2011 Predictions for the United States
March 29, 2011 by Nina Gryphon
Here is a look at the predictive annual horoscope for the United States each year to get a sense of what lies ahead for the next 12 months. This year looks interesting, especially on the economic front. Based on this horoscope, I do not think we are as far out of the housing/debt crisis as we would like to believe.
Prediction 1: Financial Fallout from Housing Crisis
There will be a new wave of major financial consequences from the housing boom of the last decade,and this topic will dominate the news in 2011 and early 2012. We will see substantial debate anddemagoguery about the American real estate and banking connection. Unfortunately, we as a nation are still not done paying for the financial excesses of past years. Farmers, especially, will be heavilyaffected by the financial difficulties we are facing. Credit may well tighten up again this year, and the mood of the nation will be somber and sad.
The Saturn-Moon conjunction in the 1st house indicates a serious tone in the public discourse; in individual horoscopes, it can indicate depression, and we see a similar feeling, just on the macro levelfor the United States in 2011. The official message will be one of optimism, as shown by Mercury conjunct Jupiter in the 7th house, but the mood of the people (and the reality) will be significantly less happy.
Saturn is well-placed in the horoscope, as it is in the sign of its exaltation, Libra, but it is retrograde. The old astrologers say that Saturn in Libra indicates a time of great building of houses; with the planet beingretograde, however, this building up is reversed, and we see an overabundance of buildings. This will not be a good year for the housing market, and indeed, we are seeing even the best housing marketsexperience drops in price in late 2010. The United States horoscope is experiencing a Saturn return this year, indicating a time when the accounts are coming due for the country’s finances. Saturn rulesthe nation’s second house of money, and his return to its place in the United States nativity indicates closing of one chapter in our financial history, with a final accounting before the new cycle begins.
Jupiter in the national horoscope indicates the banking industry, as well as farming, and real estate.Jupiter and Saturn are opposed in the 1st and 7th houses, showing the housing business being negatively impacted by public pessimism and an unwillingness of buyers to pay, as they wait for lower prices. Inother words, we will see housing prices come down further this year. The housing crisis will continue tobe a drag on the banking industry as well. Oppositions of planets from the cardinal signs indicate “huge evils,” as Jean-Baptiste Morin, the 17th century astrologer, writes.
Many of the evils described by Saturn – debt, inability to pay, insolvency – are related to the common people’s desire to be placed on an equal footing with great men, as the old astrologers have it. The Moon is with Saturn in the 1st house; the Moon signifies the masses and the common man, while Saturn represents the rich and powerful. With the two planets together, the poor wish to be the same as the rich, and as we can see, they are willing to bankrupt themselves to be seen as such.
2011 Aries Ingress Horoscope
Prediction 2: Sex Scandals
Not that there is ever a dearth of sex scandals, but this year shall be particularly notable for hidden vices coming to light. Guido Bonatti writes that Saturn in Libra oriental (as it is in this horoscope)shows the “desire of shameful, criminal men.” In the natal U.S. horoscope, Saturn is occidental,bringing “infamy…upon fornicators, and those abusing shameful sexual intercourse.” These are challenging configurations for public figures, so expect to see lots of public shaming in 2011.
Prediction 3: Public Health Concerns
With Saturn in the 1st house in Libra, we can expect to see health problems that especially affect the poor. Bonatti says that especially “slaves” will be harmed, so likely we will see people at the very lowest strata of society be subject to health concerns of a Saturnian kind. Saturn brings illnesses having to dowith the cold humors, such as tuberculosis, colds, flus, edema, and so on.
Prediction 4: Trouble for the President
2011 will not be an easy year for the U.S. President; there will be lots of contentions between him and his opponents. He might face health challenges as well this year. With the malefic South Node on the midheaven, and the ruler of the 10th house of kings being the Moon conjunct Saturn, we can see that he might have a number of things on his mind, namely people who rise up against him. There could be significant protests this year against his policies, for example.
Iran: War and Change in 2014?
