This wasn’t always the case, however. For many millennia destiny was the rule, and the modern conceit that we are masters of our respective fates would have been seen as sacrilegious, insane, or —at best— simple-minded narcissism. From Greek theater through to Shakespeare, characters in morality plays were pushed along by inexorable forces, outside of their control. Fate, character, and destiny as determined by the cosmos were the factors which determined man’s plight, not their mortal whims. Those with the hubris to think they could defy celestial plans were rebuked to the delight of the audience.

With the enlightenment however, things changed. “Free will” ideology came into vogue. Free will was a new, fun concept which felt perverse, wild, and radical. This enlightenment philosophy – which was essentially Protestant–capitalist ideology – became institutionalized with the ascent of the bourgeoisie in the 18th Century. “Free will” ideology, after all, was a refutation of the aristocracy (who enjoyed divine right) and the church, who were their allies. With the bourgeois putsch, free will ceased to be a fad and became law. It was taught in schools, drilled into every brain, and enforced as a sacred tenet; the basis for the bourgeoisie’s hobby horse: the democratic capitalist nation state.

People went to war for freedom, went to prison for freedom, sang songs about freedom. Western capitalism exported it as a worldwide ideology through their imperialism and wars of “intervention.” It was a worldwide religion. Freedom and the free market. Despite freedom’s totalitarian institutionalization, there was always a fringe who pushed back, who resisted freedom, who recognized the ideology’s inconsistencies. Now, their numbers are growing. People more and more are beginning to question free will and liberty. 

The cracks are showing on the liberty project. Even the most adamant proponents of freedom will admit, when the cameras are off, that reality is more complex than the Santa Claus fairy tale of personal choice and volition. They will admit that the freedom thing is fixed. They will cop to the facts that as humans, we are bound by the circumstances of our birth —geography, money, politics, historical era, and the physical form we happen to inhabit. They admit to being flotsam on a sea whose currents are subject to the push and pull of the stars.

THE STARS GET IN THE WAY

“Every time I think its a brand new day 

Every time I think I got it made 

Every time I say well, hey hey hey 

I look up —oh no – the stars get in the way”

–ESCAPE-ISM

Indeed, the stars, in their movements and interplay, have long been credited as having a special role in determining our destinies, our character, and even our everyday actions. While enlightenment thinkers and Western “democracy” advocates blubber about freedom, older, more venerable thinkers recognize human behavior as the result of star-born compulsions. In fact, as we have seen, “free will” – an infantile proposition – is a relatively recent construct, the invention of the Enlightenment era bourgeois. “Free Will” was certainly useful to the capitalists as part of their toolset to topple the hegemony of the church and the aristocracy, but it's now outlived its purpose. As earth inhabitants, confronted with the reality of life, can we really be burdened with the unreal idea that we are in control of our destinies when we are self-evidently not? When there are so many factors that determine the course of events which we are helpless to effect one way or another?

Anything involving another person is out of our control for example, ergo: every interaction. The environment, politics, and the whims of the market. It’s not our will that creates the conditions but forces out of our aegis. Sure, we might influence the outcome of an exchange but, at the end of the day, the outcome is the result of fate; whatever positions the planets happened to hold at the time.  

Free will as an ideology/religion is inextricably tied up in “representative democracy” — a ritualized charade promulgated by the bourgeoisie and designed to implicate the working class in their own oppression. It’s also vital to the consumer culture and commodity fetishism which are the raison d’etre of our society; a modern day protestantism that links possession of wealth and its signifiers – luxury goods and expensive vacations – with moral goodness. 

Before mankind was besotted with this inane idea, people accepted that they were under the sway of the stars. Astrology as an ideology is actually a system whose de facto purpose it is to acknowledge our collective helplessness in the face of events and forces, not only outside our control, but beyond our ken. 

Astrology though isn’t pure fatalism; it also allows the adherent a place at the table in a negotiation with the stars. Like judo, astrology teaches one to use the ballast of a superior combatant – in this case the cosmos – and still survive or even prevail. Astrology is like military intelligence during warfare; it's gathered to give us the information we need to respond to the situation at hand. Therefore, despite the star’s power in defining us and the circumstances we face, we always have a modicum of choice. Though our character and our propensities have been determined by our “sign,” we can draw on our various planetary aspects to diminish an unsavory or malignant facet of our personality or to engorge an attractive one. 

Of course, regardless of how much we negotiate with the stars, we can only do so much. Their control over us is, ultimately, absolute. Therefore, the culpability we feel for our actions – in the face of the awesome power of the stars – is miniscule. 

