Planet Weather for the Week of March 29, 2009

 

NewsBits: Portrait of a Swindler – Bernie Madoff, former NASDAQ chairman, has pled guilty to the largest investor fraud (known as a “Ponzi scheme”) ever perpetrated by a single person. His conviction earns him the rest of his life in jail and reparations of over 170 billion, twice the amount he allegedly defrauded. [Bernie “made off” with those billions!]

 

Madoff was born on 4/29/38, in Queens, New York, time unknown. He is a Sun conjunct Uranus in Taurus, ruled by Venus, with Venus also in Taurus (strong in its own home sign). His Moon is either in Taurus or late Aries. With three and possibly four placements in Taurus, Madoff would certainly gravitate to financial security and the finer and quality things of life. Madoff also has the Moon’s Nodes in Scorpio/Taurus, which tends to focus one’s life around money, resources, and – particularly with the North Node in Scorpio – big gains as well as big losses. Taurus’ intent is on finding its comfortable place and holding on to its position and possessions. Taurus is value based, for better or worse, and enjoys earthly delights and physical pleasures.

 

Note this excerpt from Wikipedia and reported in various other sources: “According to a March 13, 2009 filing by Madoff, he and his wife were worth up to $126 million, plus an estimated $700 million for the value of his business interest in Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Other major assets include securities ($45 million), cash ($17 million), half-interest in BLM Air Charter ($12 million), 2006 Leopard yacht in France ($7 million), jewelry ($2.6 million), Manhattan apartment ($7 million), Montauk home ($3 million), Palm Beach home ($11 million), Cap d' Antibe, France property ($1 million), and furniture, household goods, and art ($9.9 million).”

 

From Wikipedia and widely reported in other sources: “The alleged fraud wrecked the investments of thousands of individuals, public pensions, charitable foundations and university endowments.”

 

Last December (2008), Madoff told his two sons who worked with him in his investment firm that his fund was “a big lie,” and that he never invested any of the funds he received from thousands of clients but placed monies into a bank account and withdrew funds as his clients asked for the money. He said he knew that he could not make up the percentages that he was claiming for his investors. His sons reported him to the authorities. [Ed. note: The irony, of course, is that if they hadn’t, his “investors” would still have their money, in a manner of speaking.]

 

What would induce someone to perpetrate such a gigantic fraud? Madoff has an interesting pattern consisting of Jupiter/Aquarius inconjunct (150deg.) Pluto/Cancer and square (90deg.) Venus/Taurus. He used this pattern for avarice and enlargement (Jupiter) of gains (Venus, Pluto). He was a believable and formerly respected individual with a silver tongue (Mars/Gemini). He knew the right things to say and he was very persuasive – Mercury/Aries square Pluto/Cancer. He understood human nature’s strong desire for security (Taurus placements and Pluto/Cancer), and he exploited it. Apparently, he was consumed by a desire to be a big player and the high he got from fooling his investors. One can only wonder at the deep personality flaw that would cause someone to do such a thing.

 

Nine of Madoff’s planets are grouped within 150deg. and one, Neptune/Virgo stands apart from the rest. Neptune in any chart points to what is most hidden in the personality and/or where the blind spots are. Neptune strongly placed in the chart is a predisposition to fantasy, imagination, compassion (he was oddly enough also a philanthropist – with other people’s money, no doubt) and oftentimes a desire to deceive or hide activity. There are no oppositions in his chart, which can lead to an inability to fully consider one’s effects on others. Although there was suspicion of his activities in the early 1990’s, it wasn’t until Saturn/Virgo contacted his Neptune/Virgo that the lie was fully exposed. [Ed. note: Apparently, his scheme was an open secret on Wall Street and Bush administration regulators had received suspicious reports but did nothing to seriously investigate him.] In fact, it was in December 2008 that Saturn/Virgo made a retrograde station @ 21 deg. very close to Madoff’s Neptune, poised to cross over it three separate times, bringing a reality check and the truth of his enormous fantasy to light.

 

SkyWatch: Moon phase of the week: 4/2 -- The Moon enters Her First Quarter phase at10:34 AM EDT, at 12 degrees of Cancer, the sign of Her rulership where She is the most powerful. Skywatching events of the week: There really is not too much going on in the heavens this week, with both Venus and Mercury too close to the Sun to be visible and the Moon in the part of the sky where there are no planets to pal around with. Mars and Jupiter rise in the early morning ahead of the Sun (with Jupiter somewhat ahead of Mars). Saturn is the only evening planet now, rising about an hour before sunset and becoming and remaining visible for the most of the evening after sunset. Space news of the week: Traffic jam at the International Space Station! After a successful launch and rendezvous with the ISS and a week of construction work by the shuttle astronauts on the ISS, the Space Shuttle Discovery will be leaving the ISS for its return to Earth just as a Soyuz spacecraft bearing the new ISS crew arrives. In the case of human beings venturing into space, probably the more traffic the better. Our future as a species definitely lies in that direction! Go out! Look up!

