Mars in Virgo and your Dharma Checklist

There's no shortage of activity in the news these days. Financial crises, global protests, political strife and more seem to inspire us to consider the major thematic shifts in world consciousness, while simultaneously urging us to grab a six pack and run for it.

Well, running away does have its place. So does taking a stand and changing the world. But, as the planet Mars moves into the sign of Virgo, we are reminded of a third option (and, perhaps, a good starting place): our dharma.

Dharma is one of the most important components of Hindu philosophy. In basic terms, it is comprised of our individual duties, obligations, and the manner in which we are called to serve. In the caste system, one's dharma is dictated by their societal position. We don't need to belong to a caste to consider our dharma, however. Instead, we need only consider fulfilling the duties that all of us have, particular to our own circumstances. We must take action in the practical, immediate circumstances in which we live. As Gandhi famously said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."


The planet Mars represents how we take action, our motivation, our drive. Also, depending on how that action is taken, Mars rules conflict. Mars has recently moved out of the sign Leo which, though not a conflict driven sign, is certainly a passionate and dramatic one. Mars in Leo urges us to take action in a grand way, with confidence (and a healthy dose of ego).

Mars in Virgo, on the other hand, is practical, analytical, hard-working. Virgo doesn't share the need for limelight that Leo aches for, and therefore can quietly, at times painstakingly, sort out the details and get to work. Does this sound exciting? Perhaps not. But Virgo as a sign isn't really about excitement. It's about precision, practicality, and dependability, and hard work. Mars in Virgo urges us to put our noses to the grindstone and work on the practical duties that we're all faced with- or, in other words, our dharma.

Like any placement, there are challenges to Mars in Virgo. There's the potential for tension, for worry, for over-critical analysis. When you're paying attention to every single detail, it's easy to get a little stressed out. But with Mars in Virgo, we can really get down to business on our individual dharma and the tasks we have at hand. We can finish our checklist of household chores before we, say, sell our possessions and join Greenpeace (wait a few years till Mars moves into Sagittarius and this won't sound quite as crazy). In so doing, we can get a foothold on the role we have to play in the big picture of our world. Mars in Virgo gives us the opportunity to start small, to work in our individual roles (in our families, our jobs, our communities) towards bigger changes and bigger accomplishments. Once we finish our own dharma checklists, we can play a bigger, more meaningful role in the world's checklist (and that's a particularly long list...)

So, without letting yourself worry too much... start checking off those boxes!

Readers, do you feel the urge to be practical now that Mars is in Virgo? Or, if you have access to your natal chart, where does transiting Mars in Virgo fall? What's on your "dharma checklist"? Leave a comment!

Occupy Wall Street and the North Node

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If there's one thing in the news lately that has taken a dramatic turn, it's definitely Occupy Wall Street. After weeks of general acceptance, many cities have decided that the Occupy camps have outstayed their welcome, and have begun to crack down on the 24-hour presence of the protesters. Some of the protests have turned violent, on both the sides of the protesters and the sides of the police.

At about 1:00 AM Tuesday morning, the New York City police raided Zuccotti park, where the protesters had been camped, and cleared most of the protesters out, arresting 200 others. As the volatility of the Occupy movement grows, the astrological indicators don't disappoint. The interesting focus in the events of recent days is the Nodal axis.

The Nodal Axis is the intersection between the path of the sun (ecliptic) and path of the moon across the sky. The point where the moon's path rises above the path of the ecliptic is called the North Node, and represents a focused area of difficult development ("that looks new and challenging. Do I have to do it?"). The opposite point, where the moon crosses back underneath the ecliptic, is called the South Node, and represents a place of natural ability or old habits ("I'm good at Angry Birds. Maybe I could just do that?"). Together, these two points form a potent axis or path that draws attention to development and potential in these areas. It's almost a kind of duty or mission, a path of development that we are called to follow.

The Nodal Axis is currently in the signs of Gemini and Sagittarius, with the North Node at 15 degrees of Sagittarius and the South Node at 15 Gemini. Gemini and Sagittarius, though opposing each other, share themes of communication- Gemini expressing the variety of daily communication, Sagittarius expressing enduring truth. This week, Mercury and Venus are conjunct the North Node in Sagittarius, which connects our personal mentality and love nature to this point.

