In the coming weeks I will be developing the ways by which professional astrologers can utilize cognitive therapy techniques in counseling clients. In fact, these methods can be used as a self help approach for any individual with a basic understanding of their natal chart. Combining some of the analytical techniques of both approaches can lead to a greater clarity in understanding the psyche and identifying problem areas, leading to insights of ways to modify and change these disruptive behaviors. This enables clients to discover and learn mind skills useful in coping with stress and depression as well as to help heal the traumatic impact of past memories and enable them to stop repeating cycles of self defeating habits.

An Aquarius monk and his Taurus novitiate were walking back to their monastery after a sudden rain.. They came upon a young woman crying because she could not wade through a flash flood over the dirt road. ‘I want to go home! I can’t get across.” she cried. The older Aquarius monk picked up the girl and carried her to the other side, put her down and resumed his walk Filled with priggish self righteousness the young Taurus monk started getting more and more aggravated, finally he asked in a pointed voice, “Why did you do that? We are celibate, even touching a woman is forbidden. You picked her up and carried her!” The older monk smiled and said, “ I put her down on the other side of the stream, you are still carrying her.”

Scorpio goes to see the Zen master and says “A Sagittarius made a terrible comment about me. All I can think about is revenge.” The Zen master took our his tea pot and cup. He poured the tea into the cup until it overflowed. He put the tip of his finger in the water on the table and touched the Scorpio on the forehead. The Scorpio had satori.

Astrology is not usually recognized as a forecasting tool when it comes to earth quakes.  It is usually as hind-sight that some learned or wanting to look learned astrologer weighs in on the event and point’s out that the transits are as clear as a bell.

I may not be as learned as some–only one book and a few articles.  However I was in Los Angeles  for the big 94 quake which broke the 10 freeway only a mile from my house, which knocked out power, which had people in front of the closed Vons because they didn’t have the brains to have put aside something to eat.

The interesting fact of the 94 quake was that it was preceded by a series of small quakes.  Well we are having quakes now.  The coming eclipse cycle has 4/25 Lunar – in -Scorpio, AND the Solar (5/9/13) at 19 Taurus.  AND a Lunar  /5/24– at  5 Sagittarius.

Here is the problem to me, just your humble astrologer and palmist, this cycle envelopes the heralded  5/20/13Uranus square Pluto.

It would seem to me that this might be a time for LA to think because this Taurus solar opposes Los Angeles chart’s (22 Scorpio). by only 3 degrees.

Now this may not lead to anything, except it might well be a good idea to stalk up.  It is unsettling that the Pacific Ring of Fire has been very active, as well as 7 point quakes in the desert, north of San Diego, and on the Mexican border.  For anyone who has been in a 7 (or a 6.9) this is scary.  The 3.9 we had yesterday made my heart leap.  I remember the “big one.”

Oh that the earth had a palm that this palmist might gaze upon the fault line and know when the tremors would come.  But let me say this, the Los Angeles are has  fault lines everywhere.  So what am I saying–just get the groceries into your house.  Check the important glasses and other breakable, irreplaceable

It is just a hysterical scream on the mountain top, just a hint that the gods might be restless.  I am no prophet, nor was meant to be. Just a voice and eye balls starring at the ephemeris and I don’t even like to do mundane.  I like the helping the anxious heart of a client with job problems.

While it might seem a little, well Plutonium like, to suggest that the time since Mars breezed through Aries that life has gotten a little, a darker.  Pluto has been lurking about in his invisible cloak, but the effects of all this is now showing.

Pluto is money, Pluto is power for transformation, of the power of destroying to rebuild–remember that eclipse–the last eclipse of 2012?  It was at 22 Scorpio.  Everyone worried that the world would end. And it didn’t No even the rapture.

But there has been a lot of things going on–in that Pluto plus Mars, the two rulers of the eighth house have brought us eighth house times and change is the key, if you ask me.  Lets go back to that 11/22/12 solar eclipse.  It was just at the end of a strong Saturn/Uranus quinqunx .  Uranus Aries  and Saturn, Scorpio . Structure and Change started in trying to find a way to do that very thing. Change!  If not the end of the world, how about a new insight, a place to steer the ship of state.  And Neptune at home. And Saturn is in mutual reception with Pluto See how the 2013 plot was started there in the end of 2012 that coming up was a problem of how to change,  what had to happen?

The Lunar eclipse had the year 2013 end at 6 Gemini.  Following the time between the Solar and Lunar eclipses, were so many yods in different positions that thing had to have some “Finger Of God”  FOG says it all.  we left 2012 with every cliff you could imagine, the budget clip, the fiscal cliff, and the dark clouds of what change brings.  We the Syrian place got worse.