Any pride or sense of accomplishment we might enjoy in regards to our achievements must take the zodiac into account.When we celebrate an employee of the month for example or vaunt a star of stage, screen or sports contest, we have to regard them as lucky; after all, they were imbued with the sign that allowed them to do their thing so well.  

We are mere mortals, tiny insignificant specks, in the face of massive planets and stars with extraordinary magnetic pull, so powerful as to move ocean tides. We cannot discount their sway over us. Even in the area of running. 

Yes, the zodiacal character of a runner is absolutely intrinsic to the way that they run. Let’s investigate. 

The zodiac consists of 12 “signs.” These 12 signs are organized into four “element” groups –fire, earth, air, and water– with 3 signs comprising each element (Aries, Leo, & Sagittarius are fire, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius are air, and so on). Each person has a “chart” which consists of their sun sign, moon sign, rising sign, mercury, et al. These featured signs are based on the time one was born. The zodiac is a great way to organize your friendships, your love affairs, and to plan your future. It can also be illuminating in regards to the way that you run. 

Indeed, many astrologers urge people to check their chart before they run to see how they should run, where they should run, who they should run with, and whether or not to run at all on a particular day. Some say that running partners should be screened for zodiacal compatibility and that paths should be chosen based on whether the terrain is appropriate for the runner’s particular sign. The position of the moon and its various permutations can guide us in our running habits as well, so as to get the maximum from one’s regimen. 

Regardless of how closely one decides to study the stars in regards to their workout, the styles and approaches of each sign toward running are naturally very distinct. 

Let’s take a look. 

Aries, ruled by Mars, is the baby of the zodiac and also its warrior/ athlete. Aries runs for vigor, competition, and to exert an infantile “will to power” over friends and foe alike. If there are no apparent competitors, they will struggle against nature and time; after all, as “king baby,” they are confident of victory, even over death. Aries challenges the elements and races against the earth’s rotation; a.k.a. mortality itself. An Aries running is a fearsome thing to behold; the earth turns more quickly when the Ram is on a tear, so as to keep up with their insistent pace. Aries is chasing down the sun, hunting the horizon as it recedes in fear and terror. Aries running is a single minded berserker beast whose insatiable bloodlust will lay waste to their foes on the the track and gobble up whatever the goal, be it a 5k jog, a 400 meter race, or a marathon. Aries crushes all that he or she encounters; their path is burned out desolation a la Sherman’s march. Despite the destruction, Aries is the babe and therefore incandescent and guileless in their petulant desire to overcome and dominate. We coo at them, delighted... even as they crush us underfoot. 

Taurus is the bull, ruled by Venus. Venus is the sensual ruler of comfort, luxury, and the bountiful resources of the earth, of which the Taurus is, of course, one. Therefore, when Taurus runs, their body is almost indistinguishable from the mounds, dells, grottoes, and fields through which they go; pulsing sinew, muscle, and physical strength. Dewy sweat cascades from the brow of the Taurus who manifests virility and self possession; their chest heaves and buttocks flex in a display of fecundity and a tease of erotic potency. The Taurus runs and all are aroused by their example. Since the Taurus is the bull, they are prone to a bit of conservatism, born of their responsibility to their herd. They are protectors and providers for their clan and therefore like to run slightly behind their running club to keep an eye on events. When running with the bull, maintain a cool air of respect and defer when they are “rampant.”

Ruled by Mercury, the god of running, Gemini is the principle running sign; flashing through the street, up the path, ahead of the pack but never in such a way to compete or defeat; only to dazzle with their spry physical ingenuity. The Gemini is typically thin, even scrawny, resembling a flash of electricity or a spool of thread. Their sprint looks like an a-physical hallucination, a conceptual rather than a purely physical feat. Geminis like to run up and down the stairs of an office building, as running is an extension of their general neuroticism, intellectual mania, and inability to sit still. Geminis use running to encourage their mind to explore new and extraordinary conceptual dimensions, off limits to most zodiac signs. 

The Cancer jogs in a meditative state so as to clear anxiety and focus on their principle concerns which are love, family, and relationships. The Cancer jogs alone in the wee hours of the morning along a reservoir or canal, at a mid tempo pace and in a well worn sweat suit; they prefer such modest duds so as to be incognito. Despite their attempts at anonymity, the Cancer sticks out as a poetic soul and passers-by can’t help but be enthralled by this brooding figure who jogs sullenly along, wrapped up in their travails, and oblivious to their many admirers. 