What's really crazy about this particular placement of the North Node, however, is that it is conjunct an object at 14 Sagittarius called the Great Attractor. Gary P Caton discusses this odd anomaly in a post on The Mountain Astrologer website. The Great Attractor is an incredibly huge collection of mass far out in space, with an immense gravitational pull. Astrologer Philip Sedgwick, well known for his work in the astrological significance of deep space objects, gives the Great Attractor a great deal of importance. Astrologically, it's like a giant galactic weight, an area of energetic pull. Conjunct the North Node, it amplifies the significance of the North Node as a "call of duty". The Great Attractor is also associated with impressions of the future. Our current North Node "mission" is certainly a doozy.

On the Planet Waves blog, New York City astrologer Eric Francis discusses the significance of the chart for the time of the NYPD's raid on the Occupy Wall Street camp. Conjunct the Nodal Axis within just a couple degrees was the MC/IC axis at 12 Gemini/Sagittarius. The MC/IC axis, the spine of the chart, shows the foundations and the public expression of the chart's energies. According to Francis, the 12 Gemini/Sagittarius line has itself played an important role in historic New York events, including 9/11.

So, that leaves us with a lineup of the 12 Gemini/Sagittarius line (highlighting major events in New York history), the Nodal Axis (our collective mission), the Great Attractor (adding "weight" and foresight) AND the personal planets of Mercury and Venus, activating our mentality and our interests. With this lineup in Sagittarius, which always focuses on the search for truth, my analysis is that the crackdown on protesters is not the end of Occupy Wall Street. Quite simply, with this lineup... now it's personal.

There's still quite a bit of uncertainty about the future of the Occupy movement, but it continues to catalyze thousands, in the U.S. and in other countries. Now's a good time to tap into our own personal "mission", and to consider the work we have to do... it should be an interesting couple of weeks.

Readers: What do you think about Occupy Wall Street? What's the future of the protests? What are some parts of the "mission" that we are collectively called for? Leave a comment!

The astrology of Gaddafi's Death- Our first dedicated video post!

Gaddafi's death marks a new development in the constant changes wrought by the Arab Spring. Here's a 5 minute examination (via flash video) of Gaddafi's death and what's next for Libya. Leave a comment with your thoughts, suggestions, or ideas, here or on youtube!

New moon in Scorpio... deeper questions

Saturn in Libra, a potent aspect to the cardinal square of last summer, was recently joined by the sun, Mercury and Venus in Libra, highlighting our responsibilities with and to other people, as well as balance and fairness (Libra is, after all, the scales). Mercury and Venus, however, have since moved into Scorpio, and the sun will be soon to follow. There will then be a New Moon in Scorpio as soon as the moon catches up to the sun on October 26th.

The New Moon is a time of new beginnings. The astrological patterns of the new moon can give us clues as to the month ahead. Sure enough, we seem to be in the middle of lots of events, all with the theme of social responsibility and accountability. As the sun and inner planets move into Scorpio, the next month may have Scorpionic themes of catharsis, regeneration, uncovering truth. One notable aspect is the Sun/Moon combo in Scorpio opposing Jupiter in Taurus. Jupiter in Taurus has given us expansion and optimism in the realm of our resources and what we enjoy and are comfortable with- an appreciation for the finer things (beer encouraged), perhaps a more patient or conservative outlook.

As a position of optimistic stability, Jupiter must face the challenge of the sun, moon and outer planets in Scorpio. Scorpio demands a deeper understanding, necessary change, action taking and issues of power. This is much less comfortable than Jupiter in Taurus. Such an opposition brings into awareness our values, optimism versus exaggeration, what we have versus what we desire. Aspects between the sun, moon and Jupiter can also bring ego issues into the mix. And, as always, oppositions bring the energies of the opposing bodies into awareness of each other. Jupiter is also retrograde, adding a more introspective element to these themes. What's happening within our selves that questions our resources, our values?

Keep up with the protests in Washington and around the country over the next month. The themes of this new moon opposition may present themselves! The iconic Wall Street Bull is a potent symbol- a sign of financial assertion and optimism (as well as the symbol of Taurus), right in the middle of a growing movement that demands self-assessment, questions, and a search for the truth. Uncanny? You bet. Stay tuned!

National Coffee Day! Let's celebrate with Yemen Mokha

Happy International Coffee Day (1 day belated...). I'm sure it's no surprise that coffee has its own day- after all, ranking amongst beer, tea and water as one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, the little bean has quite a bit to be proud of.

