Bamber Gascoigne

“Your starter for ten…

Fingers on the buzzers…

I’ll have to hurry you…”

The original quizmaster of University Challenge, Bamber Gascoigne, died last Tuesday, at the age of 87.  The quiz show began in 1962, and I was an avid viewer before I went to university (the questions were easier, then!) and in our household hubby and I still challenge each other every week (I win about once a year).  The gentlemanly Bamber stopped hosting the show in 1987, but it was subsequently revived with Jeremy (not so gentlemanly) Paxman at the helm.

Birth Chart

We are fortunate enough to have a birth time for Bamber, and his vital astrological statistics are Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Virgo and Ascendant in Cancer.  He had half his planets in Air (Intellectual) and half in Fixed signs (strong willed).  With the Sun in Aquarius square to its ruling planet Uranus, he was very independent.  His Sun was conjunct the North Node and trine Chiron, so had a strong sense of rectitude.  His Moon and Mars were in Virgo in the 3rd House of Intellect and Broadcasting.  He had the Writer Archetype, in Mercury exactly conjunct Venus –  and indeed left a serious body of writing, much of it historical.  The other archetype he had was the Quizmaster Archetype, in the shape of Mercury trine Mars!  He began his career as a theatre critic, and The Critic is another archetype associated with Mercury-Mars.  He had a broad depth of knowledge, described by Mercury closely square Jupiter: his wife said that he had a “limitless thirst for knowledge, which he retained like a sponge.”  With Mars square the Ascendant, and Pluto on his Ascendant, he sported a red head of hair.  He cut a powerful figure with Jupiter trine Pluto, and sustained a successful career (Jupiter trine the Midheaven in the 9th House of University).  He wrote books on Christianity, and curiously enough his Neptune (Spirituality) was unaspected – apparently “Gascoigne insisted – in the face of criticism by the church – that his lay status was precisely what was required: he said he wanted Christians to assume he was a believer and non-Christians to assume he was not.”

Early Life and Career

Bamber was born in London into a family connected to aristocracy, educated at Eton, and then Magdalene College Cambridge, where he met his wife.  The pair were married in 1965, a marriage which lasted 57 years, until his death.  He began working as a theatre critic, and then at the age of 27 he was chosen to present the new television quiz University Challenge, never realizing it would have such longevity.  For the first series, he set the questions himself, as well as delivering them.

University Challenge

At the onset of University Challenge, on 21st September 1962, Mars was square his natal Mars, and Saturn was trine his natal Chiron in Gemini.  The Sun was on his natal ruling planet, Uranus.  At the conclusion of that first phase of the show, on 31st December 1987, Bamber had a profusion of transits.  Some of them indicated an ending (Saturn square his natal Midheaven or Careerpoint) and Uranus square his natal Moon in Virgo in 3rd House (the end of a way of life in a broadcasting role).  Other transits hinted at the release into new pastures for him (Jupiter sextile his natal Mercury/Venus hinting at future writings) and Uranus exactly trine his natal Uranus (freedom to express his Aquarian nature).  The Astrology of the University Challenge chart itself is interesting, too: Uranus squared the chart’s Sun (an ending), and Pluto was transiting the Venus/Neptune conjunction of the University Challenge chart (also depicting an ending).

Jeremy Paxman Era

Seven years later, the show was revived with a new quizmaster, Jeremy Paxman.  Jeremy displayed a much more hectoring style towards the students.  Jeremy is a Taurean, and also has a strong willed chart.  In 1997 he famously interviewed the politician Michael Howard and asked him the same question 12 times, leading to a nickname of “The Rottweiler”.  Interestingly, Jeremy has the same Quizmaster Archetype of Mercury trine Mars in his chart as Bamber Gascoigne!  The BBC decided to air the new series on 21st September 1994, the anniversary of the original, which meant that again the Sun was on Bamber Gascoigne’s Uranus.  However, Bamber stated that he only ever watched one or two episodes of the show with the new host.  Mars was prominent again in the transits for Jeremy when he took up the show, in that the planet was exactly sextile his natal Mars to the day.  Perhaps that reflects the combative nature of the show.  In addition, Neptune was on Jeremy’s Sun, Pluto exactly opposite his Mercury, and Uranus exactly trine his Uranus on the day (the same transit as Bamber Gascoigne had on taking leave of the show).  In this case it represented the new enterprise for Jeremy.

After University Challenge

After leaving the show, Bamber Gascoigne continued to write books, on mainly historical themes.  His television series “The Christians” had been followed by a book on that theme accompanied by photographs taken by his wife, and was republished in 2003.  In 1979 he had been involved in writing Quest for the Golden Hare, about Kit Williams’ book Masquerade. In the actual year he left University Challenge (1987) he presented a documentary series on Victorian history.  He was later involved in a study of the Mughal Empire of India.

In 2014, his great aunt died and left him an estate at West Horsley, Surrey, which included a country house, a home once owned by Henry VIII.  He and his wife decided to restore the house, and later built an opera house on the grounds.  The house has been used for the filming of television comedy “Ghosts”.

With his high forehead, he always did seem the epitome of intelligence.  There was also an untouchable aloofness about his character, often the result of a combination of Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Virgo.  But the original face of University Challenge is always remembered with a palpable affection.

“…He was so kind and warm to us students who sat nervously at those desks.  Such an elegant, intelligent man”

~ Stephen Fry

Aspects

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, but really it’s Valentine’s Week this year, because Venus will be conjunct with Mars all week, which rarely happens.  So get in the zone straight away, even if it is self-love which you are aiming for.  It’s hearts and flowers, all the way!

On the day itself (Monday, 14th), Pluto will be trine the North Node, an important recognition of the roles we play in each other’s lives.  It is a good time to appreciation who is in our life, and to ponder on the reasons why.  Whether you take a this life approach, or a more long term view of past and future lives, we can on that day gain insight into the law of cause and effect, as it applies to our relationships.  We can ask profitably ask the question: how can we best evolve our relationship(s). The day, and the aspect, is not only about relationship, it is about our own deepest psychology and the meaning of life itself.  It is up to you how deep you go with that!

In the evening, Mercury enters Aquarius.  That increases the balance of planets in Aquarius to three, with the Sun and Saturn already there.  The asteroid Juno is also currently in Aquarius.  The Aquarian energy is gathering…though the love birds Venus and Mars are still in Capricorn, giving an old-fashioned quality to romance itself.  But soon you may see a surge in space-age related news items and influences.  Technology, too will flourish.

The Sun squares the Nodal Axis on Tuesday (15th), challenging us to stay on our karmic path even if group pressure tries to sway our individuality.  We have to find a way to honour our own way, while staying in integrity with society or outside pressures.  It may present as a power struggle, but can be an opportunity to find higher solutions.

Wednesday (16th) is the day when Venus and Mars actually catch up with each other.  Maybe your Valentine celebration was delayed, or that special online gift purchase finally arrives at the doorstep.  At any rate, this is the most romantic day of the week.  Tell those you love how you feel about them, and tell yourself how you feel about yourself (hopefully that will be a positive!)  Some celebrity (whose name escapes me) said last week that he tries to treat every day as Valentine’s Day.  Well, this is certainly a week when that idea can be put into practice.

Of course, not everybody likes Valentine’s Day.  For those that don’t Venus conjoining Mars on this day can be a hedonist’s dream, revelling in your own sensuality. What’s that I hear?  Not everyone likes hedonism?  I am running out of options, in that case, but perhaps try just enjoying the moment.

Wednesday also offers a Full Moon at 28 degrees Leo, which will produce some emotional tension, possibly around the question of romance itself: did the Venus-Mars conjunction meet your expectations?  Moon in Leo can be dramatic, and bring about power struggles.  But Leo is creative, and can write its own screenplay, especially if working in a balanced way within a group.  Do your best to create your own reality your own way.

However, the climax of the week comes on Friday (18th), with a harmonious sextile between two big hitters, Jupiter and Uranus.  It happens in the first hour of the day, so you could experience the wow factor at the end of Thursday evening.  It may be exciting enough to keep you awake!  If you have a pet project or enterprise on the go, there may be a sudden success attached to it.  Or your positive future focus may suddenly be firing on all cylinders.  It is a good time to seize the moment, the day or the week.  Entrepreneurs often have this sextile  in their natal chart.  I only hope that, with the build up of troops on the Ukrainian border, Vladimir Putin does not read this…

Last up this week, in the afternoon of Friday, the Sun will enter the sign of Pisces.  We become more introspective and aware of our deeper emotions with the Sun in Pisces.  We become more aware of the sentience and oneness of all life.  The Sun in that sign shines a light on such matters.  It is our final stage of quietude and incubation before the Spring arrives in a month’s time.

The week in bullet points:

• Tomorrow – insight and understanding; looking to the future
• Tuesday – karmic power struggles
• Wednesday – true love and drama
• Friday – enthusiasm and surprise! Deeper introspection

Boris, again

It has been an unprecedented week for resignations and votes of no confidence in Boris Johnson, after weeks of scandal over parties held at Downing Street while the rest of the country observed his rules.  Will he stay or will he go?  If so, when?  Ian Blackford of the SNP was asked to leave the chamber at PMQs for implying that Boris is a liar. And we often hear that apparently Boris is the laughing stock of Europe.  The medium Sally Morgan recently pronounced he is thinking of going, and may go in May, and the number 5 may be significant:

“Within my work I often receive numbers – for Boris, the number 5 is incredibly important. This number relates directly to his resignation. My initial thoughts are that this will happen in the month of May; however, if he is to leave before that, then it will likely take place on the fifth day of the month.” 

~ Sally Morgan, 20th January

I have noticed a number of people moving house since December and am surmising the Universe wants to move people around for the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in April.  So will Boris be relocating soon?  I thought I would look at his transits, his highs and lows, for the next three or four months.  Transits are more accurate for personal lives, but I will also check them out with the aspects, as he is a public figure and his fortunes affect society.  I will also have an eye to Carrie Symonds’ transits, because if he moves house, she would move with him.  And another eye on whether it looks as though Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, favourite to replace him, will be moving next door?

FEBRUARY 2022

Last week:

Monday 31st January: Saturn from Aquarius in his 5th House squared his natal Neptune in Scorpio in his 2nd House – Kicking off his natal unrealistic opposition between Neptune and Jupiter.  This date brought the unveiling of a shortened version of the long awaited report from Sue Gray about Downing Street parties during lockdown, having turned the matter over to the police in the long term.

Boris proclaimed in parliament:

“Mr Speaker, it is not enough to say sorry. This is a moment when we must look at ourselves in the mirror and we must learn.”

Wednesday 2nd:  This was the day he unleashed his programme for levelling up the North and South, the poor and the rich.  It was met with less enthusiasm than he would have hoped.  At Prime Minister’s Questions, Boris accused Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile, an untrue accusation which has cost him dear.  His close aide Munira Mirza (Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit) resigned as a direct result of this:

” You are aware of the reason for my decision: I believe it was wrong for you to imply this week that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice. There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion…

You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever understand which is why it is desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation against the Leader of the Opposition.”

She had worked alongside him for 14 years, and their astrology bears testimony to their closeness:  her Sun on his Jupiter (a lucky charm), her Mars sextile his Ascendant (motivating) and her Jupiter trine his Saturn (a balance of optimism and realism).  Her transits for this leavetaking included Saturn square her natal Sun (a difficult decision) and Mars square her natal Uranus (a forced separation).

Thursday, 3rd: Saturn from Aquarius in his 5th House squared his natal Jupiter in Taurus in his 8th House – Also transiting his natal unrealistic opposition between Neptune and Jupiter. Multiple resignations and letters of no confidence then ensued. Fifty four letters of no confidence are needed to start an election for a new leader.

Sunday 20th: Jupiter from Pisces in his 6th House opposes his natal Pluto in Virgo in his 12th House – Could this be a challenge to Boris’ power?

On the same day, Rishi Sunak has a major transit, that of Neptune squaring his natal Neptune.  This could involve him in a confusing quandary, e.g. should he support Boris?  If this is a time when he is considering his position, he might find the idea of taking charge overwhelming.  If and when Boris resigns, there would be an interim period of choosing a new leader.  Neptune square natal Neptune implies a feeling of being in limbo.

Thursday/Friday 24/5th: Jupiter from Pisces in his 6th House trines Boris’ natal Midheaven in Cancer in his 10th House – Classically, this would point to a career promotion or beneficial lifestyle change.  So either the troops will be rallying round Boris, or he may be freeing himself (Jupiter) from a burdensome role.

