Alert! Sting of the Tail
There’s a phenomenon in astrology called “Sting of the Tail”. For those who want to simply know how this applies to them, think back to what was happening around the last new Moon, which occurred in the early morning of Saturday, March 13th, 2021 in the States, late morning in Britain, and later in the day as one continues eastward. Now think back to what occurred in the intervening days, ending Monday March 15, 2021, late morning/early afternoon in the States, the evening in Britain, and into the next day as you move farther east. Whatever was beginning to emerge around this time, whatever was good and useful to you, will be reviewed from Friday, April 9, 2021 morning/early afternoon in the States, the evening in Britain, and into the wee hours for points farther east through the the evening of Sunday, April 11, 2021 in the States, into the wee hours in Britain, and into the day as time is “further along” eastward. Whatever must go in order to take that which is good forward must fall by the wayside. This is a particularly intense phase of the Moon, and with all your activities it is best to cultivate a mindset of detachment that gives mature, sober insights as to what is truly necessary in the here and now. Let go of everything else as it relates, again, to what was happening around that initial new Moon and the couple days after. An easy way to do this is to check your calendar, emails, and text messages or simply allow the first thoughts that pop in your mind around these dates to guide you. To explore these themes in the space of a full astrology reading, click here to book your appointment.
For those more astrologically curious, the Sting of the Tail is a phase of the Moon that is rarely talked about. After every new Moon, the Moon initially waxes over the section of the zodiac that the Sun will eventually cover in the whole of the monthly lunar cycle. This is simply because the Moon moves through the zodiac much more quickly than the Sun, taking a little over two days to go through each sign whereas the Sun takes about a month to move through a zodiac sign. Thus the Sun moves through the area that the Moon already covered in the initial stages of her waxing phase. However, the Moon, in the last days of her waning, must go back over that territory. Remember that the initial waxing phase of the Moon is when things are just beginning to emerge, and the last waning days of the Moon are about endings and letting things go. Therefore, whatever was emerging into being must be protected in order to survive by letting go of the material around the initial phase that is detrimental.
To give an example, this last new Moon was at 23 degrees Pisces. This next new Moon will be at 22 degrees Aries. Last month, the Moon moved through the section of the zodiac that was 23 degrees Pisces to 22 degrees Aries just as she began waxing. It’s taken the Sun almost a month to cover that territory, and just before the new Moon at 22 degrees Aries, the Moon will have to “go back over” the territory of the zodiac she initially waxed through. So in one of her phases she waxes, or grows, and in the other, she ebbs, or recedes. As I said before, the a good way to approach this phenomena is to look back to the initial waxing phase and look to the waning Sting of the Tail phase, see what was working and what wasn’t, and proceed with calm caution. Then the sting won’t be felt so harshly!
Click here to make a wish on the new Moon after you’ve done the work of cleaning things out during the Sting of the Tail and support the continued publishing of these articles.
Thanks to Terry MacKinnel for introducing me to Sting of the Tail.
Skeptical Astrology: Season 2, Episode 8
On this episode of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome author and data scientist (although he’s had to make peace with that label) Alex Boxer. I found Alex after searching through the Yale (our shared alma mater) alumni network for anybody who might be doing anything related to astrology. Alex was the one who came up, and I couldn’t have found anybody better! Sharing a mutual love of the humanities, astrology, and science, we discuss Alex’s work that traverses the history of astrology, the similarities between modern and ancient approaches to data science, his stunning online interactive astrolabe, and dueling Roman poets Lucretius and Manilius.
If you’d like to sponsor an episode or season of the Star Love Podcast email Inner Makeup Astrology Business Manager James, and please remember to rate us on Apple Podcasts.
Language of Energy, Poetry of Life: Season 2, Episode 7
On this episode of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome astrologer, writer, and teacher Rebecca Gordon. Rebecca calls astrology “the language of energy” and “the poetry of all life”, and she lives out these maxims, taking an empathic, deeply emotive approach to her work that embodies the feel of astronomy for astrological purposes. Possessing a musical and artistic background, Rebecca consults with individuals, businesses, and has a passion for teaching with her Astrology School having run for 15 years. I was moved by this interview because the creative spirit Rebecca brings to her work is where I feel astrology should go. Please rate us on Apple Podcasts, and if you’re interested in sponsoring the Star Love Podcast, email Inner Makeup business manager James.
Recorded Mid-Day October 8, 2020 Central Time.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0 Introduction
2:32 Interplay Between Astrology and Astronomy
10:17 Rebecca’s Artistry
15:29 Getting into a Poetic Mindset
24:10 Astrology and Music
27:35 Astrology and the Humanities
33:20 Medical Astrology
43:06 Astrology in the Business World
48:00 Number 5 and Chanel No. 5
51:35 Transits of 2020 and 2021
57:22 Closing
Link to Rebecca’s Website
Sign Up for Rebecca’s Astrology for Entrepreneurs Course, her most popular course. Launches soon: January 27, 2021. Rebecca’s Astrology School has been running for 15 years and on the podcast we talk extensively about her style of teaching that inspires creativity.
