The Cardinal Crisis
Previews of Uranus Square Pluto: Protesters remove barricades and barbed wire set up by security forces near the Ministry of Interior in Cairo, Egypt on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. Police in several Egyptian cities battled with thousands of die-hard soccer fans angry at the military-led government’s failure to prevent dozens of deaths at a soccer riot in Port Said the previous night. The fans, known as Ultras, began their demonstration in the capital by directing their fury in part at the Port Said club’s supporters, who attacked a visiting Cairo club, Al Ahly, on Wednesday Feb. 1, 2012. About 70 people were killed in the riot on Wednesday. But by the time their march reached the barbed-wire barriers protecting the Interior Ministry, the soccer rivalries were forgotten in a battle against their shared enemy, the police.
Image: Moises Saman for The New York Times
Astrology Outlook
Neptune Enters Pisces
2012-2026
2012-2026
Plus,
Mundane Forecast:
The Annular Gemini Eclipse Of May 2012
&
Global Earthquake Forecasts & Preparedness
Global Earthquake Forecasts & Preparedness
Plus,
Strange Sounds Spook World:
Real Or Cultist Hoax?
Also,
'Occupy' 2.0:
Mass Movement To Get Larger In 2012
Mass Movement To Get Larger In 2012
&
Europe's Lost Young Generation
Plus,
World Shipping Foreshadows Economic Collapse?
Featuring,
Europe's Total Solar Eclipse Of 2015 & Deep Austerity Amid Economic Depression?
Global Astrology
By Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
Peace & Goodwill To Humanity
Glory & Praise Be To the Immortal God
This February 2012 edition of Global Astrology continues our exploration of the new astrological year of 2012.
We examine the burgeoning 'Occupy' Movement, which is bound to enter a new phase by the spring 2012 season in the northern hemisphere. If you think the American autumn was something to behold - wait for the world transits of the American 'Occupy' spring. We haven't seen anything yet...
We explore the strange sounds being reported from around the globe and ask: Strange Sounds Spook World: Real Or Cultist Hoax?
We examine the great economic crisis over the next three years in Europe's Total Solar Eclipse Of 2015: Great Depression, Social And Political Crisis.
We look to the current economic, geopolitical and social events influenced by the cardinal crisis years with a view of the Annular Solar Eclipse over Asia and North America in May 2012.
Signs of the Times
The cardinal crisis is as much about current history as it is about compassion, love and understanding.
The world - and its evil - as we know it now, will not last forever, according to all the prophecies. Those involved in perpetuating evil acts only damn themselves into horrid places of perdition. I strongly advise those who have not made their repentance to do so. Daylight runs shorter by my astrological reckoning.
The world transits - the signs of the times - confirms the need to avoid those who show no remnant of understanding, knowledge, love or compassion. For those who are easily inclined by the forces of the stars and planets must know that they are then also ignorant - and ignorance is more than a disease - it is a threat to one's own fate.
Only Gnosis can change that. We find in this edition of Global Astrology, more on the Pistis Sophia and how to save oneself by means of gnosis.
World Transit Items in the News
First, let's preview the astrology of the months ahead.
Neptune Enters Pisces
Sidereal observation of the planet Neptune in transit
Neptune In Tropical Pisces: 2012-2026
By Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
The planet Neptune has always been one of the more mysterious outer planets in our solar system.
On Friday, February 3, 2012, Neptune will officially enter tropical Pisces, where it will transit for the next 14 years until it enters Aries in the year 2026.
On Friday, February 3, 2012, Neptune will officially enter tropical Pisces, where it will transit for the next 14 years until it enters Aries in the year 2026.
Neptune's transit in Pisces was delineated by me in my September 2011 edition of Global Astrology.
As the Earth experiences a major Saturn-Neptune trine in January and February the world enters more fully into a new decade. Jupiter is the traditional ruler of Pisces, the 12th Mundane House.
In this Sign, the planet Neptune serves as a modern co-ruler in Pisces as it transits here through the years 2012-2026.
We have a powerful planetary transit. Neptune was last in Pisces in 1848-1862. Neptune co-rules Pisces.
According to Neptune's transit in the 12th Mundane House, we will see, feel and experience the planet's influences in a wide variety of ways, by means of its vibrations and the stellar configurations Neptune will perform to other planets relative to Earth.
Social Spiritual Realism
Increase in ability for compassion for those in need
Discovery of hidden skills & talents
Various forms of subjective uses of inspiration-imagination
Involvement with institutions, retreats, hospitals, prisons, monasteries
Psychology and theology
Privacy and seclusion
Dissolution of infrastructure, towns, cities, neighborhoods
Gases, oils, climate conditions
Weather, fogs, mists, the seas
Neglect, abuse by hidden means
Negative spiritual cults and groups
Evasion of practical responsibilities
Non-rational distortions of the mind
Neurosis, abuse of drugs, alcohol by elderly
Traditional astrologers in the 19th century made these comments after the modern discovery of Neptune in 1846 -
"Neptune stands not only for sensation but for the absorption of the Self into something great and wonderful..."
"if badly aspected, drunkenness, drugs, fraud..."
"Takes a sane man to rule the Neptune in him..."
Neptune's inclinations will become more apparent the deeper we go into the Twenty-Tens. The change in climate conditions will range from above average temperatures with drier than normal conditions along southern latitudes with warm, moist and foggy conditions along northern latitudes.
The positive octaves of Neptune in Pisces can be applied to grow spiritually strong. The positive uses of imagination to grow businesses through creative projects are highlighted throughout Neptune's long transit in Pisces.
Proper application of Neptune's favorable octave in Pisces greatly expands compassionate acts towards others with favorable inclinations for guidance by balanced individuals, groups and organizations.
Negative octaves of Neptune in Pisces reveal just below the surface acts that seek to deceive and abuse others by nefarious means. It is essential to test those who claim spiritual knowledge because of the increase in frauds and scams designed to lead others astray.
The thing to note with a slow-moving planet like Neptune are transits. The unfavorable transits can lead a person to wool gather, to muddle through.
The cures for this are verbs, that is, strong conscious wills to complete the job and to avoid nebulous people, places and situations.
The cures for this are verbs, that is, strong conscious wills to complete the job and to avoid nebulous people, places and situations.
Poor coping methods in society can be observed by noting increases of the irrational and/or maladaptive behaviors in public/private settings.
It is important to help when and where you can - as well as effectively handle people who exhibit signs of emotional and mental dysfunctions. Some, easily inclined by Neptune's transit, will attempt to evade responsibilities by use of drugs, alcohol, fantasy and day-dreaming.
Readers of Global Astrology will know that the generational transition now underway from the outgoing establishment of the boomer boomer generation to the incoming establishment of Generation X will be like the difference between night and day.
Neptune's passage over the 29th anaretic degree of Aquarius and ingress at 00-Pisces also reveals the crimes of a generation, in this particular instance, perpetuated in the field of education of schoolchildren.
The Cardinal Crisis
Lessons of L.A. Teacher Sex-Crime case
Students are escorted to a waiting bus as they leave Miramonte Elementary School after classes January 31, 2012 in Los Angeles. Miramontes Elementary school teacher Mark Berndt was arrested on 23 counts of committing allegedly lewd acts on third-grade students since 2005, according to LA prosecutors.
Image: Damian Dovarganes/AP
By Stacy Teicher Khadaroo
Christian Science Monitor
Mark Berndt, 61, who taught at a Los Angeles school for more than 30 years, is charged with 23 counts of committing lewd acts on children since 2005. Two former students say they reported him 20 years ago.
Shocking charges that surfaced in late January 2012 against Mark Berndt raise questions about how long teachers may be able get away with sexually abusing their students before the law catches up with them.
Students are often afraid to report incidents of abuse, victim advocates say, and when they do, too often their stories are dismissed or don’t lead to officials stopping the educator from abusing again.
“That message can never stop, that children need to be believed,” says Terri Miller, president of Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct, and Exploitation, based in Las Vegas.
School staff sometimes ignore warning signs or reports “because they don’t want to deal with the … cloud of shame that hangs over a school when these cases come to light,” she says.
Mr. Berndt taught at Miramonte Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District for more than 30 years.
He was suspended and resigned in early 2011 when the county sheriff's department began investigating charges that led recently to his arrest on 23 counts of committing lewd acts on children.
Those charges date back to 2005. But the alleged troubling behavior may have started much earlier, authorities say.
In 1994, Berndt was investigated by the sheriff's department, but not prosecuted, for allegedly trying to fondle a 10-year-old girl, the Associated Press reported.
Two women also said that when they were students of Berndt’s in 1990-91, they told a counselor of behavior in the classroom that implied that he was fondling himself, the Los Angeles Times reports.
One of the women said the counselor “told us it’s not very good to make stories up. She said it was our imagination.”
The school district is launching its own investigation into how Berndt’s alleged behavior could have gone on undetected for years. The case came to light when a photo developer called law enforcement officials in late 2010 about incriminating photos, the LA Times reports.
Berndt is accused of blindfolding and gagging students and making them play a “game” of tasting strange things, including spoonfuls of a substance that police say was his semen.
This undated photo shows former Los Angeles teacher Mark Berndt, 61, who was arrested on charges of 23 counts of allegedly committing lewd acts on children since 2005.
Image: Los Angeles Sheriff's Department/AP
Berndt was removed from the classroom as soon as the criminal investigation started. But the school district was asked to hold its own investigation only after the criminal probe was complete.
In a Feb. 1, 2012 letter, L.A. Unified Superintendent John Deasy wrote: “The District takes each and every reported act of criminal and administrative misconduct seriously, and we will continue to aggressively pursue each case … and initiate the appropriate disciplinary measures.”
While abusers often select and “groom” a young target to trust them until they can get him or her in a private setting, there have been cases of abuse in front of other students.
A 2004 report for the U.S. Department of Education mentions a case in which a teacher would call boys up to his desk one at a time to discuss homework, and then would fondle them.
“Every child in the room knew what was happening and students talked about it among themselves. The teacher repeated this behavior for 15 years before one student finally reported to an official who would act,” says the report, prepared by Charol Shakeshaft, now a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond.
In 2010, a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) detailed cases of abusive educators moving from state to state and committing new offenses – even sometimes after being convicted of sexual abuse. State laws requiring background checks or reporting of sexual misconduct in schools vary widely.
There have been some small signs of progress. A 2011 law in Missouri may be the first to really try to stop the phenomenon. Known as the Amy Hester Student Protection Act, it “requires school districts to report substantiated allegations of sexual misconduct by educators to another school district that seeks a reference for that educator,” according to Courthouse News Service.
On the federal level, no laws regulate the employment of sex offenders in schools, the GAO noted.
But Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R) of Pennsylvania is trying to change that. In December 2011 he introduced the Jeremy Bell Act of 2011 (HR 3766). The bill would bring fines or prison time to a school employer who facilitates a former employee getting a job in another state if he or she has engaged in sexual misconduct with someone under age 18.
The bill would also tie federal funding to requirements that states have laws mandating reporting by school employees of suspected abuse, and give other educators in the state access to such reports. And it would require schools to check employee fingerprints against national databases.
In the late 1990s, Jeremy Bell was sexually assaulted by his school principal and at one point was given a chemical to render him defenseless, which turned out to be lethal. Parents and teachers had reported the principal to the school board, and he had moved across state lines multiple times for jobs.
Under California rules, Berndt will qualify for pension benefits even if he is convicted, Superintendent Deasy noted in his Feb. 1 letter. The California State Teachers’ Retirement System did not respond to the Monitor’s request for comment.
~
Times are surely changing.
As Neptune passages into tropical Pisces, we can expect to hear more shocking revelations of this disgusting kind.
The 12th Mundane House, of which Neptune is said to co-rule along with Jupiter, will have to be faced by the victims of the past as a new incoming establishment sets a new tone for the future.
How to reconcile the past depends as much on the strength to face those who do and permit evil as it is to persistently strive to do good and propel good works to justice.
The baby boomer generation, the great majority (not all) that denies the passage of time, and preparing for retirement does not either see (or want to see) the failure of their ideological behavior over the decades and the damage it has caused to countless victims.
No matter, because the entire economic, geopolitical and social system, as it has been, requires a reset.
To give you an idea of why this is so, let's hear what entrepreneurial financial analyst Reggie Middleton has to say on the dumb-down ideology of a baby boomer-operated American education system that he says needs a complete revamp.
Astrological Outlook
Months Of February-May 2012
Forecast by Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
For individuals worldwide, the motions of the transpersonal outer planets will continue to greatly influence the lives of billions of people in 2012.
The transits of the Cardinal Crisis in 2012 are unique in that the outer planets and their configurations relative to the nativities of individuals with planets in the cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn will be powerfully impacted in this decade.
Going into February, one of the major outer planetary configurations is that of transiting Saturn in Libra trine to Neptune at 29-Aquarius.
The months of February, March, April and May 2012 feature the new moons counting down to a reset by the annular eclipse new moon at 0-Gemini on May 20, 2012.
This 'reset' ends a period that began in July 2009 and begins one in May 2012 that extends to March 2015.
These next three (3) years of new moons and world transits also feature the transpersonal inclinations of the seven exact Uranus-Pluto world squares between 2012 and 2015.
The first of the Uranus-Pluto squares begins on June 19, 2012. We have highlighted the Uranus-Pluto squares many times before on Global Astrology. People will witness and take part in rebellions, revolts with signs of revolutionary sentiments worldwide.
The great majority of the troubles are due to the global generational transition taking place, this - amid the breaking of the intergenerational contract by the baby boomer generation.
By January 2012, Jupiter at 0-1 degrees Taurus and Saturn at 28-29 Libra performed a strong opposition which opens the decade of the Twenty-tens.
This opposition, the first since the early 1990s, is a time of economic crisis and poor business conditions. It was brought about by massive corruption in the financial industry by the outgoing boomer establishment that has clearly lost its way.
The winter of discontent in the northern hemisphere will give way to a spring of action in 2012's emotional climate. A political year as well, 2012 will feature the hopes, desires and fears of billions of people conscious of the fact that their lives have taken turns for the worse.
How to return to the proper path of human interactions will depend on the ability of a new generational establishment to rid the mess brought on by the former establishment.
Mars retrograde in Virgo began Jan. 24 and will continue into April 2012. The esoteric influences of Mars continues to be felt worldwide.
A good esoteric astrology lesson for learning astrologers who want to advance beyond basic astrology is to understand how transits like a Mars retrograde in Virgo incline towards the hidden outlandish elements in society worldwide.
Esoteric studies is an invaluable way to learn the essentials of Astrology from past master astrologers. The nooks and crannies of the esoteric tradition originated from the practice of both Natural & Judicial Astrology, the two main trees of Astrology. Esoteric Astrology is the third, most advanced tree that connects the two other trees.
They all are One.
Synthesis of astrological knowledge requires a long time to master. However, esoteric studies during the course of learning Natural, then Judicial Astrology, provides the interdisciplinary knowledge required to not only read nativities but to perform the tasks of forecasting - standard in astrology.
For example, over Mars' transit in sidereal Leo and tropical Virgo, we also know that the fixed star Regulus moved into 00-Virgo.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury, and with Mars' inflamed transit in both sidereal Leo and tropical Virgo, we see personalities of age in alleged involvement in the awful vile crimes of pedophilia and child abuse.
Mars recently stationed at 23-Virgo on January 24 and there have been numerous reports of attacks and sexual abuse of children, students, by the very people who are hired to be most trustworthy - teachers, counselors and leaders.
Neptune at the anaretic 29th degree of Aquarius plays a strong role (photos, technology, etc.) in the sexual abuse and perversion of children by these means. There will be more victims in many stories related from the past, especially over Neptune's previous 14-year transit of Aquarius.
As Neptune enters Pisces on Feb. 3, 2012, we will hear of events like the one below occurring far more throughout the world. the position of Mars relative to the U.S. highlights these matters, eg., Penn State sex abuse scandal, Syracuse basketball sex abuse scandal, etc.
Now there is another of the most disgusting events recently announced out of Los Angeles. See more on the event below.
We have a Venus-Mars opposition on the Pisces/Virgo axis takes place the first 3 days of February, along with Mars' retrograde in Virgo, we hear of disgusting acts defined by the mystery of Mars' transit here.
Mars will conjoin the Earth in early March, so events along these lines - child abuse with strong sexual tones along and outright acts of pedophilia - are bound to shock the public as Mars' transits tropical Virgo through to early July.
Then, Mars enters the powerfully relationship and sexual connotative signs of Libra/Scorpio into summer & early fall 2012. Mars, the 'lesser malefic' will be take the lead before the 'greater malefic' Saturn, enters Scorpio in October 2012.
