Rough surf in Boynton Beach, FL, on Sunday. Photo by Jim Rassol/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/AP.
Once again we begin the week with a national crisis on our hands, born of a global situation: one of the most powerful storms on record has ravaged Caribbean islands and now Florida and, potentially, surrounding states and others as far north as Tennessee.
Larry Kahn, an editor of a news website based in the Florida Keys, was quoted in the Miami Herald Saturday: "Everything is underwater. I mean everything."
Evacuation of “gypsy chickens,” who roam around as part of an island tradition, from the path of Hurricane Irma by local residents of Key West, FL. Photo by Key West Finest.
As everyone knows, this follows by mere weeks the flooding and storm surges of Hurricane Harvey that devastated the Gulf Coast of Texas, and by a few days a massive earthquake in Mexico.
Wildfires are currently raging in many Western states. Just a few days ago, our beloved friend and editor in Oregon, Carol van Strum, as a forest fire lingered just miles away, was busy figuring out how to load her family of birds and dogs into her truck. We all knew that her donkeys and horses would have to be left behind, should the fire reach her neck of the forest. Thankfully they were all safe. Not everyone was so fortunate.
It is exhausting to be confronted with this kind of news several times a week, endlessly. It may seem that only those at the scene are involved, and for everyone else, these are conceptual events. Yet because we are connected via an extended nervous system, which reaches directly to the scene of every disaster and feeds your eyes and ears, we are in a sense right there.
The usual response to the news is to cut off or glaze over. The sensations coming through the extended nervous system are too strong to endure for long.
Yet over time, these experiences are changing many of us. There’s hardly anyone who has, at some point, not been directly touched, so to some extent we can all empathize.
Is there a tempering process going on, or a softening? Are people getting sick of the hard-line political views that mask pure greed, and make these problems worse? Are we starting to see through that? Is it starting to become clear that dealing with nonstop crisis is a distraction from building the future, or even admitting that it exists?
U.S. West Coast, August 29, 2017 (satellite image). Large fires visible in the Washington and Oregon Cascades. Photo by MODIS satellite sensor/NASA.
The antics of our global-warming-denying president have (for the moment) dropped to the background: the criminal investigation of the Russia deals and election tampering, the throwing out of the country of nearly a million young people who arrived years ago as immigrants, and the white supremacy rants.
Insane crosstalk between North Korea and the White House, which has dominated the news several times recently, has temporarily subsided and, at the moment, threats of the hydrogen bomb have gone silent. There were no air raid sirens in Japan this week; there were recently.
The threats of nuclear annihilation, all the other threats of war, are part of an agenda directly related to xenophobia, paranoid racial vitriol and the destruction of the natural environment.
The constant lying and criminal behavior by and on behalf of the oil industry, and the White House becoming a home for the insane, are part of the same agenda. There’s a relationship between corporate-sponsored politics and religiosity, and it’s both painful and designed to inflict pain.
Many are looking out at the world thinking: we have to make this better.
Some are seeing a reverse image. The website Right Wing Watch reported that a televangelist pastor named Kevin Swanson said the path of Hurricane Irma would be altered by God if the Supreme Court quickly made abortion and gay marriage illegal, “before Irma does her damage.” If storms, floods, earthquakes and wildfires are not enough to send a wakeup call, this kind of idea might be. If you’re looking for a simple answer to a complicated question, you’ll feel better.
Eventually, just like fires crack open seed cases to spawn new life, prolonged pain can make people compassionate, and possibly get them to make different choices. There are no guarantees, however.
The person to watch is yourself: how do these experiences change your perspective? How do they influence how you treat yourself and others? How does witnessing or experiencing so much loss affect your priorities and your choices? Those observations and choices are the mode of awakening.
I’ll be back with you on Tuesday’s Planet Waves FM.
Astrology Roundup Through the Equinox
As Hurricane Irma moves through the Florida Keys and Florida, Venus is in the degree of the Aug. 11, 1999, total solar eclipse (19 degrees of Leo), and in the same degree it occupied on Sept. 11, 2001. Eclipse degrees can, in this way, speak for many years. This is a reminder not to forget history.
Currently the Moon is in Taurus, waning toward last quarter, which is Wednesday.
The Sun is well past the midpoint of Virgo, heading for the Libra equinox on Sept. 22. Before it gets there, the Sun will make a series of squares to points in late Sagittarius including Saturn (on Wednesday), and an opposition to Chiron in Pisces (on Tuesday, Sept. 19).
Meanwhile, Virgo continues to be the focus of the current astrology. Mercury entered Virgo overnight Saturday to Sunday, joining Mars, the Sun and Vesta.
Mercury is also conjunct a hypothetical called Transpluto, which is a reminder to keep an open mind and a wide view of life. Usually this happens in small ways rather than sweeping ones. Having an open mind is something conducted one decision at a time, where it matters.
