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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A timely look at the past, present and future, July 1, 2009
I was involved in the book as a reviewer of the early drafts and had the pleasure of watching the book grow and develop -- as Marilyn says -- it's a book that wanted to be written. It's a must-read for anybody feeling today that there's no way out of our current economic spiral or feeling trapped by other recent events. Marilyn shows that indeed we do have strong light at the end of the tunnel, but when and how we reach that light is up to us.
We are introduced to the idea that the USA's birthchart is an active, living document describing our origins as a nation, providing insights to our collective character and our future. We're encouraged to contemplate our capabilities and shortcomings as a nation. We see every strength comes with built-in weaknesses; rash actions can lead to pleasant surprises; our country's themes repeat, evolve, and change the universe itself.
The book also reveals how we attract certain leaders at certain times who are chosen to lead the way during particularly rough (and bewildering!) paths in our nation's continuing journey. We manage to bring the right people to the core at these times. We, us, the voters. This acknowledges a certain empowerment -- and great responsibility!
Read this book and you'll learn things you never knew about American history, and about Astrology. This is not a textbook, rather an interesting study by an experienced teacher.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Star Light, Star Bright, July 29, 2009
This review is from: Presidents of Hope and Change (Paperback)
Star Light, Star Bright
By Timothy Spearman
This book will make Marilyn Muir a rising star. I give four stars because I am a professional writer, not a professional astrologer. I am judging the book in part on its literary merits. I like it because the lady who wrote is honest, sincere and deeply ethical. I like it because she employs the dialectic skillfully in order to defend her various arguments, but never has an acerbic or vindictive word to say about anything or anyone. What I am most impressed by is the fact that the book contains no lashing out. No one receives the point of her rapier, however much she might acknowledge that the pen is mightier than the sword. The pen can display its mightiness in other forms. It need not be employed as a rapier. A pen can build mountains. I believe hers has begun one. Others will follow who will turn this pioneering effort to advantage and carve out a mountain in the American landscape to complete this Mount Rushmore of the astrological field.
Unlike many of the current political polemics, there is no Bush bashing and no disrespect shown to the office of president in this book. While Marilyn acknowledges that some of the nation's presidents did not govern as responsibly and successfully as others, she casts no aspersions on anyone's character. I respect this display of integrity greatly and believe others will respond to it in a similar vein. I have in fact learned something from this wise 70-year-old lady, who displays a youthful wit and energy a good three decades junior her actual age.
I am glad I was asked to review this book as I am a student of metaphysics and astrology like Marilyn. My own published Ph.D. thesis in the field of metaphysics, The Ethics of Timelessness, resonates with me here as I review Marilyn's book as I came to regard that written text and all subsequent ones as a living spiritual entity just as Marilyn rightly sees the nation and the office of president as such. She is unequivocal on this point, stating that, "...the USA as a country is a living thing and that, astrologically, its chart is viewed as a living thing."
It's hard for non-students of metaphysics educated in this secular and largely atheist scientific world to view the nation and the office of president as a living entity with an innate spirituality, karma and destiny, but if you read Marilyn's book with an open mind without the hard stubbornness of hard science, and just a good healthy dose of common sense, you can see that the New World, Francis Bacon's New Atlantis, the United States of America is indeed a spiritual being with a prescribed path and destiny. It was Manley P. Hall, who first spoke of America's appointment with destiny, when he wrote in The Secret Destiny of America, "World democracy was the secret dream of the great classical philosophers...The brilliant plan of the philosophers has survived to our time...and it will continue until the great work is accomplished..." It's hard to argue against America's appointment with destiny when you see how the natal charts and inauguration charts of the U.S. presidents line up against the U.S. birth chart based on the natal star map of the United States.