Through this year, brace yourselves to hear sickening details of the most horrible crimes committed against the most vulnerable in society - our children.
Esoteric studies is an invaluable way to learn the essentials of Astrology from past master astrologers. The nooks and crannies of the esoteric tradition originated from the practice of both Natural & Judicial Astrology, the two main trees of Astrology. Esoteric Astrology is the third, most advanced tree that connects the two other trees.
They all are One.
Synthesis of astrological knowledge requires a long time to master. However, esoteric studies during the course of learning Natural, then Judicial Astrology, provides the interdisciplinary knowledge required to not only read nativities but to perform the tasks of forecasting - standard in astrology.
For example, over Mars' transit in sidereal Leo and tropical Virgo, we also know that the fixed star Regulus moved into 00-Virgo.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury, and with Mars' inflamed transit in both sidereal Leo and tropical Virgo, we see personalities of age in alleged involvement in the awful vile crimes of pedophilia and child abuse.
Mars recently stationed at 23-Virgo on January 24 and there have been numerous reports of attacks and sexual abuse of children, students, by the very people who are hired to be most trustworthy - teachers, counselors and leaders.
Neptune at the anaretic 29th degree of Aquarius plays a strong role (photos, technology, etc.) in the sexual abuse and perversion of children by these means. There will be more victims in many stories related from the past, especially over Neptune's previous 14-year transit of Aquarius.
As Neptune enters Pisces on Feb. 3, 2012, we will hear of events like the one below occurring far more throughout the world. the position of Mars relative to the U.S. highlights these matters, eg., Penn State sex abuse scandal, Syracuse basketball sex abuse scandal, etc.
Now there is another of the most disgusting events recently announced out of Los Angeles. See more on the event below.
We have a Venus-Mars opposition on the Pisces/Virgo axis takes place the first 3 days of February, along with Mars' retrograde in Virgo, we hear of disgusting acts defined by the mystery of Mars' transit here.
Mars will conjoin the Earth in early March, so events along these lines - child abuse with strong sexual tones along and outright acts of pedophilia - are bound to shock the public as Mars' transits tropical Virgo through to early July.
Then, Mars enters the powerfully relationship and sexual connotative signs of Libra/Scorpio into summer & early fall 2012. Mars, the 'lesser malefic' will be take the lead before the 'greater malefic' Saturn, enters Scorpio in October 2012.
Through this year, brace yourselves to hear sickening details of the most horrible crimes committed against the most vulnerable in society - our children.
For individuals, astrologically, each nativity is unique, so to discover what the year has in store for you it is important to consult with a professional astrologer.
The months between February - May 2012 allow those who follow astrological transits to schedule the rest of the year to be able to be satisfied by the time the year 2013 arrives.
This is because most of the year after mid-May 2012 reveal transits that are mainly unfavorable. Distortion and confusion over direction in society with deterioration of the broader economic climate worldwide will see people unclear about navigation.
The Jupiter-Saturn opposition, which kicked off the Twenty-Tens will see individuals, groups and organizations in transition, as one establishment is out and another walks in.
The coming months of May, June and July 2012 are shown to be very hectic months so it is essential to recharge one's spirit and energy for the months ahead. Early activity in February and March will help to offset the packed schedules of spring into early summer.
What is given here is a general overview of the transits of the months from February to May 2012 that can be used as a guideline.
February 2012
February 2012 opens with Neptune in square to the Moon in Gemini. This can incline people to behavior that is impractical, unreliable and just plain lazy.
Quickly observe and then avoid neurotic tendencies see in others that cause difficulties in professional, personal and family relationships. Under the cardinal crisis world transits, it is best to have one's head no further from the heavens than one's feet are from the ground.
In the northern hemisphere, the winter of discontent continues to wind its way to spring.
The world's economic crisis, along with the earlier than normal warmer weather in the northern hemisphere indicates a need for individuals to apply the favorable transits of February to clear schedules for a fresh start in 2012.
February's tone was set by the new moon at 2-Aquarius on Jan. 23, 2012. That new moon began the Chinese Year of the Water Dragon. February is best used well. There are few major configurations, which can help to set the tone for the months of March, April, May, June, July and August.
Neptune's ingress into tropical Pisces and Saturn's retrograde early in February allow opportunities to clear schedules for the coming spring and summer seasons in the northern hemisphere.
Feb. 3 - Neptune enters Pisces
Feb. 7 - Saturn retrograde (until June 25)
Feb. 8 - Venus enters Aries
Feb. 9 - Venus turns north in declination
Feb. 14 - Mercury enters Pisces
Feb. 19 - Sun enters Pisces
The spring, summer and autumn months of 2012 feature hectic world transits.
General elections, popular hue-and-cries, economic crisis along with geopolitical changes and social stresses will combine into a fiery mix of discontent, confusion and unfavorable reactions during 2012.
Setting a balanced tone early helps others to clear away the static and barriers by focusing early on objectives and practical goals.
Venus' transit from Aries to Gemini is significant between February through early August 2012. The planet, known as the 'lesser benefic' is busy by astronomical configurations in 2012.
Venus will conduct a major transit across the face of the Sun in early June 2012 and will perform a retrograde in tropical Gemini by mid-May.
Venus enters Aries Feb. 8 and turns north by declination a day later on Feb. 9. This is an earlier than normal ingress of Venus into tropical Aries. From Feb. 10-13 Venus will conjoin Uranus in Aries.
The Venus-Uranus conjunction will more than likely bring about sudden news and events that impact professional, social and romantic matters. The electrical conjunction can bring about exciting, but short-lived opportunities.
The tendency to depart from traditional values for the sake of this excitement can cause problems later. It is important to mind the speed and willingness to attach too much significance in a short space of time to inclinations. A balanced, prudent approach is best.
Saturn will station retrograde at 29-Libra on February 7, 2012. It had been direct since June 2011. The retrograde will last to June 25, 2012, when Saturn stations direct at 22-Libra.
The effect is that of review of matters associated with the Seventh Mundane House, here in Libra where Saturn is exalted.
Saturn's five (5) month retrograde allows the opportunity to review the significance of relationships that cross personal and professional spectrum.
Changes and lessons learned since June 2011 can be applied before Saturn's direct motion in late June 2012 - just ahead of Saturn's coming ingress into tropical Scorpio in October 2012.
During February, it is ideal to readjust to work methodologies while forming new and better means for cooperation with others. The month features enough free space to set down more practical schedules for the next six months.
Climate temperatures will seem very springlike in widespread regions of the northern hemisphere in February, inclining signs to what will be an early and warmer than average spring season just ahead.
March 2012
The month of March begins on a Thursday and ends on a Saturday. The month is ruled by Jupiter and carries the tone of Pisces, Aries and Virgo.
Favorable influences of the month will be those of Jupiter and Venus, which will conjoin in tropical Taurus by March 14. The energetic tone of March will have been set by the new moon that took place on Feb. 21, 2012 at 2-Pisces.
Mar. 1 - First Quarter Moon at 10 degrees Gemini
Mar.1 - Mercury turns north by declination
Mar. 2 - Mercury enters Aries
Mar. 5 - Venus enters Taurus
Mar. 8 - Full Moon at 18-Virgo
March 12 - Mercury retrograde (until April 4)
Mar. 13 - Jupiter trine Pluto
Mar. 15 - Last Quarter Moon at 24-Sagittarius
Mar. 20 - *Vernal Equinox - Sun enters Aries - new astrological year
Mar. 22 - New Moon in Aries
Mar. 23 - Mercury enters Pisces
Mar. 28 - Mercury south by declination
Mar. 30 - First Quarter at 10-Cancer
Worldwide, the month of March is that of two halves. March is a slightly busier month than February's planetary inclinations. Unfavorable inclinations associated with Mars and Saturn are in play.
The first half of March continues the work of mid-February. Northern hemisphere residents will observe earlier than normal spring weather evident since February.
Climate conditions will return to a late winter/spring mix by the second half of March into early April. This is evident by Mercury's retrograde on March 12, re-entering Pisces March 23rd, bringing with it late winter storms into early April.
The planet Mars, shining brighter in the night skies since February, will be at its brightest magnitude as the reddish-orange planet conjoins the Earth during the first week of March.
The inclinations of Mars in conjunction with Earth features events associated with the child sex abuse scandals rocking the world.
Mars in Virgo is also associated with the worsening economic climate. The 6th Mundane House of Virgo highlights the challenges of Work & Careers for billions of people worldwide.
Mars' transit in Mercury-ruled Virgo, along with Mars' conjunction within three degrees of orb to the fixed star Regulus influences the major generational transformations underway.
Mars' role in Virgo is more of an irritant and inflames in the field of work than anything else. It's retrograde period would feature increased job redundancies - lay-offs - of tens of thousands of people worldwide.
After Mars turns direct in April 2012, the planet will resume motion in tropical Virgo - indicating lay-offs to continue straight into early July.
There is a need for patience while working steadily toward positive progress into the new astrological year. A Jupiter-Pluto trine in earth signs by March 13 helps stabilize March enough in the wake of Mercury's retrograde a day earlier.
Jupiter in Taurus trine Pluto in Capricorn can be applied by working with others to set a strong spiritual and practical tone in devising goals and objectives.
A shared interest in positive human interactions and relations applied spiritually, under this major inclination, is greatly helpful for individuals, family, groups and organizations.
This earth trine helps relieve some of the unfavorable atmosphere represented by the recent Jupiter-Saturn opposition.
Jupiter picks up speed in tropical Taurus in March. But before a trine to Pluto is exact, Jupiter trines a retrograde Mars in Virgo [Mar. 8-21] that is helpful for progress in business operation and expansion.
The Mars-Jupiter earth trine favors projects related to cultural institutions, practical design, management, along with improvements made in educational and domestic affairs.
April 2012
April's tone was set by the new moon of March 22, 2012 at 2-Aries. The major ingress of April will be Venus' transit into tropical Gemini.
This entry comes before the retrograde of May 15 to June 27 . It also occurs before the Venus Transit across the face of the Sun on June 4-5, 2012.
The month of April also sees the direct motion of Mars, retrograde in tropical Virgo since Jan. 25.
April 3 - Venus enters Gemini (until Aug. 7)
Apr. 4 - Mercury stations direct
Apr. 6 - Full Moon at 17-Libra
Apr. 10 - Pluto stations retrograde at 9-Capricorn
Apr. 13 - Last Quarter Moon at 23-Capricorn
Apr. 14 - Mars stations direct at 3-Virgo
April 16 - Mercury enters Aries
Apr. 19 - Sun enters Taurus
Apr. 21 - New Moon at 1-Taurus
Apr. 22 - Mercury north by declination
Apr. 29 - First Quarter Moon at 9-Leo
The early spring months of March & April 2012 are relatively busy. The months of May, June and July are jammed packed. The result of the inclinations in light of the high unemployment will be stressed to say the least.
May 2012
The month of May opens what will be a very busy three months worldwide. The first 20 days of May will be ruled by the new moon of April 21, 2012 at 2-Taurus.
In the northern hemisphere, the climate will have warmed considerably in what will become a sweltering summer ahead with record breaking temperatures.
The annular solar eclipse of May 20, 2012 is featured further below in this edition of Global Astrology.
May 6 - Full Moon at 16-Scorpio
May 9 - Mercury in Taurus
May 12 - Last Quarter at 22-Aquarius
May 15 - Venus retrograde (until June 27)
May 20 - Sun enters Gemini
May 20 - New Moon at 0-Gemini, Annular Solar Eclipse
May 24 - Mercury enters Gemini
I will write more on the month of May and the spring of 2012 in the next edition of Global Astrology, but if you want to know what energies of the coming spring, summer and autumn of 2012 will feel and look like, then all you have to do is continue on to our next installment just below...
The Cardinal Crisis
'Occupy' 2.0:
Mass Movement About To Grow Even Larger
More signs of the coming Uranus square Pluto: Oakland police used rubber bullets, smoke and tear gas to stop 'Occupy Oakland' protesters as they demonstrated on downtown streets in January 2012.
by Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
As the spring season in the northern hemisphere approaches the world will see the second phase of what will be a much more angry and sophisticated 'Occupy' movement.
As the global economy continues to weaken amid generational transition, world transits reveal that a new phase of national and international movement is just ahead.
Readers of Global Astrology will know that the first of seven (7) exact world squares between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn is set to begin in June 2012.
What has been deemed a global backlash against rising inequalities- as shown by the Arab Spring and Occupy movements - risks derailing advancement of globalization.
This, according to analysts who did not see the economic crisis coming the current severe income disparities along with precarious international finances head the list as the biggest economic threats the world faces.
Rising youth unemployment with a generation of baby boomers in a retirement crisis dependent on debt-laden nations along with and a wide wealth gap have surely sown the seeds of a dystopia depicted here on Global Astrology in 2010.
It is my forecast that under the coming world transits of 2012 and beyond, it is a sure bet that the Occupy movements will get much larger.
For the first time in generations, parents say that they no longer believe their own children will grow up to have a better standard of living than they did.
While governments run by the outgoing establishment continue to 'kick the can down the road' by not facing the future with vision and creativity we see that the debt crisis spreads. It will do so according to my forecast and result in a economic depression for the Twenty-Tens.
The geopolitical and election year of 2012 will serve as the backdrop against widespread disdain for politics and the boomer establishment.
The fact that the unemployment rates for those under the age of 52 (those who produce the majority of good and services for society) is at 20%+ unemployment - it should not serve as any surprise to see the Occupy movement in action, or to expect it not to grow?
[Editor's note: a writer named Brett filmed the 'Occupy Oakland' demonstration of January 28, 2012 in the video below and said... ]
"... My camera was continuously rolling, I missed some things but got a lot. I edited it down to try and show all that is necessary to see. The action to take the Henry J Kaiser building started peaceful. The police diverted our route but the march continued toward the building. A fence was torn down in an attempt to take the building and the police fired tear gas.
I did not leave out parts where protesters threw things (including the tear gas canisters that were fired upon them). The point was that the police responded with violence to the destruction of a fence.
The protesters naturally reacted to this. Since the ability to take the building was stopped by the police, the march moved on (there was chatter of taking other buildings or approaching the building from the other side.
The protesters naturally reacted to this. Since the ability to take the building was stopped by the police, the march moved on (there was chatter of taking other buildings or approaching the building from the other side.
I am not clear as to what the plan was). The police stopped the march in its tracks. I was filming the two sides in between them and had the first flash bang grenade shot at me which can be seen exploding at my feet in the video. It put me into a state of shock basically and I was pretty jumpy filming the rest (not to mention all of the tear gas I was breathing). The police responded with violence first in this standoff again.
January 28, 2012
Rubber bullets, tear gas, smoke bombs and flash bang grenades were shot, the protesters retreated. Then the protesters approached again and the process basically repeated itself. During the second approach a young woman was being protected by the crowd and more flash bang grenades were shot at the protesters.
From there, the march moved (maybe more accurately forced by the police. I missed another standoff involving clubbing with batons and more tear gas) to Oscar Grant Plaza. A lot more happened at night but since I was not there, you can consult other sources to get the rest of the story."
January 7, 2012: Oakland, California
Common sense, sans astrological foreknowledge, should say to any free thinking person that with the middle class so very - and rightly so - pissed off about the rampant criminality of banks, Wall Street amid widespread corruption of the establishment - that we cannot expect heads to roll in the near future?
We can note here that as Uranus in Aries nears to its first exact square to Pluto in Capricorn by June 2012, along with additional planetary transits that mass movements will become more common, numerous, louder and raucous should the current establishment try to hold on to power longer than time allows.
It is only going to get worse I continue to state.
It is only going to get worse I continue to state.
Few people and policymakers heeded my previous mundane warnings about the economic crisis years ago - despite ample evidence throughout the last decade that all was not well in many economies of the world, nor in society itself.
Now that we are closer to the synodic return of Jupiter in Gemini by June 2012, the months wind down. Gemini is well known for movements that grow larger than expected.
There will be no more road space to kick that can down very soon. The Uranus-Pluto squares amid the refusal of the baby boomer generation to accept their failure as establishment resulted in the 2011 British and Greek riots.
The mundane presage is for popular mass dissociation based on the outgoing establishment's total inability to solve what the boomer generation caused.
The mundane presage is for popular mass dissociation based on the outgoing establishment's total inability to solve what the boomer generation caused.
So, if a generation of young people believe that they don't have a future; then it is natural that they will invent meaningful activities for themselves - be it the Occupy Movement or those who riot and loot.
The inherent contradictions within the current neo liberal hegemony are creating circumstances that 'de facto' require a change of course. A recognition that the market will not solve all our social ills and that intervention is required.