Coffee has an appeal, versatility and history that goes far beyond its caffeine content.
Throughout history, it has been a sacrament (sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally) shared by a diverse group of people. One of the seminal starting points of coffee culture, however, is now one of great social strife and upheaval- Yemen.

Yemen has been especially significant today, with the death of Anwar Al-Awlaki. This Yemeni cleric achieved notoriety in his alleged role in encouraging several failed terrorist attacks in recent years. He is perhaps most famous for being born in the US and speaking fluent English, which greatly widened his audience. Al-Qaeda has a strong presence in Yemen, which only complicates matters as Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh faces continuing protests over corruption and unemployment.

Yemen has had many governmental changes over the centuries, thanks to it's central location and proximity to both Africa and the Middle East. Yemen was the first area of coffee consumption outside of coffee's native Ethiopia. In its early days, coffee was actually used primarily in religious rituals by the Sufi Muslims of Yemen. As the beverage gained popularity, it became a widely traded item, and the Red Sea port of Mokha became the hub of this booming coffee trade.

Eventually, Europeans began to develop a taste for coffee. A Jesuit missionary first tasted Yemen's coffee in 1595. As European appreciation for coffee increased, some noted flavor resemblances of the Mokha coffee bean to chocolate, leading eventually to today's common chocolate-latte coffee shop beverage of the same name.

Here's a quick video (my first original flash movie made for DA!) of Yemen's coffee. You can see the coffee beans around the highland areas near the capital Sana'a, along with the location of the port city of Mokha.

While its beginnings may have been religious in nature, one of the most enduring legacies of coffee is the coffee house. As coffee gained popularity in Yemen and throughout the Middle East, coffee houses grew up everywhere. Alcohol is forbidden in Islam, and so coffee consumption came to serve similar purposes to sharing a few pints. Coffee drinkers discussed politics, philosophy, and religion. This phenomenon also took root in Europe, and like the Middle East, coffee houses became centers of political change and philosophy. Even now, coffee shops continue to be important meeting places. Interest in responsibly grown and traded coffee is on the rise, as well, putting coffee houses on the front lines of developing a more global understanding of some of our most fundamental daily foods.

Another great way to get in touch with the magic of coffee is to examine coffee roasting. Check back soon for part 2 of this post- a look at some simple coffee roasting of today's star coffee- Yemen Mokha!

What about you, readers? Is your local coffee shop a meeting place for people and ideas? And speaking of people and ideas, what'll become of countries like Yemen as protests continue? Leave a comment!

The Neptune-Mercury opposition (and thoughts on a brutal Mercury Retrograde)

Our most recent period of Mercury retrograde occurred from August 2 to the 26th. Thinking back to August, did you run into any of the usual snafus and technological or transportation-based setbacks that challenge us during this time? The general realm of Mercury, the messenger god, remains in the day-to-day functioning of our lives and thoughts. When he goes retrograde, he forces us to reconsider our actions, to take our thoughts and communication in an introspective direction. If we aren't careful, problems arise, and often we have to do things multiple times to be successful.

Some of you may have had even greater difficulties this time, however. I know I did. Mercury is also a bit of a trickster; with a smirking grin no doubt, this past retrograde period he went beyond the usual realm of daily troubles. Many people I've spoken with have had incredibly profound difficulties on a grand scale- everything from work, to family, to home. This past retrograde period, it was as if Mercury not only forced us to reexamine our daily actions, but also our values and ideals. It was almost a tidal wave of difficulty.

When we start talking about waves and ideals, you can be sure there's another culprit in this mess: Neptune. Neptune, as you may have read in previous posts, has recently ingressed into its home sign of Pisces. The boundaries of our imagination and reality are thinner, opening up both the possibility for profound creativity and tremendous confusion. Sure enough, when Mercury turned backwards for its last retrograde period, it was opposing Neptune. A difficult aspect, the opposition represents tension and the need for balance. While Mercury going retrograde forces us to reconsider our daily actions, Neptune pulls us into the realm of our ideals, beyond the physical world.

This combination facilitates a much more profound 3 weeks of trouble than usual. With Neptune, emotions run deeper, simple snafus become more profound. Losing your car keys as a reminder to keep better track of your stuff can become losing your car as a reminder to not be attached to your possessions. Maybe not that bad, but it's different for everyone.

