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I'm not sure when our political process became a reality TV show, but clearly it's as fake as pro wrasslin. They aren't even trying to fool us anymore. Your show jumped the shark, guys. Fire the writers.
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night.
I don't think it's any secret that intelligence agencies the world over have begun infiltrating message boards and comment sections in order to spread propaganda and shape public discourse. This of course also happens with other political and corporate groups, but intelligence agents often act as provocateurs, polarizing people and inciting them to post increasingly inflammatory content. Entire plots have been stirred up by intelligence agencies (see the "kidnapping plot" toward Gretchen Whitmer dreamed up by the FBI recently for example).
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/german-domestic-intelligence-running-100s-fake-right-wing-extremist-social-media
This post on Zerohedge discusses intelligence agencies in Germany posting incendiary right-wing content, presumably in order to keep tabs on potential violent actors or extremists. In the process, many of them are likely posting original incendiary content themselves.
In Kurt Vonnegut's novel Mother Night, the main character, who considers himself apolitical, is drawn into an intelligence operation where he becomes a major propagandist for the Third Reich. He is passing information to his American handlers in coded messages. In the process, however, he is contributing mightily to the propaganda arm of the Reich and inspiring the Nazis. This trailer from the movie, which was inferior to the novel in many ways, does serve to illustrate the point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYbXUWw61ug&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesClassicTrailers
As government agents "fight" extremism and the radical wings of their political foes, they'd do well to keep in mind that, for all intents and purposes, they are what they are portraying themselves to be. Another quote that seems apropos to me is by Nietzsche, who famously said "Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster."
I don't think it's any secret that intelligence agencies the world over have begun infiltrating message boards and comment sections in order to spread propaganda and shape public discourse. This of course also happens with other political and corporate groups, but intelligence agents often act as provocateurs, polarizing people and inciting them to post increasingly inflammatory content. Entire plots have been stirred up by intelligence agencies (see the "kidnapping plot" toward Gretchen Whitmer dreamed up by the FBI recently for example).
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/german-domestic-intelligence-running-100s-fake-right-wing-extremist-social-media
This post on Zerohedge discusses intelligence agencies in Germany posting incendiary right-wing content, presumably in order to keep tabs on potential violent actors or extremists. In the process, many of them are likely posting original incendiary content themselves.
In Kurt Vonnegut's novel Mother Night, the main character, who considers himself apolitical, is drawn into an intelligence operation where he becomes a major propagandist for the Third Reich. He is passing information to his American handlers in coded messages. In the process, however, he is contributing mightily to the propaganda arm of the Reich and inspiring the Nazis. This trailer from the movie, which was inferior to the novel in many ways, does serve to illustrate the point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYbXUWw61ug&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesClassicTrailers
As government agents "fight" extremism and the radical wings of their political foes, they'd do well to keep in mind that, for all intents and purposes, they are what they are portraying themselves to be. Another quote that seems apropos to me is by Nietzsche, who famously said "Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster."
I've been doing more heavy reading on fringe blogs and sites about the likely upcoming financial and energy crises, and it's starting to get to me. I figure that things will probably suck, although not as bad as a lot of people are predicting, and that we will keep limping along for now. Still, I have few doubts that major changes and shocks to the system are going to keep coming, likely at an accelerated rate. As much as I've tried to accomplish as far as educating myself and making some intelligent preparations for disruptions to electric services and food and fuel supplies, I'm still woefully unready.
I feel utterly out of step with most of the people I know, who are concerned about inflation and the like but seem oblivious to how vulnerable our systems really are. When I read conspiracy theory comments, they all think we are undergoing a controlled demolition of sorts and that there are no real shortages of fuel or resources, which I suppose would be oddly comforting if it was true, which it isn't. When I talk to the people in my life, most of them think I'm just being pessimistic and paranoid, which may or may not be accurate I guess.
I've spent most of the year contemplating my mortality, and the mortality of my friends and loved ones, which has been unpleasant and difficult, but it seemed to be something I needed to contemplate and work through in the wake of the pandemic and gene therapy push. I suppose I can handle my own prospective death, but starving and freezing in a dark place sounds even worse. I guess things aren't that dire yet, but I'm extremely aware that they could be, and maybe sooner than most people think.
It's a trip. I suppose people who lived through wars, plagues, famines, and disasters in the past felt the same way. In the meantime, I go to work and write stuff and hope and pray that maybe somehow things will turn out all right.
I feel utterly out of step with most of the people I know, who are concerned about inflation and the like but seem oblivious to how vulnerable our systems really are. When I read conspiracy theory comments, they all think we are undergoing a controlled demolition of sorts and that there are no real shortages of fuel or resources, which I suppose would be oddly comforting if it was true, which it isn't. When I talk to the people in my life, most of them think I'm just being pessimistic and paranoid, which may or may not be accurate I guess.
I've spent most of the year contemplating my mortality, and the mortality of my friends and loved ones, which has been unpleasant and difficult, but it seemed to be something I needed to contemplate and work through in the wake of the pandemic and gene therapy push. I suppose I can handle my own prospective death, but starving and freezing in a dark place sounds even worse. I guess things aren't that dire yet, but I'm extremely aware that they could be, and maybe sooner than most people think.
It's a trip. I suppose people who lived through wars, plagues, famines, and disasters in the past felt the same way. In the meantime, I go to work and write stuff and hope and pray that maybe somehow things will turn out all right.
Whenever I see some earnest columnist wringing his hands about "leaving a massive debt to our grandchildren", I have to work hard to not roll my eyes and chuck my computer across the room. I mean, these guys have to know that it's never going to get paid. Right? To paraphrase JMG, something that can't be sustained won't be sustained, and something that can't get paid won't get paid. Since the economy itself is basically just an abstraction that doesn't even try to represent any sort of underlying reality anymore, its only a matter of time before the whole thing becomes regarded as the silly, broken mess that it is and is chucked out and replaced with something that works better.
For that reason, I don't worry unduly about the huge spending bills the government is passing. They conjure up imaginary money, pass it on to constituents and their connected allies as grift, but the actual world still has contracting amounts of fuel and goods. Maybe some of those goods and services will be reallocated in useful ways; most will probably get sunk into bank accounts already swollen with imaginary wealth. To me, it seems like a collective hallucination; people are pleased with the number of zeroes at the end of their bank accounts while their actual quality of life erodes more and more.
I know a few very wealthy people who are doing better than ever (my employers are rolling in wealth, a lot of it from various covid-related payouts that somehow never got passed on to any of the employees). Most of the people I know, however, have a ton of theoretical wealth they can't really access. Housing values have soared, but several people I know can't sell their houses to take advantage, because they can't afford to buy a different house to replace it. I know others who have fairly swollen bank accounts, but they can't really take meaningful steps to improve their lives because everything has become so expensive.
I have come to see that awareness of fossil fuel depletion and the arc of energy consumption and production provides a valuable key to understanding the reality that exists behind the spin of economists and economic games that are being played. I still can't figure out if this is one of those things that everyone in power knows and hides, or if it is just one of the blind spots created by the myth of Progress. Either way, sloshing around imaginary money isn't going to conjure up more fossil fuel reserves, or create more resources to exploit, so spending trillions of dollars that don't really mean anything is probably one of the less destructive activities our increasingly authoritarian government can do.
It amuses me to no end that the bulk of our society is built on an elaborate foundation of "let's pretend" like kids on a playground, with complex and ornate rules. And violence, of course.
For that reason, I don't worry unduly about the huge spending bills the government is passing. They conjure up imaginary money, pass it on to constituents and their connected allies as grift, but the actual world still has contracting amounts of fuel and goods. Maybe some of those goods and services will be reallocated in useful ways; most will probably get sunk into bank accounts already swollen with imaginary wealth. To me, it seems like a collective hallucination; people are pleased with the number of zeroes at the end of their bank accounts while their actual quality of life erodes more and more.
I know a few very wealthy people who are doing better than ever (my employers are rolling in wealth, a lot of it from various covid-related payouts that somehow never got passed on to any of the employees). Most of the people I know, however, have a ton of theoretical wealth they can't really access. Housing values have soared, but several people I know can't sell their houses to take advantage, because they can't afford to buy a different house to replace it. I know others who have fairly swollen bank accounts, but they can't really take meaningful steps to improve their lives because everything has become so expensive.
I have come to see that awareness of fossil fuel depletion and the arc of energy consumption and production provides a valuable key to understanding the reality that exists behind the spin of economists and economic games that are being played. I still can't figure out if this is one of those things that everyone in power knows and hides, or if it is just one of the blind spots created by the myth of Progress. Either way, sloshing around imaginary money isn't going to conjure up more fossil fuel reserves, or create more resources to exploit, so spending trillions of dollars that don't really mean anything is probably one of the less destructive activities our increasingly authoritarian government can do.