A commenter named Adrian had this to say about the generational war waged by boomers against Generation X and Generation Y that not only has struck the United States - but also Europe.
"What neo-liberal economists, short-sighted profiteers and the right-wing political establishment don't seem to be able to grasp is that the austerity and steel-bath that is being forced upon us and the rest of the Western world from above won't lead us out of the current stagnation but will instead deepen the crisis and lead to a Depression.
Dumping wages, busting unions, worsening conditions, scrapping labor rights, deregulating labour and other markets, lack of employment safety, lack of influence, razing welfare systems all combined lead to decreased purchasing power and a lack of will to consume...
Which leads to falling demand, which leads to decreased profits for the private sector, which leads to them strapping their belts and trying to drive down wages even further and fire their workforce and force the ones remaining to work twice as hard for less pay under threat of unemployment...
Which leads to demand falling even further as neither employed nor unemployed consume; employed because of low wages, insecurity and fear of unemployment and sickness, unemployed because of poverty and social injustice.
This all continues in a negative, downwards spiral until the corporations start going bankrupt one after the other, with unemployment rising and the public sector squeezing its belt as a result of falling tax revenue, until an equilibrium is created in the economy with permanent high unemployment and low economic activity.
The only way to get out of this situation is through massive jobs programs, initiatives and public investment in all areas of the economy and society, ranging from construction of infrastructure and housing, generous and robust social insurance systems.
[The] strengthening of labor rights, strong regulation of the economy, strengthening of unions and the bringing of vital, societal services, such as electricity, banking and public transport, under public control, to put the welfare of the people and nation before that of big business.
All of these measures combined lead to increased purchasing power and consumer confidence, which leads to rising demand: which leads to increased profits for the private sector, which leads to them investing in expanding production and hiring new employees, which leads to falling unemployment and high economic activity, and THEN you can start paying down on debts and deficits through taxation and exportation.
It's basic economic knowledge which time and again has proven to work, and not only work, but in fact ushered in a period in our history called the Golden Age (1945-1973) - the Social Democratic age, which by far was the most prosperous time in the modern history of humanity.
Compared to the neoliberal, market fundamentalist era of the Washington Consensus (1979-present) the unemployment in the UK and France was at around 1.6% and 1.2% during the Golden Age, whilst it was at 7.4% and 9.5% during WC.
Global growth lay at 4.8% during the Golden Age, whilst it lay at 3.2% during WC. Not only that, but during the 27 years that the Social Democratic Moment lasted, the world only experienced 38 financial crises, compared to 139 between 1973-1997.
The greed, incompetence, stupidity and short-sightedness of the current political leadership and top strata of society will inevitably lead us down the dark path of the early 20th century, as the current, loosely-organized social unrest, political instability, economic turmoil, ethnic conflicts and class struggle continue to spread and eventually mushroom into greater activities under the sway of demagogues, and eventually lead to revolutions, war, oppression, despotism and genocide.
I can only hope and pray that all the Social Democrats and other left-wing leaders and grassroots of Europe can gather the courage to challenge neo-liberalism for real and not merely try to patch the holes.
What we need is a change of politics, a clear vision of a society beyond the next tax cut for the rich, a society where rich and poor, black and white, young and old, man and woman, immigrant and native, blue-collar and white-collar are allowed to strive for happiness on fair and equal terms, instead of pitting them against one another and have them elbow their way through life best they can.
If all of the above measures fail to be taken, then we will have failed, so-called left-wing parties might seize power with the help of an anti-incumbency vote, but will lose it as fast as they gained it if all they do with their power is administer the current, failed model, instead of putting a new one in place that puts people before profit.
And that in turn will lead to political alienation and voter apathy, as both parties will mirror one another; which leads to disillusionment and violence."
While some will sit around attempting to philosophize about the "Occupy' movement, as if the movement is over - what will become most apparent by the end of 2012 is that this movement - along with others worldwide - will result in a geopolitical crisis fueled by the powerful series of Uranus-Pluto squares and cardinal crisis world transits.
In Oakland, California, for example, since October 2011, the anger with the establishment has only grown larger and louder on the streets. How the boomer establishment faces their hypocrisy is seen by the actions of the police, ordered by this aged establishment to repress the rights of their own children?
If that is not a case for deep mental health issues brought on by years of boomer drug abuse (LSD, cocaine, alcohol) than I don't know what is.
For example, observe the social situation in Oakland in the video below from January 7, 2012 -
The Los Angeles Times comments:
"Yet so far the lionization of the middle class has been largely rhetorical.
The year just past was one in which the stagnation of income and wealth for the great majority of Americans continued - indeed, bit so deep that it helped fuel the Occupy movement taking as its constituency the '99%,' those left behind by the continued gravitation of economic bounty toward the top 1% of U.S. taxpayers.
With the coming election, however, the year ahead offers voters, business leaders and politicians an opportunity for a joint debate over the fundamentals of capitalism in America.
As President Barack Obama put it in Kansas: "What's at stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, secure their retirement."
Those four goals have been undermined since the 1970s by the unequal distribution of the wealth created largely by the American worker's boundless gains in productivity.
Until the crash of 2008, which still inflicts an unaccustomed level of pain on the middle class and the working class, the crippling of American upward mobility was a phenomenon little noticed or swept under the rug.
In the last year it has come out of hiding, a position it is likely to keep 'occupying' over the next ten months.
That's encouraging, because you can't discuss income inequality without touching upon many of the other fundamental issues confronting the U.S. economy: how many jobs we create, and of what quality; how we should support the elderly, the young and the sick; and how we should invest in the future through infrastructure construction and improved access to higher education.
That all ties in to the dimming economic hopes of America's youth - the college-educated and unskilled alike - which have perhaps the most profound long-term consequences for the nation's economic health.
If young people don't get good jobs with good prospects, they put off marriage, they don't buy homes, they don't shop for appliances and furniture. In short, they reinforce the stagnation of the consumer economy."
That very reinforced stagnation is exactly what has (and is) been happening for several years and will not improve until the baby boomer establishment in power are put once and for all out to pasture. Things are bad enough as it is - let's not make things worse.
We see here that a kind of 'generational war' is taking place, as the boomer establishment - who pride themselves on their radical activism of the 1960s and 1970s - now repress their own children who form much of the Occupy movements.
The September 17, 2011 rise of the Occupy movement surely will witness its second phase coming in the spring of 2012. It appears that it is a repeat of the same tired scenes of establishment using the police forces to face issues the establishment cannot, or will not resolve itself.
In Oakland, California, after a series of violent episodes, including a clash in which a U.S. Marine veteran who served in the Iraq war suffered a fractured skull when he was struck by a projectile in a confrontation with Oakland police, Oakland's mayor Ms Jean Quan relented and permitted the protesters return.
But two weeks later, in response to fears of renewed violence, she reneged all of a sudden and ordered the plaza to be cleared again.
But two weeks later, in response to fears of renewed violence, she reneged all of a sudden and ordered the plaza to be cleared again.
Mr. Phillips, an Occupy media team member who said he was an U.S. Air Force veteran, spoke Jan. 28, 2012 night from his home, where he had stopped to rinse tear-gas residue from his contact lenses. He described the scene in front of Oakland's Y.M.C.A. as “terrifying.”
“This is disgusting, because this is not the way that America is supposed to work,” he said. “You’re supposed to be able to have something like freedom to assemble and air your grievances.”
“It’s bizarre,” he said of the police reaction. “It’s not something you expect to see in the United States, and we’ve seen it over and over in Oakland.”
The waste of manpower, resources along with the very poor management of the country is yet another of the many reasons why the baby boomer generation is despised for its hypocrisy, corruption and utter lack of common sense:
Consider this , also out of Oakland, California in late January 2012 ~
Reuters reported Jan. 29, 2012 that "more than 400 anti-Wall Street protesters were arrested in Oakland during a night of skirmishes in which police fired tear gas and bean bag projectiles, the city said, marking one of the biggest mass arrests since nationwide economic protests began last year.
Earlier on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 authorities had said that the arrest figure was between 200 and 300. But the Oakland emergency operations center said in a statement that revised that up to more than 400, and said that Oakland Police were expected to announce a more precise number later.
Riot police on Saturday night, Jan. 28, 2012 fought running skirmishes with protesters, injuring three officers and at least one demonstrator.
The scuffles erupted in the afternoon as activists sought to take over a shuttered downtown convention center, sparking cat-and-mouse battles that lasted well into the night in a city that has seen tensions between police and protesters boil over repeatedly.
Oakland has become an unlikely flash-point of the national "Occupy" protests against economic inequality that began last year in New York's financial district and have spread to dozens of cities across the country.
The protests in most cities have been peaceful and sparked a national debate over how much of the country's wealth is held by the richest 1-percent of the population. President Barack Obama has sought to capitalize on the attention by calling for higher taxes on the richest Americans.
Protests focused on Oakland after a former Marine, Scott Olsen, was critically injured during a demonstration in October. Protester said he was hit in the head by a tear gas canister but authorities have never said exactly how he was hurt.
The Occupy movement appeared to lose momentum late last year as police cleared protest camps in cities across the country.
Violence erupted again in Oakland on Saturday when protesters attempted to take over the apparently empty downtown convention center to establish a new headquarters and draw attention to the problem of homelessness.
Police in riot gear moved in, firing smoke grenades, tear gas and bean-bag projectiles to drive the crowd back. "Officers were pelted with bottles, metal pipe, rocks, spray cans, improvised explosive devices and burning flares," the Oakland Police Department said in a statement. "Oakland Police Department deployed smoke and tear gas."
Some activists, carrying shields made of plastic garbage cans and corrugated metal, tried to circumvent the police line, and surged toward police on another side of the building as more smoke canisters were fired.
Oakland city officials said "extremists" were fomenting the demonstrations and using the city as a playground for the movement. Protesters have accused the city of overreacting and using heavy-handed tactics.
Across the country in New York, police said four people were arrested on Saturday night after protesters clashed with police at what demonstrators had called an "OccuParty" inside an abandoned building in the borough of Brooklyn.
Protesters knocked over garbage pails and hurled objects at police, slightly injuring six officers, a police spokesman said. The four people were charged with a variety of crimes including inciting a riot.
Tension was rising in Washington as well, where the National Park Service said it will bar Occupy protesters in the nation's capital from camping in two parks near the White House where they have been living since October.
~
My forecast for the coming great economic depression has always been based on the firm foundation of Mundane Astrology and my economic analysis of the world's health.
As we enter into a deflationary decade - created by evil, greedy and mentally comprised international financiers heading toward perdition - we look at additional indicators of what should be economic health but find nothing but - and I hate to say this - even more bad news...
The Cardinal Crisis
Global Shipping Crisis Foreshadows Economic Collapse
By Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
Back when my mundane economic reports were being labelled 'doom and gloom' during the financial bubble years of the 2000s, it was a lonely place to be issuing unfavorable forecasts. I never enjoy making negative forecasts but as a forecasting astrologer my personal wishes, opinions, etc., never mean anything to me.
It was and is always about the confirmation of world transits - and what I interpreted by the astrological sciences pointed to the negative for the decade we have now entered.
The third and fourth chapters of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of May 2000 is now underway with a Jupiter-Saturn opposition which opens the decade of the Twenty-Tens.
The international economic crisis was ushered in by a Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-Square of 2008-10.
The international economic crisis was ushered in by a Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-Square of 2008-10.
These 12 years - 2008-2020 - comprise what I call the world's 'Cardinal Crisis.'
The astrological transits for our present era continues to point to the need to prepare for a new kind of era; rooted in the problems of past events that will require fresh, creative and strong means to resolve.
For signs of the current economic crisis, and the signs for the near and medium-term, Reuters reported out of China in early November 2011 that "global shipping is in a downturn even worse than during the 2008 financial crisis, according to China's transportation minister. That outlook for the industry made increasingly uncertain by the European debt crisis.
The shipping industry is a economic bellwether because of its role in world trade saw freight rates plummet from mid-2008 to the end of that year.
Shipping activity continues to be volatile with brief spurts of recovery like in 2009 and 2010 but shipping nearly came to a grinding halt in 2011 as the Europe Union debt crisis threatened to cause nascent economic growth as vessels ordered during a economic boom begin to arrive on the market in severe recession.
Participants at a global shipping industry conference in Boao, on the southern Chinese island province of Hainan, said that they do not expect the industry to revive until 2014 st the earliest, according to an informal survey by HSBC at the event.
"The shipping industry is in a downturn, which is worse than the financial crisis in 2008," transportation minister Li Shenglin told the conference. "This condition may last for a relatively long period of time."
China is particularly important for the shipping industry as its huge appetite for raw materials has been one of the key factors supporting rates.
The supply glut, made worse by economic woes in the United States and Europe, has pushed rates for dry bulk vessels that transport goods such as iron and coal below 2,000 on the Baltic Exchange , less than a fifth of the 2008 peak.
On the flip side, rising fuel and other costs have squeezed operators' margins. Global benchmark Brent crude has averaged more than $100 this year for the first time ever. "The industry is double hit by the supply and demand imbalance and rising costs, especially fuel costs," Li said.
China COSCO Holdings Co Ltd , operator of the world's largest bulk cargo fleet and a major global container shipper, has been able to slash charter costs after successful re-negotiations with ship owners, its chairman said.
"The negotiations went well. Most of the ship owners have agreed to reduce charter costs," COSCO Chairman Wei Jiafu said on the sidelines of the conference.
COSCO halted payments to several ship owners earlier this year to force better terms, a move that threatened to taint its reputation within the international shipping community.
Wei said that the company had stopped buying ships last year because of an uncertain industry outlook. But he forecasts a recovery in 2013 because of the China factor.
GLOOMY OUTLOOK?
The Jupiter-Saturn opposition, that opens 2010-2020, is a watershed event for the shipping industry and the world's economy. As Uranus transits the vernal Aries Point, in 2012, within orb of the fixed star Scheat, astrological indicators feature a gloomy outlook for the coming years.
Europe's debt crisis has made the outlook for the global economy and shipping industry more uncertain. The World Trade Organisation cut its 2011 trade growth forecast to 5.8 percent from 6.5 percent that it had predicted earlier.
"The European debt crisis will be there for a long term and it will add volatility to the market from time to time," said Dong Tao, an economist at Credit Suisse.
The IMF cut its global economic growth forecast to 4 percent for both 2011 and 2012 in September from 4.3 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively.
Slowing growth comes at the same time as rising supply of vessels.
The global dirty tanker fleet, dedicated to transporting crude and fuel oil, is expected to grow 9 percent this year and 7 percent next year, according to the ship association BIMCO.
A disturbing sign of the coming drought in the shipping industry is also inclined by means of Uranus in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn. The combined influence of the Jupiter-Saturn opposition has greatly see share prices tumble.
This compares with an expected growth in world oil demand of 1.1 percent for this year and 1.4 percent for 2012 given by the International Energy Agency in its latest report. Share prices of many shipping companies worldwide have tumbled the past year on deteriorating earnings outlooks.
Consider that COSCO Holdings, which made a net loss of 2.07 billion yuan ($325.81 million) in the third quarter, saw its share price fall 60 percent over the past 12 months. Won-Woo Lee, chief executive of Hanjin Shipping's container business unit, said it will be difficult to break even on all of its shipping routes in the year of 2012-13 - especially European routes - citing overcapacity.
"Europe will be more painful next year," Lee said.
~
We discover disturbing data in another index; which further confirms my long-standing mundane forecast on the world's economies.
On February 1, 2012, Bloomberg reported that the Baltic Dry Index - a measure of costs for shipping commodities - had fallen to its lowest level in more than 25 years - revealing the sagging demands that caused shipping owners to idle their vessels amid a glut of new carriers.
The gauge slid 2.6 percent to 662, the lowest reading since August 1986 and the 31st retreat in a row, according to the London-based Baltic Exchange. Hire costs for Capesizes - the largest carriers of iron ore and coal - have plunged 84 percent from the 2011 high reached Dec. 12.
Capesize owners were idling vessels rather than accepting rates offered amid limited cargo bookings, and Australia was "awash with ships waiting to load," the exchange said in a report to members on February 1, 2012.
The downturn is the worst in more than 25 years, said Derek Prentis, an 86-year-old ship broker and consultant who is the exchange's longest-serving member.
"I can't see much happening until March or April 2013," Prentis said from London. Too many ships are being built as demand for raw materials slows in Asia, he said.
The dry-bulk fleet of more than 8,900 ships is expanding more quickly than demand. The fleet will swell by 14 percent this year, nearly five times the 3 percent gain in seaborne volumes of minerals and grains, according to Clarkson Research Services Ltd., a unit of the world's largest shipbroker.
