ASTRO UPDATE – OCTOBER 2011

Hi and welcome to the Stella Starwoman October AstroUpdate. And thank goodness it’s October! I had a particularly challenging time in September recovering from Mercury retrograde. Firstly I lost my voice – not good for someone who earns their living through talking - then I suddenly received 168 emails that had been incubating somewhere in cyberspace since the GREAT SERVER CRASH of 25th July which I told you about last month. I’d just got my head around that challenge and then it was time to do a webinar for LivingNow magazine on Love, Sex and the Stars. I clicked on the link on the LivingNow website to listen to the recording and there was an ominous message: “Due to a technical hitch, the above recordings are too low pitched.” “Low pitched” is putting it mildly! I sound as though I’ve had a sex change! Then my ever-reliable laptop started to crash in the middle of astrology consultations..... Fortunately there were also many wonderful things that happened in September, but I thought this Mercury saga would amuse you. Roll on October!

 

Workshops, Webinars & Weekend Retreats

TAROT WORKSHOP – MASTERING THE MINOR ARCANA
Sunday Morning 16th October (9.30 am – 1.30 pm in Elwood) Cost: $125

Call Stella on 03 9534 5021 or email stellaw@ozemail.com.au to book your place or click here for more details.

FREE WEBINAR ON RELATIONSHIPS

Wednesday Evening 26th October 7.30 – 8.30 pm. The Seven Secrets of Successful Relationships Stella Woods talks to LivingNow editor Elizabeth Jewell-Stephens
Click here to register

THREE DAY WEEKEND RETREAT

Friday 25th- Sunday 27th November – In Your Element Three Day Retreat in Northern NSW with Stella Woods and Linda Marson. Early bird rate for 3 days of
workshops, all materials, lunches and BBQ dinner - $679

Call Stella on 03 9534 5021 or email stellaw@ozemail.com.au to book your place or click here for more details or to watch a video of last year’s retreat.
You can also book online.

 

Youthquake, UK Riots & The Arab Spring

The Pluto-Uranus Square Wreaks Havoc

The word ‘revolution’ means ‘to turn around’. You may remember reading one of my 2011 predictions published in December last year: “With Uranus in impulsive Aries square transformational Pluto, the drive for renewal and change will be intense, abrupt and even violent. Those who have the most to gain from revolution will find this liberating, but others will find the upheaval both challenging and upsetting with individual rights and freedom from centralised government being core themes. Any government that acts in an autocratic or unfair manner will be faced by massive grass roots protest fuelled by the power of the internet and social networking.”

Is force only intended to protect crime? Is not the lightning of heaven made to blast vice exalted? What is the end of our revolution? The tranquil enjoyment of liberty, equality and fraternity; the reign of that eternal justice, the laws of which are graven, not on marble or stone, but in the hearts of men, even in the heart of the slave who has forgotten them, and in that of the tyrant who disowns them. (Maximilien Robespierre – French Revolutionary Leader - 1794)

Astrologer Thomas Zimmer predicted in his 2011 moon calendar: “The shifts of attitude triggered by these two planets (Uranus and Pluto) are by their very nature impossible to predict. The most we can say is that there will be PASSION – real ‘bricks through windows’ engagement... who knows what kind of spirited resistance we may see? Before 1960 who could have foreseen the turn against military conscription, against racism and sexism etc?”

Those of us who follow cosmic patterns are therefore not surprised by the year’s events any more than we were surprised by the global financial crisis and stock market upheaval. Life consists of cycles and when the pendulum swings too far in one direction, a correction is required – a ‘revolution’ in fact. We happily study historical events such as the French Revolution, the American Revolution and the Russian Revolution without ever considering that in our own lifetime we may be affected by revolution and with Uranus (planet of revolution) in Aries (the sign of the warrior) until 2019, the events of 2011 simply hint at the shape of things to come.

In the last 9 months there have been revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya; uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen; major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco and Oman, and minor protests in Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara in addition to border clashes between Israelis and Palestinians. Numerous factors have led to the protests, including long term dictatorships, human rights violations, government corruption, unemployment, extreme poverty, and a growing number of educated but disenfranchised young people.

Which brings us to the August UK riots, which on the surface have very little to do with the dramas unfolding in North Africa and the Middle East but on closer examination are part of the same revolutionary trend.