It amuses me to no end that the bulk of our society is built on an elaborate foundation of "let's pretend" like kids on a playground, with complex and ornate rules. And violence, of course.
As an apprentice mundane astrologer, I’ve mainly dealt in New Moon and quarterly ingress charts, but the discipline can also be used for other political insight and predictions. I was curious enough about the astrological timing of Biden’s recent “soul of America unity speech” that I cast a chart for it. I’ll include a few possibly relevant and notable details from the chart.
One of the most striking aspects of the chart (for Philadelphia PA, 9/1/22 at 8 PM) is how utterly debilitated the Moon is. In its fall in Scorpio, square Saturn and opposite Uranus, it would be hard to find a more debilitated placement. Interestingly enough, the Moon in Scorpio is regarded as a great time to practice evil and baleful magic. The Moon represents the politically active classes, and rules the Senate in this chart, amongst other things.
The Sun in this chart sits in the 6th house of the military, workforce, and public health, and also rules that house. The Sun is forming a close square with Mars, which foretells disputes, quarrels, warlike feelings, and widens differences between parties. No wonder this speech failed at unifying anyone. This aspect is also closely connected to the third house of communication, which is occupied by Mars. Undoubtedly this contributed to the “declaration of war” vibes his speech gave off.
The Sun (which represents the chief executive) had members of the military behind him, symbolically ruling and controlling them (as commander in chief, this is more than a symbol of course, but the visuals and optics were important). The Sun ruling the 6th house of the workforce is also significant here, as many workers are quite opposed to Biden’s rule.
The 10th house of the executive branch is ruled by Jupiter, which gives some strength to Biden, although this is offset by an exact opposition with Mercury, which weakens the Greater Benefic and probably accounts for the fairly serious backlash the speech has drawn from all but the most fawning and partisan of media outlets.
Mercury, as ruler of both the third house of communications and fourth house of the party out of power, in the 7th house of open enemies, is trine Mars, which gives him strength and a martial tenor that made the phrase “Biden just declared war” go through my mind when I looked over the chart.
It wouldn’t shock me if this speech was astrologically timed to some extent; the malefic nature of the chart matches the malefic imagery and content of the speech (but I suppose it would have done so whether it was intentionally timed or not). As emotionally charged imagery is one of the keys to magic, and everyone viewing the speech was probably either very excited or repulsed by the speech and authoritarian optics, this could have been an attempt to harness those energies and hurl them at the Democrat’s political opponents.
After seeing pictures from, and reading excerpts of, Joe Biden's speech last night, I definitely feel like he's channeling other famous dictators of both "real life" and film. Too bad he's basically one step from the dementia wing. I guess it's the right look for a wanna-be authoritarian, just the wrong guy. I do prefer my dictators to have a little toothbrush mustache while they rant and rail against their political enemies, but maybe that's a little too on-the-nose for the puppet masters running this ridiculously bad show.
Like JMG says, what you contemplate, you imitate. The closet fascist, control-freak, hate-filled liberals are probably all creaming their shorts, they finally got the authoritarian they so desperately wanted Trump to be. How pathetic.
The whole red light thing reminds me very forcefully of my demonolater associate's eclectic method of performing goetic evocations, just as a quick aside. I'm sure it's a coincidence that, as Brandon discusses the soul of our nation, he embraces the aesthetic of a cliche dystopian super-villain with demonic lighting and optics that scream "evil overlord."
Like JMG says, what you contemplate, you imitate. The closet fascist, control-freak, hate-filled liberals are probably all creaming their shorts, they finally got the authoritarian they so desperately wanted Trump to be. How pathetic.
The whole red light thing reminds me very forcefully of my demonolater associate's eclectic method of performing goetic evocations, just as a quick aside. I'm sure it's a coincidence that, as Brandon discusses the soul of our nation, he embraces the aesthetic of a cliche dystopian super-villain with demonic lighting and optics that scream "evil overlord."
With midterm campaigning heating up, political rhetoric is hitting new heights of hyperbole, from both sides. From the "unprecedented" raid on Mar-a-Lago to the withered, dementia rattled mummy who is the nominal head of the nation calling his political opponents "semi-fascists", the left is bonkers over the idea that people voting for people they don't like and requiring ID to vote somehow amounts to ending democracy. The right, on the other hand, is wild with the idea that all leftists and teachers are secret pedophiles grooming kids into some kind of depraved Marxist sex slaves, and that the Democrats are intentionally sinking the country to please their WEF masters.
I suppose that there are reasonable examples of some of these things, grabbed onto by political opportunists and emphasized to demonize an entire political movement. As someone who voted for Trump in 2020 (I sat out 2016 entirely), and as someone who refused to participate in the current faddish medical experiment pushed by the Biden administration, I'm getting used to being scapegoated and marginalized by the vocal political left at this point (a place I used to consider my political home until about 2010, when I realized how full of crap Obama was with his promises of Change and Hope). I still get along with most of the Democrats I know in my life, but I won't deny it's gotten more strained since the Trump days.
I'm not a big fan of the way Trump conducted himself after the 2020 election for that matter, which I do think was plagued by irregularities that influenced the course of the election in ways both minor and major (if you don't think so, I'd encourage you to break outside your bubble and look into it). I'm not sure it amounts to having stolen the election per se, but it was irregular. When I did social work, we were told that it was imperative to even avoid the appearance of wrong-doing, which the government failed mightily to do. It was definitely enough to cast a pall over Biden's dubious victory to anyone with an ounce of skepticism. It's also amusing to me that a party that rigged their own election to nominate Hillary Clinton ahead of Bernie Sanders clutches their pearls when someone else accuses them of election fraud. That the same people who denied her loss in 2016 and accused Trump of stealing the election are now leveling charges of insurrection at those who accuse Biden of the same makes it especially rich.
I'm not really thrilled with my de facto party now, as I think that by and large Republicans are pretty useless except for catering to their wealthy donors (they pay less lip service to giving a crap about the poor, which makes them a bit less hypocritical than the virtue signalling leftist variety of political parasite). Whatever the reality of anthropogenic climate change (I personally do think that human activity is influencing the climate, for what it's worth), for me the Republican party's unwillingness to address fossil fuel depletion and environmental issues is a real weakness. Many Republicans also have positions on corporate welfare and the like that I disagree with, as well as a contempt for the more impoverished populist wing of their own party that I think is smug and repugnant (words that sum up Mitch McConnell pretty well in my view). I also have no use for Mike Pence and the more extreme Religious Right wing of the party; as a member of a minority faith that pretty often found themselves literally getting burned at the stake in the not-too-distant past, I have pretty grave reservations about putting a bunch of Apocalypse mongering religious zealots in power (no offense intended to any Christian person reading this, I respect the faith, just not the marriage of Christianity and politics the Republicans have going on).
All that said, I'll be voting Republican in the midterms, and for the forseeable future, because I have become a single issue voter, and that single issue is vaccine mandates. The Democrats pushed them, the Republicans didn't, and that's literally the only thing I'm considering until after 2024 at least. If the illegitimate dictator-in-chief and his cronies don't like it, they can kiss my Ultra Maga semi-fascist ass.
I suppose that there are reasonable examples of some of these things, grabbed onto by political opportunists and emphasized to demonize an entire political movement. As someone who voted for Trump in 2020 (I sat out 2016 entirely), and as someone who refused to participate in the current faddish medical experiment pushed by the Biden administration, I'm getting used to being scapegoated and marginalized by the vocal political left at this point (a place I used to consider my political home until about 2010, when I realized how full of crap Obama was with his promises of Change and Hope). I still get along with most of the Democrats I know in my life, but I won't deny it's gotten more strained since the Trump days.
I'm not a big fan of the way Trump conducted himself after the 2020 election for that matter, which I do think was plagued by irregularities that influenced the course of the election in ways both minor and major (if you don't think so, I'd encourage you to break outside your bubble and look into it). I'm not sure it amounts to having stolen the election per se, but it was irregular. When I did social work, we were told that it was imperative to even avoid the appearance of wrong-doing, which the government failed mightily to do. It was definitely enough to cast a pall over Biden's dubious victory to anyone with an ounce of skepticism. It's also amusing to me that a party that rigged their own election to nominate Hillary Clinton ahead of Bernie Sanders clutches their pearls when someone else accuses them of election fraud. That the same people who denied her loss in 2016 and accused Trump of stealing the election are now leveling charges of insurrection at those who accuse Biden of the same makes it especially rich.