Returns for three of the four ship types in the index are too low to cover operating costs, and they're below zero on two of 29 dry-bulk routes assessed, data from the exchange and accounting firm Moore Stephens International LLP show.
Capesize and Panamax ships are earning 30 percent and 38 percent, respectively, of the amounts Oslo-based investment bank Pareto Securities ASA says they need to break even.
Daily average rents for Capesizes fell 1 percent to $5,327, remaining at the lowest level since March 2011 according to the exchange.
Panamaxes, the largest vessels to navigate the Panama Canal, dropped 4.2 percent to a three-year low of $5,515. Supramax vessels declined 2.8 percent to $6,657 and Handysizes, the smallest ships in the index, slid 2.4 percent to $5,853.
Baltic Dry Index Signals Economic Collapse?
By Brandon Smith
Alt-market.com
Much has been said about the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) over the course of the last four years, especially in light of the credit crisis and the effects it has had on the frequency of global shipping.
Importing and exporting has never been quite the same since 2008, and this change is made most obvious through one of the few statistical measures left in the world that is not subject to direct manipulation by international corporate interests - the BDI.
Today, the BDI is on the verge of making headlines once again, being that it is plummeting like a wingless 747 into the swampy mire of what I believe will soon be historical lows.
The problem with the BDI is that it is little understood and often dismissed by less thoughtful economic analysts as a “volatile index” that is too “sensitive” to be used as a realistic indicator of future trends.
What these analysts consistently seem to ignore is that regardless of their narrow opinion, the BDI has been proven to lead economic derision in the market movements of the past.
That is to say, the BDI has been volatile exactly BECAUSE markets have been volatile and unstable, and is a far more accurate thermometer than those that most mainstream economists currently rely on.
If only they would look back at the numbers further than one year ago, they might see their own folly more clearly.
Introduced in 1985, the Baltic Dry Index first and foremost is a measure of the global shipping rates of dry bulk goods, mostly consisting of vital raw materials used in the creation of other products.
However, it is also a measure of demand for said materials in comparison to previous months and years. This is where we get into the predictive nature of the BDI.
In late 1986, for instance, the BDI fell to its lowest level on record, then, began a slow crawl towards moderate recovery, just before the Black Monday crash of 1987.
click to enlarge
Coincidence?
Not a chance. From 2001 to 2002, a similar sharp collapse in the BDI preceded a progressive drop in the Dow of around 4000 points, ending in a highly suspect (Fed engineered) illegitimate recovery.
In 2008, the index fell to near record lows once again just before the derivatives and credit crisis hit stocks full force.
To imply that the BDI is not a useful measure of future economic trends seems like an astonishingly ignorant proposition when one examines its very predictable behavior just before major financial downturns.
This is not to suggest that the BDI can be used as a way to play the stock market from day to day, or often even month to month. MSM analysts rarely look further than the next quarter when considering any financial issue, and that is why they don’t understand the BDI.
If an index cannot be used by day-traders to make a quick buck in a short afternoon, then why bother with it at all, right? The BDI is not an accurate measure of the daily market gamble.
It is, though, an accurate measure of where markets are headed in the long run and under extreme circumstances.
Over the course of the past month, the BDI has fallen around 65% from above 1600 to 726. Mainstream economists argue that the BDI’s fall in 2008 was a much higher percentage, and thus, a 65% drop is nothing to worry about.
They fail to mention that shipping rates never recovered from the 2008 collapse, and have hovered in a sickly manner near lows reached during the initial credit bubble burst.
By their logic, if the BDI was at 2, and fell to 1, this 50% drop should be shrugged off as inconsequential because it is not a substantial percentage of decline when compared to that which occurred in 2008 - even though the index is standing at rock bottom.
Yes, the useful idiots strike again…
Looking at the rate and the speed of decline this past month, it’s hard to argue that the current 65% drop is meaningless:
click to enlarge
Another subversive argument against the BDI is the suggestion that it is not the demand for raw materials that is in decline, but the number of shipping vessels out of use that is growing.
A smart person might suggest that these two problems are mutually connected. An MSM pundit would not.
In 2008, many ships were left to wallow in port without cargo, but this was due in large part to two circumstances. First, demand had fallen so much that too many ships were left to carry too little raw materials.
Second, credit markets had sunk so intensely that many ships could not find trade financing necessary to take on cargo. In either case, the BDI still falls, and in either case, it still signals economic danger.
The only way that the BDI could signal a major decline in shipping demand artificially or inaccurately is if a considerable number of ships under construction were suddenly released onto the market while there is no demand for them.
There have been no mass increases or extreme changes in cargo fleets this past month, or at all since 2008, which means, the BDI’s decline has NOTHING to do with the number of ships in operation, and everything to do with decline in global demand.
What is the bottom line? The stark decline in the BDI today should be taken very seriously. Most similar declines have occurred right before or in tandem with economic instability and stock market upheaval.
All the average person need do is look around themselves, and they will find a European Union in the midst of detrimental credit downgrades and on the verge of dissolving.
They will find the U.S. on the brink of yet another national debt battle and hostage to a private Federal Reserve which has announced the possibility of a third QE stimulus package which will likely be the last before foreign creditors begin dumping our treasuries and our currency in protest.
They will find BRIC and ASEAN nations moving quietly into multiple bilateral trade agreements which cut out the use of the dollar as a world reserve completely. Is it any wonder that the Baltic Dry Index is in such steep deterioration?
Along with this decline in global demand is tied another trend which many traditional deflationists and Keynesians find bewildering; inflation in commodities.
Ultimately, the BDI is valuable because it shows an extreme faltering in the demand for typical industrial materials and bulk items, which allows us to contrast the increase in the prices of necessities.
Global demand is waning, yet prices are holding at considerably high levels or are rising (a blatant sign of monetary devaluation).
Indeed, the most practical conclusion would be that the monster of stagflation has been brought to life through the dark alchemy of criminal debt creation and uncontrolled fiat stimulus.
Without the BDI, such disaster would be much more difficult to foresee, and far more shocking when its full weight finally falls upon us. It must be watched with care and vigilance.
~
The Cardinal Crisis
Europe's Lost Young Generation
By Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
Plans to commit €22 billion to solve what has been called 'the scourge of youth unemployment' across the European Union was said to have been seriously 'discussed' by European leaders on January 28, 2012.
As in the United States, where the baby boomer generation broke the intergenerational contract, in Europe we have the same - widespread high levels of unemployment of those under the age of 50.
As in the United States, where the baby boomer generation broke the intergenerational contract, in Europe we have the same - widespread high levels of unemployment of those under the age of 50.
World transits clearly show that unless the baby boomer generation is put out to pasture, after 30 years in the work world and after 18.5 years as the ruling establishment, that what is left behind by the boomers will cause them to be a hated and despised generation.
So, at this late stage international pressure rises in Europe for some kind of effort to aid a young generation to navigate themselves through a deep economic crisis.
The crisis features those experiencing what should be their positive Jupiter returns leaving school for a world of work that offers very limited job opportunities.
Consider this, in January 2012 - youth unemployment in Spain reached 51.4% among those aged 16 to 24.
The striking levels of unemployment was set high on the agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 28, 2012 where politicians, economists and bankers said action was essential to stimulate demand and prevent a generation becoming strangers to work.
Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, said youth joblessness was not just a problem for the West, but was also evident in emerging economies, many where the proportion of young workers was rising.
"If people don't get the right start it can affect them their whole lives. It is not enough to muddle through. It is not enough to do a fiscal fix."
Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, held private talks in Davos with European Union leaders to discuss unemployment.
She said that it was vital to kick start growth in the euro zone. "Growth is critical for many reasons – for the jobs issue, for fiscal consolidation and to encourage value creation."
She said that it was vital to kick start growth in the euro zone. "Growth is critical for many reasons – for the jobs issue, for fiscal consolidation and to encourage value creation."
At January 2012's EU summit in Brussels – dominated by attempts to safeguard the euro's future and to control spending by euro zone members – EU leaders, including David Cameron, will discuss a plan to guarantee all young people either work, training or further education within four months of leaving school.
A draft conclusion of the summit that was likely to be agreed by all 27 heads of state and government, said:
"The objective should be that within four months of leaving school young people receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a trainee ship."
EU sources said €22 billion that is so far unspent and sits in the EU's social fund could be provided. According to the establishment commission, it says it would work with member states to draw up "country specific" programs on how to address the problems and use the funds.
But the plans would not be legally binding; this is because the EU has no power to enforce schemes; so a unanimous agreement would place EU countries under strong peer pressure to deliver results, but don't hold your breath.
Demands for more to be done on jobs highlight the tension between the EU's demands for austerity in the euro zone and the desire of many in Europe to kickstart flagging national economies with extra spending.
World transits continue to show red as Spain's unemployment figure rose above 5 million the last week of January 2012.
The new Spanish government of Mariano Rajoy called on EU headquarters at Brussels to ease the country's deficit targets. Spain's 51.4% youth unemployment level means that for the first time in a modern European country the majority of young people are unemployed.
In Greece - this figure is an astounding 46.6%. While in Portugal it is 30.7%.
In November 2011 youth unemployment in the United Kingdom passed one million persons out of work for the first time in 15 years. That is equivalent to 22% of all persons between 16 to 24 years old.
On Jan. 28, 2012 British chancellor George Osborne and the Labor Party leader Ed Miliband joined with leaders of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in urging action to create jobs amid warnings that youth unemployment was a time-bomb under the global economy.
Peter Mandelson, business secretary in Labor's last government, said: "I've not been in a meeting or speech where the subject didn't come up. Why? People recognize that it is a massive waste of resource, a ticking time bomb and a loss of consumer demand. It is one of the most important issues this year."
Osborne, under pressure to announce job creating measures in his scheduled March 2012 budget, said from Davos, Switzerland: "It is incredibly important. We are doing everything we can to increase the capacity of the economy and make sure young people have the skills they need. It is a question of demand and supply. You can't just look at one of them."
Miliband said that he agreed with Osborne about the importance of tackling the issue, highlighted by the International Labor Organisation in January 2012 when the organization said there would be a need to create 600 million jobs worldwide over the decade of Twenty-Tens.
"It is a massive issue," said Miliband, lambasting the government for its inaction. "That's why we are calling for a tax on bonuses and want to use the money to get people to work.
The government has been hopeless and allowed youth unemployment to rise."
The government has been hopeless and allowed youth unemployment to rise."
How it feels to be Young and struggling in Europe
Viola Caon left her Italian home to find work. Now she returns to see how her former classmates are faring… and in the week that shocking figures showed how badly Europe's youth is being hit by the unemployment crisis, we also talk to hard-hit twenty somethings in Athens, Greece and Madrid.
By Viola Caon
Maybe being young is never easy. But being a twenty-something young European has rarely been more stressful.
More than a quarter (28%) of Italians between 16 and 24 are unemployed. Others are struggling to get by on unpaid internships or poorly paid jobs with little security.
Italy's new prime minister, Mario Monti, has vowed to help the younger generation, promising among other things to help them start businesses, but as austerity bites deep the future is uncertain, even terrifying, for many.
It's not just Italy, of course. Eurozone unemployment is at a record. According to Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, 16.3 million people are out of work in the 17 countries that joined the euro. The story of a lost generation is becoming the scandal of a continent. In Spain, 51.4% of those aged 16-24 are jobless. In Greece, the figure is 43%.
As the eurozone crisis worsened, I went back to my hometown of Civita Castellana, 65 kilometres north of Rome, to meet my classmates from the Giuseppe Colasanti high school. Michela, Maria, Elena, Elisa, Michele, Martina and I were in the class of 2005.
When Monti announced his €30bn austerity package, he said: "Sacrifice will be required." In Civita, those sacrifices are being made. It is one of the largest industrial centers in the region.
Since the end of the second world war, about 90% of people been employed making bathroom fittings and crockery, for which Civita is renowned.
What everyone now calls "the crisis" arrived here earlier than elsewhere, as the town suffered the consequences of globalization and competition with China, where similar products were being made more cheaply. Many factories have closed; thousands are out of work.
The debt crisis that began in 2008 means redundancy hangs over many of those who have kept jobs.
Then there are the young.
Getting a foot on the ladder has never been simple in Italy, where who you know is often key. But with the country facing austerity for the foreseeable future, and Euro zone GDP as a whole predicted to shrink by 0.5% in 2012, the outlook is bleak.
Then there are the young.
Getting a foot on the ladder has never been simple in Italy, where who you know is often key. But with the country facing austerity for the foreseeable future, and Euro zone GDP as a whole predicted to shrink by 0.5% in 2012, the outlook is bleak.
So meeting my schoolmates again was quite an experience. My decision six months ago to live and work in London was partly to do with the economy. But how had my schoolmates been getting on?
Italy
Martina Rossitto, 26, MA student, human biology
"I am doing a trainee-ship at the laboratory for cystic fibrosis of Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome. I was lucky, as they do serious research there. I got the place because I know one of the doctors in the lab. I am not getting paid, not even expenses. However, I consider myself to be privileged, as most of my university mates are working 12 hours a day and don't even have access to basic research tools. In Italy, choosing to work as a researcher is suicide. The government keeps cutting the funds."
Maria Francesca Zozi, 26, MA student, arts
"I am usually told I will be a useless graduate. I find it unbelievable: governments keep investing in other sectors and they cut on arts and education. It is simply ridiculous. The problem is that the public sector – which includes most of our arts heritage – is corrupt and inefficient. I have a lot of projects in mind, I would like to attend a course at Brera Academy of Arts in Milan, but I really cannot afford it. I would leave the country if it weren't for my boyfriend, who says we have to stay and fight for a better future."
Elisa Di Pietro Paolo, 25, unemployed shop assistant
"I looked for a job as soon as I left high school six years ago. I found one as a shop assistant in Rome, on a short-term contract. My employers used to renew every year, until one day they didn't. They fired a girl who had worked for them for five years because she took sick leave for pneumonia. Since last January I have been unemployed and doing occasional jobs: for a holiday camp, leafleting, and now for a non-profit thing. The problem is that, having worked as a trainee, employers must hire me on a proper contract, and it's not convenient to them."
Michele Stentella, 26, DJ and student in political science
"I have been DJing for years. Besides doing some nights in a major club in Rome, I have also started to work as a producer. If things go well, I might also sign with an important label. But the crisis has struck in my area, too. More and more clubs are closing. People cannot afford to spend much money and we all feel the pinch at the end of the month. I have a registered logo, and four guys who work with me. I really hope I can keep doing this job. Meanwhile, I study and maybe a BA degree will turn out to be useful some day."
Michela Moretti, 25, trainee lawyer
"I have just graduated in law and I started a traineeship in a law firm near my hometown, Viterbo. Of course, they are not even paying me expenses. The only people I know who are getting paid during their traineeship are lawyers' children. They go to their parents' law firm and they get paid. With Monti's talk about liberalizing the professions, everything is still more unclear for us. They're even talking about getting rid of the traineeship. It's going to be very confusing."
Elena Cirioni, 25, trainee radio journalist
"I did a two-year internship for a local FM radio which never even paid me the expenses. Fortunately, I got another opportunity with a private web radio station which is paying me the expenses and is helping me obtain a journalist's licence. I work 15 to 20 hours a week and I get paid €200 a month. My dream was to become a theatre actress and I am still hoping to fulfill this Athens ambition at some point. The problem is that the culture industry is eternally in crisis in Italy, and there isn't the money for new actors."
Helena Smith reports on Athens, Greece
The greatest victims of Greece's economic crisis have been its youth, men and women who never knew the boom times but must now bear the brunt of one of Europe's harshest austerity programmes.
With unemployment at a record as the debt-choked country endures a fifth consecutive year of recession, nearly 44% of the 907,953 out of work are between 15 and 24. For the first time since the 1960s, the jobless rate has nudged 18.5%, according to data released by the national statistics office in November. Four out of 10 without work are young people, although three months later, with ever more businesses closing, the figures are undoubtedly worse.
Lack of job prospects and the absence of vocational training to redirect the newly unemployed, fears of impending economic collapse and warnings that it may take 10 years before the service-oriented economy even begins to recover have spurred many of the brightest and best to look abroad.
The exodus has sparked a brain drain that could have a devastating effect on the country's future growth. Tens of thousands of young Greeks are believed to have moved overseas in the last two years.
Almost always from part of the educated elite, they have gone to other European countries and as far as Australia.
An 800-seat Australian "skills expo" in Athens in October attracted 13,000 applicants. Community leaders in Melbourne, focus of a similar Greek migration in the 1950s and 1960s, have been flooded by requests from Greek graduates.
