Kelly Goldberg sent the birth date for the younger of the two suspects in the Boston bombings–the one who is still on the run as this is written. She writes: “his DOB is  7/22/1993 and he is thought to be of Chechen origin as in Chechnya. This was on MSNBC- from a wanted poster from FBI.”

I am on deadline for my advice column for Dell Horoscope, but will leave this to you to do with as you will.  Leave your thoughts in the comment section below this post.

Regards to you all–I really miss blogging, but besides the book on stelliums I am writing, I’m juggling my columns and preparing two lectures about stelliums for the NORWAC Astrology Conference in Seattle weekend. (Read about this much-loved conference here: NORWAC: Northwest Astrological Conference.)

©4-9-13 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Hi, Folks, I’m still working hard on my book about stelliums and two lectures for the NORWAC conference in Seattle on Memorial Day weekend. (Read about this much-loved conference here: NORWAC: Northwest Astrological Conference.)

However, a lot of new Skywriter readers have joined us and have missed out on some of our past series, so here are links to posts about those minor aspects that are so puzzling in our charts.

• Understanding  Semisquares—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  the Sesquiquadrate—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  Septiles–Your Input Needed
• Understanding  Semisquares—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  the Sesquiquadrate—Your Input Needed
• Understanding  Septiles–Your Input Needed
• Understanding  the BiQuintile—Your Input Needed
• Quincunx  vs. BiQuintile–an Answer from Numerology?
• The Not so  Minor Aspects—Results of Our Research
• Planets in Mutual Reception—Join our Online Research
• Understanding Quintiles—What’s YOUR Talent?
• Cosmic  Piñata #7: Readers’ Observations about Quintiles and other Aspects
• Heinous  Hybrids—Why the Quincunx is No Minor Aspect
• Part 2—the  Transiting Quincunx
• Part 3: Steps in Analyzing a Quincunx plus More New Insights
• Part 4: How to Harmonize the Tensions of a Quincunx

So long for a while, folks.  I’ve enjoyed this forum and our exchanges immensely, but need to focus these next several months on finishing my book on stelliums and preparing my lectures for the NORWAC conference in Seattle Memorial Day weekend.  I also won’t be available by email or phone, and can’t answer your comments or  chart questions. I’ll be back on Skywriter next fall.  Hasta la Vista!  Donna

©3-13-13 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Although I’m supposed to be writing my book about stelliums, I am so enjoying our interchanges here on Skywriter that it’s hard not to blog daily. (The book, incidentally, is going very well and will be out in Mid-May.)

Today I wanted to share briefly about something that’s been troubling me for quite some time, and that is how much more harsh and judgmental many people are since Pluto went into Capricorn. Capricorn does represent perfectionism and high standards, and Pluto wants to dig in and to transform the things it finds wrong.Together, however, they are anything but a kind combination. (I’m not saying that everyone is like this,  understand, but that it’s an increasing tendency in society as a whole.)

I see a pervasive snobbish, elitist tendency in the world at large of judging of anything or anyone that falls short of perfection. Empathy and giving others the benefit of the doubt seem to be qualities on the endangered list. So often, these harsh criticisms of both self and others are paired with a sense of entitlement and a lack of gratitude–nothing is ever good enough.

When I was quite young, I went as a lark to get my palm read by a wise and kindly older woman. She told me that I had great potential but a very low opinion of myself. She observed that I could not accept compliments, that I would cancel them out with self-criticism. She told me to compliment others whenever I saw something good about them, and that this would help me to love myself as well.

I have always followed her advice, and indeed it did help me to love myself, but, most of all, I learned to compliment others genuinely and to take great pleasure in doing so. It’s never flattery, for I seem incapable of feeding an overbearingly hungry ego with undeserved praise.

But I do see a rather harsh world that gives people little recognition of their efforts, and now, more than ever, when I admire something in someone, I will tell them so even if they are a complete stranger. If I can brighten someone’s day, it makes my day also.

Readers, please share in the comment section the ways you deserve to feel good about yourself. How are you working hard to make yourself and your world a better place? We all deserve more credit than this Pluto in Capricorn era is giving us.

