The Love of Money Fables & Foibles of Venus Retrograde (May 17-June 29, 2004) Part II	327 Route 105 Jay, VT 05859 Phone: 802-988-9664 In Baltimore (once a month for 5 days): Chase Executive Suites 10710 Beaver Dam Rd Hunt Valley, MD Phone: 410-340-2722 Email Us

Sometimes life seems to move backwards. During these times, planets may be retrograde, an illusion of backward motion that symbolically influences mundane events. Mercury retrogrades are the best known and most frequent, occurring for three week periods approximately every four months. During Mercury's retrograde, communication and transportation may be adversely affected. Venus and Mars take turns retrograding every other year for six to eight weeks, during which respective times Mars creates crises in action; Venus restricts love and money. Part I of this retrospective analysis of the recent retrograde of Venus addressed matters of the heart. In Part II we look at money issues. And, as Pluto opposed Venus during this period we cannot overlook revelations of the dark influence of Pluto-ruled power and greed. 

No Laughing Matter

Readers of a certain age may remember the “Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award” from Rowan and Martin's “Laugh In”, a popular TV comedy show of the sixties and seventies. This golden statue of a hand with a single digit pointing (guess which one) was a sort of booby prize, given out weekly for the dumbest news item. Reviving this award seemed an appropriate gesture of recognition for those recently hoodwinked by Venus, as the love goddess retrograded through Gemini, while opposing dark lord Pluto (also retrograde in Sagittarius). This dynamic duo swung back and forth between concealing (Venus' veil of illusion) and revealing (muckraker Pluto) truths. The fickle finger is a fitting tribute to Gemini's sleight of hand and Pluto's underhandedness. There are winners and losers-- those who gave and those who got the shaft. Ultimately, in a paradigm where winners can only exist on the backs of losers, we are all dealt a bad hand. 

Move Over Donald

Venus is the original “material girl”, having a double rulership over both Libra (love) and Taurus (money). During her biennial retrograde the maxim “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware) is sorely tested. Purchases made in these times rarely hold their value or live up to initial expectations. In addition to Venusian illusions--beauty that is literally only skin deep--this year's retrograde landscape is littered with scams, a testament to Plutonian influences of biblical proportions. As we are counseled: “The love of money is the root of all evil”. Many of the usual suspects abound--real estate swindlers, used car salesmen and those entrusted with our democracy. In fact, Venus (in the literary sign of Gemini) and Pluto in Sagittarius (rules publishing), could team up to co-author a new best-seller, trumping the Donald's and aptly titled “The Art of the Double Deal”. Chapter headings might read thus: “Double Talk”, Double Cross”, “Double Entendre” and “Double Jeopardy”.

Location, Location, Location

Real estate, a big ticket item, was the subject of some big stories. During the retrograde, several independent agencies, including the Mortgage Bankers Association, the Federal Reserve Bank of NY and the Center for Economic Policy Research released studies on the so-called “housing bubble”. None of the reports could agree on the existence of a bubble, let alone whether or not it would burst. The only common ground was the shared assumption that since real estate costs vary by location, some areas are more bubble prone than others. Shaky ground, at best. Meanwhile, the Affordable Housing Coalition released its own proprietary study showing sharp declines in homeownership among moderate income families. Due to spiraling housing costs, bubble or not, for many Americans owning a home is a pipe dream going up in smoke.

My local Sunday paper carried two related front-page stories. The first, “Deal Cost City Chance to Save Millions” describes how, based on faulty appraisals and bureaucratic bungling, Baltimore City overpaid by six million dollars for a property it seized through eminent domain. Officials neglected to check court records which would have revealed the owner's failure to qualify for the hotel franchise he claimed (falsely) to have received, and for which he was compensated. The second story, “Illusions of Occupancy” described a city contract awarded to “Creative Camouflage, Inc”. This company, vision of an enterprising young entrepreneur, glues life-size photographs of doors and windows onto the boarded up facades of city owned vacant houses in blighted neighborhoods, thereby giving the “illusion of occupancy”!

