Mars Out Of Bounds!

Mars OOB 2011

Ideally I'd have posted on this topic a little sooner but since Mars' OOB continues through August 21 I will write a bit about it. What inspires my paying more attention at this time are the Mars inspired events that have been occurring at a seemingly stepped up rate since Mars went OOB. These events especially coincide with Mars' "triggering" the nearing and extremely potent aspect that will be seen as defining these times, the developing ninety degrees between Uranus and Pluto. Mars squares (90°) Uranus about August 9 and opposes (180°) Pluto about August 10 ("about" due to time zone variations).

To take a moment for a reminder as to what OOB is . . . Due to the tilt of the earth as it orbits the Sun we get seasons and the latitude markers of the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that are 23° 28' north and south of the equator.  Imagine the equator and those north and south limits extended out into space.  Most of the time the planets stay within those limits set by the Sun.  But sometimes, some of the planets swing beyond the limits that the Sun sets.  The Sun, Saturn and Neptune never go OOB, but periodically the rest do.

When a planet is OOB it doesn't relate normally to other astrological factors.  For the time it is out of bounds it is a bit of a wild card, a bit eccentric, and independent. Mars goes out of bounds in 2011 from about July 23 to August 21.

Without any special research but just recalling some recent events that fit the model, we have the disgusting "war" in Washington over the debt ceiling and the disastrous results of that. Then there have been mass shootings both here and especially in Norway, fiery riots in England, the largest single day loss of US soldiers with the downing of a helicopter in Afghanistan, extremes of heat setting temperature records, horrible famine in Somalia, and on and on. Of course all of these are not "caused" by Mars out of bounds. What they are is reflections of how Martian events have been pushed to extremes. That is the astrological meaning of a planet out of bounds, matters that are linked to the symbolism or archetype of the planet, show more extreme manifestation.

I've written elsewhere about the rare and dynamic current relationship of the planets Uranus and Pluto, how we are reaching a developmental crisis in their cycle, the force of which began in the nineteen sixties. See this post in Gather and scroll down to the "Dear Claudia" commentary for an important continuation of the article. http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977413046 

The reason I am taking note of Mars OOB now is on account of those aspects by Mars pointed out in the first paragraph to the developing Uranus/Pluto square.

"Classically" Mars is regarded as a "malefic", the lesser malefic to Saturn's "greater malefic." In certain contexts Mars fulfills that ascription quite nicely but it is important to recognize that Mars is also beyond good or bad. The astrological function of Mars is also represented by the blood that courses through the veins of many creatures filling the function of distributing nutrition and handling waste. Mars represents the immune system that protects the body. Mars is the figure linked with action in general, the ability to move, to work, to make any sort of physical effort. It is the planet of athletes and athleticism. Mars is fire and as such represents all sorts of energy that is linked with heat that powers our vehicles, our manufacturing, our phones and computers. So Mars isn't inherently a bad (or a good) guy. Mars is energy and action.

What you will want to do is to look or have your astrologer check for how transiting Mars is moving through your horoscope, where it is and what aspects (looks, contacts) that it shares with other factors of your horoscope. That will point to the areas where you may experience Martian "extremes" to utilize as cautions or to ride the wild energetic tide.

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Silly Season: About the Void of Course Moon

Silly Season

About the Void of Course Moon

or De evacuatione cursus luna

[Cursus means course by the way, not curse.]

“ . . . when the Moon in transit makes the last major aspect it will make before it changes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. It ends when the Moon enters the next sign. The name of this period is Void of Course Moon. You may call it a silly season or vacation from normal living.”  -- Al H. Morrison

I began my study of the Void of Course Moon in the 1970s with the help of the little annual Void of Course Moon ephemerides prepared by the astrologer Al H. Morrison.  Since then, noting voids is as common to me as tracking the phases of the Moon and the Signs she transits.

The astrology is that the Moon "wanders aimlessly," after making that last aspect; that things just don't seem to connect or click into gear.

For example, on a shopping trip one may buy something that later you ask, “Now what was I thinking? What did I get that for?” I like the image of a child's power boat in a tub of water, bumping here and taking off there, but ultimately not going much of anywhere.

Far from impeding me from action or outings I am delighted with long VOC days. I stick to my shopping list as much as I can, always find a parking place, and sometimes enjoy whatever not-on-the-list oddity that I bring home.

"Every couple of days there comes a time which is best used for subjective, spiritual non-material concerns, like prayer, yoga, play, psychotherapy, or passive experience, sleep or meditation.

"This period may last a few seconds, or it may be three days and nights in a single session.”  [When we have many planets in the early degrees of Sign the likelihood of the Moon spending longer times Void of Course (VOC) increases.]

"It begins when the Moon in transit makes the last major aspect it will make before it changes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. It ends when the Moon enters the next sign. The name of this period is Void of Course Moon. You may call it a silly season or vacation from normal living.

"Decision making in such periods turns out later to be unrealistic. Creativity diverges into unpleasant directions, improvisations, false starts, error. Business moves fail to generate profits, or meet unexpected difficulties. If you buy any object it usually fails of its intended use.

"Human judgment is more fallible than usual during the time the Moon is Void of Course. This is the principle factor in all observed experience thus far.

"Routine proceeds readily, but often requires an adjustment later. Defects or shortages come to light. Delay and frustration are commonly experienced while the Moon is Void of Course.