 ©3-11-13 by Donna Cunningham

In the last several posts, we’ve been exploring some effects that we could attribute to the transit of Uranus through Aries. We have nominated quite a few candidates for this phenomenon, but we’ve focused somewhat strongly on the more difficult and even alarming manifestations.

It’s true that Uranus transits can produce the some startling and even somewhat shocking new developments—it certainly shakes up the status quo!  (Not that the status quo couldn’t use some changes!) And yet Uranus transits also bring positive and much needed changes, particularly in inventions and helpful new technology. Aries is an innovative sign in itself, full of youthful energy and hope.

Today I like to hear Readers speculations about what positive changes we might see during this seven-year transit. 

©3-9-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

When one of the outer planets—Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto—changes signs, astrologers’ first task is to observe closely what changes the new sign placement of that planet is ushering in. These slow-moving planets have such a long orbit around the Sun that they tend to remain in one sign for up to a decade or longer.

In the case of Uranus, the orbit takes 84 years, and its stay in a single sign is about seven years. Very few people are still alive who have Uranus in Aries natally, and I doubt whether a single practicing astrologer has lived through the transit of Uranus through that sign. Therefore, we’re all still groping to understand what Uranus in Aries means, and we may have some theories, but observing what is going on around us is the more valuable tool.

In the last post, I shared my observations about new phrases in our language that could be attributed to Uranus in Aries, and I invited readers to add their own observations in the comment section. As always, there was a lively discussion. It made me continue to think about Uranus in Aries, and to see more correlations between that sign and planet.

©3-1-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Uranus is the trendsetter planet, and when it shifts signs, we see new developments in style, language, and innovation. Most of all, it shows what the public is excited about. I’m noticing a couple of ways that Uranus’s shift into Aries has already affected our language.

I’ve been ill with a terrible case of bronchitis all week and unable to sleep, so I’m exhausted. But beyond that, the closer we get to the session, the more misgivings I’ve had.

The 12^th house is such a private and even secret part of us, and this is a public forum, so not a good place to share those close to the chest questions. Much of what goes on in the 12^th is less than conscious, so I am uneasy about bringing out what is hidden and not being able to gauge people’s reactions to what I say to them, as would be possible in an in-person counseling session.

(And, no, I’m not available for private sessions, as I retired from them 5 years ago for good reason. So please don’t write to me privately for an interpretation. I wonder if Tracy Marks is still taking clients—I’m still wowed by the depth of her book. Read about it here: A Book about the 12th House that will Help You Love Yourself)

I ‘ve missed the Q&A sessions in the year and a half I have away from blogging, and am open to suggestions of other topics. Let’s try again!

Related Skywriter Posts about Releasing Toxic Relationships:

This series has brought me many new insights and much to ponder, in particular about the kinds of relationships those of us who are major introverts are prone to having. The isolation some 12^th house types experience when we’re uncomfortable with being out in the world can make finding relationships where we feel connected and cherished so important that we’ll put up with all kinds of pain in a secret or codependent relationship.

I also often observe a deep sense of shame in people whose 12th house is prominent. We’ve already spoken about ways our extremely extroverted society tells us there’s something wrong with us. However, the shame can have a deeper cause. Often that sense of being unworthy comes from holding in family secrets that make them believe they don’t deserve love.

Note: If your 4^th house or 10^th house ruler falls in the 12^th or if planets in the 12^th aspect the 4^th or 10^th house cusp, it’s possible that you get into codependent relationships because one or both of your parents was addicted/alcoholic or otherwise seriously dysfunctional. If so, educating yourself about codependency can be the start of changing that pattern.

FREE DOWNLOAD: One of the chapters of my ebook, Counseling Principles for Astrologers explores relationship patterns of adult children of alcoholics, plus codependency and its implications for practicing astrologers in depth. Download it here: ch7 – codependency.

At the same time that some of us suffer with those feeling of isolation, we’re pulled in two directions—part of us wants a deep love connection, but another part of us craves solitude and needs alone time on a regular basis. One painful outcome of juggling this set of conflicting needs is an unconscious decision to get involved with people who aren’t available or who are commitment phobic. Intense periods of merging are followed by crises in the relationship—anguishing break ups and heavenly making up. (Been there, done that to death, but am free of the pattern now.)