I'm not really thrilled with my de facto party now, as I think that by and large Republicans are pretty useless except for catering to their wealthy donors (they pay less lip service to giving a crap about the poor, which makes them a bit less hypocritical than the virtue signalling leftist variety of political parasite). Whatever the reality of anthropogenic climate change (I personally do think that human activity is influencing the climate, for what it's worth), for me the Republican party's unwillingness to address fossil fuel depletion and environmental issues is a real weakness. Many Republicans also have positions on corporate welfare and the like that I disagree with, as well as a contempt for the more impoverished populist wing of their own party that I think is smug and repugnant (words that sum up Mitch McConnell pretty well in my view). I also have no use for Mike Pence and the more extreme Religious Right wing of the party; as a member of a minority faith that pretty often found themselves literally getting burned at the stake in the not-too-distant past, I have pretty grave reservations about putting a bunch of Apocalypse mongering religious zealots in power (no offense intended to any Christian person reading this, I respect the faith, just not the marriage of Christianity and politics the Republicans have going on).
All that said, I'll be voting Republican in the midterms, and for the forseeable future, because I have become a single issue voter, and that single issue is vaccine mandates. The Democrats pushed them, the Republicans didn't, and that's literally the only thing I'm considering until after 2024 at least. If the illegitimate dictator-in-chief and his cronies don't like it, they can kiss my Ultra Maga semi-fascist ass.
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I did a full breakdown of the chart, but writing the whole thing up gets pretty labor intensive, so I'm going to try posting shorter summaries of the high and low points of the mundane charts for each New Moon for awhile and see how I like it.
This chart shows serious trouble for the Biden administration. The New Moon occurs in the second house of finances, where Biden will face attacks and resistance, with much hostility directed towards his administration and the upper classes. A badly afflicted Venus leads to trouble for families and increasing class divisions, while Mars in the 11th house of the legislature indicates a militant spirit in the House of Representatives. A badly afflicted Saturn in the house of foreign affairs portends hostility abroad. Retrograde Uranus, in his fall in Taurus and afflicted in the 10th house by a square with retrograde Saturn, foretells an unpopular Executive suffering from defeat or perhaps even death during this cycle. The Sun in the second, where the New Moon occurs, is making an exact square with Mars, so I'm anticipating a LOT of flack headed in Biden's direction over financial issues this month, with some probably coming from his own party.
If this was an ingress chart, I'd say batten down the hatches, but since New Moon charts seem a little milder, it looks a lot like more of the same this month.
This chart shows serious trouble for the Biden administration. The New Moon occurs in the second house of finances, where Biden will face attacks and resistance, with much hostility directed towards his administration and the upper classes. A badly afflicted Venus leads to trouble for families and increasing class divisions, while Mars in the 11th house of the legislature indicates a militant spirit in the House of Representatives. A badly afflicted Saturn in the house of foreign affairs portends hostility abroad. Retrograde Uranus, in his fall in Taurus and afflicted in the 10th house by a square with retrograde Saturn, foretells an unpopular Executive suffering from defeat or perhaps even death during this cycle. The Sun in the second, where the New Moon occurs, is making an exact square with Mars, so I'm anticipating a LOT of flack headed in Biden's direction over financial issues this month, with some probably coming from his own party.
If this was an ingress chart, I'd say batten down the hatches, but since New Moon charts seem a little milder, it looks a lot like more of the same this month.
I've been reading with some interest reports of Canada's MAID (medical assistance in dying) laws and their effects. Back when I was in high school, Dr. Kevorkian was in the news a lot with his assisted suicide efforts in America, and I wrote an essay defending assisted suicide, as I thought it was merciful to allow the terminally ill to die without pain and suffering. One of the counter-arguments to that view was that eventually people who were not terminally ill but who had expensive medical needs would be encouraged to kill themselves. Surely not, young Ormstunga wrote. I had a lot to learn. Now, people with chronic conditions in Canada are offing themselves because they can't get adequate housing. When Republicans talked about socialized medicine leading to death panels, I thought they were being drama queens. I don't know that Canada has adopted any kind of death panels as of yet, but given how the Covid restrictions played out there, it wouldn't surprise me much. I could easily see them "encouraging" reluctant patients to off themselves at this point instead of it being an elective procedure.
(On a slightly different but related note, every time I see "MAID", I think of some sort of monstrous Old Maid, a gaunt, wizened, and shadowy figure collecting souls. Probably too many bad horror books and films when I was a kid).
Given the values and thinking prevalent on the political left at this point, I could easily see the idea of people offing themselves in the name of leftist ideology getting traction. Since Canada is tacitly encouraging inconvenient people to kill themselves to prevent them from being a drain on society, how long will it be before climate change warriors start killing themselves to ease the burden of their carbon footprint? Seem unlikely? Not from where I'm sitting. Increasingly, leftists see people as a burden on the planet, our energy reserves, and an inconvenience to society (see arguments for abortion rights as a fine example). With a pseudo-rationalist mindset, full-on retreat into intellectual abstraction, and Darwinian perspective on existence untempered by any kind of belief in spiritual principles, it seems like nothing but a matter of time to me before suiciding out is considered honorable, noble, and brave. They will be willing sacrifices to the Great God Progress.
It should be noted that there is a precedent for the political left to decide their political opponents are inconvenient and would be better off dead, too, but that is a bit beyond the scope of this piece.
Kurt Vonnegut used to be one of my favorite authors. I think I read most of his books in my 20s and 30s, and while I'd probably disagree with a lot of his ideas on life and politics now, they resonated with me quite a bit then. One of his creations that stuck with me was called an Ethical Suicide Parlor, where nice virginal ladies in a sexy get-ups put volunteers to sleep with hypodermic syringes. The parlors are run by the government, of course. There's probably a lot to unpack there, especially in light of the Covid vaxxes that are crippling and killing people (especially leftists) right and left, but that will have to wait for another time.
(On a slightly different but related note, every time I see "MAID", I think of some sort of monstrous Old Maid, a gaunt, wizened, and shadowy figure collecting souls. Probably too many bad horror books and films when I was a kid).
Given the values and thinking prevalent on the political left at this point, I could easily see the idea of people offing themselves in the name of leftist ideology getting traction. Since Canada is tacitly encouraging inconvenient people to kill themselves to prevent them from being a drain on society, how long will it be before climate change warriors start killing themselves to ease the burden of their carbon footprint? Seem unlikely? Not from where I'm sitting. Increasingly, leftists see people as a burden on the planet, our energy reserves, and an inconvenience to society (see arguments for abortion rights as a fine example). With a pseudo-rationalist mindset, full-on retreat into intellectual abstraction, and Darwinian perspective on existence untempered by any kind of belief in spiritual principles, it seems like nothing but a matter of time to me before suiciding out is considered honorable, noble, and brave. They will be willing sacrifices to the Great God Progress.
It should be noted that there is a precedent for the political left to decide their political opponents are inconvenient and would be better off dead, too, but that is a bit beyond the scope of this piece.
Kurt Vonnegut used to be one of my favorite authors. I think I read most of his books in my 20s and 30s, and while I'd probably disagree with a lot of his ideas on life and politics now, they resonated with me quite a bit then. One of his creations that stuck with me was called an Ethical Suicide Parlor, where nice virginal ladies in a sexy get-ups put volunteers to sleep with hypodermic syringes. The parlors are run by the government, of course. There's probably a lot to unpack there, especially in light of the Covid vaxxes that are crippling and killing people (especially leftists) right and left, but that will have to wait for another time.
I haven't had much to say lately (obviously, as I haven't posted in some time). I'm continuing to build my astrology skills, and really kicked myself for not delineating and posting a New Moon chart for this most interesting month (I did an informal one for myself; woof). I still keep up with the Open Posts on Covid, and none of my opinions on the situation have changed much, although I think a fair amount of the censorship and narrative management is probably due to what our fearless leaders would call "national security" as opposed to pure elite bungling or unlikely WEF eugenics programs. Having read a few official government manuals on counter-insurgencies, psyops, propaganda distribution and the like, my eyes have been opened even more about the nature of our elite classes. Granted, all of the official manuals note that it's illegal to use any of those methods on US citizens, but since they regard half of the country as being their enemies, I'm not sure that would deter them.
With that update out of the way, what led me to my keyboard today was something else entirely. When I'm not fending off attempts by a portion of my government to force me to participate in medical experiments without my consent and explicitly against my will, I practice magic. I'm no Gandalf, but I am slowly getting my sea legs. I decided to do a divination on what to focus my magical efforts on next. The answer, to my surprise and dismay, was to build community.
I guess this shouldn't be a shock. I intellectually realize that community is important, especially with the cascading crises shaking the entire western world at the moment. It's certainly something that has come up on JMG's blogs, in fact the Open Posts are apparently shifting in that direction. The problem is, I don't socialize and I don't really "do" community. I'm a reclusive curmudgeon, and if I didn't need a day job at the moment, I'd probably be totally checked out of society. I'm sick of politics and the culture wars, in fact, as one famous wizard says, "It seems this damnable conflict has claimed everyone's passions of late. Me, I prefer my books, and my spells". Unfortunately for both Farengar Secret-Fire and me, there's really no opting out at this stage in the game.