This is fun: Receive Your Complimentary Download of Sync Your Calendar To Cosmos, a moon sign guide that will sync your daily calendar to the lunar signs each week.
Astrology Is Not A Magic Show: Season 2, Episode 6
Star Love Podcast Host Daniel Beck | Guest Maren Altman
On this episode of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome astrologer, author, and philosophy graduate student, Maren Altman. I learned about Maren through a friend who found one of Maren’s videos on TikTok, and I must say, I was surprised to see high quality astrology coming through that media platform! Maren is doing some innovative and practical things in astrology education, keeps her growing audience informed with the latest trends in political astrology, and most deliciously, whips up great recipes as the Cosmic Chef.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-Intro
4:20-Maren’s Approach to Astrology
19:04-Maren’s Philosophy Background
27:44-Bringing Psychology Into Astrology
29:57-Maren’s Acting Background
32:10-Pluto
34:47-Meaning of Maren’s name
36:05-Mundane and Political Astrology
40:45-Fate and free will
44:06-Maren’s Writing
48:22-Astrology Transits of 2020-2022
58:34-Maren’s Culinary Arts
1:00:48-Closing
Maren’s Books
Maren’s Book Picks
Dan’s Book Pick
Crime and Punishment is a classic with a dire warning: if you transgress with a new idea or word via delusions of greatness, and it be unformed and spun by the machinations of a paranoid mind, the crime becomes not the idea but rather the abandonment of spirit that can give liberation beyond the words.
Link To Maren’s Website
Further Resources
To explore the idea of “wrong charts”, that is astrology charts that are not accurate birth times that still provide meaningful, exacting insights, purchase Maggie Hyde’s book, Jung and Astrology. Or go to this link to read an essay by Geoffrey Cornelius that references how “wrong charts” work in the context of astrology as divination. This is a good counterargument to one of the most forceful skeptical arguments by Geoffrey Dean.
To explore how to reconcile using whole sign houses and some form of quadrant houses, go to this link and read an essay by Charles Obert about using both systems at once. I find that this method helps live chart interpretation flow during readings. Take for example, if somebody has Venus in Aries in the 7th house, but Aries is the 8th whole sign, an interpretation might be “there is an aggressive drive towards finding harmony in relationships that can result in fights about joint resources.” At this point I might reference the tarot card the 4 of wands which is the tarot equivalent of Venus in Aries (designated by the Golden Dawn) and suggests a need to construct harmony to harness that aggression. For a long while I’ve been using the deck the Tarot of Dreams, available for purchase below, that includes that astrological significations on each of the cards.
Thank you for listening! If you’re interested in sponsoring a season or episode of the Star Love Podcast, email Inner Makeup Business Manager James
Basil's Way: Season 2, Episode 5
Star Love Podcast Host Daniel Beck | Guest Basil Fearrington
On this episode of Star Love Podcast, we welcome astrologer and musician Basil Fearrington. Basil has had a phenomenal music career playing with the likes of Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, and more, and has also recorded his own solo albums as well. He is a leading astrologer and is the go-to authority on the methods of the late astrologer Noel Tyl, his teacher. This is an extraordinary podcast for lovers of music, featuring harrowing stories about Donny Hathaway, among others. Basil’s astrology is sound, practical, and takes a “common sense” approach, his “New Way Astrology”.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0 Introduction
2:22 Basil’s music career
19:16 Developing technique
29:42 Defining Astrology
33:37 Fate, free will, and humanistic astrology
37:27 Social media astrology
40:24 How to go about learning astrology
43:28 Differences between ancient and modern astrology
48:22 Eastern Philosophy, Taoism, and Basil’s spiritual background
53:27 Predictions in astrology
1:03:13 How Basil has managed his career
1:04:44 Basil’s current activities
Basil’s astrology textbook that gets near unanimous praise. Many people say it is the best astrology book they own.
Basil’s solo album that proves he can go it alone!
Basil performed on this album and says Mary J. Blige is a “total sweetheart”.
Heart is Where Your Home Is: Season 2, Episode 4
On this episode of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome best selling writer, educator, and leading Feng Shui practitioner, Terah Kathryn Collins. Our conversation focuses on her latest book The Three Sisters of the Tao and how the sisters came to Terah offering invaluable wisdom. This episode provides a template for walking an enchanted path that can lead to a new worldview and also explores some practical ways to achieve balance.
Recommended Books
Link to Terah’s Work
Visit the Western School of Feng Shui to gain access to the Essential Feng Shui Practitioner Certification training, which is offered 24/7 online, and includes Terah’s live weekly support via coaching calls and a private student/teacher forum. The same training is also offered in a live classroom setting with the next one coming up March 1-7, 2020 in Sedona, Arizona.
Receive 10% off through the Essential Feng Shui Practitioner Certification Training through the end of the year (2020).