The Leo sprints in good cheer and with magnetic charm, in love with their body and reveling in the adoration of their running partners. The Leo is ahead of the pack, laughing, smiling but always attempting to excel. They have an intensely competitive spirit but also want camaraderie; simple domination is of no interest to these creatures who want first and foremost to be loved and adored. Therefore they run in a small group – a pride – with special attention to their outfit, their body, and the comfort of their cohort. The Leo typically runs in parks and on city streets, a semi-public setting, so as to flaunt their style and good looks to a society agape at their cool and easy sensuality. 

The Virgo is the perfectionist and needs to be the best; they are highly critical of those they see as poseur runners and dedicate themselves to some specific mode of running; marathons or track for example. The Virgo sneers at other runners they pass on the trail and typically beat them down in time trials. They are highly competitive and work on perfecting their form and stride to achieve maximum efficiency. Therefore, the Virgo always prevails against their wretched opponents for whom they have open contempt. Though the Virgo rarely spits on those they have bested, their cruel disregard hurts more than if they had. Their limbs are sinewy. Their sportswear is expensive but protestant /low key; typically grays or silver hues. They are the first popularizers of sexually indeterminate ath-leisure wear. 

Libra is the only inanimate object in the zodiac, which would lead one to believe that Libra would be a poor runner. In fact, Libra - a great runner —is an object; a machine. Libra is a deceptively simple motor of beauty and brilliance and therefore, when on the track and in the street, automobiles and other industrial gizmos turn green with envy and hot with lust. They are the erotic ideal of the gods and the machines. Running Libra is the machine age’s erotic ideal, running in perfect balance, their feet mirroring the two sides of the scale which wobble two and fro as they judge, mete, and measure their environment, peers, and partners. Libra loves to run on an open meadow, followed by a motor car driven by a coach armed with a timing mechanism. The scales, which are the symbol of Libra, are two feet in an eternal balancing act as they run pell mell around the track. 

Scorpio likes to jog slowly, contemplatively, and their path is a place to contemplate various vengeance scenarios, how to settle scores, and how to exact revenge on long term foes. Scorpios like to jog in the woods where they are constantly on the lookout for places to bury murder victims or hide precious objects pilfered from one of their many nemeses. When the Scorpio jogs, they wear a baggy outfit, convenient for hiding extortion letters, used condoms, and crooked knives covered in victim’s blood. 

Sagittarius runs with a cell phone to the ear, barking at their various business and erotic consorts or to their broker or car dealer or whoever. These dynamic individuals love to run; they are the philosopher–wanderer, the centaur man–beast. Half person, half animal, 100% on the make, the Sagittarius gallops to and fro naturally, so running is the perfect sport for them. 

The Capricorn is a powerful tycoon who desires elegance so it's not surprising that there are quite a few in the running game, since running is the most dignified, the most venerable, the most “tony” of all the sports. The Capricorn wants to be on top; on top of their mountain, on top of their field, on top of their foes, and on top of history. Running is the first sport, the premiere ancient pastime. Capricorns, therefore, are highly concerned with running and always in the mix on the track. Capricorns are well heeled on the track and field, chic but rarely ostentatious. 

The Aquarius is paradoxically extremely social but also independent. Therefore, running is their sport. They love the camaraderie of running in a group but also appreciate that, in running, one can break away from the pack at any moment. The Aquarius is a somewhat pompous intellectual and, as we all know, running and thinking go together like eating and digestion. The Aquarius likes a running gang, they love friendly but fierce competition, and they love a contest of strength and skill. The Aquarius is a renaissance person who loves to co-mingle their many obsessions, of which running and sport are almost invariably one. Don’t be surprised to see Aquarius, with their nose deep in a book, sprinting gracefully down the track. Or teaching class to out of breath coeds as they jog together in free wheeling discussion down a bustling city street. 

The Pisces is the last sign, the person on their way out, the end of the astrological cycle. Therefore they don’t care any longer for decorum and are willing to break every rule of comportment. Thus, the Pisces will run naked, they will run intoxicated, they will run backwards, and they will run upside down. The Pisces thumbs a nose at society’s rules and expectations; therein lies their genius. They are the rule breaker. They don’t typically care for setting records or winning races as they are inherently existential. They jog through fantasia, a state of half delusion and prefer inebriation and an inebriated environment to run in, such as a beer garden or needle park. If you are a Pisces runner, look for streams, animal reserves, and abandoned grottoes to hold your running ritual.

Okay. This is my question, how could you apply astrology or to physical activity like running for example? Yeah, is there any use in, I don't know, astrology for physical wellbeing? 

Definitely. I mean, you can look at your chart and see when you are in a particularly good window for health or vitality or when it's time to focus more on healing and health, things like that. And there's certain charts where it's extra important to be physically active in order for that person to experience their sanity, vitality, and joy or their deeper emotional contentment. And so, you can of see how important is physical activity to me personally right now or in general in this lifetime. So, you could apply it that way. 