I'm also uniquely unqualified to build community due to my social deficits; as someone with the condition formerly known as Asperger's syndrome, I can mask well enough to get by, but it's pretty draining and I'm fairly content to keep to myself. Still, the oracle I used wasn't at all ambivalent about what I need to do, even though it didn't tell me how to go about it. Maybe I should try doing the opposite of what I'm naturally inclined to do in any given situation, since social isolation is more or less my default!
With that update out of the way, what led me to my keyboard today was something else entirely. When I'm not fending off attempts by a portion of my government to force me to participate in medical experiments without my consent and explicitly against my will, I practice magic. I'm no Gandalf, but I am slowly getting my sea legs. I decided to do a divination on what to focus my magical efforts on next. The answer, to my surprise and dismay, was to build community.
I guess this shouldn't be a shock. I intellectually realize that community is important, especially with the cascading crises shaking the entire western world at the moment. It's certainly something that has come up on JMG's blogs, in fact the Open Posts are apparently shifting in that direction. The problem is, I don't socialize and I don't really "do" community. I'm a reclusive curmudgeon, and if I didn't need a day job at the moment, I'd probably be totally checked out of society. I'm sick of politics and the culture wars, in fact, as one famous wizard says, "It seems this damnable conflict has claimed everyone's passions of late. Me, I prefer my books, and my spells". Unfortunately for both Farengar Secret-Fire and me, there's really no opting out at this stage in the game.
I'm also uniquely unqualified to build community due to my social deficits; as someone with the condition formerly known as Asperger's syndrome, I can mask well enough to get by, but it's pretty draining and I'm fairly content to keep to myself. Still, the oracle I used wasn't at all ambivalent about what I need to do, even though it didn't tell me how to go about it. Maybe I should try doing the opposite of what I'm naturally inclined to do in any given situation, since social isolation is more or less my default!
JMG's hypothesis is that greed and incompetence led to the world's baffling response to Covid-19. In my opinion, he is mostly correct but his hypothesis is missing an important factor: "national security".
The flood of government money into pharma and media outlets, draconian mandates, and strict censorship and narrative control are all unprecedented. I think that this was all done because the virus was an escaped bio-weapon from the Wuhan facility (if it wasn't a bio-weapon per se, it was still likely engineered). This was probably done at the behest of U.S. military or intelligence agencies. I suspect that the unprecedented measures were put in place because the people who were responsible either thought that the virus would be deadlier or thought it had the potential to be deadlier.
I think the government made the disease and made the "cure". It appears that neither of them worked as expected. The fact that Pfizer is admitting that the government knew their trials for the Covid vaccine were fraudulent certainly points in this direction.
The Army's manual on psychological operations mentions that they are able and prepared to operate propaganda outlets 24/7 in the event that it is necessary. The manual stresses that using psychological operations on US citizens is illegal, but would that hold if the specter of national security was invoked? I suspect not.
I doubt we will ever know the truth, but I'm pretty satisfied with my conclusions on the matter at this time.
The flood of government money into pharma and media outlets, draconian mandates, and strict censorship and narrative control are all unprecedented. I think that this was all done because the virus was an escaped bio-weapon from the Wuhan facility (if it wasn't a bio-weapon per se, it was still likely engineered). This was probably done at the behest of U.S. military or intelligence agencies. I suspect that the unprecedented measures were put in place because the people who were responsible either thought that the virus would be deadlier or thought it had the potential to be deadlier.
I think the government made the disease and made the "cure". It appears that neither of them worked as expected. The fact that Pfizer is admitting that the government knew their trials for the Covid vaccine were fraudulent certainly points in this direction.
The Army's manual on psychological operations mentions that they are able and prepared to operate propaganda outlets 24/7 in the event that it is necessary. The manual stresses that using psychological operations on US citizens is illegal, but would that hold if the specter of national security was invoked? I suspect not.
I doubt we will ever know the truth, but I'm pretty satisfied with my conclusions on the matter at this time.
I've been casting New Moon charts for some time now, and then checking the results against events and news reports. My main purpose has been to satisfy my curiosity about the accuracy of New Moon charts. A secondary purpose has been to improve my understanding of astrology and the casting and reading of charts. This has been publicly embarrassing a couple of times, but served its purpose to a large extent. My understanding of astrological charts and aspects has gone up significantly, and I'm convinced that New Moon charts do predict the events of the month to some extent.
I've found that my charts and interpretations reflect my own political biases and the biases of my news sources to a large extent, so a proper mundane astrologer should probably be less biased and better informed than I have the time or inclination to be. Unfortunately for my astro-analyses, I don't have the time to really dig into current events to the extent I think I'd need to really create and delineate charts the way I think they probably ought to be done. A "just the facts" focus on the astrology without speculating on the way they will manifest is an obvious way around this issue, which is something I will consider in the future.
For the time being, I'm thinking about winding down my mundane astrology posts, or at least the habit I've developed of "checking" and posting the results. I'll see how I feel around the next New Moon. In the meantime, I've been struggling to find a focus for my blog; that's what I get for jumping into this whole writing thing with no plan for what I wanted to communicate in advance!
I've found that my charts and interpretations reflect my own political biases and the biases of my news sources to a large extent, so a proper mundane astrologer should probably be less biased and better informed than I have the time or inclination to be. Unfortunately for my astro-analyses, I don't have the time to really dig into current events to the extent I think I'd need to really create and delineate charts the way I think they probably ought to be done. A "just the facts" focus on the astrology without speculating on the way they will manifest is an obvious way around this issue, which is something I will consider in the future.
For the time being, I'm thinking about winding down my mundane astrology posts, or at least the habit I've developed of "checking" and posting the results. I'll see how I feel around the next New Moon. In the meantime, I've been struggling to find a focus for my blog; that's what I get for jumping into this whole writing thing with no plan for what I wanted to communicate in advance!
New Moon in Gemini Mundane Chart: Reflections
The first house of the common people has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. The Moon is in the cadent 12th house. There could be reforms and government help for the aged and poor.
The Moon’s only aspect (aside from its conjunction with the Sun of course) is a sextile with Mars. This could indicate reforms regarding the armed forces; since there seems to be some bipartisan will to undertake gun control measures in the wake of high-profile mass shootings recently, this could relate to gun control reforms.
The Senate passed a bipartisan gun control law. I am unaware of any real attempts to help the aged and poor on a national level.
The second house of national finances has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. As noted above, the Moon is in the cadent 12th, which is a weak placement. This could indicate that the measures intended to help the poor and aged mentioned above may not be as helpful as intended. Student debt relief measures spring to mind here.
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There have been intermittent debt forgiveness for various people with student loans, which have fallen short of the demands of the Progressives. The economy has been weak, with many saying we are likely to end up in a recession soon.
The third house of communication, publishing, and the internet has Leo on the cusp and is ruled by the Sun. The Sun is placed in the cadent 12th, which is a weak placement, although it receives some support by its sextile to Mars. This sextile supports military reforms, which again could indicate gun control efforts. The third house is the house of the media and communications, and of course President Biden, his political party, and the media are all in favor of gun control measures. There is also still the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is still the focus of a lot of attention.
This prediction seems pretty accurate; the government has continued to push for intervention in Ukraine and the media has kept pushing propaganda on the topic; there was also the passage of the gun control bill.
Biden went on Kimmel for a softball interview, while behind the scenes he is reportedly grousing about staffers walking back his reckless and stupid unscripted comments to media when he slips his leash.
The fourth house of the opposition party and rural areas has Virgo on the cusp and is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is retrograde in the 11th house in Taurus and is afflicted by a close square with Saturn. He’s given some strength by a sextile with Neptune but is generally in poor condition. I expect that the Republicans will be fighting a difficult battle as far as their messaging this month. Mercury’s square with Saturn foretells discontent amongst workers, strikes, mental health issues, and is bad for education. It also indicates that some legislation will be unpopular.
The gun control bill was very unpopular with a lot of right wing voters, and many populists seem pretty frustrated with more mainstream Republicans like Liz Cheney and other “Never Trumpers”.
Mercury’s sextile to Neptune, on the other hand, is a positive sign for writing, especially books on mysticism and psychicism.
I saw no evidence that this was a thing this month, but I didn’t go looking for it either.
The fifth house of entertainment and the Senate has Libra on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in Taurus, her sign of rulership, in the 11th house. The House and Senate may work together and actually pass some legislation.
The gun control bill passed. The entertainment industry again had a series of flops (interestingly, the relatively un-woke sequel to Top Gun did quite well at the box office). The Deep-Heard trial ended in a victory for Depp, which falls under the influence of this house although I myself give no craps about any of it.
The sixth house of public health has Scorpio on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is in his rulership of Aries in the angular 10th house and is sextile the Sun and Moon. He’s also conjunct Jupiter, making him strong in this chart. Unfortunately, this conjunction indicates disputes in religions and churches, deaths of or attacks on doctors, lawyers, and preachers, criticism of hospitals, epidemics, and public excitement over secret crimes. Will this be the month the masses find out what the Covid vaccine is really doing to people? Will the great Monkeypox scare truly turn out to be a new plague? I, for one, can’t wait to see.