Money Laundering

During the Venus/Pluto retrograde, winners and losers on the shifting economic landscape made top stories in the news. Dirty laundry was aired and some folks were taken to the proverbial cleaners. There was bad news on the job front as overtime pay went south and white collar jobs joined manufacturing jobs going offshore. NY Attorney General Elliot Spitzer launched several multi-million dollar lawsuits against large retailers for advertising false discounts, a practice rampant throughout the industry due to increased competition. Women employees won their bid to sue Wal-Mart for millions in back pay, due to wage discrimination. Gasoline prices reached new highs and hybrid vehicle sales soared. We witnessed the death (Pluto) of an American President, unarguably the most powerful office in the world. Ronald Reagan was eulogized for ending the Cold War by out-spending the Russians. Fans gobbled up Reaganalia on eBay, where a tin button from the presidential campaign he lost (!) in1976 fetched $125. Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911, billed as an expose of money and power in American politics, was released on June 25th. It grossed $23.9 million in the first weekend and within seven weeks the box office take climbed to $113 million. No documentary in history has ever been so profitable. Independent of any personal assessments concerning the film's content, the choice of subject matter nonetheless accurately reflected the planetary themes. 

Transfer of Power

The handover of power in Iraq, a huge real estate transaction, took place on June 28th, two days ahead of schedule. Had our government waited until June 30th, as originally designated, Venus would have been direct, perhaps improving the prospects for success. Obviously (Nancy Reagan move over) there are no astrologers in this White House! In an astrology chart cast for the event, retrograde Venus in Gemini conjuncts (joins) the Midheaven (the highest point in the chart) while residing in the ninth house (rules religion). Pluto, retrograde in Sagittarius (also ruling religion) conjuncts the Nadir (the foundation). Indications could be of further divisiveness and religious conflict, possibly leading to civil war. This theory is further supported by the Scorpion South Node and the presence of Saturn (delays & restrictions) in Cancer (country/homeland) in the tenth house (taking one's place in the world community). The good news may be for the long term potential. A North Node in Taurus, in the Pluto-ruled eighth house, indicates an aspiration for peace and power sharing. A tenth house Cancer Sun evokes a spirit of nationalism. One can only hope.

Spirit & Matter

Jockeying for money and power is the tip of a much larger iceberg, buoyed up by popular beliefs in scarcity and separation. These beliefs are the real illusions. By reflecting back to us the world we have created through our current attitudes and actions, Venus and Pluto are urging us to transform our core values. Retrogrades are times for inner reflection. For added emphasis, the nodes of the moon, harbingers of our collective destiny, are currently transiting in value conscious Taurus (Venus ruled) and transformational Scorpio (Pluto ruled). The quest for money and power is ego driven. We are transitioning into a new soul-centered paradigm. However, we have miles to go and many of us are still asleep. For those individuals, the planets are issuing a cosmic wake up call, reminding us of the biblical injunction --‘What shall it profit man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” The reverse is equally valid—“What shall it profit a man if he gain his soul and lose the whole world?” Spirit and matter are integral. Competition (Pluto) must give way to cooperation (Venus). As stewards of the Earth, we must honor the divinity of the natural world and its finite resources, respect each other and all of life. Venus and Pluto—cosmic “ghost busters”-- are breaking down the veils of illusion that hide the ultimate truth-- Earth is naturally abundant and there is more than enough for all to share.

Copyright 2004 by Judith Goldberg. Please obtain permission before copying this article in whole or in part.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Judith Goldberg, MFA is a Vocational Astrologer and Entrepreneurial Coach. She received a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and a certificate in Karmic Astrology from the Center for Creative Choices where she studied under Linda Brady, author of “Discovering Your Soul Mission”. Judith writes a monthly column “STAR TRACK: Astrology for the New Age” at www.spiritcrossing.net. She has a private practice in Baltimore Maryland and offers vocational and life path consultations in-person or by phone. You may reach her at judith.goldberg@verizon.net or 410-366-0232. You may subscribe to Judith's email list in order to receive information on upcoming workshops and links to new on-line articles.