‘Tis the season to be jolly, according to the song. Alas, neither death, nor political gamesmanship, nor thuggish dictators, nor wild weather are willing to pause in deference to the calendar. This year, in particular, December has brought any number of unexpected jolts to the unfolding of events, each demanding attention.
To begin with, after negotiating a bipartisan compromise agreeing to extend the payroll tax holiday and unemployment insurance for two months, the House Republicans suddenly pulled the plug on the deal just as the Senate was about to adjourn. Although many in the House Republican caucus opposed extending this tax cut only a month ago, now they are demanding that it be extended not for two months but for a full year. Moreover, the House leadership has refused to bring the legislation to a vote, knowing it would pass, and has instead used various procedural machinations to thwart it. Unless this is resolved by the New Year, 160 million Americans will get a tax hike at a time they and the American economy can ill afford it.
Speaker John Always-Seems-Slightly-Drunk Boehner is being pilloried from all sides for his maladroit Yuletide switch engineered to placate the rabid partisans on the Right. His chart (11/17/49, Columbus, Ohio) is under some stressful aspects this entire week through December 23, with transiting Mars moving slowly across his Saturn (17Virgo50) and transiting Saturn squaring his Jupiter (27Capricorn40). This difficult confluence begins to lift as of late in the evening on December 23. Some face-saving resolution is possible thereafter.
Meanwhile, Christmas Day brings Jupiter back into direct movement, and with it a return back across its square to President Obama’s Jupiter (00Aquarius52)
and then sextile his Venus (1Cancer47), thereby giving him an upbeat, optimistic period from December 25 through January 23. This would seem to be another indication that the payroll tax imbroglio will be settled right around Christmas. It also suggests other issues will go well for the president, including strong poll numbers, during this period.
But surprises and sudden transformational events are also on the president’s plate during December and January, indicated by the transit of Uranus square to his Venus, and as already evidenced by circumstances both domestic and foreign. The stunning shift of House Republicans on the payroll tax is one such example. The unexpected death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Ill and the resultant concern over destabilization in that country is another. And the growing violence in Syria is a third, as a slow-moving Mars, from December through February, activates the very volatile and aggressive configuration of progressed Mars (16 Sagittarius), natal Sun, natal Uranus, natal Pluto, and progressed Uranus (15 to 18 Virgo) in President Bashir Assad’s chart and stirs up his most aggressive and angry tendencies. This will be especially evident from December 19 through December 25 and again from February 16 through February 23.
Thus, we can expect the holiday for President Obama to be hopeful and enjoyable but with some significant bumps along the way, and we can relax in knowing the Republican Grinches who are trying to steal Christmas will be thwarted.
Happy Holidays!
I forgot to include the upheaval in Iraq right now with PM Maliki accusing his Sunni VP of terrorism and an upsurge of bombings. This is another example of the Uranian upheaval in Obama’s chart, although I am sure it could be found in other charts related to Iraq if we look.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16297707
Enjoy the Holidays with your family, Starlight!
Thanks for another great post too. Staying on top of all the twists & turns Uranus is bringing is a full time job, isn’t it? LOL
“Speaker John Always-Seems-Slightly-Drunk Boehner ” LOL! I am glad I am not the only one who thinks this every time I am exposed to his images. Enjoy the magic of the Season and your families everyone.
Uranus Direct on Zero Aries and More Astrologically-Timed Machinations of the Global War Machine
http://willowsweb.blogspot.com/
“The only thing we can really be sure of is that things are not as we’re being told they are.”
Duh!
That is the problem for all of us – Republicans & Democrats, Progressives & Conservatives, Tea Partiers and Occupiers. Every group has a different piece of the puzzle, I would think (although some have more pieces and more sanity). Well, the saga goes on. As my cousin likes to say – “the drama is perfect” —although I am sorry for anyone’s pain and suffering. Let’s continue to make this a world of peace, love and fairness. Peace on Earth, you all!