Well, the reversal of Roe led to attacks on pregnancy centers and a wave of protests. Monkeypox is still in the news a bit, as are covid variants from time to time. Many people are becoming more cognizant of the failures of the safe and effective vaccines to live up to their billing. On CBS 6/12, CDC data showed people who are “boosted” are getting covid at twice the rate of the non-boosted, an admission that probably should have gotten more notice than it did.
Fauci, noxious turd that he is, got Covid and has been in poor health despite his many vaccinations and boosters. Hopefully he gets better soon so he can be tried for crimes against humanity.
The seventh house of foreign affairs has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. Saturn is square Mercury and weakened by placement in the cadent 9th house. I’d expect more international messaging problems, and the square with Mercury may indicate more problems with foreign trade and sanctions. The US and its block of allies may find itself increasingly more isolated on the world stage, as Saturn is the planet of limits and Karma.
Attempts to isolate Russia seem to have led to a resurgence in its economy. The US and its vassals conversely, seem to be increasingly isolated from a world that is moving on from US hegemony.
The eighth house of death and foreign money has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. The greater malefic ruling the house of death seems pretty ominous. There could also be restrictions on foriegn money in some way, either coming in or going out.
We have continued to fund our proxy war with Russia in the Ukraine. Not sure if death rates in the US increased this month.
The ninth house of the judiciary has Aquarius on the cusp and is ruled by Uranus. Uranus is in his fall, which may indicate some nasty surprises from or regarding the courts. Saturn is present here in the 9th house. My take on the planet of eccentricity and breaking of old forms (Uranus) ruling the courts while Saturn is placed within it could indicate an explosive court decision that overturns old and established precedent; Roe vs Wade is an obvious possibility here.
Indeed, the Supreme Court overturned Roe, which has led to calls for insurrection and destruction of norms from the political left. A would-be assassin traveled from California, plotting to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh, while illegal protests at Justice’s homes intended to intimidate them were encouraged by the Administration. Rulings against the EPA and New York’s gun rights restrictions were also incendiary to the political left.
The tenth house of the executive branch has Pisces on the cusp and is ruled by Neptune, who is strengthened by its position in the angular 10th house. Neptune is in his rulership and strengthened by a sextile with Mercury. The executive branch may have some success with messaging this month; given the position of the Sun (the symbol of the executive branch) in the 12th house of institutions, this will probably relate to the reforms that seem to be in the mix this month.
The only successful reforms seem to be the gun control bill. Biden attended the G7 meeting this month and drummed up support among allies for continued efforts against Russia.
The angular tenth house also hosts Mars, which indicates a warlike spirit and potentially military activity. Jupiter is present here as well (forming a close conjunction with Mars, as detailed above). Jupiter in the 10th gives some strength to the executive, but the conjunction with Mars is a pretty ill omen. The executive branch looks like it is in for a mixed month, with some potential successes but also some explosive failures.
With an approval rating in the low 30’s, “explosive failure” seems to sum up Biden’s presidency.
The eleventh house of the lower legislative branch has Aries on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is quite strong in this chart; there may be bipartisan support for some measure in Congress, possibly something related to martial concerns (my speculation is gun control measures or escalation in Ukraine).
Both of these happened to some extent.
Venus is present in this house, which is also an indicator of bipartisan efforts and is good for women’s interests. (A bit of a wild speculation that is probably extremely politically incorrect; abortion may not line up with Venus’s energies; it’s hard to argue that abortion is loving or positive in the sense of fertility or nurturing of life).
Uranus is present here in the 11th, which suggests the failure of bills and difficult positions. His poor condition implies a malefic effect here. All of the bipartisanship may ultimately fall apart in some contentious fashion at the last minute.
Finally, Mercury is here in the 11th. Seriously afflicted by his square with Saturn and retrograde, this indicates speeches will be made and much public excitement will ensue, but it will be of limited effect. I’d expect a lot of posturing and grandstanding in the halls of Congress that will amount to a lot of hot air.
The January 6th show trial seems to fit the bill here.
The twelfth house of institutions has Taurus on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in her rulership in this chart, giving her some strength. The Sun and Moon are conjoined in this house, suggesting a national focus on institutions. As of this writing, it seems likely this will be focused, again, on gun control and trying to reign in large scale shooting events.
Overall, my speculation is that national focus will remain on gun control and other methods to reign in mass killings, but a lot of the efforts may end up being in vain despite results that seem promising to the gun control crowd. Most government action during this time, according to my reading of the chart, will not be far enough for partisans on one side, and too far for partisans on the other. The Supreme Court will bear watching, as explosive rulings seem likely this month as well.
New Moon In Cancer Mundane Chart
I'll post the results of last month's New Moon in Gemini chart in a day or so. This month looks to be a bit quieter, all things considered.
The first house of the common people has Aquarius on the cusp and is ruled by Uranus. Uranus is in his fall in Taurus, so the affairs of the people will likely be unsettled in unpleasant ways.
Saturn is present in the first house, which can indicate law and order are maintained and crime is repressed. This could indicate that mass protests and the like that may result from Uranus’s rulership here will not be met with the same permissiveness as they have in the recent past, or that the people will be less motivated to publicly demonstrate.
Neptune, who is in his rulership in Pisces but retrograde and intercepted in the first house can indicate popular political discontent, fluctuation and uncertainty in political affairs.
The second house of national finances has Aries on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is in his rulership in Aries, sextile to Saturn. Both Mars and Jupiter are here in the second house.
Mars in the second indicates that the defense industry and arms dealers are likely to enjoy profits, but military expenditures will be high. This may cause discontent in some quarters.
Jupiter is in the second house, square the Sun and Moon, but given strength by a sextile with Venus. Jupiter in the second is good for the prosperity of the nation (which seems unlikely to me, honestly…. As Jupiter is the planet of expansion, maybe we will get more inflation or expansion of government spending with some positive but overall mixed results).
Mars’ sextile to Saturn increases the strength of the military; I’m expecting a lot of military spending to manifest due to the war in Ukraine and the likely consequences.
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The third house of communication, publishing, and the internet has Taurus on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is strong due to her sextile to Jupiter. I’d expect a focus on women’s issues and a media blitz, probably related to Roe vs Wade’s overturn and the fallout.
Malefic Uranus is here in this house; the reversal of Roe has been an unexpected and upsetting event for a lot of people.
The fourth house of the opposition party and rural areas has Gemini on the cusp and is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is in his rulership in Gemini and is present in this house.
Mercury in the fourth is good for crops, farmers, and mining. My guess is that people will begin to clamor for resource extraction in the country, and that the brewing energy crisis will benefit the Republican party.
Venus is also in the fourth, portending good things for farmers, mining, and the masses in general. Sextile Jupiter, this is a positive indicator for women’s interests; how that will manifest is anyone’s guess.
The fifth house of entertainment and the Senate has Gemini on the cusp and is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is in his rulership in Gemini.
The Sun and Moon are conjunct here in the fifth, making the Senate and entertainment industry a national focus. They are both intercepted, as they are in Cancer but Gemini is on the cusp of the house.
The Moon is in her rulership in Cancer, with mixed dignity. This will affect schools, children, and women, and there will be positives and negatives for each of these things. The Moon square Jupiter is bad for the health of the nation, as well as trouble and confusion in connection with religious and charitable institutions.
The Sun is in the fifth. The Sun represents the President and is intercepted and square Jupiter, which portends poor national health, scandals, and possible deaths in the upper echelons of society.
The sixth house of public health has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. The Moon’s mixed condition will affect national health and the working classes in both positive and negative ways.
The seventh house of foreign affairs has Leo on the cusp and is ruled by the Sun. The Sun is in mixed condition, intercepted and square Jupiter. I believe that this will relate to a military buildup and expansion due to international tensions.
The eighth house of death and foreign money has Libra on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in fair shape and sextile Jupiter; I’d expect a lot more money getting spent on foreign aid and humanitarian efforts.
The ninth house of the judiciary has Scorpio on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is strong in this chart, and sextile Saturn; the conservative wing of the courts has been flexing its might.
The tenth house of the executive branch has Sagittarius on the cusp and is ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter is square the Sun and Moon but given strength by his sextile with Venus. There may be a split or fracture in the executive branch, perhaps more tension between Biden and Harris.
The eleventh house of the lower legislative branch has Sagittarius on the cusp and is ruled by Jupiter. I’m wondering if there may be more turmoil in the Democrat party ranks this month; many Democrats have to be concerned about their polling and the implications of Biden’s horrible polling.
