Rick DiClemente’s

Astrology Newsletter

Volume 58, November 2010

(Download a printable .DOC version here)

“How do I know what I’m going to say until I hear it myself?”

- Dr. David Hawkins

The Sibley-Rudhyar Chart

As was said before: No one knows exactly what time the USA was “born.” As for that matter, no one actually knows what day either. Some astrologers use July 2, 1776 and others that use July 6, 1776 . In my experience, each holds their own truths. Because of much debate, astrologers argue over 7 basically different charts for this country. Each has its point. However, the “Sibley” chart seems to be the most accurate. This details very closely the wars this country has been involved in, including the Civil War and WWII, and most notably symbolizes what happened to our land on 9/11.

British astrologer, Ebenezer Sibley, came up with the chart for the USA , “born” at 5:10 p.m. , July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia . Later on, the famed French-American astrologer and pioneer of transpersonal astrology, Dane Rudhyar, rectified the chart to precisely 5:13:55 p.m. Thus the chart at the top of this document entitled the Sibley-Rudhyar chart for the USA . Chart rectification is achieved via reverse-engineering from significant dates in our national experience.

What’s happening and why is it important? Not only are we in a long-term Pluto through Capricorn period, and Pluto opposite our Venus, with Pluto coming to oppose our natal Sun, and a looming Saturn-return in November next MONTH, we are also awaiting the major Pluto return in 2023, but now, we have… a major planet, Neptune, lining up exactly on the USA’s Moon in Aquarius. It has been there for about a year and has another year to go. Neptune has major effects on whatever it touches, but is very unnoticeable while it’s happening, yet, is very powerful.

What are Neptune ’s keywords? Neptune is not only the hardest, vaguest planet in our solar system to explain but its effects are very difficult to explain. It’s keywords are: refinement, idealism, illusion, delusion, misled, self-delusional, spiritual, non-earthy, deception, enlightenment, oppressed, victim-hood, abandonment, misfits, saints, visionaries, glamour, charisma, mysticism, abstract thinking, disillusionment, mirages, clouds, nebulousness, confinement, addiction, drugs, alcohol, incarceration, transcendence, religion, beliefs, unworldly, unreal, unprovable, untouchable, ineffable, images, photography, glorious sacrifice, selflessness, martyrdom, great loss, negligence, non-resistance, evasive, and dissolution.

What are Moon’s keywords? Mother, mothering, the motherland, home, emotions, land, property, houses, feelings, habits, moods, comforts, the unconscious, nurturing, caring, smothering, codependency, dependency, provisions, nourishment, growth, security, stability, femininity, intuition, psychic ability, love, sensitivity, wills, legacies, children, dowries, protective, introversion, family, family boundaries, provincialism and the nest.

What are Neptune ’s functions? This massive universal force causes dissolution of boundaries. In the quiet of the night, it seems that what was there yesterday has slowly evaporated away. It erodes all mythical boundaries. It reduces all separateness to Oneness and can be disorienting if you are married to the idea of scarcity and separateness. It rules gods, and all things of the higher dimensions of our “souls.” Its main function is to melt our walls in order to show us that the original “sin” or the thought of separateness was never real. Neptune is anti-ego; anti-world; and anti-matter. Actually, it’s not “anti” anything. It simply lets falsehood drop by the wayside by only supporting what is truly real: love.

Why is the Moon such a big deal in this chart? The Moon is the second most important planet in any natal chart. Since it rules the sign of Cancer and we were born on 7/4, it is our “ruling planet.” Thusly, it is extremely important to all of the United States of America . Since it was found in the sign of Aquarius during our “birth,” we receive many Aquarian themes from it. The perfect symbol for the Moon in Aquarius in our chart is the Statue of Liberty. Aquarius is the sign that is all about freedom for all and equal rights. It is about liberties and tolerance of each other’s differences. The statue is our nation’s perfect symbol.

What does Neptune conjunct the Moon mean for the individual? Common reactions when Neptune goes over individual charts are: confusion, delusion, lack of direction and mental clarity, fuzziness, increase in all kinds of sensitivity, paranoia, changes to allergies, undiagnosable illnesses, heightened psychic senses, euphoria, feelings of “divinity,” temptations of extramarital affairs, drugs, and alcohol. The grass is always greener elsewhere. Neptune calls us home. And, if we aren’t intuiting properly we’ll just hear that “here” can’t be where it’s at. Thus, the delusion.

