Latest zine up on Growth - not a good idea?

So Saggi time and time for a Christmas special - also some links to Julian Assange and when Mercury might be involved in some festive miscommunications...

and All Change now..

Dr. Brian Cox vs. Astrologers

"Astrology is Total Bollocks"
This week, Dr. Brian Cox delivered the Huw Wheldon Memorial lecture on 'Science: a Challenge to TV orthodoxy.' Part 2   Part 3. And that's what he said - having yet another dig at astrology and astrologers or astrologists as he incorrectly calls us.


Now I like a good challenge and I don't have a problem with people who are sceptical about astrology - some of my best friends are, so to speak!
And Brian is welcome to an opinion - it raises discussion and that's all good. But I wonder why he keeps singling us out. Doth he protest too much?

I think he is a very good and clear speaker and he does a lot to get science back into the picture. His Wonders of the Solar System was fantastic. All the astrologers I know loved it and they love science. We see no clash between the two disciplines.

But there has been much outcry from astrologers and also from the Global Warming camp. And I think justifiably. Not because he has an opinion but because of where and how he does it. And he is NOT scientific and sometimes he is just plain wrong.

Let's take a look at what he said:
Evidence is more important than opinion - agreed and agreed that many astrologers don't have this.
He shows a clip from Feynman -  one of his 'greatest scientists' who says there are 3 stages to science.
1- guess, 2- compute consequences, 3 experiment and if that disagrees then the theory is wrong.
No issues there. But Feynman also says it doesn't matter who says it - it's either right or wrong.  The number of people who believe it also doesn't matter. For Cox that's fine except if an astrologer says it apparently. Or if enough scientists say it - that's means there's a consensus arrived at by peer review so that's more truthful.

Hmm peer pressure - I thought as a Pisces :) he might be a bit more creative than that. And with that spark of Aries a bit braver. (Go on Brian - give us your birth time so we can really have a go at you!) Peer pressure resulted in a simple cure for ulcers being denied to sufferers by the scientific community for years. And there are numerous examples of this - more like peer bludgeoning when it comes to some scientists.

There was an interesting statement he refers to in Wonders. Apparently when we get it right - Jupiter does have some kind of influence as we astrologers have always said  (although I think not in the way most scientists try to imagine that) -  we are still wrong. Lucky guess?  Wonder what he thinks about the Moon containing water and silver?  Astrologers have had that association for pretty well ever.  Another lucky guess?

But of course we are so trivial that it is inconsequential.  Apart from the fact that astrologers ( or New Agers as he refers to us) are "undermining the very fabric of our civilisation." Wow shouldn't we do something about that? That doesn't sound too trivial!  What power we have - no wonder scientists want to get rid of us.

Some more comments from the learned doctor.  Astrology is essentially a faith system - now sorry Brian but this IS total bollocks. You really don't know anything about the body of knowledge - still stuck in the ideas of the wonderful ( but misguidedly outdated views on astrology) Carl Sagan.

Cox raises the issue of the complaint the astrologers raised with the BBC about the episode of Wonders. It stated 'Astrology must be presented in a balanced way - according to BBC guidelines.' He settles this quickly by saying, "This is incorrect fortunately".

Has he read the BBC guidelines?  Astrologers have done a lot to get these altered and the new ones actually do say this - not astrology as such but any subject. So he is just plain wrong here. "Impartiality is at the core of BBC committment to its audience." Go figure that one.

And then there is a bit of schizophrenia - I guess Pisces does swim both ways:) - some statements:
"The right to express an opinion is the lifeblood of democracy. If you know little about a subject how are you to make up your mind?  How can your audience truly understand and appreciate something if you skip over necessary information in the misguided cause of simplification. One needs facts and accuracy.
Apparently not if you are Doctor with an impressive scientific record going out on a major television channel seen by millions  You can then truly conclude that astrology is total bollocks without any scientific facts. That helps your viewers make up their minds. Thanks for that.

Let's face it - it does matter who says what and being a public science guru carries weight and responsibility.  I expected and hoped for more from young, dashing, modern, hip scientists.