Christos Xeraxoudis, 24, unemployed chef
"I'm a trained chef and have been looking for work for months. I've sent my CV to hotels and restaurants all over Greece, but out of the 50 or applications that I've made I only got an answer once. Lately I've looked for jobs in the UK, Germany and Switzerland, where I happen to have relatives, but I've had no response. But I am optimistic. Greece needed to change. It needs to be rebuilt from the beginning. It has so much going for it but somehow had lost its way. After all, we had got to the point where we were importing lemons from Argentina."
Evangelia Hadzichristofi, 26, unemployed interior designer
"I've been out of work for the last year. It's hard. I'm an interior designer and our industry has been very badly hit. I had an internship at the Benaki Museum [in Athens], but then they let me go and it's been impossible to find a job since. I've looked for work as a secretary, receptionist, shop assistant and the answer has always been 'no'. It's got to the point where I am counting every cent and have to rely on my father, who is in difficulty himself with his own business. I've just applied for jobs in England and Amsterdam because at least there is always overseas."
Giorgos Dimas, 25, working as a chef
"I was unemployed for three years until last week when I finally found a job as a chef. I went back to school to train as a cook, and I've been learning English but it's been really difficult. At the back of my mind there is always the thought that the restaurant I'm about to work in might go bust, given that no one has any money any more. But although it might take a few years for my generation to find work I actually think the crisis has been a good thing. Greece was all about jobs for civil servants and nothing else. It had to change."
Diego Salazar reports from Madrid, Spain
Now is not the time to be a twenty-something in Spain. According to figures last week, 51.4% of 16-24 year-olds are now without work, as the total unemployment count passed the 5 million barrier.
This has often been called the best-educated generation in Spain. It is also the one which has the direst prospects. Even if they are lucky enough to get a job, most of them – around 60% – have to live on low salaries with little job security.
The usual best options are internships or temporary contracts that allow the employer to fire them without difficulty. The situation is now critical, as indicated by prime minister Mariano Rajoy's plea last week to Brussels. He demanded greater "realism" from Brussels over Spain's attempts to cut its deficit.
Austerity is sending Spain back into recession and the danger is that a generation is to be sacrificed as a result.
Austerity is sending Spain back into recession and the danger is that a generation is to be sacrificed as a result.
About a decade ago, a new term was coined to describe young people who earned €1,000 a month – the mileuristas. Now things are so bad that this disparaging term describes an unattainable aspiration for most.
Eduardo Caña, 23, student
"I am studying journalism and economics and I've done all sort of low-paid jobs: serving beers in Valencia beach bars, working in construction in Galicia, unloading fruit trucks and filling customers' bags in Ikea. I've never been paid more than €7 an hour. I also worked as an intern for a newspaper, almost for free. This friend of mine was working on a paper for less than €400 a month. Her temporary contract expired and they called to offer me the same job but as an unpaid intern. I found that so offensive. I am finishing school next June and if nothing comes up I am thinking about moving abroad."
Marita Blázquez, 25, student
"I've found it impossible to get a job in my own field. In my hometown of Granada, I worked as a monitor in a shopping mall kids' play area and that's the closest I've got to working with kids, which has been my goal since I started studying. I came to Madrid but all I could get were two part-time jobs, first at a department store and then in a clothes shop, where they hired me as a clerk with an illegal contract making €3 an hour. When I asked for better conditions my boss fired me. I started studying again to become a teacher. But only a few posts are open every year so I have no idea what I am doing next."
Adriano Justicia, 27, unemployed photographer
"I am a photographer and also hold a film studies degree, but never could find a job in any of those areas. I've worked as a telemarketer, in credit card sales and also a Red Cross charity recruiter for not much money at all. I just went back to study for a degree in TV production, which includes unpaid training. If I don't get a job after that, I think I will be forced to move back to Berlin, where I spent a couple of months as an intern for a photographic studio. Given the circumstances, that looks like the best option, although it is always difficult to leave your country."
María Lázaro, 25, jobless tour and advertisement agent
"I came to Madrid to work as a manager for Real Madrid's museum. I worked at Santiago Bernabéu stadium museum for two years until I was fired six months ago. Since then I've been working in temporary jobs, three or five days as a hostess in business conventions and fairs, most of them without any kind of contract. My partner works as a graphic designer and he has just been offered a job in Zaragoza, so we are probably moving there. I just got admitted back into school, where I am hoping to do a masters degree, to see if that helps me finally to get a job."
~
The Cardinal Crisis
The Annular Solar Eclipse Of May 2012
The Pleiades, in the shoulder of Taurus the Bull. A annular solar eclipse on May 20, 2012 will conjoin the central star of the Pleiades - the fixed star Alcyone at 00-Gemini.
Forecast by
Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
On May 20, 2012, an annular solar eclipse at 00-degrees tropical Gemini will begin across eastern Asia. The eclipse will transit over the north Pacific Ocean and sweep into the southwestern United States as the sun sets in North America.
The annular eclipse will conjoin the fixed star Alcyone in the sidereal constellation of Taurus. This star sits in the Pleiades with Alcyone as the largest of seven stars located on the shoulder of the Taurus the Bull.
I will say straightaway, that this is a unfavorable eclipse. People really need to cool down their shit in order not to allow the powerful planetary inclinations to affect them. But we all know that that will not happen based on mass ignorance of transits in general and serious astrology in particular.
How many people do you know whom can tell you what phase the Moon is at, any time of the day or week?
Much less know where the Sun, or for heaven's sake, where their own home planet (Earth for most of us) happens to be located.
Alcyone was known in classical Greek astrology as the major star of the Pleiades - called the 'seven sisters.' These seven sisters are the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.
I will say straightaway, that this is a unfavorable eclipse. People really need to cool down their shit in order not to allow the powerful planetary inclinations to affect them. But we all know that that will not happen based on mass ignorance of transits in general and serious astrology in particular.
How many people do you know whom can tell you what phase the Moon is at, any time of the day or week?
Much less know where the Sun, or for heaven's sake, where their own home planet (Earth for most of us) happens to be located.
Alcyone was known in classical Greek astrology as the major star of the Pleiades - called the 'seven sisters.' These seven sisters are the daughters of Atlas and Pleione.
The sisters are Alcyone, Maya, Asterope, Merope, Electra, Taygeta and Celaeno. Alcyone had a son, Hyrieus, by Poseidon, God of the sea. Poseidon was also called Neptunus (Neptune) by the Romans.
Eta Tauri, or Alcyone, is the brightest star of the Pleiades featured as an open cluster of blue/white stars in the constellation of Taurus. Alcyone is observed as a blue giant star given the spectral type B-7IIIe.
Alcyone has 1,000 times the luminosity of our Sun and 20 times its diameter. Alcyone, moves at one degree every 72 years because of the precession of the equinoxes. Its position is now at 00- degrees Gemini. Back in 1971 Alcyone was located at 29º36 Taurus.
The solar eclipse of May 2012 will be the first of three remarkable celestial events of the year.
It will be followed by the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun on June 6, 2012. A total solar eclipse occurs at 21-Scorpio on November 13, 2012.
The annular solar eclipse of May 20-21, 2012 will be visible across southeast Asia, China, Japan, Russia and northwestern North America between 20:56:07 UT on May 20 and 02:49:21 UT on May 21.
The phase will begin at May 20, 2012 at 22:06:17 Universal Time (UT) when the eclipse will begin in the Gulf of Tongking which forms the northwestern part of the South China Sea. The eclipse will end at Lubbock, Texas.
The graphic above features the wide penumbral shadow where the eclipse will be observed as a partial eclipse. The red umbral dot shows where the eclipse will be seen as annular. Universal time is depicted in the upper right-hand corner of the graphic. Central line duration of the May 2012 eclipse is seen in the lower right-hand corner.
The May 2012 annular solar eclipse is part of Saros cycle 128, a cycle that repeats every 18 years and 11 days with 73 known celestial events. This particular series started with a partial solar eclipse on August 29, 984 AD.
Saros 128 had total eclipses from May 16, 1417 through June 18, 1471 with hybrid eclipses from June 28, 1489 to July 31, 1543. It progressed into annular eclipse phase from the date of August 11, 1561.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than that of the Sun. This creates the image of the sun to look like ring with most of the Sun's light blocked except at the rim.
The May 20-21,2012 eclipse of the Sun will cross time zones. It will be the next day in Asia as the eclipse stretches from China, then Japan, across the northern Pacific to the region of southwestern United States and parts of western Canada. It will be the first central eclipse observed in the U.S. since May 1994.
Maximum eclipse will occur at 23:52:47 UT on May 20, when annular phase will last over 5½ minutes. This eclipse last a long time and stretches out along a very wide path over the north Pacific ocean.
Path of May 20-21, 2012 Annular Eclipse at 0-Gemini
click on graphic to enlarge
May 2012 Eclipse Over Asia
click on graphic to enlarge
At the Gulf of Tongking, also spelled 'Tongkin' or 'Tonquin' is located at the northernmost part of Vietnam, and is south of China's Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces lying east of northern Laos. The local population call it Bắc Kỳ, or the "northern region."
The gulf is sits on the fertile delta of the Red River and is flush with rice production. Its climate is strongly wind-driven.
Here, we find the eclipse at new moon at 0-Gemini, at strong astronomical point associated with travel by ships, naval matters, significant seismic activity and the weather. This, along with the geopolitical affairs of the region bears worth monitoring during 2012.
Mayan Connection To The Pleiades
The solar eclipse of May 20, 2012 will conjoin Alcyone and the Pleiades. The popular culture beliefs of the Mayan Calendar say they believe that 2012 is the beginning of a new era.
In mundane astrology, the annular eclipse and conjunction to the Pleiades is of significance considering the astrological transits of 2012. However, this significance
It's said that the Mayan astrologers were not the only ones who held Alcyone to be of great significance. The Dogon culture of Africa and the Egyptians may have done so.
Joseph Augustus Seiss, in his book "A Miracle in Stone: The Great Pyramid of Egypt" published in 1877, wrote this:
"It is by means of this cycle [i.e. the precession of the equinoxes], in connection with its star pointings, that the Great Pyramid also tells the date of its erection. Sir John Herschel in 1839, assuming that its long, narrow, polished tubular entrance passage was meant to be leveled at a polar star, began to calculate back with what data he had to find the time when such a star was looking down that tube from the northern heavens.
Nor did he fail to find one answering the conditions near about the time assigned by other methods as the probable date at which the Great Pyramid was built.
Closer determinations of the exact pointing of the grand tube, along with other data, enabled other astronomers to repeat the calculation with more determinate results, fixing upon the year two thousand one hundred and seventy before Christ, as that in which this tube pointed to a Draconis, the then pole star, at its lower culmination, at the same time that the Pleiades, particularly Alcyone, the center of the group, were on the same meridian above.
And as this was a mark in the heavens which could not occur again for more than twenty-five thousand years from that time, and was itself very extraordinary, it has been accepted as meant to be the sign of the date of the building of the Great Pyramid.
Science has at last discovered that the sun is not a dead center with planets and comets wheeling about it but itself stationary. It is now ascertained that the sun also is in motion, carrying with it its splendid retinue of comets, planets, its satellites and theirs, around some other and vastly mightier center.
Astronomers are not agreed as where that center is. Some, however, believe that they have found the direction of it to be the Pleiades, and particularly Alcyone, the central one of the renowned Pleiadic stars. To the distinguished German astronomer, Prof. J. H. Maedler, belongs the honor of having made this discovery."
Again, this annular solar eclipse is malefic, meaning unfavorable. The global inclinations are diverse - resulting in negative geopolitical events, attacks, accidents, assassinations, economic crisis, popular hue-and-cries, demonstrations and general social confusion. Also, poor weather and seismic conditions that affect travel on land, the air and especially on the high seas.
In Asia, the cities that will see the May 20, 2012 solar eclipse include Taipei, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Osaka, Tokyo and Beijing, China.
The annular eclipse will sweep northwards, up along eastern Asia; touching most of the length of Japan as it heads westward, crosses the northern Pacific Ocean to set over western regions of North America.
The graphics below shows where the full annular eclipse of Sunday, May 20, 2012 will be observed in the United States.
North America
click on graphic to enlarge
Most of western North America will observe the eclipse as partial with the sun setting with others seeing the annular eclipse.
American and Canadian cities that will see the annular eclipse include:
Anchorage Alaska,
Vancouver, Canada
Seattle, Washington
Medford, Oregon
Reno & Carson City, Nevada
Santa Fe & Albuquerque, New Mexico
San Francisco, California
Los Angeles - Santa Monica, California
Lubbock, Texas
click on image to enlarge
The May 20-21 annular eclipse at 0-Gemini will appear as a partial eclipse that sweeps over thousands of kilometers from east Asia to western North America.
The Sun will be seen as a ring as the Moon will not cover the solar disc completely, leaving a ring of fire on the outer edges. The narrow views of the eclipse will be partial but with clear skies observers west of the Mississippi will view the sun as crescent-shaped as it sets in the evening skies.
Annular Solar Eclipse at 0-Gemini
Lubbock, Texas
click on eclipse chart to enlarge
The mundane chart above depicts the new moon eclipse over Lubbock, Texas. This is near where the annular eclipse will end.
The conjunction of the Sun and Moon at 0-Gemini is exact to the fixed star Alcyone and also within 4-5 degrees orb of the north lunar node while at three degrees past a square to Neptune at 3-degrees Pisces.
The square from the Sun reaching 0-Gemini to Neptune indicates poor decision-making and speculation among unreliable people.
There is a need to mind the environment to guard against disasters involving chemicals, oil and gas. There is a need to avoid deception in financial matters as the sense of values can be easily distorted by fringe groups.
The eclipse also speaks to the climate. I continue to urge caution on seismic activity in 2012 as world transits clearly show that large magnitude earthquakes and volcanic events are strongly highlighted.
Let's look at the impact on geophysical events - in this case earthquakes - during 2012.
The Cardinal Crisis
Global Earthquake Forecasts & Preparedness In 2012
Forecast by
Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
In mundane astrology, the forecasting of natural events is under the subset of astrometeorology. These natural events include atmospheric events that impact the climate and weather. Also included are seismic events - called earthquakes.
Generally, medium and large magnitude seismic activity can happen during configurations of the outer planets of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
The transits of planets by longitude, stations to direct or retrograde motion as well as ingresses into new zodiac signs often spur seismic events.
We have a series of major planetary configurations in 2012 that will see resulting earthquake and volcanic activity. We all saw the power of planetary ingresses on March 11, 2011 when Uranus entered tropical Aries resulting in the historic Japan Earthquake that struck on that day.
Significant magnitudes of seismic activity can happen within three days of a major outer planet's ingress into a new Sign. This will occur when the planet Neptune enters tropical Pisces on February 3-4, 2012.
For the duration of 2012, Neptune in Pisces will oppose the fixed star Regulus, which recently entered tropical Virgo. This, while transiting Saturn will conjoin the fixed star Spica in July-August 2012.
During the months from late January through to late August the Dragon's Head in Sagittarius and Dragon's Tail in Gemini will be winding down its transit in both mutable signs.
The configurations of 2012 show significant seismic activity that continues those seen in large magnitude quakes of 2011.
Earthquakes - Dates Of Caution
All of 2012 is highlighted for significant earthquakes due to the configurations of planets and stars relative to the Earth.
Early on, the period from January 26 through to February 20, 2012 are significant for major quakes between 6.2+ and higher in magnitude. North, Central and South America, nations of Peru, Chile and Mexico are highlighted.
The Canadian Northwest, Alaska, and Pacific Northwest American states are also cautioned to mind strong seismic activity. Southeastern Asia, including the countries of Vietnam, Philippines, China, and Japan are highlighted. Again, those populations who live in countries along the 'ring of fire' are cautioned to make preparedness plans for earthquakes.
Strong seismic dates
Jan. 29-Feb.1, 2012
February 1-10, 2012
April, May, June 2012 - California
April, May, June 2012 - California
June 2-6, 2012 - Asia
March 1-15, 2012
March 1-15, 2012
August 2-11, 2012
Regions:
Los Angeles, Southern California
Pacific Northwest
Central & South America
Asia: Korea, Philippines
south central Europe
Indonesia
Australia
eastern half of Africa
The potentials of large magnitude earthquakes show that the months of February and August 2012 are highlighted. Neptune's ingress into tropical Pisces Feb. 3, 2012 shows the the month of February strongly inclined for earthquakes. March as well.
Moreover, on February 7, transiting Saturn will turn direct at the anaretic degree of 29-Libra, just days after Neptune enters Pisces and opposes the fixed star Regulus.
