Well, first of all, the “square” part means that using a standard American Ephemeris, the two planets appear to be at 90 degree angles to each other in the sky. So what right? Well you can stick your “so what” up Uranus, because as we said, the last time this transit occurred was in the middle of the depression, and almost exactly at the moment Hitler truly began to seize power by exploiting angry impoverished citizens with lies. The exact date of the first Uranus/Pluto square back then was September 1, 1932. This is when Herman Goering was elected President of the Reichstag, which paved the way for Hitler becoming Chancellor a few months later. The 1960′s were influenced by a different kind of Uranus/Pluto transit known as a “conjunction”. This is when two planets appear to occupy the same location in the sky, something that was presented rather graphically with the recent transit of Venus and the Sun.

You Still Haven’t Explained What This MEANS Though

Alright already! Hold your horoscopes. This is complicated stuff. One of the basic ideas in astrology is that all planets represent certain kinds of energies in life. Mercury has to do with travel and communication; Venus symbolizes things related to love and beauty; Mars, the will and ego drives; Jupiter, expansion and benefic events; Saturn, restraint or oppression, and so on. The “inner planets” – which in Astrology refers to the Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars – generally make more sense in a personal context because their cycles are much shorter, because their orbits are smaller. Lunar transits can seem almost ignorable, because they can pass in hours, but Mars, for instance, takes over two years to orbit the sun, so its transit effects may linger a bit.

The “outer planets” however – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto – are often associated with generational influences or even paradigm shifts in social evolution, as in the shifts in fundamental human belief like the shift from the mystical to the scientific, and within contexts like that, the shifts from Newtonian to Einsteinian thought. For an incredibly in-depth look at these concepts, check out Cosmos and Psyche, as I previously suggested in my (Not Terribly Vigorous) Defense Of Astrology

The next part of this is the “aspect” in question, which in this case is a “square”, which as we explained above means that two planets appear to be at 90 degree angles to each other. Squares, on a superficial level, are perceived as “difficult” transits. To outline the other types of transits in this superficial fashion, here’s a quick rundown:

Conjunction – Simply merges or combines the energies of the two planets
Sextile (60 degrees) – An “energizing” combination of the two planets’ energies
Square (90 degrees) – The energies interact at “cross purposes” to each other
Trine (120 degrees) – The energies are in a relationship of “ease”
Opposition (180 degrees) – The energies are “opposed”

There are many more types of aspects, and the combination of various planets’ energies in transits can be complicated. Some planets work well in opposition, some are disruptive rather than energizing in a sextile, and so on. The big scary thing about a Uranus/Pluto square is that these are two of the most intense energies in human experience, and they’re in what is typically considered a “difficult” aspect.

Uranus represents change, invention, disruption, revolution and higher awareness. Its effect can be experienced as shocking, and it is by nature unpredictable and erratic in its manifestation. Pluto represents deep unconscious drives, power and authority, and destructive transformation and renewal. Its effects can feel grinding and sinister, and are often associated with the death of something as a necessary step in transformation.

As a result of the intense symbology and historic context of this transit, the focus here is obviously on some kind of disruption of a status quo, but which way will it go? Will the masses rise up and overturn the greed and corruption of political leaders that are destroying the common good, or will this be a segue into even MORE Plutonian oppression, but this time via corporate rule rather than nation-state rule?

Who knows. But one other thing you might want to keep an eye peeled for are disturbing disruptions of security in technology, and more widespread use of secrecy in authority. For more in-depth explorations of the symbology and timelines of this astrological event, check out Revolution & Revelation The Uranus-Pluto Square by Nick Anthony Fiorenza, which goes into exceptionally well-presented detail, including graphical timelines and much more thorough explanations than I’ve gone into here.

This image makes more sense
when you see the whole thing.

