The following is a transcript of the inaugural poem, “Praise Song for the Day,” written and recited by Elizabeth Alexander, as provided by Graywolf Press.

Each day we go about our business,walking past each other,
catching each other’seyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise. All about us isnoise and bramble,
thorn and din, eachone of our ancestors on our tongues.
Someone is stitching up a hem, darninga hole in a uniform,
patching a tire,repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.
We encounter each other in words, wordsspiny or smooth,
whispered or declaimed,words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of some one and then others, who said
I need to see what’s on the other side.
I know there’s something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices they
would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.
Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?
Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.
In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,
praise song for walking forward in that light.

A SuperNova of GoodWill

by Ken Kalb

At Noon on January 20, 2009 at the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States -- a stellium of Aquarian planets – the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter will gather at the midheaven -- activating Obama's charisma and magic tongue in glowing incandescence. His soaring oratory with millions gathered and billions watching will ignite the flame of the human spirit like never before into a veritable global orgasm of hope.

One hundred and forty six years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the big Wheel of Fortune has spun full circle and stopped on his magic number. Planet Earth is overdue for a global party, and the Obama Inauguration marks the moment. The combination of the collective sigh of relief for the end of the Bush administration, along with the birth of hope and inspiration of the Obama era -- signifies a genuine global rebirth. Put your dancing shoes on......

It’s been a long time coming.

The stars are aligned for the ignition of the collective heart of humanity to awaken in jubillence. The life giving Sun -- along with Mercury the messenger and Jupiter the lucky star -- have just entered Aquarius, sign of the dawning new dispensation. It is so fitting and appropriate that Barack Obama -- such a capable and shining star of promise -- -- will become the leader of the free world at this propitious point in Earth history. Just as one age is dying and another is being born -- as this planet both purifies and plants the seeds for tomorrow, hope overlights a fresh start. Change the head and the body will follow, we are told by the sages of old.

We are all a part of the birth of this miracle.

Though beware; many will try to make Barack into Piscean-age messiah. But the Aquarian Age, as Obama reminded us throughout the campaign -- is about we -- not me.

Symbolizing this climate for miracles were the heroics of Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III, an Aquarian himself who had a precise conjunction of Jupiter with his natal Sun when he heroically saved 155 people on January 15th. Everything that possibly could go wrong went right. Let us never underestimate the Jupiterian power of luck and good fortune, particularly when it is combined with masterful skill.

Yes We Can! There are amazing things happening, and anything IS possible. Optimism will abound in the excitement of this Uranian/Aquarian energy, and under the Sag Moon in the evening, the planetary party will rock.

Though with Mercury and Saturn spinning retrograde, the reality checks are simply delayed for awhile. For this ebullient moment comes in the face of massive, seemingly insurmountable tribulations. It will take some very powerful juju to unscramble this egg.

So let's take a quick thumbnail look at Obama's stars and the Inauguration chart.

Barack was born under the leadership sign of Leo, ruler of the heart. Aquarius was rising -- the Uranus-ruled sign governing humanitarianism and the collective. Aquarius is also the placement of his magnanimous Jupiter. The Moon was in Gemini -- Gem-In-Eye -- those genius twins electrically connecting the vast poles of human interaction. Mercury in magnetic Leo, Venus in caring Cancer, energetic Mars and transformational Pluto in service-sign Virgo, Saturn in hard-working and resourceful Capricorn, Uranus in loving Leo, visionary Neptune in transformative Scorpio.

When Obama was just a Presidential rumor, I made the prediction that he would be the next President largely because of the dove-tailing of this point in time with this Aquarian line-up on Inauguration day. Right now, he is having his fortuitous fourth Jupiter return -- a once every twelve year cycle of good fortune. Obama is an evolutionary soul in the process of mounting mastery. His charisma (Sun) and communication skills (Mercury) are two of his greatest gifts, and both of these planets swing into direct Aquarian alignment with his returning Jupiter directly at the time of the massive gathering of the Inauguration. He is a veritable shooting star with quantum numbers of humans riding his comet tail on this Supernova of goodwill.

At the Inauguration moment, the Moon will be sitting directly on Barack’s midheaven at the Scorpio/Sagittarius cusp – the Phoenix rising point of the zodiac. He will empower humanity with the inspiration that we can all rise together from the ashes of the past by assembling the best and the brightest under his leadership. Though with Obama’s natal Saturn sitting directly on the inaugural chart’s midheaven, his message will be grounded in some sobering tones: "There will be false starts and setbacks, frustrations and disappointments. And we will be called to show patience even as we act with fierce urgency."