Mercury is still slow and powerful after its recent station direct in late Leo. It will creep across Virgo for the next six days, seeming to be in pursuit of Mars. The two will form a conjunction on Saturday, Sept. 16. Mercury exits its second shadow phase on Tuesday, Sept. 19, taking new territory for the first time since the retrograde began. Mercury enters Libra on Friday, Sept. 29.
As you describe Eric, crises like these storms, take attention off the political chaos. When assistance occurs, no one asks of their fellow neighbor if they are a Trump supporter, a DACA recipient, LGBT, or any other label. People are humanized and reactions start from a heart-space when aid is rendered.
Although it’s a 2015 document, Think Progress website provides their research on each
State Governor’s climate change position, and to some extent active denialism.
https://thinkprogress.org/heres-what-every-governor-thinks-about-climate-and-clean-energy-473eee930193/ Florida Governor Rick Scott is called out in the article as a climate change denier who likes to use the excuse that he can’t speak to the issue because he’s not a scientist! Has How’s that stupid logic? Gov. Scott been instructing his planners not to address climate change, rising sea levels or other sustainability matters pervasive in the State related to burning fossil fuels, so that he could lure Big Business supporters/campaign contributors. Plain and simple.
Hurricane Irma is presently hitting Florida with a vengeance, it is wider and longer than Florida so as Irma approaches and moves across FL, it becomes a 20-30 hour event. It’s brutal to us that live there, in as much as anticipation for the worst-yet-to come, as it is for the current assault.
Thus far, Irma pounded the hell out of Governor Scott’s hometown of Naples, FL, with wind gusts over 140 miles an hour and storm surge that reached the city inland by more than 6 miles or more (full information hasn’t been known/shared yet). Across the state, and simultaneous to the eye of the storm passing over Naples, Florida, streets in the financial district of Miami became fast moving rivers–This storm pounded Miami for about 20 hours and it’s still pounding her, as I write this. And in Tampa, my home, we are fortunate to not be getting the worst, but she is still a category 2 storm.
Both Hurricane Harvey in Texas (Texas Governor, another climate change denier) and Hurricane Irma in Florida, are slow-moving, lingering storms, as if they linger for special emphasis. Sixteen days apart, each a category 4 with massive amount of water, as if a big cleansing is required as well as a big emotional outpouring is expressed. Our leaders are in denial, does the denial permeate the electorate too? Can we move from the heart-space to an awakening as we demonstrate is so natural during crises when thought, (based on doctrine and religiosity) doesn’t permeate our natural response?
Thank you for showing how we are connected – and exhausted – by these rolling disasters across the U.S. At least it was a (shocking) break from the endless news of the disaster of Trump-in-charge. I believe you are right, we are in a “tempering process”, due in large part to transiting Neptune in the 3rd house (of communication) of the U.S. (Sibly) birth chart. Neptune makes our thinking mushy, part of the tempering process I would assume. The present astrology supports that idea.
Back on May 9th transiting Juno was one degree away from a conjunction with transiting Pluto. Both were trine the U.S. Vesta (symbol of what is invested in) in Taurus when transiting Juno stationed retrograde. After that, transiting Juno broadened the separation between herself and trans. Pluto until on August 26th when she stationed direct, having put 15 degrees between herself and Pluto. On November 11th transiting Juno and Pluto will finally make that conjunction that never quite happened in May, just a couple of days after each of them sextiles transiting Sun (consciousness) in Scorpio, who will be opposite the U.S. Vesta.
To recap, Juno is a mythical goddess that symbolizes an aspect of the feminine principal as well as symbolizing support for those who are disenfranchised through poverty, status, education, race, religion, place of birth, etc. Pluto is transformation, often through ruthless means.
“As Hurricane Irma moves through the Florida Keys and Florida, Venus is in the degree of August 11, 1999, total solar eclipse (19 degrees of Leo), and in the same degree it occupied on September 11, 2001. Eclipse degrees can, in this way, speak for many years. This is a reminder not to forget history.” When transiting Juno stationed retrograde in May she was at 19 degrees of Capricorn, quincunx the solar eclipse of August, 1999 and Venus on September 11, 2001. But she, transiting Juno in Capricorn, was also trine the Sun in Virgo on September 11, 2001. Quincunxes call for adjustments.
The 1999 Leo solar eclipse was square the U.S. Vesta in Taurus and squares are challenges. The 3 conjunctions in 1993 between Neptune and Uranus in Capricorn were all conjunct where trans. Juno stationed retrograde last May and the 3 conjunctions in 1993 of Neptune and Uranus in Capricorn were all quincunx where the coming 1999 Leo eclipse would be, but they were also trine the U.S. natal Vesta in Taurus and trines symbolize cooperation and ease.
We could say then that the Capricorn Neptune-Uranus cycle conjunctions were and are in accord with the U.S. natal Vesta in Taurus, as was the Sun on 9/11, while the 1999 Leo solar eclipse was not in accord with U.S. Vesta, nor was Venus (values) on 9/11, nor transiting Venus as Irma made landfall in the U.S.