March 13, 2011 by Nina Gryphon
This is the last article in Gryphon Astrology’s series on Iran. It took me nearly two years to write this article, not because it was so complicated – the signs are very simple and clear – but because I hesitated to make such a serious prediction. I believe that 2014 will bring great conflict in Iran, up to and perhaps including regime change.
The God of War
The traditional authors (Masha’allah and Morinus) write that a year with similar characteristics as 2014 will bring wars, seditions, captivities, the fall of cities, anger of Princes, murders. Violent illnesses, deaths of the young, fires, and looting. This combination brings hot spells and wars. The year 2014 will bring serious upheaval for the country’s leadership.
What brings such terrible things to Iran? No other than the god of war, Mars. In 2014, Mars will fall on the Ascendant of the Aries Ingress horoscope. This is the chart cast for the first second of the first day of spring; the beginning of the astronomical (and traditional Persian!) new year. The tenor of this horoscope predicts major events for the specific location where the horoscope is cast. More than this, however, Mars will be in the sign of its detriment, Libra. This is a highly unpleasant Mars, very possibly bringing destruction from the air (Libra is an air sign).
Mars’s malevolent influence is emphasized still further: there will be a total lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014, that falls on the very degree of the Ascendant of the Aries Ingress horoscope set for Tehran, Iran. Eclipses are malefic influences in the political arena, bringing upheaval and shocking events. This Mars is spring-loaded, as it were, ready to pop at any moment.
Finally, the secondary progressions of the year indicate changes in the government, likely with drama and violence. The progressed Sun (the symbol of the leader) conjoins the malefic South Node in the 12th house in 2014, and the progressed Midheaven (the point associated with the government) will conjoin Mars in early 2015. The influences of these aspects will be seen through 2014.
Also important is the horoscope for the Ayatollah Khomeini’s return to Iran in 1979. This horoscope has strong indications for what has been happening in the country since the beginning of the current regime. The 1979 horoscope has Aries on the Ascendant; with Libra (the opposite sign) on the 2014 Ingress Ascendant, there may well be violent opposition to the regime that year.
Prince William’s Royal Wedding Horoscope: When to Get Married
March 6, 2011 by Nina Gryphon
Prince William and Kate Middleton are set to marry on April 29, 2011, but will they live happily ever after? An astrological analysis of their wedding date reveals many challenges in this marriage, but also offers useful lessons on choosing your best times to get married. This is called electional astrology, because we are electing the best moment for the marriage ceremony, which will result in the best marriage possible between the two people. Of course, no elected date will make a harmonious marriage between two incompatible people, but choosing the best time can certainly smooth over the rough edges. (To have me find the best moment for your wedding, contact me.)
Prince William’s Wedding Horoscope
The royal wedding horoscope is set for April 29, 2011, 11:00 am, British Summer Time, London, England. You might wonder whether this horoscope has been elected; I believe that it is a time set by an astrologer. In fact, I believe that Charles and Diana’s wedding was also astrologically elected. Looking at the horoscope for William and Kate’s wedding, I suspect that the astrologer was working with significant time constraints and was making the best of a challenging astrological configuration.
Prince William’s Son?
The ruler of the 5th house of children is Mars in Aries; a masculine planet in a masculine sign. Jupiter is strongly placed in the 10th house, and closely conjunct Jupiter in Aries, another masculine planet in a masculine sign. It is clear that the intended effect of the chart is to get at least one male child, which is the #1 goal of any royal marriage. However, there is some misfortune for the child – Mars is a malefic planet representing violence and strife. Yes, Mars is in its own sign, Aries, but a malefic is what it is – at its best, it brings a little evil, rather than a lot. Mars rules the 6th house of the children’s health, so that could be one difficulty facing the children from this marriage.
Good for Prince William…Not for Kate
The horoscope is strongly configured to favor Prince William as much as possible, but is rather unfavorable for Kate. It may be that given the time constraints, the astrologer (presumably paid by the royal family) could only strengthen the significators of one party to the marriage, and that would be the prince. Kate’s happiness and well-being, whatever good personal characteristics she may have, is not nearly as important to the royal family as that of William.