Afterall, civilization is in a period of a great sorting out process signified by the series of 4 oppositions of Saturn (the status quo) and Uranus (change to the new), lasting through 2010, including exact oppositions on February 5 and September 15th this year.

But the grander planetary procession also signals that this will be a hopeful transformation.. Jupiter’s transit through Aquarius in 2009 and then Pisces in 2010, is what astrologer’s call ‘mutual reception.’ This boosts the frequency of the planet’s involved in a fascinating web, so follow these connections here. Jupiter and Neptune co-rule Pisces, and both planets are currently in Aquarius, which is co-ruled by Uranus. Uranus is transiting through Pisces, the sign Jupiter and Neptune co-rule. These giants are amplified by this connection as though they were all in an Aquarian conjunction. This is particularly poignant to be happening at the Shift of a 26000-year cycle from the Piscean to the Aquarian Age. This fractal of the divine science of astrology offers a deep hope for the welfare and benefit of the very future of humankind.

Uranus and Aquarius are all about change, the very mantra of Obama. This country was actually born in synchrony with the discovery of Uranus. Uranus and Aquarius rule new technology and the freedom of the human spirit. It is the Mother of Invention for humanitarian purposes. And more specifically in our current phase, new Green technology. Of course, one of Obama’s principal directives will be to help shift this country from a fossil fuel centered economy to a solar hydrogen alternative energy driven world. The Aquarian concept is that with the right vision and leadership – together - we can do anything.

And with potent Pluto just now embarking on a 20-year journey through Capricorn -- a karmic transformation to a more grounded and sustainable world has just begun.

Of course the backdrop of the plethora of problems, the many campaign promises, the critical issues of the world, the designs of his political adversaries -- all daunt and haunt the task ahead.

But Barack brings another secret ingredient to Washington. It is the Spirit of Aloha which he will share with the world from his birthplace and upbringing in the islands of Hawaii. This could very well be the missing and magic ingredient which births a World at Peace.

email feedback to Ken at:

dolfunman@aol.com
From the Lucky Star Blog: Cosmic Perspectives at:
www.luckystarz.com
Ken Kalb is the author of The Grand Catharsis, La Nueva Luz del Milenio, LightShift 2000: Let’s Turn on the Light of the World and hundreds of published articles. His may be found at:
http://www.sbwellnessdirectory.com/kalb.htm
Also look for the new Obama Stars websitewww.obamastars.com

Jump on the Planetary Trampoline of Change!

Your life is about to change, ladies and gentleman

You are awakenining to a transformed reality, the magic of your being has been vibbing up.

It will likely be a little grander than your mind had imagined.

The stubbornness of the past can no longer hold on to the vessel of your dreams.

Present reality structures must surrender to the change.

Our favorite concepts are standing in the way of a floodtide, many cycles within cycles building up.

You are now entering the vortex of a change where your navigational radar will enforce a combination of surrender, intuition, trust, wisdom and committment. We must access the wisdom of the creator and the power of our heart's light. We are about to JUMP to the next level.

The Planetary Trampoline of Change:

Friday, 11/21: Sun entered Sagittarius 2:44 pm
Saturday, 11/22: Mercury entered Sagittarius 11:09 pm
Tuesday, 11/24: Mercury conjuncy Sun at 8:52 am

Wednesday: November 26th: Pluto leaves Sag and enters Capricorn until 2023, 6:05 pm
Wednesday: Mercury, Sun and Mars are all aligned in Sagittarius, the Moon moving through this alignment all through Wednesday night.
Thursday, November 27th: Uranus turns direct, 8:08 am
Thursday, November 27th: New Moon at 6 Sagittarius, 8:54 am
Friday, November 28th: New Moon Squares Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, Mercury conjuncts Mars: Activation!

We are hereby born into a new cycle. Venus conjuncts Jupiter in Pluto's new territory of Capricorn on December 1st.........No worries, we are landing on more sacred and solid ground. Thank God for cycles and everything else!

blessings, KK!

PS: Please see the posting of 10/11 for some insight into Pluto in Capricorn

Obama's Cabinet and Posts -- Half are Fire Signs!

Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Oct 26, 1947
Chicago, IL

National Economic Council Director
Lawrence Summers
Nov 30, 1954

Health and Human Services
Thomas Daschle
12/9/1947

Communications Director
Robert Gibbs
3/29/1971

White House Counsel
Greg Craig
Mar 4, 1945

Treasury Secretary
Tim Geithner
Aug 18, 1961

Transition Team Leader
John Podesta
Jan 15, 1949

White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emmanuel
Nov 29, 1959

Attorney General
Eric Holder
Jan 21, 1951

Janet Nopolitano
Nov 29, 1957

Political Adviser
David Axelrod
Feb 22, 1955

Budget Director
Peter Orszag
12/16/1968

Valerie Jarrett
Nov 14, 1956

Commerce Secretary
Bill Richardson
Nov 15, 1947
Pasadena, CA

Economic Recovery Advisory
Paul Volcker
Sep 5, 1927

Of the 18 top appointments announced so far, 12 have degrees from Ivy League institutions, Stanford or MIT. Susan Rice was a Rhodes Scholar; Larry Summers was the youngest tenured professor in Harvard history and Greg Craig, the top White House lawyer, attended Exeter, Harvard, Cambridge and Yale. Apparently, Barack likes competent and brainy scholar types.

Presidential Astrology

President Sun Mars Moon

Adams 6SC26 15LI40 20AR15
Adams, JQ 18CN58 7LE46 18CP40
Arthur 11LI57 26VI01 5CP41
Buchanan 3TA19 23AR22 11CP15
Van Buren 13SG35 7SC53 22SG40
Bush, G 21GE22 25AQ28 17LI56
Bush, GW 13CN47 9VI18 16LI42
Carter 8LI04 25AQ56 13SC48
Cleveland 27PI54 7LE29 17LE12
Clinton 26LE00 6LI21 20TA18
Coolidge 12CN48 0CN09 29GE47
Eisenhower 20LI58 13CP40 25LI49
Fillmore 17CP01 8SG50 5GE43
Ford 21CN12 19TA34 3SG56
Garfield 26SC16 7SC41 19TA36
Grant 6TA36 23LE56 26CN16
Harding 10SC27 13SC04 3TA19
Harrison, B 27LE02 20VI31 3SC07
Harrison, W 14AQ13 26CN16 15GE20
Hayes 11LI18 22SC25 7GE50
Hoover 18LE19 7LE05 7LE08
Jackson 24PI44 22TA23 23VI53
Jefferson 22AR54 18LE42 10SG46
Johnson, 7CP26 9LI56 26TA46
Johnson, L 3VI45 2VI01 9VI12
Kennedy 7GE51 18TA26 17VI13
Lincoln 23AQ27 25LI30 27CP00
Madison 26PI57 11CP49 23SC10
McKinley 9AQ43 18SC23 6AQ22
Monroe 7TA52 13LE58 7CP29
Nixon 19CP24 29SG45 20AQ07
Pierce 1SG16 15LE03 25LE32
Polk 10SC18 28VI44 27CN51
Reagan 16AQ30 3CP58 13TA25
Roosevelt, F 11AQ08 27GE00 6CN15
Roosevelt, T 4SC19 18CP04 16CN52
Taft 23VI07 22LE25 27LE37
Taylor 3SG07 14SC21 4TA09
Truman 18TA39 17LE12 5SC00
Tyler 8AR56 12LE41 22VI02
Washington 3PI19 23SC14 16CP53
Wilson 7CP47 17AQ05 0AQ46

The Final Degree

Two major astrological factors are synchronous with the meltdown of the global economy -- as well as the upcoming US Presidential election.

First, Pluto -- the membrane between our solar system and the rest of the universe -- is transiting through the final degree of Sagittarius until November 26th. And on the morning of election day, November 4th, retrograde Uranus precisely opposes Saturn. How low will the campaigns stoop, how toxic will the cleansing process pollute before power transfers in the United States of America? With Uranus opposite Saturn, can we possibly expect this transfer to be smooth? Good luck!

And how low will the global equity markets go? My feeling is that there will be a rather total reformation and transformation of the way business is done on this planet. There will be short term fixes, but the deleveraging process has only just begun. Venus completed a sextile and trine to the Saturn-Uranus opposition on Friday, which could spell some temporary relief on Monday, October 13. Temporary. Infusing the banks with billions in cash for liquidity, plus guaranteeing their loans has got to loosen things up, eventually. But it's also like living on laxatives. After a while, it makes a big mess. They'll shoot enough methedrine into the corpse to revive it. But will there be unexpected consequences?