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Well what about the Mars effect? Do you know about the Mars effect? 

What's the Mars effect?

The Mars effect is I guess there was a Belgian or French scientist who tried to link people's Mars aspect to their success as athletes. 

Oh, interesting. I might have heard about this a while ago but forgot about it.

So, Mars being in retrograde, what would your advice to, I don't know, a runner be for example? 

Well, it's interesting because Mars retrograde is more of a time to slow down and go internal. But I think that it's kind of important to continue to be physically active, but it might require more effort than usual. I already am hearing a lot of people feeling fatigued with Mars slowing down right before the retrograde, and it's squaring Neptune. Everybody's kind of tired right now and in this kind of quasi retreat mode or an internal mode. But I would say with Mars going retrograde, it's still a good time to run. I mean, I don't think it's ever a bad time to run, but there might be more intention placed on conservation of energy or how you're running. It might be a good time to be more careful. There's going to be a lot of mental energy kind of turned up with Mars in Gemini, and Gemini rules the mind. So, it's important that- 

Is that what's happening? Mars is in Gemini.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Mars is retrograding through Gemini. So running could be a good way of getting out of the spinning mind, right? And coming back into the body. And it could be part of, I guess one could run with more meditative awareness for example or really just focus your attention on your footsteps for example. Or really take in your surroundings and the sights and smells and the wind and the weather and the sun. Just really focus on that rather than feeding thoughts, spending thoughts. 

Yeah, thoughts and thoughts. Okay. Well that's really good. I mean, I think that's really helpful and that's great. Okay, I'm going to turn off the tape player, but I want to thank you for joining us here, and then I'm going to continue talking to you. Okay.

Okay cool. 

Anyway, so, this is for this running magazine I'm doing. It's called Possessed, and this month's theme is astrology. And I just wanted to talk to you because I know that when this issue comes out, Mars is going to be in retrograde, and I was just wondering, I don't know, I guess, maybe you could tell... I guess my question would be more like, does astrology have any kind of application to physical well-being and fitness and just the physicality, or is it purely, I don't know, psychological or spiritual? 

Yes, the answer is yes. I think it does. And this is why. I think that obviously every star sign runs, but I think that people run for different reasons based on their astrology and really based on the element that they most embody. Elements being earth, wind, fire, and water. 

Because there's many reasons why people run, right? It's like some people run because it gives them an endorphin high. Some people run for exercise. Some people run because they... I literally know people who run because they need to expend energy. They just have so much pent-up energy and that gets it out. And then there are people... I know a woman who runs purely because it is an actual meditation for her and it's her way of feeling at one with the universe, literally.

It's meditative for some people. 

Yeah, that's what it was for this person. It's meditative, absolutely. Because people get out of their head and they get into a flow state, and that's why so many runners have mystical experiences because they get into this place where they're actually not thinking. It's not a blank state, it's a very conscious state of oneness. 

And in terms of, I guess, the planets, the push and the pull of the planets, the way that planets, you know, the way that the moon is moving and the planets are aligning in different ways, and so they're affecting each person in slightly different ways. I guess, do you ever take any of that into account in terms of your own? Because you are also like a... you know, you do a lot of fitness. You're into healthy living. Does that stuff ever affect the way that you approach your own, I don't know, health?

Yeah, it definitely does, and it's actually prescribed for the practice of yoga. You're not supposed to practice on a full moon or a new moon because of the pull, the literal pull on the water element in our bodies from the moon. And then, of course, eclipses are times when you're not supposed to practice physically or even go outside.

Is that right?

Yeah, it's considered bad, bad omen if you go out into the open air on an eclipse.

Wow! I had no idea! That's crazy! So what about Mars in retrograde? Is that going to affect, I don't know, your physical regimen at all? 

Me personally, probably, because I have a lot of Mars in my chart, but I also feel... Yeah, it could affect me one way or the other. It could propel me more, or it could really wind me back the other direction to where I don't want to move at all.

Yeah.

Because I think that all the other planets and the way that they are... wherever they are stationed according to Mars, could affect or does affect how Mars is affecting you.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Or each person.

Okay. 

So it's kind of like a full house. Like, what's the full house doing? 

Yeah, totally, totally. Well, what about... I know that you are also a tarot reader, and I'm just wondering in terms of kind of the use of tarot, it's almost more consultation or almost therapy more than prophecy, typically.

Yes.

I don't know, is there any relationship between tarot and, I don't know, physical endeavors?