Prince William is shown by the Sun, both because it rules the 1st house of the husband, and because Sun is the general significator of husbands in marriage charts. The Sun is strongly positioned in the 10th house at the top of the chart, so William will be very much in charge in this relationship. The Sun is also in Taurus, a fixed sign, so he will want to stay in the marriage and will insist on getting his own way. The good news is that the Sun is received by Venus, so William is generally liked by Kate. The Sun is conjunct the malefic star Hamal, which brings violence, danger, and head injuries. Other than the fixed star, however, the Sun is in decent shape, and William should largely benefit by the marriage.
Kate is represented by Venus, because she is the woman in the relationship, and also by Saturn, ruler of the 7th house of spouses. Venus is in bad shape in the wedding horoscope; she is in its detriment in Aries, and opposite Saturn. Venus is in the 10th house, so the issues in this marriage will be well-documented and made very public. Saturn, Kate’s other significator, is in the 4th house of endings, specifically “how the marriage ends” – Kate may well suffer in the marriage; will it end prematurely? I think there is a strong possibility of this. Kate is going to have to deal with some tragedy; Saturn rules the 8th house of death – a situation troubling for her, but not necessarily a negative from the royal family’s perspective. Remember, the paying client (here, the royal family) always gets the better end of the electional chart, and it looks like Kate is getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop in this chart and marriage.
Not Much Happens?
The odd thing about this horoscope is that the Moon is placed in the cadent 9th house, and is void of course (not within orb of aspect of another planet). Given that the Moon shows the flow of events in this marriage, the marriage looks oddly directionless. Does nothing happen in this marriage? The Moon is also weak because it is waning, and is located in the terms of Mars, which is a malefic place for her to be. The medieval astrologer, Sahl bin Bishr, says of the void of course Moon that it represents “futility and annulment, and turning back from [one's] purpose, and the impediment of that same purpose.” Annulment is not what you want to see in a marriage chart; void of course for the Moon represents isolation, and the lack of a meaningful connection made – again, perhaps the last description for a horoscope of a relationship.
When to Get Married: Lessons Learned from the Royal Wedding Horoscope
From William and Kate’s wedding chart, we can see there are a few things to avoid when choosing your wedding date and time. For best results and to ensure the strongest possible start to your marriage, I recommend that you have an astrologer choose your wedding date. The royal wedding horoscope shows us what not to do:
1. Avoid the Moon void of course. You do not want a marriage in which nothing happens, or that forces either of you into isolation! This is easy to avoid, as the void of course periods typically do not last very long. Do not place the Moon in the malefic or cadent houses (houses 3, 6, 8, 9, 12) – no need to borrow trouble.
2. Make sure the planets symbolizing both the husband and wife are strong. If you want an equal marriage, in which neither party suffers disproportionately, strengthen the Sun, Venus, and the rulers of the 1st and 7th houses. Both of you deserve to be happy.
3. Avoid the malefic planets (Mars and Saturn) predominating in the horoscope. This rule has exceptions, for example, if the malefic rules both partners’ charts, but it is best not to try this at home.
If you are interested in finding the best time to marry, contact me to discuss your priorities for your marriage, and to learn how astrology can help you bring out the best between the two of you.
Astrology 101: What Are the Real Dates for Astrology Signs?
July 5, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
This is a regular question and answer column for those new to astrology, or those who have gotten their feet wet a little in their study of astrology, but are looking for more answers. These are questions I have received and those with which I have seen newcomers struggle. Do you have general questions about astrology? Contact me.
Q: What are the real dates for astrology signs? They are different in all the books and newspaper columns. What sign am I?
A: There are a number of people out there who live in the strange twilight zone of not knowing their Sun sign for sure. The good news is that you don’t have to be one of these poor lost creatures for a moment longer.
The dates show when the Sun moves into a new sign; it takes the Sun one year to travel through the twelve signs of the zodiac. The reason the dates are different in various sources (usually varying by a day or so) is that the Sun isn’t on the exact same schedule every year. For example, in 2009, the Sun entered the sign of Aries on March 20, but in 2003, the Sun entered Aries on March 21. The only way to be sure of your Sun sign if you are born near one of these dates is to consult an ephemeris for the date of your birth, examine your astrological chart, or get an astrological reading.