Never underestimate the power of Plutonian energy. It is the single most potent force for transformation in human psychology. Pluto is now entering the last degree of the solsticial cycle -- the Winter solstice degree -- one of the four cardinal points. Pluto only transits this degree every 248 years -- last during the years that preceded the American Revolution and also known as The Enlightenment. And I don't think it has EVER occured during a precise Uranus/Saturn opposition. This is precisely the same point that the entire age is entering on December 21st 2012 -- a once every 26000 year phenomena. The Winter Solstice (in the northern hemisphere) is the longest night and the shortest day, the point where that modality shifts. Folks, this is brand new territory.

And Pluto, ruler of Scorpio, is also known as the dark lord of the underworld, the ruler of the transformational journey of death itself. Here we are during the cusp period of the Aquarian dispensation where one world is dying while another is being born? We are vigously churning through the metamorphic process of the Grand Catharsis. McCain and Obama embody appropriate symbology for these two worlds in collision.

Fortunately, Plutonian energy also rules the dimension of rebirth and regeneration.

Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius signified a period of expansion, which is precisely what the global economy has undergone in the last 20 years. Unbridled greed and the indescriminate scramble for wealth and power has painted the dark underbelly of this expansion in shadows. Pluto is now entering the Saturnian territory of Capricorn, marked by responsibility and contraction. The financial markets have invented numerous instruments of expansive leverage during this period whose foundations are in the process of collapse. Virtually everything of value will now have to be redefined.

Uranus underlies the force behind awakening and revolution and represents the innovative and new. It spins backward to the other heavenly bodies in our solar system and is a veritable astronomical anamoly. It also represents the unconventional, novel and odd, as well as the revolutionary. It was discovered around the time of the American Revolution as well as revolutions all over the planet. Everything it contacts changes rather suddenly. Conversely, Saturn is the force for stability and structure. Currently, a retrograde Uranus and a direct Saturn are on a collision course with an exact opposition at 8:33 am (est) on November 4th, election day in the United States. What a day for this classic showdown.

The obvious interpretation of this is a battle (opposition) between the new and the old, between the young and the old, the untried and the tested. Indeed, these are precisely the themes of the presidential election. But Uranian energy is always a bit weird, bringing upsets, surprises, twists and turns, where we learn to expect the unexpected. Uranus also rules technology. So what does this portend for the outcome? Nothing will surprise me, though I will be both surprised and delighted by the process of a smooth transfer of power.

The flailing of the powers that be from crisis to crisis has all been transpiring during a Mercury retrograde period. One piece of good news is that Mercury will go direct on October 15th at 4:06 pm (est). Certain wavelengths should begin to reconnect and stabilize.

I have often referred to the period between the last degree of Sagittarius and the first degree of Capricorn to be the molten lava point of the zodiac. In these volcanic fires, elements form and transform from simple elements into complex compounds. Coal turns into diamonds, and since we are carbon-based creatures, perhaps an analogous process is forging new dimensions in our very DNA. This helps to understand the rapid economic meltdown during Pluto's journey through this intense part of the cycle. This cataclysmic evolutionary process is transforming our lives and our world on every level.

After Pluto squeezes through the final degree, we enter what I call the Cardinal Challenge: three major planets all T-squaring at the intense cardinal points. Pluto in Capricorn square Saturn in Libra opposite Uranus in Aries. We are now feeling and experiencing the transformative energy of this formation as acceleration. This period will represent nothing less or more than the most powerful shift in human history. What a thrilling time to be alive! Enjoy this ride of a lifetime. blessings, KK!

VP Debate Reflections

I saw a wind-up doll parrotting trained answers at a rapid fire pace. I saw a poised man masterfully articulating facts in an organized and persuasive fashion. I saw an amateur flyweight against a professional heavyweight. I saw a woman reading a script against a man who was the script.

The pundits said there were no "gaffe's." How gentle they were being with Mrs. Palin. She refused to answer the moderator's question on several occasions, choosing to shift the subject to one of her choosing. She contradicted the commanding General on using the Surge in Afghanistan. She said the constitution allowed for flexibility in expanding the powers of the VP, even beyond Lord Cheney's. When asked about her Achilles heel, she simply bragged about her padded reseme. She contradicted her own position on civil rights for same sex couples. She didn't really answer about half of the questions, choosing instead to ramble on in rapid-fire fashion.