We opened the new year with a spate of shooting, a bombing, yes just more blood letting everywhere, and Pluto and  Uranus on May 20 square off again.  In the long bout they keep slugging it out.

The question is what is happening? Drastic changes that will transform life on this planet.  Weather, food (look at the commodities market.)  The squeeze on the little people with the cuts in services. One wonders how sound the recovery from “Little Bush’s” disaster for eight years.

Where is the hope, just when the water issues are getting so front and center.  The world’s population is drinking up the water that the commercial interests. This is the great news being delivered out of the great 7/9 eclipse, that big cardinal cross. I want to leave you with this thought as life tugs me into the weekend.  I will return with some thoughts soon.

The key to meditation on until next time we meet is the mutual reception of Saturn and Pluto. There in I see the hope, see if you can see it too.  Until we meet again.  StarCrow, my new name in my alchemical group.  Pluto’s veins have the gold, Saturn the lead. The task is to change the lead into gold, a leaden society into a golden one, ah I hear Plato calling.

Good news:  Jupiter is going direct on January 13, 1913  (strange to write 2013, isn’t it!)

Jupiter is starting direct at 6 degrees of Gemini and will not start retrograde (again) until November 11th.  This is good news for all air and water signs.  Jupiter is in Gemini until June 25. This will give a boost air sign as the energy of the largest planet in the solar system will also trine all planets and points in Libra and Gemini.  On the whole it will provide the power and spirit to push ideas into action, to add a dynamic input at all levels.  Jupiter energy  encourages us to seize opportunities, to progress on plans of action or cognition, to be more aware of the higher elements of consciousness. In air signs it makes individuals to pursue  being progressive, mindful compassionate optimistic, even philosophical.

One has to avoid extravagance and conceit.  Sometimes the energy feel so good that we can procrastinate and put off what we are planning to do.  Being emotionally centered is the key making this expansive energy work for you. Don’t allow the more negative side of this transit to make you self-indulgent, compulsive or pretentious.  Also this transit can wreck havoc on diets.  Jupiter loves to eat and especially sweets.

For those who have planets in water, the transit in through Cancer activating Pisces and Scorpio.  The energy here is more in emotional areas, the look at more domestic issues.  Cancer is the moon sign and bring a sharp sense of nurturing and a psychic awareness.  This is a good time to follow ones intuition. Also emotional areas of focus will receive a lot of scrutiny and it is a good time to assess the emotional core that is so powerful in our personality.  It is also a time to look at compulsive habits and the underlying emotional energy that drives them.  Consider this like a wave at the beach.  It can send you surfing when handled with skill.  It can throw you on the beach with thunderous power if you are not careful.  Water is the most essential element for life, and let this time bring healing and direction for you.

It important here to point out that the house and sign of this Jupiter contacts will greatly enhance the emphasis of the scope of the energy in that placement.  Carefully look at transits, especially conjunctions which actually create a “all dressed up and ready to go” feeling, yet the where to go seems difficult, a matter needs more information, more direction, more awareness of the challenges of a project and how to overcome obstacles that may have arisen.

When Jupiter stations to go retrograde in November it will stay at 20 degrees from October 20th to Thanksgiving.  If this point is aspected in your chart, look carefully at other planetary combinations that respond to that degree.  Hard aspects will give energy to deal with challenges.  Remember squares of often maligned–when in fact it is the squares the push action. The sacred geometry of the zodiac is built on the square and the opposition.  Hard aspects make us get moving.

Take a good look at your chart and plan accordingly.

Spencer Grendahl – Consultant/Coach

Define it!  Do it!

My consulting/coaching practice is to help clients set goals and achieve them. The sessions can be expanded from one person to as many as four. A commitment to a minimum of four consultation sessions is required.

Background:

At the Harvard Graduate School of Education I was involved in several tutorials working one on one with a professor. Working closely together made this learning process very productive and stimulating. Things got done.

Upon graduation I joined the staff of Arthur D. Little in Cambridge, consulting in curriculum development.  However the publication of a novel brought me to Los Angeles. Three books and one movie later, I had expanded my areas of expertise in many areas including writing, public speaking, seminars, entertainment programs and special metaphysical events, as well as personal teaching and motivation.

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Start now!

