In the 2,000 year old tale that we know as the Christmas story, three wise men came out of the east following a star to Bethlehem. The three wise men were Magi, members of the priestly class of Persia. Ancient historian Diodorus tells us that after Persia invaded Babylon, the Magi learned astrology from the Chaldeans as well as alchemy and other occult arts. There has been much debate over the centuries as to the identity of the Star that... Read more

Dharmaruci has a great post today on what he calls “conviction politicians,” those who “pursue a particular course of action regardless.” Politicians frequently present themselves as “conviction politicians” in order to convince voters that they are principled, that they will not be swayed by the demands of political expediency and career aspirations. What it comes to mean when they are in a position of leadership is somewhat different and less favourable: it tends to mean that they are the sort... Read more

Thanks to Rich for this incredible “massive star” picture from Nasa (click image to enlarge). Read more

The Harvard Business Review recently did a peer review on a study by University of Michigan researchers: “We find strong lunar cycle effects in stock returns,” say University of Michigan Business School professors Ilia D. Dichev and Troy D. Janes in a research report. “Specifically, returns in the 15 days around new moon dates are about double the returns in the 15 days around full moon dates. This pattern of returns is pervasive,” they report. The scholars set out to... Read more

Mundane astrology, the astrology of places and events, is not my specialty (Nancy Waterman is my usual source for this area of expertise) but I confess it does fascinate me. Knowing that the commonly-used Sibley chart for the United States has Sagittarius rising I took a look to see how the Sagittarius stellium was affecting the US. Transiting Uranus in Pisces has been making a square, or challenging aspect, to the descendant in the US chart since back in March... Read more

The Sun is now conjunct Pluto (regeneration) and in a trine to Saturn (forms and structures), making it easier for us to release the old bonds that have been holding us back as Pluto transforms the structures in our life so that they can better accommodate our new vision. This process is completed by the sextile of Mercury (thoughts) to Neptune (transcendence) which is approaching now but exact on the 19th which aids in the integration of our experience (Mercury)... Read more

If you haven’t already read them, I’ve synthesized the two earlier articles I wrote on this into one and posted it on my website here if you feel like taking a peek. Read more

Earlier this week I reported on the tsunami-like solar flare, and this week there was a huge electromagnetic storm resulting from a coronal mass ejection on the sun, disrupting shortwave communications and satellite systems and creating spectacular auroras. Space.com reports: Flares like this one are spawned by sunspots, which are dark, cool regions that cap magnetic activity below. When the caps pop, colossal doses of superheated matter and radiation are unleashed. Sunspot 929 began kicking up flares Tuesday, when a... Read more

You may have seen a study by Allstate Insurance correlating driving habits to sun signs. This analysis was done by a Vedic astrologer, Carol Allen, but I have to say it doesn’t make sense to me. Aries make great drivers because they stay out of trouble? Leos are good drivers because they are generous on the road? Taurus drive the most luxurious cars? (Actually, that would be Capricorn – Taurus likes the cars that are the most comfortable and the... Read more

We are now approaching a square of Mercury to Uranus on the 15th, making it difficult for us to communicate clearly. Uranus has a disruptive quality and in seeking to open our minds to new ways of thinking it sometimes has the effect of creating anxiety, particularly for those of us with planets in the mutable signs (Pisces, Virgo, Sagittarius, Gemini). This can be a challenging time for interpersonal communication, but Mercury moves quickly and this influence will only last... Read more