The annular solar eclipse on May 20, 2012 shows that the mid-to-late spring months into the early summer is a time to mind strong seismic activity in California and along the U.S. west coast.
Configurations among positions astrologically relative to the earth show that powerful seismic activity, including volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are highlighted throughout the entire month of February and August.
These stellar to planetary configurations denote earthquakes of large magnitude. It is important to remember earthquake preparedness - knowledge can save your life and the lives of others.
Preparedness
After an earthquake, residents of towns and cities can find themselves suddenly displaced - either temporarily or permanently. Of those whose homes remained intact, many were temporarily without water, electricity and phone service.
Earthquakes can be very dangerous and can occur at any time of the year. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the chances of death, serious injury, or property damage.
According to the Earthquake Country Alliance based in Southern California, there are 7 major steps to take for earthquake preparedness:
Secure It Now
Conduct a "hazard hunt" to help identify and fix things such as unsecured televisions, computers, bookcases, furniture, unstrapped water heaters, etc. Securing these items now will help to protect you tomorrow.
Produce A Plan
Planning for an earthquake is not much different from planning for a party or vacation. Make sure that your emergency plan includes evacuation and reunion plans; your out-of-state contact person's name and number; the location of your emergency supplies and other pertinent information.
Make disaster kits. Everyone should have a disaster supply kit stored in accessible locations at home, at work and in your vehicle. Having emergency supplies readily available can reduce the impact of an earthquake.
Your disaster supplies kits should include food, water, flashlights,portable radios, batteries, a first aid kit, cash, extra medications, a whistle, fire extinguisher, etc.
Is your place safe? Most houses are not as safe as they could be. Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, there are things that you can do to improve the structural integrity of your home.
Some of the things that you might consider checking include inadequate foundations, unbraced cripple walls (a short wall built upon the foundation of a house that produces a high crawlspace), soft first stories (click here for details), unreinforced masonry and vulnerable pipes. Consult a contractor or engineer to help you identify your building's weaknesses and begin to fix them now.
Drop, cover and hold on
Learn what to do during an earthquake, whether you're at home, at work, at school or just out and about. Taking the proper actions, such as "Drop, Cover, and Hold On", can save lives and reduce your risk of death or injury.
During earthquakes, drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly. Be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops.
Check it out
One of the first things you should do following a major disaster is to check for injuries and damages that need immediate attention. Make sure you are trained in first aid and in damage assessment techniques. You should be able to administer first aid and to identify hazards such as damaged gas, water, sewage and electrical lines.
Communicate & Recover
Following a major disaster, communication will be an important step in your recovery efforts. Turn on your portable radio for information and safety advisories. For most Presidential declared disasters, resources will also be available from federal, state, and local government agencies.
During recent years, cell phones have become a daily necessity. Portability and convenience are top priority and smart phones have come to replace phone books, computers and maps in our on-the-go lifestyle.
What did we ever do without them? Well, we had conventional land line phones that stayed inside our homes. But the value of landlines has been called into question as cell phone popularity climbs.
Many families have been dropping their land line telephones in favor of a family cell phone plan. "The land line is too expensive" and "everyone in the family has their own number anyway" are common reasons for getting rid of the land line. So if everyone has a cell phone, we can all be in touch in emergencies, right? Wrong!
Your cell phone is only as useful as its power - both in its battery and service through your carrier. Natural disasters have shown us time after time that cell phone towers are not invincible. Hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods can damage and even destroy them, making cell phones completely useless.
Also, in the United States, there is no requirement for cell phone companies to have systems to keep them online (including the towers) when the electricity goes out. Although some towers may have limited backup power ability, they are not required to do so.
Cell phone towers can also get crowded and deny others the ability to make calls, which would likely happen in an emergency. Landlines, however, can be used in the same situations and they work fine.
Cell phone towers can also get crowded and deny others the ability to make calls, which would likely happen in an emergency. Landlines, however, can be used in the same situations and they work fine.
Power outages can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks. If you have a land-line, always have a least one corded phone that will work when the power is out.
In these conditions, you will most likely be unable to charge a cell phone; so your smart phone will last as long as its battery, assuming that its tower is even functional. If you have the Wavelength™ or the Charger™, you can charge your phone when the power is out. But remember that many of the cell towers may be incapacitated.
Cell phones are great tools for calling for help if your car breaks down or sending texts to announce the new baby. But for natural disasters, it's best to have a land-line phone. They are much more reliable in extreme situations and do not need to be charged.
WATER
Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles.
A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people will need more.
Therefore, store one gallon of water per person per day.
Don't forget your pets. Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for each person in your household for food preparation/sanitation).
Change this water every six months. Household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms:
Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.
Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.
The only agent used to treat water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.
FOOD
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables.
Canned juices, milk, soup
Sugar, salt, pepper
High energy foods such as peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix; foods that will not increase thirst.
Vitamins
Foods for infants, elderly, persons with special dietary needs
Comfort/stress foods: cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags.
Pet food, at least one ounce per animal pound per day.
Avoid foods like rice, pasta and dry beans that require a great deal of water to prepare. Remember to restock your food once a year.
FIRST AID
Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
Assorted sizes of safety pins
Cleansing agent/soap
Latex gloves (2 pairs)
Sunscreen
2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
4-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
Triangular bandages (3)
Non-prescription drugs such as Pain relievers, Anti-diarrhea medicines, Antacid, Syrup of Ipecac (used to induce vomiting with the advice of a Poison Control Center), Laxatives, Activated charcoal (used with advice from the Poison Control Center)
Various roller bandages
Scissors
Tweezers
Needle
Moistened towelettes
Antiseptic
Thermometer
Tongue blades (2)
Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
TOOLS & SUPPLIES
Paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
Flashlight and extra batteries
Cash or traveler's checks, in case banks are closed in the days following an earthquake
Non-electric can opener or a utility knife
Small fire extinguisher
Pliers
Tape
Matches in a waterproof container
Aluminum foil
Plastic storage containers
Signal flare
Paper, pencil
Needles, thread
Medicine dropper
Wrench, to turn off gas and water
SANITATION
Toilet paper
Soap, liquid detergent
Feminine supplies
Plastic garbage bags and ties
Plastic bucket with tight lid
Disinfectant
Household chlorine bleach
Poop bags and scooper for pet waste
CLOTHING & BEDDING
Sturdy shoes or work boots (keep near your bed)
Rain gear
Blankets or sleeping bags
Warm clothing
Sunglasses (keep your spare eyeglasses in the emergency kit, too.)
DOCUMENTS
Will, insurance policies, contracts deeds, stocks and bonds
Passports, social security cards, immunization records
Bank account numbers
Credit card account numbers and companies
Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
[*Remember to include special needs family members such as a baby or an older person might have. It is also good to store in a water proof plastic bag important family documents (passports, wills, medical records etc.) along with your earthquake survival kit.]
Let's take a jaunt now into the new social realities of the year as we explore additional signs of the times in the mysterious strange sounds being heard worldwide.
The Cardinal Crisis
Strange Sounds Spook World
By Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places."
- Ephesians 6:12
Since 2011 there have been reports from wide regions of the world about strange sounds emanating over cities, states and countries.
Speculation has raged on the origins of these sounds, but there have been no definitive answers as to just where these haunting sounds - occurring at all hours of the day and night - are coming from.
The emotions of people hearing and recording these sounds range from shock to dumbfoundedness to fear as the unnerving loud hums and loud sounds continue to take place in both hemispheres of our planet.
Below is a hour-long summary of these strange sounds that is happening in locations all over the world. To hear these sounds in better detail you may want to use headphones to appreciate the significance of this global phenomena.
Real Or Hoax?
What can we make of all this?
Considering the fact that the year 2012 has been and continues to be heralded in popular culture as the 'end of the world' in the Mayan Calendar - along with the fact that many people are trying to make loads of money off these claims - can we believe our ears?
We do have groups out there, as seen by means of Neptune's coming entry into tropical Pisces February 3, 2012, that we need to be guarded about supernatural claims - especially for 2012.
According to the positions of the outer planets - specifically the Jupiter-Saturn opposition, the Uranus-Pluto Square and Neptune's ingress into Pisces - there are 'groups' out there with ulterior motives, trying to scare people into believing what is not true.
The fear of 2012 has been set up as a reason to possibly perpetuate acts of inhumanity against humanity. So this is where we find spiritual lies amid acts of aggression and violence against the good people of the world.
This 'new age' conspiracy has been going on for some decades now and sped up at the end of the 1980s into the 1990s - but we know that those claims of a 'new age' are wholly untrue, according to astrological prophecies made centuries ago.
It is wise to discern all purported 'supernatural' events carefully in 2012. With the popular mania, fed by the mainstream and alternative media sources - think for yourself and feel for yourself. Do not believe everything that you hear, or even apparently see on the surface.
As Neptune enters Pisces, we are sure to see and hear from preachers and new age gurus alike who would like nothing more than to see the 'end of the world' - preaching the Apocalypse for 2012.
The world transits of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 are those of the cardinal crisis.
We are in a time of change and transition. Therefore, any events in 2012 are sure to be magnified by others looking to take advantage. Be on guard.
That is not to say that 2012 will not be a 'special year' as world transits confirm this; but not in the matter of the 'end of the world' proclaimers.
So, what of these strange sounds?
For instance, on Thursday, January 19, 2012, locals were recorded staring into a giant sinkhole in the Republic of Dagestan - a republic of Russia.
Strange sounds seemed to be emanating from the sinkhole, closely reminiscent of the strange sounds worldwide that started to escalate in 2011 now building steam into January and February 2012.
The sinkhole depicted is near the village of Gurbuki Karabudakhkent in Dagestan. It is call the 'pit of criminals in Gurbuki.' They say that scientists are trying to find out what caused this giant sinkhole but the real story is the fact that human lives are lost under the cover of 'strange sounds.'
As a police reporter I've seen much death. It is always very sad no matter what the event. I could never get used to seeing so much human life lost and have to write about it.
The Gurbuki 'pit of criminals' sinkhole hole has been measured to be about 30 meters. Horribly, a young woman was said to have been raped and then thrown into it by her partner. She is said to have passed.
This is the kind of evil being perpetuated in the world. It sickens me to no end.
The rapists and murderers to burn in the bowls of Hades itself.
The rapists and murderers to burn in the bowls of Hades itself.
[Editor: The following video contains disturbing images. View discretion is advised]
May the Immortal God Bless her soul straight away into the Heaven of Light, Love and Peace.
These violent events continue to be perpetrated by evil people doing very bad things. That is the real calamity.
Though the world will not end in the year 2012 - these acts of evil are the reason why the world as we've known its in history will someday come to a fitting end.
And so it shall come to pass, for some - the best of all the love there is, and for others - the worst of the very worst that could ever be.
Though the world will not end in the year 2012 - these acts of evil are the reason why the world as we've known its in history will someday come to a fitting end.
And so it shall come to pass, for some - the best of all the love there is, and for others - the worst of the very worst that could ever be.
It would not surprise me at all to hear of cults around the world trying to make 2012 'appear' as the 'end of the world in order to enrich themselves by scaring others about the Mayan Calendar. Back in the 1970s and 1980s the 'new age' movement began to proliferate widely in society.
In the wake of the disappointments of the 1960s and 1970's cultural revolution the western-raised baby boomer generation swarmed into widespread use of drugs; while filtering through ancient wisdom, thus taking on eastern philosophies.
Many, with no knowledge or experience of Astrology, poured into esoteric teachings; taking bits and pieces here and there; tied to promises of immediate spiritual awakening; which through astrology, had become watered down, exploited to suit sensibilities and popularized
A swarm of books followed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with predictions of everything from the world's poles shifting to the end of the world. This mass popular absorption by the boomer generation into ancient metaphysical traditions led to delusional beliefs of spiritual superiority amid little firm foundation.
I find it curious that those who say they can read and interpret the Mayan Long-Count Calendar are not astrologers. For only mundane astrologers are able to do so considering the fact that it is mundane astrologers who view events far remote from the intellects of most.
Though we are in a time of historic global change, what many in the new age popular culture always seem to ignore is the fact that eras in transition are not always favorable.
Playing on popular culture fears, merely for the act of producing fear itself, is not only sick, but wholly ignorant of what our times truly mean for the future.
Let's hear a skeptical view of the 'strange sounds' being experienced worldwide:
Strange Sounds A Hoax Perpetuated By Cults?
By Tony Elliot
Tony Elliott has written stories for Fate Magazine, OP-ED News and as a political columnist for Cimarron News Press in New Mexico.
On the surface, it appears we have a new phenomenon happening worldwide in the form of strange sounds. These supposed sounds are similar to trumpets, the moving of metal, or a squadron of WW II bombers.
In August 2011, I decided to view some newly released videos and I happened to view the first You Tube video from Kiev, Ukraine. When I listened to it, my first feeling was that it was a fake.
Since then, hundreds of videos have come out with these same sounds, seemingly being reported from around the planet.
Explanations of the sounds range from Earth sounds deep underground, atmospheric conditions as a result of solar flares, the Earth's magnetic pole shift, distant thunder, HARP, and Heavenly trumpets being played by Angels.
Most of these areas where the sounds were supposedly heard are heavily populated areas. Such as Montreal, Canada, were there were no reports made to police, TV or radio stations, newspapers or government officials. Up to the time of this writing, 01/21/2012 there have been no official reports made by anyone, of these sounds - anywhere in the world.
The closest to being official was the Costa Rica sounds, reported by No Link News, but this source is not credible in the sense that it is not a mainstream news source, as it reports strange and unusual news items.
If the sounds really were happening as we are led to believe, there would have been thousands of official reports of them, from a slew of cities around the world.
The sounds were supposedly heard recently in Montreal Canada along with Detroit, Michigan. These two major cities have over a million and a half people living there, and if the sound really occurred, even at a bare minimum, there should have been at least a hundred reports made. Yet, absolutely none were reported.
Let’s look at some facts involved with the sounds themselves.
Many videos have been found to be frauds such as the Costa Rica videos, because identical background noises were heard in other videos said to be from elsewhere, thousands of miles away
The sound in most videos have identical duration and sound pitch, indicating the sound was introduced into the videos from other similar videos.
The individuals who have released these videos are also heavily involved with UFO, chem-trails, other strange phenomena and conspiracy theories.
The sounds are very similar to those from two movies recently released, War of The Worlds and Clash of The Titans. You Tube examples are in the links below.
The similarities are too great to ignore.
Now we come to the reasons involved of why someone or a group would orchestrate such an elaborate hoax.
What really got me to thinking was the fact that these sounds are designed to present an apocalyptic picture at a time when 2012 is perceived to be an end, according to the Mayan Calendar.
My first thought was that the hoax had to be from a religious organization or an individual involved with Bible prophecies, which present this view.
In each instance of my investigation into the sounds, the name Paul Begley seemed to keep coming up. This man is Pastor at Community Gospel Baptist Church in Knox, Indiana.
Paul Begley has built an enormous presence on the Internet, preaching "End of Days" Gospel Revelations, and trying to tie both natural and human world events into evidence of a coming Apocalypse.
He also mentions UFOs, extraterrestrials and related content in his Internet sermons. The strange sounds are a major topic of his rhetoric for 'end of days' preaching, and come as too great of a tool to legitimize his prophecy. Thus, the chances that he and other members of his religious organization are deliberately releasing videos of this sound are too great to ignore.
His birthplace is hard to locate but I located it to be Kyev, Ukraine. This is most interesting, since the very first video containing the sounds supposedly came from Kiev, Ukraine.
Paul Begley would have plenty of reasons for promoting these sounds as apocalyptic prophecies, as it has immediately boosted his listening audience and increased the number of followers to his church.
These strange sounds, supposedly heard around the world are a hoax with a nucleus traced back to the clever mind of Paul Begley and his many followers of a Biblical prophetic doom. The evidence is too overwhelming and is increasing every day.
What we have here is a man, by way of You Tube and the Internet, who has created one of the biggest hoaxes since the broadcast of War of The Worlds. A worldwide tale, which was narrated by Orson Wells in 1938, where millions panicked and believed we were being invaded by Martians.
I would also point out that such videos also play around with the mind of those viewing them. If viewed by enough people the pure suggestion will affect them, and they will believe they hear the sounds as well.
It is similar to past articles where I have called attention to the fact that for example, if enough report seeing superman, many will swear they also seen him flying overhead. It is simply the power of suggestion.
Paul Begley has mastered the art of subliminal suggestion in his quest for a cult following. He is playing on everyone's 2012 doom prophecy beliefs and turning it into big monetary profits for his organization. This old phenomenon is called using false prophecy for monetary profit.
