New Offerings (Online; Relocation in Providence; Chart Synthesis in Arlington) – A Correct Prediction for Obama? – Jupiter and Mercury Retrogrades – A Second Act?: Robert Downey, Jr.
Happy Late Spring!

New Offerings

For those who wish to meet with Joseph individually for consultations and tutorials and the office in Warren RI is an unheard of location, I have just moved my residence (or is it “domicile”?) to the East Side of Providence, slightly down the hill from Brown University.  I have set up space to meet with clients there and you’re welcome to contact me at josephcrane@verizon.net or (401) 527-2035 if you would like to schedule an appointment.

Beginning next month, we will be offering many of our standard courses online. This accommodates people who are reluctant to travel or who need to work according to their own schedule.  Newer technology gives us the opportunity to reach out to a wider readership and audience.  For more information, please consult the programs page of www.astrologyinstitute.com

As you can see from our website, the courses include modern natal and predictive astrology, traditional astrology, the philosophical and cultural environments for astrology, and consulting skills.

The format will be similar to many courses given online: a combination of individual tutorial over e-mail, phone, or chat room, along with written assignments and case presentations with teacher feedback.  With sufficient numbers and a little technical help, later we will include classrooms on the web.

Coming right up is relocation astrology, a look at the symbols of astrology and different coordinate systems as they apply to areas relevant to work, relationship, retirement . This will be the first time teaching astrology in Providence. 
The information is below.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Relocation Astrology Workshop

1-5:30 PM

Presenter: Joseph Crane

At Providence Community Acupuncture

144 Waterman St. #2, Providence

$50

Some of the most interesting astrology work done today is in the area of relocation.  Only in the modern era, with its easy transportation and communication worldwide, can we seriously consider astrology of place.  Relocational astrology is to place what electional astrology is to time -- what are the best areas for different endeavors -- profession, relationship, settling down, retiring, vacationing?  

We'll work with different methods for judging location: adjusting the natal Ascendant and Midheaven for different places noting aspects and midpoints; using astrocartography maps to give lines of planetary influence; and local space astrology -- to answer what are the best directions from a birthplace for different activities of life. 

This program serves as a very useful introduction to some of the symbols and measurements of astrology.

We will use these methods with “notable nativities”, and personal charts. If you would like, we could use you as a case example.  Just give me the information ahead of time.   In January 2008 our newsletter contained an article on relocational astrology: Check our website at www.astrologyinstitute.com. For more information or to register, contact Joseph atjosephcrane@verizon.net  or call Joseph at (401) 527-2035

IMPORTANT: This summer I will present the many tradition of chart interpretation and synthesis.  This is a six-week course that will meet Wednesday evenings in Arlington, Ma..  This course is specifically to help people find their own interpretative voice by using perspectives and techniques that they feel most at home with. 

We will look at a variety of ways of working with charts, and their preconceptions, from ancient to esoteric to modern psychological, from planets in signs to midpoints to essential dignities and esoteric rulers. Students will see how different eras and styles of astrology look at the natal chart and at life. 

We will also look at a wide range of individuals, from the very contemporary to the historic, the political to the creative, with an occasional no-good-nik to liven things up.

If you have questions or would like to register, contact Joseph at josephcrane@verizon.net or (401) 527-2035.

A Precise Presidential Prediction?

            A few months ago, in two winter newsletters, we looked at the presidential prospects of Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama.  Using modern predictive techniques to compare the fortunes of both, there was nothing compelling.  However, when applying the ancient method of decennials, whereby one has a general and specific time lord, I found an important fact. In April the specific lord for Hillary’s decennials became Jupiter. Jupiter, the Great Benefic, is dignified in her chart by being in its own sign Sagittarius but is in the mediocre second house or place.  In May, Obama, on the other hand, had his specific time lord change from Mercury to Sun.  Since his Sun is in its own sign Leo and in the tenth, and because the Sun is a planet of leadership, I felt that Obama would prevail but only after Hillary Clinton showed her strengths.

            I am writing this the day after the primaries in North Carolina and Indiana. After a few difficult weeks for his campaign, which had become the best opportunity for Hillary Clinton (change to Jupiter), Obama exceeded expectations and effectively clinched the nomination.  (According to the chattering classes and most reasonable people, but not, as of this writing, to the Clinton campaign.)

            What might this mean for November?  Stay tuned, of course.  To tip my hand, John McCain has very favorable astrological indicators for later in the year.  Will this be enough for him?  Time will tell and I will, too.