I think that tarot definitely brings forward suggestions on how you should be maneuvering your life in any particular time. Say you're pregnant and there's something going on astrologically and I think that the tarot cards will bring forth answers that tell you like, oh, you should do this or you should back off. I mean, I don't know why I mentioned pregnancy. You can scratch that. But I think that's stretching it a little bit, but it's possible.

Yeah, yeah.

Especially if your question was health-oriented.

Yeah, yeah. So, do you feel like astrology is becoming more and more prevalent? Because it feels to me it's become completely... It just, there's this mania for it now. People are more into it than they've ever been in my lifetime. 

Well, yeah, I think that because we're in these weird times, people are looking for answers, and once everything else has been exhausted, you look a little further. And it's sort of ignorant to think that these huge bodies don't influence us. These huge cosmic bodies don't influence us. So, of course. And because the mainstream has co-opted everything in the countercultures... 

Yeah, there's no longer a counterculture, really. So everything's been absorbed.

I think astrology used to be a little more the domain of counterculture, and now it's just like, you know. 

Yeah. 

So that would account for its popularity. However, maybe that's a good thing because astrology has this very real effect on us.

Yeah. It resonates, and in a way it's a return because obviously it's an ancient practice that was discredited during the enlightenment. But now people return to it because they've lost their trust in technology, or ... maybe it's just there's some aspect of reaction against technocratic society or whatever.  

Yeah. Definitely. Definitely.

Or just the old modes or whatever. Anyway, well, this is cool.

I really do think saying something about the elements is important because all the planets affect what element is most strong in us. You know, fire. If you're like Piscean water person or a Mars fire person or whatever. Virgo, Capricorn, whatever. 

And what about Vedic? I know you're interested in Vedic astrology, so what's the big difference, the different approach? I know Juliana was saying she's evolutionary astrology, that Micki is Hellenistic astrology. I know that you're interested in Vedic astrology.

Yeah, mostly.

And what's the difference exactly?

Well, Vedic astrology takes into account the... procession of equinoxes; it's more mathematically and scientifically correct as according to what is going on in the sky and what goes on with the seasons. And it takes into account all the seasons, the equinoxes and ... the gravitational tilt of the earth. It takes into account all these things that move Earth in relationship to all the other planets.

So, in a way, Western astrology just kind of lacks the science. The actual mathematical science of the sky. But I don't want you to say that because I also think that Western astrology is totally relevant. I just think Vedic is a little bit closer to the actuality of the zodiac in the sky.

Vedic astrology is based on the actual position of each planet as they truly appear in the sky in relation to the constellations. It is more mathematically correct in regards to lunar and planetary movement, and takes into account, the movement of the earth on its axis. Western astrology goes by a static system based on the movement of the sun through the seasons and does not change with actual cosmic shifting.

Both systems were at one time in the same positions. But due to the precession of equinoxes, the western signs are moving one degree every 72 years. At present there is a 24-degree gap between them. Vedic astrology can be seen as more accurate, yet both systems have legitimacy. 

The physical and the zodiacal-- whats the connection? 

As above, so below. These huge cosmic bodies both symbolically and physically affect humans. 

What about so called “Free will” and astrology? How do our personal choices and free will figure into the plan of the stars? 

Astrology provides a map. You can follow the map to a somewhat pre-ordained destination, or you can decide to take other paths that may lead to better or worse situations, or you can get totally lost. Best to at least be aware of the map and take detours only when needed. 

So the magazine's called Possessed. It's about running and we were just talking about this. So you told me about the “Mars effect” and could you just sum up the Mars effect a little bit just for the reader/runner? 

Well, the Mars effect was an experiment done by a French psychologist who was trying to find a quantifiable and measurable maybe proof that astrology was true and so he tried to analyze the charts of athletes to see if the planet Mars was prominent with them, because Mars is musculature, Mars is athleticism, Mars is competitive endeavors, right? Mars is that force of physical strength and triumph that goes along with the musculature of the body, but also competitive sports and athletics in general because we're working on physical strength here with Mars and you might even say brute strengths and, in its extreme form, becomes aggression and becomes pain, but every runner's going to be familiar with pain or any athlete is going to be familiar with pain. So, that's what Mars represents. 

So this French psychologist tried to take all these Belgian athletes and analyze their charts to see if they all would have a prominent Mars, to really pin it on the nose, and it actually failed. He didn't succeed. I think the reason for that is that it's not that simple, right? There are many complexities within the chart that you're going to be able to tell, especially if someone's going to be a professional athlete. There's a lot of things that are going to go into that that are not necessarily just the planet Mars. But people have tried forever I think to put a quantifiable, measurable and fact-based, you might say proof for the validity of astrology. And I don't know if that's possible because astrology is an art-

Or desirable. I don't know if it's even desirable. Do we want it to be science or science as we understand it? I don't know if that's what’s useful about astrology. 