I was visiting family in Manchester only days before the riots broke out. On the night of the riots my parents were staying at a city hotel, celebrating their wedding anniversary and were advised by staff not to venture out onto the streets as it was too dangerous. When I told this story to an Australian friend married to a guy from Manchester, she joked: ‘How could they tell there were riots? Wouldn’t it just feel like normal for the locals?’

The focus in the media seems to have been on selfish young people stealing flat screen TVs, designer clothes and trainers and causing wanton destruction without apparent motive. Those of us who were born in the decaying industrial cities of England have watched for years as the quality of life has diminished while crime, unemployment, racism and poverty have increased. For a population of 52 million crammed into an area less than the size of Victoria, the future looks bleak. As Sinead O’Connor sings: ‘England’s not the mythical land of Madame George and roses, it’s the place where police kill black boys on mopeds’. Most tourists never experience this dark side of the country.

The trigger or tipping point for the UK riots was allegedly the police shooting of Mark Duggan. Or could it have been rage at the tripling in tertiary fees? The News of the World scandal? Corruption in the police force? An increase in unemployment and reduction in government welfare? I noticed many were quick to brand the UK rioters as ‘mindless thugs’, but I think that’s simplistic. I’m not condoning the damage and distress they caused, but when people feel powerless, angry and frustrated, they eventually explode. The Uranus-Pluto energy seems to be manifesting as a ‘youthquake’. Young people all over the world have had enough and with the new technology - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Skype, they can share information, organise a riot or rally, engage in acts of civil disobedience and create a revolution (turnaround) within days. What do they have to lose? Many have no hope of every owning a house, getting a decent education or holding down a long term job.

Instead of fretting over all the disruption, what we need to ask ourselves is ‘Who is next?’ Most of us would say the revolutions of the 1960s (when Uranus and Pluto were last conjunct) have changed society for the better. What needs to change now? Will exploited workers in poor countries rebel and demand better working conditions and higher wages? Will that mean we can’t buy as much stuff? Will women in places where women have little sexual, political or financial freedom refuse to submit and instead claim their power? Will people rebel at working full time to pay off expensive houses? Or will they stop buying houses altogether? Will students refuse to attend university or pay their HECs debts because it costs too much? Will people from poorer countries leave their own lands in droves and insist on sharing the riches of the more abundant areas of the globe (which is after all the ‘elephant in the room’ of the whole ‘boat people’ saga)? And in our own lives, where will we rebel?

 

Featured Sign- Libra

The Sun travels through air sign Libra from 23rd September until 24th October this year. Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac with keywords “I balance” and “I seek my other half”. Those born under the sign of the Scales promote love and harmony and teach us about the importance of give and take. They adore relationships, are often cultured or artistic and are experts in charm, diplomacy and negotiation. Negatively, Librans can be superficial, indecisive, manipulative or dependent and because they hate unpleasantness or disagreement, they often avoid conflict and bury their heads in the sand. In medical astrology, Libra rules the kidneys, lumbar region and skin, so when Librans are out of balance they tend to suffer from lower back pain, kidney problems, urinary tract problems and skin diseases such as eczema. The Libra colours are ivory, pink, turquoise and blue. Libra’s greatest lesson is to learn to develop their ‘inner partner’ and become whole rather than seek an outer partner to feel complete.

 

Buy Low – Sell High

Astrologers love cycles and given all the talk of global financial crisis and stock market crashes, I decided to check out the Australian All Ordinaries Index to see how the stock market has fared over the past 20 years.

In 1991, the share market index was at 1605. Four years later, when Pluto (god of wealth) entered optimistic Sagittarius, it had moved up to 1905 – an increase of 300 points. However, when Pluto left Sagittarius 12 years later in late 2007, the index had climbed to a massive 6779, but as soon as Pluto went into pessimistic Capricorn in 2008, the index dropped to 3296. Today the All Ordinaries Index is at 4321. This gives us the following figures.

Average index increase per year 1991-1995 - 75 points or 5 % annual compound growth Average index increase per year 1995-2007 - 406 points or 11% annual compound growth Average index increase per year 1991–2011 - 136 points or 5% annual compound growth.