I may sound angry but I'm not - it's sadness that I feel. Astrology can offer a lot and it can and is being tested in a scientific fashion - it's just not the way many scientists believe in  - that's scientism -  and often it involves looking for a physical cause. Astrology must be experimented with qualitatively.

What a pity really good scientists rule out working with people with unorthodox views. Thank God for people like Dr Rupert Sheldrake who is taking on the scientific community at their own game. At least he has some gravitas. But we are back in universities so there is some hope.

And as a last comment - if you want a fight Dr Cox - let's play fair! Give us a right of reply...

The sky was ours long before it was ever yours! And I would like to see you prove the awe that you and most people feel when you look at a sky like this...

Pluto still the biggest kid on the block

Thank goodness.  In Pluto's time of the year, Scorpio - when else -  science has proved that he is still the biggest known body in the Kuiper Belt. Part of his reclassification to a Dwarf-planet in 2006 was due to the fact that there were many other objects out there and he was possibly smaller than the then recently discovered Eris.  But now as Eris entered an area where she could be measured - Hurray! It could be proved that Pluto is still bigger.

In 2006 there was much consternation about Pluto no longer being a planet. Many T-shirts later astronomers are still arguing about the classification.


But many were really happy to have yet another thing that they thought proved astrology wrong.

Don't be fooled - Pluto is still having the same effects he always had.  The astrology of Pluto hasn't changed. As we get more used to him at a consciousness level we can tend to make the most of him. Many are now using Plutonic energy in a positive way. Power with responsibilty, transforming in a positive way, unlike when he was first discovered in 1930. Psychology has moved on since its initial fumblings. But he's still a force to be reckoned with Dwarf or not.

T- shirt from http://www.cafepress.com/

Scorpio E-zine - Advice for Governments on Pension Age

Scorpio - that time of remembrance, death waste products and renewal. But Scorpio also rules large financial matters like pensions.

Advice on the what the pension age should be
Advice for you on what to do after 42
and
What should you be doing until November 20th?

Libra zine has been up for a while!

I forgot to post the last newsletter on here but it is still relevant - it's about negotiation - take a look here before the next one hits the ethers!

It also contains comment on the US economy and timing. Interesting to note that since I wrote this zine, Pontiac which I mention, has actually died.

Was it a Miracle?

That was the question asked this morning on the BBC's discussion program as I was having my coffee. There was the usual split of course between "it was God" and "of course it wasn't - it was just technical ability."

Photo Guardian.co.uk

There was some lip-service given to the idea of faith but the split between science and religion still rages strongly - no surprise there.    

However everyone did agree that it was a good news story that we could use more of.

Having an astrological background, I tend to look at things differently.  Astrologers are often accused of looking at charts after the event - "what's the use of that?" they say - "if you'd known the mine was going to collapse then that would have been more useful." Apart from the fact that we would have to look at every chart for every moment for every small town, prediction for me doesn't work that way.  It has to do with consciousness. We react to everything from what we know and believe. So unless we know what everyone believes and knows, it would be impossible for me to predict the mine collapse - although other astrologers might not agree.

The strength of astrology can be to look at an event and make some sense of it.  What can we learn from the Chile mine disaster that captured the attention of the entire world? This fact alone makes it worthy of study. Time, to me, has a sort of consciousness - "there is a time for every purpose" kind of idea. Astrology would agree with that. So here's what I take from Chile using only two planets.

One is Pluto in Capricorn. Pluto is the God of the underworld who obviously has a connection to mines. What is on his mind in Capricorn is structures, building, hard work and epecially responsibilty.  Planning and meeting deadlines and meeting agreements. What we saw here was all of this.  The leader of the miners had qualities that any leader would be proud of.  He used discipline in the beginning, he took responsibility, he set up a structure and he didn't blame everyone else and be greedy and look after himself. He was last out of the mine and saw that as an honour. Rules helped keep the miners in good shape. The bankers could learn a lot from Luis Urzua. 