Aspect on 24th: Venus sextile Neptune – a sublime and serene vibe.

Aspect on 25th: Mercury square Uranus – controversial words flying.

MARCH

Monday 7th: Jupiter from Pisces in his 6th House trines his natal Neptune in Scorpio in his 2nd House – If he is still in office, he may experience hope that he can continue.  If, however,  he has left office, he will be feeling euphoric, and may also receive a boost to his bank balance.

Monday/Tuesday 7/8th: Uranus from Taurus in his 8th House trines his natal Pluto in Virgo in his 12th House – Another favourable and strengthening transit for Boris.  This could be an important time for him.  If he is staying in office, he’ll be announcing sweeping changes.  But otherwise, it may indicate constructive new change for him personally.

Tuesday 8th: Jupiter from Pisces in his 6th House trines his natal Jupiter in Taurus in his 8th House – He is on a roll, feeling lucky.  If he is still in office, he may pull off a triumph.  If not, he will be hugely enjoying his freedom.

Thursday 10th:  His wife Carrie has a major transit: Neptune in Pisces squares her natal Chiron in Gemini.  This could indicate a possible healing crisis, or adverse reaction about her influence over Boris.

Friday 11/12th: Chiron in Aries transits Boris’ natal Descendant, opposes his Ascendant, and enters his 7th House – This could indicate a crisis in his primary relationship and physical well being.  This may be as a result of Carrie’s own crisis the previous day.  The relationship will be entering a more tricky period.  Also, Chiron entering his 7th House may indicate a more tricky relationship with his public.

Saturday/Sunday 19/20th: Jupiter in Pisces in his 6th House transits his natal Chiron – This may be helpful to Boris, in his personal healing or recovery.

Aspect on 19th: Venus square Uranus – not a helpful aspect for relationships in general.

Wednesday 23rd: Jupiter in Pisces in his 6th House squares his Mercury in Gemini in his 9th House – He could make an international gaffe, or if at PMQs he may go too far with a quip at the opposition.

Aspect on 23rd: Mercury conjunct Neptune – words can confuse.

Thursday 31st: Uranus from Taurus in his 8th House sextiles his natal Midheaven in Cancer in his 10th House – A change of life direction.  This would be a good day to resign, if he hasn’t already done so.  Perhaps the previous day’s events brought a trigger for this.

APRIL

Saturday/Sunday 2nd/3rd April:  This is an important day for Rishi Sunak, with Neptune from Pisces trine his natal  Uranus in Scorpio.  Again this may be as a result of events in the second half of the previous week.  Perhaps his leadership is confirmed, but the transit indicates weathering a complex situation.

Aspect on 2nd: Sun conjunct Mercury in Aries, some clarity is reached, going forward.

Monday 4th: For Boris, Pluto from his 4th House of Home and Family quincunxes his natal Sun in Gemini in 9th House – This could indicate a house relocation, or a deep change of heart resulting from soul searching.

Friday/Saturday 8/9th: A major uplifting transit for Carrie, with Jupiter transiting her natal North Node in Pisces.  If still at Downing Street, she may be celebrating a triumph of her own.  If out of Downing Street, she may be enjoying domestic bliss elsewhere.  But there is a karmic tone to this transit, so past consequences may be coming home to roost.

Aspect on 8th: Mercury sextile Mars, a good aspect for getting things done.

Monday 11th: For Boris, Chiron from Aries in his 7th House squares his Midheaven/I.C. Axis – This indicates some sort of crunch time for his career or life direction, and possibly a health situation.

Tuesday 12th: [for the general population] Jupiter conjunct Neptune at 23 degrees Pisces.  This occurs in Boris’ 6th House of Health and Working Conditions.  If still in office, chaos in the cabinet?  If out of office, a health issue to sort out.  May be feeling in good spirits, though.

Thursday 14th: For Rishi Sunak, Uranus transits his natal Chiron in Taurus – If he has a new job, he may be finding things unexpectedly tricky. If still in his current role of Chancellor of the Exchequer, there may be an excruciating dilemma in handling the public purse.

Tuesday 26th: For Carrie, there is some personal joy on the way, with Jupiter transiting her natal Sun in Pisces. Difficult to know what would make her happy, but there is a ring of freedom about it, e.g. a holiday.

MAY

Tuesday 3rd: Jupiter from Pisces in Boris’ 6th House of Health and Working Conditions squares his natal Sun in Gemini in his 9th House – He may overreact to something, or liberate himself from something.

Aspect on 3rd: Jupiter sextile Pluto – There may be an exchange of power, so a good day for a transfer of power.

Thursday 5th: Mars from Pisces in his  6th House exactly trines his natal  Neptune in Scorpio in 2nd House – Some financial dealing may be revealed or boosted, either for Boris’ private finances or the public purse.

Aspect on 5th: Sun conjunct Uranus, the unexpected.

Monday 16th: Uranus from Taurus in his 8th House opposes his natal Neptune in Scorpio in his 2nd House – This could be chaotic for Boris.  Maybe a house move?  It is also a Full Moon and Eclipse, so may be a turning point.

Thursday 19th: Jupiter in Aries in his 6th House sextiles his natal Mars in Gemini in his 8th House – Something arouses his fighting spirit.

Aspect on 19th: Sun trine Pluto, a good day for a change in power.

Saturday/Sunday 21st/22nd: Uranus in Taurus in his 8th House transits his natal Jupiter – A sense of freedom.

Aspect on 21st: Sun conjunct Mercury in Gemini, more clarity.

Monday 23rd: Jupiter in Aries in his 6th House squares his Nodal Axis – A karmic reckoning for some of the more excessive activities (e.g. a Partygate interim report from the police.)

Aspect on 23rd: Sun sextile Jupiter, lucky for some.

Tuesday/Wednesday 24/25th:  As 4th April, but with Pluto Retrograde – This could indicate a house relocation, or a deep change of heart resulting from soul searching.  The need to learn lessons from the past.

Aspect on 24th: Mercury sextile Mars – getting things done

Aspect on 25th: Mercury trine Pluto, serious conversations

At this point in time, Boris’ cabinet are staying close to him, whatever they are thinking, but few (apart from say Nadine Dorries) believe he can carry on in the same vein, and it is difficult to imagine a leopard changing its spots.  So, right now, it seems like when rather than if he will go.  A change of leader seems on the cards, though not yet a change of governing party.

Aspects

Chiron squares Mars today, which is like trying to place a square peg in a round hole.  What may be required is the acknowledgement and acceptance of two different outlooks, and the agreement to co-exist.  Even better, an encouragement of the other’s right to exist.  However, one party may not be able to elevate their outlook, and a minor skirmish may occur. This would be a healing crisis, showing what needs to be healed.  Some things are better revealed than kept hidden, and a coming to terms can begin.

An easier expression of energy occurs on Tuesday (8th), with a trine between Mars and Uranus.  You are likely to see, or initiate, bold and controversial moves.  It favours mechanical and engineering enterprises, but also social engineering, and sporting interests.  There could be surprises in connection with men, cars and dogs!

I am mixing in a few Fixed Stars this week, as the actual aspects are a bit thin on the ground.  So the first one of those is Nashira in the constellation of Capricorn.  Our sun aligns with the star on Thursday (10th).  According to “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld:

“At the present time this star is good to utilize when you wish to have the ability to see the whole picture of what is happening on Earth: politically, economically, and geophysically.  This is very difficult to create with only the mental body.  The emotional body alone is also insufficient.  This star will encourage  in a gentle way the combination of faculties needed for this larger perspective.”

We do have an aspect on Friday (11th), though not an easy one: Mercury conjunct Pluto at 27 degrees Capricorn.  It’s an aspect we experienced recently (in the early hours of 29th January), because Mercury has just turned direct – you might want to consult your diary.  This is about serious thought and communication.  Words will have a profound effect.  Deeper motives may be revealed.  Listening too is important, and exchanges may become cathartic, if sincerely transacted.  I noted a few personal challenges in my diary, and some gusty winds.

On the same day, our Sun is aligned with another Fixed Star, Sadalsud, which is from the constellation of Aquarius.  Also from “Starlight Elixirs”:

“This star can create peacefulness in the interaction amongst all women and men by increasing the female part of their understanding.  The male mind can open to its female aspects and in this way relate better to women.  Women are able to better express and share the very nature of what it means to be a woman.  This star may eventually be able to work with these energies in large groups; for now it is simply in small groups or in one to one relationships.”

And one more Fixed Star for the road, in the same time period, Deneb Algedi from Capricorn.  Bernadette Brady in her book of the “Fixed Stars”  says of this star:

“If this star is going to be used in astrology, then the symbol of the law giving, justice-oriented god trying to civilize his people is probably the best tool for approaching it, since this would reflect its long history.  This is the star of a person who is a benefic ruler, one who is trying to use wisdom and knowledge to protect and help the people around them.”

Information from “Starlight Elixirs” reveals:

“This binary can enhance the ability to work with patterns and cycles that are related to practical environments.  This can strengthen the ability to make predictions based on past performance.  Some aspects of the underlying cycles may become clearer for individuals when they work with this star.  This is a way of predicting the future based on a careful study of patterns and how they move through various cycles.  The individuals who work with this are Astrologers, Economists, and Historians.”

The end of the week should provide food for thought…

The week in bullet points:

• Today – awkward energies
• Tuesday – flowing electrical energies
• Thursday – see the whole picture
• Friday – profound thought; peace between men and women; working out patterns

Barry Cryer (1935 – 2022)

“I haven’t had a career, just a series of incidents. I’ve been dogged by good luck all my life.”

~ Barry Cryer

Legendary comedian and scriptwriter Barry Cryer died peacefully at home on Tuesday, at the age of 86, surrounded by his family.  We owe many laughs to him over the years, as we watched Morecombe and Wise and other classic comedies.  He wrote for many, many comedians, among them Bob Hope, Dave Allen, Tommy Cooper, and Kenny Everett.

Birth Chart

We are fortunate in having a birth time for Barry, giving him a Capricorn Ascendant.  His Sun was in Aries, largely unaspected, making him very authentic and individualistic.  With Chiron trine his North Node, his karmic mission was in some ways as a healer.  Chiron was in Gemini in his birth chart – healing through words, to laughter.  With the Sun in his 3rd House, words were his stock in trade, and later in life he was a popular after dinner speaker.  His Moon was exactly trine Mercury – imagination and wit perfectly balanced, something that undoubtedly contributed to his outstanding talent.  With the Moon opposite Uranus, he liked to surprise people.  Mercury exactly conjunct Saturn (his Ascendant ruler) in Pisces gave him the ability for precise thinking, but paradoxically in a soft-focussed way (Pisces) – he actually described himself as having “a butterfly brain”.  He didn’t get on well at school:

“In class I would say silly things and do impressions of the masters, but I certainly didn’t think I would end up doing it for a living.” (from The Big Issue)

And he left University after one term (Neptune in 9th House of University).  But he had an acute mind in many ways, so it is possible that he just didn’t like being pinned down to academia.  His Mercury square Chiron was exact, indicating a problem solving mind.  He had Venus closely conjunct Uranus, which gave him a certain personal magnetism: tributes paid by his fellow comedians testify to this.

John Cleese described him thus: “I never met a nicer, kinder, more cheerful man.”

Stephen Fry stated: “A glorious, gorgeous, hilarious and gifted writer”

And Gyles Brandreth: “He was the most generous entertainer you can imagine, he loved just sharing comedy.”

He seems to have been a lovely man, through and through, as befits a good example of Aries authenticity.

Comedy 

The first thing you would look for in the chart of a comedian would be the planet Jupiter.  In his chart you find it conjunct his Midheaven (Careerpoint), the “life dogged by good luck”, marking him out immediately for success in this field – Billy Connolly also has Jupiter conjunct the Midheaven.  Barry’s Jupiter was exactly trine Pluto, so he had great personal power allied with his humour, and could pack a punch with his wit.

There are comedians who are known to be depressives, and operate very much on a Saturnian theme.  This works by bringing out the courage of confronting life’s angst.  Barry Cryer does not strike me as that sort of comedian, but he did have a lot of Saturn/Capricorn in his make up, and that comes out in his propensity for self-deprecation.  Other facets of Capricornian humour can include a dry wit, irony, and a sardonic take on life.

The other strand of a humorous outlook is the Mercury/Gemini wordplay, and Barry Cryer’s Chiron (the wounded healer) was in Gemini, so his words could be an attempt to heal.

