The Planets and You, a free weekly newsletter  circulated every Wednesday, addresses specific events such as interest rate hikes, political elections, and natural disasters; on a more light-hearted note, forecasts for events such as the Academy Awards and great sporting events such as the Tour de France, are discussed. To ensure you receive this free topical communication tool please subscribe via the home page. This week, 26 January 2011, we take a look at the 13th zodiac sign that made news recently , the Dewani debacle, the South African petrol hike scheduled for 28 January and the devastating wet weather conditions experienced of late.

The 13th Zodiac Sign

Should the ‘discovery’ of the new 13th zodiac sign cause an identity crisis? That star (Sun) signs DO NOT determine your character nor determine whether or not you will meet the love of your life today is in itself a major reason why you shouldn’t be concerned; that aside, there is absolutely no reason to give the 13th zodiac sign, bandied about by irresponsible media and many astrologers, another thought.

Astrologers work from a geocentric view of the cosmos because the geocentric model exactly pictures the spiritual truth of the structure of the universe and provides a perfectly adequate means of tracking its planetary phenomena. In this model the outermost sphere is the Sphere of the Zodiac. This sphere is utterly invisible and carries no stars in it – what it does carry are the signs of the zodiac which have no connection with the constellations of stars that bear the same names.

The Sun’s path against the sky, known as the ecliptic, crosses 12 sections – these 12 sections of the zodiac, each 30 degrees in size, form a 360 degree circle through which the planets orbit. This zodiacal sphere depicts at any given time where the planets (and other bodies) are in the sky in relation to earth. This is called the Tropical Zodiac and is one of the many spheres of the cosmos; the Tropical Zodiac has been used by Western astrologers since at least 100 BC and this zodiac starts at the spring equinox.

The Sphere of the Fixed Stars (planets that move very slowly in relation to earth, roughly 1 degree every 72 years) is the next sphere coming in towards earth which astrologers concern themselves with, and constellations are to be found here that bear the same name as the signs of the zodiac found in the Sphere of the Zodiac but they are 2 completely different things! This sphere moves slowly, relative to the sphere of the Zodiac, producing the precession of the equinoxes (the constellations move relative to the equinox where the Sun is at 0 Aries).

There were 48 constellations known to the ancients although many have been added since the 1600’s, with the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the world authority for assigning names to celestial objects, officially recognising 88 constellations today; these constellations cover the entire sky. The 48 ancient constellations are grouped into three categories: the zodiacal constellations: Aries through to Pisces; the northern constellations consisting of 21 constellations and the southern constellations which consist of 15. These constellations are irregular star groups lying on the ecliptic which demand symbolic interpretation; people fail to understand that the signs and constellations are not directly connected. It would have saved a lot of misunderstandings if our ancestors had called the constellations by different names to the zodiac signs - Dopey, Sneezy, Grumpy etc. might do. In the traditional cosmos, the sphere of the fixed stars - which is where the constellations are, of course, is separate from the sphere of the zodiac.

It is within the Zodiacal Constellations – each housing planets which fall within these constellations – that the problem lies. The Constellational Zodiac is a modern invention and is a Zodiac that corresponds to the physical constellations – it is within the Zodiacal Constellation that many now wish to place Ophiuchus (which has existed for thousands of years in the Northern Constellations of the Sphere of the Fixed Stars, it is not a new discovery) citing 13 “zodiac signs” instead of 12. This is the most popular of various different sources for the '13th sign' – trying to use a nonsensical constellation zodiac and transform it into the Tropical Zodiac. This is incorrect for many reasons, but the 2 most obvious ones are that a) there is no understanding that they are not dealing with the Sphere of the Zodiac here, but with the Sphere of the Fixed Stars – 2 completely different things indeed; it is similar to saying we are going to add a 6th gear to the gear box but we won't use a gear mechanism, we will use a tyre rim! And b) while Ophiuchus does indeed lie on the ecliptic, this is neither here nor there.

As anyone would know if they had embraced the scientific principle of studying something before pontificating about it, the signs of the zodiac are not the same as the constellations that carry the same name. The signs are a division of the zodiac into 12 equal sections, just as the degrees are a division of the ecliptic into 360 equal sections. That Ophiuchus intrudes on the Zodiacal Constellations (all constellations are irregular and overlap on one another) has no more bearing on this than does the fact that the constellations are of different sizes.

Footnote: The Real Astrology by John Frawley and news24.com are sources of reference in this article.

Petrol Price Hike

Next week petrol prices could rise 26c/litre and diesel prices 29c/litre in South Africa if current market conditions remain stable for the remainder of the week, as shown by the latest figures from the Department of Energy. The next fuel price adjustment is expected on Friday, January 28 and the new prices come into operation on Wednesday, February 2.