This makes sense to me. I’m inclined to see this “tempering process” as having to do with the reviewing of just what is worth investing in for the U.S. The U.S. Vesta in Taurus is trine the U.S. Neptune in Virgo who trines the U.S. Pluto in Capricorn. Right now transiting Pluto approaches his station-direct near the end of September, to move forward and again exactly trine the U.S. Vesta (as he did in April), as will transiting Juno, sometime after Pluto and Juno conjunct at 17+ Capricorn in November. All this is part and parcel (as I see it) of the coming U.S. Pluto Return in 2022.
The overall effect then of Trump “draining the swamp”, the hurricanes, fires in the west and the plethora of disasters such as mass shootings or poisoned drinking water, serve to soften up even the most hardened of us in the U.S. as to what is of value; what do we invest in from this point forward. After we decide that (elections 2018, 2020) we must then prepare ourselves for the coming Pluto Return and a renewed sense of just who the hell we really are.
The Neptune-Uranus conjunction (3rd of 3) was sextile the Mars in that chart at 19+ Scorpio and they formed a Yod (double adjust) with Donald Trump’s natal Uranus in Gemini (which conjuncts his Sun and U.S. Mars which opposes his Moon which conjuncts his South Node in Sagittarius). Transiting Saturn has lingered a long time in that vicinity, where Trump’s Moon and south node are, and opposite the U.S. Mars, Trump’s Sun-North Node-Uranus combo. Transiting Saturn has been nearly exactly square U.S. Neptune in Virgo for 2 months and will be exactly square that Neptune at the end of this month.
That is when trans. Pluto stations direct, when trans Jupiter in Libra opposes trans Uranus in Aries and both of them will be T-squared the U.S. Pluto in Capricorn. I wouldn’t be surprised to find us marching in the streets again since trans. Jupiter will also be trine the U.S. Moon!
be
Be — thanks for the reminder that Juno was within a degree of conjoining Pluto on May 9. It helps to fill in some detail/ideas about something that emerged for me about that time; the fact that Juno has been Rx for a few months and still must traverse Capricorn and re-meet Pluto in early Nov. gives me a little more to mull over.
https://www.sott.net/article/361621-Behind-the-Headlines-Wild-Climes-Geopolitical-Earthquakes-and-Putins-Force-of-Nature
https://www.sott.net/article/361651-Sun-unleashes-major-X8-2-solar-flare-second-strongest-of-the-cycle-4th-X-class-in-a-week
https://www.sott.net/article/361619-Hookworm-on-the-rise-in-Americas-poor-Black-Belt-due-to-non-existent-sewage-infrastructure
As the saying goes: what ya doin’ to yer bro man??!
Aimez vous les uns les autres.
Commandment?!!
Kevin Swanson?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-41188873/how-the-tv-dinner-became-a-million-dollar-idea
He of the tv dinner whose baseball cap read M.A.G.I.C. – Make Americans Greater In Circumference? – and then proceeded to destroy the American family and WAY OF LIFE by having everyone sit down to a different meal (according to choice) and eating in silence in front of The Waltons (pre-Walmart) or Bonanza (before everyone got rich). What a captive audience. Why not sell them snake oil, old time religion, or just about anything?
All fake news, of course. Just as God decides to halt Hurricane Irma just as she crosses over onto dry land and runs out of warm water to keep her system going because rednecks prayed against gay inclusivity is fake news. Well, fake you, Swanson.
Geoff, I don’t see any mention of the Swanson food company on Kevin (the pastor) Swanson’s wiki page, and no mention of a Kevin on the Swanson wiki page. Not sure you have the right guy, though you make an interesting association!
You miss my point, Amanda. My post is fake news, just as advocating that Hurricane Irma is the result of pro-gay legislation and same-sex marriage is fake news. It conflates two entirely unrelated pieces of information and assumes a connection.
Yep, missed your point entirely, Geoff! Ah well!
I’m sorry it was such a convoluted point on my part, Amanda, and I apologise to the Swanson family of tv dinner fame if they were offended by my association of their name with that of the over-zealous religious retailer.
I was always taught that two wrongs don’t make a right, and that you can’t combat lies by spreading more of them, two rules I normally try to follow. It just gets me so roiled up that someone can start a church and base it on blame which does incalculable harm to gay kids as they struggle to come to terms with their sexuality. In the name of love – which is what I was also taught Christianity was about – I hope that this remark will be Kevin’s swansong.
Why was my post not posted?
Linda May — I don’t see any comments in moderation. My guess is that maybe something glitchy happened and your connection timed out as you were trying to post it? Maybe try again?
Sorry, Linda – I wasn’t looking properly and it went into spam. It’s now published.
Linda – it’s happened to me in the past, when I’ve posted more than one link.
Cute Lizzy , i appreciate. You re a true sister 🙂
You too Amanda 🙂 no sweat pets HUGZZZZ
thank you
((((Linda))))
That is really sweet of you Lizzy. Your gesture touches my heart.