The Community Gospel Baptist Church is a private organization established in 2008, with unknown income. This church has no connection to credible known religious organizations, operating legitimately in the world.
What we are witnessing is the birth of one of the largest cults in the world, and its influence is increasing as each day goes by.
Think about it, God isn't responsible for these sounds. Zeus, Jehovah, or the God of any religion hasn't decided to bring an orchestra to this world, just for our benefit and isn't likely to in the near future.
The planet isn't suddenly producing noises it never has before from deep within, or in the atmosphere.
The ones producing these noises are a handful of religious cultists, who desire to play on the fears of the masses for their own financial and status benefit.
This is why it is so important to thoroughly examine each new phenomenon that may come out this year with a skeptic eye.
Every item I write about in UFO Digest and other related publications, I make sure each topic is investigated with a fine tooth comb.
I approach each topic as a skeptic who has to convince himself of its legitimacy. I honestly try to find concrete proof, which would convince me that it is real.
In the case of the strange sounds, I have no doubt that they are false and are presented by malicious individuals for personal gain.
In the UFO, paranormal and strange phenomena genre, we who strive for truth and present facts are continuously fighting those who bring to the table, nothing more than useless gibberish and fantastic claims which amount to nonsense.
In today's world, we must all become aware of how to determine fact from fiction.
This can only be done through the research of topics, in finding the evidence needed to either legitimize a claim or toss it, because it is baseless.
On the surface, many stories sound sincere, but upon examination of the facts, many are found to be nothing more than rubbish.
~
While it may be too soon to say if the strange sounds are indeed 'rubbish' as Elliot writes, we can remember to always think critically about all manifestations - physical and metaphysical - because frauds do occur in each.
Skepticism is a healthy thing as long as it never becomes an ideology to paint with it anything one has not studied and know well. We must think critically and do be able to do that we must have general knowledge that leads to gnosis.
That is how we can tell the difference between what is legitimate and true and what is not true, be they physical or metaphysical manifestations.
Let's look at another region experiencing these strange sounds.
The recent video below comes from a man named McShane who lives in County Armagh, Ireland, on January 19th. What is being called a Unidentified Audible Object or a UAO lasted 15 minutes and according to McShane's comments he says while he was at work his wife heard it again the next day on January 20.
Judge for yourself.
The background noise was removed in the Ireland events and the sound analysed on Adobe in the video below.
Here's another from the United States, as only a New Yorker could put it:
"I asked the if this was real. Here is the response I got:
Yes it's real... several people have heard it around New York & The World this was actually the first time me and my friend heard it but i have heard it several more times through the night you can favorite it and pass it along it well help me spread it around faster to wake people up and open there minds, it actually is a frightening event because idk what the hell that is, but it was going for 10 minutes & my girly in Illinois said that FBI told everybody to stay in there house over there so idk how many places have heard it but it's very weird."
Now, we know that the planets do indeed create sound.
In previous editions of Global Astrology I posted several recordings of the sound of the planets. The planets - especially the outer planets from Jupiter outwards - do create vibrations and sound that are heard at human range.
However, most people do not hear them at certain frequencies and must be attuned to sensitively listening for them.
When I conduct astrological work by sidereal observations, I do so in calm and silence my mind. When one is able to quiet one's mind of disturbances and petty interruptions, then one is able to bring into form the configurations of the planets in transit as they act on the world.
For instance, below are the sounds of the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune as recorded by Voyager I.
Sounds of the Planets
The planets relative to the Earth influence all life on here on our planet. The sounds that many people all over the world have heard are similar in nature to the malefic planets of Saturn and Uranus.
The Sounds of the planet Saturn
Saturn in mundane astrology is known as the 'greater malefic' and its energies are mainly negative. Saturn is currently in opposition to the planet Jupiter, so their configurations relative to the Earth signifies the great troubles that are evident upon our world at this time.
Sounds of the planet Uranus
Now, the planets are one thing, but the sounds allegedly heard worldwide can smack of hoaxes, which I expected to occur as 2012 neared.
The mania spread over the Mayan Calendar by popular culture and secret group interests on the 'end of the world' will run rampant the deeper into 2012 we go.
Planetary transits clearly show that it is important for people to use caution when joining kinds of 'Spiritual Groups' that may not have your good spiritual interests in mind.
Note that on February 3, 2012, transiting Neptune will enter tropical Pisces. I have written on Neptune in Pisces before on Global Astrology.
The transit of Neptune calls on individuals, family, friends and groups to beware spiritual and radical groups with ulterior motives. Under the inclinations of Neptune in Pisces, a planet that co-rules the 12th mundane house, it is essential to test all spiritual claims - be they physical or metaphysical.
Perpetuated Hoaxes By Forces of Darkness?
Could be, but consider this:
It is written that our fight is not against flesh and blood but against dark forces and principalities. These powers are real, but fear not, since true fear is only to be placed in the Immortal God. Remember that the boss of bosses has the last say on everything. You want to be on the winning team, see?
The apostle Paul instructed u to put on our spiritual armor because the battle in this world is a primarily a spiritual one. This is warfare which involves the trickery and power of the devil, Satan, as opposed merely to a human battle.
Even though human beings play roles in line with the schemes of the the evil one these humans are used by these malefic entities for the sole purpose of doing evil. Malefic spirits are the true power behind those who oppose the things of the Immortal God.
In Ephesians, it is written that:
"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Spiritual War is Against Principalities?
The concept of Principalities is known by the Greek word arche this means 'chief' or 'ruler.'
These principalities are ruling evil spirits which possess a kind of 'authority' or and specific 'rule' in the world.
These ruling malefic powers usually rule over a particular nation, people or race on Earth.
Make no mistake about it, there are evil beings ruling over regions and nations of the world which oppose the truth of the Immortal God. These evil beings serve Satan, said to be the main chief 'prince' or 'ruler' - of both the world's system as well as its organization of demons - highlighted the Gospel of Matthew.
In Matthew 12:24 for instance, the devil is called 'Beelzebub' - meaning 'lord of the dwelling' - in which wicked spirits operate under Satan's dominion. They, like their chief prince, are said to direct, control and rule over the darkness on Earth.
The idea of prince devil spirits that rule over and control a region on Earth is known in the esoteric knowledge of mundane astrology. In the Old Testament, in the book of the mundane astrologer Daniel, it is written that Daniel is visited by an angel in response to his prayer to God.
This angel, who was sent by God to answer Daniel's prayer, was delayed for three weeks because of a battle that took place between God's angel and 'a prince of the kingdom of Persia.'
Daniel revealed the angel's message:
"Then said he [the angel] unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten [humble] thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia."
The spiritual battle, for the angel, was of such magnitude that Michael, archangel of the Immortal God and designated prince of Israel, helped the angel in battle.
Another enemy of God, the prince of Greece, is also mentioned in the verses below:
"Then said he [the angel], Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince."
The book of Daniel gives us an excellent example of how these unseen spiritual entities fight to increase and maintain their realms of influence and control in order to hinder God's purposes.
These princes are named after the nations or rather their principalities in which they rule, according to the tenants of mundane astrology.
What is the Purpose?
It is Satan's purpose to deceive these nations and to keep them from obtaining gnosis of God's truth and salvation through the autogenes - Jesus Christ.
In chapter 20 of the mundane book of Revelation, Satan is depicted as a 'deceiver of nations.'
Now, the Greek word for deceive is Planaho, - a word which means to 'cause to roam from safety, truth or virtue' to 'go astray' to 'seduce, wander and to be out of the way.'
Satan's major success, in deceiving any nation, is due to a lack of discernment - of gnosis - on the part of people.
Because people are blind to the invisible forces all around them - including the supernatural evil that operates and inclines by means of visible human agents of political, social, religious and philosophical programs - they suffer greatly.
Satan's greatest victory would be to convince the world that he just doesn't exist. However, God signifies the devil as the author of sin, sickness and death, and warns us to be alert and vigilant because the devil, as a roaring lion, roams about seeking whom he may devour -1 Pet. 5:8.
The devil controls the kingdoms of the world and we are not to underestimate his influence and power, nor believe that this is the will of God for the Immortal God tells us to "stand" against these evil forces by equipping ourselves with the power of God, and looking to Christ as our example.
In Luke 4:5-7 it is written: "And the devil, taking him (Jesus) up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, 'All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered (to surrender or yield up) unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.'
These are "kingdoms" - that is properly royalty, or a realm, nations, a kingdom over which to reign.
There will also come a day in which we are told in the book of Revelation that:
"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."
However, until this revelation in Scripture is fulfilled we can only conclude, as Paul instructs, that our wrestling is with principalities or peoples and regions under the influence and deception of Satan.
For it is written that Satan is the 'prince' or ruler of the kingdoms of this world - described in Scripture as the 'kingdom of darkness,' this is with which we do spiritual warfare. So, do be fooled by unbelief because Satan can and does prosper through evil people in this world.
How Gnosis Wins Spiritual Warfare Against The Powers & World Rulers of Darkness
The Greek word for 'powers' is Exousia - this means a derived or a conferred authority. Also, the 'warrant' or 'right' to do something by means of delegated influences of control and domination.
The word "powers" in this expression is used in Scripture to mean that the powers that be in authority include all high-ranking, evil supernatural powers; as well as the power of sin and evil that is in operation in the world.
The fruits of this type of evil can be seen in drug cartels, gross forms of forced poverty, plagues, terrorism, inhumane wars, sanctioned murders, assassinations and other heinous crimes down by organizations and governments acting against humanity - even toward the animal kingdom and nature itself which in esoteric Scripture is prophesied will condemn Man for its treatment.
The Greek word for wickedness is Ponēria and means depravity. It is a particular form of malice, mischief, plots, sins and iniquity. A desire to harm others or to see others suffer; extreme ill will or spite. This intent, without just cause or reason, is to commit wrongful acts that will result in harm to others.
Satan is also depicted as the prince of the power of the air where wicked spirits, in high places, are often understood to be the collective organization of all of Satan's devil spirits.
Some operate through what are known as UFOs of which some are manned by embodied malevolent spirits who work evil and mischief and whom operate in our atmosphere.
Disembodied evil spirits called demons also operate as close to the very air we breathe, and can reach to realms beyond where all manner of spiritual filth are propagated.
For it is written,
"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
As believers in good, we are delivered from the power of the prince of the air as well as from the sinful nature that once ruled our paths in life.
When those who are good receive the Immortal God's Holy Spirit, at the moment of our conversion to Christ, we are translated from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God's light, in which we now have God by means of the Christ in us.
We are therefore continually delivered and empowered by goodness as we walk according to gnosis - knowledge of the truth of His Word and Spirit that He has given us. As we do this, we take our seats in the Treasury of Light:
"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:5-7.
Christ is called the Alpha and Omega, the Prince of Peace and of Life whose kingdom plays no part in this present world system of darkness and evil.
Christ said: "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." Christ does not speak against Jews, for Christ and his followers were also of the Jewish faith.
Christ spoke against the hypocritical religious authorities who would have Jesus killed so as to not lose their sphere of control over the people of God.
The Apostle Paul states, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written, 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God."
The details of the Ineffable's plan, His provision of escape from Satan's kingdom of darkness through faith in Christ, was kept a mystery from the beginning of time. We discover this in the scriptures of the Pistis Sophia.
It wasn't until the revelation of the Son of God the Ineffable on earth that the mystery of salvation through Christ was revealed.
Jesus discourses to his disciples on Gnosis and said to them:
"Hearken, therefore, now still further, O my disciples, so that I discourse with you concerning the whole Gnosis of the Mystery of the Ineffable.
That mystery of the Ineffable knows why unmercifulness has arisen and why mercifulness has arisen.
And that mystery knows why ruin has arisen and why everlasting eternity has arisen.
And that mystery knows why the reptiles have arisen and why they will be destroyed.
And that mystery knows why the wild beasts have arisen and why they will be destroyed.
And that mystery knows why the cattle have arisen and why the birds has arisen.
And that mystery knows why the mountains have arisen and why the precious stones therein have arisen.
And that mystery knows why the matter of gold has arisen and why the matter of silver has arisen.
And that mystery knows why the matter of copper has arisen and why the matter of iron and of stone have arisen.
And that mystery knows why the matter of lead have arisen.
And that mystery knows why the matter of glass have arisen and why the matter of wax has arisen.
And that mystery knows why herbs, that is the vegetables, have arisen and why all matters has arisen.
And the mystery knows why the waters of the earth and all things in them have arisen and why also the Earth has arisen.
And that mystery knows why the seas and the waters have arisen and why the wild beasts in the seas have arisen.
And that mystery knows why the matter of the world has arisen and why it, the world, will be utterly destroyed.
Grieve no more, my disciples, concerning the Mystery of the Ineffable, thinking that you will not understand it.
Amēn, I say unto you:
That mystery is yours, and every one's who will give ear unto you, so that they renounce this whole world and the whole matter therein and renounce all the evil thoughts therein and renounce all the cares of this æon.
Now, therefore, I say unto you:
For every one who will renounce the whole world and all therein and will submit himself to the Godhead, that mystery is far easier than all the mysteries of the Light-Kingdom and it is sooner to understand than them all and it is easier than them all.
He who reaches unto the Gnosis of that mystery renounces this whole world and all the cares therein.
For this cause have I said to you aforetime:
'All you who are heavy under your burden, come hither unto me, and I will quicken you. For my burden is easy and my yoke is soft.'
Now, therefore, he who will receive that Mystery, renounces the whole world and the cares of all the matter therein. For this cause, therefore, my disciples, grieve not, thinking that you will not understand that mystery.
Amēn, I say unto you:
That mystery is far sooner to understand than all mysteries. And amēn, I say unto you: That mystery is yours and everyone who will renounce the whole world and the whole matter therein.
Now, therefore, hearken, my disciples, my companions and my brethren, that I may urge you on to the gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable concerning which I discourse with you because I have in booth gotten as far as to tell you the whole gnosis at the expansion of the Universe - for the expansion of the universe is its Gnosis."
- Jesus Christ, The Pistis Sophia
The Cardinal Crisis
Europe's Total Solar Eclipse Of 2015
Forecast By
Theodore White, mundane Astrolog.S
In mundane astrology we look ahead to events in the world by means of celestial configurations relative to the Earth.
The current economic crisis facing the world - especially in Europe - had its origins in the evil and greedy mechanizations of international bankers and secret ideological groups.
Throughout the history of such groups whose designs on global domination always cause humanity to suffer; the mundane astrologers of yore continued to warn those who have taken part in such evil that their plans and acts will only lead the individual members of secret groups into eternal perdition.
By January 23, 2012, a series of new moons will be winding down to its end to start a fresh new moon cycle that culminates at the vernal equinox of March 20, 2015. On that date - a total eclipse of the Sun by the Moon will occur.
Total Solar Eclipse
Friday, March 20, 2015
Location: London, England
click on mundane chart to enlarge
In the mundane chart above, one can see the Sun and Moon at 29Pisces27' - in conjunction to the fixed star Scheat within 7-arc seconds of applying orb. The March 20, 2015 is a part of Saros cycle 120, which repeats every 18 years, 11 days, with 71 events. The series began with partial solar eclipse on May 27, 933 A.D.
This eclipse is wholly malefic. It is conjoined to Scheat, a fixed star in the constellation Pegasus that well known in mundane astrology to be malefic because of its association with disasters. Because of this, I am issuing a mundane forecast to use caution in navigation over and on western, northern African and European waters in 2015.
The mundane astrologer Claudius Ptolemy wrote that Scheat is of the nature of Mars and Mercury. It is also associated with Saturn and can incline events featuring extreme misfortune, murders, suicides and drowning.
As one of the major fixed stars in mundane astrology, Scheat is a malefic known to be connected to mass and individual catastrophes - floods, shipwrecks, accidents, travel disasters on and over water that lead to many deaths. mainly though trouble with engines
The March 20, 2015 total eclipse will take place over western and northern Africa and will stretch over the European continent. This eclipse is a warning to all in that region to get their act together before the new astrological year of 2015 opens in earnest - signalling the third phase of the Cardinal Crisis years in the decade of the Twenty-Tens.
click on eclipse graphic to enlarge
With a magnitude of 1.045 the total eclipse will feature a totality of 2 minutes 47 seconds, just off the coast of the Faroe Islands - located between northern Scotland and Iceland.
The total solar eclipse of March 20 2015 will be visible in the north Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, including the Faroes and Svalbard. This is a significant total eclipse that lasts over 2½ minutes at maximum eclipse.
The total eclipse will start in the Atlantic Ocean just south of Greenland at 09:09:32 UT and will end close to the North Pole at 10:21:20 UT. Maximum eclipse is at 09:45:38 UT, when the total eclipse phase will last over 2½ minutes.