Western School of Feng Shui
www.WesternSchoolofFengShui.com
Other Books Mentioned
Choreographing Astrology: Season 2, Episode 3
On this episode of the Star Love Podcast, we feature astrologer, dancer, and choreographer Amelia Ehrhardt. Her artistic background as a dancer and choreographer has informed her approach to astrology which is revealed in the podcast as a kind of “choreographic” casting of an astrology chart. Listen to get a fresh take on the definition of astrology, how creativity and astrology mesh, and celebrity astrology.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-Opening
1:49-Amelia’s namesake
4:44-How Amelia got into astrology
8:06-Story behind Amelia’s astrology practice “soft aspects”
12:20-Definition of astrology
18:37-Writing for OMGBlog
22:22-Nature of predictions
25:38-Amelia being an artist doing astrology
30:53-House systems in astrology
35:41-Amelia doing astrology in bed
37:10-Amelia’s dance background
48:16-Astrology of 2019 through early 2021
55:00-Celebrity Astrology
1:02:02-Closing
Books Mentioned During the Podcast
Are We in the Age of Aquarius? Season 2, Episode 2
On this episode of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome astrologer Terry MacKinnel. We discuss Terry’s pioneering work that rectifies the astrological ages (just what age(s) are we in? you’ll be surprised!). A man interested in epochal historical and cultural development, we discuss everything from maritime discoveries to Lucretius to the printing press. Perhaps my favorite part of the interview is the elucidation of Terry’s parallel occupation that dives into the deeper aspects of spirituality. If you’re interested in spirituality, the astrological ages, history, and how to get into the mood of loving life, this is an interview not to be missed!
Time Stamps for Timekeepers
0-6:59 Introduction
7:00-11:04 How Terry got into astrology
11:05-14:11 Terry’s spiritual pursuits
14:12-19:41 The astrological ages and different zodiacs
19:42-31:21 Age of Aquarius and astrological divisions and subdivisions
31:22-35:29 Reception of Terry’s ideas
35:30-41:49 Heliacal Rising, Hipparchus, and Visual Astrology
41:50-50:44 Other astrological ages and overflow of ages
50:45-57:17 Terry’s astrological practice and the nature of astrology
57:18-1:03:42 Fate and Free Will
1:03:43-end Closing
Links and Other Resources
Terry’s Website on Macro-Astrology
Terry’s Blog
Terry’s Website for Vedic-Western Fusion Astrology
Link to the Lucretius poem mentioned by Terry
Prem Rawat’s website, the spiritual teacher Terry mentioned
Star Love Podcast Season 2 Episode 1 Featuring Astrologer Janet Booth
For the opening episode of the second season of the Star Love Podcast, we welcome astrologer Janet Booth! I met Janet through my involvement with the Astrological Society of Connecticut, and we’ve kept up the connection ever since. We discuss her soon to be famous “Libra” shirt, our mutual love of Connecticut pizza, her business background, and the unique astrological techniques she employs in her work. The majority of the interview is spent exploring the transits of 2020 into 2021 and how you can apply these energies for your sun and/or rising sign.
This episode was recorded June 17, 2020. Please rate us on Apple Podcasts, and if you’re interested in sponsoring a future podcast, email Inner Makeup business manager James. To make a wish for yourself and support the continued production of the Star Love Podcast, click here.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-6:07 Introduction
6:08-9:57 Janet’s career working in business administration and then astrology
9:58-11:56 The inspiration behind Janet’s website Astrology Booth
11:57-14:24 Janet’s and my mutual love of Connecticut style pizza
14:25-19:19 Janet’s unique approach to astrology
19:20-24:49 Astrology and the pandemic
24:50-28:42 Human nature and astrology
28:43-36:44 Shifting from major Capricorn transits to Aquarius transits
36:45-49:29 2020 Saturn Jupiter conjunction and recommendations for each sign
49:30-54:04 Mercury Retrograde
54:05-57:39 Janet’s famous “Plan-its” and how one can use the moon phases
57:40-end The planetary body Eris and closing remarks
Links and Other Resources
Visit Janet’s website, astrologybooth.com for a plethora of free content, including resources for 2021, free downloadable pdf’s with ratings for each day, a best and worst days list, and a retrograde bar chart called “On a Page”. You can also sign up on the footer of any page on astrologybooth.com to receive free occasional newsletters and free morning messages with the day's rating describing what the day might be like or how to utilize the planets' energies.
Here is a link to the article about Ceres, Pluto, and Eris mentioned on the podcast.
Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 12 Featuring Astrologer, Musician, and Hiker Bruce Scofield
Astrologer, Musician, and Hiker Bruce Scofield.
On episode twelve of the Star Love Podcast we welcome astrologer Bruce Scofield. I’m thrilled to have Bruce on to discuss his wide ranging interests including different forms of astrology and music. We talk about how he moved from playing trumpet to rock music, ultimately becoming an astrologer after seeing the accuracy of some personal transits. From traditional astrology to correlating weather patterns with Saturn transits, Bruce is one of the most original and learned astrologers you will find.