Another quality of many 12^th house people is a sincere desire to serve, to do something to alleviate the suffering we see around us. But when our own unfulfilled needs enter the picture, we can become addicted to being needed, as it provides a relief from the sense of isolation and boosts our often-low self-esteem. Codependent relationships that spring from an urgent need to feel needed can readily turn toxic.

12^th House-Based Relationships you’d be better off Kicking to the Curb: Secret connections, such as extramarital affairs. Drinking buddies, people who enable you and people you enable. Users and abusers. Secret enemies and those who undermine us—the part of ourselves that makes us our own worst enemy.

12^th House-Based Relationships to Cherish: Spiritual teachers, inspirational speakers, and companions on the spiritual path. People who support your recovery from addictions and other self-defeating patterns. People you give to who give back by nurturing and supporting you when you go through tough times of your own.

CyberDating is a tempting way for 12^th house types who don’t feel comfortable leaving their homes and going out to bars or parties to meet potential partners. We’ve all heard success stories as well as horror stories, so here are two good sites for learning how to ensure your safety: Psych Central – Tips for Safe Online Dating And Online Dating Safety Tips | Experience Online Dating – The Safe Way.

Articles on the 12^th House and Relationships by other Astrologers

Here are some articles about Venus in the 12^th by other astrologers who have a variety of insights and perspectives. If what they say about your own relationships fits, use it. If not, keep looking for some light on how to use the 12^th well when it comes to love.

• Venus in 12th House | The Astrology Place
• Venus in the 12th house – Astrology in Depth (“It seems the most attractive people to 12th house Venuses are those that are unavailable.”)
• Jo Tracey Astrology » Venus in 12th house
• Love in Hiding — Venus in the 12th House « Healing Universe
• Relationship Astrology (2) Connecting from the 12th House
• The Composite Chart and the 12th House: The Ghost at the Door …
• Horoscopes of celebrities with Venus in 12th House – Astrotheme

Related Skywriter Posts about Releasing Toxic Relationships:

• Saturn in Scorpio—Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?
• Stuck in Toxic Relationships? Check your Soul Contract!
• More on Clearing Toxic Relationships
• Feeling Drained by a Relationship? Cut those Psychic Cords!
• What your Astrology Chart Says about your Boundary Issues

• Saturn in Scorpio—Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?
• Stuck in Toxic Relationships? Check your Soul Contract!
• More on Clearing Toxic Relationships
• Feeling Drained by a Relationship? Cut those Psychic Cords!
• What your Astrology Chart Says about your Boundary Issues

Tracy Marks, who has been an astrologer and licensed therapist for decades, has written several significant and helpful astrological books with a solid psychological foundation, such as her immensely useful book on T-Squares.

In preparing this series on the 12^th house, I was, frankly, awed to encounter her remarkably insightful and profoundly healing book on the 12^th house: Tracy Marks, Your Secret Self: Illuminating the Mysteries of the Twelfth House, Ibis Press, Lake Worth, FL, 2010.

There’s a limit to how much I can quote without permission from the publisher, but here’s a taste of the jewels in her brilliant analysis of the 12^th house Sun:

©2-8-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

I wish they had a virtual metal detector to help uncover the gold that gets buried in the comment sections of many of the posts on this site. If I can be allowed to brag on my readers, they are a bright, introspective, insightful bunch. Getting back to blogging after more than a year away, I enjoy their input all the more.

 Since many of you don’t follow the comment section, I wanted to share some great exchanges and observations from the recent posts about the 12^th house.

About an Empty 12^th House: Mun asks, “My 12th House ( in Cancer ) is empty. Will you write an article about the empty 12th House?”

©2-7-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 Today we’re going to roll up  our collective sleeves to find out how the sign on the 12^th house cusp applies to the ways we handle the patterns the 12^th house describes. 

Even if your 12^th house is empty, you can find out a lot about yourself from analyzing the sign on the cusp of that house.  Further insight would come from looking through your natal chart for the planet that rules that sign, since that’s the ruler of your 12^th house.

For instance, if you have Cancer on the 12^th, look for the Moon, which would be the 12^th house ruler. If you have Sagittarius on the 12^th, look for Jupiter. Consider the ruler’s sign, house and aspects to see where in your life you’re likely to act in a 12^th house way.

