Wow, I had to do a double-take on the Nov. 18 business. I can't believe it's that late in the month, on the one hand, or that late in the year, and that it's only been two and a half weeks since the election on the other.

I want to share an astrology story with you, a kind of synchronicity. Last week, during the Arafat funeral, I was going over some of his birth data with a colleague from across town who was sitting here in my living room hanging out. We were watching the state services in France in some amazement. She'd done Arafat's chart and had some ideas about the situation involving the three sets of birth data that exist for him. There are a couple of birth dates and birth times -- this is sometimes the case with prominent people. Given that Arafat was Arab (another word for "knows the power of astrology") it didn't surprise me that he had a Dirty Data (DD) rating.

She clicked on the late data collector Lois Rodden's page on Arafat and showed me the three horoscopes posted there. These charts just don't do it. There was a fourth set of data, conveyed through the eminent British horoscope writer and astrologer Shelly von Strunkel via a mutual friend of Arafat's wife Suha. Third or fourth hand, but we know where it came from, and Shelly is a solid and inspired astrologer. I cast the chart and gave it a look, and in about 10 seconds had THE most odd sense of deja vu.

I had seen this chart before. All the planetary placements looked familiar. But everything was tipped a little bit; the version of this chart that I had seen had a different ascendant. I looked at the date: it was the birthday of my dear friend and mentor Dr. Betty Dodson. I had done a version of this chart many times, both for her, for articles about her, and in workshops where I taught the chart as one of the most exemplary examples of a chart matching a person that I had ever seen. I have an ongoing commitment to telling the world who she is, and I try to do something about her every year. It was the asteroids I recognized immediately: Betty's chart is THE best study in how the four major asteroids can define or signify the role of a person.

Then there was Chiron on the Moon's north node, exact. In Taurus, the sign of Chiron's discovery. In the degree (as revealed by the Sabian Symbols) with the image: "Head covered with a Rakish silk hat, muffled against the cold, a man braves a storm." I always thought: boy what an image for Betty Dodson.

Betty is the author of the bestseller "Sex for One" and was one of the women's movement's pioneers of the 1970s. But Betty is not your ordinary feminist. Her contribution to the lives of women has been to teach them about orgasm. She published a booklet in 1972 called "Liberating Masturbation" that became famous after a 1974 article in Ms. Magazine -- which Betty wrote, and describes as a long confession -- put her on the map. Betty also facilitated women's consciousness raising groups where women would talk, do yoga, and masturbate together. These continued one Sunday a month into the late 90s.

It is difficult to convey what a revolutionary act this was. You may say, well, that started back in the 70s when everything was groovy. But there was a reason it was groovy, which was that, like today, there was much oppression to revolt against, many people who were afraid of change, and a daring few who decided they wanted to make a difference in their own lives, and in the world. Betty was one of them. Betty changed the world. The fact that we can talk about masturbation comfortably (to the extent that we can) today has everything to do with Betty. It was simply a discussion that you could not have prior to her breaking the silence with a loud moan.

Betty, the woman who projected images of vulvas on the screen during a talk for the National Organization of Women; Betty who managed to shock the New York art world (quite an accomplishment) with her paintings of women's genitals.

So, there I was, looking at the most probable chart for Yasser Arafat, and the confirmation I had was that I knew the chart; I knew what a powerful revolutionary it belonged to. Two charts with a Taurus, Cancer and Leo moons were not doing it; one had Venus in the ascendant, another had Cancer rising -- plausible, but a real stretch.

But Aries Moon conjunct revolutionary Uranus in the 10th house of government and high office -- complete with the asteroid Pallas Athene in the conjunction. There was the warrior. There was the protector of his people. There was the rebellious, even terrorist (think Munich 1972 Olympics), and revolutionary who could go on to be welcomed to applause and cheers at the United Nations and win the Nobel Prize.

Betty has that same Aries Moon conjunct Uranus in the 8th house of sex, orgasm and surrender. This is a kind of ultimate demonstration of how important the house placement -- and thus the time and place -- of birth really is. They are for most purposes the same chart; they are off by two rising signs. Change that one factor and one chart gives you Arafat; the other Betty Dodson.

Now, it was reported this week by Harpers magazine that Arafat may have died of AIDS, presumably as a result of what were described as wild homosexual orgies he liked to have. Given Betty's highly reputed workshops, and her rather distinguished reputation for many, many private orgies in her Madison Ave. apartment (where she still lives) this would not surprise me in the least.

There's just one little thing about Betty that differs from Yasser Arafat: she has devoted her life to healing and pleasure. She is a revolutionary, but she's killed nobody. She doesn't have guns or bombs preferring instead the Hitachi Magic Wand, drawing pencils and paint brushes.

Wilhelm Reich, one of the thinkers who most inspired Betty and helped her see the psychological foundations of her own work, established that oppressive political energies are the direct result of frustrated sexual energies. I think this is something we need to take to heart. As usual, the man who made his point by killing gets all the press. Far be it for the world to make the woman who gave her sisters permission to have orgasms, and a lot of good information, and a place to do it, front page coverage -- but I'm willing to do it.

Attached is my article called The Dauntless Moon, from about a year ago, written in San Francisco, one of Betty's favorite towns. It's the second article down. Don't miss the encounter between Betty and Salvador Dali. I heard that story talking to Betty on my cell phone in a diner in San Fran. It was one of the funniest moments in an interview of my entire career as a journalist.

Betty, I adore you and love you with all my heart. Happy belated 75th birthday! Keep up the good work. Bless your cute little tits.

http://planetwavesweekly.com/xasc9v9qk/current/031010.html

You can reach Betty's homepage at http://BettyDodson.com/

Have fun -- it's juicy.

There you will find links to her excellent videos -- if you're going to get just one, I recommend the first, "Selfloving: Portrait of a Women's Sexuality Workshop."

TRUST ME! It's worth the money; you will wear it out and lend it to every friend.

Here are the charts for Arafat, exit chart first, birth chart second:

http://planetwaves.net/astrology/arafat.html

Link to Weekly Review from Harper's

http://www.harpers.org/MostRecentWR.html