This episode was recorded February 20, 2020.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-11:28 Introduction
11:29-15:39 Bruce’s definition of astrology
15:40-18:11 The intertwining of people’s astrology charts
18:12-29:32 Bruce’s exploration of different types of astrology
29:33-33:59 Bruce’s going to Central America to study Mesoamerican Astrology
34:00-41:13 Astrology and its relationship to individuals and humanity at large
41:14-50:22 Bruce’s study of weather patterns
50:23-51:56 The name of Bruce’s website One Reed and the God Quetzalcoatl
51:57-58:36 Fall of the Aztecs and the Saturn/Pluto Conjunction
58:37-end Bruce’s upcoming activities and closing remarks
Links and Book Recommendations
Link to information about Bruce’s teaching at Kepler College.
Link to Bruce’s academic papers.
Link to Bruce’s writings on Natural Astrology, the branch of astrology more concerned with larger forces of nature rather than individual human beings and their horoscopes.
Link to One Reed Publications, Bruce’s extensive website for all things astrology and Mesoamerican Astrology. You can get a free Maya-Aztec personality report that, I have to say, especially in a pressing, divinatory moment, is spot on!
Below is Bruce’s book on Election Astrology, or the astrology of selecting an opportune moment to start something. Also his other book mentioned in the podcast. Last, Margaret Atwood’s book Surfacing provides a literary path to some of the concepts explored in the podcast.
The Death and Rebirth of Your Money
What does astrology have to say about money? Quite a lot, with deep and practical implications for how one views money and their relationship to it. There are two parts of an astrology chart that I look to when assessing finances. For those unfamiliar with astrology, a chart is a 2D rendering of how the heavens looked at the time of one’s birth. It can be used for the birth of a situation, question, or event, but for the purposes of this essay, I will be focusing on an individual’s natal chart. However, the chart of the moment when I am writing this essay is provided below.
The leftmost side of the chart is the Eastern Horizon, called the Ascendant. This is where the planetary bodies appear every day and subsequently follow, loosely, the ecliptic path of the Sun, which is the top half of the circle. Of course, we know that this is not what it is actually happening in the heavens. Still, it provides a useful portrait of the astrological weather at the time one’s birth that is a celestial reflection of one’s psyche. Thus the planets rise, culminate (the top part of the chart, the Midheaven, or the highest point in the sky which faces South), and set (the right part of the chart and directionally West). The bottom most part of the chart is North and is called the Nadir, symbolically the lowest point where the planets transit when they are out of view from the vantage point of earth. The planets are signified by the little symbols just on the inside of the wheel. The planets also aspect each other, that is, create angles based on the degrees of the circle. For example, if a planet is on the leftmost side of the chart and a planet is at the topmost part of the chart, this creates a 90 degree angle, called a square. You’ll see that the wheel is divided into twelve sections, called the houses, and two of these houses are what we will be focusing on for the discussion about the depth and symbolism of money. The two houses that delineate money are the second house (look at the lower left part of the chart marked “2” and this is that section of an astrology chart) and the eighth house (look to the upper right part of the chart marked “8” in the astrology chart). Looking to these houses, which signs occupy them (the signs are the colors on the outside of the wheel and are the type of “energy” that inhabits the domain of a house) and which planets (planets are “what” is happening) rule over and/or are in that house. The focus of this essay, again, is to speak about, symbolically, what is the second house of one’s own resources, values, and what one has to work with; and, what comprises the eighth house of other people’s resources, inheritances, taxes, death, and personal psychology.
In antiquity, the second house was known as the Gate of Hades. Whatever is going on here in a chart is where I begin to interpret finances, values, and the resources with which one has been endowed. In Hindu Astrology, it also is the domain of speech and domestic happiness, in other words, “putting your money where your mouth is.” Like the fecund beauty of springtime in the month of May, so is the second house, and it is said to be fixed and immovable. Thus, so are the gifts you have been given in this life as reflected in this part of your birth chart or any chart for that matter. Astronomically it is not hard to see why the ancients felt the second house as the Gate of Hades. This is a house just beneath the earth where the planetary bodies begin their daily rise. Remember the leftmost side of the chart is the Eastern Horizon or the “Ascendant” where the planets rise along the ecliptic path of the Sun. The question is, if planets emerge out of the Gate of Hades, and give the resources of the second house, like vegetables and flowers springing up in May, from where did these resources come?
The answer is they “fell” in the 8th House of Death, just as the sun “falls” every day along the ecliptic. This is a never-ending cycle of death and rebirth that can be exemplified in the constellation we know as Orion. In Egypt, what we know as the constellation Orion represented the first king and Egyptian God of Death, Osiris. Following a Pharaoh’s death, Osiris was thought to mystically “inseminate” these set of stars so that Horus, the Sun God, could be reborn. This is exactly the type of mythical content that is the stuff of the 8th house. When one sets out or “rises” with their resources, ultimately they will have to merge with others in order to continue. These “others” include paying taxes, business transactions, marriage “dowries”, depth psychology, and in the sex act itself. There is a metaphoric death that occurs by the losing of oneself by merging with another. Jungian psychology has a great understanding of this phenomenon holding that one’s psyche penetrates, like Osiris, others towards its own ends, causing a kind of death but resulting in a material rebirth. There is something to the phrase “finding oneself”.