With his Sun ruler Mars in Libra, his preferred mode of writing was in collaboration.  According to the Guardian obituary, by Stephen Dixon:

“He left the basic idea, plot and structure to his partner, then funnied everything up, providing punchlines, gags and retorts.”

Life and Health

He may have joked, but his life was not made easy by a chronic health condition of eczema.  Saturn exactly square Chiron indicated the health challenge, and Uranus square Pluto the life changes and adjustments he had to make.  His father died when he was five years old (when his progressed Sun, representing his father, squared his Ascendant from the 4th House cusp, representing family changes).  Cryer travelled to London following his first year at Leeds University, and began working at the Windmill Theatre, filling in comedy routines between other acts.  His eczema was so debilitating that he was hospitalized twelve times in eight years – with Capricorn rising, and its ruler Saturn conjunct his natal Mercury, a skin complaint is very likely.  He realized that he could not sustain a performing career in that way, so took to writing.  His big break came when he was spotted by David Frost, and recruited to write for his shows, such as The Frost Report (1966-7).  Later he extended his popularity on radio as a regular on “I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue”.  A number of his jokes are currently circulating, my favourite being:

“Picasso was burgled and did a drawing of the robbers. Police arrested a horse and two sardines.”

Collaborators

Graham Chapman

Cryer wrote about 50 shows with Graham Chapman, and had good chart links with him.  It was said that he was most comfortable writing with Chapman, who was a Sun Capricornian. Chapman had Mercury (writing) exactly sextile with Cryer’s Midheaven (Careerpoint), Mars exactly trine Cryer’s Sun (strong working energy), Jupiter sextile Cryer’s Mercury (successful humorous writing), Jupiter sextile Cryer’s Ascendant (a happy relationship), Uranus opposite Cryer’s Jupiter (the capacity to surprise him), and Neptune trine his North Node (a spiritual affinity).

John Junkin

Cryer also wrote extensively with John Junkin. Junkin was an Aquarian, with a rapier like wit indicated by Mercury exactly conjunct Mars.  Their synastry highlights Cryer’s Pluto opposite Junkin’s Mercury/Mars, which may have been challenging for Junkin.  And Junkin had Saturn on Cryer’s Ascendant, which is quite a committed combination, but as Cryer had a pronounced Saturnian chart, he would have been comfortable with that. Barry Cryer’s Jupiter was sextile Junkin’s Mercury (similar to, but the opposite way round, to the sextile with Chapman).  As a partnership generally though, there was a very different dynamic to that with Graham Chapman.

Marriage

Cryer told The Big Issue, that as a youth he would strike a smouldering pose in the corner, until he realized he was better just being himself:

“He told us that he wished he could go back and tell his younger self to quit pretending to be James Dean.”

He went on to have a happy, long-lasting marriage with his wife Theresa.  Together they had three sons, and a daughter, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild

He commented about his marriage:

“The key is we’ve never understood each other.  We don’t row, but we argue all the time.”

He died peacefully, with Jupiter sextile his Ascendant, apparently telling the nurse a joke on his deathbed.  He had lived his life with a glass half full, and I would imagine, no regrets.

“Dad always thought the term ‘national treasure’ meant he’d just been dug up. He was, in his words, arrogant in his humility.”

~ his family statement

“He leaves behind him a life of fun, joy, love and silliness and we’ll all be doing our best to maintain that legacy.”

~ Bob Cryer, his son

Aspects

This evening Uranus squares the Sun, so be prepared for the element of the unexpected, or the Trickster Archetype.  For some, it may be exciting.  Don’t rest on your laurels, provide for loopholes, and don’t take unnecessary risks.  Storm Corrie is on its way in the U.K. – yesterday, I nearly got blown into the road as I took my run during Storm Malik!  We’ve just witnessed an unusual (Uranus) drama in our garden, of a large fox chasing a large pheasant, animals we don’t usually see here.  I have had to take a break in writing, as I wanted to see the pheasant evade a sticky end.  At first, the pheasant was seeming wandering aimlessly in the garden, and I was wondering if it was even aware of the fox lurking in the bushes.  Then at the crucial moment, with the pheasant’s back turned, the fox went to leap at it, and the pheasant flew on to a fence.  Hubby then remarked that the pheasant seemed to taunt the fox, scratching at the fence.  I said it looked like a scene from one of Aesop’s fables. Then the pheasant flew onto the ground in the next garden.  The wily fox somehow found a way through the fence in hot pursuit.  Oh no! I thought.  But the fox was no match for the pheasant, who then flew away, high above the drama.

Tuesday (1st February) brings us a New Moon at 12 degrees Aquarius, the newest of the new.   Any forward looking projects you are engaged with receive the blessing of the Universe.  Science, technology, invention and future vision may also be a significant part of the way forward.  Set your intentions with confidence and hope, focussing on the area of your life it falls in, if you know your Houses.  If the Uranian spanner in the works is still operating from the day before, be confident that you can invent new strategies to deal with loopholes.

Right now, as Friday (4th) is the busiest day of the week, you’ll need a timetable!

(U.K. times)

4.14 a.m.: Mercury is Stationary, prior to turning Direct.  Here’s a long-awaited (well, three weeks) boost, especially if you have been struggling with computers, I.T. and broadband connections, or delays in communications.  There may be some accompanying sense of relief.  You can certainly pick up momentum on some projects which involve paperwork and documentation, and make some more essential journeys.

13.38 Hrs: Mars sextiles Jupiter, a straightforward combination  of energy and enthusiasm, so a good way to employ excess feeling in an absorbing leisure activity of your choice.  You’ll be able to find that extra drive, for what you are wanting to achieve, or go that extra mile even after a demanding week at work.

19.05 Hrs: Sun conjunct Saturn at 15 degrees Aquarius – a very different kettle of fish, so be aware of the shift in energy.  You will need to go from gung ho mode to a cautionary tone.  Take note of the area/House it falls in, if you know it, as that will help you to ascertain the purpose of this event.  There is a great sense of concentration about this conjunction, focussed on practicalities  such as “what can we do about the situation?”  The Saturn part of the equation demands responsibility, commitment, and common sense.

So, to summarize, we start the week with the unknown, and we end with the known,  utilizing what we have learned in between.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes
• Tuesday – the newest of the new
• Friday – communications eased; all systems go; limitations and boundaries

North Node in Taurus

One of the shifts which has been taking place recently is the North Node’s move into Taurus from Gemini (it moves backwards).  The entry of the Mean North Node took place on 23rd December 2021, the day before the last Uranus-Saturn square which was a dramatic event astrologically.  But the True North Node, a more accurate reading, took place this week on Wednesday 19th January.  The North Node, representing karma, seemed to play a major role in the fortunes of Boris Johnson, Prince Andrew, and Novak Djokovic, together with the Mars-Neptune square of the week before.  It’s a reckoning, a facing of the music.  The Nodes spend 18 months in each sign, so you may be seeing a change of karmic focus in your own life at this time. I have noticed that a number of people have been moving house in the last couple of months, and link that with the upcoming Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in April: the Universe arranging for certain people to be in the right place at the right time.  But the shift of the North Node is another indication of a new act to be played out in our lives.  I have had more than usual requests for regressions recently (one of them took place exactly at the close of the Gemini cycle, and pointed to a whole new cycle of work), and that may be for such reasons.

But first, a review of the North Node in Gemini, which has seen changes in education (having to be more adaptable because of the coronavirus) and travel (train timetable changes with fewer trains to accommodate fewer people commuting to offices).  With the South Node in Sagittarius, foreign travel has been hard hit.  The transiting North Node and Nodal Axis represents the collective karma, just as the North Node and Nodal Axis in our birth charts represents our personal karma.  Our North Node represents our karmic mission, and the transiting North Node represents our collective karmic mission, in the evolution of humanity.  The karma in this sense refers to the general population, but depending on what House it occupies in your personal chart, the application will be focussed there.  If you have planets in Taurus, they will show a karmic slant when the North Node transits them during the next eighteen months.  They may particularly show where that planetary principle combines with the collective karma.

With the move from Gemini to Taurus, karmic influences will move from the mental plane of ideas to the material plane, e.g. economy, possessions, and the senses.  There’s a brinkmanship situation going on in the current threatening by Russia on the border of Ukraine represents their feeling of karmic possession over that territory.  It is worth noting that the last entry of the North Node into Taurus took place on 14th April 2003, towards the end of the invasion phase of the Iraq War which started on 20th March 2003.  Tony Blair had his Ascendant and Mars in early Gemini, which the North Node would have transited coming up to the war, and his Jupiter was at 29 degrees Taurus, which was transited in the middle of June that year, when the consequences were beginning to unravel.  Mars was trine George W. Bush’s Mars (war, war) at the onset of the war, and Pluto was on his South Node (past life war karma).

On a personal note, on the close of the Gemini karmic cycle, I had a new cycle of karmic research triggered.  As you may know, I have researched many past lives, but became aware of a whole new thread to be worked on, in relation to languages (Gemini).  The North Node is now entering my 1st House, and the South Node is now in Scorpio which supports a deeper cycle of past life research.

The transiting North Node and Nodal Axis represents the collective karma, just as the North Node and Nodal Axis in our birth charts represents our personal karma.  Our North Node represents our karmic mission, and the transiting North Node represents our collective karmic mission, in the evolution of humanity.  More positive areas of working for North Node in Taurus are on climate change: there may be some successful new initiatives.  A friend of mine has recently acquired an allotment, and that seems a symbolic and constructive avenue for this transit.  There is also a new trend for people to take up farming (as evidenced by a lot of new television programmes on this theme, celebrities among them).  Distribution of resources, and food, can also come under the sign of Taurus, and a friend is currently engaged on the OLIO scheme to alleviate food waste, redistributing local food which would have gone to waste.  Maybe you have become aware in the last week or so of starting a new karmic cycle along these lines?  Take the bull by the horns!  Helping the planet is definitely something North Node in Taurus can help with, and support your efforts.

Greta, David and Chris

Looking at the charts of three people hoping for positive change for the planet:

Greta Thunberg has four planets in Capricorn, including the Moon, but we do not have her birth time.

The True North Node will trine her Mercury on 2nd/3rd February – she could make an important pronouncement around that time.

The North Node will trine her Sun/Chiron during the week of 15th/22nd November, which will be an important evaluation of her life, work and healing.  The True North Node will have the same effect between 12th and 23rd December.

David Attenborough is himself a Taurean, and the North Node will pass over his Sun in 3rd House of Communication on 24th August (True Node) and 30th/31st August (Mean Node) which could see a major success in getting his message across.

Chris Packham has been doing a grand job highlighting the plight of animals but also supporting ecological causes.  He also has the Sun in Taurus, which will receive a transit from the Nodes around 5/6th October (True Node) and 25/6th October (Mean Node).  But more significantly, his Mercury (message) is exactly conjunct David Attenborough’s Sun in the middle of Taurus.  This point is transited on 23rd/24th August by the True North Node and 29th August by the Mean North Node, a time when he will be able to get his message across powerfully.  24th August comes up for both of them significantly, so this may be a key date for the cause of combating climate change, particularly if they team up.  North Node in Gemini was, to quote Greta, about “blah, blah, blah”, and it is to be hoped that North Node in Taurus comes to be seen for concretely manifesting (Taurus) what was merely “blah, blah, blah” in the last eighteen months.

Coming up this week, Sue Gray holds the karma of Boris Johnson in her hands at this moment in time, many believing her investigation will be a whitewash of her boss.  We do not have a birth date for her, but can look at Boris’s chart this week.  It is predicted that her report will come in after Monday, and possibly after Prime Minister’s Question Time in parliament on Wednesday, possibly even Thursday.  He does have a karmic transit of Mars on his South Node (past battles under review).  Mars will be sextile his natal Moon (he will be quick to react emotionally), Jupiter will be on his natal Saturn (the possibility of being exonerated), Jupiter will be opposite his natal Uranus (chancing his luck again).  In addition, Saturn will be squaring his Jupiter (his trust in luck may be compromised), Saturn squares his Neptune (confidence draining away, something sapping at him), and finally Uranus trine his Pluto (change is in the air).  In other words, there is a lot going on for him!  I would not confidently be able to say that this is the final denouement of his fate.

The Law of Karma is neither good nor bad, it’s simply the law of cause and effect.  In looking at this switch from Gemini to Taurus of the North Node, assess whether you have just completed a cycle of karma – you may even have wiped the slate clean on an issue (this is even more likely if  you have an Ascendant around the cusp of two signs).  Ascertain whether you are just now starting a new cycle, and what that task might be.  It may span the next eighteen months.