 

 Knowing when VOC Moons occur is key to planning your successful week!

 

The Void-of-course (VOC) Moon is a kind of limbo. As it reaches the end of a sign, the Moon makes no major aspect to another planet before it enters the next sign. VOC is best for less outcome-oriented activity, since VOC often means detours, distractions, drifting, or delays. If you want specific outcomes, or if timeliness is critical, don’t use a VOC Moon time. VOC is best for processing, imagining, creating, and open-ended activities, like parties, research, or cleaning your desk/closet for instance! It is said that when a new action is initiated during VOC, “nothing will come of it,” or energies go in unplanned directions, which may not necessarily be negative.

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Week of 3/29/09 – Sunday (steady), Monday (creative-networking), Tuesday (edgy-struggles), Wednesday (emotionally challenging), Thursday, (moody), Friday (values clarification) and Saturday (reflective, organizing). Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are the most active energetically and potentially very productive days – more Moon or planetary aspects for engagement with others or projects, and/or producing results. On 3/30/09, the Moon is VOC/Taurus from 2:01AM to 9:36AM EDT – On 4/1/09, the Moon is VOC/Gemini from 5:03AM to 12:30PM EDT – On 4/3/09, the Moon is VOC/Cancer from 4:59AM to 3:32PM EDT.

 

Planet Patterns & Cosmic Headlines:

 

*Currently Active: Venus is retrograde (Rx) in cardinal, fire Aries. Venus/Aries turned Rx on 3/6/09. Venus entered Aries on 2/2/09. Venus turns Direct @ 29 Pisces on 4/17/09. Whenever an inner planet turns retrograde, you can expect glitches – in this case in your interactions with others. Venus Rx may be reluctant to upset partners and hold back. This pattern of unbalanced cooperation is a theme with this fiery Venus – because fire becomes irritable a bit faster. Exactly how you handle disagreements and return to harmony is an intrinsic theme with this retrograde. In fact, you may recognize those others with whom you do have the ability to resolve differences more easily and those relationships that need more work in resolving conflict. Then there’s always the question of which conflicts are worth mentioning and which ones to let slide by. If resentment builds you can be sure that you need to air grievances. Projects proceed more slowly but seeds are sown to be reaped later when Venus turns direct again.

 

Venus/Aries Rx square Pluto in cardinal, earth Capricorn @ 3deg. on 4/3/09. If there are unspoken resentments, they are more likely to erupt and need confrontation with Venus and Pluto meet-ups! In fact, this aspect could be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back – when an action or behavior that is disliked or inconsiderate, etc., is repeated once too often. Remember too that when a response seems extreme, a deeper wound has probably been tapped or you’ve been stuffing anger or resentment for a long time. It’s best to calm down before nailing someone. Speak your mind along with how you feel but in as mature a way as you can. This aspect is good for researching the roots of many issues, and points to matters that have reached critical mass.

 

Pluto/Capricorn turns Stationary Retrograde @ 3deg. on 4/4/09 until 9/11/09! By far, the biggest planetary phenomenon this week and so far this year, is Pluto turning back to retrace its last 3 degrees. It’s a perfect time to fine tune all that has transpired or transformed of importance since January 2008.

Life has changed – there is indeed more attention toward quality of life and how resources are spent. Less has had to become enough! Review what has changed in your life since 1/08, when Pluto first reached 0 Capricorn, where it will return again, and make its next Direct Station in September 2009. Some decisions may have been made hastily due to fears of the unknown or in reaction to difficult circumstances. Now you have a chance to revisit and adjust, as well as refine decisions and processes. In fact, more action may be required as you have observed certain developments and changing situations.

 

Mars in mutable, water Pisces opposite (180deg.) Saturn Rx in mutable, earth Virgo @ 16deg. You may feel an abrupt halt in action, which will cause evaluation of the proposed action and often result in delays. Sometimes there is good reason for stopping and at other times it’s fear. Whatever the reason, it is still a good idea to calm fears or insecurities, and then it will be easier to move forward again. The axis of Pisces/Virgo has much to do with health matters, so you may find that you have to take care of something that has reached a stage where it can no longer be ignored.

                                                                                           

*Currently Active Paradigm-Shift Pattern:  Part 2 of 5 – Saturn in mutable, earth Virgo opposite (180 deg. angle) Uranus in mutable, water Pisces on 2/5/09 @ 20 deg.  – Preview: Part 3 of 5 is exact on 9/15/09 @ 24degrees. We are in the midst of reconstruction and our job is to be sure not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It’s essential to pare down and make room for better functioning on all levels but try not to be extreme. But then again, it sometimes takes a jolt to get us to a new level of operation and accomplishment.