The leader of the country, Sebastian Pinera (shown here with Florencio Avelos  - photo guardian.co.uk) also took his responsibilities seriously.  He didn't miss the opportunity to be in the limelight of course, but I think he genuinely means it when he says (and this is maybe one of the lessons) "no miner will go down an unsafe mine again". I hope he means it as the world is watching and he will be held to account if he breaks that promise. The world is also now watching China because of this event. Consciousness as to what is happening to miners has been raised. What was nice about this story is there wasn't an outburst of "Who can we blame?" The question was asked but not in that way - all the teams got on with the matter at hand in a slow, responsible and careful way. They asked for, and got, expertise from other countries and the result is clear for all to see.

One of the other players sidling up to Pluto at the moment is the dwarf planet Ceres. In the mythology she is Pluto's mother-in law (apart from being his sister). She has a completely different agenda from Pluto and fights him all the way. One of her missions is, I think, to take on the ravaging of the earth. Most of the things from under the ground are used to gain power. Think of gold, uranium, coal and of course oil. Many have been killed in pursuit of these things and the earth has the scars to prove it. Ceres, in the myth, can make weather happen.  She can cause natural disasters to make a point. I don't know that she minds mining as such but I think she is saying that it has gone way too far now. She is taking Pluto on.  She is saying "if you carry on exploiting the earth and the people I will act". The lesson here again I think is how responsibly we use power. There needs to be a compromise as there was in the myth. Ceres' compromise was to create summer when her daughter was above ground and everything flourished, and she created winter when her daughter was under the ground with Pluto. Is mining really necessary all year round and for all these products? Is everyone benefiiting from them and is the earth being looked after? Are we giving anything back? Together with Pluto in Capricorn, responsibility for the earth and from any leaders is the key here.

And what about the question? Was it a miracle? It depends what that means but what could be contemplated here is that it was not God and not science but both.  This event shows that they work together. Many experiments have shown that prayer does have an effect.  The mining community certainly have faith and that cannot fail to have had an influence. But that doesn't mean that science didn't play a role. How wonderful was the scientific knowledge in this project? This is what we can learn too science and faith can cooperate. Maybe this is one reason why this event captured the imagination of the world.

And while I'm on belief... Why does everyone think that the miners will have trouble with all sorts of things later?  The world is almost insisting that they will suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or other huge problems. Why can't the focus be on letting them be just fine? Research has proved that our thoughts have a huge effect! I wish them a normal happy life!

The Star of David - and of Ed

And while I am talking about Ed and David Miliband I want to add what I am currently learning about.  I  just attended a great Visual Astrology Conference in Santa Fe featuring the wonderful Bernadette Brady, whose mission it is to bring the stars back to astrology. She calls us planetologists as we only use planets. She was ably aided and abetted by Darrelyn Gunzberg and Darby Costello at this particular event.

I have always loved the stars as well as the planets and one technique I want to add to my work is something called Parans. In particular I am starting with parans to the Sun which I think has a lot to do with the calling of a person  (not to mention a company and a country).

Parans are a bit of a nightmare technically but basically what we look for are stars and planets that 'do things' together at four places. Rising or setting - ie on the horizon, or directly above or below you (a bit simplified this but you'll get the idea.) Suffice it to say that stars, like planets, are all imbued with particular meanings.

So I will just mention one for Ed.  When the Sun was setting on the day he was born, Arcturus was also setting. The short explanation of this given by Brady is " A pathfinder, to break new ground". He will have to do this.  I think a star tied to his Sun, means his vocation and work will have to encompass Acturus.  The longer explanation of Arcturus from Brady I find very fitting and hopeful - a star of "guarding, learning, teaching and leading. Protecting people as they embrace a new lifestyle. One who has the vision or the spirit to take the first step." ( Photo Uk Independent)

Even more interesting is to look at the star of David which is combined with the Sun and that is Procyon, a star in Canis Minor - the small dog! Procyon was directly under the Sun when the Sun was at its zenith.
The short explantion - "exceptionally talented but needing to diversify this talent" is interesting but the longer one is even more fascinating: "A quick rise but with no real substance, like fireworks - wonderful to watch but quickly fades." ( Photo BBC)

I am definitely going to study these parans in more depth. They seem to offer deeper insight being the backdrop of the heavens that we are born into. Perhaps being fixed we are stuck with them whereas we can negotiate a bit more with those wanderers -  the planets.