I find it interesting that the media forces behind the political movement in America that fancies itself to be somehow modeled after the protests of the Boston Tea Party are amongst the loudest voices proclaiming that the teachers, fireman, police officers and others who are protesting to protect the livelihood of the working class in Wisconsin are “rabid mobs of criminals and thugs”. I also find it interesting that in spite of plans for a “day of rage”, the Saudi Arabian monarchy managed to prove once again that the best way to oppress people is to tell them that God wants it that way. And in efforts to squelch information elsewhere, it’s likely that the appeal by the lawyers of Wikileaks’ Julian Assange will fail, and he will be extradited to Sweden, and later be snagged by the US government, in keeping with the Swedish government’s previous complicity in US-organized rendition and torture. One minor problem the US government may face is where to torture people like Assange now; the Egyptian protesters seem to have breached their favorite destination for torture. Not to worry though, they can just stick him naked in a cell with Bradley Manning if they have to, right? But these are interesting times, and I don’t think that these conventional methods are going to stop the slowly growing sense of injustice that’s spreading around the world. It’s becoming difficult to even keep track of where exactly the unrest is; this CNN summary covers much of the Mideast, but almost no media sources are talking about what’s happening in Portugal for instance. And aside from the public protests, there’s another interesting movement afoot. One that will be very difficult to target as an “enemy”, because it has no body, no face, no singular agenda, and no headquarters. I’m not only talking about hacktivists like Wikileaks and Anonymous. I’m talking about people like me, and maybe you. People who have enough common sense to realize that in almost every country in the world, the concern for collective well-being is no longer about which political party is in office, but which corporations own them. Hacktivists will obviously play a role for a while, but in an environment of protests, whistleblowing, and crackdowns against them, it will be hard to keep the facts straight. One recent example of this was when, in an hilarious variation on the ancient adage “if you meet the buddha on the road, kill him“, the American media was hoodwinked in a huge way about the nature of the amorphous internet group Anonymous. MSNBC recently interviewed a fellow who claims to be a “senior strategist and propagandist” for Anonymous, and even tech blogs like this one took the bait and ran with it. People seem to just eat this stuff up; one of the few sources you’ll find that questions the likely fallacy of this fellow’s claims is TheOtherMcCain.com. It doesn’t take a genius to piece together that a group of extremely intelligent anarchistic programmers probably doesn’t send their chain-smoking general to lay out their agenda on MSNBC. Another example is a recent Gawker piece that asks What Does Anonymous Have on Bank of America?, and then goes on to basically say “nothing”. But that you should watch for that nothing this coming Monday. Careful Gawker, remember what happened last time you got Anonymous pissed off. But I personally expect to see more unrest, and to see it fueled by the kind of leaks that can only happen via the internet. Regardless of whether you approve of the specific actions of groups like Anonymous or Wikileaks, or individuals like Bradley Manning, they’re going to affect you. It may be impossible to intentionally engineer a bankrun, but the seed gets planted in the mind, and when the dirt comes out on a politician like Scott Walker in Wisconsin, we’ll see more events like the bankrun by Wisconsin fireman against M&I. Anonymous may be more on the mark than we think with the slogan “none of us is as cruel as all of us”.

*One of Might’s best pieces ever was Hired and Fired Within 3 Hours! by Harmon Leon.

Steal Something from Work Day – Redefining April 15th

April 15 is Steal Something From Work Day!

Apparently even the prayers of Ronald McDonald won’t protect the riot cops of Southeast Asia…

All photos Boston.com’s Big Picture

I’ve been a little hard on Michael Moore in the past, but in my heart of hearts I believe that, much like President Obama (who I think is a good man swimming in a shark tank), his heart is probably in the right place, regardless of where his ego is. My only real criticism of his films – that they seem more geared toward entertainment and profit than action – is pointless. It’s not his fault that Americans won’t watch a serious film about a serious topic, or that no approach seems to motivate them to act on the things that make them angry or unhappy. So I’m pretty excited to see what Moore has put together this time for Capitalism: A Love Story , due for an October 2, 2009 release. I’ve written plenty on topics like corporate vs individual rights, bailout apathy, fictitious capital, and revolution; so I have some hope that although no-one seems to mind that grotesquely wealthy Americans are getting wealthier while other Americans are going hungry and enjoying a 16.5% nationwide unemployment rate, maybe they’ll still want to learn a bit about it while munching on some popcorn.