Yeah. Well, science itself is fallible, of course. The science of today is the superstition of 200 years from now.

It's always been very ideological. Eugenics was science in the '40s or the '30s. 

We're all just making meaning of things, whether we're doing it mathematically, numerically, symbolically, et cetera. And astrology is a language that speaks through symbols and also it measures time and it measures time in relation, our natal signatures and our characters and the events in our lives. 

So when you first mentioned running to me and athletics, I was like, "Oh, this is interesting." The planet Mars, which is a very forward moving, momentous and forceful planet, it is very rare for the planet Mars to retrograde in fact. Mars and Venus are the two planets that retrograde the least often. Mercury retrogrades three times a year. The sun and moon can never retrograde and Saturn, Jupiter retrograde for quite long spans of time through the year.

But Mars only retrogrades every two years or so and the same with Venus. And so it was interesting that you approached me for an article about athletics and running, and I was like, okay, when Mars, the athlete, the runner, the forward moving muscular force is about to slow down to a crawl or is slowing down to a crawl and in just a couple of days, in four days' time, Mars will stop and will start to run backwards and will start to reverse its course from our view of the heavens. It'll start to reverse its way back through the zodiac. So it's just an interesting topic when we think of courses.

Yeah. And what sort of significance would that have for a runner or somebody who has a physical regimen or whatever? How would you apply that to your physical practice or whatever? I don't know what your exercise regimen is but to continue to be fit and healthy. 

Existentially, we all do want a strong Mars. We all want to have a muscular body and we want to be able to be physically strong. If we're in danger, we want to be able to protect ourselves. These are all martial impulses, right? However, the planet Mars also represents war and represents violence and it can get very chaotic. So in this holistic structure of the way I see it of our body is that the sun is the cardiac center of our health and our life. You might say it is the king or the queen of our life force and our consciousness, and Mars you might consider as the right arm of the king because you want that sovereign to have a military branch that is capable of fighting and protecting. 

So this also is the same as athletics. So we practice athletics because we want to achieve, because we want to triumph or because we want to develop strength and endurance and all the things that Mars represents. 

So when Mars begins to draw to a slowdown and reverse its course, it is renovating, or you might say recovering territory that it has already been on and Mars will retrograde when the sun is coming into opposition with Mars. So it's as though the cardiac center of our life, or you might say the king or the sovereign, becomes face to face with the warrior or the general or the military branch and reminds him of the global course to fulfill. You cannot simply be this errant-

It can't just be conquest all the time. You've got to occupy or whatever, settle. 

Yeah. For example, if somebody is running and engaged in this athletic thing, we have ... Well, first of all, we have the speed of Mercury and we have the agility that the planet Mercury is also, in a sense, a runner. Mercury is a runner that is maybe more cerebral or maybe more information oriented, but Mercury is about speed. We see the winged sandals of Mercury too, about running to and fro, et cetera. 

And then we also have the solar, the cardiac benefits of running. We want our life force to prolong and to circulate life force throughout the body. But then the martial element of running, that which becomes competitive, that which becomes physical pain or pushing the self or even competing with others, et cetera. When Mars goes into retrograde, it's almost bringing that into focus to hone and narrow the aggressive and painful aspect of any athletic endeavor into something that is more streamlined with the holistic health of the body and the holistic system of the body which encompasses more than just that martial or military branches as you discussed. 

Wow. And just to take it away from running per se but just in terms of health or whatever, what kind of application do you think does astrology have for people who are looking for just a healthy way to live or to be physically fit or whatever? Is there any kind of application? 

Yes, most definitely. All of the planets represent different layers of life force in the body, different layers of vitality in the body. Just like if anybody's familiar with yoga, the seven chakras are maybe the seven power sources in the body, and they all are aligned with different nerve complexes and things like that in the body. 

The same can be said for astrology. It represents different layers of our being. So it really would depend what planet we are focusing on. If we're talking about the sun, say, that means that the vital life force of the person itself, that cardiac life force perhaps is natally weak or perhaps it is weak by transit. Then we know that is the spark, that quite literally cardiac center and life force. We want vivifying things in that kind of situation. We're going to want foods that have a lot of chlorophyll, foods that have a lot of solar resonance in them so that aspect of the body can be empowered. 