The price increases could, for the first time since October 2008, push petrol prices in parts of the interior – such as North West and Limpopo – up above R9/litre again. At the coast petrol currently costs R8.49 for 95 octane, and in Gauteng R8.58 for 93 octane. Wholesale diesel costs R7.70/litre at the coast and R7.84 in Gauteng.
In November I forecast that the repo rate, if it did change, would decrease by 50 base points; I stated however that if this did materialise, consumers would be hard hit in other areas, thereby negating the positive impact of the decrease in the repo rate. The repo rate did decrease by 50 base points and we have seen the increase in prices in food and other commodities. Now we face a substantial hike in the petrol price which will add to the burden of cash strapped consumers.

The horary chart I delineated shows the petrol price will indeed increase and that it could very well be by the margin predicted above. Consumers’ money is not in a healthy state, and the overall tone of 2011 is similar to that of 2010. Consumers would do well to implement restraint in spending and to apply caution to their financial portfolios.

The Dewani Debacle

The London hearing for the extradition of Shrien Dewani to South Africa for a murder trial was adjourned to February because he was ill. The astrological forecast is that this tragedy is going to severely damage the image of South Africa, and not only because the murder occurred on our soil. In the fight to have Dewani extradited to stand trial in South Africa, our judicial system is under the spotlight, as well as our high levels of crime, the ability of our police force and the inept government as a whole; South Africa is going to become a victim of this international drama. At this stage it also appears there are cover-ups on the part of  South Africa and that information currently buried, will be made known, shedding light on what really transpired.

The chart indicates that Shrien Dewani had motive to contract his wife’s murder, but there appears to be more to this than meets the eye – the 5th house is strongly activated in the chart – the house of sexual activities. At this stage there is no indication that the extradition plea will succeed: in the chart he is firmly ensconced in the bosom of his country with no imminent change looming. I will continue to monitor this astrologically as matters progress.

Should we build an Arc?

While we would have to assess the charts of each specific country to determine the astrological factors that depicted any natural disasters, we can still gauge the general flavour of the times by glancing at what is happening in the heavens at any given time. The natural ruler of rain is the planet Jupiter, known as the great benefic. Jupiter was, up until very recently, in the zodiacal section of Pisces, one of the two signs he rules. A planet in a sign of its rulership is said to have dignity and is very powerfully placed to manifest its nature. Pisces is a cold and moist sign – the natural ruler of rain in a cold and moist sign is bound to open the floodgates of the heavens!

Jupiter was also, until fairly recently, posited on the Fixed Star Scheat – say this out loud, add the natural connotations to the word - and it tells a story! One of the mythological connotations of Scheat is that of drowning – very appropriate in light of our investigation. Jupiter very recently ingressed into Aries, so the worst should be over; but while matters do not correct themselves overnight, I believe it is safe to say we do not need to rush out and purchase copious amounts of wood.

Weekly Planetary Movement

Saturn, the great malefic, is currently at his station and will turn retrograde on 27 January, remaining so until the middle of June. Saturn rules time, permanence, structure, the ground/solidity and so forth as well as the legal system. Should you be planning the launch of a long-term project, it is wise not to initiate this when Saturn is retrograde. Saturn is currently in exaltation in the sign of Libra, well and truly able to display his characteristics, but with exaltation there is an element of the exaggerated; if any Saturnine matters pop in your life during this time, be careful not to let them blow up into something disproportionate to the situation.

Saturn also depicts the parts of us that display our ability to work hard, set clear boundaries, endure pain and suffering and he displays the quality of our individual ageing and maturing process. You may find that some of these areas are problematic during his retrograde status. Gem Stone Therapy, using Lapis Lazuli, would be most fortuitous during this time.

Mars, the lesser malefic, is combust at this time. Be wary of passive aggression and covert military operations (even in the boardroom); tempers could reach boiling point (albeit passively or behind the scenes), due to frustration. It really is a time to say what you mean and mean what you say, providing clear-cut boundaries pertaining to your actions, while avoiding confrontation if possible. If however you are planning on over throwing a government or a hierarchy, this is a most fortuitous time to do so! 

Astrological Chuckle of the Week

A client contacted me to help shed light on whether he and his wife should set sail on the cruise which had been delayed due to nasty weather, or disembark. Using a horary chart I told him the voyage would set forth in 3 to 4 hours from then, and that based on the chart, they should disembark – I was unhappy with the malefic slant of the chart which affected them. He went to speak with the captain, conveying that the voyage would commence in that time frame; the captain thought he was delusional. A call to the port authority then transpired, with the captain being told the ship would set sail within 3 to 4 hours. My client and his wife disembarked prior to this happening.