The optimism fostered under Pluto in Sagittarius produced an amazing bull market which everyone took for granted, particularly those with large amounts of money invested in shares and super. Pluto in Capricorn has brought what the brokers call ‘a correction’. The clear message is that markets move both up and down!

 

Key Astrological Events – October

The late September new moon in Libra opposed Uranus in Aries and squared Pluto in Capricorn meaning the theme for the first half of October is the need to balance conflicting points of view. Libra desires harmony and cooperation, Aries desires heroic action and Capricorn aims for a practical solution, so perhaps this month we will see progress on the asylum seeker issue which at the time of writing appears to be in stalemate. Julia Gillard is a Libra and her birthday falls on the 29th September meaning her solar return for the next year is indelibly tied in with this new moon energy.

Given that we are all in a period of revolution, it seems clear to me that the old ideas of left and right, right and wrong, good and bad need to be shelved and that all of us, both on an individual and a global level need to work together to find common solutions. While politicians argue and take the high moral ground, the world is changing. In years to come, I believe we will see the Wikileaks saga as as important a catalyst for revolution as the Communist Manifesto and the American Declaration of Independence were for revolutions in Russia and the US.

Jupiter in Taurus in her retrograde phase asks us to look beyond material possessions and invest in the things that give real value to day to day life. Friends, family, love, sex, food, fresh air, sunshine, water, health, our bodies, our gardens, nature and the abundance that is all around us.

Mars remains in Leo all month giving fuel to the Uranus in Aries flames and stirring up passion, vitality and energy. October is a good time to get projects off the ground, particularly for performers, leaders, entrepreneurs and creative types. The energy is especially favourable for the fire signs Leo, Aries and Sagittarius.

Venus moves into sensual Scorpio on the 9th in the lead up to the Aries full moon on the 12th. With both Scorpio and Aries ruled by Mars, this is a time of passion. Passion in relationships, passion in commitment to causes and passion to live life to the full. The Sun conjuncts Saturn at the full moon helping ground the energy.

Mercury joins Venus in Scorpio on the 13th, followed by the Sun on the 23rd and culminating with the Scorpio new moon on the 27th. The second half of October is therefore particularly favourable for the water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. The Scorpio new moon invites us to get rid of dead wood in our lives – friends we no longer resonate with; relationships that have passed their use by date; old clothes, books and furniture and outworn attitudes and belief systems.

 

April Moon Calendar

Launch projects at the New Moon, bring them to completion in the period from just before the Full Moon to the Third Quarter phase and wind them down and reflect on developments in the week before the next New Moon. The period between the New Moon and the Full Moon is the waxing moon (moon getting bigger and fuller). The period between the Full Moon and the New Moon is the waning moon (moon getting smaller and thinner).

You can use this moon table to select the most favourable days to slow or increase hair regrowth. Full instructions can be found in my Lunar Hair Care guidelines at www.stellastarwoman.com/files/LunarHairCare.pdf but to get you started I've marked the best dates for waxing/shaving to slow regrowth in yellow and the best dates to cut hair for thicker, lusher growth in green. If you‟re serious about Lunar Hair Care - order your own Moon Calendar from the Stella Starwoman Store then you'll know exactly what time of day the moon changes from one zodiac sign to the next.

Date	Sign	Element	Moon Phase
1st	Scorpio	Water
1st-3rd	Sagittarius	Fire
3rd-6th	Capricorn	Earth	First Quarter
6th-8th	Aquarius	Air
8th-10th	Pisces	Water
10th-13th	Aries	Fire	Full Moon 12th
13th-16th	Taurus	Earth
16th-18th	Gemini	Air
18th-20th	Cancer	Water	Third Quarter
20th-23rd	Leo	Fire
23rd-25th	Virgo	Earth
25rd-27th	Libra	Air
27rd-29th	Scorpio	Water	New Moon 27th
29th-31st	Sagittarius	Fire

Thanks for being part of AstroUpdate. If there’s something you’d like to see featured, or have something you think would interest others, please contact me at stellaw@ozemail.com.au

PS – Don’t forget to check out your October Monthly Stars at www.stellastarwoman.com to see what’s coming up for you this month.

Happy Stargazing
Stella Woods www.stellastarwoman.com