The twelfth house of institutions has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. The institutions of the nation may have a new, more sober and restricted vibe this month as they adapt to new societal changes and trends, which seem to be moving in a more conservative direction. Since Saturn is retrograde and in aspect with Mars, there will probably be resistance and anger about this.
I'll post the results of last month's New Moon in Gemini chart in a day or so. This month looks to be a bit quieter, all things considered.
The first house of the common people has Aquarius on the cusp and is ruled by Uranus. Uranus is in his fall in Taurus, so the affairs of the people will likely be unsettled in unpleasant ways.
Saturn is present in the first house, which can indicate law and order are maintained and crime is repressed. This could indicate that mass protests and the like that may result from Uranus’s rulership here will not be met with the same permissiveness as they have in the recent past, or that the people will be less motivated to publicly demonstrate.
Neptune, who is in his rulership in Pisces but retrograde and intercepted in the first house can indicate popular political discontent, fluctuation and uncertainty in political affairs.
The second house of national finances has Aries on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is in his rulership in Aries, sextile to Saturn. Both Mars and Jupiter are here in the second house.
Mars in the second indicates that the defense industry and arms dealers are likely to enjoy profits, but military expenditures will be high. This may cause discontent in some quarters.
Jupiter is in the second house, square the Sun and Moon, but given strength by a sextile with Venus. Jupiter in the second is good for the prosperity of the nation (which seems unlikely to me, honestly…. As Jupiter is the planet of expansion, maybe we will get more inflation or expansion of government spending with some positive but overall mixed results).
Mars’ sextile to Saturn increases the strength of the military; I’m expecting a lot of military spending to manifest due to the war in Ukraine and the likely consequences.
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The third house of communication, publishing, and the internet has Taurus on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is strong due to her sextile to Jupiter. I’d expect a focus on women’s issues and a media blitz, probably related to Roe vs Wade’s overturn and the fallout.
Malefic Uranus is here in this house; the reversal of Roe has been an unexpected and upsetting event for a lot of people.
The fourth house of the opposition party and rural areas has Gemini on the cusp and is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is in his rulership in Gemini and is present in this house.
Mercury in the fourth is good for crops, farmers, and mining. My guess is that people will begin to clamor for resource extraction in the country, and that the brewing energy crisis will benefit the Republican party.
Venus is also in the fourth, portending good things for farmers, mining, and the masses in general. Sextile Jupiter, this is a positive indicator for women’s interests; how that will manifest is anyone’s guess.
The fifth house of entertainment and the Senate has Gemini on the cusp and is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is in his rulership in Gemini.
The Sun and Moon are conjunct here in the fifth, making the Senate and entertainment industry a national focus. They are both intercepted, as they are in Cancer but Gemini is on the cusp of the house.
The Moon is in her rulership in Cancer, with mixed dignity. This will affect schools, children, and women, and there will be positives and negatives for each of these things. The Moon square Jupiter is bad for the health of the nation, as well as trouble and confusion in connection with religious and charitable institutions.
The Sun is in the fifth. The Sun represents the President and is intercepted and square Jupiter, which portends poor national health, scandals, and possible deaths in the upper echelons of society.
The sixth house of public health has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. The Moon’s mixed condition will affect national health and the working classes in both positive and negative ways.
The seventh house of foreign affairs has Leo on the cusp and is ruled by the Sun. The Sun is in mixed condition, intercepted and square Jupiter. I believe that this will relate to a military buildup and expansion due to international tensions.
The eighth house of death and foreign money has Libra on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in fair shape and sextile Jupiter; I’d expect a lot more money getting spent on foreign aid and humanitarian efforts.
The ninth house of the judiciary has Scorpio on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is strong in this chart, and sextile Saturn; the conservative wing of the courts has been flexing its might.
The tenth house of the executive branch has Sagittarius on the cusp and is ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter is square the Sun and Moon but given strength by his sextile with Venus. There may be a split or fracture in the executive branch, perhaps more tension between Biden and Harris.
The eleventh house of the lower legislative branch has Sagittarius on the cusp and is ruled by Jupiter. I’m wondering if there may be more turmoil in the Democrat party ranks this month; many Democrats have to be concerned about their polling and the implications of Biden’s horrible polling.
The twelfth house of institutions has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. The institutions of the nation may have a new, more sober and restricted vibe this month as they adapt to new societal changes and trends, which seem to be moving in a more conservative direction. Since Saturn is retrograde and in aspect with Mars, there will probably be resistance and anger about this.
I've had a few odd, synchronous events play out since I've taken up serious magery. I've written about a few now and again. This is another. Is it meaningful? Am I seeing images in inkblots that aren't there? I think that a mage, even a lowly apprentice mage such as myself, should at least be open to the possibility that when weird events seem to converge, there could be something deeper behind it.
I'm following along with JMG's Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic book club, although I don't comment on his main blog at all. This morning before work, I read Levi's 13th chapter on the death card and necromancy. Cheery reading! I've also been on a bit of a Lynyrd Skynyrd kick this past week; That Smell has been on heavy rotation. The song is pretty up tempo, but it's about addiction and courting death.
At breaktime, I went out to my car to rock out in the parking lot. I got in, rolled down my windows, and started playing That Smell on Spotify on my phone. When I looked up from my phone, a completely gray bird was sitting on my car, right on my windshield. I took a pic with my phone, expecting him to fly away at my movements, but he just sat there for about ten minutes, long after the song was over. I took some more pics, but he just stared in the car at me.
Writing it out, I guess it doesn't seem very significant, but at the time it seemed a little... eerie. There's a certain feeling I get when the veil gets thin for me, and the bird and the death card and the music all came together and hit me all at once. It was a weird liminal moment. I consider parking lots to be akin to crossroads in a sense; people come and go, it's all very temporary and transitory.
Anyway, if nothing else I rocked out with a bird today. Interesting times.
I'm following along with JMG's Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic book club, although I don't comment on his main blog at all. This morning before work, I read Levi's 13th chapter on the death card and necromancy. Cheery reading! I've also been on a bit of a Lynyrd Skynyrd kick this past week; That Smell has been on heavy rotation. The song is pretty up tempo, but it's about addiction and courting death.
At breaktime, I went out to my car to rock out in the parking lot. I got in, rolled down my windows, and started playing That Smell on Spotify on my phone. When I looked up from my phone, a completely gray bird was sitting on my car, right on my windshield. I took a pic with my phone, expecting him to fly away at my movements, but he just sat there for about ten minutes, long after the song was over. I took some more pics, but he just stared in the car at me.
Writing it out, I guess it doesn't seem very significant, but at the time it seemed a little... eerie. There's a certain feeling I get when the veil gets thin for me, and the bird and the death card and the music all came together and hit me all at once. It was a weird liminal moment. I consider parking lots to be akin to crossroads in a sense; people come and go, it's all very temporary and transitory.
Anyway, if nothing else I rocked out with a bird today. Interesting times.
At a glance, it look like gun control and the recent mass shootings will dominate the focus of the nation this month (we may have a new thing to virtue signal rabidly about, which should be good for people who are tired of the Ukraine war and Roe vs Wade controversies already). We are not out of the woods as far as national health, either, as public health promises to be poor and scandals may shake health institutions as secret crimes are revealed. Government response to these events will be fairly weak and leave people on all sides of the political divide unhappy, and the judiciary may enrage a portion of the political class this month.
Business as usual in 2022, in other words. On to the chart interpretation.
The first house of the common people has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. The Moon is in the cadent 12th house. There could be reforms and government help for the aged and poor.
The Moon’s only aspect (aside from its conjunction with the Sun of course) is a sextile with Mars. This could indicate reforms regarding the armed forces; since there seems to be some bipartisan will to undertake gun control measures in the wake of high-profile mass shootings recently, this could relate to gun control reforms.
The second house of national finances has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. As noted above, the Moon is in the cadent 12th, which is a weak placement. This could indicate that the measures intended to help the poor and aged mentioned above may not be as helpful as intended. Student debt relief measures spring to mind here.
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The third house of communication, publishing, and the internet has Leo on the cusp and is ruled by the Sun. The Sun is placed in the cadent 12th, which is a weak placement, although it receives some support by its sextile to Mars. This sextile supports military reforms, which again could indicate gun control efforts. The third house is the house of the media and communications, and of course President Biden, his political party, and the media are all in favor of gun control measures. There is also still the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is still the focus of a lot of attention.
The fourth house of the opposition party and rural areas has Virgo on the cusp and is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is retrograde in the 11th house in Taurus and is afflicted by a close square with Saturn. He’s given some strength by a sextile with Neptune but is generally in poor condition. I expect that the Republicans will be fighting a difficult battle as far as their messaging this month. Mercury’s square with Saturn foretells discontent amongst workers, strikes, mental health issues, and is bad for education. It also indicates that some legislation will be unpopular. Mercury’s sextile to Neptune, on the other hand, is a positive sign for writing, especially books on mysticism and psychicism.