During the reign of a corrupt government, a country faces a major financial crisis, triggered in part by the cost of engaging in an overseas war, and exacerbated by an unequal system of taxation. Eventually the middle class of this country grows tired of the corrupt beauracracy and stages a revolution. Sounds like the storyline for a realistic, near-future dystopian film, doesn’t it? Well, if you know your history, you’ll recognize the scenario as what we more commonly refer to as the “French Revolution”. Which is an amusing coincidence (but not ironic), since the expensive overseas war that brought the French all these financial woes was the American Revolution, and both events are celebrated this month; the US celebrates its independence on July 4, and Bastille Day is on July 14. We’ve been prattling on a lot lately about our right to revolution, so if you feel the motives utilized by both the French and the colonial Americans were legitimate and would like to start another revolution, I’d like to suggest perhaps we get things rolling on July 9. Not only is it conveniently between the two dates, but it’s my birthday and would make the day very special for me for the rest of my life. I promise I’ll come up with some catchy slogan involving the consumption of sweets or pastries or something, and maybe we’ll end up with some cool new idea like the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. I personally think that notion needs a refresh, how ’bout you?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about our social contract, and how the Right of Revolution is written right into the second paragraph of America’s Declaration of Indpendence. Why has this been on my mind? Because I honestly think our system of government is broken. I mean, broken from a citizen’s point of view; from the point of view of those who rule, everything’s pretty much how they like it. The masses are busy watching TV and laboring to buy things they can’t afford, and the power structure is resistant to anything short of a lobby group that’s backed by millions of dollars, or an all out revolution. And things are failing. Education is failing, health care is an atrocity, financial institutions have failed, major industries are collapsing, and even basic civility has taken a major hit over the last 20 or 30 years. So when will we as a collective react? I was inspired a little bit recently when a friend pointed me to a bunch of information about Situationist International, the French movement of the 50′s and 60′s that is credited with motivating the May 1968 wildcat strikes that literally brought France to a standstill. Why? Because in my view, nothing has been more detrimental to what I value as an American than the Ayn Randian pursuit of self interest and wealth, driven by the lie that greedy entrepeneurship would have some kind of dividend for society as a whole. As I watch friends (who bought into this system and worked hard at careers because of its promised security) lose their jobs, and in some cases their homes, I can’t help thinking there’s a different solution. And I see some interesting ideas in Situationists values; in his 1967 book Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord argued that “spectacular features” like mass media and advertising have a central role in an advanced capitalist society, which is to show a fake reality in order to mask the real capitalist degradation of human life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-capitalist (and I’m no political scientist!), but I don’t think the capitalist society we live in is the same one that our grandfathers lived in. I feel safe in saying that our country is more like an oligarchical technocracy, in which second and third generation wealth derived from industry has made it nearly impossible for a hardworking capitalist to break out of his social strata. So what do you think. Are you tired of the way things are? Are you tired of the anxiety of not having your car, home, or credit cards payed off? Do you owe thousands of dollars for student loans that didn’t provide you with the education that got you the job that was supposed to help you pay them off? Do you think, especially given the corruption of democracy we’ve seen in the past decade, and the new administration’s commitment to the status quo, that your vote matters? I don’t. If you’re ready for a revolution, give me a call. I won’t wait up though, I’m pretty sure you’re just fine with the way things are.

Iranians don’t seem to be taking it lying down….

These photos are from Mousavi1388′s photostream:

If we stormed a prison in America today, we’d only be freeing a bunch of corrupt politicians. That is, if our justice system worked. Hats off to the French in celebration of the republic. We could use a little revolution ourselves about now. And for all you France-bashers out there: shut up and eat your fries. All 24 pounds of them. Any country that has Carla Bruni as First Lady is doing things better than we are.