Now, it might also be the moon, and then with the moon we might say the nervous system might be taxed, the emotional frequency might be stressed in some way. So we want to nurture and feed that and cool that in a way that is more to achieve balance, let's say. And Mars is a good example too. If we see a Mars in somebody's chart that is doing damage or that is exerting itself in some destructive manner, we're probably going to see over exertion and we're going to see aggression and we're going to see overheating, and it needs to be cooled down. 

If Saturn is overly aggressive, we're going to see rigidity and coldness and stiffness and tension. So we're going to want to address that significator the other way. Then we have Venus and Jupiter, which are generally beneficial planets. Venus has a cooling and soothing effect and she can be pleasure, but if she is overly dominant, then she might be lazy or she might be lax. And then Jupiter is abundance and is an elevating force, but if that becomes over amplified, it might become gluttonous or it might be overly indulgent. 

Okay, yeah.

So there are different parameters for physical health that can be analyzed in astrology. And of course the planets that rule over different sectors of people's chart will be able to indicate where those potential risks and also assets might be applied.

What about Mercury in retrograde? What's the significance of that?

When Mercury is in retrograde, it's less about the martial drive that we discussed earlier, and it's more about the flow of depth and logistics. This is the province of Mercury. It is the role of Mercury to receive and convey information. This is the faculty of the intellect and the power of speech and writing in communication and logic and computation and logistical transportation. This is why Grand Central Station has a big naked sculpture of Mercury above it because they want that force to be there. 

So when Mercury is in retrograde, the logical, logistical, communicative and, in some sense, even technological modalities of moving forward are going to slow down in their, let's say, linear trajectory and then reverse themselves to explore territory that is probably less cerebral, less intellectual and more underlying, more in terms of perhaps more subconscious or more concealed, et cetera.

So what about running? What about the moon and the way that would affect a training regimen or whatever? Something like the moon, how would that affect somebody's exercise regimen or their physical ... How do you approach these cycles that we're all kind of oblivious to in regards to the way that we train or comport ourselves day to day? Is there any kind of significance to that? 

Yeah. I mean the moon is very significant to our psychosomatic condition. So the moon definitely has an emotional component, but it also has a physical component too. Because even though the moon does not represent the physical body, it is that psychosomatic link between the cellular self and the psychological self. So when the moon is waxing and gaining energy, it wants to grow and it wants to gain, you might say. Then when the moon is waning, it wants to winnow and it wants to shed and it wants to disperse. It would be very rigorous and probably not ultra conducive to ... It depends what kind of training you're doing to follow the waxing and waning cycles of the moon as far as that's concerned. 

But then also being aware of, okay, is the moon with Saturn? Is the moon with Mars? Is the moon with Venus? What is the condition of the moon at that time? And we can know that if the moon, say, is close to Mars, that yes, athletics and endurance can be strong but then we also run the risk of overheating. We would rather have the moon in a place where it is harmoniously working with Mars as opposed to be too intensely, you might say, disturbed by Mars. 

So if we were to use the moon as the psychosomatic link, it would help to warn us of particular risks and then also inform us of particular advantages of physical exercise and what that would give. And it would also be a good time to discover, okay, when am I working for, say, growth and muscle development and stuff like that? And when am I working for, say, trimming down and what things do I want to, in some ways, like wane? I mean the moon and its waxing and waning are really akin to the inhaling and exhaling of the lungs. When we inhale, we bring things in. We exhale, we take things out. So the lunar cycle might even be examined that way as well. 

What about if somebody had a competitive ... because I know Nancy Reagan and whatever, the Queen of England, they would kind of organize their political endeavors around astrology and obviously the King of Nepal has done that for whatever ... That's what people used to do. The ruling class used to do that ...

Almost without exception, every royal house, every ruling power, everything historically has used astrology. This is why I find it so strange that people think of it as something so outre when it's like, but wait, you go to Grand Central Station, you're walking around New York City, you can't get away from a zodiacal image. 

And if you go to Italy, forget about it. I mean it's like every single palazzo ... There's a great book written about this by an art historian, not an astrologer. All of these Medicis and Borgias and Sforzas and all these families, they wouldn't let the spade hit the ground for one of their palazzos to be built until the planet that ruled the ascendent of that Prince was rising in the east. And then they're like, "Okay, start now. Start now." 

So society, especially the aristocracy, has always used astrology. So now it's a tool that is, I would say, leveling out for everybody to be able to use in a way. And yet it's weird, there's a strange resistance to it, but you were asking what would somebody want ... Can you rephrase the question? How somebody would-

Oh, just like if you have an athletic contest coming up, would it be useful to consult an astrologer in terms of strategy, for example? I guess that would be more something that would be coached or something like that. I don't know.