The never ending cycle of life (what is given) and death (what is taken away) continues endlessly. The 8thhouse can give a clue as to what one is truly seeking and what motivates an individual on an unconscious level. However, this can only be done through the aforementioned “others” even if that other is a person engaging in solitary, contemplative self-analysis. These 8th house activities can yield critical insights into one’s material resources and how one values and acts on those resources. However, with the cost levied through that process, the cycle starts anew, that action having lead to a kind of “death” after the inevitable impregnation with “another” occurs. Hopefully this process provides a fruitful and bountiful rebirth.
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Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 11 Featuring Astrologer and Artist Anne Beversdorf
On episode 11 of the Star Love Podcast we welcome astrologer and artist Anne Beversdorf. Anne possesses a diverse background in education, library science, and is an accomplished artist, along with her considerable astrological career. We discuss Anne’s drive to succeed in her career life, her and her family’s creative background, and her unique approach towards the use of both Western and Vedic Astrology. Please rate us on apple podcasts, and if you’re interested in sponsoring a future podcast, e-mail james@innermakeup.net. To support the continued production of the Star Love Podcast go to the Leave a Tip Make a Wish Section and make a wish for yourself as well.
Showgirls Apologetics, Planets in Leo, and Expressing Yourself
Image by Victoria Borodinova
At some point you’ve felt hesitant to express yourself. Self-expression can take the form of creativity, sexuality, romance, platonic love, or communication from the heart. The insecurities that prevent the aforementioned actions find their roots in a deeply primal place—the necessity to conform in order to survive, because if everyone did what they wanted, there would be chaos.
Individualistic self-expression is often met with criticism. Yet the heavens right now suggest we make a move towards more personal expression. This is because the Sun finds himself in his home sign of Leo, the Sun being the basic self and divine spark that gives life. Enhancing this energy is Mercury, also in the sign of Leo, the planetary body that oversees roads, travelers, thieves, communication, and language. Leo is the sign of romance and creativity, so these powerful alignments help this shift. The height of these energies culminates on the morning of August 17th as the Sun and Mercury come together, energized by an intense, waning moon having just joined the Sun and Mercury in the sign of Leo.
An example that demonstrates how pure self-expression can be chastised is the film Showgirls. Widely panned for its over-the-top, raw, and allegedly sexist material, the film has, in recent years, been reappraised as a serious satire as it progressed from initial failure to major success in the video rental market. There are many theories about why the film failed. One opinion is that it was advertised as an erotic film. But this was never the intent of director Paul Ver Hoeven as he maintains that he was trying to present an accurate portrait of Las Vegas decadence and the futile struggle to make it to the top through sex and power.
I remember when the film was released. The boys were bragging that they had seen or were going to see Showgirls, subconsciously signaling that having public access to an erotic film, conspicuously consumed, was a badge of honor. But an over the top, non-erotic satire aimed to reveal the true workings of transactional sex and the reach for celebrity was surely set up to fail if audience members were led to believe it was a pornographic film. The boys, and the audience in general, would laugh. The failure of Showgirls was not a failure, however, and it achieved something notable and useful as provocative art is a marker of success, as Oscar Wile explained in the introduction to The Picture of Dorian Gray. Provoking a reaction from an audience at the very minimum disrupts the normal state of affairs. Oscar Wilde also tells us that “everything is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.” These are all Leo themes, as Leo is the sign that rules speculation, risk-taking, and entertainment. What risks are you taking or not taking? Is there a song you want to sing or a dance you want to dance from which you recently abstained? Showgirls was a way for its audience to skirt this question even though it was being posed directly to them. Director Paul Ver Hoeven’s intent was to create something over the top and hyperreal, and his rendering of the Vegas experience was proportionate to the real thing. It showed the humiliating and hilarious but accurate nature of unadulterated self-expression, self-expression that we all yearn to engage in but often times fail to achieve because we know the forces around us will make fun of us. How many laugh at a striptease but are actually turned on? It doesn’t have to be this way, however, as the Leo energy helps, telling us, “yeah, but so what! Do it anyways! Who cares what anybody else thinks?!”