Aspects

This morning the Sun is conjunct Mercury in Aquarius.  That brings a touch of sparkle to your consciousness.  It is a good day to apply your mind with clarity, concentrate and focus,  make important statements, and look to the future.  You may write or speak some memorable lines.  Look out for some telepathy, too!  You may feel the urge to clarify something.

Mars enters Capricorn tomorrow lunchtime (Monday 24th), from Sagittarius.  This may have the effect of slowing down action, but action taken will be firmed up, based on realism, more authoritative.  You may need to make a more respectful approach to something or a project, give it more decorum.

On Wednesday (26th), we have another ingress: Mercury Retrograde enters Capricorn from Aquarius.  This urges us to be practical and realistic in our plans, and methodical and systematic in our mental approach.  This will favour official documentation needing to be worked on, forms to be filled in, authorities to interview, etc.  Maybe you are completing a house sale, for example.

There is an early hours of the morning conjunction at 26 degrees of Capricorn between Mercury and Pluto on Saturday (29th).  This is about serious thought and communication. so something may have been triggered the night before, and you may need to process it through dream work.  If this results in conversations in subsequent daylight hours, words will have a profound effect.  Deeper motives may be revealed.  Listening too is important, and exchanges may become cathartic, if sincerely transacted.

There may be some relief later in the morning, as Venus stations prior to turning Direct.  Under Venus Retrograde since approximately mid-December you may have experienced relationship revisions, maybe even paranoia.  At last you may be able to resume normal relations, enhanced by the learning you gained.  You may have realized the true worth of some of your relationships.  You can pause, breathe and relax into that knowledge.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – crystal clear
• Tomorrow – realistic action
• Wednesday – realistic thought
• Saturday – serious thought; relationship upgrade

Ronnie Spector (1943 – 2022)

“Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humour and a smile on her face.  She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her.”

~ The Spector Family

Lead singer of the Ronettes, Ronnie Spector, died this week, on 12th January.  Her ex-husband Phil Spector, who wrote many of their hit records, died on 16th January last year.  He helped showcase her talent, and then married her, kept her imprisoned, and stopped her from performing.  She eventually escaped and lived her own life.

Birth Chart

With the Sun in Leo, she was always going to be the lead singer, even when she started out amongst her family.  Her sister (Estelle) and cousin (Nedra) came to form the Ronettes with her.  Her Sun/North Node  squared Mars, in her chart, giving her Warrior energy – she certainly seemed a brave soul, with attitude.  With the Sun closely conjunct the karmic North Node in Performing Leo, her life path tended to be very fated.  She had several aspects to her Moon, but their exactitude is not known, as there is no birth time for her.  However, she was close to her mother (the Moon), and it was her mother who helped her to escape barefoot from Spector’s “prison”.  Her Mercury exactly square Uranus was not afraid of controversy, and Mercury’s conjunction with Chiron lent itself to problem-solving.  Part of her sparkle was her close Venus-Mars trine, which expressed great sensuality.  At the same time, Saturn squared her Venus, and she encountered disappointments in her love relationships: in a BBC interview she expressed no regrets about her career, but a dry irony when talking about her relationships.  Jupiter was exactly sextile her natal Uranus, so she had an eye for an opportunity, and made the most of life.  Jupiter closely conjunct Pluto contributed great personal power.  Indeed, she had a very well-aspected Jupiter, which was part of her success.

Life and Career

Ronnie was born Veronica Bennett in Manhattan, of mixed heritage: African American, Cherokee, and Irish.

I wrote about Ronnie in my blog about Phil Spector a year ago:

“In the early 1960s, he worked with the Ronettes, and was responsible for their big romantic hits.  The Ronettes consisted of two sisters and a cousin, who wore distinctive beehive hairdos and well defined eyeliner (interestingly, Amy Winehouse, a fan of Phil Spector, adopted the beehive).  Their honeyed-toned hits included Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, (The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up and (my own personal favourite) Walking in the Rain.

The lead singer of the Ronettes, Veronica Bennett, or Ronnie Spector as she came to be called, married Phil Spector in 1968. She became a captive in her own home, and eventually escaped barefoot with the help of her mother in 1972.  Her synastry with Phil Spector shows: Her Sun on his I.C. (for a time, he made her his emotional foundation), her Saturn square his natal Mars (an abrasive contact), Saturns exactly sextile (some conducive working together) and his Jupiter opposite her Neptune (triggering his delusional side).”

Phil Spector

The two married on 14th April 1968, and lived in a mansion in Beverly Hills, which is when Phil’s controlling behaviour became more intense.  At the time, Saturn was trine Ronnie’s Sun/North Node (being controlled in a karmic situation), Pluto transited her natal Venus (a sinister turn in a relationship); for him, Chiron was on his Jupiter (bringing out the megalomania of his natal Jupiter trine Pluto), and Uranus transited his natal Neptune in Virgo in his 4th House, ratcheting up his obsessiveness.

After she escaped, Ronnie tried to rebuild her career, and fought in the courts for years for her share of royalties.  Later she found lasting happiness marrying her manager Jonathan Greenfield in 1982, and they had two sons.

Brian Wilson

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were close to Ronnie when their careers were building.  And notably, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys greatly admired Phil Spector at the outset of his career.  Apparently, he nearly crashed his car when he first heard “Be My Baby”.  He later declared it “the greatest record ever produced. No one will ever top that one.” He attempted to write a version from the male point of view: the result was Don’t Worry Baby, a hauntingly beautiful song, with a similar structure.  He intended it to be sung by Ronnie, whom he also admired.  However, Phil did not allow that to happen, because he had not written it.  Ronnie sings it on one of the excerpts in the programme “Ronnie Spector at the BBC”, which is still available on I Player.  I watched it, and sang along (and cried!) this week.  The Beach Boys subsequently recorded it themselves, and Brian declared it “Probably the best record we’ve done”.  Brian Wilson and Ronnie Spector remained lifelong friends.  Their synastry included her Mars exactly conjunct his Venus (Love and Music).

His tribute to her this week was among the most beautiful:

“I just heard the news about Ronnie Spector and I don’t know what to say. I loved her voice so much and she was a very special person and a dear friend. This just breaks my heart. Ronnie’s music and spirit will live forever. Love & Mercy, Brian”

Zendaya

Apparently, there is a biopic in production, based on Ronnie’s 1990 autobiography “Be My Baby: How I survived Mascara, Miniskirts and Madness”.  The singer Zendaya has been chosen to play Ronnie.  As Zendaya’s Neptune is exactly trine Ronnie’s Neptune,  it could be a sensitive portrayal.

Showing my age, they don’t make songs like that any more…! And no one sang them quite like Ronnie Spector.

“Every song is a little piece of my life. I’m just a girl from the ghetto who wanted to sing.”

~ Ronnie Spector, 2007

Aspects

 Three men (Mars) seemingly caught out (square) lying (Neptune) and rule-breaking last week had to face the music under the Mars-Neptune square.  This morning, Novak Djokovic was deported back from Australia to Serbia.  Boris Johnson is facing calls to resign for partying when everyone else was religiously self-isolating under his government’s rules last year.  And Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles by the Queen, so that he can defend his sexual abuse case as a private citizen.

Moving on to this week, we have a profound conjunction between the Sun and Pluto at 26 degrees Capricorn today.  There may be more drama to be played out today.  Certainly Novak Djokovic has had a dramatic outcome to this week’s struggles, and says he will consider his position before commenting.  He represents his country, but also the anti-vaccine community.  Today could be a profound wake-up call, both personally and collectively.  Practicing meditation and calming techniques would be a good way to proceed on the day as the deeper issues of life come up for assessment.  Any creativity will have depth to it, and you won’t be able to skim the surface of things. But you will emerge the richer for it.

In the late evening of tomorrow (Monday 17th), there is a Full Moon in Cancer.  The mood may build throughout the day, until we register the emotional tension of this opposition with the Sun Capricorn, which takes place at 27 degrees Cancer, a high tide of emotion.  Tears may flow in private or public, as this is one of the most emotional of the Full Moons in the astrological year.  In your personal life, you may be torn between personal and professional loyalties.

Tuesday (18th) may bring good news, as Uranus is Stationary, prior to turning Direct.  it is a good time to do all  you can to alleviate any collective, tribal, or social difficulties which you can see.  Closer to home, you may see what could be done in the family setting, or in the community.   Intuition will flow better, and future vision come into view.  However, the trickster element of Uranus may still be in evidence.

The True North Node moves from Gemini to Taurus on Wednesday (19th), as it moves backwards.  This brings the karmic emphasis from the mental plane to a more material emphasis.  It is interesting that Boris Johnson’s communication karma is now coming home to roost.  So the next 18 months will be about getting the right alignment karmically in relation to economy and material values.  The Sun is also trine the North Node on that day, highlighting that for us.

The Sun enters Aquarius on Thursday (20th), bolstering the Aquarian and Uranian energy, like a new broom sweeping clean.  We become more aware of the needs of the collective, and more inclined to act on behalf of the underdog.  We are open to more futuristic avenues of expression.

On Friday (21st) the Sun is aligned with a major Fixed Star Altair, the Alpha star in the constellation of Aquila (the Eagle).  Bernadette Brady lists the qualities of courage and success under this star.  Fashion designer Paco Rabanne has distant past life recall of coming from a crystal planet orbiting Altair.   “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld equates it with overcoming obstacles:

“This essence can be used for encouragement when a difficult task looms or when the life pattern seems beset with insurmountable obstacles.  This is governing very clearly the understanding associated with these basic principles of resistance, potential and flow.  More strength arises, as well as more courage and more ways to confront that resistance, providing a greater ability to transform any challenging situation… …This may relate to deeper understanding of your own patterns or a difficult family situation that has been repeated over and over”.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – deep experiences
• Tomorrow – emotional high tide
• Tuesday – clearer intuition
• Thursday – new broom sweeping clean
• Friday – overcoming obstacles

Sidney Poitier (1927 – 2022)

“I was a pretty good actor and I believed in brotherhood. I hated racism and segregation. And I was a symbol against those things.”

~ Sidney Poitier

The iconic actor Sidney Poitier died on Friday this week, at the age of 94.  It seems astonishing to think that in the 1950s and 1960s he was virtually the sole black actor in a white film world.  Nowadays we have the likes of Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Idris Elba, but in those days we only had Sidney Poitier.  That is such a historic role for one man to play.

Birth Chart

With over half his planets (6) in the Water element, he was able to convey simmering emotion.  The Sun in his chart was in Pisces, together with Jupiter, Mercury, Venus and Uranus.  Pisces is one of the two acting signs, conveying the sensitivity for subtle character roles; the other is Leo, conveying drama and performance.  Pisces is also a sign which can indicate great Soul evolution, and all the evidence points to this in his character, not least for the responsibility of providing a role model for his race, up to and including the  heyday of the American Civil Rights Movement (1954 – 1968).  In this, he needed the sextile between his Sun and Mars (the Warrior Archetype), though he carried his warriorship in the subtle and gentle mode of an evolved Piscean.  He was helped by a natal conjunction of the Sun and Jupiter, a predisposition to positivity.  At the same time, he experienced, and could portray, hardship, with the Sun square Saturn, giving him the strength of forbearance.  His Sun in Pisces opposed Neptune – providing an ocean of sensitivity, emotion and talent.  The acting profession is suggested by a trine between his Sun (acting and directing) and his Midheaven (careerpoint) and the North Node (karmic mission).  The Midheaven and North Node in his chart are united in a conjunction, so they are in sync, and in addition, the Midheaven is exactly conjunct his 10th House career cusp in the Equal House system.  His Ascendant and Moon were in the sign of Libra – his arresting good looks, and grace were very much in evidence from this sign.  But they also depicted his role as Ambassador to Japan, a Libran role.  Going with those Libran traits, Venus conjunct Uranus showed great personal magnetism.  Mercury trine Pluto marked him out as a deep thinker, and together with Pluto’s position in his 10th House of Career this meant that he was very deliberate about the roles he chose, being aware at that time that he needed to provide a positive role model for a man of his race.  Pluto conjunct the Midheaven described very well his role.  Jupiter trine Pluto brought great personal power, and Jupiter trine the Midheaven/North Node brought a successful career with many opportunities.

Life and Career

Sidney was two months premature when he was born, and nearly died.  Moon square Pluto, in his natal chart, is an indication of this, though of course not necessarily in any chart (it can indicate neonatal difficulties of other kinds). He was born in Miami of a Bahamian family, and moved to New York at the age of 16, where he joined the American Negro Theatre in Harlem, and acted as understudy for Harry Belafonte.  Unable to sing, in the manner of the stereotype, he took to acting, and his first film was The Blackboard Jungle (1955).

