Honey from the Honeybees

Passing this along from John and Susan Townley:


A New Moon Blessing (of honey!)


For many years after Peter Schiffer (of Schiffer Books) took over the famous “Planets In” series, of which my book Planets In Love is one, he used to send all his authors a jar of Pennsylvania wildflower honey every Christmas, from a friend’s family farm down the road. It was the best in the world, and we always looked forward to it. One year, probably for budgeting reasons, it didn’t arrive, so we located the farm and its owners, Gary Stockin and his family, and we’ve been ordering their wonderful honey several times a year ever since.

Our last shipment of eight one-pound jars arrived last month, and while ordering it on the phone we had a fascinating conversation about the current mysterious bee disappearances, which have hit bee farmers hard all over. Half of all the bees in the country flew off from their hives one day and never returned, including many of the Stockin family’s.

Perhaps it was that conversation, but for some reason Gary had the name Townley stuck in his mind and this month accidently shipped us another whole crate of honey which we hadn’t ordered, which arrived exactly on this fertile spring new Moon. We called him up to arrange for a return, but he’d have none of it. “You’ve got some neighbors or children who like honey, don’t you?” he asked. Just keep it and pass it along as a gift from his household, he insisted.

Well, when a mitzvah like that is literally placed on your doorstep, you don’t ask twice regarding Who truly sent it or in what mysterious way. We’re passing it along, with our blessings and thanks.

And, we’re also passing along to you where to get some of this magical honey, from this wonderful family in Lancaster County, PA. Go see them at:



Stockin's Apiaries

4 Reservoir Rd.
Strasburg, PA 17579
(717) 687-7816

email: stockinsapiaries.com

(don't count on that e-mail, but the site, address, and phone work fine!)


It’s better honey (and a better deal, BTW) than anything you’ll find in the supermarket, and it makes the greatest gift ever! Invest in a few jars and help rebuild the bee population, which pollinates all the vegetables we eat, and upon which we all depend for our very lives. If you want to do something concrete to help save the world, start with a little honey in your tea, and then pass it along!


Fair winds, starry skies,


John and Susan



John and Susan Townley’s AstroCocktail

Wolfie spits'n'spats

Why does this man seem full of lick-spittle again? Wasn't his performance in Fahrenheit 911 gross enough? The Guardian has the details of his latest spitting of the four-letter variety.

Jerry Falwell 1933--2007

UPDATE May 17: the headlines scream that Wolfowitz may resign this afternoon (another good riddance) so Saturn in Leo ploughs on removing those who must go now go now. Will Gonzo join the throng?


Saturn's current passage through Leo (leadership) has taken another leader, Jerry Falwell, as Saturn brings blockages, restrictions, and loss.

Born Aug 11, 1933, Falwell's n Sun 18Leo32 has again been triggered by tr Saturn 18Leo45 now moving direct.

Having natally an opposition between Sun (vitality; the heart) and Saturn 12AQ36 (protective structures; skeletal system; skin) conj IC (endings), it may describe a clear picture of heart problems unless I miss my guess--and I'm not one to keep up with the man's personal details (since I don't believe that Christians can possibly covet the halls of earthly power and remain true to Scripture.)

Between his n Sun and MC 13Leo05--and with Sun as final dispositor of the chart (AstroDataBank gives his natal chart an A rating) there is a midpoint picture worth noting because tr Saturn visited there in August 2006...Neptune/Pluto relates to religion and supernatural concerns...

Neptune/Pluto = tr Saturn: gradual decline of powers and faculties; pessimism; dark forebodings.

Then tr Saturn moved on to n Sun itself, a period of restriction and loss which isn't as difficult if you're a whippersnapper, but at age 74--and with possible heart problems--is a difficult transit to come out of in one piece with all your faculties intact.

Transit Chiron has recently been conjuncting his n Saturn at IC as well, as did undermining Neptune which tends to disintegrate structures when conjuncting Saturn. With his n Sun/Saturn opposition, this means Neptune also opposed n Sun...another indication of eroded (Nep) vitality (Sun.)

All I've heard before checking his chart is the announcement of his passing, so it will be interesting to see if his heart was involved, and if he'd had any surgeries in the last year or so--also indicated.

With n Mars/Chiron midpoint at n MC, this sacred warrior has gone down for the count and my best wishes go out to his family in this time of loss and sadness.


Here are some Previous Posts concerning Saturn in Leo, loss of leaders, restrictions, and such:


Fidel Castro who hasn't been seen in public in quite a while now;

Tony Blair has now announced he's out the door at the end of June-- good riddance;

Congress' Saturn Return and the last of this Saturn Return, hit #3, occurs July 13, 2007;

US Congress Solar Return 2006 is still in effect;

Bob Ney who's in the slammer for his dirty dealing (Saturn to n Pluto)--Saturn demands accountability when we take his lessons of responsibility lightly;

Cheney's Health plus Fixed Grand Cross the rigid my-way-or-the-highway stalemate we're still seeing in Washington;

midterm elections 2006--this post has Saturnian Scythe info and a link to John Townley's site with more on Saturn's harvesting sickle...


Wonder who'll be next?

McNulty is history, calls for Gonzales are still echoing through the chambers of Washington--how genuinely I know not, but he does have a bunch of Leo planets as does George Bush--so stay tuned for more on Saturn's stomp through Leo which completes in early Sep, 2007.

Makes you wonder if Bush will finish his term.

South Node in Scorpio

The Nodal Axis tells us of destiny and life's path and even though I'm a Saturnian astrologer, not a Uranian (no past-lifin' around here--it's heredity and genetics, baby) the Nodal axis is very important for many reasons including in mundane work.