This is the exact reason for the universal panning of Showgirls, that the protagonist Nomi Malone, played by Elizabeth Berkeley, dares to express herself nakedly, literally and figuratively, with wild abandon, and this is rejected by the audience and critics alike—an actual success, not a failure. Berkeley’s own astrology chart features a similar configuration to the one we’re experiencing right now, having fiery Mars, communicative Mercury, and a radiant Sun in Leo. Leo is the sign of expression, drama, theatrics, entertainment, recreational sex, speculation, and risk-taking, so her own celestial “Inner Makeup” makes her suited for the role of Nomi. Subconsciously, many filmgoers were remembering Elizbeth Berkeley as the teenage goody too shoe character Jesse Spano on Saved by the Bell who famously got addicted to speed and had a crazed meltdown, this being the type of Leo melodramatic style she brought to her performance in Showgirls. This was viewed as bad acting, but Paul Ver Hoeven has always held that he pushed Berkeley to those extremes and that it wasn’t due to a bad performance on Berkeley’s part. Berkeley in fact possesses a serious background in dance and has proven herself a capable theatrical actress, a gift exemplified by the strong planets in Leo in her chart. The character Nomi, by expressing herself in an unrestrained fashion, actually triumphs. In the film she starts off by finding work as a stripper at a club called the Cheetah (there is a club called Cheetah’s in Las Vegas). Ultimately Nomi supplants Gina Gershon’s character, Cristal, for the lead in a show called Goddess housed at the real-life Stardust Hotel (now imploded) by pushing her down a flight of stairs. There’s a carnal edge to show business embodied by Berkeley’s strong Mars. Thus Nomi, dancing with untrained “heat”, makes it to the top while the haters criticize her cheesy style as she makes her ascent to Goddess status. Getting the lead is a mixed blessing, as the owners of the show Goddess reveal that they have researched and uncovered Nomi’s past run-ins with the law that involved prostitution and drugs. Surviving in the real world is no different than surviving a Vegas show.
Another theme of Showgirls is the expendability of the dancers, whether at the strip club or a headlining show. No Showgirl is spared from the impermanence of the race to the top, just as the Stardust hotel was eventually demolished. Elizabeth Berkeley’s astrology chart features Pluto in Virgo, the planet of implosion in a servile sign. Nomi for her part does reject and emancipate herself from success, but the end of the film shows her hitchhiking to Los Angeles, indicating that the cycle of surviving, “high” and low, may begin once again.
Nomi’s unique, home-grown dancing aesthetic helps her in the film but caused a fall for Elizabeth Berkeley in real life. As I said, the film was billed as something sexy, but it was nothing of the sort. As people laughed at Nomi, played by Berkeley, they were really laughing at themselves. We all have to sell something in order to survive, and the product each of us has to offer can be alternately outlandish, like an embarrassing dance, or conservative, or some combination thereof. Leo is also the sign of sales, so this applies to everyone needing to sell something through this tough astrological weather. What are you selling? Maybe it’s best to take yourself off the market and put your creative juices somewhere else, like singing in the shower or spicing up your sex life. The Showgirls audience ultimately achieved a catharsis but without achieving a true release of their daemons, good and bad, instead returning to the cycle of normalcy, the cycle of destiny. The Sun and Mercury in Leo, minus Elizabeth Berkeley’s Mars, offers an opportunity for just the opposite—a chance to simply let loose.
Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 10 Featuring Astrologer Geoffrey Cornelius
The cover of Moment of Astrology features an image of Father Time, Orpheus, and a rising sun, emphasizing a ritualistic framework for astrology. The image was created by an anonymous 16th-century Venetian artist and comes from a small furniture panel in the style of Giorgione.
On episode 10 of the Star Love Podcast we welcome astrologer Geoffrey Cornelius. I’ve long been an admirer of Geoffrey’s work that has personally helped me in my astrological journey. The arguments, concepts, and stories put forth in his book Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination have profound implications not only for astrology but science, the humanities, and how each of us lives in modernity. To support the production of the Star Love Podcast, leave a tip in the Leave a Tip, Make a Wish page. Please rate us on apple podcasts, and if you’d like to sponsor a future podcast, email james@innermakeup.net.
This episode was recorded July 23, 2020 at 9 AM Central Time.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-21:29 Introduction, Geoffrey’s background, his plans for the future, some of the basic concepts arising from Geoffrey’s work, and the implications of accepting those ideas
21:30-30:23 Astrologer William Lilly’s work, Geoffrey’s take on how astrologers interpret Lilly, and living in a disenchanted yet scientifically enlightened age
30:24-43:15 The meaning behind the cover of Geoffrey’s book Moment of Astrology and what it points to regarding a divinatory, ritualistic conception of astrology
43:16-53:50 The Oracle at Delphi and how and why people sought the oracle
53:51-1:03:10 Implication of Ptolemy’s redefinition of astrology as a natural science
1:03:11-1:24:59 Skeptical arguments against astrology from Christianity, Renaissance Humanists, and Contemporary Humanists
1:25:00-1:30:55 The interaction between modern science and astrology
1:30:56-1:44:39 Fate, destiny, negotiating with destiny, and fun anecdotes
1:44:40-1:47:35 Psychoanalysis, psychology, and astrology
1:47:36-end Sun sign astrology and astrology in the wider society
Notes, Links, and Book Recommendations
Link to Geoffrey’s Website Astrodivination.com
Link to Company of Astrologers, the group Geoffrey and his colleagues founded in 1983.
Link to the speech Geoffrey delivered to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Lilly.
Make sure to pick up Geoffrey’s book The Starlore Handbook. I use this one quite a bit, and it’s beautifully straightforward with regard to the mythology behind the constellations and fixed stars.
Throughout the podcast the concept of time comes up. Authors who articulate different philosophies of time include Urusla K. Le Guin in her book The Dispossed, Thomas Pynchon in Gravity’s Rainbow, and Philip K. Dick in Time Out of Joint. Pynchon in Gravity’s Rainbow specifically references astrology, divination, psi phenomena, the Kabbalah, and tarot. Purchase the books in the embedded links.
