libra until October of 2012. Uranus and Pluto are engaging in a tense series of pressurizing and inflammatory contacts that will continue pretty much into 2019. Neptune finishes its fourteen year transit of Aquarius in early February 2012. Jupiter is retrograde in Taurus until Christmas. Jupiter in Taurus, the sign of money and value, makes nice (trine aspect) with Pluto in Capricorn, the sign of authority and business, weaving material [Taurus] benefit [Jupiter] and institutional [Capricorn] power [Pluto] together for the common good, ideally. Let’s take a few of the current news items and see if there are some matches to the planetary archetypes…
From the AP on October 26 “Obama Announces Student Loan Relief” – the President is accelerating a plan [Jupiter] to lower some factors of student loan debt [Pluto]. “Obama said his plan will help [Jupiter] not just individuals, but the nation, because graduates [Jupiter] have more money [Taurus] to spend on things like buying homes.” Jupiter is associated with good news, benefits and generosity, as well as higher education and long-range planning towards a happier and more prosperous future. “‘Our economy [Taurus] needs it right now and your future [Jupiter]could use a boost [Jupiter]right now,’ Obama said.”
Credit East Bay premier massage therapist Jill for asking if there was “…any good news going on to report about?” For a good-vibes resource and more good news, check out: http://pronoiaresources.com/
Here is something from AP/CBS, October 28: OAKLAND, Calif. – Anti-Wall Street protesters [Uranus] in Oakland have erected more than two dozen tents in a plaza (near City Hall [Capricorn]) declared off limits [Saturn]for overnight camping, vowing to remain at the site despite city orders [Saturn] to vacate. Oakland Mayor Jean Quan [Saturn] had issued a statement asking protesters [Uranus] not to camp overnight at the plaza. Earlier Thursday evening, a crowd of at least 1,000 people, many holding candles, attended a vigil in Oakland for Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen, who suffered a fractured skull Tuesday during a clash [Uranus/Pluto] between demonstrators [Uranus] and police.
Play Mercury’s Way dept. Mercury enters “shadow point” territory in its meandering through the zodiac on the first weekend of November. Pay special attention to omens, portents, intimations and signs of what may come when the Magical Messenger makes its next retrograde reversal in the heavens. The retrograde phase of Mercury can sometimes be informative and helpful, but only if we “tune in” instead of dreading the possible travel and communication glitches that often multiply during the retrograde period. Use your intuition, employ a divination tool, listen to your dreams, and obey the smart voice you hear in your head. Be curious; be alert for omens – the Intelligence That Is may be trying to get your attention. Whatever breaks through your typical walking trance from November 4th through 6th may foreshadow something interesting and useful. A later “aha!” will come when the speedy planet makes its station on November 23rd, and more meaning from the message may come to consciousness on the days Mercury conjuncts Sun , December 3rd and 4th.
Utilizing Mercury retrograde phases means we must get out of our sleep-walk inducing routines and put our minds in a “different” mode. By holding a curious alertness in our awareness, even just by telling ourselves that we will notice the message trying to come to us via the gods, we might benefit from Mercury’s magic, and not just end up annoyed by his tricks.