Do you have a personal or metaphysical project or goal that needs some guidance and motivation to help get it done? Don’t hesitate.  Call me and let’s talk about it

Credits:  Novel:  Mad Dog Press Archives

Book:   Palmistry of Romance

Book:   Astrology and the Games People Play

Book:    Secrets of Love  – a gift book

Book:   Chapter on Third House in The Houses, Power Places of the Horoscope

Book:   Chapter on Transactional Analysis as an Astrological Tool       in

Web of Relationships, Spiritual, Karmic and Psychological Bonds

Movie:    Street Soldiers, (produced by Action Brothers)

TV:       Media appearances: see website

For more:  Spencergrendahl.com   Home: 310 838 6077, Cell: 323 447 3163

Rising Sign Revisited

The brilliant French seventeenth century astrologer, Jean-Baptiste Morin de Villefranche, considered the ascendant to be the most important point in chart delineation. Many modern astrologers acknowledge the rising sign’s significance, but in chart analysis they want to quickly move to planet placement.  Lets review the value of the ascendant .

First it is important to always keep in mind that unlike the Sun and Moon which are physical objects, the ascendant is “only” a point, significantly the point in the sign that was on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth. This placement sets the house degrees and planetary positions within the chart. Since the ascendant changes one degree every four minutes, it is of greatest importance to have an accurate birth-time to give accurate delineations. Assessing the rising sign and its planetary ruler is the first step in discovering the underpinnings of the psychology of client.

The ascendant is similar to the idea of the dramatic mask used in ancient Roman and Greek theater where the actors spoke literally through a mask to express their character or personae to the audience. One might well consider the ascendant as an outward expression of a client’s “first presenting character” in their theater of life. It is the outer face or mask presented to those they meet and encounter.  This  actor has a script from the ego, a role for the audience, yet behind the mask is a deeper layer of personality whose true nature is initially hidden. It is through study of the ascendant’s relationship to the natal chart which reveals the more complex  inner working of an individual’s psyche and the journey to discover an authentic self.

The task of the astrologer is to bring a client to an understanding of their mask  and its implications to the psychology of initial personality presentation in the immediate and extended social environments. This is usually created by the tension of the ego’s drive for approval and acceptance juxtaposed to the response received from the greater world of social interaction. Everyone wants to put their best face forward, it is frustrating. Sometimes the ascendant may not adequately express, but really obfuscate a client’s true nature — possibly a result of natal planetary configurations or the  evolution in time by transits or progressions to the  natal chart.

Understanding the ascendant and interpreting its nuances begins with a thorough, systematic analysis, starting with it’s planetary ruler now called the chart ruler This designation is  not surprising when we remember that “horoscope” means map of the hour of birth.  It is at this point  where the whole adventure of life  begins. Many schools of astrology say that the soul enters the body when it is truly separated from the womb and breathes its first  breath.  Thus it is not too much to say the ascendant and ruling planet provide clues as to  the soul’s karma in this life.

Jean-Baptiste Morin de Villefranche stressed the ascendant’s importance: “How the native is first perceived is linked to the ascendant and is paramount. Problems with succeeding in life are linked to the ascendant. Judging (it)  is structured exercise.” For the sake of brevity, here is an edited list of his approach to evaluating  the ascendant.  1)The sign on the Ascendant and its ruler, 2) Planets in the first house and their rulers 3)Aspects of planets to the Ascendant and their rulers, 4) Aspects of these rulers to others in the chart, 5) Is there a final depositor and its sequential aspect/sign relation with the ruler of the ascendant.

De Villefrance  was adamant about this systematic approach.  He writes, “Everything can be measured as you go through the horoscope systematically. Analyze and break down its components, then synthesize. Eventually, doing this becomes a habit. Then you gain speed – images merge – you come to reality. Synthesis makes the chart come alive.”  Modern astrologers should review these insights to the ascendant and chart synthesis. De Villefranche’s broader, methodical  base of interpretive skills will bring more depth and understanding to your practice. We all can learn from his seventeenth century wisdom.  He read for kings!

No to exactly brag, but the whole primary election for the Republican Party was framed by the Mars Rx.  Now that Mars is direct the candidate has been chosen and Pisces Romney is the soon to be anointed and headed to a show down in November.   One thing to note while we are on the subject of Mitt–his natal Mars is at 6 degrees of Pisces, Mercury at 13 and Sun at 21.  This means simply that Mars in Virgo, now direct and headed towards Libra, will transit in opposition to all this planets.  What could this mean? It means that there will be more tough sledding for Mitt.  THis natal Mars rules his 12th house and one might bet that something from his past besides, flopping, tax dodging and shape shifting will lift its head.  Note, please, that I predicted the rise and fall of the N. Ginridge’s  run in the primary.  While it might be argues that his decline may not have been a tough call, it was the response to the Eclipse on his moon that cause the ascendency.  Then with the colony on the moon, the wives problem, bouncing checks it is a miracle that he did rise at all–and you heard it first here.