For a great work of classic literature that deals with themes of fate, free will, character, and imagination, all concepts explored with examples in this podcast, pick up Thomas Hardy’s classic The Mayor of Casterbridge. There are many quotes from this book throughout the podcast.
The theme of enchantment vs. disenchantment comes up throughout the podcast. Salman Rushdie elucidates this beautifully through his great work of children’s literature, Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Purchase this book to get in touch with the idea that imagination is critical to life.
For an intriguing look into spirituality, faith, atheism, astrology, and skepticism, pick up famous journalist and socialite Sally Quinn’s memoir Finding Magic. There are a couple of fun stories about Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens!
Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 9 Featuring Astrologer and Marketing Guru Lori Randall Stradtman
On episode 9 of the Star Love podcast we welcome astrologer Lori Randall Stradtman. Lori and I met in an online forum under an auspicious Pisces moon and lucky degree (12) of Gemini Rising (to research this further, and maybe use for yourself, purchase this book and go to page 165-166). We discuss Lori’s early interest in mythology, her impressive background in marketing, and her move to use astrology as a tool to guide people to their evolutionary purpose and ultimately, happiness. To support the production of the Star Love Podcast, leave a donation in the Leave A Tip, Make a Wish section. Please rate us on apple podcasts, and if you’d like to sponsor a future podcast, e-mail james@innermakeup.net.
This episode was recorded in late March 2020.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-3:29 Intro and Lori’s background
3:30-8:52 Lori’s early fascination with mythology
8:53-12:27 Story of Chiron exchanging places with Prometheus
12:28-16:57 Long term cycles from 2020 onward
16:58-20:20 Lori’s Christian background and moving in a different spiritual direction
20:21-25:29 Lori’s harrowing experience that moved her to pursue astrology
25:30-34:39 Defining happiness
34:40-36:20 Strategies towards orienting the mind towards happiness
36:21-40:00 Astrology and happiness
40:01-41:00 Fate and free will
41:01-49:12 Ecstatic happiness and feeling blue
49:13-56:58 Digitizing what you love to do
56:59-the end
Book Recommendations That Cover Topics Discussed
The Happiness Myth is a great book that deconstructs common assumptions about what it means to be happy. Purchase below.
Circe is a wonderful book that gets you in the spirit of magic when you go up against the Gods. There is a gripping description of the story of Prometheus, a mythological character that has played out prominently in Lori’s life. Purchase below.
Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 8 Featuring Astrologer and Developer Henry Seltzer
On episode eight of the Star Love Podcast we welcomed astrologer Henry Seltzer. I’ve been a big fan of Henry’s for a long time, becoming introduced to his software TimePassages by Susan Miller of Astrology Zone fame. I started learning astrology through his iPhone app and later attended a summer 2013 lecture he and Susan gave at the Apple Store in Soho, under a full moon no less. In this podcast we discuss Henry’s book The Tenth Planet which delves into the astrological Eris. You can purchase it here. Our conversation centered around his research into the dwarf planet, Eris, and how she functions in astrology. People as wide ranging as D.H. Lawrence, Andrea Dworkin, and Carl Jung came up while we explored Henry’s findings that have lead him to classify Eris as a feminine warrior archetype for soul purpose.
This episode was recorded in early November 2019 after the new moon in Scorpio at the end of October. The transits mentioned cover November 2019 generally.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-3:56 Introduction, Henry’s biography, how Henry got into astrology, how does astrology work? what is astrology?
3:57-5:24 Henry as a man of letters both in the English language and the language of computer science. (I’ve been moved many times over the years by Henry’s spontaneous recitations of poetry during lectures and broadcasts)
5:25-10:59 Henry’s book about Eris and the discovery and “birth” of Eris, defining the Western worldview, higher, non 3D dimensions, the significance of the number of planets, defining the planets and their classifications
11:00-14:40 Meaning of Eris astrologically vs her mythological origins
Henry mentions the famous astrologer Rick Tarnas who elucidates how a God’s origin, in this case Uranus, can reemerge as a different planetary archetype, just as Henry holds with Eris. Purchase his book Prometheus the Awakener below to explore this concept.
14:41-22:14 Shakespeare “what’s in a name?”, Romeo and Juliet, story of Eris and Henry’s interpretation of the myth astrologically vs. mythologically
22:15-25:46 How Henry became attracted to Eris through astronomy and the symbolic interpretation of literal language
25:47-29:46 Numerology of the tenth planet, Kabbalah and Sephirot, the new millennium, the perilous times, and the numerology of the number 10
Tarot of Dreams is a Great Tarot Deck that Uses Kabbalah. Purchase Below.
29:47-31:22 Henry’s design of the Eris glyph
31:23-39:46 Astrology chart examples involving Eris
39:47-44:06 Eris’s energy as do or die in the U.S. Chart and 9/11
44:07-47:46 Does Eris rule a sign?