What does Neptune conjunct the Moon mean for the country? Loss in confidence in direction, uneasiness, nervousness, feeling as if no longer being firmly planted, nebulousness, paranoia, fear, shaky ground, feelings of being deceived or misled, loss of boundaries, uncertainty, other countries feel uncertainty about our country, afraid to make any moves because of no sound footing, hypersensitivity, moodiness, distrust, desires to remove old boundaries and define the country anew on a more global scale; one that is boundless or not constrained by the man-made lines of the map and loss of identity (returning to Oneness from whence we came.)

What happens when these two line up? In the USA ’s chart, we are seeing a great lack of confidence about just anyone attempting to lead us into our new future. The country’s true spirituality is being exposed. This has nothing to do with religion, although that is being affected too. For decades, I have addressed true spirituality in people’s chart and many confuse spirituality with a Sunday attendance report at church. That is not what true religion or spirituality should be about. More to the point, we are standing naked in front of our “god” or “goddess” and are being seen for what we are really made up of. Neptune OKs love, and nothing else. It sees all else as A Course In Miracles calls: untrue, therefore, not real.

Neptune simply refuses to maintain unreal “systems” or entities

We either lose our “boundaries” willingly as a sign of extending into eventual Oneness or else we just lose what we think we “had” such as Country-Club memberships, money, status, furs, cars, homes, influence, etc.

What went on when this happened before? Interestingly enough:

1789 – Neptune crossed the Midheaven in the chart. Neptune, ruler of Pisces, brought us our first President, (Neptune-ruled) Piscean George Washington. He laid the groundwork for us to follow our religious freedoms and devote our land’s expansion under God’s guidance.

1812 – The War of 1812 took place as Neptune crossed our Ascendant.

1827 – Neptune opposed our Sun in Cancer - The first railroad was built in Quincy , MA , thus opening up the country to its unbounded state. That’s what Neptune does. Thanksgiving was established; the idea of giving thanks to God is quite Neptunian

1862 – Neptune crossed the bottom of the chart, the Nadir, which represents our roots and our motherland. We almost lost the entire country to the splintering Civil War. Note: Neptune will not condone slavery or any type of inequality. Lincoln was Aquarian, ruled by Uranus. Luckily, Uranus was on our Mars in the 7th house at the same time to help preserve the nation.

1942 – Neptune was crossing the top of the chart (Midheaven) during WWII. The midheaven bespeaks of our entire role on the world’s stage. The uncertainty of Neptune and Hitler almost brought us down. Instead, his own sick heart brought him and the Nazi regime down.

1950 – The early 50’s brought us our first “losing” war in Korea . As Neptune transited over the country’s 10th house Saturn, it decayed the pedestal upon which we had been standing since the end of WWII. Loss ( Neptune ) of stature (Saturn.) That’s because we stood in dominance instead of simple victory.

1968 – Neptune dipped into the country’s 12th house, the house where Neptune rules. Drugs and alcohol abounded, even prescription drugs, as the country ducked its responsibilities, got lost in psychedelics and other worlds (2001 A Space Odyssey) and at the same time expanded our world of music and transcendental possibilities. Society lost its grip on its young. We lost another war. Our motives were not pure.

It is not possible to fool the outer planets

1979 – Americans were held hostage abroad and ever after, it was a new uncertain world as Neptune sat on the Ascendant once again. Neptune rules imprisonment.

1993 – Neptune crosses into the country’s 2nd house, our money and our self-worth. The US ’s largest financial surplus was quickly squandered and dissolved. Both Neptune words. Once the clouds cleared, we were a debtor nation. Neptune exposes back-room deals.

What are the symptoms? This planet is the hardest to explain. With Neptune , you either draw closer to your real “God” center or you get lost. It’s not that you get lost; moreover, you come to see how lost you have been for quite awhile. “God is God and God is all,” many say. If you are lined up with that type of thinking, Neptune awards you! The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 when Neptune was opposite his Sun in Cancer. Neptune usually doesn’t hand out treats. Barack Obama was awarded the same prize as Neptune crossed his ascendant. Neptune recognizes actions toward Oneness – nothing else.

On the other hand, Bernie Madoff had his dream come to an end in 2008 when sober Saturn transited over his natal Neptune . That’s what it can do to the worldly, i.e., scandal on a global scale. Too many to mention here.