Thanks Nancy. And heartfelt Season’s Greetings to all here ….. it will be interesting to watch how 2012 unfolds.
Wishing my internet brothers and sisters the very best this Holiday Season!! Stay very safe and read you on the other side of this year..BLessings By Our Eternal Parent to All, Wennye’
Joining my heart with yours Wnneye’ and all, who resonate here on Starlight’s insights…. Enjoy!
Marjorie Orr has this to say in her most recent post …. lets hope she’s read it right!
http://www.star4cast.com/index2f.asp?page=forum_article.asp?id=1
….”If the Republican chart holds good, 6 July 1854 then 2012 will not be a happy year with tr Neptune sextile Pluto and conjunct Solar Arc Mars, the latter two of which are making a trapped sextile. So major challenges and not a feeling of winning. Plus an optimism-squashing tr Saturn square Jupiter off and on till after mid year.
Obama’s Admin chart while irritated and held back this month into January does get an uplift in February so there’s a success of sorts coming. Plus more late April, May and Sept/Oct. “
And after Sept/Oct comes November! I think it’s a given that the Republicans will slip backward until they can learn to be more progressive and people-oriented, and less partisan and corporation-oriented!
Luna – Thanks for picking up on the “Always-Seems-Slightly-Drunk Boehner.”: No one ever mentions his drinking and if he is considered an alcoholic, but I sure see it almost every time he is on TV. It is like a blanket of fuzziness around his head.
Yes, Bohner does seem drunk, and has some of the facial attributes of those addicted to same in my experience.
Here is something fun, but also deep satire, irony, commentary on current events, also includes a cameo with Noam Chomksky. Probably the best episode yet of Rap News Network:
Rap News 10: Occupy 2012 –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-rxe9Ayb8c&feature=colike
Happy holidays folks…
BA…that was hard to watch, but so relevant!
enjoyed the creative theatre – thanks BA
Hi,
Hope you’ll all forgive me for a moment of self-promotion. I’ve been reading here since the Hillary/Obama primary wars and never done this, but I’m a writer. A romance writer.
And in a change that so mimics the current 99%-ers vs 1%-ers, authors who for years have gotten 6% of cover price, 8%, 10%, while publishers got 40% and retailers got 50% minus whatever discounting they did, can now get a glorious 70% of the price we charge for e-books through Amazon.com, 65% through Barnes & Noble, cutting out our publishers completely.
It’s been a stunning turn of events, one I never thought I’d see in twenty years of being a published author. We decide what we publish, when, for how much money. Titles, back cover copy, covers, everything. It’s a great feeling.
(We’re also fighting publishers over old contracts that we say don’t cover our digital rights and they say do, and if they can hang onto them, they’ll make a ton more money off of us than they already have. So our fight is not done.)
But anyway… I’m self-publishing some of my older titles to which I now have the rights, and I have a Christmas book at 99 cents at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, should anyone care to know about my real life as a writer. Here’s the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Days-McRaes-Rachel-ebook/dp/B006L960QW/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Bought it Theresa…A Thousand Thanks. I published a book on Blurb.com….just a family thing, but the possibilities are endless…Blessings, and enjoy! Nancy, is there a book in your future?
Lunagardener,
Amazon truly revolutionized publishing. It’s really easy to publish these days and out of the fourteen authors who made it into the Amazon million club this year (selling a million copies) two of the 14 were self-published.
That’s astonishing to me. To sell like that before took a huge level of publisher support and money and a bit of luck. But these two people did it themselves. And a lot of people are coming up behind them, selling 200,000, 300,000 copies of their work through Amazon in the last year.
In the last two years, publishers are as freaked out as I’ve ever seen them. Two years ago, head one of them at a national conference actually saying, “We’re wondering how we’re going to be relevant in the future.”
And that was before two self-published authors joined the Kindle million club.
Hi Teresa, I just bought it too. Hope it sells “like hotcakes”!
Hey Lunagardener! What was your book? How’re things in the mountains?
