Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005 OKAY: our current moment of history includes a wave of riots in Belfast, a blackout in Los Angeles, publication of evidence that one of the New Orleans levees may have been blown up with high-tech underwater explosives, the beginning of hearings for the new chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, the actual resignation of someone in the Bush administration, embattled FEMA guy Mike Brown (who is seeking "new opportunities"), the ongoing total evacuation of New Orleans and occupation of the city by a mercenary army (Blackwater Security, a private security firm, its heavily armed members newly back from Iraq and complaining about the low pay -- $350 per day), a massive battle in a place called Tal Afar in Iraq, and the discussion of the preparation for the effects of global warming on the cover of the International Herald Tribune. Did I forget a lot of stuff? We might ask what planetary activity is associated with this cluster of events, which sounds like a mock news summary out of a sci-fi novel. All that's missing is the story about the man from Mars being the legal owner of that entire planet. I would associate the following planetary developments with this cluster: 1. The approaching solar eclipse in Libra. Based on this fact, the events of the eclipse window are just getting heated up and we have yet to see the most "interesting" of them. The Oct. 3 eclipse, which I get the feeling will be somewhat infamous, sets off many different charts with strong Libra signatures, particularly that of Mr. Bush. As well, Saturn crossed the acting president's ascendant on Monday morning. 1A. Saturn in Leo. We promised you some changes! But really, I had no clue. In the immortal words of Patric Walker [on excellent authority], referring to astrology, "This sodding stuff works!" Too bad it works so bloody well. 2. The approaching Mars retrograde in Taurus. This begins Oct. 2. Mars goes retrograde for about 10 weeks every two years and is often associated with a heightening of intensity in world affairs. The last time, it came with a heat wave that killed thousands in Europe as well as occurring near the beginning of the Iraq war. Mars is making a long, slow yod involved with Jupiter and Pluto. 2A. We are thus having a major eruption of Pluto in Sagittarius. It's all about "ideology," isn't it. Okay, well, money factors in. 3. The recent Full Moon on the summer solstice, reaching across the first degrees of Cancer/Cap, setting off the June 21, 2001 total solar eclipse (this was the pre-9/11 total solar eclipse on the summer solstice, the first of the 21st century). Then there was the second Capricorn Full Moon one month later. In actual fact, Katrina, the Asian tsunami and Sept. 11 are DIRECTLY related, if you take any clues from astrology. 4. The conjunction of Chiron and Nessus in Aquarius, which was exact for the first time in May and which is now moving into the last degree of Capricorn. This process could also be summed up as "the transition of Chiron in to Aquarius" for the first time in about 44 years. Notably, this conjunction, between two of the earliest Centaur planets (Chiron, the first, and Nessus, the third), occurred exactly at the point of the Chiron square of the discovery of Chiron. 5. The discovery and announcement of Xena, which we can now nickname Hurricane Xena. This is the first planet discovered that is larger than Pluto. Many, many planets have been discovered since 1930, some further than Pluto, some close in size. This is the first that is larger, and apparently, it turns out that for once, bigger makes a difference. 6. The approach of Pluto toward the Galactic Core. We don't see this aspect reach exactitude until December 2006, but we are definitely close, and we are well on the way. 7. The associated galactic astrology connected to 2012 -- which is the approach of the Capricorn point to a sensitive area of the Galactic Core region and the final days of the 1.85 million day Mayan Day Count and the end of Baktun 13, the last Baktun in the Mayan day count. Much more on many of these subjects is covered in the 2005 annual horoscope, Bridge to the Core. That section of Planet Waves is located here. http://planetwavesweekly.com/twdco99~/ If you're considering subscribing to Planet Waves, have a look here. Your subscriptions support this astrology-news project, make sure our Web pages get updated, provide customer support and pay me enough to sit here and write all day. We are also generous supporters of truthout.org. Not a bad deal! Please subscribe today. http://planetwavesweekly.com/why.html