What are the threats? The dangers are decay and questions such as, “Hey, where did everything go?” Just as Neptune did and continues to do to the USA ’s southern border. “Oops! Why are all these people speaking Spanish!?” With this planet, you either drop your walls intentionally or Neptune erodes them for you. If you or we have become devoted to provincialism, Neptune will take care of that. Neptune always comes to us via Piscean forces, i.e., floods, decay, drugs, secret infiltration, germs, mind-control, deception, and in a big, big way: disinformation. Another threat is not knowing whom to believe? How can you tell if any fact is true? Are we deluded by news, TV, and radio? Does everyone have an agenda? Loss of trust is simply a by-product of loss of Oneness.

Threats? The loss of our integrity and solidarity. Loss of resources, or, should I say neglected resources. Neptune doesn’t cause you to lose, we’ve simply neglected to care for what we’ve had. This is a major reason that it is so common for someone to have an extramarital affair during Neptune times. Sickness is common too. Why? Simply because we’re not living in sync with nature/God/Spirit/whatever. Our bodies are natural, right? I think you’re getting the point.

It does not maintain walls or separateness

What are the benefits? The possible up-side is millions of times greater than the down-side. Rodney King asked, “Why can’t we all get along?” That’s it! No big deal, right? A dream, right? A Utopian psychosis, right? If that is how you choose to see it. Even in its simplest sense, it can give us a world where we don’t war with each other; where there is “enough.” Where we go to Church and don’t give a second thought to others going to synagogue or whatever. The upside is natural living under God. That’s precisely what Neptune is. It’s what Christ tried to tell us about, what Moses pointed to, what Buddha was imbued with as well as what Mohammed was drunk with: Spirit. Neptune directions are the Ten Commandments, Joseph Smith’s golden plates, the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, and the Koran. Need I go on? We all hear God differently because we all have different ears.

We have to stop playing “I’m right” and “You’re wrong”

Where are we going wrong now? How can I even address this question? We all know where we go wrong, and I don’t mean sin either. The major non-Neptunian illusion that we are caught up in is the word “lack.” There simply is none. That is the illusion. That’s what keeps us fighting – and we – nor they, ever win. IT ISN’T POSSIBLE TO WIN UNLESS WE ALL WIN.

Victory can only come through loss – loss of self – that, is Neptune and Pisces

If you really don’t believe that, then tell me what war ever made things work out? Yes, the Allies beat Hitler, thank goodness, but that peace only lasted 5 years. Who said, “Whatever you did unto one of the least, you did unto me?” That is our answer. I’m not preaching here. I’m simply reminding you and me. I’m showing how the planets symbolize parts of God’s energy, compassion and intelligence. We can stay glued to imagined separateness or else we can surrender our will.

Look at where following our wills has gotten us

Some have health care, some don’t. Some have 3 homes, some have none. Some have food, many have little. Whatever “ism” we choose to adopt, let’s hope it is an “ALLism.” Isn’t that what all spiritual leaders have preached? Neptune doesn’t preach, the time is UP. Neptune will no longer support actions that separate us from others and from our neighbors. Neptune is the ocean of non-duality.

What are the ramifications? Great losses, or great gain. Either one. No more faking it out. The Moon is our planet's source emotionally. That means we have love and plenty to share. What we need is to voluntarily say goodbye to the old ways; ones of arms; ones of bipartisanship; ones of greed; ones of thinking that you cannot do something significant because you are only One person. I believe this, when one person acts with great intention, one can defeat armies.

The negative ramifications are too horrible to think about. I think we all see how close to the edge we have come to - all because we have not collectively and individually listened to these same warnings ad nauseum. Pestilence is a major keyword for Neptune too. So are poverty and dissolution. We don’t need to go on. It’s in our face right now. It’s melting away right now. It’s everywhere, and unlike Neptunian fogs, it’s very real. We have paid for our hatred and bigotry and still haven’t learned that lesson.

What are the warning signs to our collective psyche? Simply put: insanity. We’ve already gone crazy. Acting separately brings us insanity because separateness is an illusion. Defending what is “mine” vs. what is “yours” brings us insanity. Neptune is no fool. It is the ultimate truth of the zodiac. When a family is united, it is heaven, and when it is not, it truly is hell. It’s the same for our collective country and planet. We simply must believe and adhere to these age-old tenets. We have no choice. If not, we encounter other warning signs: anguish, pain, suffering, loss, disease, loneliness, fear, fear and more fear. There is only one fear – and that is one of separateness which we ironically insist on clinging to.