47:47-52:29 Jung’s dreams of Sigfried in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, trying to kill ideal beauty, the subconscious, societal expectations, and the Red Book
We briefly discussed Jung’s Red Book which was a culmination of a lifetime’s work and expresses Jung’s experience with dreams and their creative, spiritual, and collective material. Purchase below.
52:30-56:15 Expression of Eris by gender
56:16-57:29 Difference between Pluto and Eris as far as their respective mysteries and compulsivities
57:30-1:00:39 Which sign, if any, does Eris rule? We speculate that she might rule the Via Combusta region of the zodiac, which spans from 15 Libra to 15 Scorpio
1:00:40-closing remarks
Extended Notes
Here is a link to the D.H. Lawrence poem mentioned, Give Us Gods
Here is a link to Henry’s website
Purchase Henry’s Eris Book Below
Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 7 Featuring Psychic Cari Roy
On episode 7 of the Star Love Podcast we welcomed New Orleans’ #1 Psychic Cari Roy. I met Cari Roy at a hobnobber event, and we became fast friends. On the show we discussed having common roots in Philadelphia, how her parents sang opera professionally, and even an experience where as a young girl she sat on William F. Buckley’s lap! Cari is one of the smartest psychics you’ll ever meet, and it was a joy to talk with her about metaphysics, religion, skepticism, and how people starting out in a creative or non-traditional career path can succeed.
This episode was recorded on November 11, 2019, the date of a very special lunation where Mercury was cazimi, or in the heart of the sun, meaning Mercury was visually was right in the center of the sun. As mentioned in the podcast, this hit both Cari and my chart’s at very powerful points, so it was an interesting time to record this podcast. It was somewhat haphazard, the date we chose, as we had to reschedule a couple of times, but maybe it was divinely planned :). Or maybe just chance. Take your pick.
Time Stamps for Time Keepers
0-6:43 Introduction, Cari’s bio, the special lunations at the time the recording (November 11, 2019), Cari’s early psychic experiences, and Cari’s family background
6:44-12:45 Cari’s family members who were both scientists and “creatives-types”, science and creativity, Uranian and Neptunian strands of the divinatory arts, knowing and mystery, and religion and science
12:46-21:44 Cari’s opera singers parents and her singing background, her extensive international travels, and how singing led to her psychic career
21:45-27:24 The history of the occult arts in New Orleans, Cari’s learning her trade from her forbearers, and having the discipline to do multiple psychic readings in a day
27:25-35:53 Cari’s childhood run in with William F. Buckley, the enduring line of her career as a psychic, and her advice for young aspiring creative professionals
35:54-39:16 Cari’s attending school in Philly, her educational backgound, and studying comparative religion
39:17-41:27 Cari’s take on divine creative inspiration and its relationship to psychic ability
41:28-46:02 Why people come to see Cari for readings, fate and free will and how it relates to time, and what free will agency, if any, we humans have
46:03-55:30 Ethical questions surrounding predictions and the psychic arts, how to handle different situations and clients, and the participatory nature of a reading
55:31-57:07 Dating as a psychic
57:08-1:02:44 Cari’s second Saturn return, going through breast cancer, and upcoming transits for Cari
1:02:45-end Cari’s take on current astrological transits, the value of taking a break from looking at transits, and how frequently one should get a reading
Star Love Podcast Season 1 Episode 5 Featuring Arielle Guttman
On episode 5 of the Star Love Podcast we welcomed astrologer Arielle Guttman. We discussed Arielle’s unique work with the Venus Star Point, how the Venus Star Point plays out in one’s life, and how you can learn to use the loving energy of this special astronomical phenomenon. Please rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts, and if you’re interested in sponsoring a future podcast, email Inner Makeup business manager at james@innermakeup.net.
Time Stamps For Time Keepers
Introduction and brief overview of Arielle’s background 0-4:10
Arielle’s early experiences and her astrological journey 4:11-8:03
Addressing the issue of defining astrology 8:04-13:05
The astronomy and astrology of the Venus Star Point 13:06-17:48
The Golden Mean and Venus 17:49-20:42
The Venus Star Point in your life and the current Venus Star Point cycles 20:43-24:13
Oprah Winfrey’s Venus Starpoint 24:14-29:19
Star Mates 29:20-34:09
Who the Star Love Podcast is aimed at 34:10-35:45
Difference between Venus and Venus Star Point 35:46-38:30
Arielle’s Venus Star Point in Aries and how that has played out in her life 38:40-43:40
Current and Future Venus Star Point Transits, fun stories, and closing comments 43:45-end
Extended Notes, References, and Resources
Link to Arielle’s Website
Link to find your Venus Star Point
To further explore Carl Jung’s thoughts on why it’s difficult to conduct traditional science during individual moments i.e. in the course of a psychology or astrology session, explore the first few dozen pages of The Undiscovered Self.
To further explore the idea of cycles such as the Golden Mean, try Naseem Taleb’s book, The Black Swan
Link to Arielle’s book Venus Starpoint: Getting Straight to the Heart of Your Life with Venus
Link to Arielle’s book Venus Starpoint: A New Cosmology for the 21st Century
Link to Arielle’s other books