An aspect such as this is a potent example of the influence the slow-moving generational planets have on the swift-moving interior planets. The slow, grinding gears driving the long-term changes on our planet connect to the daily functions of our lives, and in a difficult aspect like this past one it can pack a wallop.

The mists of Neptune are hard to grasp, but the challenges individuals and the world at large have been facing have some positive lessons to teach. When the boundaries around us are dissolving, we can look to what gives us strength within ourselves. We can tap into our creativity, or into our spiritual side. We can search for healing, for ourselves and for others.

We can also drink beer. Neptune, ruler of intoxicating beverages, might hit us with tidal waves of change, but at the very least he'll let us have a few pints now and again.

Readers: how was your August? And all you Geminis, Virgos and Pisces out there: did you have a particularly hard time? Leave a comment!

The 1900's sustainable technology time-warp

We live in an era of "buzz words"- the flow of information in our lives is increasingly linked by key, meaningful words that elicit an instant reaction and carry a great deal of meaning. Luckily for mother nature, many of those buzz words that we're hearing now have to do with one word in particular- sustainability. This term has connected everyone, from off-the-grid neohippies to stalwart businessmen. The vast majority of people in our modern world are beginning to fathom the repercussions of a century of unbridled, almost limitless development and resource consumption. The challenge of sustainability has become: "What do we do now?"

Many people, however, are asking a different question: "What did we do back then?" There's a surprising variety of organizations, websites, etc. that examine the significance of past technologies and lifestyles. Low-tech Magazine is one interesting example. The Sail Transport Network is another. As we try to respond to the sustainability crisis, the debate rages on between saving the world through more technology and saving it with less technology.

Earlier this week, I was browsing for green coffee beans on the Sweet Maria's website, and came upon their home roasting tradition page. Whodathunk that the Sears Roebuck catalog would have offered single origin green coffee beans... in 1900! It would be 100 years before the everyday consumer would even care about single origin coffee again.

Well, this got me thinking about what seems to be a very strange phenomenon- the 1900's sustainable technology time-warp. Somehow, around the turn of the 20th century, things that are just now becoming popular answers to the sustainability crisis where back then both present and unremarkable.

Electric cars are a common suggestion to ease our fossil-fuel consumption, though they remain expensive and lack a suitable infrastructure. However, back in the 1900's, electric cars were every bit as abundant as gasoline-powered. In fact, there was even a fleet of electric taxis in New York City in 1897. Arizona and New Mexico weren't even states yet, and we had an electric taxi fleet.

We had electric cars before we even had 50 states to drive them in.

How bout solar energy? Many a new invention has been proposed in recent years to help with our overuse of combustible resources, increasingly based on solar energy. Here's an ad from 1901 of a solar water heater system.


Strange? You bet. So what's the astrological connection with today? Well, technology is generally connected with the planet Uranus. Being a slower-moving outer planet, Uranus indicates gradual changes in technology, innovation, and organized freedom. Pluto, the slowest of the outer planets, binds us by generation and shows where deep power and transformation come from. Around the turn of the century, Uranus in Sagittarius was opposing Pluto in Gemini. Uranus here would tend to indicate innovation and new frontiers in philosophy, in our ideals, freedom of information- possibly an element of do-it-yourself technology? Pluto in Gemini, on the other hand, indicates deep changes to how we communicate and get around and added significance to new ideas and technology. The opposition of the two is a slow-moving tug of war that seeks to balance innovation and freedom of ideas with deep changes in communication and day-to-day technology.

These two planets are also in aspect today- this time Uranus in Aries squaring Pluto in Capricorn. The same energies of the planets are in slightly different clothes- this time the rights of the individual versus the power of a transforming business and government structure, in an uncomfortable and conflict-inducing square. However, part of this new square connects us to the turn-of-the-century opposition. The connecting theme is innovation. We are challenged to pioneer new technology and new ideals that challenge the status quo. No wonder, then, that we find ourselves looking to innovative eras of the past to answer questions of sustainability today.

Maybe not such a mysterious time-warp after all...

What do you think readers? Is the technology of our last Uranus-Pluto opposition the answer to the problems of our current Uranus-Pluto square world? What's the future of "sustainable" technology? Leave a comment!