Thanks. Fingers crossed here. If you can sell enough to get on one of the Amazon bestseller lists, you can make money. Getting there is another story.
Lune, I just put together a photo book of my grand daughters in story form. It is beautiful. My oldest is creating a book about the gardens of Ayershire Farm that is going to be stunning! All is well here, and I hope all is well for you too.
Both the books sound wonderful Luna. Have a great Christmas.
Congradulations! I considered a writing career, but since I knew I’d only get a pittance for my efforts, chose another field of endeavor. I suppose you might sell fewer ebooks than paper, but keeping more of the proceeds has to make quite a difference.
Virginia,
And for the first time, it’s a real market. People are actually making money. Very excited for the future.
Yes, way more.
My new blog post:
http://www.tapestryofgrace.info/2011/12/the-war-on-fir-trees/
Beautiful LorrieU – you ought to send the text to ms palin!
Starlight – Thank you for posting some optimism for our poor President!
Kiwi – Hope Marjorie Orr is right. I don’t think she’s a big fan of PBO. I wish she had mentioned Nov.
teresahill – will check out your book!
And, yes, Nancy, is there a book in the future?
Here’s wishing everyone here a Merry Christmas!
May your holiday be bright, full of cheer, and warmed with the love and family and friends.
Great Krugman article about Romney the liar:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/opinion/krugman-the-post-truth-campaign.html?_r=2&hp
Luna and Lorrie – There are three books in my head at the moment. Whether I can get them into incarnation is another question. If I do, I may contact Teresa about the details of e-publishing. Sounds like a great idea!
Starlight,
I would be thrilled to help you in any way I can.
Starlight – I’m both self-published and e-published. I would also be glad to give tips if you need them.
Nancy– please write all 3. Anxiously awaiting the opportunity to purchase anything you publish!
Warm holiday wishes to all Starlighters. What a wonderful community!
Nancy, thanks for the end of the year update. Your site never disappoints.
teresahill, thanks for self-publishing info. A friend and I wrote a sociological sci-fi novel about 10 years ago that was constantly rejected for being “over the top” or “too extreme.” But today it may be just old news. Nonetheless, I think we should give it a self-publishing try.
There are some really interesting dates next year–January 23, 2012 is the Chinese New Year of the water dragon. (Also referred to as the black dragon.) As I understand it, dragon years bring big changes, though the water dragon is more peaceful than the fire, or metal, etc. The GOP national convention begins August 27 in Tampa/St. Pete (in hurricane season). The Democrats national convention begins on Labor Day, Sept. 3 in Charlotte, NC. You don’t have to be a weather man to know that the weather is a-changing.”
Mayfly,
I’ve written a diary at DailyKos about self-publishing with Amazon and Barnes & Noble that may answer some of your questions: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/23/1047013/-How-my-6-became-70-this-year
But if there’s anything else you’d like to know, please just ask.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Teresahill!
Feliz Navidad, Prospero Ano y Felicidad to all my friends here at Starlight News
another little sideshow: Trump quits Republican party. Possible run as 3rd party candidate. will the fun NEVER end!
Mayfly – “dragon years bring big changes.” Numerologically, 2012 is a #5 universal year – year of change. I will be posting more info on that soon.
I look forward to knowing more about this!
Hey Starlighters:
Such a gift from the political Magi — Gingrich and Perry FAILED to make the Virginia ballot for Super Tuesday, by not getting the required 10,00 petition signatures to be allowed on board.
Oh well, c’est la vie!
Fe,
Stockings full of coal for those two – ha! Thank you for putting a little holiday spring in my step.
Cheers to Nancy Starlight for your huge generosity, your willingness to “Be” the change you want to see, the gorgeous prose you weave in with amazing astrological skill and for your patience as a teacher for me. I have learned a great deal from your compelling articles and from so many of your wonderful, regular bloggers.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your trials, your joys and your humanity with me while sharing your experience of the heavenly bodies which influence us.