A Template for Interpreting Your 12^th House Sign

The tool you’ll work with here is one I’ve used extensively in my books and classes. It can be very productive in stimulating insight into any given combination of house and sign, planet in sign or house, or aspects between planets.

©2-5-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 In this Skywriter series, we’re exploring the ways people express their 12^th house planets. This little-understood and much maligned placement has traditionally been assigned a variety of unfortunate attributes. I’m hoping that together we can gain new insight into how it can be used in a balanced way, capitalizing on its strengths and avoiding self-destructive behaviors.

My impression, from doing charts for close to 45 years, is that many of us 12^th house folks are introverts, and that we both love and need  our times of solitude. Many of us find that being in the company of others—especially in groups—for any length of time can be anywhere from distracting to draining.

One of the things that keeps us from feeling okay about ourselves is that the Western world places a judgment on introversion. It’s seen as being maladjusted, like it’s something we need to fix. We’re told we need get therapy, get a lover, or get a life. 

2-1-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 As readers of this blog know, we’re in the middle of a series of articles exploring the 12^th house of the astrology chart. I’m also simultaneously writing a book about stelliums, and this week the writing is going exceptionally well, so I haven’t had time to do anything on the series. However, this post is one of two planned with links to articles on the 12^th by other authors.

In searching the internet for articles about the 12^th house, I came across this excellent series by an astrologer named Julie O’Mahoney. I didn’t find a bio or contact information, so I couldn’t write to her. Although that kind of omission often serves as a red flag on an internet site,  in this case, the writing is illuminating, insightful and sensitive and the illustrations are exquisite. Perhaps she’s just an extremely evolved and exceptionally private 12^th house type.

©1-27-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

All of a sudden, I’ve been hearing from so many Skywriter Readers with 12^th house stelliums that it’s got me curious. Do you folks have a newsgroup or something? The 12^th IS the house of secrets, so is there a secret society, perhaps? With a secret handshake and passwords?

And, if there is one, why haven’t I been invited to join? I’ve surely paid my dues—70 years of living with a 12^th house Sun-Jupiter conjunction has had me on a lifelong quest to discover how to use it well.

There are already 10 articles on the 12th in the archives here, which you’ll see links to below. Still, your questions have made it clear that this topic is far from exhausted. So I’m creating a new series to explore some of the many manifestations of this complicated sector of the chart. I LOVE a good meaty series, with readers joining in!

©1-25-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 I don’t know why astrology is never included in those lists they so often print of things you can do to prevent health problems, economic ruin, fallen arches, and other woes. It’s certainly saved my bacon countless times in the nearly 45 years I’ve been following it!

How about you, Readers? Has knowing about a natal or transiting aspect in your chart ever warned you away from a pothole on your path? I’d love it if you’d share the story with us in the comment section of this post. 

 ©1-11-13 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

I’ve been thinking about mutual receptions a lot lately because when Saturn went into Scorpio on October 6^th, it moved into a long-lasting mutual reception with Pluto in Capricorn. I’ve been speculating on what that means for the many young people with stelliums in early Capricorn born in the late 1980s to early 1990s.

For those of you who don’t know much about mutual reception, it’s a connection that forms between two planets when they’re each traveling through the zodiac sign that the other planet rules. In this instance, Saturn is in Scorpio, the sign ruled by Pluto, while at the same time, Pluto is in Capricorn, the sign Saturn rules.

As it happens, the Pluto/Saturn mutual reception wasn’t the only one that started in October. Jupiter has been in Mercury–ruled Gemini since last June, but on October 28, Mercury moved into Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius.

To my way of thinking, mutual reception is similar in some respects to the so-called minor aspects like a septile or biquintile. The general perception seems to be that a mutual reception is a good thing—a “one hand washes the other” kind of synergy. But who is it good for? And what is it good for?

©1-5-2013 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

This is a time of year when we naturally reflect on the past year, what we learned from it, and where we go from here, and this is especially true when we’re also having important Saturn transits. We often find ourselves in challenging situations that mirror situations and people that have been important during past Saturn cycles—7, 14, 21, or 28 years ago.