In 1956 he worked with director William Wellman on Good-bye, My Lady.  Poitier admired Wellman’s humanity and sensitivity.  Wellman was also a Piscean, with his North Node conjunct Poitier’s Sun/Jupiter in that sensitive sign, indicating a karmic link.  Kindred spirits…

1958 saw him play an escaped convict with Tony Curtis in The Defiant Ones, a wonderful story where hatred turns to love.  He won an Academy Award in 1964 for Lilies of the Field, a film where his character plays a handyman helping a group of nuns.

1967

The year 1967 was a turning point for Sidney Poitier, but also in the outside world.  Astrologically, the groundbreaking conjunction of Uranus and Pluto was still active. To Sir with Love, set in a tough inner city school and starring Lulu, was released in the US in June of that year, with Pluto opposite his Mercury (intense work). In that month, Jupiter was trine his natal Sun in Pisces in 5th House of Creativity and Performance, denoting great success.  With Pluto still opposing Sidney’s Mercury (depth of thought) the film In the Heat of the Night, a powerful film. was released in August, where Poitier played Virgil Tibbs, a police officer investigating a murder in the deep South, co-starring with Rod Steiger.  In October, To Sir with Love was released in the U.K., with Mars on his South Node, Saturn trine his natal Saturn, Neptune trine his Venus (the Love!), and most notably his Uranus Opposition, signifying the assertion of his Inner Rebel, living life on his own terms.  Lulu had a hit with the title song, with the transiting North Node trine her Jupiter (karmic rewards).  In December, the third film was released, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, with Mars sextile his natal Saturn in Sagittarius in 2nd House, Uranus trine his natal Mars in Taurus in 8th House (an exciting challenge), Neptune square his natal Neptune in Leo in 11th House (a sea change in his spirituality, with Neptune being his ruling planet) and notably Pluto opposite his natal Venus, being an agent for challenging social mores.  In that film Poitier played a young doctor in a relationship with a white woman, with Spencer Tracy (in his last film) and Katherine Hepburn playing the parents of the young woman.  The depiction of interracial marriage was groundbreaking for its time, with it being illegal for such marriages in 17 States of America, until 12th June 1967.

Turning Point

In some ways, at this point in his life, with Uranus opposing its natal position, and Pluto opposing his Mercury, he could be seen to be a victim of his own success.  His dilemma was that his roles all depicted “perfect men”.  He did not want to damage the image of the black man, but in doing so it was claimed that he was too good to be true, and that resulted in a backlash. He worried that he was being used as a token black actor.  He was criticized for not being confrontational enough.  He couldn’t win!  He thought deeply about this, in his Mercury trine Pluto way, and thereafter steered himself towards directing roles, in order to have more control over his image and career, and to give himself the chance of more varied roles.

He set about this new strand of his career (with natally the Sun trine his Midheaven/North Node depicting a capacity for directing), with The Western Buck and the Preacher in which he himself starred, as well as Harry Belafonte.  Harry Belafonte was born close in time to Sidney Poitier: they may well have been karmically linked, as they came into incarnation so closely: Sidney on 20th February 1927 and Harry 1st March 1927, both Piscean and  both with Sun conjunct Jupiter in Pisces.  Harry’s “Oh Island in the Sun” is a very Piscean song!  It is tempting to believe that they came in as a vanguard for their cause.  Both worked with Martin Luther King in his powerful marches and speechmaking days.  Sidney’s Nodal Axis is exactly square Harry’s Venus, a sign of possible karmic involvement, and their Ascendants are exactly trine.  Poitier’s most successful film as director was Stir Crazy in 1980, starring Gene Wilder.  Poitier subsequently starred in To Sir with Love II in 1996, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, who also died this week, on 6th January, the day before Sidney.  Bogdanovich was a Leo, the most common sign for a film director.  In 2002, Sidney received the Honorary Academy Award for his contribution to U.S. cinema.  At the award ceremony, Denzel paid tribute to Poitier as his role model – by that time, so many black actors would have been able to relate to his sentiments and sense of gratitude.

Relationships

Sidney married twice, his second marriage lasting from 1976 until his death.  His second wife Joanna Shimkus was a Scorpio, and one of his daughters actress Sydney Poitier was also a Scorpio, a sign often very compatible with Pisces. He also had a long standing relationship with Diahann Carroll, another Water sign Cancer, who was linked with David Frost after her relationship with Sidney ended.  Sidney had 6 children, and 8 grandchildren, plus 3 great-grandchildren.  In 2019, the Bahamas were hit by Hurricane Dorian, and with Saturn opposing his natal Pluto and Neptune on his Mercury, there were 23 of Poitier’s family missing.

Death

At his passing, Jupiter was exactly transiting his Sun, often indicating a happy release in an elderly person.

It was clear that he was an advanced soul.  Adjectives which have been used to describe Sidney Poitier include dignity and grace, grandeur and poise, warmth, depth and stature; vocal precision, physical power, and gentleness.

I hope I have done justice to this icon.

“We all have different selves: There is a public self, a private self, and a core self. We all know the public self – it’s how we put our best foot forward, smiling and behaving.  But the private self is a more fundamental self, and that is where we find our frailties, our fears. It’s like a clearinghouse where our demons are safe…Then there’s the core self, which is our pure instinct. That’s where all our goodness and capacity for kindness lives…Our best comes from there, and we know how courageous and honorable we are. The core self is who we are.”

~ Sidney Poitier, from “The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography”

Aspects

Advance warning:  the week ends with Mercury turning retrograde, so use this week to catch up on all Mercury-related tasks such as documentation, travel and communication.

In the first hour of today (in the U.K.) the Sun was conjunct Venus, which brings harmony to proceedings.  If you are an artist or a musician, it is a day you when you can produce your best creative output or performance.

Mercury also sextiles Chiron today.  This bodes well for health related issues, and problem-solving.  It is helpful for developing your Inner Healer, whatever your sign.  Alternative healing works well with conventional medicine.

In the early hours of Tuesday (11th) the Sun sextiles inspirational Neptune.  The saying goes that you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but the Sun sextile Neptune gives you the best chance of creating beauty and inspiration in your life.  If spiritual harmony and creativity are some of the goals and aspirations you have for the start of the year, you can safely cultivate them on Tuesday.

Begin such enterprises early on Tuesday, for by the evening the picture may be more confusing, with a square between Mars and Neptune.  Mars likes to act unimpeded, but Neptune forces it to be more sensitive, and possibly also more spiritualized.  Energies may be frittered, and water currents could be flowing in unhelpful directions, e.g. leaks.  Generally under such an aspect, meditation can be helpful, and particularly those which combine physical movement with a stilling of the mind, such as Tai Chi.

Friday (14th) as already mentioned, is that well known turning point Mercury Retrograde, which takes place in Aquarius.  It will not go direct until 4th February.  Be clear in your communications between these two dates, in order to avoid misunderstandings and loopholes.  Although technology can go awry, it can be a good period to upgrade such devices.  You may have developed your own strategies, according to past experiences.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – harmony and healing
• Tuesday – creating beauty; managing confusion
• Friday – communication glitches

2022

Welcome to the year 2022: A year of promise.  With Jupiter in Pisces, our dreams can be expressed.  It is a year of expanded consciousness, and there will be a crescendo when Jupiter conjoins with Neptune in Pisces on 12th April, which will encapsulate the meaning of 2022. Times quoted are for the U.K.

If you want to start working with the aspects from now, here is a guide to some of the major astrological events coming up. This calendar is packed with information, so you may want to print it out for your fridge (people do, you know!)

2022 Dates for your Diary if planning ahead:

January

Fri 14th: 11.41 a.m. – Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Communications more difficult.  Retrograde period ends 4th Feb.

Tues 18th: 15.27 Hrs – Uranus Stationary, prior to turning Direct – Change and progress, re-igniting the more positive facets of the element of the unexpected.  Enabling progress for the New Age.

Mon 24th: 12.53 Hrs – Mars leaves Sagittarius, and enters Capricorn – A time for responsible action.  Slow and steady wins the race. [applies till 6th Mar]

Sat 29th: 8.46 a.m. – Venus Stationary, prior to turning Direct – Relationships breathe a sigh of relief.

February

Fri 4th:  4.14 a.m. – Mercury goes Direct [end of Retrograde period].  Communications smoother.

Fri 18th: 00.13 a.m. – Jupiter sextile Uranus – a time of Opportunity and Entrepreneurship.

March

Thurs 3rd: 8.43 a.m. – Mars conjoins with Pluto – A very combustible combination!  Caution required…

17.56 Hrs: …A triple conjunction with Venus, so feelings and relationships will be involved.  Unusual combination.  The next three days, Venus and Mars are entwined, which is a very sensual combination.

Sat 5th:  14.06 Hrs – Sun conjunct Jupiter – One of the luckiest days of the year.

Sun 6th: 6.23 a.m. – Mars leaves Capricorn and enters Aquarius – A time for quickening!… [applies till 15 Apr]

6.30 a.m. – …closely followed by Venus entering Aquarius – bringing a very social vibe.  The sensual and social vibe of Venus-Mars continues until 10th Mar, when Venus starts to pull away.

7.12 a.m. Venus conjoins with Mars – the height of sensuality.

Sun 20th: 15.33 Hrs – Spring Equinox.  The Sun enters Aries – the beginning of the Astrological New Year.  Day and Night of equal length.

April

Tues 12th: 14.42 Hrs – Jupiter conjoins with Neptune – The Astrological event of the year!  Maximum expansion of consciousness, and possibly spiritual euphoria. But for a few, delusion and the bursting of a bubble.

Fri 15th: 3.06 a.m. – Mars enters Pisces – An energetic shift from a “get things done” mode, to that of compassion and charity. [applies till 24 May]

Fri 29th: 18.37 Hrs – Pluto Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde  – A level of setback, necessitating psychological understanding and awareness of reality.

Sat 30th: 20.28 Hrs – New Moon and Solar Eclipse at 10 degrees Taurus – Turning point, to possible greater stability.

21.14 Hrs – Venus conjunct Jupiter – One of the best moments of the year.  Social and romantic, favours engagements and weddings.

May

Tues 3rd: 22.33 Hrs – Jupiter sextile Pluto – One of the most important aspects of the year.  Helpful for the expression of power, hopefully in a constructive fashion, though some may mis-use it.  Good for getting big and ambitious projects under way or completed.

Tues 10th: Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Communications more difficult.  Retrograde period ends 3rd June.

23.22 Hrs: Jupiter leaves Pisces and enters Aries – A huge expression of Fire!  But also a positive energy, if used well, and under control.  The forthcoming year ahead belongs to Aries!

Mon 16th: 4.14 a.m. – Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon at 25 degrees Scorpio) – turning point, and great emotional intensity.  Try to keep a calm atmosphere, e.g. through meditation.

Tues 24th: 23.17 Hrs – Mars enters Aries, joining Jupiter in that sign – More fiery energy, if you can take it and apply it! [applies till 5 July]

June

Fri 3rd:  8.00 a.m. –Mercury goes Direct [end of Retrograde period].  Communications smoother.

Sat 4th: 21.47 Hrs – Saturn is Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde  – The need to secure foundations, and go over previous ground.  Retrograde period ends 23 Oct.

Tues 21st: 9.14 a.m. – Summer Solstice – The Sun enters Cancer.  The peak of the Light.

Tues 28th: 7.57 a.m. – Neptune Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Some retrospection on the Spiritual path.  Retrograde period ends 4th Dec.

July

Sat 2nd: 2.14 a.m. – Mars square Pluto – A very combustible combination!  Caution required.

Tues 5th: 6.04 a.m. – Mars enters Taurus – A slower, more purposeful energy, very grounding. [applies until 20 Aug]

Thurs 28th: 20.37 Hrs – Jupiter Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde  – Revising your Philosophy.  Retrograde period ends 23 Nov.

August

Sat 20th: 7.56 a.m. – Mars enters Gemini – A more lively, more mental energy. . [applies for the rest of the year.  A long sojourn, until March 2023]

Weds 24th: 13.52 Hrs – Uranus Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Rebellion, and bids for freedom.  This placement lasts the rest of the year.  Retrograde period ends January 2023.

September

Sat 10th:  3.37 a.m. – Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Communications more difficult.  Retrograde period ends 2nd Oct.