Mille gratzi, Buon Natale, Happy Chanukah, Happy post-Solstice and Happy Kwanza.
w.
Fe,
Saw that this morning. LOL! What a colossal blunder. (And gift for all of us.)
Fe, so illustrative of why neither of these two should be president or in any leadership position. They are not into the details, just sound bites, generalizations and no real understanding of how to make things happen. It truly amounts to political malpractice.
Hi everyone and happy holidays, Merry Christmas and all that. I haven’t posted here in a long while. I just read Nancy’s interesting article about Ron Paul and thought some of you might be interested to read my take on it. I made a few predictions about the Iowa Caucus outcome and also New Hampshire and the general election. I know most of you don’t like Ron Paul (at alll!) here but you might want to look in on my take just for fun…I do admit to a slight bias because I do kinda of like him… http://lisajean.newsvine.com/_news/2011/12/02/8992812-the-stars-are-looking-good-for-ron-paul-2012-not-so-hot-for-mitt
I don’t know why that post came out with a stretched out last sentence, I guess I shouldn’t use elipses!
I think you have to put the link on a separate line or it stretches out the text. I’m bookmarking the site to read later!
When the Senate returns Jan. 24, it will take up online piracy, one of the most contentious issues on the Hill that has pitted big technology against big media.
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/senate-online-piracy-bill-headed-floor-january-137194
Wyden has vowed to filibuster the floor action by reading every one of the more than a million names that are on petitions opposing SOPA and PIPA.
Occupy Christmas
http://www.nationofchange.org/occupy-christmas-1324737390
Outstanding, Lorrie – I passed it along to my priest friends in the hopes they will incorporate it into their homilies over the holidays.
Lorrie – That is a wonderful article!! Occupy Christmas indeed!!
Wishing all the best gift possible, a calm and peaceful heart.
And Starlight, thank you for enriching my life with your knowledge and astrological insight. Your site is truly original.
The Lethal Fantasies of Dear Old Ron Paul (ugh!!)
http://www.nationofchange.org/lethal-fantasies-dear-old-ron-paul-1324826219#
Lisa M – Posted by Starlight on previous blog re. Ron Paul: “I don’t see him winning. All the extra energy peters out at the end of the year. I was just struck by the fact that it seemed so strong past the first few primary months which made me think he might do a third party run.”
Thanks for posting that Lorrie. Let me clarify that the end of the year I am talking about is 2012. I don’t see him doing that well in the primaries to win them, but he seems to keep going, either as a 3rd party candidate or in a GOP contest that goes til August.
This is the season to say thank you, Starlight, for sharing your wisdom with all who come, and allowing others to share their views with the rest of us. May you and your family celebrate joyfully this season, and may you have a very Happy New Year!
Lorrie, that was a great article, and the passage they excerpted really said it all about Jesus. He didn’t come to start another religion but to teach us how to experience the God within, a definite expansion of consciousness, not a new form of blind devotion. Sharing what you, are and what you have, with the many was Jesus’ byword, and I think the OWS represents that for sure.
As I watch all the year-end summarys on MSNBC of revolutionary fervor hitting the world in 2011, as the Uranus Pluto square reached within a degree of exact, I couldn’t help but remember an article I wrote in early October about our own revolutionary fervor in the US and its timing going forward.
http://starlightnews.com/wordpress/2011/10/timing-the-revolution/
As the pundits are pointing out, the current volatile energy is global, including the Middle East, Israel, Europe, Russia, as well as the US. Uranus will be squaring Pluto no less than 7 times beginning in the spring of 2012, but already this aspect is clearly being felt. The biggest events will be in 2014 when transiting Jupiter and transiting Mars both join the square. But this whole 5-year period is ripe with rebellion and transformative energy. As I said in the linked article, this is only the beginning. And the biggest theme is the collusion of government and oligarchy (the 1% plus their henchmen) versus the people, also known as “income inequality”.