The fifth house of entertainment and the Senate has Libra on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in Taurus, her sign of rulership, in the 11th house. The House and Senate may work together and actually pass some legislation.
The sixth house of public health has Scorpio on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is in his rulership of Aries in the angular 10th house and is sextile the Sun and Moon. He’s also conjunct Jupiter, making him strong in this chart. Unfortunately, this conjunction indicates disputes in religions and churches, deaths of or attacks on doctors, lawyers, and preachers, criticism of hospitals, epidemics, and public excitement over secret crimes. Will this be the month the masses find out what the Covid vaccine is really doing to people? Will the great Monkeypox scare truly turn out to be a new plague? I, for one, can’t wait to see.
The seventh house of foreign affairs has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. Saturn is square Mercury and weakened by placement in the cadent 9th house. I’d expect more international messaging problems, and the square with Mercury may indicate more problems with foreign trade and sanctions. The US and it’s block of allies may find itself increasingly more isolated on the world stage, as Saturn is the planet of limits and Karma.
The eighth house of death and foreign money has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. The greater malefic ruling the house of death seems pretty ominous. There could also be restrictions on foriegn money in some way, either coming in or going out.
The ninth house of the judiciary has Aquarius on the cusp and is ruled by Uranus. Uranus is in his fall, which may indicate some nasty surprises from or regarding the courts. Saturn is present here in the 9th house. My take on the planet of eccentricity and breaking of old forms (Uranus) ruling the courts while Saturn is placed within it could indicate an explosive court decision that overturns old and established precedent; Roe vs Wade is an obvious possibility here.
The tenth house of the executive branch has Pisces on the cusp and is ruled by Neptune, who is strengthened by its position in the angular 10th house. Neptune is in his rulership and strengthened by a sextile with Mercury. The executive branch may have some success with messaging this month; given the position of the Sun (the symbol of the executive branch) in the 12th house of institutions, this will probably relate to the reforms that seem to be in the mix this month.
The angular tenth house also hosts Mars, which indicates a warlike spirit and potentially military activity. Jupiter is present here as well (forming a close conjunction with Mars, as detailed above). Jupiter in the 10th gives some strength to the executive, but the conjunction with Mars is a pretty ill omen. The executive branch looks like it is in for a mixed month, with some potential successes but also some explosive failures.
The eleventh house of the lower legislative branch has Aries on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is quite strong in this chart; there may be bipartisan support for some measure in Congress, possibly something related to martial concerns (my speculation is gun control measures or escalation in Ukraine).
Venus is present in this house, which is also an indicator of bipartisan efforts and is good for women’s interests. (A bit of a wild speculation that is probably extremely politically incorrect; abortion may not line up with Venus’s energies; it’s hard to argue that abortion is loving or positive in the sense of fertility or nurturing of life).
Uranus is present here in the 11th, which suggests the failure of bills and difficult positions. His poor condition implies a malefic effect here. All of the bipartisanship may ultimately fall apart in some contentious fashion at the last minute.
Finally, Mercury is here in the 11th. Seriously afflicted by his square with Saturn and retrograde, this indicates speeches will be made and much public excitement will ensue, but it will be of limited effect. I’d expect a lot of posturing and grandstanding in the halls of Congress that will amount to a lot of hot air.
The twelfth house of institutions has Taurus on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in her rulership in this chart, giving her some strength. The Sun and Moon are conjoined in this house, suggesting a national focus on institutions. As of this writing, it seems likely this will be focused, again, on gun control and trying to reign in large scale shooting events.
Overall, my speculation is that national focus will remain on gun control and other methods to reign in mass killings, but a lot of the efforts may end up being in vain despite results that seem promising to the gun control crowd. Most government action during this time, according to my reading of the chart, will not be far enough for partisans on one side, and too far for partisans on the other. The Supreme Court will bear watching, as explosive rulings seem likely this month as well.
Business as usual in 2022, in other words. On to the chart interpretation.
The first house of the common people has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. The Moon is in the cadent 12th house. There could be reforms and government help for the aged and poor.
The Moon’s only aspect (aside from its conjunction with the Sun of course) is a sextile with Mars. This could indicate reforms regarding the armed forces; since there seems to be some bipartisan will to undertake gun control measures in the wake of high-profile mass shootings recently, this could relate to gun control reforms.
The second house of national finances has Cancer on the cusp and is ruled by the Moon. As noted above, the Moon is in the cadent 12th, which is a weak placement. This could indicate that the measures intended to help the poor and aged mentioned above may not be as helpful as intended. Student debt relief measures spring to mind here.
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The third house of communication, publishing, and the internet has Leo on the cusp and is ruled by the Sun. The Sun is placed in the cadent 12th, which is a weak placement, although it receives some support by its sextile to Mars. This sextile supports military reforms, which again could indicate gun control efforts. The third house is the house of the media and communications, and of course President Biden, his political party, and the media are all in favor of gun control measures. There is also still the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is still the focus of a lot of attention.
The fourth house of the opposition party and rural areas has Virgo on the cusp and is ruled by Mercury. Mercury is retrograde in the 11th house in Taurus and is afflicted by a close square with Saturn. He’s given some strength by a sextile with Neptune but is generally in poor condition. I expect that the Republicans will be fighting a difficult battle as far as their messaging this month. Mercury’s square with Saturn foretells discontent amongst workers, strikes, mental health issues, and is bad for education. It also indicates that some legislation will be unpopular. Mercury’s sextile to Neptune, on the other hand, is a positive sign for writing, especially books on mysticism and psychicism.
The fifth house of entertainment and the Senate has Libra on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in Taurus, her sign of rulership, in the 11th house. The House and Senate may work together and actually pass some legislation.
The sixth house of public health has Scorpio on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is in his rulership of Aries in the angular 10th house and is sextile the Sun and Moon. He’s also conjunct Jupiter, making him strong in this chart. Unfortunately, this conjunction indicates disputes in religions and churches, deaths of or attacks on doctors, lawyers, and preachers, criticism of hospitals, epidemics, and public excitement over secret crimes. Will this be the month the masses find out what the Covid vaccine is really doing to people? Will the great Monkeypox scare truly turn out to be a new plague? I, for one, can’t wait to see.
The seventh house of foreign affairs has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. Saturn is square Mercury and weakened by placement in the cadent 9th house. I’d expect more international messaging problems, and the square with Mercury may indicate more problems with foreign trade and sanctions. The US and it’s block of allies may find itself increasingly more isolated on the world stage, as Saturn is the planet of limits and Karma.
The eighth house of death and foreign money has Capricorn on the cusp and is ruled by Saturn. The greater malefic ruling the house of death seems pretty ominous. There could also be restrictions on foriegn money in some way, either coming in or going out.
The ninth house of the judiciary has Aquarius on the cusp and is ruled by Uranus. Uranus is in his fall, which may indicate some nasty surprises from or regarding the courts. Saturn is present here in the 9th house. My take on the planet of eccentricity and breaking of old forms (Uranus) ruling the courts while Saturn is placed within it could indicate an explosive court decision that overturns old and established precedent; Roe vs Wade is an obvious possibility here.
The tenth house of the executive branch has Pisces on the cusp and is ruled by Neptune, who is strengthened by its position in the angular 10th house. Neptune is in his rulership and strengthened by a sextile with Mercury. The executive branch may have some success with messaging this month; given the position of the Sun (the symbol of the executive branch) in the 12th house of institutions, this will probably relate to the reforms that seem to be in the mix this month.
The angular tenth house also hosts Mars, which indicates a warlike spirit and potentially military activity. Jupiter is present here as well (forming a close conjunction with Mars, as detailed above). Jupiter in the 10th gives some strength to the executive, but the conjunction with Mars is a pretty ill omen. The executive branch looks like it is in for a mixed month, with some potential successes but also some explosive failures.
The eleventh house of the lower legislative branch has Aries on the cusp and is ruled by Mars. Mars is quite strong in this chart; there may be bipartisan support for some measure in Congress, possibly something related to martial concerns (my speculation is gun control measures or escalation in Ukraine).
Venus is present in this house, which is also an indicator of bipartisan efforts and is good for women’s interests. (A bit of a wild speculation that is probably extremely politically incorrect; abortion may not line up with Venus’s energies; it’s hard to argue that abortion is loving or positive in the sense of fertility or nurturing of life).
Uranus is present here in the 11th, which suggests the failure of bills and difficult positions. His poor condition implies a malefic effect here. All of the bipartisanship may ultimately fall apart in some contentious fashion at the last minute.
Finally, Mercury is here in the 11th. Seriously afflicted by his square with Saturn and retrograde, this indicates speeches will be made and much public excitement will ensue, but it will be of limited effect. I’d expect a lot of posturing and grandstanding in the halls of Congress that will amount to a lot of hot air.