Mitt has other issues, the Mars Mercury opposition opposition controls Romney’s 1 and 5  houses.  Certainly he will continue to make strange speech and he may be more than accident prone. Still it is the Virgo 5th house that is of interest in that it is there that his Neptune.  Now to this astrologer and palmist this can only mean that some illusion about money or relationships must come out.  While I doubt Mitt has sex in the closet, one of his aids may have something come out as a bit over the line.  The larger possibility is that more double talk about his fiances and demand for his tax records will put pressure on him.    One of the interesting things about his chart is the sun Jupiter conjunction in 27  Scorpio which will be opposed by Jupiter at the end of May.   One it would be an unknown health issue, or a business issue, but my vote is that it will be more of the hidden family issues that will come to light.

For those of us who would just like to know what the Mars Direct in Virgo means, I can say that for all earth signs, especially Taurus will have good luck and discover that there is still hope in their lives for advancement, marvel, and good sense.   Mars to me will add energy in all mutable signs because it will be sending hard aspects to spur them on to try new ideas, or at least put their shoulder to the wheel.

Fire signs, for this astrologer will find themselves having to sort out issues that they thought had already been dealt with, or encounter new ideas that take time to figure out.

Air signs will experience a need for more exacting speech and analysis, but over all the intellectual nature of air will make this more of an annoyance than a hindrance.

What about Venus Rx.  Well I am going to be a bit coy here and talk about it at greater length in my next blog.  Or you can come to the Santa Monica Astrological Meet up 5/6  where I will be on a panel.

Two things to consider, 1) Inana will descend into hell and come back pissed off as hell, 2) Relationships will be tested, both personal and politically.   Friendships may change.  Past relationships may be reconsidered.  See you next time, here–your Uncle Astrologer. SG

When Mercury goes rx on March 12, it starts rx in Aries and then on March 23 it backs into Pisces–and by sign opposes Mars.  This is such an exciting time for blood sport:  The Republican Primary will get even more intense, if possible. I watched the attack ads and counter attack ads and they are already a complete sequence of the dark arts.  How could they get worse, well, where there is a will there is a way.

On a personal note I want to tell you that this period March 12, through to April 4 will be a Mercury rx that we need to pay personal attention to , particularly in the realm of passions and anger.  This is a time to expect irritations to become twice as frustrating as normal.  From and astrological point of view consider that when a planet is rx it is closer to Earth than in its usual transiting orbit.  So with both Mars and Mercury closer and opposing each other, it will be a time to cope with a wide variety of problems as simple and as dangerous as road rage and people popping off for the slightest thing, to national or even international events.  How can the situation in Syria get any  worse, we may see.

But I digress.  Personally it is a time for Mindfulness.  I recently took a course in Mindfulness to refresh my mind and meditative practice.  I thought I was on top of my game, but this course by Mark Meusse, turned out to be one of the most positive steps I have taken in a long time.  I encourage all of you to consider taking a refresher  course as well.

I would like to suggest that this Mars/Mercury rx period is a great time to go over old frustration in your vision of yourself. Start the review early, go back to your first Saturn Square (7) and build from the there.  I am not suggesting that you do the whole Proust adventure in seeking time lost, the time was never lost, it is still with you, both in memory and the results of what you did and what you thought you were doing in the face of what you imagined to be your journey and the road that life gave you.

Surprising this adventure in vision also has some bigger astrological stuff happening here.  Mars is not only going to be opposing the sign of Pisces with Mercury backing into it, it will be within just a small orb of opposing Neptune, the ruler of Pisces.  Now this will put a lot of pressure between desire (Mars) and projected vision (Neptune).  It is happening this April.  So, what do you do?  Look at the Placement of Neptune in your own astrological chart.  and then the aspects of this Mars/Neptune opposition in alignment to your own configuration.  This where the plot will thicken.  Your natal Neptune symbolized the deepest vision in your chart–so what has been happening to this vision since the Saturn Square and what is happening now.  The key is to try to find some type of resolution that may be possible.  You may experience a lot of anger and rage, both at yourself for the decisions you have made is sacrificing or blurring the internal vision, or you may struggle with the things that life gave you that obfuscated the course you thought you saw and ere endeavoring to follow.

Rx: Review, Rethink, Rework, Recast, Re-envision, then April 13/14 start to enact your new vision.  Don’t thank me now, you will have done the rework, you have done the new draft of the novel of your life.  Your astrological map has been the continuing adventure it has always been, its just now you are taking another swing at the bat, and I hope it is a home run  (home as in realizing the 4th house of home life that you started from and then started running the astrological bases).  Chill and be well.