As many of us are probably experiencing, I am now the 1%–that is, the lowest 1% of the 99%! Income down, expenses for everyday items skyrocketing, what used to be comfortable living has been reduced to just barely getting by, all in the past six months.
Merry Christmas all my Starlight News friends.
In honor of Lorrie’s posting I am sharing something that popped up on Facebook and filled my heart with light.”Christmas itself isn’t about getting what you want, or making sure you’re giving others what they want. To experience Christmas is to trust that God can do this thing again. God can again be born in me, in you, in this broken mess of a gorgeous world.” Click on the link to read more from Nadia Bolz-Weber on the God’s Politics blog.
Great sentiment. Can you post the link, I don’t see it?
Merry Christmas And best wishes for
The new year.
Starlight & All,
Mele Kalikimaka! Merry Christmas
E Ho’omaluhia me ka Honua. May Peace Prevail on Earth!
Warm aloha to you each/everyone!
Burying Your Victories: What if Obama Taxed the Rich But Never Told Anyone?
Did you know Obama’s health care bill contained a $20 billion a year tax on the richest Americans?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-loeb/burying-your-victories-wh_b_1137619.html
Lorrie, Yet another instance where PBO has chosen not to communicate his policies and decision making enough to rally support. Two weeks ago he finally discloses to Sixty Minutes in a barely audible voice that the reason his administration has not been able to send any of the bankers and trades to jail is because in spite of all of their greedy tactics, virtually all of their moves were within the limits of the law. This would have been, IMO, a very important point to share with the Ninety-Nine percent crowd, HUH?
Agreed! Dems really need to get on message, no doubt!
no wonder the uber right wing rich are so disdainful of “obamacare”!
Kiwi, I doubt that they’re intelligent enough to have figured this out and most likely don’t know about it, any more than I did, and I read extensively. But, wait until they do…
Although, on further reflection, the Koch Bros. do probably know and thus their war on Obamacare. They pull the strings and the puppets dance.
Yikes! Mercury retrogrades halfway through the election…
Mercury stations retrograde on Election Day. Exactly on Election Day. That is to say, right in the midst of everyone voting in the highly anticipated, so close it could be a tie, who the heck are all these weirdos, one and only 2012 presidential election: exactly on that very day, Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius. I know — I could not believe it either.
Notably, Mercury has only ever stationed one other time on a presidential Election Day — in 2000, when we had Bush v. Gore and the loser won.
http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/planet-waves-promo/top-five-events-of-2012-mercury-retrograde-election/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PlanetWavesDaily+%28Astrology+Blog%2C+Daily+Astrology+%26+Adventure+by+Eric+Francis%29
OMFG. That is all.
Hi,
I just don’t believe the presidential election will be that close. Just a strong feeling I have.
Maybe the mess will be with control of the Senate.
Given that 2012 happens during the uranus pluto square,
I don’t think a rerun of 2000 would go over quietly.
Agreed Gypsi. I’ll be out there with my pitchfork.
this time we all will!
Teresa – I quite agree. It is possible the Mercury station stuckness during and after the election will be about which party controls Congress, with things hanging by a thread for weeks. I also expect a lot of trouble at the polls. Everyone needs to have their ID in order long before.
Gypsi – As I mentioned in my article about the timing of the revolution, there is a period after the election, in December mostly, but perhaps longer, when the progressed Sun square to Uranus in the US chart will be very strongly activated by several planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto). that suggests some major upheaval within the country of a rebellious nature. Something along the lines of Occupy Wall Street or Wisconsin in February, but on steroids. Similar aspects but much stronger.
Starlight,
Mostly, I just don’t see the Republicans getting it together and finding a strong candidate. The Iowa caucuses are in a week, and the whole field is a big yawn.
Who in the world is going to step up and save them and excite the party? I just don’t see it happening.
I think they’ll end up with another candidate like McCain. Really weak.
Maybe with a third-party Republican-leaning candidate in the mix to make it even harder for anyone to come close to Obama.