Some astrologers claim that people born within a day of a Sun’s change of signs are “born on a cusp” and therefore have qualities of both the preceding and the next sign. This is most definitely incorrect; the Sun is either in a sign or it’s not. Believing that the Sun is in two signs at once is like saying that one can be a little bit pregnant, or only slightly dead. One sees this notion most often in Sun sign books or columns, but few professional astrologers incorporate it into their practice in any significant way.
The other reason that the concept of being born on a cusp is incorrect is that astrologers who espouse the idea do not extend the same reasoning to the other planets which are part of one’s horoscope. For example, many people are born on the same day that the Moon changes signs, because the Moon changes signs every 2 1/2 days, but no one claims that such people share the qualities of both the signs that the Moon occupied that day.
Finally, there are no clear guidelines as to when being born on the cusp starts and ends. Is it within an hour or day of the Sun’s changing signs? No one has a definitive answer, and there are no written sources that resolve the question once and for all. Best advice: forget all about cusps, and instead get your horoscope done or learn astrology so you can discover the right Sun sign.
Lunar Eclipse of July 7 2009: Astrological Effects on the U.S.
June 28, 2009 by Nina Gryphon
The lunar eclipse of July 7 will intensify the current US debate regarding an overhaul of health care, and this time will also emphasize the trouble in which much traditional media find itself. there may also be additional discussion of the government accessing private citizens’ data, and also a highly publicized cutting of social services for the public, in the name of reduced funds.
The lunar eclipse will happen just above the horizon in Washington DC, at 9:21 AM GMT, July 7. The French astrologer Jean-Baptiste Morin said that locations where the body being eclipsed is angular will see the strongest effects from the eclipse. In Washington DC, the lunar eclipse has the Moon in the seventh house, and above the horizon, so it will be visible as well as angular. This eclipse is especially important because the Moon, which is being eclipsed, was the ruling planet of the U.S. horoscope for this summer. The ascendant of the lunar eclipse horoscope will be in the sign Cancer, which is the sign most prominent for the summer horoscope for the United States. This means that the lunar eclipse will bring to bear some of the effects promised in the Summer 2009 horoscope for the United States. Many of the issues below were highlighted for the U.S. for this summer, and this lunar eclipse, due to the similarity between this horoscope and the summer horoscope, will activate these topics and make them more apparent and intensely debated.
The Lunar Eclipse and the US Healthcare Debate
The chattering classes, especially in July and early August 2009, will be all abuzz about the impending Congressional bills regarding an overhaul of American healthcare. This battle will be fought very much in the press, and in the court of public opinion. A health care bill will be passed this summer, but Pres. Barack Obama will not get everything that he wants in the bill. It will be very difficult to get the bill through in the form that he envisions, and his ability to dictate the terms of the bill will be hobbled by the fact that there is not enough money to pay for the changes that he wants. the resulting bill will be an improvement on the existing state of things, but it will likely be far short of a major change from the current system.
President Obama’s political opponents are very much aware of the power of public opinion, and they will use all of their considerable media influence to shape the debate. Prepare for a blitz of attack advertisements following this lunar eclipse.
The Decline of Newspapers and the Power of Technology
American newspapers have not been doing well financially, as they find they cannot compete with online media outlets. There will be renewed attention to this situation, and some traditional media will embrace or merge with Internet or other electronic news formats. The idea of branding will be especially important, in that a well-known media or Internet brand will change dramatically, or even close down entirely.
A new and noxious electronic virus may be making the rounds and getting public attention as the lunar eclipse nears.
Swine Flu Regains the News
There will be additional attention to matters of public health, which this summer likely means the swine flu. The flu will continue to grow in strength, and the media and public hysteria will grow in step with the spread of the illness.
To find more astronomical data about the July 7 Lunar Eclipse, visit the NASA Eclipse Page, and download the July 7 Lunar Eclipse fact sheet (pdf).
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