THE SOOTHESAYER INTERNET

February 2009

The Ship is Listing:

As Titanic America springs more and more leaks, the new leadership in Washington is running around the deck with large, expensive, taxpayer financed rolls of duct tape, trying to repair the cracks in the hull and bail out the water at the same time.  The “old guard” Republicans in the House who voted against the Obama repair package have a point, but their solution of lowering taxes (who’s paying taxes when you are unemployed or bankrupt?) to stimulate a population who has less than no money anyway is an exercise in silliness.  President Obama’s appointment of Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary (the guy who forgot to pay his income taxes) has been part of the system that allowed and even encouraged all this to happen in the first place.  His mathematical models resemble Alan Greenspan’s “I made a mistake” projections and those of the whole bunch of banksters behind the years of unregulated global crap games: including Robert Rubin and Laurence Summers who successfully lobbied the Clinton administration and Congress to repeal the protective Glass-Steagall Act.  These guys remind me of the televangelists who, when caught cavorting with prostitutes, admit they have “sinned” and ask for another chance.  At this time, they are all acting dignified and “advising” the President of the U.S.

This month, the emergency “package” will likely be passed and I will erect an astrological chart for the moment the President signs it.  I sympathize with him and respect his efforts at taking action where he can, but he is confronted with the most profound global financial collapse in history.  The very framework of banking and finance has failed and is bringing down whole nations in its wake.  Pres. Obama knows if he appoints “outsiders” to advise him, nothing will get done in Washington.  I think he should bring Paul Krugman, Joseph Steiglitz, and George Soros into the White House and begin the work of constructing an entirely new set of systems, regulations, and guidelines.  These people warned us about everything that is now playing out. With Jupiter in Aquarius conjunct both Chiron and Neptune, the country, in spite of losing almost everything, will desperately want to be optimistic.  Sadly, corporations will continue to lay off people (Saturn in Virgo), leading to eliminating consumers and destroying their own markets in a suicidal slide off the ship.  And there are no life rafts at the moment.

The Economy:

Mercury goes direct on Feb. 2^nd moving decisions forward that have been previously delayed.  The last week of the month, there will be more optimism about the economy with Mercury conjunct Mars and Jupiter, sextile Venus.  For this reason, the recent fleeing into gold may slow down and there may be some renewed investments in science and technology which is strongly associated with the sign of Aquarius.  Jupiter in Aquarius through Jan. of 2010 will reawaken major breakthroughs in both the biology and energy sectors.  It’s last transit through this sign in 1997 brought forth cloning (remember Daisy the sheep).  Now that the Obama administration is showing “respect” for science (following the Bush administration’s trashing of it), the funding for stem cell research may produce a major success in healing diseased organs.  In addition, new technologies related to solar panels may emerge and have fewer complications around their actual application.

Gold investors should hold on for a while.  February does not contain the strong bullish aspects expressed in January (Mercury in Capricorn sextile Venus & Uranus in Pisces).It may take a downward turn thru early March when it may reach a near-term low and resume the upward momentum around March 6^th as Venus goes retrograde.  Historically, this motion usually brings gold up because of a major currency crisis.  My take is that it could be the Pound or the Eurodollar.  The last time Jupiter was in Aquarius, derivatives traders crashed the Asian currencies, including China.  At that time, they fled into the American dollar.  Things are changing now.  We’ll see!  Meanwhile, the derivatives time bomb to the tune of hundreds of trillions of dollars will make the sub-prime loan crises look like kindergarten.  Absolutely nobody in Washington or on the mainstream media is talking about this.

Other Nations:

The transit of Pluto in Capricorn is hitting Mexico’s Neptune (drugs) and inconjunct its Mars (violence) throughout this year.  The country is headed toward being a failed “narco” state with drug lords undermining the government. 

Pakistan is also enduring Pluto in Capricorn square its natal Sun, threatening its leadership and taxing its military.  It’s economy is in shambles.   They do not need the U.S. attacking its citizens in order to get at terrorists. 

Israel is holding elections this month.  With Mars, Jupiter and Neptune all in Aquarius in fixed T-squares with their Taurus/Leo planets, the military approach will win in any event.  They will not go for peace treaties at this time. 

Iraq will likely be partitioning itself into separate ethnic groups again as the U.S. is setting itself up for withdrawal of troops.  They will be, once again, fighting among themselves for the areas containing the oil reserves and will want U.S. soldiers out of their country.

Afghanistan presents transiting Pluto square its Neptune and transiting Neptune, Jupiter and Chiron all inconjunct it’s Sun, undermining any attempt at cohesion in this nation.  It consists of tribal groups scattered all over severe, mountainous terrain, who just want to survive in their local villages.  Our military needs special ops forces on a small scale to weed out terror groups in such a way that cooperate with the local people.  We do not need huge numbers of troops on a grand scale, blowing up innocent people to get at a handful of bad guys.

The UK will make a dramatic move this month to save its banking system from collapse.  It’s claim to being a financial center for the world is fading as fast as Wall Street is failing in the U.S.  Their currency will be in major trouble.

Russia will take stress this month from the Feb. 9^th lunar eclipse at 21 degrees of Leo, a sensitive degree in their chart.   My take is that they are headed back to the future with their history of brutal tsars and dictators, as democracy is difficult to bring about in a country such as theirs.  They will, however, back off from tangling with NATO at this time,  In the future, they will want greater control over oil and gas pipelines that run through the surrounding states.  Putin, who took some hits in his chart last month will find it easier this month with the grouping of planets in Aquarius harmonizing with his chart.

Weather & Travel:

The cold temperatures will continue, but travel may be easier, especially the last week of the month.  However, be careful around the 12^th to the 13^th as Mars transits the Jan. 26^th eclipse degree.

Final Thoughts:

I want to take this chance to thank all my readers who are sending me emails with your most thoughtful comments.  It is a pleasure and a privilege to share in your opinions and insights about what is going on during this historically challenging period.  It is encouraging and inspiring to me that so many of you are dedicated to detecting the truth and committing yourselves to solving the problems we all have to face.  I am continually surprised and appreciative to receive comments from distinguished economists and people who have vastly more experience than I do in the gargantuan world of global finance.

The real issue, as I see it, is not about money.  It is about the direction humanity needs to take so that we can operate sustainably on planet earth, in harmony with nature and cooperatively with each other.  In order to do this, we must give up the notion of “endless” expansion and consumption and instead manage ourselves like adults who have the capacity to live responsibly, voluntarily limiting our populations, raising our food with care, and sharing prosperity in a more egalitarian way.  All people are simply not equal in their abilities and talents, but must be honored with a life of dignity and given a place in the scheme of things.  The gigantic disparity between rich and poor in the world only leads to genocides, wars, plagues and eventually, the failure of civilization itself.

Let us all work together with whatever talents we have to co-create something much greater than anything dreamed of before.  This is my hope and my inspiration.

 LINDA

 Linda Schurman