How would the pundits rate Biden using these tactics against Mrs. Palin?

And this is not to mention what none of the ANALysts have the cojones to say: How phony she was from the get-go with her "can I call ya Joe...." and the worst gambit of all -- waving her poor down-syndrome baby around as a prop!

What about the incessant flouncing and winking? Was she flirting with lonely male voters or signaling that all you voters out there know what she knows? Then there is the slogan for which her campaign is so proud....Drill, baby, drill. Has anyone told them that genesis of this epithet is the Watt's Riots in LA in 1962?

When Gwn Ifill asked Palin what she'd do about the mortgage crisis, she responded: "Let's commit ourselves--just everyday American people, Joe Six-Pack, hockey moms across the nation -- I think we need to band together and say, 'Never again!'" She didn't illucidate just how hockey moms and beer abusers could get together to prevent a financial crisis -- or simply answer the question by any measure. she got a pass. "I've only been at this for five-weeks...." precisely, the problem Sarah, thanks.

Other than that, she mistated McCain's positions on numerous topics from civil rights for same sex couples to giving bankruptcy judges the power to rewrite mortgages.

She was like a fairly well-trained seal at Sea World. She continually winked into the camera. She appealed to "Joe Six-Pack." Deep inside, I cringe at the prospect of Sarah Palin being the Vice President of the United States. That movie would make the Exorcist or Alien seem like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Has America simply degenerated into "Six-Pack Nation?"

The good news was that I saw a masterful performance by Joe Biden. With a scintillating command of all issues, Joe delivered a powerful testament for being the Vice President, and if need be -- the President of the United States.

And I think that was the underlying message. The other one was that the Neocon's are cooking up in their laborotories -- Palin in 2012. You betcha (wink!)

The Stars of Sarah and the Big Debate

Sarah Palin
February 11, 1964
7:06 am (reported)
Sandpoint Idaho

Chart Notes:

Double Aquarius (almost triple) with a 29 degree Capricorn Moon conjunct Mercury at 1 degree aquarius. This singular aspect signifies gifts of intuition and imagination, empathic abilities and the capacity for almost simultaneous transmission of thoughts and feelings with passion.

If the reported birth time is correct, this puts her Aquarius stellium (22 degree Aquarius Sun, 23 degree Mars and 25 degree Saturn) -- all in a most powerful angular position to her ascendant. Venus at Zero Aries -- the Spring Equinox degree, amplified by Jupiter in the middle of Aries. Make no mistake about it, this is a highly talented, quite masterful person. Blessed with athletic ability, good looks, charm, poise, and a nimble mind, Sarah charges forth in a bright aura of invincibility. She may be ignorant and full of BS, but she is very bright and gifted with a powerful treasure of resources at her command. In the political arena, this is the chart of someone who is mostly frosting with very little cake. Though a better analogy might be a hostess twinkee -- with the surprise cream filling.

BullShit as an Art:

Palin's stellium in Aquarius as well as her Venus/Jupiter placement in Aries signify strong public relations skills and the ability to interface magnificently with the public. Big bubbly prosperity. She can be very warm and magnetic, quick and nimble. She is so adept with these skills that she has become a self-anointed know-it-all, often displacing a lack of substance with generalities or non-answers. Her foreign policy experience due to her physical proximity to Russia, or listing the foreign destinations of fuel-stop-overs as countries she has visited on her reseme -- a few of many cases in point. Palin shares many of the Reaganesque "teflon" qualities -- Reagan being a fellow Aquariuan. But as the saying goes...she is "no Ronald Reagan." Aquarius is co-ruled by Saturn (old/stubborn) and Uranus (new/unconventional), and Palin exhibits both tendencies in extreme ways. One example is her belief in Creationism, complete with a 6000 year-old Earth with coexisting Dinosaurs and Humans, or her ability to both deny, dismiss - yet condone - this argument in public simultaneously. The more I look at her chart, the more my intuitive juices simply signal "con-artist." She has developed her skills at BS to a finely tuned Art. Her new book could be aptly titled The Audacity of Bullshit.