"Neurotic tendencies, bad habits are more open to change. ESP experiments show odd results.

"Historic events during such periods have a wild, Pandora’s Box impact on cultural evolution. The first two dozen successful spaceshots were all launched with the Moon Void of Course, to open an all-new age in which old concepts and ideas are corrected or disproven.

"In every presidential election from 1900 through 1972 one of the two major party candidates was nominated with the Moon Void of Course. Every one of the candidates nominated with the Moon Void of Course lost.

"Jimmy Carter's 1980 nomination came in a Void of Course Moon."

From Al H. Morrison’s “Void of Course Moon Ephemeris.”

For more on Al see:  http://www.solsticepoint.com/astrologersmemorial/morrison.html

On her website Debbi Kempton-Smith notes that Al Gore’s 2000 nomination and John Kerry’s 2004 nomination both occurred with the Moon VOC.

     http://www.topquarkia.com/Docs/Stargazer/VOID2004and05.HTM

Astrology, the Cosmos, and Life, can all be pretty complex, and this technique of analyzing the flow of time is no exception.  For example, there is another range of astrological aspects that occurs in declination; the parallel and the contraparallel.

The PARALLEL is an aspect made in declination (angular distance North or South of the celestial equator ... like latitude on earth) when two planets share the same degree N or S.  In a CONTRAPARALLEL the aspect is made when one planet is the same degree N declination as another is S.

When we include these aspects (and/or Ptolemaic aspects to the Nodes of the Moon, which horary astrologers may also utilize) the period of VOC may be shortened.

I utilize both.  For my primary analysis I use the aspects in longitude but for fine tuning or detailed electional or horary work, I include the aspects in declination.

The VOC concept applies to the motion of all of the planets.  Robert Zoller notes in his translation of Guido Bonatti’s Liber astronomiae: Tractatus Tertius, Section II, Chapter X (written around 1277, was reputed "the most important astrological work produced in Latin in the 13th century").

“After one planet has been joined to another, and their conjunction has been completed, and after completion has been passed over, so that one of them is separated from the other and, after the separation, is joined to no other planet, it is called void of course until it is joined to another, or seeks its conjunction as was said elsewhere and this is a certain impediment to it.”

Here the only aspect considered is the conjunction but the idea of an “impediment” is clear.

Kaye Shinker writes:  “Early in my study of astrology I was a clerk for our Weight Watchers group. I did a short research project, if someone signed up for the program on a void of course moon would they stick with it or would they drop out. Results 60% stuck with the program.  My conclusion, start the program on a VOC moon. I did not consider the phase of the moon.”

-- Kaye Shinker, Instructor of Financial Astrology, www.astrocollege.org

Since I am writing this on April 27, 2011, with the Moon VOC, it is likely that I’ll revisit it for a tune-up somewhere along the line.  I also notice that “The Royal Wedding” of Prince William and Kate Middleton occurs with the Moon VOC.  Hmmm.  [Prince William & Kate Middleton wedding, Apr 29 2011, 11:00 AM, Westminster,

England]

A Few Notes on October 2010 Astrology

October 11, 2010:  A lovely Crescent Moon in the early evening last night went out of bounds (OOB) a few minutes after her exact forty-five degree separation from the Sun.  She’ll remain OOB until

Wed 10/13/2010 1:35 PM UT, 9:35 AM Eastern, 8:35 AM Central, 7:35 AM Mountain, 6:35 AM Pacific, and 3:35 AM here in Hawai’i.

Additionally, a longer term aspect came to perfection last night.  The aspect, a parallel in declination, is not one that gets a lot of press.  It’s a measurement analogous to latitude on the surface of the planet.  Saturn and Uranus reached the same precise distance south of the celestial equator.  The aspect suggests some emphasis of the dynamic between the planet of order and structure, Saturn, and the planet of revolutionary change, Uranus.

This is an enhanced continuation of one of the big picture planetary alignments that’s been discussed quite a bit in terms of the opposition of those two.  Saturn opposed Uranus for the first of five times November 4, 2008 and then the opposition repeated (due to retrogrades) 5 February 2009, 15 September 2009, 26 April 2009, with a final exact opposition on 26 July 2010.

The expression represented by the aspect in opposition is far from over as the aspect in declination reminds us.  Saturn wants to put a straight jacket on the impulse for democratic advance as represented by Uranus that the writer Richard Tarnas has compared to the archetype of Prometheus.  Prometheus was the Titan who looked out for the well being of man and is famous for giving the gift of fire (a modern comparison might be technology and the democratizing Internet).

At this point in a global economic recession the forces of Saturn represent the conservative impulse to go with what is tried and known while the progressive impulse of Uranus is to protect and find benefit for the masses.  The obvious parallel (pun intended) is apparent to the astrologer as another of the connections to be found between the sky show and life on this miracle planet.

What a time!  SuperMoon-New Moon and Venus retrograde October 7, Jupiter retrograde in aspect to Neptune retrograde on the 8th for more on the “adjusting” going on about faith, religion, and beliefs, and a Mercury with the Sun “Superior Conjunction” on the 16th to suggest continued focus on relationship communication.  We need to listen to one another more than we need to talk to one another.

I thought to just post the OOB Moon information to Facebook but this grew a bit beyond the mild lunacy that the OOB suggests so I’m putting this on the blog instead.  Look for the day-to-day effect of the OOB to see a bit of jitter to life, the ball takes an odd bounce.