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Spiritual Company Newsletter
By Steffan Vanel • Astrologer • Tarot Reader
Author of: The Astrological Karma of the USA
And: Charles & Diana: The Inside Story:
An Astrological-Karmic ViewNow on YouTube: The Astrological Karma of the USA and The New Presidency
Dear Friends and Clients,
First I want to announce that the first of the season’s television shows called ‘Bridging Heaven and Earth’ was a recorded conversation between the show’s host, Allan Silberhartz and myself. It is now available on YouTube.
You might find it interesting as I got to speak on topics beyond my normal Astrological discussions, such as about Male and Female energies, the procession of the Aeons, and why other galactic races call this planet ‘Oceania.’ Here is the link for the video: YouTube: Bridging Heaven and Earth
A Reading for Iran
I’ve just returned from a Solstice Retreat at Breitenbush Hot Springs in the mountains of Oregon to the global focus upon the situation in Iran.
I have since been studying the Astrology charts relevant to the current Iranian State. I have also done a short 5 card, ‘Pentacross’ Tarot Reading for Iran, which I will share at the end of this newsletter.
First, a few Astrological comments. The chart, which speaks clearest to me, is set for the arrival of Ayatollah Khomeini, after a 15-year exile, in Tehran on February 1, 1979. The official political proclamation in April is relevant, but I believe the arrival of Khomeini was the moment that the whole nation of Iran experienced a rebirth into the present theocratic/political entity known as the Islamic Republic of Iran. There are elements within this chart which speak quite strongly to me as well.
Both charts have fire signs upon the Ascendant, giving rise to feisty self-images. In the February chart the self-image is Aries of which Hilarion says:
The sign Aries rising will tend, due to its rulership by Mars, to give to the developing self-image a coloring of action and courageousness. The person will see himself as quick to respond to situations, particularly to emergencies, and as being something of a leader or a model for others to emulate.
This spring, Pluto has been squaring, in tension with, that Aries self-image. This has been the brewing intense scrutiny of the election campaign and the realization that the challenger to Ahmadinejad, Mousavi, was much stronger than expected in polling before the election. This created a deep, brooding, Plutonian suspicion of what kind of violent reaction could occur, no mater who won the election.
At the same time, Pluto has been on top of, conjuncting, the Capricorn Mid-heaven of Iran, the serious, ambitious self-reliant image it presents to the world. That too, is experiencing some deep intense introspective scrutiny. At this time it is by the entire global community. Even prior to the election, however, a strong part of the political platform of Mousavi was widespread disapproval at how Iran appears to the world under the presidency of Ahmadinejad.
Iran just went through the growing into adulthood, reality check, of its first Saturn Return (age 28-30). Iran’s sixth house Saturn has this Hilarion pronouncement:
When the ringed planet is located in the sixth house, there is a strong indication that the working conditions for the native will be felt as restrictive and oppressive, at least over certain periods of the life.
One third of Iran’s voters are under 30, born after the revolution. At the same time, estimates put Iran’s unemployment rate at 20%. These disaffected, unemployed youth, who have felt no hope or optimism under Ahmadinejad, is the other factor swelling the popularity of the opposition.
In August Saturn will square, be in tension with, the Iranian Neptune. There will be a likely clash of faith and reality. Probably on both sides.
I have written in previous newsletters that there will be a Saturn/Pluto square in November of this year, the first tense alignment of these two planets since 2001, hitting the charts of the US, Obama, and Joseph Biden at the same time. Well, it will be hitting the Aries self-image and Capricornian projected image of Iran at the same time as well.
Interesting to note, the Libran projected image to the world of the US is in tension, opposite, the Aries self-image of Iran, and square to the Capricorn projected image to the world of Iran, hence our historical tension with Iran since its present incarnation in 1979.
What will these Pluto/Saturn transits hitting Iran, the US, Joseph Biden, and Barack Obama at the same time create? God only knows.
Personally, I sense an intensifying crackdown in Iran through the summer and fall, which will both succeed and catalyze counter-revolution.
In 2011, Uranus will square the Iranian Mid-heaven and conjunct its Ascendant, at which point all bets are off and any kind of surprise out of the blue, radical change could happen.
If this Uranus arrives upon a new regime, Iran could open tremendously to new freedoms and consciousness with breathtaking speed.
If this Uranus arrives upon an entrenched old regime, it may stave off new freedom and transformation from within by provoking conflict with other nations from without.
Let us pray for the former.
Let us now look at the Tarot Reading I did for Iran. This is the reading I do in my 30-minute sessions. In addition to looking at specific questions or decisions, I lay out a five-card reading. The one in the middle shows where you are now. The one at the top shows what your challenge or blockage is. The one at the bottom shows what can help you. The one to the left shows where you have been in the past. And the one to the right shows where you seem to be heading, based on conditions in the present, but can always be changed because we have free will.
The card for the past was the Princess of Cups, a watery personality who is flowing and gracious and romantic, but a sub-personality based on fear making it such that she tends to live in her own dream world, not connected to reality as it is, tending to blur the rough edges of life. This was the whole country living in a bit of a ‘la la’ land before the election, knowing unconsciously of the inevitable confrontation, but needing to buffer themselves from the full reality of it.
The card for the present is the Prince of Cups, the brother of the Princess. He corresponds to the lower aspect of the sign Scorpio. He has an appearance of calmness, but it is really a mask, based on fear, hiding what underneath are the most intense emotions and passions and energies. Obviously the stakes are so high for both sides, but both sides have to soldier on appearing to be calm with the reality at hand . In reality they are stuffing the full intensity of their feelings.
The challenge: The Devil.
The Devil is actually a good card. It is one of the special Major Arcana cards in the Tarot, like the Fool, the Magician, etc. Each of these is a path of initiation on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Some are more pleasant than others. The Devil is the initiation where you have no choice, where you must face your own Devil, that which blocks or limits you from being who you really are and can be. Seeing clearly the illusions that have been laid onto you by parents, or society, or past or present relationships, or your own false beliefs that are not really true. Where it is only your belief in these illusions that gives them power over you. The reason the Devil is a good card is because; until you can see your Devil, you can’t do anything to get past him. It is the time when you have to face the music and see what is real and what is not real about yourself. Interestingly, it is the card that corresponds to the higher aspect of the sign Capricorn.
Clearly it is time for the nation of Iran to see clearly through the illusions that it has bought into and continues to try to perpetrate upon itself.
What can help: The Six of Wands-Victory. This card represents a positive, balanced, fiery will energy creating an aura and sense of Victory. Iranians need to keep their energy up, but stay positive and balanced. I would say to them, however, that this card would not be here if they did not have the ability to do it.
Possible Future: The Ace of Cups, a fountain of emotional feeling in its purest form, like the Holy Grail itself. This is a pretty great card for a possible outcome. There will be a flood of incredibly positive emotion coming out of this. How long it will take to reach this, or how long it lasts, remains to be seen. But this is a pretty positive prognosis. I would say to one of my clients at this point: “And there are a lot of yucky cards in the deck you could have gotten!”
Blessings,
Steffan VanelPS: If you would like to know what aspects of your own Astrological Curriculum are being triggered at this time, or how your ‘Tree of Life” looks now, or just some quick answers from the Tarot for difficult decisions, give me a call: (206)903-9538 or send an email: steffan5515@yahoo.com Peace. S.