Retrograde Jupiter and Retrograde Mercury

            This Friday, May 9, Jupiter is at station to turn retrograde.  Here is the chart:

Sun is in Taurus, Jupiter is in Capricorn.  Because Sun moves very quickly compared with Jupiter, think of the Sun speeding away from Jupiter.  Beginning roughly when the Sun was in mid-Aries and was in square to Jupiter, the great benefic became slower in motion, as the Sun’s distance from Jupiter increases more quickly.  Now Jupiter lies still, and will begin to go backwards.

Is there some kind of global significance to Jupiter going retrograde?  I don’t think so.  The fact that its station is 22° Capricorn may be significant for you.  In your natal chart, for example, do you have something notable at 22° Capricorn?  That would be an important transit.  The same would go for 22° of its opposite sign Cancer, and also the signs Aries and Libra that are in square to Capricorn.

Note also that Mercury is on the other side of the Sun, and is going 1°20 per day, so that it moves away from the Sun about a third of a degree a day.  But only for now: Mercury begins to slow down on its way toward its retrograde station

Now lets look at the chart with Mercury at its station that is about three weeks afterward.

First, see that Sun, as it continues to move direct, is moving toward its opposition with Jupiter, which will happen when Sun is past mid-Cancer.  Astronomy calendars will call this “Jupiter at opposition,” and Jupiter’s brightness in a clear night sky will be striking.  At this time the planet begins to be bright in the night sky – it just gets brighter and brighter.

Now, to Mercury: it is 16° from the Sun and will now close in upon the Sun and very soon go into the Sun’s beams (as if we can easily see Mercury anyway!) Mercury will conjunct the Sun in a couple of weeks and afterwards will make its first morning appearance, as retrograde Mercury is sufficiently east of the direct Sun to be (conceivably) visible before sunrise.  Later Mercury will go direct and begin its slow movement back toward the Sun.

            Note that Venus is on the other side of the Sun, moving toward its conjunction.  Here’s a bit of heliocentric astronomy for you. The conjunction of retrograde Mercury with Sun will be its inferior conjunction, with the planet between the Sun and Earth.  The upcoming conjunction of direct Venus with Sun is Venus’s superior conjunction, the planet Venus being on the other side of the Sun from the Earth.

            Back to the astrology and a question that frequently comes up: how important is Mercury retrograde?  Does it mean that all business transactions, communications devices or modes of local transportation, and affairs of the marketplace become all gummed up?  Indeed all the above are governed by Mercury and are inevitable in many of our lives during Mercury retrograde periods..  To use the words of horary, retrograde Mercury is a consideration, not a prohibition – something to keep in mind and an opportunity to be more careful, but not an excuse for inactivity.

Robert Downey Jr: A Second Act?

            This time Robert Downey is in the news for something positive: his starring role inthe movie Iron Man has been very well received, as has been the movie itself.  It is rare that a “superhero” movie and its lead actor will have this kind of positive response.  Mr. Downey has been previously knows as a very good television and movie actor whose life has been marked by drug addiction, arrests and jail and drug rehab. 

            Here is his natal chart.

 Lot of Spirit: 9° Taurus Sun/Pluto and Mercury/Mars are antiscia (midpoints conjunct 0° Cancer and Capricorn (Both are within one degree)

            His sudden rise in fame right now is easily seen in the aforementioned Jupiter station at 22° Capricorn, squaring his Mercury closely.  In fact, Jupiter has been transiting his Aries planets during this year and the results have been very positive for him.

            Why is Mercury important here?  In great part because it’s the lord of his Part of Fortune, designating – this time – that things might actually break his way.

            Where does one look for addiction and his ability to make a train wreck out of an otherwise privileged background and his many gifts?  Well, one looks no further than his exalted Moon in Taurus with a strong opposition from Neptune.  Moon is lord of his Lot of Spirit and should lead (with natal Jupiter) to good worldly achievement.  Moon is also about comfort and a feeling of being at home in the world.

            Making things more difficult are the parts of his charts that tend to extremes and living dangerously.  It is not simply that Downey has Leo rising and Sun exalted in Aries: many people have that and have never been locked up or in drug rehab.  Here I bring in the antiscia mentioned above: over and over again, I have found that antiscia show strong connections between natal positions.  In his case, Sun/Pluto show these tendencies.  That Mercury is the lord of the Lot of Fortune makes the antiscion connection between Mercury Mars an indication of mental instability.

            As when we look at Moon we see the opposition from Neptune, when we look at Mars we see the opposition from Saturn.  Exerting too much Mercury and Mars brings repercussions brought by Saturn and Pluto.  Think cocaine.

            There is no denying, however, Downey’s strong presence, resourcefulness, and ability to attract others and do very well in life.  There is also instability and the need to take a lot of work, inner and outer, to make the features of his chart be in greater harmony.

            Next month, lets have a look at what astrology’s predictive methods, ancient and modern, can say about the vicissitudes of his extraordinary life.