THE SOOTHESAYER INTERNET

August 2007

Last month’s SootheSayer fairly accurately described highlights of what happened last month.  As the reality of the real estate sub-prime lending debacle set in, the growing hedge fund disaster loomed across the economic horizon, oil went down for a short time, then strongly back up again, and people began an exit from financial markets.  The “naked shorts” imbalance between real and imaginary shares is ready to turn the “virtual” economy into a real one that may be headed into depression.  The fact is that seven years ago, 57% of IPO capital raised internationally was from the U.S.  Now it is down to 16% and falling.

The Bush Monarchy Persists:

On July 17th, Pres. Bush issued an Executive Order entitled “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq”.  This document enables the President to confiscate the assets of “certain persons” who oppose the US led war in Iraq.

I quote: “I have issued an Executive Order blocking property of persons determined to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people.”  This document makes opposing the war an illegal act, criminalizes the antiwar movement and allows the government to confiscate or freeze the assets of “certain persons” in America, including civil society organizations and U.S. citizens actively involved in the peace movement. This “directive” is added to the one reported previously on this site that was issued in May allowing the President to “declare martial law” in the event of any crisis.  I think my readers have the right to be informed about the issuance of these documents.

 The Democrats in Congress seems to be doing less than nothing about these directives.  The main stream media has not even reported on them, although they are there for anyone to read.  Our frail democracy is marching right into the clutches of dictatorship as our Constitution and Bill of Rights are being shredded before our eyes.

The Economy:

All of you who come to this site know I am not optimistic about the global economy and its march toward possibly the greatest economic depression in history.  However, there may be a reprieve the week of August 13th, as Venus, Mercury and Saturn all are trine Pluto, suggesting financial market highs.  This will be a short-lived recovery for gold as well, as I predict the slide of both financial markets and gold again in September. Take any profits you can now, and get into cash, Treasuries, or CDs because severe instabilities loom ahead in September as the solar eclipse on the 11th is opposed Uranus and square Mars.  Over the longer term, gold will start rising again in the Fall and reach a significant “high” between March and April 2008.

Investors are “smacking their lips” at the opportunities in nations whose economies are growing faster than ours.  China, India, Brazil, Australia, and Canada top the lists.  Much of this growth is connected to China’s big commodity deals with the other nations involving oil, natural gas, uranium, and coal deposits.  What is overlooked again and again is that all these commodities deposits and reserves are declining!  Nations who imitate the declining U.S.A by voraciously consuming like there is no tomorrow will face tomorrow very soon!  Global warming will increase and the local environments, especially China, India and Australia will likely experience devastating climate changes.

Recently, Japan has had a “shake up” in their government.  Their retired population exceeds their working population.  They have recently had an earthquake that closed down their largest nuclear plant.  They are also the number one foreign holder of U.S.A. debt.

I am of the opinion that by 2010, the nations of the world will painfully share an economic and environmental decline because only a very few people are willing to make the changes that need to be made.

In the meantime, investments in sustainable energy technologies (not ethanol), water conservation and purification companies, rare metals and gold should serve you well for now.

The real estate market in the U.S. and in many other nations will be troubled for a long time.  However, there may be a slightly positive movement in this sector this month.

The Media:

I had high hopes that the media would reform itself around now.  Instead, Rupert Murdock is trying to increase hold on the media with his attempted takeover of the Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal.  So many of my European friends are shocked when they watch the television news in America and survey our newspapers.  They point out to me that there is no “real news reporting of significance” going on and that Americans don’t seem to care.  This apathy is costing us our freedom, our economy, our way of life.  There are good books being written by authors courageously telling the truth and the Internet may be the last bastion of real reporting and dissenting opinions that insure the health of any democracy.  The Leo trines to Pluto are trending toward media consolidation and monopoly that is unfortunate indeed!

The War:

Transiting Mars goes into Gemini August 8th through September 28th (and again January 1st, 2008 through March 4th).  This is the location of Mars in the U.S.A. natal chart and suggests an attempted acceleration of the war in Iraq into other nations.  This is a highly dangerous and unstable period emphasizing terrorism and violence.  I would not be surprised if Iraq’s presently fragile government fails during this time.  The U.S. is an occupying force that cannot stop the civil war between ancient factions.  Iran supports the Shia and Saudi Arabia supports the Sunnis, making everything worse and destabilizing the entire region.  Pres. Bush is asking Congress for billions of dollars for arms for Saudi Arabia (the nation where most of the terrorists are from), Israel and Egypt.  The lunar eclipse on the 28th will affect a major leader in the Middle East as well as generating protests over the U.S. takeover of Iraqi oil interests.

Other nations: 

Pakistan, as I predicted in previous newsletters, is becoming a focus on the war on terrorism and the government is cracking down on terror groups concentrated on its border with Afghanistan.  This month, there will be more military and police actions taken and arrests may be made.

The United Kingdom’s new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown visited Pres. Bush recently and correctly referred to terrorism as a “criminal problem” as opposed to a global war.  He will not be the “yes man” that Tony Blair was and has made this quite clear, since that posture destroyed Blair’s career.  Outwardly, of course, Britain and the U.S. will be polite and inwardly, they are economically intertwined.  London is becoming the new financial capital of the world, along with Dubai.  I will comment on Prime Minister Brown’s chart when it is published.

The Environment:

Venus retrogrades back into Leo August 10th through October 8th.  Al Gore, whose ascendant and a stellium of planets are in Leo may get more recognition for his work on global warming.  In addition, there may be a lot of attention this month on solar energy – perhaps a new technology that concentrates the power of the sun (Leo) more effectively.

Weather and Travel:

Severe weather extremes continue in the first week of August.  Mercury is inconjunct Pluto between the 1st and the 3rd and is a bad time to plan a trip.  Droughts and fires continue this month in the western U.S. and southern Europe.  As Mars enters Gemini, winds pick up, especially as we move into September.  A good time to plan a vacation is between the 12th and the 18th as Venus and Mercury are trine Pluto in Sagittarius.

Watch out between the 24th and the 26th for poor weather conditions, as Mars, Jupiter and Mercury form a T-square.

Final Thoughts:

The month of July has not been a kind month to me.  Many of my cherished friends have been stricken with serious illness or have passed away.  I am reminded again of how fragile our brief span of life is here on earth and how important it is for us to “fulfill our mission”, to live a life of meaning and inspiration amidst all the suffering and joy.

I have been blessed with a family and friends who are beautiful beyond description.  The wonderful humor, warmth, willingness to serve in times of need that characterize those closest to me is the gift that keeps giving.  The presence of so many of these people gives me the hope and passion I need to reach for a higher understanding of what is means to be a human being, as I stumble around looking for the truth in this dark corner of time.

Like the ancients before us, the constellations speak to us of the challenges we all face and the miraculous spirit of light that motivates us to create our world all over again.

Those on whose shoulders we now stand who have passed from this life live on in a universe so vast and incomprehensible, we have no choice but to open our hearts and submit to their inevitable and glorious fate that has no beginning and no end.

Stay tuned,

Linda

Linda Schurman

Note: I welcome all your comments whether they are critical or complimentary.  This site represents astrology as a tool for a deeper understanding of the themes and issues of our times.  This period in which we all live may be the most critical time for human civilization ever!  It is my wish that we all do our best with whatever talent we have been given, to further the survival and evolution of life on planet earth!

our email is: schurm@operamail.com