The twelfth house of institutions has Taurus on the cusp and is ruled by Venus. Venus is in her rulership in this chart, giving her some strength. The Sun and Moon are conjoined in this house, suggesting a national focus on institutions. As of this writing, it seems likely this will be focused, again, on gun control and trying to reign in large scale shooting events.
Overall, my speculation is that national focus will remain on gun control and other methods to reign in mass killings, but a lot of the efforts may end up being in vain despite results that seem promising to the gun control crowd. Most government action during this time, according to my reading of the chart, will not be far enough for partisans on one side, and too far for partisans on the other. The Supreme Court will bear watching, as explosive rulings seem likely this month as well.
I am a solitary mage. I participate in the Ecosophia community a bit on Dreamwidth because I am studying JMG's work. I don't have a social media presence, a network of magical friends, or aspirations to become a prominent occultist. I do follow a few fellow mage's blogs and read their books if they seem interesting. Along with JMG, I follow Gordon White and enjoy his books and blog posts (unfortunately for me, he mostly does podcasts now and I don't really have time to listen to people chat, even if the content is worthwhile, which I'm sure his is). I read Gordon's Ani.Mystic recently and thought it was a good book. I may write a review of it after I've fully digested it, it was a dense and nutrient rich meal.
Apparently some "prominent occultists" have attacked Gordon for his stance on Covid, the lockdowns, and the rest of that rigamarole. He wrote about it, and from there I ended up learning about some of the players in occulture. My overall take on occulture is that it is embarrassingly stupid.
These people are all so "serious" and self important. From an outsider's view, and I am an outsider despite being a practicing occultist, they seem like a bunch of deluded narcissists. If a bunch of stupid posturing on social media is the fruit of their study and the result of following their systems of training, it's a wonder they have any students or influence at all.
Really, I'm probably just a grumpy, aging fart bitching online about a bunch of irrelevant wankers, but if I was new to the occult scene I'd take a look at most of these jokers, roll my eyes, and walk away. I feel grateful that I found JMG and his community. As far as I'm concerned, the death of the occult in pop culture can't come soon enough.
Apparently some "prominent occultists" have attacked Gordon for his stance on Covid, the lockdowns, and the rest of that rigamarole. He wrote about it, and from there I ended up learning about some of the players in occulture. My overall take on occulture is that it is embarrassingly stupid.
These people are all so "serious" and self important. From an outsider's view, and I am an outsider despite being a practicing occultist, they seem like a bunch of deluded narcissists. If a bunch of stupid posturing on social media is the fruit of their study and the result of following their systems of training, it's a wonder they have any students or influence at all.
Really, I'm probably just a grumpy, aging fart bitching online about a bunch of irrelevant wankers, but if I was new to the occult scene I'd take a look at most of these jokers, roll my eyes, and walk away. I feel grateful that I found JMG and his community. As far as I'm concerned, the death of the occult in pop culture can't come soon enough.
I have mixed feelings about Donald Trump. My view is nuanced instead of being ridiculously polarized and one-sided, so I get dumped in with the "Ultra MAGA" crowd by default (I did vote for him in 2020 and think he would have won if not for deep state driven election shenanigans, so there's that). I was fairly content with his presidency up until the Covid debacle, which I think he handled poorly (I preferred the Swedish model of pandemic management, which ultimately seems to have worked as well as, if not better than, the rest of the Western world's approach by most metrics; and I'll refrain from commenting about Warp Speed and the garbage genetic treatments that got fast-tracked under his administration). I tend to think he was undermined quite a bit by the people in his orbit, but when you're the man, you're the man, and the buck stops with you.
All that aside, as Woke Sundowner Joe rambled and railed at the Donald, he introduced the phrase "Great MAGA King", which is a brilliant bit of branding... for Trump. It gives him an air of power and authority that our bumbling, incompetent, and frail Chief Executive sorely lacks. He makes Trump sound like some kind of bitchin Super Sayian from Dragon Ball Z, a leveled up godlike figure. I'm not sure its the sort of comparison that will do the out of touch, senile, weak, and frankly lunatic Democrats much good, but who knows.
All that aside, as Woke Sundowner Joe rambled and railed at the Donald, he introduced the phrase "Great MAGA King", which is a brilliant bit of branding... for Trump. It gives him an air of power and authority that our bumbling, incompetent, and frail Chief Executive sorely lacks. He makes Trump sound like some kind of bitchin Super Sayian from Dragon Ball Z, a leveled up godlike figure. I'm not sure its the sort of comparison that will do the out of touch, senile, weak, and frankly lunatic Democrats much good, but who knows.
Watching modern liberals nowadays, I am forcefully reminded of toddlers throwing huge tantrums. This isn’t restricted to the rank and file liberal loonies; even the “leaders” of the party seem to have grown quite unhinged and incapable of managing their anger and emotions in a way that civilized adults arguably should. Here I am thinking of a very old, used up looking Elizabeth Warren almost shaking with rage because the Supreme Court is looking to reverse a ruling on one of her pet causes.
Trying to shift public opinion via tantrums (more-or-less threatening to riot and run amok in the form of “peaceful protests” that are no longer very peaceful) has become the go-to move of the radical left. Ironically, they level accusations that their political opponents on the right are violent insurrectionists, while never taking a hard look in the mirror at their own behavior.
The latest leftist tantrums over abortion are incredibly rich from my perspective, because the same party who tried to take away the health rights of a minority population and force them to get a medical procedure they didn’t want is now upset because they feel their bodily sovereignty is being attacked. Pardon me if I am less than sympathetic to their arguments and emotional gyrations, especially since these are the same assholes who tried to inflict poverty and segregation on me and mine for making a medical decision they didn’t like.
As a former liberal and Democrat voter (although those times are receding into the distant past where they clearly belong), I have zero sympathy for any of the emotional upheavals and fears shaking the liberals of America right now. They’ve courted it and now all the winds they’ve sown have grown into whirlwinds. When kids throw a tantrum, they can either be coddled or put in their place. It’s time for the adults to put these pushy, cranky, spoiled little brats down for a little nappy nap.
Trying to shift public opinion via tantrums (more-or-less threatening to riot and run amok in the form of “peaceful protests” that are no longer very peaceful) has become the go-to move of the radical left. Ironically, they level accusations that their political opponents on the right are violent insurrectionists, while never taking a hard look in the mirror at their own behavior.
The latest leftist tantrums over abortion are incredibly rich from my perspective, because the same party who tried to take away the health rights of a minority population and force them to get a medical procedure they didn’t want is now upset because they feel their bodily sovereignty is being attacked. Pardon me if I am less than sympathetic to their arguments and emotional gyrations, especially since these are the same assholes who tried to inflict poverty and segregation on me and mine for making a medical decision they didn’t like.
As a former liberal and Democrat voter (although those times are receding into the distant past where they clearly belong), I have zero sympathy for any of the emotional upheavals and fears shaking the liberals of America right now. They’ve courted it and now all the winds they’ve sown have grown into whirlwinds. When kids throw a tantrum, they can either be coddled or put in their place. It’s time for the adults to put these pushy, cranky, spoiled little brats down for a little nappy nap.
“What’s the matter Beavis? Why you gotta burn, gotta burn it all down? What’s the matter Beavis?” - Puscifer, the Arsonist
This post isn’t about abortion or the leaked Supreme Court draft of the decision on Roe v Wade. This post is about the rather unhinged reaction of many leftists to the leaked document.
A while back, I posted on the Golohab, which can be translated as the Burners or Arsonists. They are the negative powers (read: qlipoth; demons) of the qabalistic sphere Geburah. In that post, I discussed spiritual pride and spiritual elitism. Still, much of the political left in America seems intent upon channeling the Arsonists in a more literal sense; they have become possessed by spirits of unceasing, unbalanced rage, and they seem intent upon literally burning the country to the ground.
You could see this in the mostly peaceful protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, when scores of leftists took to the streets to riot, burn, destroy, and generally run amok. The federal courthouse in Portland was a repeated target, as Antifa mindlessly tried to set it on fire night after night. There were fires aplenty in urban areas across the country, as leftists vented their collective rage in an impotent and ultimately pointless display of childlike destruction.
Now, as the prospective court decision has been leaked in a clear bit of political manipulation, the Twittersphere is awash with calls from leftist to “burn it all down”, frequently in precisely those words. Protestors are gathering at the Supreme Court, and I’d be amazed if we don’t have more peaceful fires and peaceful riots and violence in the streets before long. Since this is all associated with a left-wing cause, all of the rhetoric and calls for uprising and insurrection will be handwaved away by the media; it’s different when Democrats do it because they are just naturally good and righteous. (Elitism and Progressive, Woke quasi-spiritual pride again).
The destructive rage of the self-righteous is unbalanced and potentially demonic. I’m really starting to think no one is more prone to demonic possession and obsession than the people who don’t believe in them at all.
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