A partial eclipse will be seen over most of Europe, including Russia between 07:40:51 UT and 11:50:11 U.T and will be the last solar eclipse that will be visible in Europe until the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026.
At the end of the March 20, 2015 eclipse's path the Moon's shadow will rise from the Earth's surface to the north pole. The day of March 20 is the vernal equinox, so the total eclipse will occur just as the Sun rises at the north pole for the first time in six months. This day will end winter's polar night.
The eclipse also features economics and finance as the global depression, by March 2015 in its third year marks a watershed moment for Europe in the Twenty-Tens.
Let's examine what we can expect to occur in the years 2012 to the March 20, 2015 total solar eclipse over Europe.
Europe's Financial Contagion
New European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi (left) sits next to the now former ECB head Jean-Claude Trichet during a meeting on Europe's debt crisis in Paris, France in September 2011.
Image: Michel Euler/AP
Under present circumstances in 2012, my astrological forecast is that the European banking system will go bust causing ripple effects worldwide.
On January 13, 2012, Standard & Poor’s downgraded nine European Union nations - including France and Italy further adding to the sense that the Euro crisis is now entering a new phase.
On January 13, 2012, Standard & Poor’s downgraded nine European Union nations - including France and Italy further adding to the sense that the Euro crisis is now entering a new phase.
After Greece's public and private sector default I expect that Greece will seek to repay only about 10% of its total debt as its people fight against forced austerity measures.
Bond holders will be forced to take a steeper 'haircut' than they now imagine. It cannot be avoided.
The estimated value of the derivatives market in the Europe Union is estimated to be 60 trillion Euros.
The European Central Bank in their policies could easily cause the Euro to crash. Therefore monetizing huge amounts of EU sovereign debt would contribute to a crash in attempts to solve the liquidity crisis in Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain.
It is already known that Germany and other EU countries oppose this. Moreover the ECB would not be able to solve the structural problems of the European Union's unit labor cost divergence, and that would only lead to a new financial crises in the future.
We know that banks in other nations are also in big trouble with loads of debt on their book. The weight of collapse means that governments may have to nationalize banks.
But because many governments do not have the money to pay out this means that governments will assume even more loads of crushing debt. This certainly will negatively weigh down the growth of gross domestic product (GDP) of nations.
There are many European financial links to the North American banking system; so the contagion cannot be avoided.
The European and American economies are deeply intertwined. Trade is the major channel through that the economic cracks in the European Union will affect the United States.
Europe and the U.S. have been strongly attached over the last 60 years. Europe’s economic crisis is easily apparent in the U.S. economy and my astrological projections show it will get a lot worse.
For instance, in the astrological year of 2010 it was estimated that 22.5 percent - $412 billion worth of U.S. exports in goods and services - went directly to the European Union.
This means that a severe downturn in Europe means that demand for American products and services will decline significantly.
In addition to slowing demand in continental Europe the impact of a European crisis on global exchange rates will also hurt the United States.
The trade-weighted Euro - a weighted average of exchange rates with a weight for each foreign nation equal to its share in trade - continues to be about 10 percent weaker than it was back in 2009.
As trade-weighted value of the Euro currency declines; it means the currencies of other partners, including the U.S. dollar in particular, become worth more as European exports to America get cheaper.
Understand that under a Jupiter-Saturn regime from 2010 to 2020 the appreciation of the U.S. dollar relative to the Euro makes American exports to Europe more expensive.
This takes about 12 to 18 months between the depreciation of a currency from the impact on exports is experience. So a decline in the Euro relative to the dollar will have a substantial adverse impact on U.S. exports.
In addition, it is estimated that American banks hold more than $113 billion in loans to Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. These loans will go bad and this means losses in the United States will tighten the squeeze on credit, on business growth and further reduce consumer demand in America.
The monetary crisis in Europe has already badly affected U.S. retirement and savings investments.
The European economic collapse will cause millions of American households to even lose more of their savings. Consider that the total household wealth in the U.S. declined by $135 million in the second quarter of the year 2011.
Less wealth means households will work to save more but will consume less - further slowing what is already sluggish growth in the United States.
The retirements of millions of baby boomers who will demand pensions that have lost potentially half of their original values in a casino-driven stocks and derivatives bubble of the late 1990s and 2000s will force policymakers into a corner that shrinks to the edge of a financial cliff.
Some analysts have said that the problem in the EU is the difference in competitiveness among European countries.
This means that the EU cannot solve their serious economic issues by lending money to less competitive countries in the EU. There are only left to the means of deflating wages and prices in southern Europe while inflating prices and wages in northern Europe.
By the end of the astrological year of 2014, it will be common knowledge that the failure of the economies of nations and the subsequent 'austerity' will have happened because of the high rates of corruption throughout international finance and political centers.
It has been my forecast for a long time that we are entering an worldwide economic depression. This depression was forced on the world by secret groups and a small coterie of international bankers and their henchmen.
But have no fear, as their evil acts have been and are recorded by the invisible servitors who mark them with every word and act they have ever done. Perdition awaits those who do not repent and cease their evil plans.
By the start of the astrological year 2015, highlighted by the total solar eclipse at the anaretic degree of 29-Pisces conjoined to Scheat, the global economic crisis will continue to rage on in Europe and parts of Africa, mainly in mining metals.
The year 2015 is also the year of the seventh exact Uranus-Pluto square that will continue to greatly influence the economic geopolitics much of the Twenty-Tens.
This phase of the cardinal crisis years economically will feature the burst of the commodity markets that will exacerbate the already burgeoning economic depression amid spreading defaults of nations.
The financial products industry, fueled by Wall Street's investment banks and hedge fund partners will have helped to drive commodity prices higher. This will play a major role in the great economic instability into 2016 - another major astrological year.
My mundane forecasts on the world economy by means of astrological configurations relative to the earth continue to show that until the world cleans up the mess that corrupted people and their interests started - then we can all expect economic, social and political conditions to worsen into the years just ahead.
Positive results could come about by taking names and kicking ass. When corrupt people who partied massively on everyone else's dime and also leave behind a total mess in the dance hall for you (not them) to clean up, it is plenty time to kick much ass and correct that problem straight-away.
But that's just my particular view, quite typical of a Capricorn.
Consider this - the Oliver Wyman Group made a case in early 2011 that the next great financial crisis will occur around 2015. They said that it will have been the result of a massive bubble in commodity markets that results in widespread economic collapse and sovereign defaults.
My mundane view is that we are closer to the burst of this massive bubble as planetary configurations clearly show. Yet, these years - from 2012 to 2015 - holds forth seven (7) exact squares between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn.
Surely, daylight wastes on truly solving the global economic crisis before it gets out of hand.
We have three major players: the United States, suffering from widespread generational corruption in the financial markets by means of real estate, bonds and commodities along with two other major players:
China's highly flawed economic policies and Europe's banking political crisis and its currency.
This created an environment ripe for a perfect economic storm by means of disequilibrium and turmoil. The Wyman Group states that the potential for bubbles is not only likely, but now appears like a near certainty.
Wyman describes how just a bubble can form in commodities and then, ultimately collapse:
“Based on favorable demographic trends and continued liberalization, the growth story for emerging markets was accepted by almost everyone. However, much of the economic activity in these markets was buoyed by cheap money being pumped into the system by Western central banks.
Commodities prices had acted as a sponge to soak up the excess global money supply, and commodities-rich emerging economies such as Brazil and Russia were the main beneficiaries.
High commodities prices created strong incentives for these emerging economies to launch expensive development projects to dig more commodities out of the ground, creating a massive oversupply of commodities relative to the demand coming from the real economy.
In the same way that over-valued property prices in the U.S. had allowed people to go on debt-fueled spending sprees, the governments of commodities-rich economies started spending beyond their means.
They fell into the familiar trap of borrowing from foreign investors to finance huge development projects justified by unrealistic valuations. Western banks built up large and concentrated loan exposures in these new and exciting growth markets.
The banking M&A market was turned on its head. Banks pursuing high growth strategies, particularly those focused on lending to the booming commodities-rich economies, started to attract high market valuations and shareholder praise.
In the second half of 2012 some of these banks made successful bids for some of the leading European players that had been cut down to a digestible size by the new anti-“too big to fail” regulations. The market was, once again, rewarding the riskiest strategies. Stakeholders and commentators began pressing risk-averse banks to mimic their bolder rivals.
The narrative driving the global commodities bubble assumed a continuation of the increasing demand from China, which had become the largest commodities importer in the world.
Any rumors of a slowing Chinese economy sent tremors through global markets. Much now depended on continued demand growth in China and continued appreciation of commodities prices.
The Bubble Bursts?
Western central banks pumping cheap money into the financial system was seen by many as having the dual purpose of kick-starting Western economies and pressing China to appreciate its currency.
Strict capital controls initially enabled Chinese authorities to resist pressure on their currency. Yet the dramatic rises in commodities prices resulting from loose Western monetary policies eventually caused rampant inflation in China.
China was forced to raise interest rates and appreciate its currency to bring inflation under control.
The Western central banks had been granted their wish of an appreciating Chinese currency but with the unwanted side-effect of a slowing Chinese economy and the reduction in global demand that came with it.
Once the Chinese economy began to slow, investors quickly realized that the demand for commodities was unsustainable. Combined with the massive oversupply that had built up during the boom, this led to a collapse of commodities prices.
Having borrowed to finance expensive development projects, the commodities-rich countries in Latin America and Africa and some of the world’s leading mining companies were suddenly the focus of a new debt crisis.
In the same way that the sub-prime crisis led to a plethora of half-completed real estate development projects in the US, Ireland and Spain, the commodities crisis of 2013 left many expensive commodity exploration projects unfinished.
Western banks and insurers did not escape the consequences of the commodities crisis. Some, such as the Spanish banks, had built up direct exposure by financing Latin American development projects.
Others, such as US insurers, had amassed indirect exposures through investments in infrastructure funds and bank debt.
Inflation pressure in the U.S. and UK during the commodities boom had forced the Bank of England and Fed to push through a series of interest rate hikes that forced many Western debtors that had been holding on since the sub-prime crisis, to finally to default on their debts.
With growth in both developed and emerging markets suppressed, the world once again fell into recession.”
Now, we know in 2012 that this global economic reality is in play now with investors blowing up a bubble in bonds and commodities as speculators scan the globe for the next boom market.
Wyman elaborates:
“However, it is already apparent that increasing commodities prices are also creating inflationary pressure in China, which is exacerbated by China holding its currency artificially low by effectively pegging it to the U.S. dollar.
This makes commodities look like an attractive hedge against inflation for Chinese investors. The loose monetary policy in developed markets is similarly making commodities look attractive for Western investors.
This “commodities rush” is demonstrated in the right-hand chart below, which shows the asset allocations of European and Asian investors. A recent investor survey by Barclays also found that 76% of investors predicted an even bigger inflow into commodities in 2011.”
click on graphic to enlarge
Financial writer Cullen Roche says, "Ultimately, they conclude that the imploding commodity bubble will lead to another financial crisis and sovereign defaults.
Their 'base case' scenario involves mostly European nations experiencing defaults. This looks not only likely, but probable.
It is likely that the periphery of Europe will remain mired in recession for several years as austerity measures put downward pressure on their economies and the Euro governments fail to enact a true fix to the flawed single currency system.
Persistent weakness in Greece and Ireland will cause continual political turmoil and ultimately the scenes of Egypt would not be surprising throughout many parts of Europe as citizens demand real change.
The Euro would likely remain the primary European currency, however, several periphery nations would reconsider their involvement.
Now, where I disagree with the Wyman analysis is in their 'worst case' scenario," said Roche. Any regular reader knows that it is highly flawed analysis to conclude that the USA could potentially default on its obligations – all of which are denominated in the currency in which it alone has monopoly supply of.
This simple point eludes even the brightest minds in economics today. A default of the USA is impossible.
The only form of default could come through hyperinflation. Considering the deflationary collapse that would likely result during the Wyman 'worst case' scenario I think it’s likely that we would once again see the USA become the global safe haven and the USD would not collapse, but surge as it did in 2008.
Still, the economic impacts would be deeply negative for the entire global economy though a collapse of the USA is not on the table.
We continue to see increasing disequilibrium in the global economy. The flaws in the Euro, China’s misguided economic policy and the endless financialization of the USA are the three primary factors contributing to what is unavoidable future calamity.
It’s clear that none of these countries are willing to risk any sort of near-term pain that would be required to fix these structural imbalances so it’s not a stretch to assume that we will continue the boom/bust cycle that has become a trademark of the last 25 years of global economic growth.
The commodity bubble will merely be a symptom of these imbalances.
Wyman concludes that this event could be several years away, however, I fear that this event could easily occur sooner than 2015. We remain in one continuing balance sheet recession with rippling waves that could cause these imbalances to resurface sooner than anyone believes.
The resulting impacts will be broad and have the potential to forever change the way we approach future economic growth and the way governments intervene in markets.
I would expect the Bernanke Fed to be in the middle of the ensuing storm," Roche said. "Such a crisis would likely result in wide ranging policy changes that will finally clear the imbalances of the credit crisis and create a foundation for truly sustainable economic prosperity."
Economics Of Europe's Total Eclipse - March 20, 2015
click on mundane chart to enlarge
The mundane chart above depicts the total eclipse over Europe three years from now.
The economic crisis has it continues in Europe in 2012 will by 2015 be nearly at its height with geopolitical radicalism inclined by the Uranus-Pluto squares which officially began in June 2012.
Transpersonal world planetary configurations are strong and will last throughout the Twenty-Tens, where subsequent global events will come to pass and prove that we are living in a historic era.
Sad to say, Europe's economic crisis will have turned into a great depression. This is a given considering the very poor choices and rampant corruption of the baby boomer generation that served as the establishment since the early 1990s, not only in Europe but worldwide.
Solving the massive problems of the former boomer establishment will not be easy for Generation X, the incoming establishment. However, the new generation will solve, and then by action will thus come to resolve the total messes left behind by the boomer generation that broke the intergenerational contracts.
David Stockman former budget director for U.S. President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, was interviewed in January 2012 by journalist Bill Moyers. In 1985 Stockman wrote a book titled, 'The Triumph of Politics: The Inside Story of the Reagan Revolution.'
Now, 27 years later Stockman laments.
"I was in the middle of being very disgusted with what my own Republican Party had done and what Bush had done and the Paulson Treasury. And then when I saw this, I got the title for my [new] book, 'The Triumph of Crony Capitalism.'
According to Stockman, "massive amount of resources are being devoted, being allocated or being channeled into pure financial speculation that has no gain to society as a whole, has no real economic contribution to the process by which GNP is created - GDP is created and growth occurs."
For instance, "By 2007 40 percent of all the profits in the American economy were coming from finance companies. 40 percent. Historically it was 15 percent," Stockman says.
"So the financialization means that as we attracted more and more resources and capital, and we made speculation easier and easier, and we funded it with almost free overnight money, managed and manipulated by the Fed, that's how the economy got financialized.
"But that is a casino. Casinos - they're, you know, places for people to go if they want to speculate and wager. But they're not part of a healthy, constructive economy.
Moyers asked," What do you mean by the free money that banks are using overnight?"
"Well," Stockman says, "By that we mean when the Fed, the Federal Reserve sets the so-called federal funds rate at ten basis points, where it is today, that more or less guarantees banks can go into the Fed window, the discount window, and borrow at ten basis points.
"And then you take that money and you buy a government bond that is yielding two percent or three percent. Or buy some corporate bonds that are yielding five percent.
"Or if you want to really get aggressive, buy some Australian dollars that have been going up. Or buy some cotton futures. And this is really what has been going on in our markets.
"The cheap funding, which is guaranteed by the Fed, the investment of that cheap funding into speculative assets and then pocketing the spread.
"And you can make huge amounts of money as long as the music doesn't stop. And when the music stops then all of a sudden, the cheap, overnight money dries up.
This is what's happening in Europe today. This is what happened in 2008.
"And then people are stuck with all these risky assets, and they can't fund them. They owe cash to the people they borrowed overnight from or on a weekly basis. That's what creates the so-called contagion.
"That's what creates the downward spiral. Now, unless we let those burn out, it'll be done over and over. In other words, if, you know, if a lesson isn't learned, then the error will be repeated over and over."
Stockman continues, "It's so disappointing to see that the Obama administration, which in theory should have had more perspective on this than a Republican administration under Bush, to see that one, they appointed in the key positions the same people who brought the problem in: Geithner and Summers and all of those, and secondly, that Obama did nothing about it."
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