Fri 23rd: 1.04 a.m. – Autumn Equinox – The Sun enters Libra – A time of balance.  Day and Night of equal length.

October

Sun 2nd: Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Direct – Communications eased.

Sat 8th: 21.57 Hrs – Pluto Direct – Psychological journey more straightforward.  Comparable to the ascent from the Underworld.

Sun 23rd: 4.07 a.m. – Saturn Direct – Less struggle.

Tues 25th: 10.49 a.m. – New Moon and Solar Eclipse at 2 degrees Scorpio – Turning point, to greater intensity, and the nitty gritty of life.

Fri 28th: 5.10 a.m. – Jupiter Retrograde re-enters Pisces temporarily – More compassionate and charitable projects.  More active projects recently started in abeyance for now.  Jupiter re-enters Aries 20 Dec.

Sun 30th: 13.26 Hrs – Mars Stationary prior to turning Retrograde – More stalling and backtracking over active projects.  Patience needed.  Mars Retrograde until January 2023.

November

Tues 8th: 11.02 a.m. – Lunar Eclipse – (Full Moon at 16 degrees Taurus) – turning point, drawing a line in the sand.

Mon 21st: 4.07 a.m. – Sun trine Jupiter – One of the luckiest days of the year.

Weds 23rd: 23.02 Hrs – Jupiter Direct – straightening out your Philosophy.

December

Sun 4th: 00.12 a.m. – Neptune Direct. Spiritual path clearing.

Tues 20th: 14.32 Hrs -Jupiter re-enters Aries – Projects can move forward more easily. A green light for Aries!

Weds 21st: 21.48Hrs – Winter Solstice. The Sun enters Capricorn.  The beginning of the Return of the Light.

Thurs 29th: 9.31 a.m. – Mercury Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde – Communications more difficult.  Retrograde period ends mid January 2023.  Stay tuned to the blog!

Aspects

Hopefully, you have kickstarted the New Year with a verve worthy of the Sun’s trine with Uranus which took place yesterday!

Today is still quite lively with a lot going on, starting with Mercury entering Aquarius.  This is about big, bold envisioning of the future, much as a continuation of yesterday’s energy and promise.  We have wrestled with the realities of Mercury in Capricorn, and can now look ahead and embrace some new ideas about the future.  Perhaps there are ideas we have not quite been ready to accept before this point.

We also have a New Moon in Capricorn in the early evening of today, so if you are using the optimum Capricorn energy, you could have good results today, especially if you are starting a new project connected with organization, politics, and relations with authority and the institutions of society.

Late in the day, Mercury will be trine the North Node, which may ensure that the right people get the right information at the right time, and that karmic justice is carried out.  You should be able to experience that on a mental or spiritual level.

Tomorrow (Monday, 3rd), Jupiter will be square the Nodal Axis.  It is a chance for us collectively to evolve.  This may be characterized by a great deal of interaction, and attempts at jollity.

Venus sextiles Neptune on Wednesday (5th), which is a delightful aspect – a beautiful expression of spirituality and the Arts.  New artistic avenues can flourish, ingenious ways for people to share art, music and performance can keep the Arts alive.  Hopes are on the horizon for such things.

A Fixed Star for Friday 7th may be of interest to some…It is Pi Sagittarii, a group of three stars together, one of which is a yellow giant.  According to “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld:

“…This group of stars will assist individuals who wish to contemplate and understand their own genetic coding, their connection to their own DNA, and the awareness of their own lifelines through the physical body.  They may be able to understand their heritage and genetics, as well as their awareness of how these things could be changed by them more consciously…”

Relevant to this could be the book “Psychogenetics” by Chris Griscom, if you have any Christmas book vouchers hanging about!

The week in bullet points:

• Today (Sunday 2nd January) – lively, new beginning, useful karmic information
• Tomorrow (Monday 3rd) – group evolution
• Wednesday – spiritual expression of the Arts
• Friday – genetic coding, relationship to ancestors

Review of the Year 2021

It’s that time again…Time for the Review of the Year!   Year two of the pandemic, we would hope the last.   Containing selections from the blogs, as usual…

January

10th:

Gerry Marsden (1942 – 2021)

Singer Gerry Marsden, frontman for Gerry and the Pacemakers, died last week.  He and his band were a fundamental part of the Merseybeat scene in the early 1960s, and his version of “You’ll never walk alone” was the soundtrack to many a Liverpool football match…

“You’ll never Walk Alone” is a song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein film musical Carousel of 1945.  In the musical, it accompanies a poignant storyline about a widow.

The song is particularly associated with Liverpool Football Club, but is played at football matches all over the world, inspired by Gerry’s recording.

George Martin continues:

“…a more interesting recording Gerry made was of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the old American standard.  He always got a great reaction from audiences when he performed it, and it was Brian’s idea to record it….”

February

7th:

Captain Sir Tom Moore (1920 – 2021)

“Tomorrow will be a good day”

“…the doctors and the nurses, they’re all on the front line, and all of us behind, we’ve got to supply them and keep them going with everything that they need, so that they can do their jobs even better than they’re doing now.”

~ Captain Sir Tom Moore

The pandemic which gave us Captain Tom, eventually was responsible for taking away the national treasure which he became.  Captain Sir Tom Moore died on Tuesday last week, 2nd February 2021.  He first came to our attention last April, in the middle of our first lockdown in the U.K.  Wanting to express his gratitude to the N.H.S. for his recent care after a fall, he set upon walking up and down his garden on his walking frame at the tender age of 99.  By the time of his birthday at the end of April, he had raised over £30 million.  It was an eventful year for him, and the nation took him to their hearts.  Many people (including a great number of children) were inspired to raise money through similar exploits, ensuring a positive dimension to our collective experience through this crisis.

March

28th:

Kate Garraway and Derek Draper

“I pray for him every night, in my prayers”

~ Sir Elton John

This week television schedules featured a documentary “Finding Derek” about Kate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper, who faced an induced coma this time last year from Covid-19, and is on a very long road to recovery.  Kate comes over as remarkably courageous, and their relationship remarkably strong.  Doctors have said he was the sickest survivor of Covid they had come across.  He did not open his eyes until July 2020, and his cognitive functions have been seriously impaired…

Derek remains in hospital, over a year on.  He suffered multiple organ failure, and it is amazing that he lived. In the documentary, Kate is seen preparing the house, with the help of builders, for his return, entailing wheelchair ramps and a downstairs bedroom with a hospital bed.  She is shown interacting with the children, and wisely and bravely explaining to them the realities of their situation.  Above all, her love and commitment shine through.  If you haven’t watched it, I would recommend it, as it has implications for society’s recovery from this pandemic, how it can change lives, and touches on the extensive phenomenon of long covid, of which Derek’s is a very extreme case.  Kate will be releasing a new book “The Power of Hope” on 28th April 2021.

April

11th:

Prince Philip (1921 – 2021)

It is sad to think of the Queen without her consort of 70 years.  Prince Philip was in his own right a larger than life character, and these last two days his death at the age of 99 has dominated our screens and newspapers.  He has been praised, not least by Queen Elizabeth herself, for being a rock by her side for her all these years.  I will keep it brief this morning so that you can digest all the newsfeed!…

He married Elizabeth on 20th November 1947, with Uranus trine his natal Node (an unusual new aspect of his destiny).  Neptune was sextile Elizabeth’s natal Moon, ensuring a spiritual foundation for their marriage.  They were both deeply religious.  In their synastry, her Venus is trine his Mercury, so with their ruling planets in sync theirs was a marriage of happy companionship.

May

9th:

Ian Wright

“I can remember clearly seeing my stepdad manhandling my mum.  She was so small.  We were all living in the same room, so my brother and me would have to turn away.”

~ Ian Wright

Football pundit and former professional footballer Ian Wright has been on our television screen this week with a documentary about children affected by domestic abuse in childhood.  Now that we are coming out of lockdown, we are becoming aware of how it has enabled the growth of domestic abuse.  According to the Big Issue this week, “In the last year, 1.6 million women experienced domestic abuse, and in 90 per cent of cases there’s a child present.”…

Ian has eight children in all, from three different mothers.  He strived to be the father he wished he had had, and not to be the step-father he had.  Two of his sons are professional footballers.   Again from the Big Issue interview:

“…my oldest son Shaun means so much because the experience I had with my stepfather made me decide I wasn’t going to let that happen to Shaun.  When I started going out with his mum, I knew I wanted to treat him like my son.  He is my son… all I wanted was for Shaun to have a better upbringing in respects of having a stepdad than I did.”

June

6th:

Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka drew attention to mental health issues this week in relation to the post-match interviews that take place in tennis tournaments.  She decided to resign from the French Open at Roland Garros, when the authorities warned that she could be suspended for refusing to take part in the interviews.  She had been fined $15,000.  She then revealed the precarious state of her mental health, and the strain the interviews involved.  The authorities have been accused of lacking empathy…

Naomi pulled out of the French Open on Monday.  Her transits at the time were:-

Mars square her natal Sun (anger over an issue; making a stand; activism)

Uranus square her natal Jupiter (a disruption)

Pluto on her natal Neptune (deep psychological issues to work through)

The week’s events may lead to a review of the whole issue of post-match interviews.  Certainly, as a viewer, you tend to cringe at the idea of someone being interviewed who has lost and is the throes of deep disappointment.

July

18th:

Entrepreneurs into Space

Last Sunday, vying for our attention with the men’s singles finals and the European Cup, saw Richard Branson launching himself into space on Virgin Galactic.  This coming week it will be Jeff Bezos, and later on Elon Musk.  It seems to be a passion for some rich and wealthy inhabitants of Earth, but to other inhabitants it looks like a self-indulgent and wasteful pastime, and has been widely criticized….

In the Observer this morning, Catherine Bennett writes about our very own “rocket man”, and the trio of billionaires, describing “a growing suspicion of men who, with the colossal means to address climate disaster, would rather burn their wealth on projects that even they occasionally admit are juvenile”.

August

22nd:

Afghanistan

Book Review: “The Places In Between” by Rory Stewart (pub: 2004 Picador)

The horrific scenes this week of people trying to flee Afghanistan at Kabul airport, people being crushed, women throwing their babies over barbed wire fences supposedly to safety, has shown us this week how absolute is the plight of the Afghan people, since the U.S. and the U.K. have pulled out their presence, and allowed the Taliban to encroach on every inch of the land.

A while ago, a friend sent me the book of Rory Stewart’s walk across Afghanistan, and this week I felt this was the right time to read it, while all our thoughts were trained on the tragedy that has befallen its people.  Another friend this week commented that Rory Stewart would have made a better Foreign Secretary, especially in the light of Dominic Raab taking his eye of the ball when the crisis erupted last Sunday…

I don’t want to give out too many spoilers. His stories would be fascinating on their own, but in addition are seen through the lens of a fine mind and a character with a uniquely interesting take on life.

September

12th:

Emma Raducanu

“Every time you watch her you think she’s going to win every point.  You don’t even get that nervous.  She’s the real thing, you don’t get someone head and shoulders above that often and she’s one of those.  She has an incredible future.”

~ Virginia Wade

Young tennis star Emma Raducanu has been electrifying us with good news and mounting anticipation this week at the U.S. Open, culminating in her astonishing win last night as champion of this tournament.  Since her surprise emergence at Wimbledon this year, she has received A* in A Level Maths and an A in Economics, and toured America, before the tournament which began on 24th August.  She has quipped that she was set for an early exit with a flight back, but is taking it all in her stride, focussing one day at a time, taking care of each day.  Maybe her approach is a masterclass on living in the Now…? …

Watching Emma, I became aware of her unusual body language, and open aura, as though stretching out to her full potential.  Ah, who knew the power of a Venus Return in Scorpio?…I suspect she has a Libran Ascendant.  But both girls were outstanding, and the future of women’s tennis is showing great promise.

“When you make history you do it at  one level or two.  Emma is doing it at so many.  We’ve been hyping her but it’s happening.  She’s backing it all up.”

~ Martina Navratilova

October

31st:

COP 26

The 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow starts today, and lasts twelve days.  It is the last chance for the world’s nations (around 125 are involved) to commit to keeping warming from carbon emissions below 1.5 degrees C.  There is not a nation that won’t be affected by increased global warming, some are more responsible than others, some care more than others, and some are more vulnerable than others.