 In fact, it is common for the very same people we were involved with during those cycles —or people eerily like them—to suddenly show up, expecting to pick up again at the very same place.

©12/24/12 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Well, we all made it through the end of the world. What better way to start the Post-Mayan Calendar age than with a new perspective on our more troublesome relationships?

The most painful and toxic relationships often involve bad boundaries on both parties’ sides.

If you’re worried that establishing better boundaries means an end to connections with certain important people in your life, that may not be the case. I am thinking of an intermittently troublesome friendship that went through a big crisis and nearly ended a couple of years ago when I made my boundaries clearer, and it is now a happy, peaceful, and irreplaceable friendship.

Here, to give you some things to consider about those relationships, are links to past articles on Skywriter about boundaries:

 12/21/12, at long last!

Happy End of the World. I don’t believe it for a moment, because the world has already supposedly ended six times in my 45 years of metaphysical studies, and we’re still here. I secretly kinda wish it would happen, because humanity could surely use a do over at this point in time. Maybe if we had it to do all over again, we would be kinder to one another.

 In the unlikely event that today is our last day, there are still a few hours left to work on something practical – letting go of longtime toxic relationships that we feel we have to keep in case it’s karma. Did someone in particular spring to mind the minute you read that? That’s who you should start with.

 To help, I’m publishing an excerpt from Diana Stone’s remarkable new book, Playing the Ascension Game. She’s  both a master astrologer with decades of experience and a long-time shamanic practictioner.  I count the day Diana and I met and became instant old friends the luckiest day in my life.   

This 500-page collection of essays about Diana’s lifetime of courageous metaphysical and shamanic explorations answers many important and puzzling questions about why the spiritual path is so full of potholes in this era. With her permission, I am printing this excerpt that deals with soul contracts, the source of both our most blessed and our most toxic relationships.

©12-11-12 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 I’m watching continuous television coverage of a shooting in the food court of a local shopping mall by a man in a white plastic  Jason mask at the peak of Christmas shopping this afternoon. Close by, children were in line to meet Santa as a dozen shots rang out. Two shoppers were killed, one critically wounded, and ultimately the shooter turned the rifle on himself. The mall was locked down, and the police forces of several surrounding towns converged on the scene.

The exact time of the shooting is known, because a customer in the adjacent Barnes and Noble bookstore was handed a receipt just as the shots rang out. He showed it when he was interviewed on  TV. It was time-stamped 3:27 PM PST. It took place at Clackamas Town Center, a mall in a suburb of Portland, OR.

 The Stellium Tool Kit—Managing Multiple Planets in One Sign or House

 Welcome to the world of stelliums and triple conjunctions–a world of vast potentials and yet of complicated and seldom easy life paths. If you have either of these patterns in your chart, then anywhere from three to seven of the solar system’s ten bodies fall within about 30° of the zodiac’s 360°.

As one of my students exclaimed when we had a lesson about them, “That’s a lotta watts in one small corner of the sky!”

Life can get hectic for people who have these features. It’s like being the head of a household of lively teenagers with all the tumultuous hormones of that stage of life. Someone’s always demanding attention; somebody’s feeling abused or put upon; at least one wants you to lay out money; and one is mad at you for not being parent of the year.

Getting them all to work in tandem isn’t just a tough job; it’s practically a miracle!

The saving grace of a household full of adolescents is that, if they’re managed well, they eventually grow up and have a shot at reaching their potential. So can the diverse planetary energies in a stellium or triple conjunction.

The Stellium Tool Kit is designed to help you bring out the best potentials of these configurations by understanding the sign, house, and planets involved and learning to use them effectively.

Sample: Download an excerpt from The Stellium Tool Kit here: TBL-Keywords for the Twelve Zodiac Signs .

If you, one of your loved ones, or an astrology client has this feature, you’re doubtlessly wondering what it means and how to get the most out of it. This ebooklet from Moon Maven Publications will give you a greater understanding of stelliums and multiple conjunctions and provide you with tools to channel their immense potential.

(To order, go to Official PayPal® Site | PayPal.com and send $12 to Donna Cunningham, with the email address of moonmave@spiritone.com .