So this is a Shout-Out post for Raging Universe where you'll find a rockin' article on having South Node in Scorpio or in 8th house, the natural house of Scorpio.

Now some astrologers think that equating Scorpio placements to 8th house placements isn't applicable...that signs and houses are not the same things (some meaning this reluctant astrologer typing this sentence, for instance.)

But fuggedabowdit...just go to Raging Universeand read jm's SN in Scorpio article--there's an amazing amount of knowledge packed into one post waiting for you there and she's promising a post on NN in Taurus to go with it!

New Moon: Wednesday 5.16.07

As a new beginning, Wednesday's New Moon should be interesting esp since it occurs in the middle of Whistleblowers Week--or 'Whistleblower' singular, if you prefer--and with tr Mars 00Ari56 conj Aries Point (AP) it's the start of a new 2-year cycle for Mars-ruled activities...kind of a 'springtime' for Mars aka the god of war and explosions...but may also describe positive activities as well--motivation (another Mars word) is important.

AP = a world manifestation point when big events tend to happpen which affect many people...and testy Mars rules pioneering, me-first Aries.


Setting the New Moon chart for Washington, New Moon 25Tau33 at 3:27 pm edt with Mars and Pluto both angular...not the most comforting chart, is it?

Let's consider "25Tau" and "26Tau" for our Symbols...this is a part of the zodiac where two nasty Fixed Stars are located, both very active in the world now--and in the Middle East--Algol and Capulus. One is destructive and vengeful female energy, the other intense male energy...but first, the degrees' Symbols for the New Moon:

"25Tau": "A large well-kept public park (in CA? DC or NYC?)...RECREATION:

pos: a high devotion to the practical welfare of all people collectively;

neg: complete surrender of personality to mass judgments and transient superficialities.

"26Tau": "A Spaniard serenading his senorita"...CONSTANCY:

pos: the continual reassurance by which the will of man coaxes the depths of his soul into his experience;

neg: futile attempts to control life by empty blandishment.

(from Sabian Symbols in Astrology, Dr. Marc Edmund Jones.)

Fixed Stars:

Algol: ruthless female passion; in China, known as piled up corpses; in Arabia, the wife of the devil, or the Head of the Demon.

Algol's companion star, Capulus: intense male passion; focused, decisive, ruthless; relates to the "if it can be touched, weighed, or seen" mentality; blindness; penetrating action; keyphrase: to lose one's head.

The current Solar Eclipse degree from March 19 (9 New North: 28 Pis) is setting in the New Moon chart (i.e. conj DESC), and the previous Solar Eclipse degree from Sept 22, 2006 (8 South: 29 Vir) is rising:

9 New North: great physical effort, violence, or accidents are possible--be mindful of safety issues (our current Eclipse phase.)

8 South: separation and loss; sad endings; physical injury possible. (Predictive Astrology, Bernadette Brady; available at amazon.com)

The New Moon of May 16 has the most links and connections natally to the chart of Dick Cheney:

NM Mars: opposes n Neptune (efforts come to nothing or are off-the-mark; may undermine health); trine n Pluto (recuperative power; intense energy in environment) and n Chiron; conj SN--will there be a separation from a relationship?

NM Jupiter: square n Moon; conj n Mars; and sesquisquare n Pluto...this last may be a health indicator;

NM Saturn: opposes n Mercury; trine n Mars; square n Uranus (clash between old methods vs new--authority seen as 'in the past');

NM Neptune: conj n Mercury (murky thinking; deceitful information); square n Neptune (society throws obstacle in the path which cause disappointment and dissatisfaction);
square n MC (his Aspiration Point--his true goals still obscured and may be dissolved; Career Status may be undermined);

NM Pluto: square n Moon (determination to achieve goals is blocked or tested; physical health may be affected); semi-sq n Sun: health irritations; square n Neptune (conservatism and political power at odds with spiritual ideals); inconj n Chiron. Contacts between Pluto and Chiron bring up Pluto/Chiron issues...plutocracy, oppression, class warfare...inconjunt = adjustment, crisis.

NM Jupiter conj n Mars: may be too confident, but can have a supporting influence, including healthwise. Expansive Jupiter has been playing about with Cheney's n Mars bwo Jup's ongoing RX phase and will continue to support or overexpand his actions and activities. His recent trip to Iraq was under this transit which causes an attraction to luxurious travel and indulgences, and has a risk-taking flavor.


With tr Pluto squaring his n Moon/Neptune opposition we see this picture:

Moon/Neptune = Pluto: high sensitivity; emotional shock, upheaval, or change.


Since I will be keeping my squintiest eye upon the planets this week, I hope you'll check back as Whistleblowers Week grinds on in Washington.

The Neocons' Perfect Storm blows in

Geoffrey Wheatcroft has an interesting article in The Guardian detailing the demise of the Neocon's grand scheme now collapsing all around their sorry ears-- and unfortunately around everyone else's as well.

You can read it bwo of the excellent Information Clearing House:

This Perfect Storm Will Finally Detroy the Neocon Project includes some analysis of Tony Blair's poodle tenure.

Two questions:

If Blair has been Bush's poodle, what was the Queen?

Millions of people dead and maimed and it was just a project?

Then you may wish to read about Gordon Brown's reverence for Robert Kennedy and his attempt to latch onto the K-Myth (seems typical these days that it would be a myth, doesn't it?) in an article by John Pilger --who was there at RFK's assassination and has a more, shall we say...realistic view of the man.

The Kennedy Myth Rises Again details how it was when McCarthy-admirer and counsel RFK was running for prez and was just as cynical and ruthless as the next politician.

And one more thing: 6 new verses of limericking now available at Lim's Limericks if you're curious about Mr.A.Cat's views on some of our current crop of prez candidates...such as they are...myths not included.