Astrologically, the next twelve days carry the challenge of a T-square between the Sun and Mars in Scorpio, Uranus in Taurus, and Saturn in Aquarius.  You would not expect anything less for such a complex and demanding international scenario.  Perhaps in your own life or work you are negotiating a long, difficult and complex task, such as a house move.  It is a huge balancing act, and requires commitment.  Additionally, Mars has just entered Scorpio which makes each party fight for its corner and be less inclined to compromise.  But the good of the whole has to be predominant…

David Attenborough will be attending, and Jupiter will be trine his natal Mercury, fulfilling his efforts in communication.  There is also great poignancy for him, as Jupiter opposes his natal Neptune at 22 degrees Leo in his 6th House of Environment, his great sensitivity…

The spotlight will be on Greta Thunberg on Friday, and she will be holding a school strike, as has become normal for that day of the week.  The day is billed for a focus on Youth and Public Empowerment and Education.  She was interviewed at length by Andrew Marr this morning, and answered lucidly on all angles of the subject of climate change.

November

21st:

Azeem Rafiq

The world of that sedate and stately game of cricket has been rocked lately by allegations of institutionalized racism, by its whistleblower retired cricketer Azeem Rafiq…

It appears that even from a young age he was sensitive to remarks made about his ethnicity by white players.  It was reported in the Observer this morning that white British players from private schools are 34 times more likely to succeed in cricket than young Asians, even today.  He must have been outstandingly talented to have succeeded…

The current furore began on September 2020, when he accused the club of  historic racism, harassment and bullying, and a formal investigation was set up.  Transiting Saturn was exactly conjunct his North Node in Capricorn (taking on an Institution), intensifying that responsibility in his birth chart (see above), prior to his Saturn Return.  Rafiq hoped to bring about “meaningful change” at the club. On 17th June 2021 a tribunal took place, but failed to reach a conclusion, and Rafiq refused to take a settlement which would have meant a non-disclosure agreement, as he needed to feel free to speak about his issues with the club.  With Pluto on his North Node, he had to be clear in his integrity…

I would say that any whistleblower, in any institution, particularly if they are the first whistleblower of their kind, has to be incredibly brave, and racism in cricket or anywhere else needs to be tackled.  Rafiq was not able to speak out back in his career heyday, but now, with the “Me Too” and other such movements, the time has come.

December

19th:

Lewis Hamilton

Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton has had a momentous week.  He took part in the final of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the result of which was controversial, and was subsequently knighted.  He has won  seven World Drivers’ Championship titles…

The race itself had been dubbed “one of the most intense, hard-fought battles in sporting history over 22 grands prix”, undoubtedly historic in significance.

Lewis was knighted in the middle of the week, with the same transits pertaining (Pluto sextile his Saturn and trine his North Node): a week with gravitas, for him…

“I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice. Not a sign from anybody in my industry which of course is a white dominated sport. I’m one of the only people of colour there yet I stand alone”.

~ Lewis Hamilton

Aspects

Are  you feeling some sense of relief, or at least the beginning of relief, that the Saturn-Uranus square and Venus-Pluto conjunction, with accompanying dramas and emotional tension, are over?  Hopefully, we have cleared a path towards a smoother 2022.

This evening, we have a sextile between Mercury and Neptune, which will assist you in refining your mindset and remaining mental clutter from the past year, which has been so difficult for some.  Our minds will be able to receive higher guidance more easily today.  Delicate conversations and channelling will also be made easier.

Jupiter in Pisces

Skip to Wednesday (29th), inching nearer the New Year, and a big shift occurs: the ingress of Jupiter into Pisces (from Aquarius), after a brief previous sojourn there in the summer months this year.  This coincided with a lightening of restrictions, and a comparatively carefree few months in terms of places of hospitality and theatres attempting a return to normality, and more foreign travel allowed.  So Jupiter in Pisces certainly did no harm to our lifestyles.  However, we are now in the territory of the Omicron variant, and still do not know quite what to make of it.  Jupiter in Pisces increases hopes, dreams and wishes, but not necessarily clarity and reality.  However, hope is always needed.

Under Jupiter in Pisces, empathy and compassion are more likely to bring about an air of unity.  It is charitable, and not divisive in nature.  People may be able to tackle the recent trait of “hatred” which has given rise to political division, and violence in society, among other manifestations.  The idea of “one world” is more achievable.  In the Observer this morning, it was reported that the Brexit division may be evening out, as:

“More than six out of 10 voters believe Brexit has either gone badly or worse than they expected – a year after the UK left the EU, according to an anniversary poll for the Observer.”

Of course, Brexit is only one of many divisions in our society, but it may be a sign that Jupiter in Pisces is almost on its way, and there may be more merging of ideas and feelings.

Jupiter is more comfortable in Pisces (a sign it originally ruled before Neptune came along). The crescendo of its time  in Pisces will come in April of next year (2022) when it conjoins with Neptune in Neptune’s own sign.  To quote the lyrics of Pete Seeger in the song by the Byrds (“Turn,Turn,Turn”):

“To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late”

For the individual, Jupiter will quite likely be in the same segment (House) of your birth chart as Neptune, and be working to subtler and more refined ways of being, especially for that area of your life.  Your inner resources will come to mean more to you.

Still in the morning of Wednesday 29th, Venus will form a conjunction with Mercury at 24 degrees Capricorn.  This conjunction is ideal for socializing, conversation, artistic or literary endeavours, or negotiations.  Your communications will have an artistic flair, so it’s a good time to get creative.

Next up, still on Wednesday, Chiron squares the Sun, not so much of a picnic.  This may pose a dilemma, or a problem to be solved, or even a healing crisis to be soothed.  It is a time to hone your Inner Healer, both for your self-healing, and for anyone who comes into your orbit.

On Thursday (30th) Mars and Saturn will be sextile, and if you are looking for a spot of reality in the new world of Jupiter in Pisces, this aspect will give you the tools you need and possibly the opportunity to put into practice a project or scheme which you may have been trying to get to for some while.  This aspect can be most useful on a practical level.  It is good for both beginning and finishing active projects, e.g. for putting that final piece in a jigsaw.  Some solid ground can be gained with the boost of this aspect.

In the morning also, we have a conjunction between Mercury and Pluto which may have the effect of concentrating the mind, possibly seeming to make the task in hand more difficult, but actually giving it more meaning, depth and thought.  This conjunction brings great scrutiny but goes deep psychologically.  Conversations and communications deepen in nature, and causes of situations and circumstances may be uncovered, such as motives.  We all become detectives.

With Saturday, we now arrive at the New Year of 2022, and a new vibration, at the very least for numerologists.  And we have a very fitting aspect for a New Year, a veritable new broom of an aspect:  the Sun trine Uranus, no less!  This is a hopeful influence.  It may bring an unexpected go ahead to forge on with innovative plans and original creativity. That can include vivid dreams, with informative futuristic information encoded in them.  It is an ideal aspect for New Year’s Resolutions, Affirmations, and Creative Visualizations for the coming year.  Some would prefer not to make resolutions, but I have had it in my mind for some time to begin work on Volume II of my novel trilogy “The Quiet Office”, about present time.  So it’s good to know the stars are aligned on that very day.  Happy New Year to you All.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – refine your mindset
• Wednesday – deeper into compassion; social, artistic and diplomatic communications; a problem to be solved
• Thursday – reality triumphs; mental challenges
• Saturday – a new and original outlook

Lewis Hamilton

Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton has had a momentous week.  He took part in the final of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the result of which was controversial, and was subsequently knighted.  He has won  seven World Drivers’ Championship titles.

Birth Chart

Lewis has the Sun in Capricorn conjunct Jupiter, so is adventurous and lucky by nature, but also very controlled and disciplined, with Saturn rising in Scorpio.  The Sun is closely sextile the Ascendant, showing a competitive nature, and Jupiter is closely trine his North Node, extending the sense of adventure and luck to his karmic mission.  He was born exactly on a Full Moon in Cancer, and has a very emotional chart, with  5 of his planets in the Water element.  The position of his Part of Fortune is worthy of mention, being exactly opposite his Ascendant, which could be linked with his exceptional talent.  He has an  unaspected Mercury in Sagittarius, which may give him a very independent mind.  Mars, the planet most linked with motor racing, is in Pisces in the 4th House of Home and Family.  Certainly his father gave him great encouragement and support from an early age, buying him a go-kart at the age of six, and working hard to support him financially. His Mars receives a square from Uranus, indicating a very electric type of energy, and trines Pluto, providing a powerhouse of energy.  Mars is conjunct his I.C. by 2 degs, making the motor car the foundation of his life.  He also has Jupiter sextile Saturn, an indication of balanced judgement.  Saturn is exactly conjunct his South Node, meaning that control and discipline were a strong feature of his past lives, suggesting intense training in some field (before the advent of the motor car!).  Pluto sextile Midheaven shows he is in a career which is on the edge, dicing with death.  Jupiter is a key planet in his chart, showing up significantly in transits and progressions, and is placed in the 3rd House of transport.

Life and Career

Lewis was born in Stevenage, and his parents separated when he was two years old; he lived with his mother until he was twelve, and then with his father.  He was bullied at school for being mixed race.

When he began motor racing in 1998, and in 2007 he was the only black driver to race with McLaren.  After success with McLaren winning world title for the youngest ever driver, he switched to Mercedes in 2013.  He has been celebrated for  his interests outside the sport, in activism in the fields of ecology and racism (supporting the Black Lives Matter movement), and participation in music and fashion. He is a vegan, and teetotal.

This Week

The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix turned out to be a two horse race, in that Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen took the lead early on in the series.  Like Lewis, Verstappen has a strong Mars-Pluto (daredevil) connection you would expect in motor racing, in his case a conjunction.  The outcome all rested on the final race.  Hamilton was hoping to make this his eighth title, which would have seen him overtake Michael Schumacher for the record.  Verstappen was able to overtake Hamilton, however, on the final lap.  Decisions on protocol had been made at the last minute by the race director, which affected the performance, and so Mercedes considered appealing the result.  Lewis himself thought the outcome had been “manipulated”.  Nevertheless, he congratulated Verstappen at the end of the race.

Lewis’ main transits for this event were Pluto exactly sextile his Saturn rising, exact to the day, and Pluto exactly trine Lewis North Node in 7th House.  Serious transits, with an element of karma implied.  Verstappen had a Mars Return (completely in sync with his own energy and his car), Uranus square  his Jupiter (controversial luck), and Neptune trine his natal Venus (personal euphoria).

Their synastry points even further towards karmic encounter, with Verstappen’s Moon trine Hamilton’s North Node (karmic), his Saturn forming a T-square with Lewis’ Sun-Moon opposition, his Uranus squaring Hamilton’s Pluto (effecting a change in Hamilton’s patterns), his Pluto squares Hamilton’s Venus (personal rivalry), and his Ascendant squaring Hamilton’s Midheaven (an awkward fit).

The race itself had been dubbed “one of the most intense, hard-fought battles in sporting history over 22 grands prix”, undoubtedly historic in significance.

Lewis was knighted in the middle of the week, with the same transits pertaining (Pluto sextile his Saturn and trine his North Node): a week with gravitas, for him.

Nicole Scherzinger

For seven years, he and singer Nicole Scherzinger made a celebrity power couple.  Cancerian Nicole would fit the criteria of Lewis’ Moon in Cancer (Cancerian women in his life).  They met on 1st November 2007 at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Munich, with Saturn on his Midheaven and Uranus square his Uranus, signalling an important change in his life.  For Nicole, Saturn was sextile her Sun in her 10th House (meeting a prominent Capricornian), Uranus trine her natal Jupiter (an opportunity), and Pluto trine her natal Saturn, showing an important change in her life too. Notable features of their synastry were her Sun sextile his Midheaven (her support for his career), her Venus trine his Uranus (a stimulating relationship) and her Neptune conjunct his Uranus, lending depth to their relationship.  She has always refused to talk about her relationships, though. They separated in February 2015, with Jupiter trine his natal Uranus (moving on to pastures new)  and Neptune on his I.C. (his foundations changing).  Jupiter was trine her natal Neptune at the time and Neptune trine her natal Sun (a new spiritual direction); Uranus opposing her natal Pluto and Pluto square her Pluto (a necessary change).

“I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice. Not a sign from anybody in my industry which of course is a white dominated sport. I’m one of the only people of colour there yet I stand alone”.

~ Lewis Hamilton

Aspects

It’s an important week, astrologically, as well as being the main winter  holiday season.  Not only are we on tenterhooks as to whether we can gather with whom for Christmas, but the planets too are on tenterhooks on Christmas Eve.  It brings to mind the phrase “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans” (attributed to John Lennon).