The Big Debate

The much anticipated VP debate is scheduled to start at 9:00 pm (est) on October 2 when the Moon is right on her midheaven at 22º Scorpio and squaring her 22 degree Aquarius Sun. She will be highly charged and overly primed. She will be out to prove her self and I suspect she will go way over the top.
These are very hard and challenging aspects. I would be surprised if Ms. Congeniality isn't highly strung, very uptight, perhaps boiling over with emotion. Mr. Biden would be well advised to play aikido with Mrs. Palin. The pit bull with the lipstick will be frothing at the mouth. Joe is so lucky they are positioned behind podiums. Their synergy should make this debate Big Entertainment. During the debate, the Scorpio Moon will square her Mars, so she will likely be in attack mode. Barack will be the big target for the attacks of Sarah Barracuda. The Moon will also be applying to a square with her natal Saturn, so I think you will see someone who becomes very frustrated. I am going to be surprised if she doesn't blow it well beyond what happened with Katie Couric.

Stay tuned.

Presidential Candidate Birth Data

Barack Obama
Aug 4, 1961
1:06 PM
Honolulu, HI

Obama is a Leo with Scorpio Rising and a Gemini Moon

Hillary Clinton
Oct 26, 1947
8 am
Park Ridge, IL

Hillary is a Double Scorpio -- Sun and Moon in Scorpio with a Pisces Moon.

John McCain
Aug 29, 1936
9 am
Panama Canal Zone

McCain is a Virgo with Libra Rising and a Capricorn Moon.

Planet Surfing the Pipeline
by Ken Kalb
www.luckystarz.com

Wax your inner surfboard well, dear friends. For we are about to enter the geocosmic rapids, or the equivalent for surfers of a once in 20-year day surfing the Bonzai Pipeline.

Pluto, which takes 248 years to go around the Sun -- or about 20 years in each sign -- enters Capricorn on Friday, January 25. Tiny Pluto, the boundary between our solar system and the rest of the Universe is the deepest and most powerful archetype for transformation within the human psyche. Please note that the first degree of Capricorn is one of the 4 powerful cardinal points -- the Winter Solstice position. Pluto has been in the Jupiter-ruled mutable fire sign of Sagittarius since 1984 and now enters the Saturn-ruled cardinal Earth sign of Capricorn. Simply put, Jupiter is about expansion, Saturn about contraction. A good metaphor for this energy is what the analysts are saying about the global economy -- Recession, like it or not. Jupiter the planet of expansion is moving into the sign of contraction which is the force of compression. Diamonds are formed in intense heat and compression out of coal, crystals out of sand. We will emerge from this process crystallized and metamorphosized.

This will immediately begin under the yellow caution flag, as Mercury goes into a 3-week retrograde on Monday, January 28 until February 19th. And on Wednesday, January 30, Mars will come out of a 2 1/2 month retrograde and turn direct. We will all have to call up some masterful tai chi from the soul to navigate these shifts.

The game is about to be change, ladies and gentleman. If your life is going through some changes, stretches, contractions, transitions, adjustments, and initiations, you can now understand a portion of the intense astrological backdrop. This is a period of major shift, so make sure your airbags are operational . Major and minor adjustments will need to be made, extreme flexibility skills may need to be tapped, expected and unexpected events will transpire. You may have a meltdown or three. And you may be called upon to do some rescues.

This is a wild way to initiate the next 16 years of Pluto in Capricorn. What is even wilder is the way Pluto will waft in between the first degrees of Capricorn and the last few degrees of Sagittarius over the next 9 months before transiting fully through Capricorn starting November 11th. Cusps are powerful vortices of energy, and the cardinal point of the Winter Solstice -- closely aligned with the very Center of our Milky Way Galaxy -- is one of the hottest hotspots of the zodiacal belt.
I have often said that the last degrees of Sagittarius are like the molten volcanic lava, and the first degrees of Capricorn where they cool and take form. So we are all molting and transforming on some level right now, ready to manifest into new form. This is happening on many levels -- from personal to global.

May we all help each other enjoy the ride.

blessings, KK

Solstice Shift

It's Winter Solstice — December 21st 4:23 pm PST — time to celebrate the return of the light (in the Northern Hemisphere). Solstice literally means the "Sun’s Standstill” because the Sun appears to be rising and setting in the same position on the horizon. This marks a shift in the solar cycle --the rise of light from the dark and the eternal renewal of life.