Donna says, “The following is an excerpt from Mary English’s new book, How to Win the Trust of a Scorpio, available at http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Trust-Scorpio-guidance/dp/178099351X. I’ve enjoyed the originality and kindliness of other books I’ve seen in her series on the zodiac signs, and I’m pleased to have permission to publish a sample here.”

©2012 by Mary English

 When someone who is a Scorpio is in what I call ‘their power’ they can achieve great things. I know a number of people that work in social services as social workers, care assistants, care home managers (I’d love to do some research to find out how many matrons and managers of nursing/care/elderly homes are Scorpios) and they’re dealing everyday with ‘life and death’ issues. And it suits them because they’re not afraid of death.

So, what qualities do Astrologers say that Scorpio’s have?

Donna says: Mandi Lockley has written a timely and useful guide for those who will be affected by Saturn’s transit through Scorpio.  Included are interpretations of this transit through all 12 houses and to each of the natal planets. This brief excerpt is reprinted here with her permission.

A book excerpt, (c)2012 by Guest Blogger, Mandi Lockley

Saturn moves into Scorpio on 5 October 2012. On 23 December 2014 Saturn enters Sagittarius. Then, on 15 June 2015 Saturn in retrograde re-enters Scorpio, before finally settling in Sagittarius on 18 September 2015.¹

Saturn changes signs approximately every two and a half years. Saturn’s energy typically manifests on a social and physical level, but is also evident on the emotional, psychic, and psychological level.

Whatever sign Saturn is travelling through, we witness a crystallisation of that sign’s themes. From late 2009 to October 5, 2012, Saturn was in Libra (save for a retrograde back to Virgo from April to July 2010). This transit dealt with relationships, boundaries in relationships, peace and conflict and issues of sharing, yielding, compromise, negotiation and fairness.

Saturn was comfortable in Libra. This is because Libra is the sign of Saturn’s exaltation which means that Saturn’s energies are easily and positively expressed in Libra.

Now that Saturn moves into Scorpio, the theme of relationships takes a deeper, darker turn. Unlike Libra, Scorpio doesn’t like to yield or compromise. It likes to be in control and prefers to stubbornly hold its ground. In Scorpio, Saturn does not benefit from exaltation. It’s not a debilitating placement for Saturn. It’s just not an especially good one. Saturn in Scorpio is a bit of a lost soul, trying hard to find expression, often needing to go to extremes to get its job done.

(c)8-26-12 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 I’m working hard to finish a self-help booklet for people with stelliums or triple conjunctions—The Stellium Tool Kit—that will be available in just a few days. (If you want to be notified, subscribe to this blog.) The example chart used in the booklet is country singer, Taylor Swift. She was chosen because–like vast numbers born in 1988-89–she has a stellium of four planets in Capricorn.

The birth time for her chart, 8:36 PM, was noted on AstroTheme as coming from Twitter, with no other source. The time sounds very precise rather than guesswork, so Swift may have given it in response to a fan’s question. It must still be considered speculative. (Astrology: Taylor Swift, date of birth: 1989/12/13, Horoscope, Birth …)

©8-6-2012 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Various press sources are giving his birth date as Veterans’ Day, 1971.  This is problematic, however, because 1971 was the year when the U.S. temporarily changed Veterans’ Day from November 11 to the 4^th Monday in October, and kept it that way through 1975.  Some states complied, but others kept November 11. The U.S. Army Center of Military History notes:

“1971-1975  The Federal observance of Veterans Day is held on the fourth Monday of October. Initially all states follow suit except Mississippi and South Dakota. Other states changed their observances back to November 11 as follows: 1972- Louisiana and Wisconsin; 1974- Kentucky, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, South Carolina, West Virginia; 1975- California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming.’ (The History of Veterans Day – U.S. Army Center of Military History.)

Colorado is NOT on the list above, so it is ambiguous whether he was born on Veterans’ Day or not.  According to one article: Wade Michael Page Is The Suspected Wisconsin Temple Shooter“According to Texas court records, Page was born in Colorado and also used the last name Pierson.”   He also gives Colorado as his birthplace in several interviews on the internet including this one:  End Apathy ‘Skinhead’ Band: Wade Michael Page Hardcore Group … 

I’m wondering if the claim that he was born on Veterans’ Day originates with ex-soldier Page’s own publicity for his White Supremacy Rock Band, End Apathy.  In an interview he was asked where he came from, and he said Colorado.