We begin the day and the week, today, with a square between Mercury and Chiron, so mini-crises may arise needing problem-solving skills, and solutions which may be to hand, like dock leaves near nettles, or may require soul consultation, digging deep.  The cause of this may be general pre-Christmas panic, the brain fog of whether you have got that last minute gift or card, for example.

We then have a Full Moon in Gemini.   The tussle of Moon in Gemini and Sun in Sagittarius is a tussle over communication, and that is the principle which can also bring them to a whole.  The Full Moon peaks early in the morning, so you may find the tension starting to dissipate from that point.  By the time you rise from your sleep, you may have resolved the issue to some extent, through your dream life.  This will be a powerful Moon, since it opposes the Sun at the Galactic Centre.

Still in the morning, the rare phenomenon of Venus Retrograde takes place, or her stationing prior to turning retrograde.  Although you may need to go over old ground, you can refer back to a time when a relationship was entirely harmonious, and what brought you together in the first place, when working towards improvements.  But bear in mind that we are in the middle of Venus conjoining Pluto on two occasions (once when it applied to Pluto, and then when it moves back to Pluto), and that may mean deep transformations in relationships, and the way you conduct them.  Financial changes can also occur, and there may be a flurry of various financial matters to deal with.

As if that were not enough to deal with on one day, Chiron also stations prior to turning Direct, so another fluctuation but at least in an easier direction.  This is a helpful turning of the path on your healing journey.  If you are hospital visiting or having a health check up on that day, this development may help you see things in a new light, e.g. realizing the purpose behind the condition.  You may start to find new healing avenues.

Monday (20th) has a sparkling sextile between the Sun and Jupiter, which can bring new hope!  It is one of the brightest  aspects of the year.  Focus on what makes you happy, and make more of that.

On Monday evening, Mercury trines Uranus which spells playfulness and creativity; good ideas can come out of nowhere, always a benefit of Mercury and Uranus.  Some of the best inventions come out of this space.  The mind is uplifted, and computers and I.T. devices given or received, will be on good form and working satisfyingly well.  Mental brilliance, technological upgrades, lightbulb moments, and futuristic inspiration can be yours.  So even if you thought your re-arranged plans seemed rather dull, the day could surprise you. I would say it is the most positive day this week.

The Winter Solstice occurs on Tuesday (21st), mid-afternoon.  For many this will be a relief, and a sense of a new dawn, especially for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.).  The Sun’s entry into Capricorn is a return to practicality, after the aspirational month of Sagittarius.  It is a time to look at the general structure and order of things, and your relationship with authority and the institutions which govern our society.

This leads us to the next manifestation of the Saturn-Uranus square, on Christmas Eve (Friday 24th), which has been creating a conflict between the old and the new this whole year.  It is a battle royal, and it culminates on Christmas Eve this year.  It may be difficult to make the best decision at that time, though the decision may be made for you.  Also, take care of physical safety and wellbeing on that day.  You may notice specific personal and universal dilemmas operating for people.  As this has been operational all year, you may also see some progress and resolution as some people see how to resolve certain matters.

The last day of the week, Christmas Day (Saturday 25th), is equally challenging, because Venus again makes a conjunction with Pluto, and it may be a money or relationship issue which might seem as though it never really went away since the last conjunction (on 11th December).  You may feel under a lot of pressure.  What is important, is to try to get to the root of the matter in hand, and for that you may need to go back in time.  There is much to reflect on about the enormity of changes which have come about, and the impact on humanity.  You may need to do some soul-searching in order to have a handle on your feelings.  Whether you are spending Christmas Day alone, or in company (say functional, or dysfunctional family), love and money will take up emotional energy.  Within that frame, you may be able to strike the right note with depth and meaning, to have a fulfilled Christmas.  I hope so.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – complex; problem-solving; emotional high tide; going over old ground in relationships; new healing moves
• Tomorrow – success; excitement and mental ingenuity
• Tuesday – down to earth, and light returning
• Friday – settling the score between the old and the new
• Saturday – serious relationships

Allegra Stratton – Part 2

I first wrote about Allegra Stratton a year ago, when she was appointed press secretary for 10 Downing Street.  I think her role has been fairly low key, nothing like that of C.J., the White House Press Secretary in “The West Wing”.  Her role this week was as fall guy for the Christmas Partygate scandals.  Women are outraged that it is often the female in the man’s world who is the scapegoat, and the men get off relatively scot free.  Others have felt her tears to let down the women’s movement.  So, plenty to mull over…

I wrote last year (highlights in red):

Birth Chart

“So what sort of a woman is Allegra?  Her birthchart states categorically that she is a Warrior!  She has Sun in Aries (warriorship) with Mars exactly conjunct the North Node (karmic mission as a warrior), with the Sun also trine the North Node (a leader, too).  The North Node at 26 degrees Leo is exactly trine the Galactic Centre, a centre of great power.  Her Sun is also trine Mars (more guns blazing) and exactly opposite Pluto, which is deep and powerful, but not always to her advantage (power struggles can ensue).  There is a sense that while she loves power and is attracted to it, she may also become a pawn in its game.  So warriorship, power and leadership are prominent components of the core of her birthchart.  We do not have a birth time/Ascendant, so we don’t know how much that would mitigate or soften the picture. But she is a definite go-getter.

The Sun and Mars are in a Grand Fire Trine with Neptune, which provides some softness and sensitivity.  This might provide some skill in what she does, because she has the fight (Mars) but the sensitivity (Neptune) to understand the opponent.  However, she was taken to task during her career (2012), in upsetting a single mum who she interviewed, and ended up having to apologize.  An outstanding talent she does have for P.R. and communications is shown by her Mercury exactly trine Uranus: she is in the right profession.  She also has Mars conjunct Jupiter, energy allied with enthusiasm.  Jupiter square Uranus in her chart reveals that she can be a risk-taker, and an opportunist: she certainly bagged an opportunity here…

… So Allegra may be called upon to sometimes defend the indefensible, in her new role.”

This Week

The focus of my piece a year ago was how she managed to help oust the chief pantomime villain of the time, Dominic Cummings.  Today, I will be taking a look at the current picture this week.

Allegra became the focus of this crisis on 7th December when a video was leaked of her making light of an illegal Christmas party last year, and she resigned the next day 8th December.  Her transits are striking:

Mars square her natal Mars (in trouble); Mars square her Nodal Axis (karma rebounding); Jupiter opposite her natal Mars (a problem in relation to enthusiasm and humour); Jupiter on her South Node (humour karma); plus Uranus on her natal Chiron exact to the day (an unexpected wound for her).  She said she would regret her words for the rest of her days.

The historic event

The Christmas Party in question (there are now many others reported) took place on 18th December last year.  Unaware of the seeds of her future destruction as she joked four days later at a mock rehearsal press conference, her transits at the time were: Chiron (wounds) sextile her natal Venus; Pluto sextile her natal Mercury (the import of words); Mars trine her natal Neptune (unguardedness).  Not unpleasant transits in themselves, and she did seem quite merry at the time.

Her Role

Allegra must have felt blessed in her life to be “in with the in crowd”.  Rishi Sunak (our immensely rich Chancellor) was a friend of her husband’s and best man at their wedding.  She and her husband James Forsyth (political editor of the Spectator) are godparents to the Sunak’s children, and the Sunaks are godparents to Allegra and James’ children.  She was a friend of Carrie Symonds, wife of the Prime Minister, and together they managed to oust Dominic Cummings, whose lingering presence was an embarrassment to the Prime Minister.  On gaining her role as press secretary, there were whispers that it was another example of cronyism within the party.

Her appointment was announced on 8th October last year, and it was intended that she would undertake a series of press briefings from November.  The potential of the post did not materialize, and at first the plan was delayed to January 2021.  The covid situation (i.e the prolonged lockdown) meant that eventually it was scrapped entirely.

There was a chance for her to shine when she was the spokesperson for the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November 2021.  However, she did not take a leading role and made some unfortunate counterproductive comments such as preferring diesel to electric cars.  So her plumb role could not have yielded much personal satisfaction. Now that it has literally ended in tears for her, she may have regrets about taking the role in the first place.

The astrological comparison of the announcement of her role and her resignation is interesting (to nerds and geeks at the very least), being a history of the beginning and ending of a role: Saturn squared the Uranus of new role to the day; Saturn squared the Mercury (communication role) of the new role, bringing an end to the role, and Pluto was transiting the Saturn of the new role this week (a difficult final outcome).  It had proved to be much of a non-role in many ways…

Relationship with the Conservative Party chart

There are two ways scapegoating can show itself astrologically.  One is through Capricorn and its ruler Saturn (the role of the goat, sadly); the other is through Neptune, which represents sacrifice.  In Allegra’s astrological relationship with the Conservative Party chart, there is not an element of the Neptunian sacrifice (it was not conscious).  But the Conservative Party Saturn squares her natal Mars and her Nodal Axis.  Also she has a destructive square to her natal Moon from the Conservative Pluto (a devastating tear jerker).

The whole story has a ring of karma to it…she obtained the role through cronyism, she conspired with Carrie Symonds to get rid of Dominic Cummings…then she herself became the scapegoat for further scandal.

Meanwhile, the whole affair has made several sections of the population angry: those who lost loved ones to covid, and unable to visit them, while others partied; those who believe that women are scapegoated in a man’s world; those who are offended by the “weaponization” of women’s tears; there was such a sense of privilege about that mock press conference, adding to the public’s outrage at being taken for fools.

It is to be hoped that Christmas Partygate will not prevent people from taking necessary precautions when socializing in relation to covid, and now the further threat posed by the omicron variant.  Currently, the polls have been affected: the Labour Party have risen, and are showing a few per cent ahead of the Conservatives (varying between 2% and 8%).  There have been calls for P.M. Boris Johnson to resign.

Aspects

This morning, at the crack of dawn, Neptune squared the Sun, which can throw things into confusion.  As it happens, we were unexpectedly thrown into confusion!  We were woken at that time with a call from a confused 95-year old family matriarch, and my husband and his brother rushed to her aid.  Then at 7.30 a.m. I received a phone call from Curry’s to say a new dishwasher was on its way and would be arriving at 8 a.m. So I had to phone hubby who was at mother-in-law’s, for him to clear the cupboard under the sink and prepare for the dishwasher’s arrival and plumbing in and removal of the old one.  They had scheduled the dishwasher for 16th December, so its arrival on a sleepy Sunday morning was not expected.  Sorry about this digression, but it really was a most unusual early morning, and the timing very precise in relation to this square.  So if you are feeling a little discumbobulated, you’ll know why! As well as an air of confusion, today is a day to sort out truth from illusion.

Mars enters Sagittarius tomorrow (Monday 13th).  This placement can be a green light to new exercise regimes and sports initiatives, foreign transactions, and further education studies.  If you are seeking to pursue a line of life philosophy with gusto in order to test out if it actually works, then pick your mantra and go for it!  You’ll have the energy at least, though success is not absolutely guaranteed.  There could be an injection of energy and light to proceedings.  Mars stays in Sagittarius until 24th January.

The late afternoon brings another ingress to further fluctuate the energy, that of Mercury entering Capricorn.  The mental mode of Capricorn is practicality, and systematic and methodical thinking. Mercury in Capricorn favours planning (so helps with planning the forthcoming year. Official documentation may need to be worked on, forms to fill, authorities to interview, etc.  Mercury will be in Capricorn for the rest of the year, until 2nd January in fact.

On Wednesday (15th) Mars conjoins the South Node, which may remind us of past battles (in this or previous lives).  It may be time to review your relationship to the Warrior Archetype, either your own personal inner warrior, or a more universal or symbolic perspective.

The lyrics to Edwin Starr’s hit song come to mind:

“War, huh, yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, uhh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing”

But, of course, we all need to be able to use our Inner Warrior in the most constructive way, so that is something to consider on Wednesday.

After Wednesday, there are no aspects, but there is a Fixed Star to consider for Friday (17th)..  In fact, it is the Open Star Cluster in Scorpio M6, known as Aculeus.  Bernadette Brady equates it with obstacles strewn in our path.  “Starlight Elixirs” by Michael Smulkis and Fred Rubenfeld gives the following rendering:

“This cluster will assist individuals who wish to attune better through channelling or by reading channelled works or other things shared about beings who work at higher dimensional levels.  There can be deeper attunement to these higher vibrational forces as they are worked with by such beings.”

The week in bullet points:

• Today – Discumbobulation
• Tomorrow – go ahead! ; planning and documentation
• Wednesday – warrior karma
• Friday – channelling and attunement to higher dimensions