The Big Sag Party Begins!

Saddle up them horses boys and girls. It’s time to get on your favorite pony and ride like the wind. Mercury has shifted into direct motion and its higher octave Uranus is turning direct. Venus has moved into Sagittarius. The New Moon aligns with the Sun and Jupiter at the end of Scorpio in the rebirth or phoenix point of the zodiac. A swirling storm is finally clearing into bright blue sky. The Sun enters Sagittarius on Wednesday and Thanksgiving day is celebrated with Jupiter also entering Sag, the sign which it rules. Then Mars enters Sag on Dec 5th, followed by Mercury on the 7th -- making it Six of the Nine blazing through the cosmic fires of benevolent Sagittarius. Sounds like one helluva lucky party to me! Indeed, Saturn goes retro on the 6th, providing a little karmic grounding. Let the good times roll!

Hacking Democracy -- Must SEE NOW!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtPiGIqSljE

9/11/2006 - A Sad Day

September 11th was a very sad day for me. Yes, because of the memory of what happened. But more what happened in the YMCA Jacuzzi that evening. A lovely young Santa Barbara High School student was studying flash cards for a government class. We began conversing about current affairs. I asked her why she thought the US was fighting in Iraq. She replied, “because they had weapons of mass destruction.” When I pointed out to her that the various official sources of proof that they didn’t, she retorted, “well, they were going to attack us.” When I cited the recent Senate Intelligence Phase 2 and CIA report disproving this, she responded, “well, Saddam was behind 911.” When I reminded her that even President Bush has recently admitted that there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and the 911 attacks, she was truly befuddled. I realized what a thorough job of bamboozling and brainwashing the various officials of this administration and the media have done on our poor kids. Lies are now the truth, and the truth is a lie. How twisted things have become in the name of freedom and democracy. How frightening and Orwellian. I thought back to when I was her age and my blood boiled to realize that I never thought things would ever get like this in our beloved country. September 11th was indeed a sad day for me.

Pluto's Planet Problem's -- Just Mickey's Dog

The big planet news, that the IAU (International Astonomical Union) has thrown Pluto out of the Solar System is both dumb and dumbfounding. At its least, it should have been "grandfathered" in as a planet. So everyone is asking "what effect will this have on astrology?" Answer: Zero, none, nada, zip, cero, O. The IAU, and most astronomers for that matter, have no regard or understanding of metaphysics -- the soul, the heart, the substance, the mind or the mystery of the solar system or the universe. Nor of consciousness itself, for God's sake. Their rationale was based strictly on measurements, namely, that Pluto is a bit small and it's orbit not entirely circular, intercepting a portion of Neptune's. Astrologer's who are now apologizing for Pluto's existence are doing a genuine disservice to the divine science. The short story for astrology's proof of Pluto's existence may be found in the empiral fact that in thousands and thousands of charts, it works every time -- both in natal interpretation and predictive work! End of story. Astrology is a phenomena of consciousness, not of telescopic measurement. It's about inner space, not outer space. Pluto is a profound and powerful archetype of human psychology, despite it's tiny size or oblong orbit. And it's now 76 years old. I imagine as far as the IAU is concerned, Pluto will always be Mickey Mouse's dog. aloha, KK.

Code Schmode --

The Fibonacci series is among the most miraculous mysterious of the universe. I thought the DaVinci code made a mockery of this mystical formulation. For a Fibonacci 101, see this site: http://www.textism.com/bucket/fib.html I've never seen Tom Hanks deliver a poor performance before, even in his television days. Personally, I think Jesus had tons of lovers, lots of progeny, and by now millions of descendants. Perhaps one reason why we are all children of God in the family of Human.

Ignitiation!

The Spring season ignites on Wednesday with the birth of the New Moon at 2:15 am PST in Aries. This New Moon also forms a Total Solar Eclipse, though not visible in the Northern Hemisphere. Propelled by the fires of the Aries Sun aligned with the Moon, energy gurgles on Spring’s launching pad. This initiatory cycle ignites under the shadow of both eclipse and a Pluto station -- also on March 29th. Unconscious power (Pluto) is amplified and shadowed within our core, while subconscious (moon) swirlings are illuminated by the Sun. The struggles of the winter begin to transform into solutions for the spring. Further, Saturn slows into a station and turns direct next week (April 5), so visions manifest into reality more smoothly. A good time to imagineer intentions. I have coined a new term for this......“Ignitiation” -- a most potent and transformative period.

