Spring is here! What better time than the start of that glorious season full of hope, promise and new possibilities to launch our new format for AUGuries. We hope that you will enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it.

We welcome your feedback. Let us know what you'd like to see in our issues. We hope to make AUGuries a monthly happening! And, if you have an item to contribute, please do send it along to AUGuries@alabe.com.

in this issue
	Our "New Look" Sale The Democratic Johns - Kerry and Edwards by Madalyn Hillis-Dineen Tech Tip of the Month - Adding Sedna to Solar Fire by Cindy Sullivan and Ray White News from Astrolabe Beginner's Corner - What is Solar Arc? by Pat White

The Democratic Johns - Kerry and Edwards by Madalyn Hillis-Dineen

Now that John Kerry has locked up the Democratic nomination for President, attention has turned to whom Kerry might choose as a running mate. The list of possibilities reads like a political who's who and range from Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona to former First Lady Hillary Clinton. But, the most popular choice among Democrats seems to be Kerry's former primary rival John Edwards. On the surface, these two politicians couldn't be more different. Kerry, a Sagittarian born into a family of privilege, attended private schools, Yale University and was a member of the elite Skull and Bones Society (as was his rival, George W. Bush). After distinguished service in Vietnam, Kerry went on to co-found the anti-war protest group Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Later, he served as Massachusetts Lt. Governor under Michael Dukakis, who lost to the senior Bush in 1988. Kerry, who has been the junior Senator from Massachusetts since 1984, is seen as the epitome of Eastern liberalism and is viewed by some as a bit of an aristocrat. His marriages to not one, but two, very wealthy women only add to the perception that he is one of the "beautiful people." On the other hand, Edwards, a Gemini, is very much the quintessential self-made man. Born in Seneca, SC, Edwards was raised in North Carolina in a working-class family. Educated in public schools, Edwards worked his way through North Carolina State University, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college. He earned a law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina in 1977 and spent the next twenty years earning millions representing victims in corporate negligence suits. Elected to the Senate in 1998 when he defeated a very strong Republican incumbent, Edwards quickly emerged as a vibrant leader of the "new" South. A devoted family man, he is the father of four children, the eldest of whom was killed in an auto accident in 1996. What does astrology say about these two as a pair? Quite a bit, actually.... Full story »

Tech Tip of the Month - Adding Sedna to Solar Fire by Cindy Sullivan and Ray White

Astronomers from Caltech, Gemini Observatory and Yale University set the solar system in a tailspin on March 15, 2004 by announcing the discovery of the coldest, most distant object known to orbit the Sun. The object, originally discovered on the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the Palomar Observatory on November 14, 2003, was found at a distance 90 times greater than that from the Sun to the Earth -- about 3 times further than Pluto, the most distant known planet. Of special note is the extreme elliptical orbit of the object which takes a mere 10,500 years to circle the Sun. Full Story »

News from Astrolabe

Astrolabe on TV! WHDH-TV, the NBC Boston affiliate, interviewed Madalyn Hillis-Dineen and Patricia White along with NY astrologer Judi Vitale as part of an "in-depth" feature on how sun sign horoscopes are written. The piece was quite positive and attempted to explain how astrology really works -- no easy task when you only have 2-1/2 minutes. They did use a lot of beautiful graphics from our software line. And, we still have 12-1/2 minutes left to our allotted "fifteen minutes of fame." See the clip at http://alabe.com/video.html. Gary Christen -- Author, Author! Astrolabe's own Gary Christen is one of the featured authors in the new anthology, "Under One Sky." Edited by Jodie Forrest, the book features delineations of the same chart by twelve experts representing twelve different astrological traditions. Other contributors include Rob Hand, Ronnie Dreyer, Steven Forrest, and Demetra George. Order your own copy through our online bookstore at http://www.alabe.com/books.html. On the Road Again! For those of you in the NY metropolitan area, Gary Christen will be lecturing on Uranian Relationship Analysis to the Northern NJ Chapter of NCGR on April 18, 2004. Gary, an astrologer for more than 30 years, is a master of dial work and interpretation. Contact Joanne Castro at 973/835-7458 or by email at jocat413@msn.com for details. Astrolabe Helps Fund Paid Astrology Research Project! The International Society for Astrological Research is spearheading a research effort and is looking for someone to review all the best research that's been done in astrology andsummarize it for their web site. Astrolabe is one of three astrological companies to donate $500 each, in addition to ISAR's contribution of $1,000 making $2500 available to the right person who has a broad astrological knowledge, a background in research methods, excellent writing skills, and a passion for the subject. Contact Mark McDonough at Mark@AstroDatabank.com for more information.

Beginner's Corner - What is Solar Arc? by Pat White

Solar arc direction is one of the oldest predictive techniques in astrology. Solar arc is defined as the difference between the position of the progressed Sun and natal Sun on any particular day. This arc is then added to every planet and point in the chart. The arc is approximately equivalent to the individual's age. However, note that a person born in the summer will have a solar arc that is somewhat less than their age and, conversely, a winter-born individual's solar arc will be greater than their age. When a Solar arc directed planet makes an aspect, especially a hard aspect, to a natal planet, some event or transition is likely to occur. This is more so the case when there is a transit activating the point as well. More on this topic »