At a press conference aired on CNN today, the Chief of Police for Oak Creek, WI John Edwards named the shooter as Wade Page and gave a date of birth in November 1971. Unfortunately, I was only half listening, having tuned in to see if they’d run film of the Mars landing.  I can’t be clear whether he said November 11 or November 1, but it sounded like November 1. I’m not alone in my confusion, as various internet reports on the conference shift back and forth between the 1^st and the 11^th.  However, a Veteran’s Day birth was confirmed in an article at CNN online:

“The man who shot six people to death and wounded three others during a rampage at a Sikh temple in a Milwaukee suburb was an Army veteran who may have been a white supremacist, authorities said Monday. Law enforcement officials sources familiar with the investigation named him as Wade Michael Page, 40. ….Page, born on Veterans Day in 1971, joined the Army in 1992 and left the service in 1998, according to Army Spokesman George Wright.” CNN, August 6, 2012 (Sources name suspect in deadly Sikh temple shooting.)

ASTROLOGERS AND ADVANCED STUDENTS:  Are you interested in learning how to interpret the Capricorn stelliums in the charts of vast numbers of young people born in the late 1980s-early 1990s? I’m going to be teaching an online seminar about it starting September 8^th. Read about it here: CapricornStellium.com

Readers: Did anyone else hear the CNN press conference, and what date did you hear?  Let us know in the comment section. 

(c)7-23-12 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

James  Holmes Birth Date—Suspect in Movie Theater Massacre

Solar chart, based on date of birth and location of the shooting, Aurora, Colorado. Note the curious 5-pointed star formation.

Below is a picture of his rifle range application, giving his date of birth as December 13, 1987.  I found this published in the UK’s Daily Mail on 7/23/12:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2177323/Colorado-gun-club-owner-Glenn-Rotkovich-rejected-James-Holmes-just-WEEKS-shooting-spree-freaky-answering-message.html

UPDATE 8/7/12:  Picnics writes, ” http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Holmes,_James_Eagan  astrodatabank is now citing his birth certificate for  James Eagan HOLMES born 13 December 1987  at 21:04 (= 9:04 PM ) PST h8w (is standard time)  La Jolla, San Diego County, California (32n51 / 117w16). Click on the link to see the actual birth chart.  Note that it places his Mars-Pluto conjunction in Scorpio on the IC, and among the things the IC shows is conditions at the end of life.   Thanks so much, Picnics!

©9-2011 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 One of the ongoing missions of this blog is to spread word of identity theft scams so my readers don’t fall for them. Today I want to mention some astrological transits that might signal vulnerability to identity theft and also to tell you about some inexpensive new ways of protecting yourself. 

 

 The following is an excerpt from a longer article on trines in my ebooklet, Aspect Analysis: the Building Blocks of Chart Interpretation. This 8-part tutorial reprinted from my series in The Mountain Astrologer includes step-by-step instructions on how to analyze conjunctions, sextiles, squares, trines, quincunxes and oppositions.

Aspects are the building blocks of serious astrology, moving you beyond single chart factors to integrating the many features a chart contains. Not only are they crucial in natal charts, they modify the qualities of transiting planets, progressions, and chart comparison. They powerfully impact outcomes in such diverse branches of our field as electional, horary, medical, and mundane.

Got Trines? You Must Be Living Right!

©2009 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 Trines are considered a lucky aspect that flows so naturally that accomplishing things seems effortless to the outside observer. Trines are 120° (plus or minus 5°) and four signs apart, though not always four houses apart. Most trines consist of two or more planets in the same element — air to air, fire to fire, water to water, or earth to earth. 

Because opportunities related to the planets in the trine tend to be handed to people who have it, a sense of entitlement can creep in. They may come to regard these perks as their due, simply because of who they are and what they represent to others in that sphere of life.  

(c) August 15, 2011 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

 Yesterday’s announcement of the opening of the second Saturn return blog was marred by one small mistake, a typo in the link to the blog. If you didn’t get there yesterday, here’s the correct link: 2nd Saturn Return Blog. I also want to share answers to a couple of questions from the comment section.