On This Date In History:

On October 16, 1986, the U.S. government closed down due to “budget woes.” Interestingly, on that very same day, Venus, which rules money (also relationships), turned retrograde in the sign of Scorpio at 20 degrees.  Scorpio is the sign of the zodiac associated with debt, taxes, financing and collections. When a planet is retrograde, we tend to “revisit the affairs” ruled by that planet.

Therefore, with Venus “retrograde,” it was a good time then to review and analyze monetary and budget policy. Often, with a “retrograde review,” we end up “tweaking or revising our strategy.” In this case, the government apparently was running “low on dough” or “cash reserves” and had to find a creative way in the budget to “rob Peter to pay Paul.”

Presently, we also have Venus retrograde again in Scorpio, and Friday night on the news there was a report that there would not be any raise for Social Security recipients, in the coming year. Apparently, it has something to do with the formula for calculating “cost of living adjustments.” (Sounds like double-speak to me!) Somewhat of another parallel to the past, perhaps, in a left-handed way?

Also on Friday, Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke, stated that inflation levels were too low and that the central bank was considering resuming buying treasury bonds to stimulate the economy, an idea that is not without controversy.

Also, in October of 1986, Neptune, the planet of disintegration and disarray, was at 3 degrees of Capricorn, which is the official sign of bureaucratic government. Neptune has an “escapist” nature so, it was no wonder that government officials, baffled back then, just wanted to “call it quits” for a while. Fascinatingly today, Pluto is also at 3 degrees of Capricorn. Pluto, though, tends not to disappear, unfortunately.  He is a big “control freak” and prefers just to “blow everything up,” and start all over again from scratch.

Too, when the government shut down in 1986, Warrior Mars, in Unconventional Aquarius, was in a tight square (frictional aspect) to Pluto in Scorpio.  Pluto is the co-ruler of Scorpio with Mars, and Pluto also signifies “debt.” “Mars-Pluto” aspects are classic “war aspects,” when “you know what” usually hits the fan!

Additionally, your humble astrologer even has transiting Mars in my eighth house of spooky financial stuff applying to an exact square to Pluto in entertaining Leo now, and here I am writing about debt for fun (what a fun life!).

Another parallel to the past today: Mars is at 20-21 degrees of Scorpio, the very same place that Venus was at when the government shut down in 1986!  Scorpio also rules haunted houses and ghosts of the past. And we do have Halloween coming up in a couple weeks. This whole thing is seeming pretty scary to me.  What do you think? 🙂

Patrice Thompson

Copyright 2010

Source Notes:

Youtube Twilight Zone introduction xiete

Halloween photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1306743

gov’t shuts down: http://www.brainyhistory.com/days/october_16.html

Social security story: http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/dcblog/2010/10/no_raise_for_social_security_t_1.html

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