Indeed it's hard to contest the fact that this brilliant young Harvard-educated lawyer, Barack Obama, is not part of this appointment with destiny, chosen by the universe and by public opinion to assume the office of president at one of the most challenging presidential mandates in history. Marilyn shows us how, in the personage of President Obama, the right man has stepped up to the plate to put America's economic house in order:
She reminds us repeatedly that American and world citizens must be Uranian and Aquarian in our thinking, always looking forward instead of sticking to the adhesive glue of the status quo that will have our butts crazy-glued to our chairs. But she warns us that we must observe the cycles of the heavens and be cognizant of when the energies of conflict, change and becoming come around so we can prepare for these crises in advance and meet them when they come. Marilyn has given us a glimpse at the metaphysical blueprints of God's divine plan for Creation. It's not a bad plan, but if you don't look at the blueprints, you're not with the program. I would encourage any aspiring urban or national planner hoping to make a difference in this world to at least have a look at the blueprints before proceeding. You can save yourselves a whole lot of trouble, time and effort if you refer to the plans from the beginning instead of having to overhaul the project and start over again after design flaws emerge in your construction projects.
Chapter 7 is a compelling section that delves into the protracted cycles of the outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Indeed, Marilyn goes to considerable pains to explain the roto-rooter effect of Scorpionic Pluto as it agitates its way through Sagittarius to dredge up all kinds of social muck and unpleasantness. But she calms and placates us with assurances that Saturn will provide the mortar to rebuild once the wrecking ball Pluto has finished its work. Change through overcoming is the theme of Pluto, a planet that shares much in common with the Hindu god Siva, who recreates and reassembles the universe through destruction. Ordo ab Chao would be an apt enough phrase for the reconstruction process. "We are approaching the returns of two of the three generational energies, Uranus and Pluto," Marilyn reminds us, "to the positions they held at the moment of the founding of our country. We are at a spiritual essence moment for our USA chart that resembles the approach to the Civil War. We are on a conformist versus change moment, a repeat of a 45-year cycle that seems to occur in pivotal moments in our country's history."
The conclusion of this enlightening book is that despite the planetary lineup in the star map, we have still been granted the power of free choice by our Creator. Marilyn reminds us that there are no genuinely benefic or malefic planets or star signs and that, "Only we can decide how we will use this energy, positively or negatively." This calls to mind the age old debate between free will and determinism. Do we exercise free will, choice and deliberation in our world or is everything already predetermined and decided? I think Marilyn has answered that nicely for us in her book. There are cycles and they keep coming back so that we are presented with the same lessons until we get it right. When we succeed, we can advance to the next level as occurs in every school and every learning curve.
Come to think of it, it was another groundbreaking American creation, Forrest Gump, which resolved the free will versus determinism debate for me. At the beginning of the film, Forrest looked up to see a feather blowing in the wind. That feather symbolized free will. But it chose Forrest and landed on his shoe. Forrest picked it up and put it in his dairy. Later, at the end of the film, he referred to that feather floating on the wind in a touching graveside eulogy to Jenny, in which he said, "I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happening at the same time." So Forrest the holy fool, the simple sage, solved the paradox that has puzzled philosophers for centuries. In fact, he lived well and wisely despite his limitations. He was born with free will like everyone else, but because in his uncomplicated decision-making process, he always chose rightly, he was granted a destiny. He may not have been terribly bright, but as he says, "Stupid is as stupid does." Truer words were never spoken. Let's never forget the wisdom of those who have learned life's simplest lessons and who have come to them through no higher education or higher degrees. Let us remember that this Founding Mother of the new nation now being born as America completes its 232-year cycle has no formal university training. What can I say except "clever is as clever does".
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Credible, July 13, 2009
I'm very involved in politics and as an Obama voter and fan I was most interested to see if this book trashed my guy or not. No it doesn't, but it's no fan club either. The author does go off on a few rants about the system, like education, healthcare, social security etc. It's obvious however that she has studied Obama very closely, not just his astrology and his inauguration chart. VP Biden too, I was pleased to see. Stuff there I did not know about their relationship within the team. She's very on top of current events and political issues. In my opinion, she presents an articulate and honest portrayal of the situation, outlines the issues and challenges. She highlights hotspots that Obama still has to face by describing astrological patterns that sync with his chart - or him with them... whatever. She admits that it won't be a cake-walk, but I did close the book feeling pretty relieved about this country. Didn't have to grapple with too much actual astrology, but it's the total underlying theme in her research. Very credible.
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