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Chris Klug, Snowboarder Extraordinaire |
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Monday, 22 February 2010 |
What's life like after receiving a liver transplant? For snowboarder Chris Klug, it meant another chance at an Olympic medal, which he accomplished by winning the bronze in the 2002 Salt Lake City games. His sport – the giant parallel slalom – was only added to the Olympic roster in 1998, which was when Klug first participated in the Olympics. This week marks his third appearance.
Chris Klug was born with his Sun and Mars in regenerative Scorpio (November 18, 1972; 12:30 am*; Vail, CO). Much of Klug's athleticism can be attributed to his bold Aries Moon, which is given a thrill-seeking impulse by the opposition to Uranus, but the discipline to train via the sextile to Saturn. Mercury, the ruler of his Virgo Ascendant, is in Sagittarius, a sign known for its love of speed.
Klug's Moon-Uranus opposition squares his lunar node axis, indicating a karmic condition characterized by unexpected misfortune, such as an accident or other life-altering mishap. Klug was diagnosed with a potentially fatal liver disease in his early twenties. He went on a waiting list for a liver transplant, which he received in the summer of 2000 when transiting Pluto was conjunct his Mercury.
Now at age 37, Klug is back in the Olympics, not only to compete, but also to advance his cause, the Chris Klug Foundation, which promotes organ and tissue donation. Transiting Mars squares his natal Mars on February 27, the day of his event, which makes him highly competitive, but not favored to win. However, with transiting Jupiter and Uranus nearing a trine to his Sun, he is favored to remain in the spotlight as a role model for organ transplant recipients.
* Birth time is from private correspondence with Klug: "I believe that I was born very early in the morning about 12:30 am." To explore further, visit http://www.chrisklugfoundation.org /
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Michelle Obama's Cause |
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Monday, 15 February 2010 |
On February 9, Michelle Obama launched "Let's Move", a national program aimed at solving the problem of childhood obesity. First ladies often have a favorite social cause they wish to champion, and ending the epidemic of childhood obesity is a widely recognized, worthy goal. Obama's interest in healthy, nutritious food began a year ago when she planted a garden on the White House lawn.
The astrological community does not yet have a birth time for Ms. Obama, though her solar chart (January 17, 1964; Chicago) tells us a lot. The closest aspect in this chart is Ceres in Sagittarius trine Jupiter, a double message since Jupiter rules Sagittarius. Ceres is associated with parenting and food, and with the Sagittarius-Jupiter influence, tends to be expansive, educational, and optimistic about these issues.
Michelle's Ceres also squares Chiron on one side and the generational Uranus-Pluto conjunction on the other, so that the problems associated with parenting and food issues are brought full force into her awareness. The Chiron influence describes the wounded psyche that can come with obesity, while the Uranus-Pluto side shows an interest in radical transformation using nutrition (in diet-conscious Virgo).
With her Capricorn Sun located at the midpoint between her Ceres-Chiron square, Michelle Obama's purpose and sense of fulfilment can come through working on these food and parenting issues. She kicked off her campaign as transiting Mars opposed her natal Mars. Mars, the planet associated with energy and physical activity, lent its symbolism to her movement. However, the opposition signals that she will face intense obstructionism, most likely from the entrenched junk food industry.
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Greece's Financial Crisis |
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Monday, 15 February 2010 |
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Last week European Union leaders offered Greece moral support, but not any specific financial bailout package. Greece's massive debt puts it in danger of defaulting, making it the leading edge in a potential financial contagion that could spread across the global economic community. Greece's modern incarnation* began on July 24, 1974 (4:00 am; Athens, Greece).
A horoscope drawn for this moment rings true, especially considering that transiting Uranus, the planet of crisis, has been hovering over Greece's Pisces Midheaven for months now. It began when George Papandreou was elected last October 4, and he revealed that the debt was 12.7% of the GDP, not the 3% that the previous administration had claimed. At the time of this political transformation, transiting Pluto was forming an exact quincunx to Greece's Leo Sun.
Greece's Moon is empowered by a conjunction with Pluto, but tempered by squares to Mercury, Venus, and Saturn near the Cancer Ascendant. This combination has manifested as government support (Saturn) of the people's security needs (Moon), as enforced by the unions (Pluto). Venus in the mix describes the run-up of debt over the last decade which is now coming to a head, while the pressured Mercury reflects the cooked books.
The current transiting Saturn-Pluto square represents the contraction of global financial markets, squeezing the weakest political systems. Unfortunately for Greece, it's perfectly aligned with the natal Venus-Moon-Pluto configuration. When Papandreou announced a new austerity program last week, thousands of civil workers took to the streets in protest, precisely as transiting Uranus was conjunct Greece's Midheaven. Uranus moves on, but Saturn and Pluto haven't finished with this nation yet.
* According to Nicholas Campion in The Book of World Horoscopes.
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