Brothers fight settled - surprise for the UK Labour Party?

After all the waiting I have talked about in the past - for a cabinet in Holland, a government in other countries, the economy to do something... we at least have an answer as to which of the brothers Miliband will rule the UK Labour party. David and Ed have been at it for sometime along with other contenders. But in what was a nailbiting finish, the thought-to-be-less-popular Ed won the day. At least I can now get clear who is who as I have always mixed them up.

Ed is the little brother, so it must have been a blow to big brother David, although he put on a good front. (Photo from BBC site).

Looking astrologically, it is interesting to see the difference. I haven't yet found birth times for them but their birth dates are common knowledge.

David is a Cancer, 15th July 1965, with a touch of Saturn ( he is ambitious and wants to have authority) and Neptune (creative and has a dream just as Obama does). Cancerians like to be part of something, they like to belong and are very patriotic so I think his embracing of Ed is genuine. He will be proud of the Miliband name even though it must have been a huge disappointment for his ambitions.

Ed on the other hand is a bit of a dark horse. A Capricorn, 24th December, 1969, so also ambitious and authoritative (fitting with Capricornian UK as does Nick Clegg!) However with an element of Pluto he has more passion, more drive to have influence and power and  more willpower than his big brother.
There is a part of him that fits the 'Red Ed' label.  Uranus, the rebel is strong in his chart, wanting fairness, change and a bit of a surprise. He has started well here.  But Capricorns are traditional and can be old school although he has it is him to create something new, exciting and practical.
He began his speech today by telling delegates: "I am ready to lead" and saying a new generation was in charge of Labour with "different attitudes, different ideas, different ways of doing politics". He's right.

Pluto is in the sign of Capricorn for the next few years, transforming all forms of government and traditional structures.  Ed is a man for the times. He will know about responsibility at the top. He will be prepared to go along with the tight measures needed.  What will be interesting, is to see how he negotiates his impatience for change. Can he use the element of surprise and innovation to his advantage? Are the Labour Party ready for him?

David as a Cancerian should maybe spend some time with his family or be given a 'home-country-family' portfolio.  Astrologically speaking I think the Labour Party have the right brother.

ps for more astrological comments see Liz Hathway's post.

Juxta in a book!

A while ago I met a lot of great entreupreneurial women in Amsterdam during the launch of a new book CRAVE - the Urban Girls manifesto.

This is the first version in Amsterdam following CRAVE's success in other cities.

It's for you too guys.  A great present showing where to get all sorts of products and services. Or get one for yourself - you'll see them in many of Amsterdam's interesting shops or you can get one from me.

Juxtaposition is proud to be in the "Intelligentsia"- yes! - section in this first edition.

Virgo Ezine now online

Have you ever thought about whether you customer service matches what your customer wants?  A couple of examples in the US where creative chaos might have been preferable to efficient Virgo order.

Full Virgo E-zine

Leo Ezine now online

The Leo Ezine discusses Dan Pink's book "Drive - the surprising truth about what motivates us".  See how it matches astrology. Science and astrology have it right!  Business gets it wrong.


Leo E-zine - Why are we waiting? The heart yearns

Bet your company uses some of these...

I've been following Lynne McTaggart's blog for a while and appreciate the issues she brings to light. Every now and then though she mentions something and I think - hmmm yes I should do something about that.
Her post "50 ways to leave crude oil" gives a list of things that use petroleum. I totally agree with Lynne that the oil spill problem cannot be entirely laid at BP's door. We need to take personal responsibity - we create the market. We need to grow up and stop blaming others and do something positive. So how many things on the list are around in your company?

With Saturn now in the sign of Libra we need to share responsibilty.

Cancer ezine now online

The Cancer Ezine offers ideas for getting you and your staff more involved and excited about work!
Have a look: Cancer 2010 Ezine

Google the great
The Tea Party
Last chance to get something right 26th July!
And of course the World Cup


Photo NRCNext

Welcome to juxta's blog

Well finally a blog for my company. I plan to give links to interesting things, comment on things astrological that can help businesses and give my views on business issues. I hope you will too.

If you want to ask me anything please do!