What are the warning signs to us “physically?” Loss of boundaries. Loss of nationality. Loss of language. Oil spills, viruses, pollution, over-use of chemical fertilizers, ineffective antibiotics are all Neptunian. Dissolving land masses. New Orleans and the delta are surely the country’s “drain.” Look at what Katrina and the Oil Spill (Neptune) have done to erode our Gulf region. And, voilà!, the oil just magically disappeared! This is symbolic: Our land is washing out in front of our noses because we have not been grounded in spirit. And, if you think there is no direct connection between our attitudes and land erosion, you are deceiving yourself. How can we have a “throw-away” society and not have land-fills full to the brim? Uncertainy abounds in just about every state of our “ United States .” Just how united are we?

What can be done? Once again, we continually have to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps and effort our spiritual direction again. It is an on-going war as Arjuna told us long ago. Unfortunately, it seems to be embedded in human nature, whatever that is.

It has always been the same story. Separateness in any form makes us lose. Oneness and love makes us win. There needs to be no explanation. This is not complex. Neptune dissolves unreal barriers – thank God.

We are not human – we are divine – that is what God told us and, THAT is our answer

11/2 Moon opposes Jupiter & Uranus – In the midst of all this on-going tension from Pluto, a welcome reprieve is seen with the Moon. This time, upbeat Moon in Virgo picks up great energy from the traveling pair of Jupiter and Uranus. This will give us a glimpse of our personal liberation which will take place in early April of 2011. Optimism will abound now and you should take the opportunity to do something fun and perhaps even nonsensical. Jupiter says, “Who, me?”

11/6 New Moon 13°e40’ 12:52a – Just that quickly, we’re back into strong Scorpionic energies. These are times to rededicate yourself to your commitments. A great time to show appreciation for what you have. Purity of heart – that’s Scorpio. You will be put on the spot to show how you really feel about things or someone. This is no time to fool around. If you’re going to fall in love now, you’re just going to have to let go and fall.

11/7 Neptune goes Retrograde 1:05a – As Neptune pivots and temporarily unhitches itself from Chiron, we should notice significant changes in our spiritual direction. It will bring about a feeling like, “If I’m going to get on with my spiritual work, I’m going to have to do it myself. No more counting on the group or others with similar interests.” It is solitary work. Take advantage of this time in history: it is rare that the two powerhouses, Neptune and Chiron, travel together. A tremendous time for spiritual inspiration.

11/7 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS 2:00a E 1:00a – turn your clocks back one hour. But, I thought you told me to meet you at 2am ? Which one did you mean?

11/18 Jupiter goes Direct 11:55a – Here we go again, Jupiter and Uranus are now heading towards each other in late Aquarius! They’ll get close and then start traveling together again. Thelma and Louise are making plans. You know they’re up to no good. We start to plan our escape once again. This is no joke. We start to plan our escape. Think about it – the time is right!

11/18 Venus goes Direct 4:19p – As Venus starts to travel direct in Libra once again, romance issues should start to work out again. No time for holding back. A great time to go forward with interior decorating too. Probably most people will get feverish at this point in time for decorating for the Holy Days.

11/21 Full Moon 29°_18’ 12:27p – This lunation takes place exactly on the Pleiades in late Taurus. Called the “Weeping Sisters,” this dual star system is one of the night sky’s wonders. Through the years, however, I have found no real reason to weep about this degree of the zodiac. Again we will come into a very emotional few days as family matters escalate. When the Moon is happy, the family is happy.

11/22 Sun enters Sagittarius 5:15a – We always welcome the Sun into Sagittarius. Astrology’s most over-rated sign will enjoy the happy stay of the Sun. In general, Sag times are times to plan for your education, time to travel, and mostly, to enjoy your life. It’s a time to look forward with confidence and happiness.

11/24-25, Thanksgiving Moon in Cancer at Bucket Handle – With the Moon traveling all by itself across the zodiac from the all the other planets, we’ll find her quite lonely. The Moon is not made to travel by herself. Look for great moodiness and quite a tendency to brood and wallow. Fight these feelings but at the same time do take seriously whether you are getting your needs met or not.

11/29 Venus enters Scorpio 7:35p – Romantic matters get a lot more serious now. Jewelry sales go way up. Guys finally have to commit. You might even have to skip a Steeler game or two. Imagine that.

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May the planets be with you as you find your Starself!” - Rick

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