There is talk about a brokered convention by some who are unhappy with the current choices. If that happens, we have a whole new ballgame. Google “Brokered Convention” and check the results. I see at least 666 results just since 24 hours ago.
Somehow I feel it will be 2000 in reverse, with Romney claiming a stolen election. These days, votes are cast weeks in advance, with far fewer of the stuck lines there were in 2000 in Florida and the punchcard deal. With those long-cast ballots, the Republicans could claim that the Democrats deliberately stuffed ballots.
Planets and the Presidency
http://www.stariq.com/pagetemplate/article.asp?PageID=11193
This short article was also very interesting: neither Obama nor Romney or Gingrich have much if any natal activity in the cardinal zone affected by the pluto/uranus, but Putin does, indicating that what happens in Russia will be a greater catalyst and indicator of change in the world at the time of the square than anything that happens in the U.S.? We’ll have to see just what and who becomes prominent on that stage (the stage of change) and whether their charts show planets in the cardinal degrees affected by the square; also countries. I think Starlight has addressed which countries are involved. I remember Iran and China being included.
LOL, i will betcha Putin Loves Ron Paul !!
Pull all troops,,,
Save Trillion….
Those Planets… Oh My
ah ha! This is what we have to look forward to (and I worry about the Obama haters fighting them because there are many Obama haters who think he is actually destroying the country!)
http://www.truth-out.org/occupy-rigged-elections-call-second-american-revolution-2012/1323891807
I LOVE THIS!!
Test from David’s computer.
http://benbagdikian.net/
The New Media Monopoly describes the cartel of five giant media conglomerates who now control the media on which a majority of Americans say they most rely. These five are not just large — though they are all among the 325 largest corporations in the world — they are unique among all huge corporations: they are a major factor in changing the politics of the United States and they condition the social values of children and adults alike.
Correction on that: General Electric sold its interest in NBC Universal to cable provider Comcast, the corporation responsible for foisting the Kardashian family on us all via its E! Network. And Comcast is deeply right-wing.
I live in an apt and the cable (comcast) is included.. so I have comcast.. not that Verizon is some liberal giant (they are the other option in the area)
Although I have been thinking about switching my cell phone to Credo.. does anyone use them? I would be interested in how their service is??
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CEkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.credoaction.com%2F&ei=C-L7Ts7UFqn20gH6t_HHAg&usg=AFQjCNGTEpPhHDXzFGFT8ZA8CDKi_qBO0Q&sig2=mZMdBxn6qopUGOFx80m-AQ
All this talk about the Dems possibly losing control of the Senate and Mitch McConnell replacing Harry Reid has me completely depressed even considering the possibility.
Then the sanctions approved by both House and Senate against Iran seems to be trying to force us into a confrontation that even Pres. Obama may not be able to stop. That would definitely be a game-changer. Especially if Russia and China support Iran for the oil.
Maybe we have to have an Occupy War movement. What if they wanted to have a war and no one showed up? Everyone just went AWOL? Collectively refused to participate? Said no way, go to hell.
Israel, U.S. discuss triggers for military strike on Iran
The Daily Beast reports that the countries are discussing “red lines” in Iran’s nuclear program, that if crossed would justify a preemptive strike on its nuclear facilities.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-u-s-discuss-triggers-for-military-strike-on-iran-1.404106#.TvtXsKWLlUM.facebook
ROBERT REICH: Get Ready For A Obama-Clinton Presidential Ticket
Read more: http://robertreich.org/post/14932718385#ixzz1hsV98biq
I think we need this and I hope it happens. I have 2 close people in my life, 3 really, who have moved away from the democratic party due to their extremely strong dislike of Obama (for inexplicable reasons, sometimes, such as his perceived negotiating weaknesses – is that enough of a reason even if it were true?) —- and seem to have been brainwashed by conservative and business media.
New post up:
http://starlightnews.com/wordpress/2011/12/syrian-upheaval/