Astrology’s Hidden Persuaders

Knowledge of what astrologers refer to as the “fixed stars” can add depth to your astrological understanding. Anyone who has spent time looking up at the night skies understands that well-known bright stars in familiar constellations, such as Sirius in Canis Major or Betelgeuse in Orion are in those familiar places every time we check on them, so calling them “fixed stars” is just a way of reminding us of that. The planets, of course, move around in relation to both the stars and to each other, which is why the ancient Greek term for the Sun, Moon, and planets (planētes asteres) means, literally, “wandering stars.”

One of the most favorable fixed-star indications of good fortune comes to us via Spica, which is said to bestow great blessings, along with an abundance of positive energy. It also seems to act as a buffer against negativity, something illustrated by Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, who always seemed able to glide around his private and public misdemeanors, and to avoid long-lasting political damage from his many sexual escapades. In 1998, he was accused of lying under oath about an affair he had been carrying on with a 22-year-old intern. As a result, President Clinton was impeached by Congress on December 19, 1998. However, on February 12, 1999, the Senate vote that could