Politically, this New Moon/Solar Eclipse/Pluto-Saturn station energy will breach the psychic levees and unearth a floodtide of dormant secrets. The shift is about to hit the fan. The fires of Aries the warrior will also fuel anti-war initiatives into new dimensions of intensity and activity. Confrontation beckons, as the seeds of change germinate. Impeachment initiatives surge. The blogsphere buzzes and blazes. International tensions also flare. Gas prices rise. Investors look to the metal’s markets. Real estate speculator’s pause. Environmentalists wave flags around new findings about accelerated climate change. Nascar enthusiasts return to the track.

In April, personal relationships flower around the movement of Venus into surrendering Pisces, though swimming slowly as Mars wades through the tidepools of Cancer. Love smells sweet in the springtime breeze. Life is good.
Aloha, KK!

March!

Presto chango, the ingredients for shift are gurgling over the top in the astral ethers. The New Moon on 2/27, the Moon igniting Aries on 3/1, The Sun conjoining Uranus on 3/1, Mercury stationing and going retrograde on 3/2 (12:29 pm PST), Jupiter turning retrograde on 3/4 -- all cresting to form a big wave of positive change. Wax your inner surfboard and paddle~! Flow with the Go. Note: Mercury is retrograde from 3/2 to 3/25 -- remember to keep wax on your surfboard (you know what I mean -- dot i's, cross t's, due diligence, etc.).

Winter Solstice - The Pause that Refreshes

The Wheel of the Year hairpins into the new cycle with the Winter Solstice on December 21st at 10:35 am (Pacific). It is the northern hemisphere’s longest day and darkest night. Let's review the simple astronomy at play here for a quick second: The season shifts because of the Earth’s changing axial relationship to the Sun. Now, the Earth’s equator reaches her maximum tilt away from the Sun – pausing – before returning toward the Sun’s recharging warmth and light.

Astrologically now: There is also a tremendous dynamic tension in the current cosmic geometry with a fixed sign Grand Cross between Jupiter opposite Mars both squaring Saturn which opposes Neptune. Sounds heavy, and is a little sticky.
A terrestrial hologram of this stuck between a rock and a hard place dynamic is the complex scenario of New York transit strike. If you are experiencing some holiday stress, be consoled that you are most in tune with the current rhythms of the cosmic drumbeat. Your chart may be activated by this fixed pattern. And with Venus turning retrograde (once every 1 1/2 yrs.), on Christmas eve, expect some scrooging to come scrounging.

Winter Solstice is a time to practice the lesson of Sagitarrius; to pull the bow string back to it’s maximum point – sighting the bullseye before releasing your flaming arrow. It is the point between inhale and exhale. This breathless moment of stillpoint on the cusp between dark and light is an opportunity to distill the essence of any disonant energies and components we wish to release, and embrace those aspects, refreshed and renewed for the new cycle. This is a golden opportunity for us to become aware and explore the deep messages lingering amidst the darkness, awakening with new direction, intention and foresight. The greatest gift we can give and receive is to simply breathe deeply and rhythmically the essence of our inner light on this holyday. It's the pause that refreshes.
aloha, KK!

Gentle One's Start Your Engines - 2006

Gentlemen, gentlewomen, gentle Ones ……start your engines. The yellow caution flag flaps its final furl, and it’s now time to roar past go and collect.

The double retrograde of Mercury (direct 12/3) and Mars (12/9) is over. As the days shrink toward their extreme at the Winter Solstice on 12/21, the squeaky wheels of change now spin more freely toward the shifts of the new cycle.

The game is about to be changed, ladies and gentleman. Larger waves are cresting over the horizon, as the skills you have been honing will now spring into play. A fixed T-square involving Mars in Taurus opposing Jupiter in Scorpio, squaring Saturn in Leo empowers extreme plans though tempered by Saturnian reality checks. Brightening the picture is a trine between Jupiter in Scorpio and Uranus in Pisces, signaling that even in the most intense situations, our humor, creativity and intuition attunes to the bigger and brighter picture where dwells the solution. 2005 closes on a much more positive note than it began (Tsunami, etc.) as the New Year rocks in a bolder and brighter song. May you dance and sing through the changes as the heaven’s rearrange. Much aloha, KK!