Whitney Houston

What a disastrous comeback. The album was not particularly successful. The appearance on Oprah and the subsequent concert in Central Park hinted at serious vocal problems. And then came the concerts in Australia and the verdict is final. THE VOICE is gone.

But what a voice that was. She was often accused of having an emotionless voice, quite rightly I think. But the tremendous POWER of her voice more than made up for the lack of emotional depth. Whitney was a show-off. When she sang live, she wanted to impress people with her vocal power. "I'm the greatest singer in the world and I'm going to prove it", that's what she was really saying. Her Sun in Leo trine Jupiter could not possibly have let her settle for less.
This Jupiter is her Ascendant ruler and along with the Moon, they are her most personal planets. They are both in Aries in the 2nd house, the house of voice. I know that technically and using the Placidus house system, these are 1st house planets, but there is no doubt in my mind that they must be considered 2nd house planets. Not only are they a long way from the Ascendant, they are also in a different sign and conjunct the 2nd house cusp. So, she identifies (Ascendant ruler) with her voice. Jupiter is also ruler of the MC (profession), which means she can make a living and earn money out of her voice. Is this Jupiter dignified? Yes, it is. It's not the best possible Jupiter (not in the sign of its rulership or exaltation, not angular and also retrograde) but still quite good. First of all, when Jupiter trines the Sun, it is usually retrograde and we should not make such a fuss about it. Jupiter is in its own triplicity, since this is a night chart. It is trine the Sun and in a mixed mutual reception with it (Jupiter in the exaltation of the Sun, Sun in the triplicity of Jupiter), so the Sun is able to lend a helping hand to Jupiter and vice versa. It becomes even more important considering that Jupiter is the Moon's first aspect after birth. What kind of voice would Whitney have? An Aries-like kind of voice. Potent, powerful.
But there is a problem. And the problem is that Mars, the ruler of the second house, is in Libra, the sign of its detriment and possibly the worst sign for Mars. In astrology, there is a long-standing argument over which planet is more important, the one occupying the house or the ruler of the house. It doesn't matter in this case, because it has become evident that both have played an important role in this chart. Yes, the voice is powerful, she can become a singer and be successful, she can earn lots of money but all that stand in great danger and extreme caution should be advised, because of this Mars. Saturn has been transiting this Mars in the last few months and the voice problems have become evident, especially during the concerts in Australia. How sad...
I've read she supposedly said something like: "If God wants me to be ridiculed or scoffed at, so be it". How Sun/Neptune is that?

Mundane astrology - Case study: Greece

Most mundane astrologers use the country chart to make predictions. But what is true in many cases, it is also true for Greece. We can't be 100% sure which is the right chart, even though most Greek astrologers prefer one particular chart. To avoid this issue, let's use a traditional technique, that of the Aries ingress chart. It is said that only if there are fixed signs on the angles, can this chart be valid for the whole year. It doesn't matter. Can we draw some conclusions, even if for a three-month period?

Of course, we must keep in mind that Bulgaria, for example, has the same ingress chart with only a very slight degree change, so this is a chart that doesn't only concern Greece. Perhaps, all the countries with more or less the same chart should focus on the areas they are most concerned about or this chart should be used in tandem with the national chart.
So, what do we have here? First of all, an angular Saturn, from the 12th house side, but it is conjunct the Ascendant. The fact that it is from the 12th house side, I think this weakens Saturn. Saturn may rejoice in the 12th house, but it is a diurnal planet and here it finds itself in a nocturnal chart, on the nocturnal side of the chart. Saturn is involved in a very difficult T-square with the Sun and Pluto. It is in Libra, however, but retrograde. So, countries with this T-square on the angles (Italy, for example) or countries which have Leo or Capricorn and Aquarius on the Ascendant can expect an eventful spring, if the national charts concur.
Greece has a Libra Ascendant in this ingress chart, which means that the 1st house ruler (the people) is Venus, which is in detriment in Aries. Not a good sign at all. The same detrimented Venus is the ruler of the 8th house as well (national debt). This describes the current situation in Greece perfectly. The Greek government is trying desperately to cut the huge budget deficit and has taken some severe measures, which were not well received by the people. The fact that Venus is in the 7th house shows that both the Greek people and the national debt are at the mercy of other countries, the other European Union members. The government is the 10th house (Cancer) and the Moon is in Taurus, in the sign of its exaltation. Not bad, but it stands in very great danger by being in the 8th house and conjunct Algol, not to mention the South Node on the MC. It is indeed strong in the sense that there is no actual opposition from the majority of the other parliamentary parties, but the measures are extreme and members of the same party have voiced their concern. Pluto in the 4th house indicates that land problems may arise. Loss of property, perhaps, or an increase in vandalism, burglaries etc.
The good news is that there is a great mutual reception between the Sun and Mars, ruling the 7th and the 11th houses, so it is highly likely that Greece is going to get the help it seeks from other countries. Mars is also the ruler of the 2nd house, so, again, money from friends is indicated. What seems to be bad news for the government is the fact that the 6th house (workers, employees) seems to be particularly strong with Jupiter in rulership right on the cusp. The fact that Uranus is also there about to form yet another opposition with Saturn shows that there is going to be a possible uproar. This has not proven to be the case so far, but, on the other hand, the measures have not been implemented yet. We will have to wait and see.