Well, this is funny you say that because me and my friend, Sylvie Ausland, and my teacher, Austin Copic, the three of us really like to watch UFC fights and compare the astrological charts of the fighters and predict who's going to win based on the astrology. And I must say I'm pretty damn good at it. I'm able to see the condition of both fighters and then also some kind of knowledge has to come into the picture too. You got to know these people's histories and you got to know their strengths and weaknesses, et cetera. But if you look at the conditions of someone's chart and who looks like they're in a place to really triumph and who looks like they're in a place to maybe struggle a lot more and it's an even scale-

Do you ever take it to Vegas and do bookies ever contact you?

I know. It's funny. I was going to take it there but I'm not really much of a gambler, so I never felt that inclination. However, though, I'm going to ... This is a reminder that I really need to get back into it because I was fucking really good at it. 

Seriously, it's one or two I would get wrong, but of all fights on the card and sometimes there's eight or nine of them and I would just be able to boom, boom, boom. It's a lot of work because you got to look up everyone's chart before but it's worth it because then you're extra invested when you're watching. So astrology can definitely tell you when you are, say, in peak condition to triumph athletically or when there might be some obstacles to avoid or when you are less, you might say, less-

Eye of the Tiger.

Astrology can definitely tell you when you're going to be at peak performance for triumph and success and when your chances might be a little bit lower. It can also tell you when you might be wanting to push yourself a little bit harder and when you might want to be easing up on yourself a little bit too.There's all kinds of stuff that can indicate either of those things definitely. 

The concepts of “free will” and “liberty” have revealed themselves as bankrupt. Conceits we once took for granted have been smashed into a million pieces. It turns out that democracy and its bedfellows were a cynical ruse; a ploy the elites devised to get their subjects to participate enthusiastically in their own oppression. Free will ideology merely hypnotized the masses into mistaking consumerism with political power. Disabused of our collective fantasy, we now turn to other models for organizing and conducting our lives. But what system to choose? Communism? Anarcho-Syndicalism? Monarchy? A religious state? The most obvious and venerable system to organize life in the post free-will era is obviously astrology. The attractions are manifold and obvious. First off, astrology is ancient. It’s tried, true, and already has many adherents. Replacing the current foul system with a new Zodiacal one would be simpler than replacing it with something like communism for example; that would require rigorous political indoctrination, re- education of the masses, and, inevitably, a certain amount of violence so as to effectively challenge a century of ruling class anti-commie propaganda. So much trouble. Creating a Zodiac based state, on the other hand, would be much easier and would still result in a radical transformation of society. Let’s do it.

First of all however: What would a Zodiacal society look like? A society organized according to the stars?It would be a very different place certainly; one where diversity was accepted as normal. After all, the 12 star signs all cohabitate and there is no “bad sign” (despite the song “Born Under a Bad Sign” sung by bluesman Albert King). All the signs are dualistic and contain multitudes. Therefore there would be less judgement, less discrimination, and more open attitudes. 

The benefits of this sort of a zodiacal utopia are many. First of all, there would be no policing or prisons. Wrongdoing, like benevolence, would be a byproduct of celestial circumstance. Therefore, no real guilt or blame. 

Second, social positions – including those of power, influence, and industry – would be assigned according to chart. Therefore, there would be harmony in the world, as the unqualified would be doing things suited to their temperment. In regards to relationships, harmony would flourish worldwide; no more get- togethers based on facile looks, social status, & expectations but instead a fail safe conjunction of Venus and Mars. Bedroom business would be at an all time historical high, unrivaled since the invention of the electric light. More lovemaking would naturally result in less war and less suffering; such conflicts would be a thing of the past. 

Of course, to ensure this harmony, certain astrological profiles would be forbidden from being allowed to consort. After all, not all Zodiacal signs are compatible. Some actually make quite dangerous combinations. It would be absolutely vital that particular combos wouldn’t form whose collusions and connivances could pose a threat to society. A rigorous education in regard to astrology would therefore be required so that everyone was hep to these dynamics and could have an eye out for illicit fornications. Everyone would be required to announce their charts – perhaps through a sort of patch worn on their clothing – and present a card when entering a public space. 

Seats would be assigned at restaurants to ensure harmony and certain mixed groups would be taboo or illegal. An authoritarian presence of some sort would have to be present to ensure that the right people were mingling and the wrong people weren’t. 

If some person was deemed to have a really wild chart, something that might not jibe with society at large, they could be marked with a letter, imprisoned or even executed preemptively. For the greater good of course. 

Revolutionary politics have stalled out. The prospects for a classless communist society seem slim and religious fundamentalism, which is now the go-to resistance mode in the developing world, holds little charm either. The Zodiacal Revolutionary Front might be the way forward.