Posted on

Why this Israeli election is important and why none of them matter

[There is an update to this post HERE.] Israelis went to the polls today yet again, after only a few months, to try to see if a government could be formed from amongst the warring political parties in Israel. Polling on the day puts the Kahol Lavan Party of Benny Gantz a half point ahead of Likud (Netanyahu), with those two parties far out in the lead. Five months ago, when Netanyahu had to form a coalition, he did so with far right parties. But then the Israeli Parliament dissolved itself and forced another election — this one. It is an important election in some respects,and then in another way, not. We’ll get to the why in both cases as we go along. Continue reading “Why this Israeli election is important and why none of them matter”

Posted on

British democracy in action, or a study in transits and midpoints

Since the proroguing of the Parliament on the 28th of August and the public outcry resulting, politics in the UK have been more than a little interesting. As the solar arc of Pluto to the UK Ascendant comes to exactitude at the Libra solar ingress (equinox) this week, there are also other factors being activated. Since that direction came within orb a year ago, it has also activated certain midpoints, resulting in the nation, “…coming under the spell or influence of another person. – Exciting or upsetting experiences shared together with other people,” for example. We will look at those factors here, as it makes for a good study of transits, directions, midpoints and national charts in general. Continue reading “British democracy in action, or a study in transits and midpoints”

Posted on

The Virgo Festival 2019

For those subscribers who may have missed the mail-out, the Virgo letter is now uploaded to the site. You can either go to the subscriber archive page or read the letter in a web browser HERE. It is a look at Virgo, esoteric and everyday, the Green New Deal, the need for fusion, emerging ideas about the environment, several key events that will change the world in a big way and updates on current events — Brexit, Brazil, Kashmir, Hong Kong and more. Enjoy!

Posted on

9/11 revisited

Eighteen years ago today the Twin Towers and World Trade Center #7 came crashing down, the result of terrorist attacks. Who the terrorists were remains a matter of debate among some people who have investigated the events of that day. It is a date that will be remembered on par with Pearl Harbor, the assassination of the Kennedys and many others. Most people remember vividly where they were on 11 Sep 01. I was living in Australia at the time and I remember how the world was gripped by the event, and the events that followed afterward. Our lives have not been the same since. And many quite disturbing facts have emerged since then, as well as an emerging path into the future which is much more hopeful. On this day we reflect on all that and look at where we are headed, along with the astrology and the deeper significance of 9/11 for the world. Continue reading “9/11 revisited”

Posted on

Kashmir and Art. 370, Pt. I

On the 5th of August 2019 India annexed Jammu and Kashmir by revoking Art. 370 and 35a of India’s Constitution. The move is not without controversy, and it has had almost immediate effects along certain lines. The Kashmir region as a whole is bordered by China, India and Pakistan, all three nuclear powers, with pieces administered by each. The region has been contested for years, since the partition of India in 1947. Kashmir has been called the most dangerous place in the world because of the nuclear status of the nations involved and because the two main belligerents – India and Pakistan – are so volatile. The decision has far-reaching and potentially violent repercussions. Continue reading “Kashmir and Art. 370, Pt. I”

Posted on

Kashmir Pt. II: Pakistan

When Art. 370 was revoked by India, the reaction in Pakistan was both swift and expected: It was loudly and roundly condemned. Continuing with our discussion of the troubles in Kashmir, we will begin to parse the partition of India and Pakistan astrologically and why there has been so much animosity at times between the two nations in the next section. But in this one we want to look at the situation for Pakistan. The differences between India and Pakistan from the start lie primarily along religious lines, India being predominantly Hindu and Pakistan predominantly Sunni Muslim. There were other reasons behind the partition as well, which would be shown in the charts. Continue reading “Kashmir Pt. II: Pakistan”

Posted on

Kashmir, Pt. III: India

Finally, in this third section we will have a look at what the revocation of Article 370 will mean for India and why they went about it. The move has been called a ‘constitutional slight-of-hand’ and illegal, and on the whole it was the fulfillment of a campaign promise by the ruling party. Naturally, it has wide support among the Indian public, but what about the Kashmiris, who were not consulted? What will be the outcome for them? At this point, that is up in the air, but given India’s past behavior there, the outlook is not favorable for Kashmir. Continue reading “Kashmir, Pt. III: India”

Posted on

Salvini: Down but not out

On 20 Aug 2019 the Italian PM Giuseppe Conte resigned his post due to continued infighting between the coalition government and to preempt a confidence vote that had been put forward by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Conte went on to give an excoriating indictment of Salvini, accusing him of looking out only for himself and his party. The Italian press and much of the western press has followed in kind, painting Salvini as quite the rogue. President Sergio Mattarella wants the diverse factions in the Italian parliament to move quickly to form government, otherwise Italy faces new elections. The new government looks now to be formed, between the Pd and Five Star parties, with Conte as PM. If so, it will probably mean more austerity for Italy. But is that and the new coalition the right direction for the Italians? Continue reading “Salvini: Down but not out”

Posted on

Boris and his gamble

Boris Johnson has just played his hand. Probably at the prompting of his chief advisor, Dominic Cummings, he has asked the Queen to prorogue the UK Parliament. She has obliged, dissolving Parliament for five weeks. I have read many sources who say this is likely to result in a no-deal Brexit, much to the delight of many in England and Wales, much to the shock and disgust of Northern Ireland and Scotland – and some in England and Wales, too. It would appear that the Conservatives have finally gotten what they wanted, which is a clean break with the EU, which will also greatly please Donald Trump. I wouldn’t be so certain it will go that way. As the saying goes, it’s not over until…something about a lady singing. Continue reading “Boris and his gamble”

Posted on

Epstein: Is he or isn’t he — and how?

I like good mysteries. They sharpen the analytical skills, point us in different directions of thought, which we like to call “thinking outside the box” and often bring in new areas of study. More than that, however, they are a good measure of our common sense. Such is the current state of affairs with the mysterious ‘death’ of Jeffry Epstein. I put ‘death’ in quotes because we are only told of his demise. We have yet to see a body or an autopsy report. What do we really have, then? Continue reading “Epstein: Is he or isn’t he — and how?”